Taken from the Presidential Election Thread here:

Strparent:

very familiar - http://www.asiaone.com/News/Elections/Story/A1Story20110818-295084.html ( last GE also anonymous uploader of secret VW video )

http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/news/68180.html

the 'dig-the-dirt-of-your-opponents' tactics begins.......

I am 80% sure my vote will be to TJS, with 20% leaning to TCB ( applicable IF it becomes clear he IS the leading opponent to Taiji-man )

There are so many posters everywhere I drive today. fake smile, dinosaur.... please see all the candidates as who they really are, and at present times, not by memory input by press of yesteryears.

carebear:

Shanmugam clarifies \"curry case\"


http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5166228

SINGAPORE: Minister for Law K Shanmugam on Tuesday clarified that parties involved in the mediation of the \"curry\" incident were not given a recommendation nor forced into settlement.

Instead, they are encouraged to work out a solution that both are comfortable with.

Mr Shanmugam was responding to a dispute handled by the Community Mediation Centre —— an agency under the Ministry of Law —— which has sparked a debate online.

The case in question happened some six to seven years ago, involving a family who had moved to Singapore from China.

They sought mediation because they could not stand the smell of curry coming from the home of their Singaporean Indian neighbours.

According to one media report, the mediator got the Indian family to agree to only cook curry when their Chinese neighbours were not at home.

Mr Shanmugam has clarified that the solution was agreed upon by the two parties, and not imposed by the mediator.

\"The parties are completely free to come for mediation. They are not forced to come, neither are they under any compulsion to come,\" Mr Shanmugam said.

\"And throughout the process of mediation, either party can walk off. There was no agreement that was signed or settled at the mediation. What happened, as told to us by the mediator, this solution was discussed by the two families, [between] themselves.\"

Mr Shanmugam urged Singaporeans to see things in perspective.

\"While it’s good that so many Singaporeans have come forward to protect the Singapore identity, at the same time, let’s not turn this into a xenophobic attack on foreigners in general.\"

Netizens have started an island—wide \"Cook A Pot of Curry!\" movement on Facebook, urging families to cook and share a pot of curry to \"celebrate curries as part of our way of life, and to share this celebration with those who are new to our shores\".

Mr Shanmugam said the mediation centre each year handles about 300 disputes between neighbours, the bulk of which are between Singaporeans.

—CNA/wk

What's the big deal? Why does he have to come out and clarify just cause it's being blown up on the internet? Is PAP so scared? Even PM has to come out and \"clarify\" President Nathan's contribution during his reign.

The internet is what it is, for people to vent and rant and have silly movement like \"Cook a Pot of Curry\" for the fun of it. Heck we LOVE our curries so what?

Please lighten up PAP. Not everything has to be so serious. :imcool:

3Boys:

This I like best --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzSslml_RWQ


\"In accordance to section 16 of the presidential elections act, chapter 240a....\"

Yam Ah Mee rocks. :imcool: I was laughing my head off when he said that. I heard the techno beats in my head and I was wondering how he kept a straight face?!!!

MummyThreeStreams:

The booing and jeering is very unsporting.

But it was very funny! :rotflmao:

3Boys:

You really prefer to be in the US at this time, where every man, women and child owes one creditor nation or another many 10s of thousands of dollars, where the unemployment rate approaches 20%+ in some communities? How well integrated are the foreigners there?

The grass always seems greener on the other side, doesn't it? I know people in the US, many look at our situation, with low crime, strong reserves, and no political gridlock, with envy.

I know we are on to a good thing here, and I can't think of a better place to raise my kids than SG.

Yes. The grass is always greener on the other side. There are many reasons to move, not just the political climate of any country and of course there are pros and cons with every place and it's what you can live with.

I'm not saying I'd rather move to the US per se but I am looking for countries I might possibly move to.

And in researching the countries that are easiest to immigrate to, our country is one of the easiest in the world! :slapshead:

3Boys:

Actually this is pretty preposterous.

The easiest, short term thing the government can do to stay in power is to take the short term view and do the popular thing by spending, subsidising and putting up barriers, so-called 'protecting' Singaporeans. Its also called 'kicking the can down the road.' Also known as 'bowing to public pressure.'

And then we can end up like Greece/Italy/USA (take your pick).

I don't know about you, but I want a financially viable Singapore for my children, not one owning debt to a dozen countries.

They have given subsidy after subsidy in order to placate the public. What we really need is to keep the cost of living affordable but since they have let in too many foreign talents in too short a time, and not enough infrastructure like transport and housing to deal with the influx, it's driving prices up.

Now that the floodgates have opened, they can't possibly ship everyone back home. And they are telling us we will not be a competitive economy if we stop the foreign influx but at what cost? Only the ministers' pay are pegged to GDP growth, what about the normal Singaporean?

And we are not stupid, we know we need foreign talent to boost the economy but not just ANYONE who wants to come. FT are supposed to add value, not destabilise our way of life.

Sorry if I seem I'm ranting... :rant:

I just told my husband just now over dinner that I think we should consider emigrating. I ask myself why I didn't have the foresight of going to the states to give birth like my SIL did. :gloomy:

dorisp:

Thanks mummyo, which school did you register your child? I wish I m in your shoes......

HPPS :imcool:

dorisp:

Which schools might cut intake for the 2013 cohort? I think this is one of the issue most of us here are concerned of. :roll:

We also won't know til MOE announces.

I'm just really glad my P1 Registration is over. :snooze:

Good luck to you folks next year.

1amber:

In my view PAP has embraced quick fixes and short term benefits over long term betterment of our country.

:goodpost: well-said

And they're so so afraid to lose power that they've lost the real plot a long time ago.

3Boys:

Listen doesn't mean that they need to implement.

I'd prefer they implement the RIGHT policy rather then the POPULAR one.

In my view the PAP have already become too populist for my liking.

In my view, they have lost the plot long ago. :siam: