TR EMERITUS

作者：康世人《中央社》02/03/2010 正反意见分歧大政府强势主导通过设立提案 新加坡2006年突然政策大转弯，宣布计画开设赌场，而且一开不只一间，而是两间，现在，其中设在圣淘沙的“圣淘沙名胜世界”综合娱乐城赌场，已于虎年第一天2月14日开幕，成为新加坡首间开幕的赌场。 但回顾新加坡决定开设赌场，事实上是面临着很大的反对压力，包括政府内部也出现反对声浪。 李光耀以死宣誓立场反对开设赌场 新加坡总理李显龙 (Lee Hsien Loong) 于2005年4月，宣布兴建两座附设赌场的综合娱乐城后，高层领导人坦承，内阁曾为开设赌场与否产生辩论与争执。 李显龙的父亲，被尊称为新加坡国父的内阁资政李光耀，更曾说过：“除非我死掉，否则别想在新加坡开赌场”，表达反对赌场的坚定立场。 不但政府内部对赌场开设与否产生歧见，民间反弹声浪也颇大，只是在所有媒体都由官方持股之下，只看主流报章与电视广播的人们，无法察觉出来。 首先，西化的新加坡社会，许多人信仰基督教，许多基督教团体对设置赌场就持反对意见。拥有250个基督教会和教堂的新加坡基督教协会发表声明，指开设赌场将 削弱新加坡人的道德意识，恐造成许多家庭，社会和道德问题，且从国家长远利益来看，开设赌场会破坏新加坡“出类拔萃的社会标准”，有损新加坡做为关怀贫困 与弱国的国际声誉。 为扩大反对的声音，也拒绝让自己的下一代遭到赌场污染，由三个家庭发起在网路上设置“新加坡反对赌场威胁家庭”网站，试图突破政府掌控主流媒体的宣传限制，发起反对设置赌场连署。 截至网站宣布停止连署为止，就有近3万个家庭上网连署反对新加坡兴建赌场，因为他们坚持，“不要让家人在接受赌场的环境下成”。 虽然反弹声浪如此之大，甚至连国会的执政党议员也呼吁这个议题应该在国会公开辩论，但在遭到李显龙回绝后，国会于4月18日通过开设赌场提案。 新加坡政府如此执意开设赌场，其实还是因为新加坡的经济已经面临困境，需要另谋出路。 优势渐失下猛药救经济 首先，由于人力，办公，土地和各种政府税收让成本高居不下，许多国际大厂陆续把生产线移到成本更低的中国大陆等地，加上政府另外培植的生物医药业，也因为制药业产值经常出现波动不稳定，让新加坡经济最大支柱制造业的产值，出现萎缩现象。 其次，新加坡金融中心的地位，除继续面对旧有对手香港的竞争外，崛起的上海也成为新加坡维持地位的隐忧;新加坡的航运中心，则面临马来西亚在附近另开港口以更低廉成本抢走长荣等大客户，而受到冲击。 另外，新加坡经济的支柱之一观光业，也在长期服务水准未能提升，国家小，资源少无法吸引更多观光客前来等因素影响下，不断出现旅客减少的警讯。 李显龙在国会通过设置赌场案后就曾解释说，新加坡在全球观光业所占份量渐走下坡，入境观光客平均停留时间缩短为三天，相较香港旅客入境停留时间平均为四天，伦敦为五天，纽约为六天。 此外，2004年正值新加坡在亚洲金融危机后，经济陷入最谷底，不但新加坡政府透过官方持有地产公司向来用以致富的房地产跌至谷，连制造业等也陷入一片无力 的窘状中，加上香港迪士尼乐园即将开幕的刺激，同属东协国家的马来西亚和泰国，也不断提升服务和把旅游主题推陈出新，都让“怕输”的新加坡政府，必须下 “猛药”来扳回面子。 当年李显龙在说明设置赌场理由时，就显露出他的焦急。他说：“整个亚洲地区都不断在进步，上海活力澎湃，香港的迪士尼乐园将要开幕，并正在讨论是否要设立赌场，如果我们不改变，20年后我们会在哪里？“ 因此，为达成新加坡在未来十年（2015年）每年平均有1700万人次入境，且观光收入达到300亿美元的目标，政府强势主导国会通过设置赌场，盼能吸引更多观光客前来，以增加经济收入。 李显龙期待，借着这两座综合娱乐城带动整体经济的转型，并且创造10万个就业机会，让星国改头换面，从过去整洁，秩序的刻板印象，摇身变为“东方的摩洛哥”，并维持星国在区域旅游领先的地位。 曾来台招募赌场所需人手 不过，即使官方称两座赌场将创造10万个就业机会，但这些工作机会，在有些新加坡人不愿屈就工作时间长的荷官（发牌员）等工作之下，两座赌场还是需要向海外招聘人手。 新加坡的赌场，就曾跨海到台湾征求150位荷官，起薪新台币4万1000元外加丰厚的小费，一周内就吸引500人投履历希望能拿到这份工作。 甚至，有些台湾人更干脆自费跨海到新加坡的赌场人员培训学校上课，希望能在学成之后，就近找到在赌场的工作。 27岁的由美，从台湾跑到新加坡南洋管理学院修读赌场管理等相关课程。她说，虽然这段期间要投资学费，还有负担新加坡高昂的生活费，但希望学成以后，能加入新加坡的赌场工作，除了养活自己外，也能增加不同的生活体验。 除强调经济诱因外，为化解新加坡社会的反弹和疑虑，李显龙和新加坡政府也下了许多功夫，包括两座赌场不叫赌场或赌城，而叫综合娱乐城（综合度假胜地，IR）的，希望人们听到红外，不会立刻想到赌场和赌博。 李显龙表示，政府计画的两座综合娱乐城，不单单只是赌场而已。这两个发展计画不是美国拉斯维加斯或澳门赌场，而是包含主题公园，大型购物商场，博物馆，会展中心和饭店的综合渡假村与综合娱乐城，目标是要吸引休闲与商务旅客，而赌场只占娱乐城不到5％。 李显龙更强调，政府无意把新加坡变成像澳门这样的赌城，或是像吉隆坡云顶高原赌场，允许当地人赌钱。 颁布禁令办法防止当地人涉足赌场 因此，新加坡政府从一宣布设置赌场后，就表示要对新加坡公民收取每天赌场入场费100新元（新台币2200多元），或一年入场费2000新元（4万4000 多元）;政府最近更在核发赌场执照之前，再把持外国护照但领有新加坡永久居民证的永久居民，也纳入必须缴入场费的范围内，希望可以让财力一般的公民和永久 居民“知难而退”。 此外，新加坡还颁布赌场禁令办法，包括家属向政府申请家属禁入赌场令，阻止亲人到赌场赌博（家庭排除令）;另 一种是当事人为自己申请的自愿禁入赌场令（自我排除令），和由政府授权执行的第三方禁入令（第三者排除令），这些被政府禁止进入赌场的人包括领取公共援助 金或特别津贴，及名列破产名单者。 根据新加坡赌场管理局2月6日的声明，已有19人拿到“家属禁入令”，138人拿到“自愿禁入令”，还有2万8661人拿到“第三方禁入令“。 此外，新加坡赌场管理局指出，警方也对3500名曾犯下非法放贷，参加黑社会组织，洗钱，仲介卖淫和贩毒等严重罪行者发出赌场禁入令，禁止这些人进入赌场。 新加坡政府为防止新加坡人容易提取现金赌博，还规定赌场内不得安装自动提款机，赌客花光身上的现金后，如果要加注翻本，必须离开赌场，到综合度假城其他地方的提款机提取现金。 不过，这些措施似乎无法阻挡新加坡赌客要赌的意志力。 当地政府为宣导国人不要赌博而设立的“新加坡全国预防嗜赌理事会”统计，“圣淘沙名胜世界”赌场2月14日中午开幕的首日，截至当晚7时30分，已有 3,250位新加坡公民和永久居民缴付100新元进入赌场，另有122人购买2000新元一年入场费;可见，入场费根本无法杜绝新加坡人们想赌的心。 房地产攀升害苦平民百性 为防止赌场带来赌博诈骗，毒品，娼妓与色情，黑道，非法放贷，偷窃等问题，新加坡刑事警察局也于今年元月宣布成立“赌场罪案调查组”，并在两间赌场内设置办公室，专责调查涉及赌场的犯罪行为，包括伪造筹码，涉及赌博诚信等罪案。 不过，在新加坡政府宣布设立赌场后，首先是赌场议题促使从亚洲金融风暴以后就一路下挫的房地产价格，因市场活络而不断上扬，有的涨幅更超过100％，让新加坡政府，政府控制的大型房地产商，都借此大赚一票。 2006年赌场开始兴建后，大家都看好新加坡房地产可能因为赌场带来人潮与工作需求而上涨，私人建商纷纷收购旧公寓和重新改建办公大楼，也让新加坡的建筑业出现难得的荣景，一直延续到2008年金融危机爆发。 但是，虽然房地产上涨让政府和建商都尝到赌场的先期甜头，但房价的推高，却苦了平民百姓，反弹声浪愈来愈大，逼得新加坡的部长和高层都出面强调，绝对会让新 加坡人买得起组屋（国民住宅）。而且，由于到处都在大兴土木，加上印尼禁运砂石到新加坡，导致建筑成本高涨，也垫高两座赌城的建造成本。 也因为碰到了2008年的金融风暴和全球经济危机，加上北京政府于2009年加强管理核发人民赴澳门的签证，防止太多大陆人民前往澳门赌博，导致澳门赌业受到重创，营收减少三成，连带影响了新加坡滨海湾赌城投资者美国拉斯维加斯金沙集团。 发生财务危机并数度传出可能倒闭的拉斯维加斯金沙集团，最后在新加坡政府协助下取得银行贷款，并承诺停止在拉斯维加斯和澳门其他开发项目后，终于得以让工程继续进行，但也导致原本应该率先开张，附设赌场的“滨海湾金沙”综合娱乐城，开幕由今年第一季要延到4月之后。 派专人前去中国拉赌客 新加坡两座赌城虽然没有明说，要把主要客群锁定好赌的中国人，但都把中国大陆当做主要开拓市场，派专人去中国拉赌客。 “圣淘沙名胜世界”总裁陈启德就曾在记者会上预估，娱乐城约有20％到25％的访客会来自中国。可见，赌场确实期待经济崛起的中国赌客“为新加坡赌场经济做出贡献“。 但是，一个正常的政府，一定不乐意让人民到其他国家去赌，甚至透过赌博洗钱，因此，只要中国也比照“澳门模式”，严格控管到新加坡旅游的人潮，难保新加坡才刚起步的赌场，不会碰到类似澳门赌业委靡不振的状况。 但是，两个赌城仍强调，赌场只占综合娱乐城约3％到5％的面积，娱乐城靠的是休闲，旅游，会展中心和主题乐园来吸引游客。因此，“圣淘沙名胜世界“母公司云顶集团主席林国泰有信心，能达成每年吸引1300万名游客到访娱乐城的目标。 按照新加坡旅游局的设定，期待两座赌城开幕后，可让新加坡国内生产毛额成长1％（约25亿美元），目标是否能如愿达成，可能还需要一段长时间的观察。 来源：http://newsworld.cna.com.tw  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent In other democracies, a vigorous debate stretching to days, if not weeks will usually occur among lawmakers before the Budget for the year is finalized and the plans announced by the Finance Minister. It is the other way round in Singapore. A week after Finance Minister Tharman had announced the Budget for 2010, a parliamentary session was held today for the MPs to "debate" on it. GPC Chair for Finance and Trade and Industry Jessica Tan, described this year's Budget as "one of moving Singapore forward in the next decade and transforming the economy to achieve sustainable growth." However, she expressed concerns over the hike in the foreign worker levy which "if not calibrate", will send "the wrong signal to companies looking to invest in Singapore or to foreign talents that the country is not open." "Although the rise in levy is graduated over three years, there is concern expressed by some business leaders that this may impede the ability of companies to leverage and capture the opportunities of the recovery as their capacity will be impacted," she was quoted as saying in Straits Times. Her worries are shared by MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Liang Eng Hwa who raised the concern that "the foreign worker levy hike would cause business cost to rise sharply again in the next one to two years." Faced with a potential backlash from angry voters in the coming election, the PAP leaders are now singing a different tune on "productivity" instead of imploring Singaporeans to accept more foreigners into their country. The token hike in foreign worker levy is nothing more than a series of cosmetic changes introduced to placate Singaporeans and to "reassure" them that they remain a "priority" to the ruling party. It is unlikely to deter employers from hiring companies since the meager increase in levy can be easily offset by pasting the costs to the workers and consumers. Another PAP MP Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) spoke out against the fee hikes from next month for permanent residents and foreign students. She is afraid that it "will give the impression that higher institutions of learning here no longer welcome foreign students." "Even as we reflect the true cost of education, we must put in place other measures to ensure that word does not get around that Singapore no longer welcomes foreigners," she said. Since the Budget was announced, PAP MPs have been singing generous praises of it in unison. The “music” they played together was in perfect synchrony with one another that it would have put the Singapore symphony orchestra to shame, thanks to Singapore’s strongman Lee Kuan Yew who said in 2008: “To be the prime minister, you don’t have to know every instrument, but you got to recognise, ah, he’s a good violinist, he’ll be the first violinist, he’ll be the double bass. He will play the viola, he will have the trumpet, he will do the drums. Then you coordinate them and then you have great music. And if you already have a great orchestra, you can put a dummy there and you still got great music.” [Source: Channel News Asia, 5 March 2008] The speeches of these PAP MPs really make one wonder if they are addressing the concerns of Singaporeans or foreigners. Perhaps it is time for the PAP to change its name to FAP or Foreigner Action Party to better reflects its aspirations and vision - to perpetuate its political hegemony in Singapore forever with the support of the new citizens.  Read More →

Bernama, 2 March 2010 Malaysian teachers are saying 'no' to sex. They are not ready to impart sex education in schools. They lack professional training in teaching the subject, National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng said today. She said, while the union fully supported the government's move to provide sex education in schools, “sadly, the teachers lack formal training in the complexity and sensitivity of the subject and are not confident to teach it”. Lok told Bernama the teachers were afraid they might be sued by the parents “if they were to make mistakes in imparting the knowledge of sex to the pupils.” Malaysia is a multi-racial, religious and cultural nation with each ethnic group having its own notion on the subject, which made the teaching more challenging, she noted. The NUTP is the country's biggest teachers union representing 160,000 teachers, which is approximately half the teaching profession. Lok said the union wanted the education ministry to first discuss with the stakeholders on the pros and cons of the move before making a firm decision. Currently, the subject was taught in “bits and pieces” from the primary level to secondary level, in the absence of a proper structured course. Of late, sex education has become a very important issue in the country, with an increasing number of unwed mothers, many of them students. Meanwhile, a Bernama survey among students, parents and teachers showed that all groups were in favour of sex education but were unsure of the form and content of the course. Teenage student Jayaraman said he was all for it, but was unsure what and how the teachers were going to teach because "we have more girls than boys in our class and most of our teachers are female.” Abdul Raof Bidin, 38, who has two school-going children, felt that it was necessary to teach the subject. "It should be handled with care as it could easily be misconstrued and do more harm than good, if wrongly imparted," he said. Another parent M Arumugam, 44, believed it was better for medical professionals like doctors and nurses to impart the subject to students. “Maybe, the education ministry should consult the Health Ministry and come up with some kind of arrangement for teachers to be provided with on-the-job training," he reasoned. Betty Lee, who has 24 years teaching experience, felt that the subject was best handled by “teachers who themselves are mothers and know how to handle such a complex subject. “With due respect, not all teachers can teach the subject, and the ministry should be very careful in selecting the right candidate for the job,” added the 50-year-old. - Bernama  Read More →