TR EMERITUS

YPAP member and P65 blogger Fredric Fanthome who made a spirited defence of the "cooling-off" day proposed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the p65 blog turned out to be a new citizen from India! In an article he wrote for Contact Singapore, an alliance of the Singapore Economic Development Board and Ministry of Manpower  to attract global talent to work, invest and live in Singapore, he described Singapore as a place which "works". "The electricity never fails, the transport system works, the drainage system works. You can drink water from the tap without worrying about getting a tummy ache. And the air is clean, except when there are forest fires in Indonesia!” Fredric did not reveal when he became a Singapore citizen, but it is pretty obvious that he is proud of his adopted country from his writings: “I did not adapt to Singapore. I did not have to. Singapore was the kind of city I was always looking for......I don’t just live here. I am Singaporean. Singaporean by choice, and proud of it.” [Source: A City which fits like a Charm from "The Singapore Experience" by Contact Singapore] Being born and brought up in a developing country like India, it is little wonder that Fredric is in love with Singapore. However, he must be financially secure to qualify for Singapore citizenship in the first place. As an outsider not familiar with the political history of Singapore, Mr Fredric may be forgiven for speaking up in the defence of the PAP government who gave him the opportunity to start life afresh in Singapore. Due to the PAP's liberal immigration policies, Singapore's population has hit the 5-million mark this year, out of which 36 per cent are foreigners, up from 14 per cent in 1990. Of the remaining 64 per cent of the population who are citizens, it is not known how many are new citizens like Mr Fredric. The PAP has been actively using courting new citizens by organizing events for them and giving them free goodies. A 10-million dollar Community Integration Fund was launched lately by Minister of Community, Youth and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan to make the new citizens feel welcomed. (However, he has no money to pay for the Singapore Sports Hub which has been hit be repeated delays) New citizens and even PRs are recruited to serve as grassroots leaders in the community. According to Dr Vivian himself, there are now 4,500 new citizens serving in various capacities in grassroots organizations which are under the control of the People's Association headed by the Prime Minister himself. New citizens tend to be more supportive and appreciative of the government as epitomized by the example of Mr Fredric. With more new citizens like Mr Fredric becoming voters in future elections, the PAP can be assured of that their political hegemony will continue for many years to come.  Read More →

Nominated MP Teo Siong Seng, who is also the president of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) said that SMEs are finding it difficult to hire local workers and urge the government to allow SMEs more flexibility to employ foreign workers to help them tide over the difficult period. A survey conducted by SCCCI in October and November this year reveals that some companies are facing manpower shortage as Singaporeans are not keen to take up jobs offered by them. 328 companies took part in the survey. The companies employed some 37,112 people, including 21,598 foreign workers - making up 58.2 per cent of the surveyed workforce. Speaking to reporters from Channel News Asia, Mr Teo said:  "It is the same old story where there are some industries which just cannot attract locals to even go for an interview, put aside how much pay they are prepared to offer......Some of my members are in container truck driving, food processes. They need to work odd hours because the lead time for orders is very short. Locals are just not interested to attempt." The same survey also shows that Singaporeans are not interested in jobs with no fixed working hours, low wages and in far-flung locations. The Singapore government has come under fire lately for its foreign worker policies culminating the relentless influx of cheap foreign workers in the last few years into the labor market. In its defense, government leaders repeated the same old explanation that foreigners are needed to work in sectors shunned by Singaporeans such as the construction and manufacturing industries. The mainstream media has tried to pin the blame solely on Singaporeans for being too "fussy" with jobs to exonerate the government from any blame. While it is true that Singaporeans are not keen in certain jobs, more and more foreigners are found holding jobs which can otherwise beinig taken up by locals such as customer service staff, clerks, clinic assistants and teachers. Instead of over-relying on foreign workers, SMEs should think of ways to attract more locals to work for them and to boost productivity at the same time. A recently released Singapore Competitiveness Report showed that Singapore’s labour productivity – measured in terms of total output per employee – lags that of developed countries including the United States, France and Norway, as well as Asian neighbours Hong Kong and Taiwan. An economist who declined to be named suggested the increasing number of foreign workers as a cause for the lower productivity: “One reason for the lower productivity may be the large influx of foreign workers in recent years. With more workers available, each worker doesn’t have to work as hard,” he said. Citigroup economist Kit Wei Zheng said that Singapore’s rapid growth over the last few years has been mostly driven by a massive increase in the workforce. “Between 2006 and last year, the number of workers in Singapore jumped an average 6.5per cent a year, largely due to liberal immigration policies……But it is clear that growth powered by importing foreign labour is simply not sustainable,” he added. The ultimate motive of companies is to maximize their profits and they will not care if they are employing locals or foreigners. The government has to do more to safeguard the interests of Singapore workers who are unable to compete with the foreign workers in terms of cost.  Read More →

Adelaide Now, 9 December 2009 A SECOND porn star has claimed to be in Tiger Woods' life, as naked pictures of the golfer threaten to emerge on another turbulent day in the golfing superstar's life. Overnight his mother-in-law spent hours in hospital after being rushed there with stomach pains. She had turned up at Woods' Florida mansion to comfort his wife over his wild sex scandal. Meanwhile, Woods' latest alleged mistress is Veronica Siwik-Daniels  - who brings the total of purported paramours to 11. Deadspin.com reports that Siwik-Daniels, who performs under the name Joslyn James and "specialises in kinky sex", was Woods' "full-time" mistress. A rep from online adult magazine Playgirl (which specialises in male photoshoots) confirmed to FoxNews.com that they have received an offer to purchase naked male photos, allegedly of the superstar golfer. “We were approached by a third party who wanted to know our ‘interest level’. Our lawyers are currently going over them, the source, the entire package,” Playgirl rep Daniel Nardicio said, adding that they would only purchase the alleged pics if they can successfully confirm them to be Woods. Earlier reports said a  woman was taken out of Tiger Woods' house on a stretcher after the call and taken to hospital after a 911 emergency call. The ambulance was followed to the hospital by a blonde woman who matched the description of Woods' wife Elin Nordegren driving a black Escalade 4WD, similar to the one driven by Tiger Woods when he crashed in front of his palatial home on November 27. A hospital spokesman in Florida revealed that the woman admitted overnight from Tiger Woods' home is the golf star's mother-in-law. A Florida Hospital spokesman said Tiger Woods mother-in-law was released around 2 p.m. Tuesday in good condition and was resting at the Woods home. Health Central Hospital spokesman Dan Yates said Barbro Holmberg, mother of Woods wife, Elin Nordegren, was admitted about 2:30 a.m. with stomach pains that were not life-threatening, treated, then released 12 hours later. Yates said she was escorted out of the hospital in a wheelchair like all patients, but would not comment about whether she was taken out of a back door. He declined to answer further questions about Holmbergs medical history or her treatment. Yates said she did not seem upset about the media attention of her condition and seemed pleased when she left the hospital. While at the hospital she was treated and given a private room to recover. Yates also would not comment on speculation that Woods was taken to the hospital for an overdose hours after his car wreck the day after Thanksgiving. The hospital has brought in additional security to deal with the increased media interest in the Woods family, Yates said. It has been alleged that Woods was rushed to the same hospital with a suspected overdose the day he crashed his car. Ms Nordegren's mother, a politician and former Swedish migration minister, flew in to be with her daughter on Friday. That motherly support was thought to be desperately needed because of the bombshells about Woods' philandering. Ms Nordegren has turned to her mother for support as she grapples with the breakdown of her five-year marriage. The latest development in the Tiger Woods saga comes just hours after celebrity newsite TMZ revealed that, on the night of his now infamous car crash, Woods was admitted to hospital with a suspected overdose. The site reported the ward was put into lockdown and Woods was admitted under an alias "William Smith". It alleged that on the night of the crash, his wife gave paramedics two pill bottles at the accident scene of Ambien (sold as Stilnox in Australia) and Vicodin. Doctors used a breathing tube to help the golf pro breathe, the site said. Police have applied for permission to subpoena Woods' medical records from the Orlando hospital, saying they suspected he was under the influence of alcohol or prescription medication at the time. Police are investigating the crash, which reportedly occurred after Woods and his wife fought after it was revealed he allegedly had been having an affair with New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel, 34. Woods allegedly met up with Ms Uchitel while in Australia last month, during the Australian Masters in Melbourne. Since then 10 women have been linked to the golf star. The latest woman to claim that Woods bedded her is 36-year-old porn star Holly Sampson. Earlier in the day it was revealed that Woods' heartbroken wife had left the marital home as she fights for what could be as much as $80 million of the golfer's fortune. Ms Nordegren's departure came as Woods' lurid lifestyle unravelled further, with the tally of his mistresses now up to 11. Ms Sampson is now among the growing list of women he bedded behind his 29-year-old wife's the back. The Swedish former swimsuit model has reportedly left the family home inside their prestigious Isleworth gated community near Orlando and is believed to be living in another house within the compound. A child's stroller was seen at the new home at the weekend and on Sunday she drove her car to Woods' $2.6 million mansion for a two-hour meeting, neighbours said. Those discussions are believed to include changes to the prenuptial agreement the couple struck prior to their 2004 wedding. Ms Nordegren is apparently in the throes of a hard-nosed renegotiation with Woods for a deal that will reportedly make her between $US20 million ($21.9 million) and $US80 million ($87.5 million). That figure, while huge, pales against Woods' earnings which topped $US1 billion this year. US reports suggest Woods has paid her $US5 million to stay with him while their agreement is recast to deliver her more cash - up to $US55 million in the event of a split. Reports said she was previously entitled to $US20 million after 10 years of marriage. One of the main changes is understood to allow her to collect after seven years of marriage. That decision would force her to remain with Woods for another two years. It was also claimed this morning that Ms Nordegren has bought a new house in her home country of Sweden for $2 million amid speculation she might move back there. TIGER'S RUMOURED WOMEN: 1. Rachel Uchitel. The club hostess was the first of the women to be linked to Woods after the National Enquirer reported that she traveled to Australia to be with Woods during a golf tournament there. So far, she has denied the affair. 2. Jaimee Grubbs. The 24-year-old reality show contestant and cocktail waitress claims she carried on a 31-month-long affair with Woods until his crash last month. She offered a Woods voicemail to prove it. 3. Kalika Moquin. The 27-year-old club manager from Las Vegas is reported to have had a brief sexual relationship with Woods. She would neither confirm nor deny the report. 4. Cori Rist. The 31-year-old swimsuit model reportedly met Woods at a Manhattan club last year before they began a sexual relationship that led to Woods flying her out to various secret locations for hook-ups, and her introducing the golfer to her 7-year-old son. 5. Jamie Jungers. The 26-year-old, who sold her story to a British newspaper, is a former employee of Trashy Girls Lingerie. She said she met Woods in Las Vegas. 6. Mindy Lawton. The 33-year-old pancake house waitress from Orlando claims she was dumped by Woods in 2007. According to the Post, it was her affair with Woods that was caught on camera by the National Enquirer, when he was snapped dropping her off at her trailer park. The threatening news later led to a Woods Mens Fitness cover in exchange for the magazines silence about the alleged affair, the New York Post reports. 7. Holly Sampson. The 36-year-old from Los Angeles is a former porn star, who has starred in such films as OMG, Stop Tickling Me and Flying Solo 2. According to the Sun, she has neither confirmed nor denied her affair with Woods. 8. Unidentified Alleged Mistress No. 8. A former cocktail waitress from Orlando, Fla. does want to reveal her identity yet, according to her attorney Michael OQuinn. But this she has said: at the time the affair allegedly began, she was 20 years old and met Woods at the Roxy in Orlando, where she was a VIP server. 9. Unidentified Alleged Mistress No. 9 is reported to be a sexy British TV presenter who was single at the time, but is now married. 10. Unidentified Alleged Mistress No. 10. is reported in a UK paper to be a sex-addicted cougar. 11. Veronica Siwik-Daniels.  A porn star who performs under the name Joslyn James and "specialises in kinky sex". - Adelaide Now Republished from Adelaide Now on 9 December 2009  Read More →