Singapore Girl takes over Singtel Grid Girl
Singapore Airlines will be the new title sponsors of the Singapore F1 Race, following SingTel. The full title of the race will be – take a deep breath – the Formula One Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix. Singapore GP Chairman Ong Beng Seng described the partnership as a synergistic one. The Singapore GP is believed to bring in many tourists and conferences that are organised to coincide with the race. In recent years, it also boasts fringe activities like concerts, but Singapore GP Executive Director Michael Roche cautioned on the need to watch costs for such events.
Singapore Parliament is on a mid-term break and will reconvene on 16 May. The following was Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Facebook posting on where it goes next:
Parliament has been busy these past 2½ years. We have had vigorous and valuable debates on our White Papers on Ministerial Salaries and Population. We have passed Budgets that include major economic and social policies, including the Pioneer Generation Package, GST Vouchers, and Workfare enhancements. MPs have filed many questions to obtain information, press for actions, and solve their voters’ problems.
Parliament is where the most important national issues are debated and decided. Our sittings are not as fiery as some other legislatures, but the duty of government is to manage affairs responsibly and soberly, and not to create entertainment and excitement.
Singapore is in transition. We are adjusting to new domestic needs while navigating an uncertain international environment. When Parliament re-opens on 16 May, we will hear the President’s Address, and discuss strategies for creating a brighter future and a better Singapore for all.
Activists concerned about Bill against human trafficking
In response to the proposed Prevention of Human Trafficking Bill, several human rights activists groups – Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME), Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), Project X, Workfair Singapore – and activists Vincent Law and Timothy Cheong have expressed disappointment with the serious limitations of the Bill, which does not adequately address issues of deceptive recruitment, loss of liberty and debt bondage. “As we would not like for Singapore to be an economy built on the exploitation of migrant labour, a solid anti-trafficking legislation that acknowledges all the characteristics of trafficking is crucial to protecting the vulnerable,” the collective stated.
Brompton bikes case defendant not putting up defence
The public officer from NParks embroiled in the Brompton bikes case will not be putting up a defence. Bernard Lim, who was accused of lying to auditors about his relationship with a bicycle supplier who sold 26 Brompton bikes to the statutory board for S$57,200, will not take the stand, paving the way for the courts to deliver the verdict by the end of May.
Indonesian Armed Forces has expressed regret over the naming of an Indonesian warship
General Moeldoko, Commander-in-Chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces, has expressed regret over the naming of an Indonesian warship after two marines who carried out the bombing of MacDonald House in Singapore in 1965. He attributed the honest mistake to the fact that Indonesia had never intended ill-will in the naming of the ship to begin with. He also expressed confidence that relations between the two countries will mend. Nevertheless, the name of the frigate “Usman Harun” will remain, as it was a decision the Indonesian Armed Forces had made in December 2012 after a long process.