7/18/2013
MOM charged 25 FTs for forging certificates
25 fake FTs, 21 from Myanmar, 3 from India and 1 from the Philippines have been charged for forging certificates to get employment passes and very likely all will be jailed as none will be able to pay the $5000 fine. The jail sentence is for 4 weeks while those unable to pay their fines will be jailed for 20 days. The difference in the days for the jail sentence could be due to the cases being different.
These FTs were caught after being employed for less than a year. They are new applicants. Many enraged Sinkies are calling for tougher measures as the sentences were just too insignificant for the risk and reward considerations. It is a good start for the MOM and people are expecting more to come as this is only skimming the surface of a problem of several hundred thousands of FTs here.
To mean business, MOM should go after the employers and the recruiting agencies as well. They have to go for the source of the problem and not the foreigners that are trying their luck. And worse, they are not going to pay the fine and the govt would still have to feed and house them for the duration in jail.
Go for the jugular, and employers and recruiting agencies that failed to do the due diligence or actually in cahoot with the job applicants should be severely punished. And the employers and recruiting agencies are likely to have the finances to pay up and would avoid repeating the act.
Hope this is not just a show and the reaches of the MOM should extend to all the existing EP holders under employed and eventually even to new citizens who have gotten away. It is a long and tedious process and it is best that MOM signals its intention and how far it will go to nab the culprits and the cheats. MOM must issued a stern warning to all employers and recruiting agencies. In that way it could be seen as giving them a chance to get out while they can and for employers to clean their own houses before the net closes in on them.
By placing the responsibilities on the back of the employers and recruiting agencies will shift the burden to them as well. MOM just does not have the manpower and resources to deal with the few hundred thousand FTs here. Leave it to the employers and recruiting agencies to do the vetting and checking. MOM should just take on one company at a time starting from the big ones to send the message across that it means business.
The citizens are demanding that the govt must act thoroughly and seriously on such violations of the employment law and cheating the deserving citizens of their right to employment. Also it will save the embarrassment of being seen as a silly govt that claimed to be intelligent and sophisticated first world talents but got cheated easily by third world half baked non talents and fraudsters.
The Sinkies are not daft and are watching carefully to see how real is the effort of the MOM. There are many fakes hiding deeply in the banks and financial institutions and some may be holding very senior positions for many years here. It is also good that MOM has asked the public to whistle blow, to feed back on suspected cases to their hotlines.
MOM said it will not condone such acts of false declaration, and will take severe actions against offenders.
Members of the public who have information of persons or employers who contravene the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act should report the matter to MOM at Tel: (65) 6438 5122 or email mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
7/17/2013
Foreign visitors to mysingaporenews.blogspot.sg
I just did an analysis of the origins of bloggers visiting mysingaporenews and it is a pleasant surprise that nearly all the English speaking countries are here, from the US, UK, Australia and Asean countries. What is surprising too is that the biggest English speaking country inside the Commonwealth, India, is not one of them. But from previous posts they have been shown to be here before. Perhaps they are using URLs from other Commonwealth countries.
The other notable countries with a big presence here are some non English speaking countries like Russia, Ukraine, France, China and Germany. And France and Ukraine are among the top 5 visitors that include US, UK and Australia.
The US at one time overtook Singapore with the top number of visitors but this has been halved since the verification facility was added. This is a clear indication that the number of spammers coming from the US and trying to mess around is pretty big.
Nice to know that this blog is quite well received internationally.
Redbean
White Robert Zimmerman acquitted of slaying black Trayvon Martin
This case has dragged on for more than a year. Trayvon Martin, a 17 year
old black boy living in the same neighborhood as the burly 29 year old
white man Zimmerman. On a night out to buy some food, he was racially
profiled as a bad guy by Zimmerman. Martin was unarmed, Zimmerman armed
with a gun. Zimmerman set upon Martin and in the struggle, neighbours
heard the voice of the young black boy calling for help. But he was shot
dead by Zimmerman claiming self defence. A jury of 5 white females and a
black female found Zimmerman not guilty.
The blacks and Martin’s family are crying foul. Rioting has started in the district and several American cities in protest against the not guilty verdict.
In the past, many blacks were found guilty when innocent and hanged or lynched by white mobs and white courst. In the past, many white murderers and nigger killers were set free even with unquestionable evidence of guilt.
Now we are in the 21st Century and such racial and hate crimes against the blacks are still happening, and the white men who did the killing are acquitted. And the black leaders are calling for calm and peaceful demonstration like they used to do in the past when they became victims of such racial injustice.
Zimmerman may be free but admitted that he would have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life. Some day, some guy may just pull the trigger on him to settle the score. Of course the guy will surely be found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment or death in some states.
How many think that Zimmerman is not guilty? How many believe that Zimmerman killed the boy in self defence? How many think this is not a racial profiling hate crime? How many believe the Martin family had the fair share of the law on their side or was it just another kangaroo court? How many think that racism is a thing of the past in the USA?
The blacks and Martin’s family are crying foul. Rioting has started in the district and several American cities in protest against the not guilty verdict.
In the past, many blacks were found guilty when innocent and hanged or lynched by white mobs and white courst. In the past, many white murderers and nigger killers were set free even with unquestionable evidence of guilt.
Now we are in the 21st Century and such racial and hate crimes against the blacks are still happening, and the white men who did the killing are acquitted. And the black leaders are calling for calm and peaceful demonstration like they used to do in the past when they became victims of such racial injustice.
Zimmerman may be free but admitted that he would have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life. Some day, some guy may just pull the trigger on him to settle the score. Of course the guy will surely be found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment or death in some states.
How many think that Zimmerman is not guilty? How many believe that Zimmerman killed the boy in self defence? How many think this is not a racial profiling hate crime? How many believe the Martin family had the fair share of the law on their side or was it just another kangaroo court? How many think that racism is a thing of the past in the USA?
Moody downgrades our local banks
‘International credit rating agency Moody’s has downgraded the outlook
for three Singapore banks – DBS, OCBC and UOB – to “negative” from
“stable” for the next 12-18 months.’ Quoted from TRE.
Big, strong and friendly banks with triple A ratings are now rated as negative? What does it mean? How is this equated to the A, B and C rating scale? Are our banks now in the B grade or C grade? Getting a negative rating is no joke for sure.
Taking a peep into Moody’s full report on Stand alone Credit Strength, DBS is now rated as B/aa3 and Neg, OCBC is B/aa3, Stable, and UOB has the same rating as OCBC. Bank of Singapore, BOS is rated C-/baa1 and Stable as well. The overall average rating of Singapore banks is B/aa3. The Long Term Bank Deposit ratings for all the local banks are Aa1/Stable except for DBS with a Negative rating.
One of the main reasons given by Moody for this downgrading is the banks exposure to housing loans which stands at 77% of household debt. Moody also mentioned that ‘77% of Singapore banks’ non-performing loans (NPLs) were related to loans made by borrowers outside Singapore in 2012, compared to 65% in 2008.
With the uncertainties in the world economy and the risk of higher interest rates, the impact of a tightening of monetary policy in the US could trigger big movements in the flow of funds in and out of emerging countries and the local market. A big outflow could have adverse effect liquidity and interest rates and the housing market.
How serious would this be is still a grey area. The consequences of the US subprime crisis is still vivid to many and something that no one wants to see here and no one would believe such a scenario will happen. There is American exceptionalism and there is also Singapore exceptionalism. We are exceptional and we will not be in the same plight as the Americans and no subprime crisis will be allowed to happen here. Our situation is well under controlled by the most expensive talents available managing it. No worry, the Moody downgrade is just a paper downgrade and nothing untowards will happen and there is no need for fear mongering.
There will be no housing crisis here and those who think that people will be jumping from the flats are just talking nonsense. Our property prices will continue to go up as usual.
Big, strong and friendly banks with triple A ratings are now rated as negative? What does it mean? How is this equated to the A, B and C rating scale? Are our banks now in the B grade or C grade? Getting a negative rating is no joke for sure.
Taking a peep into Moody’s full report on Stand alone Credit Strength, DBS is now rated as B/aa3 and Neg, OCBC is B/aa3, Stable, and UOB has the same rating as OCBC. Bank of Singapore, BOS is rated C-/baa1 and Stable as well. The overall average rating of Singapore banks is B/aa3. The Long Term Bank Deposit ratings for all the local banks are Aa1/Stable except for DBS with a Negative rating.
One of the main reasons given by Moody for this downgrading is the banks exposure to housing loans which stands at 77% of household debt. Moody also mentioned that ‘77% of Singapore banks’ non-performing loans (NPLs) were related to loans made by borrowers outside Singapore in 2012, compared to 65% in 2008.
With the uncertainties in the world economy and the risk of higher interest rates, the impact of a tightening of monetary policy in the US could trigger big movements in the flow of funds in and out of emerging countries and the local market. A big outflow could have adverse effect liquidity and interest rates and the housing market.
How serious would this be is still a grey area. The consequences of the US subprime crisis is still vivid to many and something that no one wants to see here and no one would believe such a scenario will happen. There is American exceptionalism and there is also Singapore exceptionalism. We are exceptional and we will not be in the same plight as the Americans and no subprime crisis will be allowed to happen here. Our situation is well under controlled by the most expensive talents available managing it. No worry, the Moody downgrade is just a paper downgrade and nothing untowards will happen and there is no need for fear mongering.
There will be no housing crisis here and those who think that people will be jumping from the flats are just talking nonsense. Our property prices will continue to go up as usual.
Scrap university education
What is education for? Is education for the sake of education? Or is
education about equipping the student to participate fully in life, in
the economy, simply about getting a job to earn some money to provide
for himself and his family should he decide to have one? For the elite
and the gentry class, the royalties and aristocracies, education is just
for education, to learn to read and write. The need to get a job or the
need for an education to equip the student to be gainfully employed is
not necessary in the lives of such privilege classes of people. Contrast
this to those who need to work for a living, an education is seen
primarily as a means to a job. Of course one does not need an education
to get a job. A fisherman, a butcher, a boxer or a golfer or a tennis
player, they don’t need an education to earn a living.
Putting aside those that don’t need to work, and those jobs that don’t need an education, education is the acquisition of a piece of certificate, diploma or degree or the acquiring of a passpost to a job. Several of our wise leaders have spoken many times to encourage the young to get a good education and advocating how important education is to a good job and a good life. Education is the leveller for all to compete on equal grounds to material success. And the Govt spent hundreds of millions annually to provide an excellent and world class education system for the population. And the universities and colleges all strived to be the best, to produce the best students for society and the economy.
Then out of the blue we heard two ministers in a matter of days said these. Khaw Boon Wan: “You own a degree, but so what? You can’t eat it. If that cannot give you a good life, a good job, it is meaningless”. He later went on to encourage people to become crane drivers when there is a great demand for it and the pay is good. Then Heng Swee Keat followed up a few days later by saying that ‘beyond providing students with a good education, he wasn’t sure or neither would he be responsible if these students could not find good jobs after graduating.’
Could you believe it, that two ministers in the same breath told the people that our world class education could not guarantee them a good job and maybe they should consider becoming crane drivers or take on other jobs that don’t require a good formal education? What the hell the Govt set up all the good schools, colleges and universities for? The students in these institutions are mostly from the working class that need to work for a living. They are not children of royalties or aristocrats or the super rich when working is an unnecessary chore, and if they choose to work, it is to kill their boredom. Why encourage the parents to send their children through the system, invested time and resources when it can be all for nothing?
Does anyone think that this is strange? Would the NTUC, the super advocates of training and the organisation that has been sending hundreds of thousands of workers for training, tell the workers that the training would not guarantee them a job? Then why waste their time and money?
The sick part of this conversation is that the country can provide a few hundred thousand jobs to foreigners who came from less prestigious or even doubtful institutions of learning with great jobs and good paying jobs. And we are telling our children that despite the fact that they have gone through one of the best education system, they may not get a good job here.
I think this must be the joke of the century. Now who started this joke and set the whole world laughing? Education, and expensive education, stressful education, is not ‘main main’ ya. Who in his right mind would tell the parents that this gonna be the case, that their children with good grades from this expensive and world class education system may not find a good job while the questionable students with questionable grades from questionable education institutions could be in a better position to get good jobs? Is there someone suffering from bipolar sickness but is not detected? Did someone say bird talk?
And there is the acting Minister of Manpower, Tan Chuan Jin, scurrying around like a bull arse fly shouting discrimination by employers, both locals and foreigners, against Singaporeans in employment. Now, what is that all about? Maybe have to wait for people to clean the hawker centre first before they have time to explain what is going on.
Putting aside those that don’t need to work, and those jobs that don’t need an education, education is the acquisition of a piece of certificate, diploma or degree or the acquiring of a passpost to a job. Several of our wise leaders have spoken many times to encourage the young to get a good education and advocating how important education is to a good job and a good life. Education is the leveller for all to compete on equal grounds to material success. And the Govt spent hundreds of millions annually to provide an excellent and world class education system for the population. And the universities and colleges all strived to be the best, to produce the best students for society and the economy.
Then out of the blue we heard two ministers in a matter of days said these. Khaw Boon Wan: “You own a degree, but so what? You can’t eat it. If that cannot give you a good life, a good job, it is meaningless”. He later went on to encourage people to become crane drivers when there is a great demand for it and the pay is good. Then Heng Swee Keat followed up a few days later by saying that ‘beyond providing students with a good education, he wasn’t sure or neither would he be responsible if these students could not find good jobs after graduating.’
Could you believe it, that two ministers in the same breath told the people that our world class education could not guarantee them a good job and maybe they should consider becoming crane drivers or take on other jobs that don’t require a good formal education? What the hell the Govt set up all the good schools, colleges and universities for? The students in these institutions are mostly from the working class that need to work for a living. They are not children of royalties or aristocrats or the super rich when working is an unnecessary chore, and if they choose to work, it is to kill their boredom. Why encourage the parents to send their children through the system, invested time and resources when it can be all for nothing?
Does anyone think that this is strange? Would the NTUC, the super advocates of training and the organisation that has been sending hundreds of thousands of workers for training, tell the workers that the training would not guarantee them a job? Then why waste their time and money?
The sick part of this conversation is that the country can provide a few hundred thousand jobs to foreigners who came from less prestigious or even doubtful institutions of learning with great jobs and good paying jobs. And we are telling our children that despite the fact that they have gone through one of the best education system, they may not get a good job here.
I think this must be the joke of the century. Now who started this joke and set the whole world laughing? Education, and expensive education, stressful education, is not ‘main main’ ya. Who in his right mind would tell the parents that this gonna be the case, that their children with good grades from this expensive and world class education system may not find a good job while the questionable students with questionable grades from questionable education institutions could be in a better position to get good jobs? Is there someone suffering from bipolar sickness but is not detected? Did someone say bird talk?
And there is the acting Minister of Manpower, Tan Chuan Jin, scurrying around like a bull arse fly shouting discrimination by employers, both locals and foreigners, against Singaporeans in employment. Now, what is that all about? Maybe have to wait for people to clean the hawker centre first before they have time to explain what is going on.
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