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艳女入侵赌场，手中握着筹码，媚眼钓赌客！ 圣淘沙名胜世界赌场开业一周，至今已有超过15万人进出赌场，除了国内外赌客，里头竟然也混进一些艳女，扮成是赌客，在赌场内公然拉客，大发赌客财。 《联合晚报》(Lianhe Wanbao) 读者朱先生（55岁，商人）前天和妻子到赌场小试手气，在一楼赌厅玩百家乐。因为赌桌人多，朱先生让妻子坐下来赌，自己站在她背后下注。 朱先生正目不转睛地盯着赌桌，突然感觉有人向他挤过来，轻轻推了他一把。他回头一看，是个穿着紧身裙的美艳女子，“身材一流，样貌也美若天仙”，朱先生当下酥了半边，但仍保持镇定。 朱先生说：“她左手拿着一叠筹码，右手不断翻弄，好像准备下注的样子。”他因此不以为意，但艳女突然凑到他耳朵旁，问道：“先生要按摩吗？” 朱先生吓了一跳，但也怦然心动，因为对方长得实在美艳。他知道对方所说的“按摩”意指开房，于是大胆地问她：“多少钱？” 艳女不假思索地回答：“200块。”朱先生情不自禁地重复：“200块！”他的妻子以为丈夫向她要钱，头也不回就递给他200元筹码。 朱先生十分尴尬，轻轻地对艳女说：“我的太太在这里。” Read rest of article on Lianhe Wanbao  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent As expected, Finance Minister Tharman Shamugaratnam in Parliament heaped generous praises on the PAP government for taking "forceful" measures to counter the impact of recession. Mr Tharman claimed that various schemes and significant direct assistance were introduced to help Singaporeans through the crisis, including dipping into past reserves to finance the Resilience Package. "These slew of measures kept confidence up and helped Singapore avoid a worst crisis, and its economy to contract less than other economies," he said. Some of the schemes such as Job Credit Scheme applied to PRs as well and so it is difficult to gauge their real impact on Singapore citizens. While they may have help saved the jobs of some Singaporeans, many of their pay cuts have not yet been restored despite repeated exhortations by NTUC to do so. Singaporeans still have to compete directly with low cost foreign workers for jobs which can otherwise be taken up by them. Despite widespread unhappiness, frustration and anger on the ground, the PAP continues to insist that foreigners are "essential" for Singapore. Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said lately that the number of foreign workers may actually increase in the next few years though the rate of intake may "slow down." Mr Tharman also boasted about Singapore's "low" unemployment rate compared to other advanced economies: "Singapore also avoided a 'jobless economy', compared to other advanced economies. Jobless rate here hit 5 per cent at the peak of the economic downturn but it has fallen back to 3 per cent," he added. The unemployment rate figures used by the Manpower Ministry lump both Singaporea citizens and PRs under the same category - "residents". As such, the exact unemployment rate for Singapore citizens remain a mystery. In fact, it may be higher than the official 3 per cent since PRs are included. Given the fact that the government is so lax with its immigration criteria that foreigners usually take only a few months to become PRs, the higher employment rate among foreigners may artificially increase the overall employment rate to paint an overly rosy picture of the reality on the ground. Furthermore, the figure did not take into account the underemployment rate in Singapore which includes Singaporeans who have given up looking for a job and those on contract jobs. Even for those who have stable jobs, their income have hardly increased while inflation had sky-rocketed over the past two years, especially that of public housing. Until the government reveals the figures for Singapore citizens, Singaporeans should take Mr Tharman's budget speech with a heavy dose of salt.  Read More →

OPINION If you were to ask 10 elderly Singaporeans in the streets randomly who the Prime Minister of Singapore is, chances are quite a number will answer "Lau Lee" in reference to Singapore's octogenarian leader Lee Kuan Yew. Lee was the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990 and though he had stepped down officially as the head of the government, many still believe he is the one who wields the power. The lingering public perception that he is the real leader of Singapore and not his son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is hardly surprising given the fact that he has never quite really faded away from the limelight since officially relinquishing his post in 1990. Though he is no longer the Prime Minister, Lee remains in the cabinet first as a Senior Minister and now as the Minister Mentor, the only position of its kind in the entire world and quite a costly one too at a staggering $3 million dollars a year. The state media continues to give extensive publicity to him every two to three days with his speeches making the headlines most of the time. Even an occasional travel overseas in his personal capacity will be published as in his trip to the United States last year to receive an award from the U.S-ASEAN Business Council which was not even mentioned by the international media. For example, Lee's speech to his Tanjong Pagar residents last Thursday was published in three articles in the Straits Times the very next day with one of them appearing on the front page with his photo showing him in the pink of his health. In contrast, only a short article appeared a few days earlier on Prime Minister Lee celebrating Chinese New Year with Singaporeans at the River Hongbao. The usual protocol should be the Prime Minister to make major announcements regarding policy changes to the people and not his ministers. In the United States, it is the President Barack Obama who gives the State of Union address and not the Vice President. In Australia, it is the Prime Minister Kevin Ruud's overseas trips which are extensively covered by the local media and not his deputy. And in the United Kingdom, it is the Prime Minister Gordon Brown who is in charge of the nation and not his subordinates. In the event that PM Lee is unable to perform his duties due to ill health or other reasons, it should be his deputy Teo Chee Hean who fill his shoes and not the Minister Mentor. By his own admission, the elder Lee told a Japanese audience last year that he is not doing "much work" except "forecasting", but it now appears that he is overshadowing his son with his frequent exhortations (faux pauses included) to Singaporeans. Lee's frequent "flip-flops" are a constant source of embarrassment for his son. In his National Day Rally last year, PM Lee assured Singaporeans that they will remain a "priority" for his administration. Three months later, his father stunned the entire nation by making disparaging remarks about Singaporeans in an interview with the National Geographic magazine. One day he is telling Singaporeans that the inflow of foreigners will slow down. Another day, he is asking Singaporeans to "bear" with the increased competition brought about by foreigners. In December, he told Singaporeans that it is their "problem" if they do not have the "spurs" stuck in their "hide" and now he is promising them that the government will give "priority" to citizens. What is going on? Who can we trust? Which Lee is really in charge of the Singapore government? PM Lee or his father MM Lee? There cannot be two suns under the same sky. The Prime Minister should be leading the country and not being led around the nose by his father. Not only are they confusing Singaporeans, foreigners will be misled as well into thinking that there is no clear leadership within the Singapore government. For the sake of the country, the elder Lee should either completely step back and let his son run the show or cut short the "wayang" and re-assume his position as Prime Minister again.  Read More →