Tag: Singapore
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Are Singaporeans Creative? Yes, No, It’s Complicated.
Singaporean students are the most creative students in the world. Singapore is also one of the least creative First World societies. Both of these statements are simultaneously true. I am one of Singapore’s most prolific and versatile writers. I have published 17 novels, 24 short stories and 2 non-fiction works. I also have 12 more…
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Simply No to SimplyGo
(image from here) On 10 January, the Land Transport Authority announced that from 1 June, the SimplyGo public transportation system will replace the older EZLink payment cards and Nets Flashpay. The following day, a flood of complaints exposed SimplyGo’s flaws. Fare readers do not display charges, forcing users to consult the SimplyGo app to track…
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Singapore Continues to Slide Down the Slippery Slope
Flat owners in Singapore will be presumed guilty of high-rise littering until they prove themselves innocent under a proposed law. As described by the Straits Times: The presumption of guilt applies only when it is proven, such as through investigations and in court, that the littering occurred from that residential flat. During investigations, NEA will ask the…
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Repeal of Section 377A: 15 Years Too Late
During the National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that the government will seek to repeal Section 377A of the Penal Code. The LGBTQ community and their allies see it as a hard-won victory. For others, it will merely be the start of a long and gruelling campaign ahead. S377A criminalises male homosexual…
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The Rainbow and the Cross
Subversive predators follow a time-honored playbook. First, they infiltrate a community. Then they inveigle themselves into positions of power and influence. They build networks of patronage. They present themselves as upstanding members of the community. Then they begin to hunt for prey. Should their victims threaten to expose them, they will rally the community around…
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When Waves Combine
What happens when the next wave of Covid meets the Great Resignation? Singapore is going to find out—and it will be ugly. The Straits Times presents an optimistic picture of the labour market. Among other things, unemployment fell from 3 percent to 2.6 percent, retrenchments dropped from 26110 to 7820, and the Ministry of Manpower expects…