Interim report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions

N0746140.pdf (application/pdf Object)
In a report submitted to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Philip Alston commented on his request for a visit to Singapore.

"The Government of Singapore, for example, with the highest per capita rate of judicial executions in the world, has firmly rejected a request for a visit. Instead the Government has opted to level ad hominem attacks by accusing the Special Rapporteur of pursuing a “personal agenda” that exceeds his mandate. Rather than opting to engage, the Government of Singapore asserts that it is for the Government whose practices are called into question, rather than the Special Rapporteur, to interpret the mandate given by the Council."

Car imports come under scrutiny

Sep 14, 2007
Car imports come under scrutiny
Two traders arrested as Customs looks into importers underdeclaring value of vehicles
By Christopher Tan
THE buzz of wheeling and dealing at the Automobile Megamart in Kampong Ubi was interrupted on Tuesday morning when officers from Singapore Customs arrested two motor traders.

Ng Chee Siang, 24, and Chua Wee Meng, 37, were charged in court on Wednesday for trying to recover documents seized by Customs for an investigation.

If convicted, the duo face a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine and 18 months in jail.

The alleged offences took place in June, at 61 Ubi Ave 2, unit #07-05 - which is also the office of a top parallel importer here. The company would not comment yesterday.

The Straits Times understands that the arrests are part of a crackdown on car importers suspected of underdeclaring the value of their cars, a widespread practice estimated to cost the Government millions in taxes every year.

A Customs spokesman confirmed that its officers were carrying out audits on car importers, but declined to say more as investigations are ongoing.

The Straits Times reported in June that the difference between the declared values of parallel imports and comparable cars brought in by authorised agents has widened in recent years.

The difference in taxes they attract can be more than $10,000 per car - thus allowing parallel imports to be priced far more competitively.

Parallel imports now account for 27 per cent of the new car market, up from less than 5 per cent in the 1990s, when the market was liberalised to facilitate such imports.

The crackdown is already having an impact, say industry sources. They have seen the open-market value (OMV) of several popular parallel imports adjusted upwards in recent weeks.

The OMV is roughly the cost price of a car plus the cost of transporting it to Singapore. It is the base rate on which all vehicle taxes are applied.

'There were some revisions,' a Singapore Vehicle Traders Association committee member noted.

Traders have started to advertise higher OMVs for some models. This has resulted in a wider-than-normal range of prices in the showrooms of parallel importers.

For instance, the hot-selling Toyota Wish XE goes for between $72,000 and $75,000, while the Toyota Estima X ranges from $99,000 to $108,000. The Toyota Harrier is now priced between $106,000 and $101,000.

Singapore Customs said the two arrests were the first made this year. Between 2004 and last year, it took four cases to court and collected $1.23 million in fines. Another 25 cases were settled out of court when importers paid composition fines of $3.2 million.

The fines collected pale in comparison to those for similar cases in the 1990s, when Customs and the Land Transport Authority recovered tens of millions of dollars, mainly from authorised agents.

'Motor traders have become a lot smarter. They don't leave incriminating evidence like memos and e-mail around,' said an industry expert.

Many of them set up companies in Japan or Britain which act as exporters, selling them cars and allowing them to quote prices that are far below factory ones, he explained.

'The burden of proof is on Customs...to produce evidence of a trader suppressing the value of a vehicle,' he said.

Observers reckon fundamental changes are needed if the problem is to be licked.

'We should apply taxes at the point of sale, based on the retail price of the vehicle,' suggested Mr Cecil Leong, managing director of Customs consulting firm Bryan Cave International Trade.

christan@sph.com.sg

Optometrists & Opticians Board

Optometrists & Opticians Board

Waiting times at Polyclinics

2 new features to help people who intend to visit the polyclinics...
Queue Watch
Attendances and Waiting Times at Polyclinics

理财教育“课”不容缓

理财教育“课”不容缓
Financial literacy "lessons" cannot be postponed
Zaobao opinion piece, english translation to follow...
------------------------------------------
陈迎竹

房市热闹滚滚，股市谁也看不准，退休、年金和公积金又都成了最热门的话题。

这许多现象其实都涉及一个全民应该学习、但学校却并未重视的理财教育问题。

理财教育不被视为正规教育的一部分，不独新加坡如此，以先进国为主的经济合作与发展组织（OECD）到2003年才开始探讨普及理财教育（financial literacy）的问题。

它在2005年发表的报告中指出，澳洲受访者有67%表示了解复利概念，但要应用复利做计算时，事实上只有28%做得到；英国受访者有许多陷入财务危机而不自知；加拿大人则认为选择正确的投资比看牙医还紧张。

理财工作不能完全交给别人
在信息充裕的地区，民众在日常生活的大众传媒渠道中，毕竟还有耳濡目染的机会，人云亦云久之也有点概念。本地社会相形之下，信息不够普及，李光耀资政十年前就说过，新加坡金融界的“小道消息”不如香港，影响了市场的反应速度。

十年来，业内在这方面或许已有改善，但在老百姓层面，对理财的观念显然仍很贫乏，从不时在媒体出现的对金融机构的投诉就可见一斑。

理财就是个人财务的管理，不被列入正规教育的结果，是许多国人，不管受教育多寡，都缺乏这方面的知识和运作能力，乃至理解能力。

现在既然是知识经济的时代，金融商品日益多元复杂化，就像学者曾渊沧所说的，有一堆金融工程师专门在设计各种各样的投资工具，而显然其中细微与复杂的计算，莫不都站在所属金融机构的利益出发。

许多人在银行排个队，就被“顾客关系经理”游说，在无法深入理解自己所需的情况下，签下各种各样的投资商品。

在市道好的时候，皆大欢喜却不知何时应该下马；遇到市道逆转，受了内伤却可能已经找不到该有的“顾客关系”了。所以不少买了许多年的金融商品，到头来却发现白忙一场，即使不亏也没有满意的收获。

凡此种种，都是因为完全把理财的工作交给别人，一些人上巴刹买一袋青菜还得随时看紧，却在大把钱交给金融机构以后不闻不问，态度上还真是“青菜”得很。

于是，我们大多数人民的理财方式，过去莫不以公积金为依归，外加一点银行定期存款，买股票则与其说投资，很多人其实更像在赌博。

而相信还真的有相当多人认为遍布全岛三百多家的投注站是政府提供的理财便利店，生财之道多的是：多多、马票、大彩、足球，还有层出不穷的玩法，连老阿伯都会对着电脑荧屏看积分。

媒体时而免费配合赌博公司大事渲染中大奖者的故事，也更让小老百姓坚定“投注理财”的信念。

学校课程必须实际而有趣
传统教育观主导下的学校，功能从传道授业解惑到就业准备和职业训练甚至企业精神的培训，就是还没有把个人财务管理的行为与知识视为要务。

然而既已是知识经济的时代，了解这是个不能依赖一份工作做到老的时代，曾经定期提供退休储备的公积金，忽然发现都不够用了，对大多数的中低收入阶层来说，理财更成了一种必须终身持续的习惯。

现今社会上的理财知识多仰赖大众媒介，但是对受教育不高的人来说，往往可望而不可即，有心学习也缺乏系统，因此，因应时代的变迁与需要，理财教育更应该和两性教育、生命教育等等一起，成为学校教育的重要一环。

我认为学生在13到18岁之间，不管进入什么学校，都必须接受理财课程。理财事实上是一门牵涉面极其繁杂的知识，从复利的概念到投资工具、金融商品的种类，从风险的计算到金钱运用的选择，从财富的意义到面对金钱的态度，从具体细致到抽象概念。

课程可在几年的时间里传授，由浅入深，不必考试，但课程规划必须实际而有趣，教师必须有正确的态度和方法，让学生明白课程的意义和重要性。

金钱是人一生所需，大多数人一生所求，许多人穷其一生营营役役仍捉襟见肘，但正规教育却不把它纳入课程，冀望人民离开学校以后靠自己的接触去学习，是现代社会的虚矫与错误。

从小提供长期而有系统的财务管理知识训练，对国民成年以后养成理财习惯至关重要。人民有能力理财，国家才能彻底摆脱国富民贫的窘境。从这个意义上看，理财课程对绝大多数人来说，实在比物理化学几何代数重要得多了。

·作者是《联合早报》新闻编辑

Additional free legal clinics by the Law Society

Singaporeans looking for free legal aid now have more options, due to additional clinics set up by the Law Society. This supplements existing legal clinics set up by various bodies, including community centres, family service centres, and other charities.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Straits Times
Sep 10, 2007
Law Society office opens doors to give free legal aid
THE Law Society of Singapore has launched a pro bono or free services office to make legal aid available to people who cannot afford to pay for it.

'No one in Singapore should be bereft of someone to turn to if they should need legal advice or help, including those who cannot afford to pay for it,' said president of the Law Society Mr Philip Jeyaretnam on Monday.

Two pilot community legal clinics have been launched, as part of a new pro bono initiative by the Ministry of Law and the Law Society, with the support of the Singapore Academy of Law and the North-West and South-East Community Development Councils.

The two clinics will provide 'basic legal advice and information to needy Singaporeans and permanent residents', said Mr Jeyaretnam at the official opening at the Subordinate Courts.

'The opening of this Office clearly demonstrates the commitment of the Law Society of Singapore to its mission of serving the community by facilitating access to justice,' said Mr Jeyaretnam .

The pro bono services office encourages lawyers to contribute 25 hours of work a year, he said.

The office will administer the Law Society's pro bono programmes - Project Law Help and the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme - and will also work with the Legal Aid Bureau to develop new schemes.

'This will provide many more avenues for lawyers to volunteer their time to help needy Singaporeans.'

He commended lawyers who have been contributing to helping those in need. 'Over the years now, many lawyers from both large and small firms have been rendering voluntary service quietly behind the scenes in various ways,' he said.

'In these and other ways, lawyers do their part in making Singapore a 'happening' place.'

Too many laws? (a.k.a. Not enough enforcement, not enough knowledge)

Lets sit down and try to list down the laws that relate directly to consumer protection in one way or another

1. Banking Act
2. Business Registration Act
3. Central Provident Fund Act
4. Charities Act
   
5. Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act
6. Consumer Protection (Trade Descriptions and Safety Requirements) Act
7. Companies Act
8. Financial Advisers Act
   
9. Employment Agencies Act
10. Goods and Services Tax Act
    
11. Health Products Act 2007
    
12. Hire-Purchase Act
13. House to House and Street Collections Act
    
14. Insurance Act
15. Medical Registration Act
16. Minors’ Contracts Act
17. Misrepresentation Act
    
18. Money-changing and Remittance Businesses Act
19. Moneylenders Act
    
20. Multi-level Marketing and Pyramid Selling (Prohibition) Act
21. Optometrists and Opticians Act 2007
22. Pawnbrokers Act
23. Poisons Act
    
24. Price Control Act
25. Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act
26. Sale of Drugs Act
    
27. Sale of Food Act
28. Secondhand Goods Dealers Act 2007
29. Small Claims Tribunals Act
30. Spam Control Act 2007
31. Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Act
    
32. Travel Agents Act
33. Unfair Contract Terms Act
    
34. Weights and Measures Act
    

To be continued

Food Standards Agency - Agency revises advice on certain artificial food colours

Food Standards Agency - Agency revises advice on certain artificial food colours

Police, HSA raid Desker Road to curb sale of unapproved drugs

Channelnewsasia.com

Cellphones affect human cells without heating them - health - 30 August 2007 - New Scientist

30 August 2007 - New Scientist
sgwatchDOG is tracking this story closely...the original journal article can be found here.

Outdoor events by political parties banned

Straits Times
sgwatchDOG wonders which is the law that bans outdoor events, so that the actual text can be studied...

Aug 28, 2007
Outdoor events by political parties banned
A PERMIT application by the Workers' Party (WP) to hold a cycling event for its 50th anniversary was rejected because political parties are banned from organising outdoor activities.

This is a longstanding position, as outdoor gatherings by parties have the potential to cause a public disturbance, said Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee yesterday.

He was responding to Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim, who wanted to know why the WP could not get a police permit for a mass cycling event at East Coast Park.

Said Associate Professor Ho: 'The East Coast Park is a recreational park for Singaporeans and their families. It is not meant to be used by a political party to promote its cause.

'Apart from displacing the usual recreational users...it is an open area where there is greater potential for breach of the peace, public disorder and unruly behaviour.'

He said that police required political events to be held indoors or in stadiums where problems could be contained, adding that the WP could consider these venues. The policy applied to all political parties, he said.

To another question from Ms Lim, he said that even if the organisers were well behaved, others there might still cause problems.

To laughter, he added: 'Maybe cycle around the stadium.'

Then, WP MP Low Thia Khiang (Hougang) rose to ask why political events in public places were deemed to cause disturbances.

He also asked if Prof Ho considered cycling in a stadium a reasonable suggestion, and if the minister could designate a part of East Coast Park for sports by parties, just as Hong Lim Park became designated Speakers' Corner. Just before he sat down, Mr Low remarked: 'Cycling at Hong Lim Park? Don't tell me that, ah.'

To the first question, Prof Ho retorted: 'If you listened very carefully Mr Low, I don't know whether his hearing aid is with him because he wears one, I said there is a greater potential for law and order (problems).

'You may be well-behaving, but there may be other people whom you come across when you cycle who may stop you, may want to debate with you and that may attract a crowd, and therefore will result in problems the police want to avoid.'

JEREMY AU YONG

Money

sgwatchDOG kicks off the newly merged blog with a new section on Money. Issues like banking and insurance will be discussed here.

Instead of having multiple posts, and tying them together with tags, sgwatchDOG will try out a different approach, by using one blog post for each topic, updating that post with new info as and when needed.

One of the first big transactions that a person undertakes is opening a bank account. So it is must be quite humbling to note that protection of such accounts in case of a bank going bankrupt has only been implemented very recently.

The Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC) pays you money when the bank goes bust.

From the SDIC website,
"In the event a Scheme member bank or finance company fails, all of your eligible accounts with that member are aggregated and insured up to S$20,000, net of your liabilities to the member."

Inquiries Bill

070031.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Another interesting bit of information from the eGazette website. It seems this new Bill, if passed into law, will repeal the Commissions of Inquiry Act. Wonder what major changes are being made, such that amendments could not be made to the existing Act, but could only be done with an entirely new Act...

8 consumer rights

From a Consumers International webpage...

1. The right to satisfaction of basic needs - To have access to basic, essential goods and services: adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, public utilities, water and sanitation.
2. The right to safety - To be protected against products, production processes and services which are hazardous to health or life.
3. The right to be informed - To be given the facts needed to make an informed choice, and to be protected against dishonest or misleading advertising and labelling.
4. The right to choose - To be able to select from a range of products and services, offered at competitive prices with an assurance of satisfactory quality.
5. The right to be heard - To have consumer interests represented in the making and execution of government policy, and in the development of products and services.
6. The right to redress - To receive a fair settlement of just claims, including compensation for misrepresentation, shoddy goods or unsatisfactory services.
7. The right to consumer education - To acquire knowledge and skills needed to make informed, confident choices about goods and services, while being aware of basic consumer rights and responsibilities and how to act on them.
8. The right to a healthy environment - To live and work in an environment which is non-threatening to the well-being of present and future generations.

mouse print* and MythBusters

2 great concepts, one online, the other on TV. mouse print* reveals the truth behind the fine print. MythBusters conduct cool experiments to test various myths from past to present.

Dr Money had an article, which touched on fine print also recently.

Moose with wind are worse than gas guzzlers - Times Online

Times Online
How do we choose between saving the earth and protecting animals? Perhaps we should take it one step at a time... The news article claims that a moose contributes in 1 year, an equivalent of driving a motorcar for 13,000km. So, to ascertain if moose are a more serious problem than cars in Norway, we need info like the number of moose in Norway (120,000), the number of cars in Norway (?), the distance travelled by cars in Norway (?).

Moose with wind are worse than gas guzzlers
Roger Boyes in Berlin

They are dubbed the “Kings of the Forest” and are regarded by Norwegians as their national symbol.

Now, though, scientists have claimed that because of their burping and farting, the placid moose is an eco killer. During a single year, according to new research, a full-grown moose expels – from both ends – the methane equivalent of 2,100kg of carbon dioxide emissions. That is said to be as destructive for the atmosphere as the emissions released by 13,000km (8,000 miles) of car travel.

“To put it into perspective, the return flight from Oslo to Santiago in Chile leaves a carbon footprint of 880 kilos,” said the biologist Reidar Andersen, a biologist. “Shoot a moose and you have saved the equivalent of two long-haul flights.” The findings, from the technical university in Trondheim, place Scandinavians in a dilemma. Many are dedicated winter season tourists to Asian destinations such as Bali and Thailand. Is shooting moose about to become a fashionable way of easing their troubled envi-ronmental consciences? Researchers in Scotland and Wales have been examining how the feeding of dairy cows could be changed to cut back their gaseous belching. No such work has been possible, however, on the 120,000 wild moose in Norway.

Already, though, climate change is alleged to have so altered their eating habits that they are involved in an en-vironmentally vicious circle of increasing gas emissions. It began when snows started to recede in Norway. “Moose normally eat branches in the winter, a not particularly nutritious diet,” said Erling Solberg, of the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. “But since snow has become so much rarer they have access to wild blueberries.”

The result has been fatter moose that are more likely to break wind. Moreover, better-fed, the moose have started to reproduce more quickly and herds are swelling.

Last winter there were reports of moose straying into towns in search of food – eating Christmas decorations and even smashing shop windows to reach displayed vegetables.

Norwegians are therefore pleading for higher hunt quotas to keep moose numbers down and the gas emissions under control. The hunting season begins on September 25 and the authorities have allowed a kill-quota of 35,000.

“Think of it this way,” said Professor Andersen, who hunts moose as well as researching them. “Remove a moose from the world and you have saved the equivalent of 36 flights between Oslo and Trondheim.”

The Kyoto protocol counts a tonne of expelled methane as the equivalent of 21 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

80 million metric tons of methane produced annually by ruminant livestock worldwide

Source: EPA

Interesting parts of the Telecom Competition Code (TCC)

sgwatchDOG just found out that the TCC requires licensees (e.g. M1, Singnet, Starhub) to reveal how many complaints they receive. See below for the full text of the relevant section.

3.2.7 Service Quality Information Disclosure Requirements

(a) Licensees must make publicly available, in a format
that can be understood easily by End Users, a report
indicating the number and type of complaints that the
Licensee has received from its End Users and a
statement as to the extent to which the Licensee has
met all applicable quality of service standards issued by
IDA.

(b) The Licensee must update this information at least
once each year. The Licensee may satisfy the obligation
to make this information publicly available by posting
the information on its website.

SingTel's entry
M1's entry
Starhub's entry

Concluding comments of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: Singapore

Advance Unedited Version (PDF)
The concluding comments from the CEDAW committee are out...

Cartoon heroes and villains

Kids' food | Food industry tricks
sgwatchDOG has always found it difficult to see why some of the consumer organisations are so concerned about food advertisements targeted at children. It's time to find proper scientific documents to see the correlation between these ads and their effects on children. sgwatchDOG is quite sure that someone has already done that, but it needs a bit of searching. In the meantime, you can read the Which? report on this issue.

Unregulated online pharmacies pose drug risk

Which?
Like other email users on the earth, sgwatchDOG receives tonnes of spam on online drugs. For people who are adventurous enough to try these sources out, a word of caution from MarkMonitor, via a Which? news article.

13th ASEAN Summit website

Home
News that the draft ASEAN Charter will not be circulated publicly before the Summit in November has been discouraging, to say the least. sgwatchDOG will be lobbying for the draft to be released for public comments before its signing.

New Consumer

The UK's hottest ethical lifestyle magazine
Interesting consumer/ethical living magazine.

Citizens Advice Bureau

Citizens Advice corporate website - Home

Product recall: Nokia BL-5C battery

Product Advisory

Unfair Contracts

CHOICE

Court Dispute Resolution

Non-Party L.G.M. LIMITED (SINGAPORE BRANCH)	MOEY & YUEN MOEY CHIN WOON MICHAEL
Defendant ORIONS BELT NETWORK PTE LTD	SURIAN & PARTNERS SIDAMBARAM UTHAYASURIAN
Plaintiff CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE	SOBHRAJ TAY LOW SUBRA & TEO LOW WAN KWONG

From the Subordinate Courts website

Women & The Economy - Ethical Consumption

UNPAC
Although the article is targeted at women, the consumer advice is nonetheless still relevant. Do think of the concerns before making your next purchase.

Blogger Help : How can I create expandable post summaries?

Blogger Help : How can I create expandable post summaries?
Useful for shortening the long posts in this blog, will try it out soon.

Employment

(Work in progress...blog post to be published gradually...)

The Employment Act is the main piece of legislation in Singapore for labour issues. Some of the useful information for employees...

• (3) The notice to terminate the service of a person who is employed under a contract of service shall be not less than —
• (a) one day’s notice if he has been so employed for less than 26 weeks;
• (b) one week’s notice if he has been so employed for 26 weeks or more but less than 2 years;
• (c) 2 week’s notice if he has been so employed for 2 years or more but less than 5 years; and
• (d) 4 weeks’ notice if he has been so employed for 5 years or more.

NLB eResources

Available on the National Library Board (NLB) website. (access to documents requires login via a NLB Digital Library account, which is free)

There is also a new eSearch & Browse beta applications, which makes finding information much easier, as it allows searching across all eDatabases.

Consumer policy review
from 01/01/1994 to present in ABI/INFORM Complete and ProQuest 5000 International

Consumer reports
from 01/01/1991 to 3 months ago in Academic Search Premier, Business Source Complete, MAS Ultra - Public Library Edition and MasterFILE Premier

Journal of consumer policy
from 01/12/1977 to present in Springer Online Journals Complete

Guides to help you get something done

BBC - Action Network
Great resource toolkit for newbies like sgwatchDOG.

Trafficking in Human Beings

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Features a toolkit to combat trafficking in persons...

WOMEN’S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE COMMENDS SINGAPORE ON PROGRESS, BUT PRESSES IT TO WITHDRAW RESERVATIONS TO CONVENTION, STRENGTHEN DOMESTIC LEGAL

CEDAW press release
Initial info on the discussions on Singapore's 3rd report is out.

Advertisement of Winding Up Application - GLOBAL EUROP (ASIA) PTE. LIMITED

sgwatchDOG spotted this while checking the e-gazette website.

3 versions

ASEAN to set up new regional human rights body (Channel NewsAsia)
ASEAN ministers agree to form human rights commission (Inquirer)
Southeast Asia nations tackle Myanmar, but softly (Reuters)

Read all 3 stories, and make your own choice on which article is closest to the truth... Anyway, sgwatchDOG wonders what form the ASEAN human rights commission will take when it is eventually formed.

Should you be made to pay when you phone a helpline?

Dear Anna | The Guardian | Guardian Unlimited
It sounds scary when the article mentions the sentence below.

"Actually, the law does not care what service providers charge for support, provided they make their charges clear and don't abuse premium-rate regulations."

It does seem unfair that companies will be paid more for providing a bad product or service.

Merged blogs

2 other blogs have been merged into this blog. This will allow a "one-stop shop" blog, plus hopefully improve the quality of posts.

UN GLOBAL COMPACT E-LEARNING MODULE OUTLINE

UN GLOBAL COMPACT E-LEARNING MODULE OUTLINE

Order Paper for Parliament

OrderPaper27.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Wonder if the various MPs are allowed to check if other MPs have asked similar questions...there seems to be a glut of questions on the closure of UNSW in Singapore. Anyway, the order paper provides good info on what's on the minds of the MPs, and one can also see what new laws are being considered...very important to monitor the human rights situation...

Crackdown on International Marriage Ads (The Korea Times)

Crackdown on International Marriage Ads (The Korea Times)
Looks like Singapore is not the only country which is facing the issue of objectionable ads relating to foreign brides...

The World As I Know It: Sama sama (same same)?

The World As I Know It: Sama sama (same same)?

The Visible Man: An FBI Target Puts His Whole Life Online

Wired
An interesting way of dealing with police surveillance, worth looking into...

Amnesty International Report 2007

Singapore
Still reading through the section on Singapore...hope to do a comprehensive monitoring report based on international statistics...still in draft stage at the moment.

SAF Act amendment

TODAY reported on the amendment of the Singapore Armed Forces Act, which "seeks to amend the Singapore Armed Forces Act (Cap. 295) to enable the Singapore Armed Forces to be deployed in aid of civilian authorities for specified purposes or in specified events." as stated in the explanatory statement in the Bill (PDF).

sgwatchDOG hopes that this is not the start of the slide down the slippery slope towards the use of the military to arrest citizens.

The proceedings are recorded in the Hansard.

The Straits Times also has an article on this issue.

last updated: 10th August 2007

Global net censorship 'growing'

BBC NEWS | Technology |
News on censorship, which threatens the egalitarian nature of the internet. The Singapore country profile can be found here.

human rights awards

http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGIOR800012007

Besides the good news regarding the awards, another plus point is the
number of human rights organisations involved in this.

The Cost of...

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Documentary Archive
Many consumers are realising that the once simple method of choosing the cheapest product on offer is no longer so simple. Low prices may be an indication of abuse of labour rights of workers in the country of manufacture.

越来越多消费者在购买产品时，已了解到用最低廉的价格来选择产品已经不在那么简单。低廉的价格可能是因为制造产品的员工的薪金与福利不符合国际的劳工标准。

Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices

Ministry of Manpower | Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP)
sgwatchDOG hopes that the new guidelines will make it easier to "shame" companies that place discriminatory job ads.

US: Wal-Mart Denies Workers Basic Rights (Human Rights Watch, 1-5-2007)

Human Rights Watch, 1st May 2007
In line with Labour Day, which happens today, a report by HRW on attempts by Wal-Mart to prevent workers from joining unions.

Zahari's 17 Years

Google Video
Martyn See's documentary is now online...

Europe MPs 'gagged' by Singapore

BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Europe MPs 'gagged' by Singapore
Another sign of PAP's reluctance to allow discussions about politics in Singapore.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Google Earth

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Google Earth
An innovative use of technology to highlight human rights abuses.

Scuffle for organs sparks donor debate in Singapore

Such a sad story, sgwatchDOG feels sick just imagining the scenes where "police officers entered the ward and restrained the distraught family while Sim's body was quickly whisked away"...
----------------------------------
Reuters.com

Scuffle for organs sparks donor debate in Singapore
Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:55 AM ET

By Koh Gui Qing

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - As members of Sim Tee Hua's family sat at his bedside to pray for his recovery, they were horrified to learn that the hospital staff were about to turn off his life-support machine and use his organs for transplants.

The scenes that followed have shocked and upset not just Sim's family but many other Singaporeans, sparking a debate over the country's organ donor policy, which assumes that all citizens are willing donors, unless they have registered with the government that they wish to opt out.

Doctors at Singapore General Hospital had declared Sim brain-dead and said they could not delay switching off life support any longer because of the risk of damage to Sim's organs.

Sim's family had no objection to his organs being used for transplants but wanted doctors to wait one more day before turning off the life support machine.

But as Sim's 68-year-old mother and about 20 other relatives knelt weeping before the doctors, begging them to wait, nine police officers entered the ward and restrained the distraught family while Sim's body was quickly whisked away.

"The hospital staff were running as they wheeled him out of the back door of the room. They were behaving like robbers," said Sim Chew Hiah, one of Sim's elder sisters.

The Sim family's experience has prompted a wave of letters to the local media, with some people saying they would opt out in protest, and added fire to a debate about organ trading.

Lee Wei Ling -- a prominent doctor who is the daughter of Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of modern Singapore -- last month urged the government to legalize organ trading, or the buying or selling of human organs for cash.

"Organ trading is frowned upon and usually not allowed in countries where political correctness reigns," said Lee in a letter to the Straits Times.

"If monetary incentive makes a potential living donor more willing to save another life, what is wrong in allowing that?"

Her views have some support from the public.

"If I can sell my organs, give my children a better life, and save someone else's life too, why not? Not everyone drives a Mercedes," said Khalid, 32, who gave only his first name.

Currently, anyone caught buying or selling human organs in Singapore may be jailed up to a year or fined up to US$6,500.

POOR DONORS

Those who oppose the trading of human organs say it promotes greater social injustice.

"To trade it and sell it for a 100 pounds, 200 pounds, or to the highest bidder, that is to prostitute your organ," said Dr Choi Kin, president of the Hong Kong Medical Association.

Such donors are likely to be the poor and uneducated people from countries such as Brazil and India, who can sell a kidney for as little as $1,000, the World Health Organization said.

And they are usually exploited by organ traffickers, who can charge wealthy clients up to $100,000 to $200,000 for a new organ, according to the WHO.

The chronic shortage of organs available for transplant is a global problem. In the U.S. alone, more than 6,200 patients die each year while waiting for an organ, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, a U.S.-based non-profit medical group.

The shortage has forced doctors and governments to look for alternatives, such as the use of pigs' kidneys, hearts and lungs, or the purchase of human organs.

Many patients have also traveled abroad for transplants, notably to China, which has been accused by rights groups of harvesting organs from executed prisoners.

Since 1995, more than 270 Singaporeans have gone abroad, mostly to China, for organ transplants, the Health Ministry said.

DEFINITION OF DEATH

To ease the organ shortage, Singapore amended its Human Organ Transplant Act in 2004 to expand the pool of organ donors and the type of organs that could be donated.

Hospitals can remove the kidneys, liver, heart and corneas of all non-Muslim Singapore citizens or permanent residents when they die, unless they have objected.

Muslims can choose to donate their organs, as in Iran and Malaysia, although many believe that the dead should be buried with all their organs intact.

Doctors say a system which assumes all citizens are organ donors is necessary because even though many people are in favor of donating their organs, few actually come forward.

While many European countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and Spain, have laws similar to Singapore's Transplant Act, it can still be a sensitive issue.

When Brazil passed a similar law in 1998, it triggered a public outcry. The Federal Attorney later conceded that families could prevent the removal of organs for transplant.

Critics say laws which assume all citizens are organ donors are inadequate because the definition of death is debatable. Others are concerned that life-support may be turned off prematurely or that people may be unaware of the opt-out option.

"It should be up to the citizens to decide. These are their bodies, their organs, and therefore their decisions," said Dr Choi Kin. "If an accident should occur, it would be too late for them to opt out, even if they do not agree to donate."

In Singapore, some doctors had urged amending the Transplant Act, giving families the right to block such donations.

After the outcry over the Sim family's forced donation, the hospital and health ministry said in a statement that they would "continue to find practical solutions to minimize the emotional distress of families and staff in such situations."

Sim's kidneys went to patients who had waited six to eight years for donor organs, the ministry said.

His parents were offered five years of subsidized hospital fees -- and his family received a thank-you letter from the ministry for their "generous organ donation."

Have child in a year, get $1,000

The Electric New Paper, Singapore
This scheme really demeans women's rights...

-------------------------------------
# Matchmaking agency's gimmicks raise eyebrows
# $1 downpayment
# Interest-free instalments
JUST $1 as downpayment for a traditional China bride.
With a baby bonus carrot to boot.
That's the latest marketing gimmick by a matchmaking agency, Mr Cupid International Matchmakers.
By Dawn Chia
20 February 2007

JUST $1 as downpayment for a traditional China bride.
With a baby bonus carrot to boot.
That's the latest marketing gimmick by a matchmaking agency, Mr Cupid International Matchmakers.

But there's a catch to its eyebrow-raising offer.

Grooms will still have to pay the remaining matchmaking package eventually - in interest-free monthly instalments.

Mr Martin Wong, Mr Cupid's managing director, explained his agency's 'new initiatives'.

He told The New Paper: 'Our initiatives are introduced in accordance with the directives of the Government - which are to encourage people to marry and procreate.

'We want to encourage more people to marry by easing their financial burden when they get married, especially for those who may have to pay for a car, flat and other household expenses.'

The cost of a matchmaking package is $8,000 - a special price for the Chinese New Year period.

It is only applicable to brides from Fujian, China.

Here's how the $1 package works:
# Clients pay a $2,000 downpayment for the matchmaking package
# Upon successful selection of a bride in Fujian, clients will receive a $1,999 hongbao from the matchmaking agency

# The remaining $6,000 is payable in interest-free instalments over 10 months (or $600 monthly). Civil servants may opt for a special 15-month extended plan (or $400 monthly)
# There is a baby bonus for those who give birth to their first child within two years of marriage.

Couples who give birth to their first child within 12 months of marriage will be given a baby bonus of $1,000. Those who do so within 24 months will get $500.

Without the promotion, a China bride package costs $9,000 and does not include the $1,999 red packet, the instalment scheme and baby bonus.

In launching this interest-free instalment and catchy $1 promotion, Mr Wong is well aware of the potential backlash.

While potential clients will no doubt welcome the offer, some people have raised a cautionary flag. (See report on facing page.)

But as competition looms and industry players get more aggressive, Mr Wong sees the need to up the ante and offer something different to potential grooms.

BOLD MOVE

The $1 offer is a bold move for a once-conservative matchmaking industry, which started out by matchmaking men with brides from China.

Over the years, market forces and demand have driven agency owners to look to Vietnam, Cambodia and Kalimantan for more brides.

But Mr Wong is confident that his 'good intentions' will not be missed.

He said: 'The $2,000 token sum we collect upfront is to prevent people from abusing the system.

'We will be conducting the same checks as we do for all our packages - extensive interviews, character checks, income stability and so on.'

His agency is the only matchmaking outfit with CaseTrust accreditation - an accreditation scheme for retail and service sectors promoting fair and ethical business practices so that consumers can buy with confidence.

While Vietnamese brides are still hot favourites among many Singapore bachelors, Mr Wong noted that there is a growing number who are enquiring about China brides again.

Since last June, four in 10 customers who approached him ended up choosing a China bride. The rest chose Vietnamese women.

These China brides work and live in small towns and have never travelled outside of China.

Most work as retail assistants, factory production operators and restaurant waitresses, and earn between 800 yuan ($160) and 1,000 yuan a month.

Mr Tan, a civil servant in his late 40s, has already snapped up the $1 offer. He is earning about $3,000 a month.

He said: 'I've been putting off marriage for many years, and my mother has been nagging at me to settle down.

'It hit me that I'm not getting any younger, so when I approached the agency and learnt about this offer, I took it up.'

Mr Tan, who claimed he has never been in a relationship, doesn't see the $1 offer as a dollar value placed on his potential bride-to-be.

Yet he admitted that if he successfully found a bride, he would 'hide the truth' about how they met from his friends and colleagues.

He said: 'Other people might think that I'm paying for a wife and gossip about it, but I'm really paying for the agency's service.

'I can afford to pay for the package upfront, but since there's this interest-free instalment, I might as well take advantage of it.'

------------------------------------------------------------------

Counsellor: Don't put monetary value on marriage

CLEVER marketing gimmick, or a slap to the institution of marriage?

This is the question which ran through the minds of some people we asked.

And while some, like MP Halimah Yacob, didn't think a gimmick would push people into marriage, others had their reservations.

Family counsellor and therapist Charles Lee warned about having monetary values attached to a marriage and children.

Said Mr Lee: 'People should marry and have kids because they are emotionally and psychologically prepared, not because there is a monetary incentive dangled before them.'

Even Madam Halimah cautioned that going too far with promotions could be hurtful.

'We should not treat a marriage or the woman we want to marry as a product,' she said. 'It will cheapen the institution of marriage and demean the woman.'

Still, she acknowledged that most people are mature enough to think for themselves.

'People will get married and have kids when they are ready to, not because of a promotion like that,' she said.

'The $1 scheme is a creative and innovative way of attracting customers, but I don't think it will be the most important factor for rational people looking at marriage.'

Added Mr Lee: 'It is ultimately up to the consumer to be aware of the pitfalls, and be discerning enough to know if a particular scheme is suitable for him or her.'

As for whether the scheme could hurt the marriage, counsellor and psychologist Harry Low didn't think it would have much impact.

He said: 'If you want to hurt someone, you don't have to say you married her for only $1 or any other amount.

'Monetary value or worth is not the only thing you can use to hurt someone.'

Poverty Analysis

Measuring Inequality
The Department of Statistics (SingStat) has just released a report which confirms that the income gap is increasing. In the report, the Gini coefficient is mentioned. Above is a World Bank webpage on poverty analysis which explains how the Gini coefficient works. Some of you may remember that Human Rights Day 2006 had a slogan of "Fighting Poverty: a matter of obligation, not charity". The SingStat report can be seen here.

Features service articles - Decent work in New Zealand: Thinking globally, acting locally - Department of Communication

Features service articles - Decent work in New Zealand: Thinking globally, acting locally - Department of Communication
A great showcase of the good labour rights in New Zealand...

BBC NEWS | Europe | EU concern at US data transfers

BBC NEWS | Europe | EU concern at US data transfers

"Hot" patients setting off radiation alarms | Health | Reuters.com

"Hot" patients setting off radiation alarms | Health | Reuters.com

United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mechanisms

United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mechanisms
To look into the human rights situation in Singapore, we need to first know the current issues. To do this, a monitoring mechanism is key. sgwatchDOG will be learning from the UN article above.

United Nations Convention against Corruption

UNODC-United Nations Convention against Corruption

Search engine aids rights workers

BBC NEWS | Technology | Search engine aids rights workers
Not sure if we need another search engine...

Human Rights Day, 10 December 2006

OHCHR Human Rights Day, 10 December 2006
Human Rights Day is with us again. Lets do our part in improving the situation for everyone in the world. sgwatchDOG commemorates this year's human rights day by writing a series of articles on human rights monitoring. Watch this space.

AIR: America's Investigative Reports . Guide to Investigative Journalism | PBS

AIR: America's Investigative Reports . Guide to Investigative Journalism | PBS

Guardian Unlimited | Comment is free | While poverty persists, there is no freedom

Guardian Unlimited | Comment is free | While poverty persists, there is no freedom

eGazette

Current Notices
The eGazette contains notices from all the various Ministries in Singapore. As such, one can often find gems of information in this "vault". Do note that the free access section only lists the latest notices for the last 7 days.

The way the police treat us verges on the criminal

Guardian Unlimited | Comment is free | The way the police treat us verges on the criminal

An article commenting about affairs in the UK, but the points mentioned apply in Singapore also.

----------------------------

Guilty until proven innocent now seems to be the watchword of a government that increasingly treats its law-abiding citizens with absolute contempt

Henry Porter
Sunday October 29, 2006
The Observer

A father and his eight-year-old son got off a train at Blackpool on a Friday evening two weeks ago to be confronted by a number of police officers moving passengers towards a scanner. There was a mildly threatening manner about them and it was clear that they expected everyone to pass through the scanner, which they said was being used to search for knives.

The man, whose name is Danny, quietly told the police that unless they had a very good reason, he would not be searched. One or two passengers hesitated, then joined him in refusing to go through the scanner. The police were clearly disgruntled, but couldn't do anything because Danny was right: they had to have reasonable grounds for suspecting he was carrying a knife in order to search him. 'I am not some rabid left winger or civil libertarian,' he wrote in an email to me. 'It just seems we are allowing a police state to be developed without an argument.' On the phone, he seemed to modify this by saying that the police behaviour had been oppressive.

Thank God there are still people like Danny who know the law and understand that part of its fragile essence is the respect for the rights of the innocent citizen when confronted with authority. The British Transport Police may insist that its Operation Shield, as this random trawl is known, is for the common good in that it fights knife crime, but think twice about the attitude it betrays and you realise that it is another small erosion in the esteem for the individual. Such behaviour makes everyone a suspect.

Tony Blair talks incessantly about respect, yet there are few who have done more to degrade authority's respect for the public. Nowhere is that better seen than in the behaviour of the police, which gradually becomes more coercive and imbued with the idea that we are all bad hats until we prove otherwise. We now live in a country where the idea of wrongful arrest has become a historic curiosity and where anyone can be arrested for the slightest offence and compelled to become part of the government's DNA database.

We live in a country where young boys - one was just seven - are taken aside and questioned for trying to knock conkers out of chestnut trees on public ground. Where a grandmother whose neighbour accused her of not returning a ball kicked into her garden was arrested, fingerprinted and required to give her DNA. The police went through every room in her house, even her daughter's drawers, before letting her go without charge or caution.

Where two sisters can be arrested after a peaceful protest about climate change, held in solitary confinement for 36 hours without being allowed to make a phone call, then told not to talk to each other as a condition of their bail. As this paper reported, their money, keys, computers, discs and phones were confiscated, their homes searched.

There is much more, all of it enabled by Blair's laws and encouraged by a vindictive and erroneous contention that defendants' rights must be reduced in the pursuit of more and quicker prosecutions. Our prisons are full, problem teenagers are, by default, exiled to a kind of outlawry and every citizen becomes the subject of an almost hysterical need by the authorities to check up on and chivvy them.

The government regards us not just as wedded to too many regrettable vices - smoking, speeding, drinking too much, eating unhealthy food and taking no exercise - but also as innately prone to law-breaking. Perhaps with good reason, since, according to the Liberal Democrat homes affairs spokesman, Nick Clegg, some 3,000 criminal offences have been created by Labour. The more crimes there are, the more criminals there will be.

Mass surveillance has begun on our motorways and in our town centres. Metropolitan drivers increasingly find themselves pressed into numberplate-recognition camera traps on the same principle that inspires Operation Shield. Everyone has something to hide unless they can prove otherwise, which is why the police also enthusiastically pursue samples for the DNA database. (Incidentally, by next year, the total number of profiles will rise to three million, one in five of which will belong to black people.)

The police are in their very own heaven and demand more and more powers of instant justice, a contradiction in terms if ever there was one. These will allow them to crush people's cars, issue more on-the-spot fines and ban 'undesirables' from any area they choose without having to go to court. Even parish councils are to become part of this culture of minatory bossiness. Instead of having to apply to central government to introduce new bylaws, they are to be given powers by Ruth Kelly, the Communities and Local Government Minister, to levy instant £100 fines for skateboarding, not cleaning up dog mess, busking and, no doubt, scrumping for apples and playing Pooh sticks. How will it end - with CCTV cameras watching small boys for inappropriate behaviour in the vicinity of horse chestnuts?

In his frantic terminality, Blair plans the sinister information-sharing index, otherwise known as the universal child register, and last week was musing that we should all have our DNA stored on the national base. Link this to his earlier remarks about identifying problem children who might grow up to be a menace to society by intervening before they were born and you begin to feel the chill of the technology-driven authoritarianism.

What runs through all this seems to be a rather surprising dislike of the British people. It was once possible to believe the government's unusual attention to law, order and behaviour was benevolent yet ill-conceived. Now it looks more like the result of late-onset sociopathy, influenced by a long period in power and the degenerate entanglement between Downing Street and the seething red-top newspapers.

The prevailing account of Britain in the current political establishment has become deeply pessimistic and, to my mind, wrong. Yes, we have problems with home-grown terrorism, loutishness, a swelling underclass, unintegrating minorities, but there is another story. Britain is also a success and it should occur to one of our political leaders to defy the orthodoxy of decline and compliment the nation on its adaptability and deep reserves of virtue and toleration.

Think of the charitable activity in this country, of the level of public debate that wells up in BBC programmes such as Any Questions, the deep interest in history, the eagerness of the audiences at arts festivals all over Britain, the humour and generosity of spirit, the commitment to local communities, to understanding each other's needs and of the array of passions and hobbies which absorb so many millions of people whose quiet, law-abiding fulfilment as Britons goes undescribed by the furious negativity of the moment. It is these people, with their stored-up virtue and unself-conscious decency, who the government seeks to turn into suspects and infantilise by its morbid intrusion.

It is not the government's business to encroach on our experience as individuals in a democracy, to threaten us with so much oppressive legislation and always to assume our guilt. But there is another reason and that is because we are soon going to have to have the debate about individual liberty in the context of rapid climate change. That will only work if the government treats us like adults and says: 'Look, this is potentially the greatest crisis civilisation has ever faced and we need your help.' The resulting contract must be between equals - the people and the state - and in a relationship where respect flows both ways.That, ultimately, is what this nagging and suspicious government threatens.

henry.porter@observer.co.uk

BBC NEWS | Technology | Free speech online 'under threat'

BBC NEWS | Technology | Free speech online 'under threat'

The Special Rapporteurs

BBC NEWS Programmes Documentary Archive The Special Rapporteurs
sgwatchDOG finds out more about the UN special rapporteurs. For example, these rapporteurs are not paid by the UN...

Digital @ AsiaOne

Digital @ AsiaOne

What it should have been

Well, this is a strange development of events...

"Sep 9, 2006
Activists held, ordered to leave

By Tania Tan

ANIMAL rights activists were detained and ordered to leave Singapore yesterday before they could stage their planned protest outside a KFC fast-food outlet in Victoria Street.

Police acted on Thursday after they were alerted to the plans of a duo from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) to parade naked outside the outlet wearing banners saying 'Naked Truth: KFC Tortures Chicks'.

Police tracked the cellphone signals of American Jason Baker, 34, and Canadian Ashley Fruno, 20, and found the pair at a coffee shop in Bencoolen Street at 3.30pm.

They were taken to a police station at about 7pm and allowed to leave three hours later, after being told to board the next available flight out of Singapore.

A third member, Filipina Sonia Astudillo, 26, who arrived here later on Thursday, was immediately detained and also told to leave.

Police confirmed that all three were told to leave, before they could repeat a stunt they had carried out in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur days earlier.

Peta activitists are protesting against KFC because, unlike McDonald's and Burger King, the fried chicken franchise has yet to sign on to 'welfare policies', and had ignored recommendations for animal welfare improvements, the US-based Peta claims.

A KFC spokesman: 'KFC is committed to good animal welfare practices and all KFC poultry suppliers meet or exceed animal welfare legislation and industry standards.'

Mr Baker said just before his flight to Hong Kong at 3pm yesterday: 'We are shocked at being deported.'

This is not the first time the group has protested here. Its most recent attempt was made in February, when a Peta member paraded along Orchard Road in a chicken suit and gas mask, protesting the poultry culling sparked by the avian flu threat.

'The police didn't bat an eyelid then,' said Mr Baker, who is also director of the Asia-Pacific arm of Peta.

'Perhaps they were using us to send a message to IMF protesters,' he added, referring to the annual International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings to be held here next week."

What it should have been

"In Saturday's report 'Activists held, ordered to leave', we said that the police had tracked the cellphone signals of the activists from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

This is wrong. The police had responded to calls from the public who witnessed the duo behaving suspiciously.

We are sorry for the error."

PTC approves fare increases

http://www.ptc.gov.sg/news16.pdf
sgwatchDOG reads the Public Transport Council's fare increase document with interest...

062404.pdf (application/pdf Object)

egazette
Interesting nuggets of information are always on show at the E-gazette website. Take the one above, for example. It mentions that,

"pursuant to paragraph 2.3 of the Code of Conduct for Ministers (Cmd No. 8 of 2005), the Prime Minister, having considered it to be in the national interest, has granted the
Minister Mentor, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, permission to be a special advisor to Citigroup Inc., with effect from 5th September 2006."

Joint Statement From World Bank And IMF On CSO Participation In The Annual Meetings In Singapore

Press Release
Well, the press release from the World Bank & IMF makes their stand crystal clear... they want all accredited civil society representatives to be allowed into Singapore...

MAS Consultation Papers

MAS :Financial Sector
sgwatchDOG just stumbled unto MAS's public consultation page. It seems that some papers were not cross-posted on the Feedback Unit's webpage. The latest MAS consultation paper involves an issue (ILP rules relaxation) that could impact consumers significantly...

feedback on the feedback unit

e-Consultation Paper
With a new Chairperson for the Feedback Unit, it seems that change is in the air...

Secondhand Dealers Licence/ Certificate Of Exemption

Secondhand Dealers Licence/ Certificate Of Exemption
useful info for consumers to consider the next time they wish to consider buying a 2nd hand product...the vendor needs to have a license granted by the Police.

Information On Repair Contractors Available For Minor Repair Works In HDB Flats

HDB InfoWEB : Press Release
Good to see that HDB is pro-active in protecting consumers who may be "cheated" by companies who overcharge or may not be qualified to conduct repair works...

IPTO - Registry of Pawnbrokers - FAQ

IPTO - Registry of Pawnbrokers - FAQ
Similar to below, but for consumers considering pawning items...

IPTO - Registry of Moneylenders - Notes To Borrowers When Obtaining Loans From Moneylenders

IPTO - Registry of Moneylenders - Notes To Borrowers When Obtaining Loans From Moneylenders
A useful FAQ on money lending.

A helping hand with your HDB housing needs

Refreshing to see that the Housing and Development Board has initiatives to help the poor and elderly.

'Singapore Rebel' saga ends after police issues 'stern warning'

Singapore Rebel

Daily newspaper Today sacks blogger “mr brown” after government criticism

RSF

Reporters sans frontières - Singapore

Reporters sans frontières - Singapore
Government steps up online censorship in run-up to elections

Reporters Without Borders has condemned rules gagging free expression online, in the same way as for traditional media, in the run-up to parliamentary elections in Singapore.

Singapore Information, Communications and Arts minister, Balaji Sadasivan, repeated on 3 April 2006, the strict rules in force since 2001 on Internet use in electoral periods. The Singapore government has already warned Internet users who are likely to discsuss politics online that they are at risk of legal action. No official date has been announced for the elections but they are due to be held in the next few months.

"Once again the Singapore authorities are showing their determination to prevent the holding of a genuinely democratic debate on the Internet,” the press freedom organisation said.

During a parliamentary debate on 3 April 2006, Balaji Sadasivan repeated and enlarged on the very restrictive measures applying to Internet use during election campaigns. Bloggers and website managers do not have the right to back a particular candidate’s programme.

Outside of elections periods, bloggers have to register with the Media Development Authority (MDA) if they want to openly and regularly defend a political line. But during election periods, the fact of being registered does not allow them to express opinons on political issues. Website managers are subjected to the same rules.

These restrictions will now also apply to new Internet technology. The minister specified that use during the campaign of podcasting and videocasting, two new devices for putting audio or video online, will be banned if they carry political content. During the last election campaign, in November 2001, the main opposition party, the Singapore Democratic Party, made use of podcasting.

Sinapan Samydorai, chairman of the freedom of expression organisation Think Centre, who has been forced to register his website, said that there has been no improvement since the last elections in 2001, during which official party websites were the only authorised source of political news and information.

Another Singaporean blogger, known under the pseudonym of Alex, highlighted the confusion that has been caused by the minister’s remarks about the exact limits of Internet-users rights to express themselves politically in his country. “The minister’s statements raise more new questions than it provides clarification”, he told Reporters Without Borders.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Singapore attacked over blog gag

BBC NEWS | Technology | Singapore attacked over blog gag

Singapore attacked over blog gag

The Singapore government has been condemned for gagging political discussion on the web in the run up to the country's parliamentary elections.

The government has extended censorship laws to ban podcasts and videocasts that carry political content.

Websites and blogs are already under strict control and must be registered with the government.

Media watchdog Reporters without Borders said the ban would prevent democratic debate on the net.

The ban was outlined by Communications and Arts minister, Balaji Sadasivan of the People's Action Party (PAP) in a parliamentary speech.

It is enforced under a 2001 law that seeks to prevent overt advertising by political parties.

New technology

The ban will come as a blow to PAP opponents, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).

It has used both podcasts and videocasts in an attempt to get round traditional media censorship laws in their campaign.

The party said on their website that the latest announcement was aimed "squarely at the SDP's efforts to harness the new technology to advance its platform in the upcoming general elections".

For its part, Reporters without Borders said: "Once again the Singapore authorities are showing their determination to prevent the holding of a genuinely democratic debate on the internet."

No date has yet been announced for the election.

Outside of election periods, bloggers and website managers have to register with the Media Development Authority (MDA) if they want to write about party politics.

However during elections even registered users are prohibited from open political discussion.

The government said that anyone breaking the ban faces legal action.

The announcement is an extension of the Singapore government's strict censorship policy that applies to all media.

Recently the government relaxed some of its laws in an attempt to market the country as a hub for arts and culture.

The film, Brokeback Mountain, passed film censors this year, in spite of the country's stringent laws against homosexuality.

New UN rights council put forward

BBC NEWS | In Depth | New UN rights council put forward
moves to reform the human rights organisation within the UN...should be a good thing.

not just consumer rights anymore

when sgwatchDOG was first conceived, there was always a lingering desire to look at the overall human rights situation in singapore, and not just on consumer rights. well, sgwatchDOG has finally decided to broaden its scope, and will, with immediate effect, look into issues of human rights in singapore.

war on timeshare

sgwatchdog shifts into its 2nd phase, moving from reporting to direct action, by declaring war on timeshare companies in singapore. more info soon...

list of electronic goods with safety mark

Safety Mark

CPFTA at Statues Online

CONSUMER PROTECTION (FAIR TRADING) ACT

Ministry of Health: Bills and Charges: Hospital Bill Size

Ministry of Health: Bills and Charges: Hospital Bill Size

Comparison of MediShield and Private Integrated Plans

a pdf file comparing medishield & private schemes. below is part of the write-up.

"One of the objectives of the MediShield reform is to promote a competitive medical insurance market which can offer Singaporeans greater choice of private insurance plans. When the reform was implemented on 1 Jul 2005, there was immediate benefit to Singaporeans as private insurers responded positively to the reform. Three existing insurers (AIA, Great Eastern and NTUC Income) significantly enhanced coverage for policyholders with hardly any changes to premiums. A fourth insurer (Aviva) was a new entrant to the market which introduced different insurance plans."

steps to resolving your consumer issue

adapted from the article from Australian Consumers' Association, with local context added in.

Step 1: Know your rights! If you know what you're entitled to, you can ask for it with confidence.

http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/
the statutes website shows all the acts in singapore. some relevant acts applicable would be

1. CONSUMER PROTECTION (FAIR TRADING) ACT
2. SALE OF GOODS ACT
3. UNFAIR CONTRACT TERMS ACT
4. MISREPRESENTATION ACT

note: some acts are listed under english acts, so if u don't find it under the alphabet listing, take a look there

Step 2: Go to the source. Approach the retailer or organisation that provided the service and explain the problem as soon as possible.

call the company involved, and speak to the person who handled your transaction. some consumers find it better to sms, as there is proof of the conversation.

Step 3: Write a letter to the manager or the organisation's customer service department.

if it is still unresolved at this stage, a simple email, fax, or letter sent to the company would be good. give a reasonable dateline for the company to respond.

Step 4: Lodge a complaint. Approach the government or industry body that deals with complaints in that area, such as the fair trading/consumer affairs department, health complaints body or industry ombudsman.

at this stage, u may need some assistance from other organisations

1. CASE
2. NATAS
3. AEAS
4. FIDREC
5. RADAC
6. STB

Step 5: Lodge a claim with the small claims tribunal.

http://www.smallclaims.gov.sg/index.html
the small claims tribunal is a simple court procedure to resolve an issue that is still unresolved at this stage.

consumer blacklist - 001

name: L.G.M. LIMITED (SINGAPORE BRANCH)
registration: F 05553K
hideout: 391B Orchard Rd #14-01 Ngee Ann City Tower B Singapore 238874
blacklisted for: violating the consumer protection (fair trading) act, 3-day cooling-off period

when is insurance not insurance?

DBS Singapore Personal Banking Insurance
u walk into a bank, requesting the bank to open a fixed deposit account. u walk out with a "regular savings plan". it turns out to be an investment-linked policy. if u look at the website, u will see that the word "insurance" is conspicuously missing. the term "assurance" is used instead, or even worst "moneyback".

FIDReC

FIDReC
finally, fidrec opens its doors to the public. what is it? see below...
The Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre Ltd (FIDReC) is an independent and impartial institution specialising in the resolution of disputes between financial institutions and consumers. FIDReC subsumes the work of the Consumer Mediation Unit (CMU) of the Association of Banks in Singapore and the Insurance Disputes Resolution Organisation (IDRO).

One in seven new mobiles 'faulty'

BBC NEWS | Technology
An estimated two million of the 18 million mobiles sold last year in the UK could have been faulty, according to a Which? magazine consumer report.

It found that one in seven new mobiles had problems, 70% of which occurred in the first six months.

Twenty-seven percent of mobile owners with problems were not happy with the help they received either, said Which?

Video phone operator 3 had the poorest record, with one in three handsets on its network having problems.

Which? said that this could be down to "teething problems" with third generation mobile technology.

"They're newer and they are more sophisticated so it is reasonable to think they might have more teething problems," Abigail Waraker, assistant editor of Which? told the BBC News website.

Rachel Channing from 3 told the BBC News website that it was unrealistic to try and compare 3G technology, which is complex and new, to GSM technology.

Downloading full-length music videos, making video calls and so on is relatively novel for many people, so there was more chance of things going wrong.

FAULT REPORTS WITHIN YEAR OF PURCHASE
3 - 32%
Orange - 16%
T-Mobile - 15%
Vodafone - 15%
BT Mobile - 14%
02 - 13%
Virgin - 8%
Tesco - 4%
Source: Which? survey

She also criticised the sample size of the survey. "The sample they picked out was only 50 customers. We have three million. It was only 16 who had experienced problems, so we don't think it is a representative sample," she said.

She added that the problems reported related to its oldest 3G handset model, released about two years ago.

"The technology is evolving so rapidly and the performance as you release them improves every time.

"Those handsets have been superseded by ones that perform much better on the network," she said.

The survey revealed a whole range of problems, from faulty keypads, failure to connect to the network, or problems in storing phone book entries, for instance.

By law, if a mobile has a fault within six months and the store cannot show it was the customer's fault, the shop must sort it out.

'Not good enough'

The report did not make distinctions between what was a handset fault, or a network fault because people would not necessarily know themselves the reason for a fault.

What it highlighted though was a big problem that new mobile owners experience when there is an issue.

"People get passed from pillar to post," Pete Tynan, the report's author told the BBC News website.

"In fact is it is up to the place you bought it from to sort it out. Don't let them fob you off," he said.

Even if the problem was that the SIM card was not connecting to the network, for instance, it is still legally the retailer's responsibility to solve the problem as they sold the package in the first instance.

"A one-in-seven chance your phone's going to develop a fault is way too high," said Malcolm Coles, editor of Which?.

"Not only that, but retailers who should be bending over backwards to help customers who've already suffered the inconvenience of a fault, aren't giving people the help they need when they complain."

The survey of more than 5,000 people on Which?'s online consumer panel also found that certain handset brands were more likely to experience faults than others.

Motorola and Sony Ericsson handsets proved most likely to have technical hitches, with 20% of people reporting problems with them.

Nokia and Samsung scored better, with one in 10 owners experiencing faults.

Mobiles are fast becoming the most common consumer electronic devices in the world, according to analysts.

By the end of 2009, 2.6 billion mobiles will be in use around the world, according to Gartner analysts.

Housing Agencies Under The Listed Housing Agents Scheme

Housing Agencies Under The Listed Housing Agents Scheme
make sure that your housing agent belongs to the listed housing agents scheme before engaging them to help buy/sell your HDB flat. At the very least, u can seek help from HDB if things go sour.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Ringtone ads face stiff controls

BBC NEWS Technology Ringtone ads face stiff controls
Rules on ringtone ads are being beefed up following a deluge of complaints to watchdog that regulates premium rate phone services in the UK.
Icstis has welcomed the new safeguards to protect consumers signing up for premium rate subscription services, such as ringtones and wallpapers.

It says misleading ads have meant many people have run up large bills because all costs are not spelled out.

More than 100 people complained to the watchdog about the Crazy Frog ringtone.

The new rules were draw up by the UK's mobile phone operators to determine how premium rate subscription services are marketed by content providers.

The deadline for complying with them is 30 August.

The rules go as far as to dictate font sizes and how prices should be displayed in TV adverts.
In recent months, many people have mistakenly run up large bills by inadvertently subscribing to ringtone and text services when they thought they were just buying one tune.

The popularity of the Crazy Frog ringtone has led many people to download it to their phone without realising that it is only part of a bundle of tunes they will regularly be billed for.

"Teenagers are particularly vulnerable as they do not always fully appreciate the conditions attached to such services," said George Kidd, Icstis director.

The wildly popular Crazy Frog has made history by becoming the first ringtone to reach the top of the pop charts.

It is part of a package of ringtones created by mobile content company Jamster, and sold through a mobile service provider called MBlox.

Consumers who may think they are buying the Crazy Frog ringtone are signing up for a subscription plan.

Each week, they receive a new text message for which they are charged £3, enabling them to download another ringtone.

The new rules, drawn up by mobile operators and backed by premium service watchdog Icstis, will force content sellers to make it clear what people have bought and how much ongoing costs are.

They demand that details of prices and how often people are billed are prominent in adverts. For TV adverts, scrolling price banners and small fonts are outlawed.

In print, adverts prices and conditions must be in the main body of an advert rather than the small print.
They also stipulate that as soon as someone has signed up for a service they are sent a text message telling them what they are getting.

Customers must also get a reminder of how to unsubscribe every month or every time £20 is spent.

Mr Kidd said the rules built on the universal "stop" command that was introduced in 2004. This lets people unsubscribe by sending the word "stop" to the short code associated with the service they have signed up for.

Adrian Harris, founder of the Grumbletext website where people log problems with phone services, said he welcomed the new safeguards up to a point.

If all firms complied with the rules then consumers would definitely be better off, he said.

But, he said, the big problem was policing ringtone sellers. He called on Icstis to be more active in seeking out offending firms rather than just investigating on a case-by-case basis.

At the end of June the Department of Trade and Industry announced a big increase in fines for firms that break rules on the selling of premium rate phone services.

After the increase the maximum fine is £250,000 - more than double the previous upper limit of £100,000.

How to Complain successfully

Australian Consumers' Association
Whether you've got a complaint against a store, car dealer, tradesperson, professional, bank or other organisation, follow our tips to exercise your rights and get satisfaction!
Step 1: Know your rights! If you know what you’re entitled to, you can ask for it with confidence.
Step 2: Go to the source. Approach the retailer or organisation that provided the service and explain the problem as soon as possible.
Step 3: Write a letter to the manager or the organisation’s customer service department.
Step 4: Lodge a complaint. Approach the government or industry body that deals with complaints in that area, such as the fair trading/consumer affairs department, health complaints body or industry ombudsman.
Step 5: Lodge a claim with the small claims tribunal or equivalent if it's a fair trading issue.

Step 1: Know your rights!

Your first step in resolving a dispute with a store, tradesperson, professional or organisation is to find out your rights in the situation.

Check with the relevant complaints body, such as fair trading department, health complaints agency or other government body, industry association or ombudsman or professional organisation. They'll normally give advice over the phone.

You can also find contact details for these bodies and a range of consumer rights information under Your Rights.

Once you know your rights, you can be confident in exercising them.

Consider these approaches to settling a complaint.

“Well..um...I thought maybe you could … you know… um.. er… give me…”

Is this you? Hesitant and unsure in asking for a refund for faulty goods while the store is saying they’ll only offer a repair?

“I know that I’m entitled to a refund if goods are faulty. I don’t have to accept a repair.”

This shows you know your rights and are confident about asking for them.

Who'll get results faster?
The confident consumer is more likely to get satisfaction almost immediately.

If you're unsure about your rights you may get nowhere with the retailer and have to take the case to the local fair trading/consumer affairs authority to get the same result.

Step 2: Go to the source

Armed with knowledge of your rights, and our advice below, you can phone or go into the seller or service provider's premises — as soon as possible.

First gather any necessary paperwork like receipts, invoices, bills, advertisements, catalogues and print-outs of online orders to show you bought the goods or service, the date and how much you paid.

It's important to work out what you want, say a refund, compensation or apology, before you talk to the trader.

Write down the key points if you think that’ll help.

Be prepared to explain:

what the product or service is and when you bought it
the problem, when it developed and what needs to be done to rectify it
your rights in the situation.
Keep your cool
When you make contact, ask to speak to the person you dealt with and explain the situation calmly and firmly.

If they don’t have the authority to handle your complaint, ask to speak to someone who does, for example, the manager.

If you complain in person, it sometimes helps to take a friend for support and to be a witness but make sure they keep their cool, too.

Make notes
Write down the name and position of the person you speak to and make notes of this and any other conversations you have with the trader.

Also keep any correspondence and other documentation you receive from the trader.

You'll need as much evidence as possible if you have to lodge a complaint with Fair Trading/Consumer Affairs or the Small Claims Tribunal or equivalent.

Step 3: Write a letter

If your visit or phone call doesn't bring quick results, write a letter to the trader confirming the details of your complaint.

Some tips:
Ring the store for the name of the manager or get the name of the contact person for the organisation's customer service department and address the letter to them.
Keep your letter simple, straightforward and polite and write it in clear and easy-to-read language.
Get straight to the point in the first paragraph and carefully plan what you want to say in the rest of the letter.
Outline the problem, when it first occurred, what it will take to resolve the matter and what steps you've already taken.
Show you know your rights by including a sentence about why you're entitled to the type of redress you're requesting.
Be reasonable if you set a deadline for a response.
Enclose copies (not originals) of relevant documents, such as receipts, quotes and invoices.
Present information carefully in written complaints sent by fax or email — as you would in a letter.
Keep a copy of the letter and any others you write to the trader. As well as documenting your complaint, they will show you tried to resolve the issue yourself if you have to lodge a complaint with Fair Trading/Consumer Affairs.

Step 4: Lodge a complaint

The trader or service provider has told you they're not prepared to give you what you want or they haven't replied at all.

It's time to lodge a complaint with the fair trading/consumer affairs department, other relevant government complaint agency or industry ombudsman.

Put your complaint in writing. You can usually send it by mail, fax or email. You may even be able to lodge it on the complaint body's website.

What to include
Use your letter to the seller or service provider as a guide for your written complaint. Include:

a description of the problem
when it occurred
what it will take to resolve the matter
what steps you've already taken.
Supply copies of the necessary paperwork (not originals), such as correspondence between you and the trader, notes of conversations, receipts, invoices and quotes with your complaint.

The complaint body will attempt to negotiate a resolution between you and the seller or service provider.

For fair trading complaints, the fair trading/consumer affairs department can investigate traders and may take action in the courts when they've breached consumer protection laws.

However, the department usually can't force traders to resolve individual complaints.

To obtain an order against the trader which can be enforced through the courts, you have to lodge a claim with the fair trading/small claims tribunal in your state or territory. See Step Five: Small claims tribunal .

Step 5: Small claims tribunal

The Small Claims Tribunal or equivalent in your state or territory offers an inexpensive path to justice for fair trading disputes.

The fees and the maximum amount you can claim in these tribunals vary from state to state.

The hearings are usually relatively informal. Each party tells their side of the story and the referee makes an order.

Take any records you have of the dispute, such as notes of conversations and correspondence with the trader, and relevant documents like receipts, invoices and quotes.

Find an expert
To show a service was not performed properly or a product did not do what it was supposed to it's useful to approach an independent expert to make a written assessment of the situation. You can use this as evidence in the case.

The small claims tribunals, which are also known as fair trading tribunals and small claims courts in some states and territories, make orders for claims in dollar amounts.

If you obtain an order in your favour and the trader doesn't abide by it, you can enforce it by going to the Local Court or Magistrates Court.

If the amount you're claiming is outside the jurisdiction of the tribunal, you'll have to pursue the matter in the regular court system. So seek legal advice!