By Failrailsg.appspot.com Only three incidents in 2012? Referencing to the article on Today, "North-South, East-West MRT lines could be partially closed up to 12pm on Sundays to facilitate works" as well as two other articles on the replacement of sleepers for the tracks, http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/smrt-step-sleeper-replacement http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/smrt-steps-up-sleepers-r ...

By Terry XuNational Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan wrote in his blog on Thursday (link), Based on a 2012 BCA survey, the monthly gross salary (including overtime pay and allowances) of relatively new crane operators can reach $4,000. Those with more years of experience can take home a monthly gross pay of $6,000 to $7,000.Members of the public including many of my friends read with astonishment on the n ...

Singapore Armchair Critic for The Online Citizen Singapore and Malaysia, as highly developed countries that have clung on to their authoritarian regimes, have long been seen as “anomalies” by political analysts of democratization. But now cracks are appearing in these regimes. Malaysia will see its most closely fought election ever on 5 May where there is a real, albeit slim, possibility of the ruling UMNO ...

By Tan Yin Hoe Language as a tool of cognition and communication is very utilitarian in nature. It is good to the extent which it serves its purposes well. Given that language acquisition is an arduous task that takes time, effort and determination, why would an infant push himself to learn and articulate his discomfort when a whimper serves just as well? It is because, through his interactions with his par ...

By Choo Zheng Xi Before you read on, one caveat: I’ve been asked by Leslie Chew to provide him with my legal opinion while he’s under investigation, so please read this article with that possible bias in mind. Leslie has, at present, not been formally charged and there are no ongoing Court proceedings. The following is my personal view of why it would be grossly incorrect for Leslie to be formally charged ( ...

By Terry Xu  A Straits Times Article report "Year-long trial on weekdays at 16 stations aims to cut peak-hour crush" writes, Currently, around 99,500 commuters pass through these stations every day during the 8am to 9am peak hour, while some 23,000 travel before 7.45am. Mr Lui projected that free rides could move another 10 to 20 per cent of commuters away from the peak period. This translates to between 10 ...

By: Jeraldine Phneah A reader emailed me yesterday to ask me my views on whether everyone should have access to university education. There are basically two general opinions in Singapore. The first group of people believes that university education is a birthright regardless of capability or diligence. The other believes it is a privilege for those who have worked for it. The latter is often labeled as "el ...

By Terry Xu An earlier report on Straits Times, "More maid  from Myanmar are running away" (7th April 2013) writes on the increasing number of Myanmar domestic workers running away from their Singapore employer. The report attributes it to the heavy debts that they carry on them, working months with little or no pay for their stay in Singapore. But is this the entire story of why domestic workers are runnin ...

In the judgement for the case of Gary Lim Meng Suang and Kenneth Chee Mun-Leon versus the Attorney General. Justice Quentin Loh has dismissed the legal claim by the two plaintiffs that Section 377A of the Penal Code is unconstitutional and that it infringes their rights under Article 12 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore. We are a society in the midst of change. Some changes come fast; others ...

By Terry Xu Singapore Lawyer Ms Gloria James-Civetta will be representing the family of deceased American scientist Shane Todd at the Coroner's Inquest into his death pro bono. Ms Gloria was initially approached by father of Shane Todd to engage legal service for the inquest. Feeling sympathetic towards the family’s cause, she then offered to represent them pro-bono. The Todd family claim that Shane was mur ...