Archive for February, 2007
Singer Stephanie Sun Back In Singapore After Tour Guide Tiff In Cairo
SINGAPORE: Singapore singer Stefanie Sun is back in Singapore from the Egyptian capital of Cairo.
She had been shooting a music video there, when a payment dispute turned ugly.
The local tour guide engaged by her recording company had demanded more money and allegedly threatened them.
Bodyguards were sent to their hotel after the group reported the incident to their headquarters and the Singapore embassy in Cairo.
A tired-looking Stefanie was greeted by beefed-up security at the airport.
Her plane touched down about 6pm Wednesday from Hong Kong.
Sun planned to fly to Taiwan but flew back to Singapore instead.
She said she was very happy to be back in Singapore and thanked everyone for their support. - CNA/yy
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MPs Warn Of The Danger Of Crutch Mentality Among Low Income Group
On the second day of the Budget debate in Parliament, MPs warned of the danger of a crutch mentality developing among the low income group.
And they urged Singaporeans to look at the various support schemes announced in the Budget as a means to help them be self-reliant.
There continued to be all-round support for new schemes in the Budget - like the Workfare - including qualified support from the opposition camp.
However MP for Potong Pasir Chiam See Tong and Non-Constituency Sylvia Lim argued that revenue from government land sales could have been used to finance social programmes, instead of raising the Goods and Services Tax to seven percent.
Even the young want to benefit from it.
Teo Ser Luck, Parliamentary Secretary, Community Development, Youth and Sports Ministry, said: “Two young student 16 years of age asked me a question: everybody seems to getting some bonus, what about us? They said: ‘We work part-time and income is below $1,500, shouldn’t we get financial help to have more pocket money?’ Of course I went on to explain about the principles of the Budget, why and where the help is going to and what is in it for them.
“As in education and whatever is for their parents would channel down to them as well. We do not want to build a generation of takers. We need a generation of earners, (who) earn their keep and givers, those who share.”
Workfare also recognised social realities and this includes the impact of globalisation on the widening income gap.
NMP Eunice Olsen cautioned that the politics of class and social inequality, caused by an accelerating income divide, would be detrimental to our national interests.
She said, “There will always be income disparity, but it is how we manage it so it does not become an income divide that is entrenched and cannot be bridged, that counts.”
MPs stressed that lifelong handouts cannot be the solution.
Mr Arthur Fong, MP - West Coast GRC, cited a constituent who was reluctant to return to the workforce as her children’s education needs were already met by various assistance schemes.
He said: “While the government constantly comes up with programmes to help the needy, we must ensure that the needy have the self determination to help themselves. I am therefore heartened; the Minister reminded the House that our people should not lose their self reliance. This is crucial for us to flourish as a nation.”
And some constituencies are already doing this.
MP for Tampines GRC, Irene Ng, said: “In Tampines Changkat, we have started a Sunday market for retirees and housewives to set up stalls to earn some pocket money. With some funds, we can do more to train the housewives and retirees there to be more enterprising and to also promote the market and their wares.”
While much of the Budget debate has been focused on ways to help the low income help themselves, some MPs said the government should make it easier for the less educated or lower skilled workers to be self-reliant in ways that are within their capability.
Wee Siew Khim, MP - Ang Mo Kio GRC, said: “Make it easier for these people to become small stall holders or hawkers. The present approach of tendering out all stalls in the market and hawker centres make it almost impossible for those with limited means to attempt to start making a living this way. Maybe a cooperative to facilitate the entry of the small, poor stallholders and hawkers could be looked into.”
Even the elderly, MP Lily Neo felt, can be self-reliant with proper retirement financing, such as a compulsory Universal Annuity Insurance Scheme.
She said: “This scheme makes it mandatory for Singaporeans to pay for a universal insurance fund using a small percentage of their CPF. Contributions could be progressive in nature, and lower income groups could receive Government top-ups to fund their contribution.”
She added: “I would like to suggest a mandatory Universal Annuity Insurance Scheme to ensure that all Singaporeans are self-reliant, and able to provide for basic retirement needs. Members are already allowed to use their CPF for investments, housing purchases and MediShield.
“This scheme establishes a common insurance fund that is redistributive in nature. Contributions could be progressive in nature, and lower income groups could receive Government top-ups to fund their contribution. The advantages of such a scheme are better economies of scale, lower premiums and higher payouts.”
Second Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will respond to the MPs’ suggestions on Thursday. - CNA/ch
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Linda Onn Merajuk Kerana Kebaya
Oleh SHAZRYN MOHD. FAIZAL
KUALA LUMPUR 27 Feb. - Rekaan pereka luar dikatakan menjadi punca kontroversi ‘kehilangan’ Linda Onn pada acara karpet merah Anugerah Akademi di Kodak Theater, Hollywood, Amerika Syarikat, semalam.
Untuk acara karpet merah itu, Linda sepatutnya menjadi pengacara bersama pengacara Channel V, Dominic Lau.
Linda telah membawa sepasang kebaya rekaan pereka muda kelahiran Indonesia, Jovian Mandagie untuk dipakai pada acara itu.
Bagaimanapun menurut sumber, ada pihak yang kurang senang dengan keputusan Linda untuk menggunakan baju itu hanya kerana ia direka oleh pereka luar.
Gara-gara itu, seorang wakil Star TV terbang ke Los Angeles (LA) membawa sepasang pakaian rekaan pereka tempatan, Radzuan Radziwill untuk dipakai Linda beberapa hari sebelum acara berlangsung.
Namun, kata sumber itu lagi, Linda enggan mengenakan baju rekaan pereka tempatan dan dikatakan begitu kecewa kerana tidak berpeluang menggayakan kebaya yang direkanya bersama Jovian lalu menarik diri menjadi pengacara karpet merah itu.
Utusan Malaysia telah cuba menghubungi Linda di LA hari ini namun panggilan tidak dijawab.
Dalam pada itu, Jovian yang dihubungi berkata, dia terkilan kerana Linda tidak dapat menggayakan rekaannya pada anugerah berprestij itu.
”Memang Linda terlibat sama dalam proses rekaan kebaya Malaysia tersebut dan saya mengambil masa selama dua minggu untuk menyiapkannya.
“Linda begitu gembira dengan hasilnya. Tanpa berfikir panjang, dia terus membelinya,” kata pereka berusia 21 tahun itu yang enggan mendedahkan harga dan lakaran kebaya itu.
Linda Onn merupakan artis Malaysia keempat yang menggunakan khidmatnya selepas Kudsia Kahar, Ning Baizura, Nikki dan Yanie.
Sebelum ini, rekaan pereka yang mula menetap di sini sejak berusia lima tahun itu sering digayakan oleh artis-artis terkenal Indonesia seperti Krisdayanti, Rossa dan kumpulan Ratu.
Sementara itu, menurut sumber, Radzuan telah menerima arahan daripada pihak tertentu pada saat akhir untuk menyiapkan sehelai pakaian baru untuk Linda Onn.
Justeru, kebaya moden khusus untuk Linda disiapkan dalam tempoh sehari semalam sahaja.
Radzuan dikatakan berasa kecewa dengan tindakan penyampai radio popular itu yang enggan menggayakan rekaannya.
Dominic ketika dihubungi pula enggan memberikan sebarang komen mengenai ‘kehilangan’ Linda itu.
Beliau hanya menjelaskan: “Adalah menjadi satu kerugian besar bagi sesiapa yang menolak peluang keemasan menjadi pengacara karpet merah pada Anugerah Akademi.
“Bukan senang untuk mendapat peluang menemu bual bintang-bintang besar Hollywood pada majlis itu.”
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