To all sports fans

Lea Yi-Long

This letter is written with regards to Singtel securing the broadcasting rights for the UEFA Champions League for the next three seasons.

Although details are yet to be released, it is quite obvious that football fans will be forced to subscribe to Mio TV, and in turn pay higher costs for watching their favourite football action.

Are we going to take it lying down and accept this endless increase in price? Or should we stand together and make our feelings known? Action speaks louder than words.

Just a year ago, StarHub outbid its rivals to secure the rights to broadcast the English Premier League for three seasons, at a reportedly staggering cost. Soon after, the monthly subscription rates for the sports group increased by a whopping 66.7%, to S$25.

Just five years ago, the sports group had cost just S$8 per month.

Civic participation serves to strengthen governance

This is a letter written by Tan Rong Jin Timothy, and was sent to the Straits Times. TOC thanks Timothy for allowing us to publish it here.

I read the letter by Mr Chua Sheng Yang with great interest.
(“Demos at Speakers’ Corner? No, they could hurt S’pore”)

It amazes me that he rails against so-called Western principles of freedom of speech and expression. He must realise that by being able to write to this Forum, he enjoys the very same privileges that such principles afford, and to brand them “degenerate” in the same letter simply makes no sense.

ComfortDelgro’s “self-examination” exercise

The following is a letter which was rejected by the Straits Times for publication. TOC thanks the writer, Mr Ong, for allowing us to publish it.

I refer to the article “Transport Dilemma: bus or car?” published on 15 Dec 07.

I can’t help but recall a similar article, “ComfortDelGro to review its domestic operation” published in the Straits Times on 22 Nov 2006. (See below)

In the report, it was cited that public transport company ComfortDelGro, which is the largest transport operator here, will do “some soul-searching” and the ministry is embarking “on a review of the industry and the operator too, will embark on a self-examination exercise”.

Lawyers petition Law Society of Singapore

Below is the letter which was delivered to the Law Society of Singapore earlier today by several local lawyers. (Watch the video at the end of the letter.)

President

The Law Society of Singapore

39 South Bridge Road

Singapore 058673

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY – OUR CALLING

Dear Sir,

We congratulate you on your appointment as our new President.

Today we mark the Human Rights Day along with Lawyers and Bar Associations around the world that affectionately include the Malaysian Bar Council.

Chee Soon Juan’s ‘exploitation’ of the Burma situation?

This is a letter sent to TOC. The writer wishes to remain anonymous.

Recently, a few people have complained that Chee Soon Juan was exploiting the Burmese situation to make a political point. Here’s one typical interpretation of the petition he held recently outside the Burmese embassy. Here’s another, a letter from a Burmese national to the ST.

The first thing to note is that the accusers have absolutely zero evidence that Chee has no genuine concern for the Burmese people. That he is doing this for the sole purpose of bringing attention to his party and his cause. So this cannot be a valid criticism of Chee’s actions.

3rd World Savings, 1st World Cost of Living

This is a letter from Jason, one of our readers.

It has been argued strongly that elderly Singaporeans are not saving enough, despite the CPF scheme. This is hardly surprising.

The CPF was introduced in 1955 when Singapore was a Third World colony. Our per capita GDP (at current market prices) in 1960 was S$1,306. This figure rose significantly to S$13,725 in 1983 and to S$35,552 in 1996. Today Singapore is a First World nation and this is well backed by our 2006 per capita GDP figure of S$46,832.

The transformation of our country has led to rapid increase in the cost of living as suggested by historical Consumer Price Index (CPI) data. Using 2004 as the base year (=100.0), the CPI was 31.9 in 1961 (1960 figure not available), 74.7 in 1983, 94.3 in 1996 and 101.4 in 2006. (Source for statistics: http://www.singstat.gov.sg/)

Raising retirement age

This is a letter from one of our visitors, Siew91.

The Singapore government’s rationale to raise the retirement age of Singapore workers to 62 years of age is because we live longer and many of us might not have enough money to retire.

While this may be true, the government has ignored the fact that many workers are culled in their workplace well before they reach retirement age.

Though there are no official figures on the number of older people without job, it is public knowledge that once you lose your job after the age of 40, you will have a hard time finding a new one. This is especially true for managerial and some professional jobs. Most people downgrade or take up contract work.

Where is the basic common decency?

This is filed under Letters To TOC

By Zyberzitizen

It is mindboggling, at least to me, that someone can be dismissed without being treated with very basic decency and courtesy.

Yes, I am referring to the MOE’s dismissal of poet/playwright Alfian Sa’at from his relief teacher job at a secondary school.

Since the MOE has chosen to keep mum about the reasons, even as the Straits Times and TODAY (and many many bloggers) have called for clarification, it now stands that the civil service will be perceived as being high-handed and discourteous.

Yes, discourteous.

Questionable benchmarking formula

This is filed under “Letters To TOC”.

Firstly, I cannot understand or accept the PM’s and MM’s logic or rationale for the incredible pay hike for our cabinet ministers.

Why do they want us to believe that our cabinet ministers are that avaricious, corruptible, self-serving and mercenary, and so open to the highest bidders?

In justifying the astronomical pay for our cabinet ministers the PM and MM use the arbitrary – and questionable – device of benchmarking their pay with the top earners in the top professions, including, I understand, top CEOs.

Homeless in our twilight years

This is a letter from lilydaam which was posted under our “Submission Policy” section. The details of the letter’s content have not been verified by theonlinecitizen. It is posted here for further discussion and not as validation of any claims.

They are sometimes ‘homeless by choice’, said Parliamentary Secretary (National Development) Mohd Maliki Osman on 24th Jan 2007.

Does this elite who takes 1.2 millions of our peasant taxpayers money knows what he is talking about. The anguish we go through trying to find ways and means to get or maintain a roof over our head? People are homeless not by choice but because of screwed up, heartless policies from MAS and HDB. Banks are fair weather friends.

MP Ho Geok Choo & the “Politics of Envy” Revisited

By Singapore Kopi Tok

Peering at the storm around Singapore recently, is it all about envy? MP Ho Geok Choo’s question in Parliament on 12.2.2007 about the “Politics of Envy” attracted reactions both domestically and in the region.

From the transcript, it appears that even Speaker of Parliament had trouble comprehending her question. Ho has since clarified that she was “in substance and intent” asking “whether unhappiness with Singapore‘s ability to offer help to bigger and better-endowed neighbours was the driver behind the recent ban on sand exports by Indonesia. Therefore, would a different tactic and approach work better? Our neighbours could be feeling ‘low’ and may experience ‘loss of face’ when we talk so often about offering help.”

Serving Workfare Bonus to benefit workers

by Dark Matter, filed under Letters To TOC

 

When low-wage workers received their first ever Workfare Bonus in 2006, 10% of the Bonus went into their CPF Medisave account as stated by MOM:

Why must 10% of the bonus be credited into my Medisave Account?

“10% will be credited into your Medisave Accounts to help low wage workers build up their savings to take care of their healthcare needs. However, 90% of the bonus will be in cash to help participants meet their immediate needs.”

On Dec 23^rd, a report Allocate more Workfare for Medisave,  unionists wanted a bigger portion of the Workfare Bonus for low-wage workers to go into Medisave account instead of giving out to low-wage workers in cash.