Local News

What is happening to our NS system? When it was mooted, it was for Singapore to have its own defence forces, ready to strike fear to anyone who dares threaten Singapore. Boys became men, the daily tough training were taken on the chin, everyone suffered, and after two years of hard service, everyone comes out of it as better and fitter individuals.

But it seems the new generation of NS commanders and specialists never got the memo. They use NS training as their personal torture sessions for the new recruits. So much so that authorities have to step in and declare NS punishments in training are regulated and strictly prescribed. Means punishments also must be by the books.

What happened? Most of these people who meted out punishments are also young boys, i effect, it is young boys who have got their ranks bullying young boys who have got no ranks. What happened to selflessly serving for the nation? It seems that these young boys are turned to bullies once they have the power. Are we developing into a nation where the strong bullies the weak?

An express bus from KL that was on its way to Singapore operated by Singapore's Grassland Express & Tours reportedly crashed into a hauler truck on a Malaysian highway, and reports indicated that three of the bus passengers lost their lives.

The accident reportedly happened early yesterday morning at the North-South highway in Muar. The lorry was carrying steel rods when the bus hit it at high speed. Some of the rods on the lorry pierced through the windscreen of the bus, but the three dead were all reportedly flung out of the bus when the accident occurred. The three were a Malaysian born Singapore PR, a Malaysian woman and a Chinese man in his 40s. All suffered severe head injuries.

Singapore must be the only country in the world where if someone attempted suicide, and failed miserable, this person can be charged for a crime. The poor fella tried to kill himself obviuosly because of some bad things happening in his life, he fails, and now, he is a criminal. Win much?

However, the review of the Penal code has put forth recommendation that treatment for such cases, rather than prosecution, is the way forward. This is an archaic 19th Century law, which Singapore have not changed, although authorities have stated that prosecutions are "rare". Means people have been charged for attempted suicide before, only it is rare.

It is very obvious that people who are willing to take their own lives needs help more than they need jail time. This rule should have been changed many many years ago. Instead, only now are we suggesting this law is not helping.

It is a bit alarming to find out that the number of polytechnic courses for the 2019 intake is going to be cut by 20. 20! That is a lot of courses, which means a lot of student numbers will be cut, and also means a lot of teaching positions for the subjects will be made obsolete!

Is this the result of the "stop at 2" policy many years back, where now, careers are affected because of the lower number of student intakes? Or is it because we have no need for this diploma courses anymore because hiring foreigners to replace locals are much cheaper? It makes sense that a lower birth rate and more foreign talents being hired will lead to an enrolment dip in numbers, and hence the close of these courses.

Sincerely hope polytechnic teaching staff will not be affected. Since no more course to teach, will they also be told they have no more jobs?

The Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its pilots union are finally heading towards Industrial Arbitration Court (IAC) to settle an eight-month-old dispute over pay and working conditions. This comes after both sides failed to reach agreement on a new deal.

The pilots are unhappy about their pay, which they say does not invrease much in liew of the riding cost of living in Singapore, while the SIA said that the pilots are paid as well as pilots from other airlines. Would be interesting to see who wins, because if the pilots win, then most people in Singapore can also complain that their salary is not on par with the cost of living in Singapore.

In fact, even the Ministers also not happy with their million dollars pay, so why should anyone else in Singapore be happy with their salary? Only following the examples set by our whiter than white Ministers.

Life is tough as a taxi driver in Singapore. An innocent taxi driver was assaulted by his passenger even though he did not provoke him in any way. 

The incident happened at Ang Mo Kio. The taxi driver was supposed to send his customer to Serangoon but had to stop halfway due to the latter's demeanor. "He spit on the back seat n floor board, 2 or 3 min into the ride at amk av5 he open the door when i slow down to drive left he alighted n drunkenly walk to the middle of road".

The seemingly drunk man also spat at and punched the poor driver, who had no choice but to call the police. 

In the following videos, the man can be seen monkeying around by climbing onto the taxi and making funny poses in the middle of the road. He should count himself lucky that the driver bothered to stay behind instead of just dumping him by the roadside.