Singapore Also Can

[Pemuda]

I love Spore.. it is like my 2nd home. Everything is so convenient so unlike in KL which i think is slightly better now. It is a good city to live in. However i have not live there for a long time period before. Maybe i should live there for a month or so..and see how it goes. But people always say.. it is not the country that you live in.. it is the people you live with.

Had Sabah n Sarawak joined Singapore rather than the Federation of Malaysia, I dont mind migrating to Singapore.

[Loh]

I love Spore.. it is like my 2nd home. Everything is so convenient so unlike in KL which i think is slightly better now. It is a good city to live in. However i have not live there for a long time period before. Maybe i should live there for a month or so..and see how it goes. But people always say.. it is not the country that you live in.. it is the people you live with.

It is great to have relatives and friends on both sides of the Causeway. But nothing is sweeter than "HOME SWEET HOME"!

[Loh]

Since we are on the subject of relations between the two neighbouring countries, I would like to share with you the long and close sporting and social relationship between the alumni of the then University of Singapore (now NUSS or National University of Singapore Society) and the University of Malaya (now PAUM) which lasted a continuous 24 years this year.

Next year we will be celebrating our 25th Anniversary with a jointly organized Games at Malacca.

On Friday, 23 October, most of our Malaysian friends had arrived and settled in at Hotel Asia at Newton. Some Malaysians are working here and they must have visited them at the hotel. Our Badminton team welcomed PAUM's badminton players at our Suntec Guild House for a barbecue buffet dinner that lasted until late at night.

Next afternoon, most of them came down in two coaches to our brand new clubhouse at NUS's Kent Ridge campus to start off the games series. Only tennis was played at our club venue in our three roof top courts. Badminton, squash and table tennis were contested within the university's Sports and Recreation complex nearby. We will have a sports hall with 4 badminton courts, two table tennis rooms and two squash courts by first quarter next year. And soccer began at the NUS High School grounds with bowling at West Bowl, both in neighbouring Clementi.

Golf was teed off at SAFRA Kranji I think, but lightning threatened and the game was called off eventually.

The final result:

PAUM 3 (Badminton, Bowling, Table Tennis)
NUSS 2 (Squash, Tennis)

DRAW (Soccer 3-3 with NUSS coming back from behind, and Golf due to lightning.)

PAUM proved too strong in badminton and beat our team 5-2 in an all doubles competition. We managed to take the 1st men's doubles and the veteran's but lost the women's and mixed doubles as well as three other men's doubles. It was very tight in table tennis which was decided on the last match when our men's doubles lost to PAUM's women's doubles team. But the ladies are State players!

After all the hardwork in the afternoon, all contestants were hosted to a delightful buffet comprising mainly Asian spreads and light entertainment in our Guild Hall. The Chinese wayang warrior thrilled us with instant changes of his many faces. And our lady singer was rather effective in cajoling our macho friends to dance on stage to accompany her songs, especially the Hindi one. It was good fun and a lot of laughter, plus shouts of "yam seng".

But our friendly contest had not yet finished. The Boat Race was about to start, first with the MC rounding up potential beer drinkers from both sides to come on stage. A long table with 8 mugs of beer, 4 on each side were already placed on it and the 4 contestants were lined up against each other to bottom up. It should have been a dead heat but as good hosts, we awarded the win to our guests.

Farewells and goodbyes were inevitable and we joined hands to sing
"Auld Lang Syne" and snaked our way round the hall before many of our Malaysian friends rounded off the evening by taking loads of pictures in our new clubhouse.

Then they faded in the dark as their two coaches brought them home north to KL. Till we meet again!

[Loh]

Somehow the many pictures I tried to attach have eluded me.

Here goes:

[Loh]

The Straits Times
Nov 6, 2009

SM: There must be accommodation by all

By Francis Chan

SINGAPORE must manage the inflow of foreign talent and other immigrants to ensure Singaporeans do not lose out but rather benefit from their presence, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said on Thursday.

He said the Republic, which is already a cultural melting pot, will become even more diverse in the years to come.

'Locals must accommodate the different habits, beliefs and practices of foreigners, and foreigners working and living here must respect local ways and habits and make an effort to integrate,' he said.

'Then, Singapore will be an oasis of harmony with a rich diversity of people, culture and ideas.'

Foreigners living and working here, however, must contribute to Singapore, said Mr Goh.

'Those who come to drink from the oasis must add to our ability to replenish the water, and not just consume and deplete the stock,' he said.

Speaking at Redas' 50th anniversary gala dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel, Mr Goh assured Singaporeans that homes will remain affordable even as Singapore ensures that it remains a competitive location for businesses. There can be no harmony if home prices are beyond the reach of Singaporeans, he said. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

[Loh]

The Straits Times
Nov 6, 2009

Adjustments needed to ensure stability, remain relevant as emerging economies enter system

By Jeremy Au Yong

PREVIOUSLY Western-centric organisations like the World Bank need to make fundamental adjustments to remain relevant and ensure stability in the post-crisis world, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew says.

Speaking at the Visa Payments Forum on Thursday night, he said that changes were needed in particular to give more say to emerging countries, in particular China, India, Brazil and Russia.

Mr Lee was responding to a question on the future of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

He noted the current 'cosy relationship', in which the IMF's directorship goes to a European and the World Bank's to an American.

And he said: 'If you want to bring the new emerging economies into the global system, and run it with stability, fundamental adjustments will have to be made.'

He acknowledged, however, that the change would not be easy.

MM Lee in a dialogue on The Future of Global Business on Thursday night. Mr Lee was speaking at the Visa Payments Forum. -- PHOTO: AFP

[Loh]

The Straits Times
Nov 9, 2009

By Clarissa Oon

CHINESE President Hu Jintao's visit to Singapore on Wednesday is expected to yield new bilateral initiatives in education and culture, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday.

It will also give a further boost to longstanding good relations between the two countries, Mr Lee added.

Mr Hu's visit to Singapore is his first since taking office six years ago.

Over three days, he will meet Mr Lee and other Singapore leaders, as well as members of the business community here.

He will then join other regional and world leaders for meetings over the weekend to cap the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, hosted by Singapore.

Mr Hu's visit here rounds off a busy and fruitful year for bilateral relations, with several Chinese leaders and ministers visiting Singapore, and their Singaporean counterparts visiting key Chinese cities, PM Lee said in an interview with China's official Xinhua news agency, released on Sunday.


Mr Hu's visit to Singapore is his first since taking office six years ago. -- PHOTO: AP

[Loh]

The Straits Times
Nov 9, 2009

MR ALI Ahmad embraced Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew like an old friend at his home in Henderson Heights on Sunday.

Mr Ali, 90, first met Mr Lee in the 1950s when he was a bus driver with the now-defunct Singapore Traction Company.

Mr Lee was then a lawyer who helped to mediate a dispute between employees and the company.

Sunday was the first time Mr Ali had met Mr Lee since then. 'I am grateful for what he did. I am very happy to see him again,' he said.

Mr Ali lives alone in the two-room rental flat. His wife Hadijah Hasan moved to a nursing home a month ago after she had a fall. Of his six children, two have died.

With Mr Lee was Ms Indranee Rajah, an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC.


-- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

[Loh]

The Straits Times
Nov 8, 2009

LAST year's champion has been voted the yummiest again.

The Tampines Street 11 Round Market & Food Centre was named Singapore's favourite hawker centre for the second year running, on Saturday.

Located at Block 137, the 26-year-old venue drew the most votes at the second annual City Hawker Food Hunt awards.

The latter is co-organised by City Gas and Chinese-language newspaper Shin Min Daily News. Its readers voted via its website over the last five months.

Long queues are common at many of the 45 stalls at the winning centre, famous for dishes such as wanton noodles, pork rib noodles, kway chap and fried bee hoon.

'Customers here are spoilt for choice because there are so many famous stalls that serve good food,' said Mr Soh Peck Kiat, chairman of the Tampines Street 11 Hawkers and Merchants Association.


Top Picks

Best hawker centre
Block 137, Tampines Street 11, Round Market and Food Centre

Most 'Healthy Choice' hawker centre
Block 221, Boon Lay Place

Best 'night-owl' hawker centre
Block 85, Bedok North Street 4

Cleanest hawker centre
East Coast Lagoon Food Village

Best fried hokkien mee
Che Jian Fried Hokkien Mee, Chomp Chomp, #01-11, Serangoon Gardens

Best fish soup
Rui Ji Fish Porridge, Market Street Food Centre, #02-15

Best chicken rice
Xing Li Hainanese Chicken Rice, Block 127, Toa Payoh Lorong 1, #02-16

Best dessert
House of Yummy, Chomp Chomp Food Centre, #01-09

Long queues are a regular feature at many of the 45 stalls in the Tampines Street 11 Round Market & Food Centre, which drew the most votes at the second annual City Hawker Food Hunt awards. -- ST PHOTO: SHAHRIYA YAHAYA

[Loh]

The Straits Times
Nov 9, 2009

By Eisen Teo

ORCHARD Road's long-time 'Youth Triangle' - The Heeren, Cathay Cineleisure Orchard and *Scape Youth Park - is fading.

Mall rats are leaving the area for the new top three - Plaza Singapura, VivoCity and Suntec City - with Ion Orchard and Orchard Central, which opened in July, taking fourth and fifth places, respectively.

A survey of about 1,000 youths has found these malls to be their favourites in terms of affordable shops and entertainment outlets. They are also places to see and be seen.

The Straits Times poll, executed by online entertainment company Sulake, involved 974 respondents, mostly between the ages of 12 and 18. They completed the survey at youth networking site Habbo Hotel, where each was required to log in with unique identities to prevent duplication.

Eight in 10 respondents went to malls at least once a week; one in 10 did so daily.

Many praised Plaza Singapura for its 'one-stop convenience' - it has a cinema complex, restaurants and value-for-money apparel.


The Heeren (far left), Cathay Cineleisure Orchard (centre) and *Scape Youth Park (left) is fading as Singapore's favourite malls

[Loh]

The Straits Times
Nov 9, 2009

By Reico Wong

DEPUTY Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean visited Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) troops deployed in Afghanistan last week to get a first-hand feel of their operations in Oruzgan and Bamiyan province.

He was accompanied by Chief of Army Major-General Neo Kian Hong and other senior SAF officers, said a statement from the Ministry of Defence on Monday.

During the visit, Mr Teo, who is also Minister for Defence, met the 17-man SAF Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) team at their operating base in Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital of Oruzgan. He interacted with the SAF troops, who shared their operational experiences during the two months they had been there.

Speaking to the WLR team, Mr Teo stressed the important role that they were playing in Afghanistan and Singapore's overall contributions to international security operations.

'I can see the tough and challenging conditions you operate under many miles from home. The SAF's deployments to Oruzgan and Bamiyan are important for the people of Afghanistan and are a part of Singapore' s overall contribution to international security operations,' he told the SAF team. 'I have full confidence that you will continue to do Singapore and the SAF proud in carrying out your duties vigilantly and professionally.'

While in Tarin Kowt, Mr Teo also visited the field hospital, where a 20-man SAF medical team was deployed from November 2008 to May this year to provide emergency and trauma care and primary healthcare, as well as the Winter Deployment Team (WDT) in Bamiyan led by Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Chan.

The SAF has made deployments to Afghanistan since 2007 as part of Singapore's contributions to multinational stabilisation and reconstruction efforts there.

During the visit, Mr Teo, who is also Minister for Defence, met the 17-man SAF Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) team at their operating base in Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital of Oruzgan. -- PHOTO: MINDEF

[ants]

U making me hungry MR LOH!

[Loh]

U making me hungry MR LOH!

Next time you come, don't forget to visit our most popular hawker centres.

BTW, do you have satay bee hoon up in KL?
A tasty dish with the spicy satay sauce poured over bee hoon (rice vermicelli) served with sotong, prawns and see hum (cockle).

[ants]

Haha i will... make sure u belanja me. :P

[Loh]

Haha i will... make sure u belanja me. :P

No problem, sup2 shei2 lah!

[Dato A]

Here's another thing for you to think about whether you believe it or not.
Please reach into your pocket and search for a one-dollar coin, and take a good look at it. It is round, no doubt, but it also has a unique
Octagonal design - which is an imporant symbol in Chinese Geomancy or feng shui.

This is where the story of this coin begins. On the island of Singapore
lived a very influential man named Lee. He is very particular about feng shui, i.e. man's balance with nature. There is a particular day and also time of day to inaugurate any important event. There is also a particular colour of dress, when it comes to important occasions, and so on. He has a feng shui mentor - a famous monk, a particular Venerable who died recently. Lee would seek the advice of this Venerable, whenever he
had to make an important decision.

The one-dollar coin came into circulation at the time of the MRT construction on the island (check the date if you don't believe me). The story goes that the Venerable had advised Lee that MRT tunnelling work would be bad for the feng shui of the island, its prosperity, etc. Firm however on pushing ahead with the project, Lee asked if there was anything that could be done to circumvent the bad feng shui. "Yes", replied the Venerable, "but it may be impossible to implement".
Said Lee to the Venerable - please speak. The Venerable then said that EVERY household on this island must have or must display a 'pak kwa' or
symbolic octagonal (8-sided) object. Oh no, there would definitely be racial riots. How could Lee force every household to have a 'pak kwa'
then at home?

Hehheh... said the wise Lee - I have an idea. I know how to make
EVERYBODY like to have as many 'pak kwas' as possible and so, our one-dollar coin was born.
But then, the economy didn't do quite as well as expected after the circulation of the one-dollar coin. Remember the '85/86 recession??

So the Honorary Venerable was consulted again. He said that whilst the
one-dollar coin did symbolise the pak kwa, it was of no use if everyone
had it in his pocket and failed to DISPLAY it. So the next novel idea was born the ROAD TAX LABEL If you recall, it used to be round and now,
it's OCTAGONAL and it is DISPLAYED. Maybe now, you think this explains the many years of booming economy Singapore had been experiencing.

However, with the recent turmoil in the region and now that the Venerable* is no longer around, what shall we do next? Know any feng shui experts?

By the way, the monk mentioned is the ex-head of a temple. When he passed away several years ago, Bishan Park was born because his temple was not
allowed to be blocked by any HDB flats.

How true is this, Uncle Loh?

Thanks keeptouch.net

[george@chongwei]

uncle loh, any singapore laksa treat for me ?