The MediShield Life Fund is said to be designed in a way that it is self-sustaining and based on actuarial principles, with each age group paying premiums, under the compulsory MediSheld Life which all citizens in Singapore have to subscribe to, to broadly support its own current and future claims. “This means that the Fund has to set aside enough monies …

Is the rhetoric of “improved rail reliability” due to the selective disclosure of the statistics? I refer to the article “Rail network has achieved new level of reliability: Khaw” (Straits Times, Nov 3). It is reported that Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, speaking at the seventh Joint Forum on Infrastructure Maintenance on 2 Nov, disclosed that the overall system has …

Why increase transport fares by the highest ever in history? I refer to the article “Bus and train fares to rise by 6 cents per trip from Dec 29: PTC” (Straits Times, Oct 30). Straits Times reported that new component to the fare adjustment formula – the Network Capacity Factor (NCF) – which took into account the additional buses pumped …

Are we ‘miserly’ in helping destitute Singaporeans? I refer to the article “Public assistance payouts may increase” (Straits Times, Oct 29). According to the Straits Times’ report, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) revealed that it is reviewing the sum given out – which is to cover basic living expenses such as food, transport and rental – to …

The transport fares affordability study may leave us with even more unanswered questions? I refer to the article “Singapore ranks 2nd in transport fare affordability” (Straits Times, Oct 24). The article reports on the states that a study of 12 major cities conducted by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) ranked Singapore as second in terms of transport fare affordability. The …

Is the ‘HDB asset enhancement’ policy the greatest contributor to inequality? I refer to the article “Tackling inequality: Social attitudes just as important as government policies, says PM Lee” (Today, Oct 23). The article quotes Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as saying, “In every society, there is a certain amount of inequality and there is no society where the top …

I received an email from the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) on Thursday – an invitation to attend a seminar on Temasek’s retail bond. The retail bond which is being offered by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, was launched on Wednesday (17 Oct). This bond comes with a five-year maturity and a fixed interest rate of 2.7 per cent Up to $200 million of …

I refer to the news report by Straits Times on Wednesday, “Temasek offering first retail bonds at 2.7% fixed interest”. The article states that “Investment company Temasek has launched its first public bond offer for retail investors.” Someone asked me what is the difference between the subject Temasek’s first public bond for retail investors and Temasek’s first retail private equity …

Public institutions should stop giving selective statistics, as it is arguably in a sense like ‘fake news’ or ‘propaganda’ which may only further undermine the already diluted trust of the public in our public institutions  I refer to the article “Percentage of foreigners admitted to public hospitals falls from 2008” by Sunday Times, on the stop of public healthcare institutions (PHIs) …

Why can’t the formula to determine the amount of financial assistance for short and medium-term assistance under ComCare be disclosed? I refer to the article, “More families depending on long-term financial aid from Government to get by: MSF” (Straits Times, Oct 5). The article states that the increasing number of seniors who cannot work due to old age or illness and …