Malaysian General Election - 2013

Malaysia will hold its general election soon. If you like to follow the political developments in Malaysia, here are some news form the social media ....

THE 'DIRTY' 8? Rafizi challenges Najib to drop 8 senior Umno leaders from GE13 list
http://mybaru1.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-dirty-8-rafizi-challenges-najib-to.html

Pakatan offers to top civil service pay, perks promised by PM
http://mybaru1.blogspot.com/2013/03/pakatan-offers-to-top-civil-service-pay.html

Wong Tack to contest Bentong on DAP ticket
http://mybaru1.blogspot.com/2013/03/wong-tack-to-contest-bentong-on-dap.html

The Indians do have leverage
http://mybaru1.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-indians-do-have-leverage.html

Malaysia's U.S. Propaganda
http://mybaru1.blogspot.com/2013/03/malaysias-us-propaganda.html

FIRST SOLDIER KILLED: Najib blamed for "politicking" & not focusing on Sabah crisis as death toll climbs
http://mybaru1.blogspot.com/2013/03/first-soldier-killed-najib-blamed-for.html

FISCA Talk on Insurnce

egister now for the FISCA Talk on Insurance that will be held on Saturday, 30 March at 2 to 5 pm in Singapore Management University.
http://easyapps.sg/assn/Org/Event.aspx?id=5

This talk is held once in four months, so make it a point to attend.

Learn what are good insurance policies to buy, and what are bad policies to avoid. If you are unaware, you can end up losing several thousand dollars !!!!

Treasure Singaporean professors

Dear Mr Tan

Referring to the recent case in which a NTU professor was denied tenure, and he may have to leave the job, I offer a perspective on why Singapore should treasure their own Singaporean professors.

Singapore is a country that is devoid of natural resources and is therefore highly dependent on human resource. To be admitted to a Singapore university and work as a professor requires highest qualification, such as PhD, and many years of training. Surely, they must be regarded as valuable human resource for Singapore.

At the same time, Singapore is a small country, and by simple logic, its local talent pool may also be small. Professors around the world compete with each other to gain international recognition. Indeed, it is not easy for Singapore professors or any professor to gain such recognition as they are competing with the best in the world. For Singaporean professors, such as Prof. Cherian George, who have gained international recognition, surely they must be regarded as local talent.

For universities in Singapore that are heavily subsidised with Singapore money, surely they must hire and retain Singaporeans as their professors so that the money is invested into the careers of Singaporeans.

At the end of the day, there aren't that many Singaporean professors. They are precious, treasure them!

Former Singaporean professor

Simplify sign-in for Wireless@SG

10 March 2013

Editor, Forum Page

Straits Times

It is heartening to hear that the Infocomm Development

Authority of Singapore (IDA) is doubling the bandwidth for the

Wireless@SG service.

I like to ask IDA to address another troublesome feature of

the current service. Currently, each provider uses its own

method to sign-in to the service. This is difficult, especially on 

a mobile phone. 

The workaround of downloading special script is also 

quite troublesome and frustrating.

I urge the IDA to provide a common sign in that can 

be used by all users, which does not have to depend on

the interface adopted by each provider.After sign-in, the 

user can be given an standard identification token to be 

passed to the hotspot provider

Let us make Wireless@SG really easy to use and put

Singapore in the frontline of innovation.

Hefty increase in premium for Incomeshield

Hi Mr Tan,

Could you please help to put on your blog my letter and further comments below:

I have written to STforum on thurday on the plain english and the increased premium of 40% amounting to about $400 per annum. Instead of publishing the letter, noted on the contrary, an entire page of advertisement promoting the plain enghlish. The points highlighted on deletion of clauses and restriction of claim (not to the benefit of policy owners) were not addressed in their advertisement.

There is a substantial increase of 40% in premium with additional coverage though CPF indicated only increase of $10 in premium for CPF integrated medilsheild. It translated to 40% increase of about $400 for my policy. I am not interested to have the additional coverage but would want affordable  insurance coverage as per existing policy to enable me to go over to private hospital for treatment if necessary. The queues after queues for treatement and payment due to the overcrowding in the hospitials, would end up in patients receiving delayed diagnosis and treatment.

I am sickened by the policy that affect me and decided by the govt, yet withoug any avenue to express my disagreement when I am the one who would be paying for the cost.

Thanks and regards,

Ms ling

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

9 March 2013

Editor

Forum Page

Straits Times

stforum@sph.com.sg

I personally delivered a letter to NTUC Income last December to ask about the revised

wording, supposedly to be in plain English, of the Incomeshield policy. I was quite unhappy

that some of the clauses on claims have been removed and other clauses have been

changed to be more restrictive.

I did not receive any reply for several weeks, in spite of several telephone calls to remind

them.

I had also received a letter dated 13 Feb 2013 from the Central Provident Fund informing

me that the additional premium based on the existing and new premium for the Med shield

has been increased by $10. Seeking clarification on this and earlier letter on plain English,

I called again. I insisted through my email to the NTUC contact centre again for a response

since there was no response since Dec 2012 to my queries. NTUC Income instead informed

me through email on 1st March 2013 that the premium for my existing policy would be

increased by $386 to $1,360 with the integration with med shield from 1 April 2013, a hefty

increase of nearly 40%

Is the Government monitoring this kind of increase? I had earlier moved to a private Shield

due to the over-crowding in public hospitals, but with the increase, it looks like I have to

move back to the basic Medishield plan.

Ms Ling Mee Choo

Provide affordable flats

Printed in the Straits Times

I WELCOME the statement by National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan that he is looking to reduce the cost of new HDB flats by 30 per cent, with those in non-mature estates to cost about four years of one's salary ("New HDB flats to become cheaper"; last Saturday). I agree with this benchmark of affordability.

Mr Khaw has a difficult task of ensuring that the new pricing regime does not adversely affect the values of the HDB flats that were bought at higher prices in recent years.

I suggest the following measures to achieve the laudable goals:

- The new flats should be priced at a 30 per cent discount to current market prices.

- The owners who bought new flats under this pricing regime will be required to pay a levy of 30 per cent to the HDB when they sell their units in future. In essence, the HDB is a 30 per cent co-owner of these flats.

- The HDB should set up a portal for the sale and purchase of this category of flats, to ensure the transacted prices reflect the actual market value and are not manipulated to show lower prices.

Tan Kin Lian