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Famous Quotes of MM Lee Kuan Yew (http://leewatch.info/quotes/)
On DEMOCRACY
“But we either believe in democracy or we not. If we do, then, we must say categorically, without qualification, that no restraint from the any democratic processes, other than by the ordinary law of the land, should be allowed… If you believe in democracy, you must believe in it unconditionally. If you believe that men should be free, then, they should have the right of free association, of free speech, of free publication. Then, no law should permit those democratic processes to be set at nought.”
- Lee Kuan Yew as an opposition leader, April 27, 1955
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Top 10 highest taxes in the world (moneycentral.msn.com 10 Mar)
By David Seaman, MainStreet
The U.S. doesn’t have it so bad tax-wise compared to other nations, despite what Glenn Beck would have you believe.
Here‘s a rundown of average income tax rates for 10 high-tax countries, based on information from the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development. The data are for 2008, the most recent numbers available.
10. Australia
Income tax rates:
Single, no child: 22.6%
Single, two children: 22.6%
One-earner married couple, no child: 19.1%
One-earner married couple, two children: 22.6%
Average income tax: 21.7%
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Singapore’s 40 Richest (Forbes)
Special Report
Singapore’s 40 Richest
Suzanne Nam, 09 Sep 09, 11:00 PM ET
Singapore is emerging from its deepest recession since the island became an independent nation in 1965. Though the economy may shrink up to 6% this year, there are signs that the worst is over. GDP expanded in the second quarter for the first time in a year. Exports and manufacturing were up in July, and property prices and sales are picking up. The country’s main stock index has jumped almost 90% since its March low.
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Do You Earn More Than $52,350 – The Median Annual Income? (salary.sg)
Do You Earn More Than $52,350 The Median Annual Income?
March 10th, 2010
$52,350 is the median income of all resident taxpayers for YA2008, which I calculated based on the numbers in IRAS annual reports.
You can use this income comparison tool to see which percentile you belong to.
However, the main objective of this article is to show how much the median income has grown over the years, as inspired by the Singapore Budget Speech 2010 (more on this later).
For YA2004, which assessed your income earned in 2003, the median assessable income of all resident taxpayers was $48,450.
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Jack Neo Will Tell All (Sg Truth)
Jack Neo will tell all
DISGRACED filmmaker Jack Neo will tell all about his two-year affair with a freelance model after the dust has settled, said his manager Tang Wing Fai.
Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao on Monday reported that Tang had discussed with Neo, who said he would meet the media ‘once and for all’ when he has settled the matter with the affected parties. For now, he said Neo’s priority is ‘to make peace with his wife and children’.
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200 Gangsters Assaulted 4 Plain Clothed Policemen at Geylang (Delphi Forum)
Our city is getting worse: 200 gangsters recently assaulted four plain cloth policemen at Geylang!
一名男子趁乱起哄，大喊“不要怕警察”鼓动群众的情绪，还用福建话挑衅警探“你有种就跟我单挑！”有人也跟 着大喊，警察只有4人，我们有这么多人，不要怕！
混乱中，两名警探被击中，另一名的嘴则被踢伤流血，两人过后都送院治疗。
男子过后因纠众闹事及恐吓值勤公务员被控，法官判他坐牢15个月，被告不服所判而上诉，目前保 释在外。
这起袭警骚扰事件,日前晚上发生在芽笼14和16巷。被告冯元光（译音）事发时25岁，当时跟一名男性朋友 在附近吃晚餐。
根据法官判词，事发时，4名便衣警探深夜突击芽笼14和16巷，逮捕了一名马来男子和一名华族男子。华族男 子不甘被擒，极力挣扎反抗，对警探乱喊乱叫还爆粗口。
这时，围观的人迅速增加到近200人，他们趁4名警探一时穷于应付的当儿，举起玻璃瓶、石头、酒杯、椅子等 ，群起扔向警探们。
混乱中，华族男子踢伤其中一名警探的嘴角，两名警探的背部和头部则分别被硬物击中，而被告则煽动群众的情绪 ，出言挑衅警探，现场情况剑拔弩张，警探为控制场面，只好拔枪警告！不久，大批警员和警犬赶到现场维持秩序 ，历时15分钟的骚动才平息。
Four plain-clothes detectives launched a late-night raid at a Geylang illegal gambling establishment. However, to their surprise, they were harrassed by a huge group of close to 200 gangsters who surrounded and threatened them. They threw bottles and stones at the police detectives who were forced to draw their pistol and fired a warning shot!
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Two Singaporean Men Committed Suicide on 3 March Due to Financial Distress (Temasek Review)
Written by Our Correspondent
According to Shin Min Daily yesterday, two Singapore men committed suicide on the same day by jumping off their flats.
The first suicide victim is a taxi-driver by the name of Mr Lim who jumped from his 15 storey kitchen windows at Taman Jurong.
He had lived with his wife and children in the HDB unit where the suicide occurred.
Neighbors described him as slightly plump and friendly to his neighbors.
It was reported that he was under alot of stress due to financial difficulties.
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Bankers blow billions faster than gamblers (smh.com.au 4 Mar)
Bankers blow billions faster than gamblers
WILLIAM PESEK
March 4, 2010
Singapore prefers to call them “integrated resorts.” Gambling is what it is, though. Welcoming Las Vegas tycoons Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn is intended to woo tourists and diversify the economy.
It’s not exactly a new idea. The truth is that Singapore has been gambling for some time now, and not very well.
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Nine Young Chinese Entrepreneurs To Watch (Forbes)
Entrepreneurs
Nine Young Chinese Entrepreneurs To Watch
Hannah Seligson, 02.28.10, 6:00 PM ET
By 2015 there will be 500 million people under age 30 in China–roughly the population of the entire European Union. And they aren’t idolizing Lei Feng, a devoted follower of Mao. They are looking to figures such as Bill Gates and Michael Dell, says Ge Dingkun, a professor of entrepreneurship at China Europe International Business School in Shanghai.
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How To Be A Billionaire (Forbes)
Leadership
How To Be A Billionaire
Shaun Rein, 02.17.10, 2:33 PM ET
Have you dreamed of becoming a billionaire?
Based on the response I’ve gotten to my recent article “Three Myths About Starting Your Own Business,” many people have. They imagine having wealth like the founders of Google and Apple, so they can fly to their own chateaus on the French Riviera in a Gulfstream IV or maybe even a Boeing 737. They picture making it onto the Forbes Rich List and buying diamonds from Tiffany.
Billions: The World’s Richest People
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The cheapest places to live in the world – $500 a month (opentravel.com)
Are you tired of busy cities, crowded streets, high rents and almost non-affordable mortgage? Well…there are places in the world where you can live well for less. The cheapest places to live are also the most beautiful and exotic destinations. So why not make your dreams come true, pack your bags and move to one of those paradise locations, if not for a lifetime, then at least for a year or two?
There are two simple rules to follow while searching for low cost destinations. Firstly: if you find a place cheap enough to travel to, then most probably you will also find it cheap to live in. Secondly: wherever you are, the further from the big cities and large agglomerations, the cheaper it gets.
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The stingy nanny: Singapore government response (The Economist 17 Feb)
Opinion
Singapore government response
Feb 17th 2010 | From The Economist online
SIR — I refer to your article “The stingy nanny” of Feb 13th.
Each society has to decide for itself the appropriate balance between unconditional welfare and self-reliance. Singapore has concluded that we cannot afford European-style state welfare, not because of dogma, but because our circumstances are different. We face competition from some of the most vibrant economies in the world, we have no hinterland or natural resources of our own to fall back on, and our future depends on being a dynamic and self-reliant people who strive our utmost to excel and create wealth for ourselves, our families and our society. Each generation must earn and save enough for its entire life cycle.
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Prosperity Preachers Guilty of “Sanctifying” Materialism, Charges Theologian (Christian Post)
The Christian Post
It could be argued that material greed brought about the global financial recession and continues to bring other ills including profound dissatisfaction and deprivation of what rightfully belongs to others.
And rather than offering a solution to the dilemma, sadly, preachers of a certain brand are indulging materialism by giving it an aura of righteousness, Dr Mark Chan argued in a paper on greed, idolatry and contentment, recently published.
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The stingy nanny (The Economist 13 Feb)
The stingy nanny
The city-state stays strict with the needy
Feb 13th 2010 | SINGAPORE | From The Economist online
FOND of having the last word, Singapore’s government can nevertheless be flexible. Who would have thought it would be building casinos? But one policy that shows no sign of reversing is Singapore’s antipathy towards public welfare. The state’s attitude can be simply put: being poor here is your own fault. Citizens are obliged to save for the future, rely on their families and not expect any handouts from the government unless they hit rock bottom. The emphasis on family extends into old age: retired parents can sue children who fail to support them. In government circles “welfare” remains a dirty word, cousin to sloth and waste. Singapore may be a nanny state, but it is by no means an indulgent nanny.
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World’s Richest and Best Paid
The richest royals:
1. King Bhumibol Adulyade of Thailand
2. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates
3. King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia
4. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei
5. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai
6. Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein of Liechtenstein
7. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar
8. King Mohammed IV of Morocco
9. Prince Albert II of Monaco
10. Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman
