Bride's family asked for RMB 500,000 in bride price Contrary to popular beliefs, many couples in China are unable to afford to get married. With the exception of rural villages, those in the cities mostly asked for hundreds of thousands in bride price (聘礼/彩礼).
According to our techie who has been in China for over a decade, the bride price may include monies intended...
Higher salaries lead Singapore to become top pick for Asian... I refer to the Independent Singapore’s Featured News SG Economy, “Higher salaries lead Singapore to become top pick for Asian workers looking to move” (Feb 22).
In this era of rapid technological advancement, all countries are faced with the dilemma of being hungry for talent. Therefore, top talents in respective...
Where Romance Meets Finance Sugarbook was launched by Darren Chan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a luxury dating website designed to resolve financial issues through emotional support. It provides a platform to grow your relationships through mutual benefits that are not restricted to mentorship, companionship, wealth and emotional support.
It...
Marriage, children and practical concerns A couple bows before their parents and offers them tea, as is traditional in Chinese weddings.
I refer to The Straits Times’ Editorial “Marriage, children and practical concerns” (Feb 5).
Since the history of human civilisation, the formation of individual family and the issue of procreation have become two...
Not in my backyard I refer to the TODAY’s Commentary, “'Not in my backyard' — when some groups can protest more loudly, the most vulnerable ones suffer” (Jan 25, 2024).
A few good points from the article are worth to be probed further and discussed.
In December 2023, the announcement of plans by The National Environment Agency...
Opposition parties seek to strengthen parliamentary presence I refer to The Independent Singapore’s SG Politics column, “Opposition parties seek to strengthen parliamentary presence” (Nov 29, 2023).
As we know, Singapore political scene has been firmly dominated by the PAP since 1959. Thus, the opposition parties in Singapore have to face and withstand many challenges ahead...
Educating the next generation I read with interest the Straits Times’ Editorial, “Educating the next generation” (Jan 5, 2024).
Any form of spontaneous learning should provide you with a happy, positive, and memorable experience. However, only a small number of children are in exception.
Therefore, based on this, parents should realize the...
GST increase in 2024 On 1 Jan 2024 GST rises 1% from 8% to 9%; this is a 12.5% increase in GST. I am not convinced that this is necessary. It will contribute to inflation, and cause economic hardship. The handouts to mitigate this are temporary and the increase is permanent.
In 2015, when the possibility of GST rising was an election issue...
Race relations in Singapore I refer to the Today’s “Commentary: In 1954, David Marshall spoke about race relations in Singapore. Have we made real progress since then?” (Dec 15).
For any country to be prosperous and powerful, it must first achieve political and social stability, and its people must live in harmony and be united. Only in this...
Passenger says he almost suffocated in Grab ride due to heavy... I refer to The Independent Singapore’s In the Hood “Passenger says he almost suffocated in Grab ride due to heavy cigarette smoke” (Nov 22) and “Passenger says TADA driver kept falling asleep during his ride” (Dec 3).
It is understandable that most riders who engage the service of private hire vehicle for their...
Tribute to Mr Lee Tee Tong This white-haired elderly gentleman caught my attention at Hong Lim Park on the 50th anniversary observance of Operation Coldstore in 2015. Fiery oration in Mandarin, without a script.
That was my first impression of Mr Lee Tee Tong, the elected Member of Parliament for Bukit Timah in 1963. He was the candidate from...
Exposing the fake news about China With so much misinformation and hate happening in the world today, it’s very easy to be misled by fake news.
Reason why in this video, I’m showing you the truth with facts about China and news from China so that you can understand the reality on ground especially after traveling across China for 60 days.
As...
Young people are redefining what is a good life and advertisers... I refer to the “Commentary: Young people are redefining what is a good life and advertisers need to wise up” (Today, Nov 29).
The author of this article analysed and discussed purely from the perspective of commercial advertising practitioner how Singaporeans, especially a group of young professionals and intellectuals...
Nearly 50% of Singaporeans in the past two years unable to... I refer to The Independent Singapore’s featured news “Nearly 50% of Singaporeans in the past two years unable to repay debts” (Nov 22) and TODAY’s news “Higher credit card spending in 2023 made S'pore households slightly more vulnerable to income, interest rate shocks: MAS” (Nov 27)
It is really sad and mindful...
Hundreds of Palestinian minors held in Israeli jails The 150 Palestinians set to be released from Israeli prisons in the truce deal are all women and children many of whom have been held without convictions.
Al Jazeera's Ali Hashem takes a look at the thousands of Palestinian children whose childhoods have been scarred by the Israeli occupation.
