By Melanie Chia Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen spoke earlier this evening at an event organised by the National University of Singapore Political Association. Ng presented on Singapore’s progress from 1900, using the Padang as a lens to view the nation’s development. Ng noted that Singapore has gone through much adversity since its days as a British colony and Singaporeans …

“Welcome to Singapore!” said Chow Yun Fat in the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Indeed, for most of the 19th century, Singapore was an archetypal pirate port and frontier town. The British provided only the minimum government they could get away with. So who did Singapore’s people turn to when they needed leadership, security, arbitration? Who decided who got …

By Jamal Ismail, Terry Xu If you are confused about the election process, don’t worry; you are not alone. As the election season looms, here is what you can do to quickly learn the basics about the upcoming elections. Let’s start with the election process “Why do I even have to vote? What is in it for me? Isn’t it …

By Sofian Razali The National Solidarity Party (NSP) has announced its intention to contest in the upcoming elections in MacPherson SMC, in what looks to be a three-way fight against the Workers’ Party (WP) and the People’s Action Party (PAP). One may feel that MacPherson residents should welcome this move as it provides them with an added choice to select someone …

By Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics Lured by the promise of more pay in Singapore to support their child and ailing parents, Chinese couple Wang Chao and Li Ting Ting borrowed 50,000 RMB (approximately SGD10,000) in response to an advertisement that they would each earn approximately $1500 a month for a two year contract. The husband, Wang Chao was told he …

By GS In an article before the last election, there was the idea that the driver of the ‘vessel’ that is Singapore might have lost its way and that a more suitable driver that could bring the people in the direction they wish was necessary. Some editors at TOC laughingly suggest that this is probably where Low Thia Khiang got …

A “two-thirds Singaporean core in the economy”, that is what Manpower Minister, Lim Swee Say, said is the goal of the government in the “medium to long term”. Mr Lim, who was the former secretary general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), said the 2:1 ratio of Singaporean workers to foreign workers would be maintained. “We are managing the …