Do you find this amazing? Do you find this ridiculous? Do you find that the police have no other reasons in their thick skull but "contrary to public interest" therefore have to be banned?
I was reading the article and was so stunned when I read this line
The groups included the Vegetarian Society, the Cat Welfare Society and
two gay support groups Pelangi Pride Centre and Women Who Love Women.
"(We) informed the organisers of our position of not allowing outdoor
events assessed to be contrary to public interest," the police
spokesperson added.
Now their position on the gay support groups is legendary so that comes as no surprise but vegetarians and cat lovers? It seems that now any civil society group can be banned from having a booth or whatever using the legendary phrase "contrary to public interest". I bet you if it was a booth for the ruling party or the YPAP, it wouldn't be "contrary to public interest" because only non-PAP stuff is "contrary to public interest".
And I can bet you that if a lot of noise is made about this issue, the police will issue another statement saying that it was because of safety or traffic problems or whatever in other to "explain" themselves. It is amazing I find that they couldn't give the real reason (we don't want gay groups to have booths to "promote" their cause and since we cannot just ban them, we ban all). Or even a plausible excuse (it wouldn't be real but at least plausible). If these are the "top brains" the PAP is trying to woe into civil service with money......
Today
26 September 2007
A CHANGE OF SCENE
-----------------
Substation event gets police nod after civil society groups excluded
Zul Othman
zul@mediacorp.com.sg
THE police have turned down a request by The Substation to organise an
outdoor flea market that would have included booths run by 19 civil
society groups.
The flea market was supposed to be part of a six-hour event, The Tunnel
Party, last Saturday to mark the 17th anniversary of The Substation,
Singapore's first independent, non-profit, multi-disciplinary arts centre
founded by late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun.
It was to have been held next to the Fort Canning Tunnel and also feature
music and arts shows.
A police spokesperson said: "In the Substation's initial application for
the event, the police noted it would include outdoor booths for civil
society groups to promote their cause."
The groups included the Vegetarian Society, the Cat Welfare Society and
two gay support groups Pelangi Pride Centre and Women Who Love Women.
"(We) informed the organisers of our position of not allowing outdoor
events assessed to be contrary to public interest," the police
spokesperson added.
Rather than call off the show, the organisers decided to rebrand it as the
SeptFest Gig and moved it to the pavement area behind the Singapore
Management University (SMU) School of Law and School of Accountancy.
The change was met with approval by the authorities.
The organisers "have done away with the outdoor booths for civil society
groups. As such, the police have approved the application for SeptFest",
said the police spokesperson.
The SeptFest Gig had some 23 outdoor booths, ranging from flea markets
vendors to stalls peddling homemade jewellery. It attracted some 700
visitors.
The Substation's artistic co-director Lee Weng Choy told Today "it was
important for us to continue with the event because we see it as part of
a large process".
The group deems such events as important because if these gatherings are
successful, it said, it sets a positive precedent for engagement between
the arts, civil society and the authorities.
Mr Lee said: "Some of our stakeholders, such as the bands, the commercial
flea market groups and the public, might lose faith in The Substation if
we cancelled an event again."
Last year, the police turned down its application to close down Armenian
Street for a street party, also a collaboration with artists, arts groups
and civil society groups.
26 September 2007
24 September 2007
Back with bad news
I just got back from a nice vacation with T. And read that S377A is still around. Am I surprised? No. Is it typical? Yes. Do I want to comment on it and on PM Lee's remarks about it? No. I have said all that I can say. Since the PAP doesn't care two hoots about anything else except their re-election possibilities (amongst other things), there will be no change until their "iron rice bowl" is threatened. That is something I believe will never happen (and they know it too). Maybe I'm being too pessimistic but then again, having a sword of Damocles on me is not something that will make me have any feelings towards the PAP or have any positive things to say about Singapore in general, so pessimism it is. And so far (since I've started this blog), the PAP has never failed to re-enforce my pessimism.
As all have been said, the PAP is always pro-money. Any decision they make, if it doesn't involve money, would not be taken seriously and thus they would used the typical replies that "Singapore is not ready for it".
Do I really care? Not anymore. I'm just glad that I can live in a country where I'm not treated any differently in the eyes of the law (regardless conservative/fundamentalist attitudes) as over here, the individual rights is as important as communal rights.
Good bye Singapore. I'll never be part of you every again.
As all have been said, the PAP is always pro-money. Any decision they make, if it doesn't involve money, would not be taken seriously and thus they would used the typical replies that "Singapore is not ready for it".
Do I really care? Not anymore. I'm just glad that I can live in a country where I'm not treated any differently in the eyes of the law (regardless conservative/fundamentalist attitudes) as over here, the individual rights is as important as communal rights.
Good bye Singapore. I'll never be part of you every again.
11 September 2007
Bus fares to go up by 1 to 2 cents from Oct 1
There is nothing to say. All have been said. Another nail in the poor's coffin. Nice "compensation" that MRT fares will not increase.
I somehow feel that the older generation are continually being penalised for being old. For any old person not working, they are seeing their retirement funds decreasing each year, especially in 2007, this year of "plenty". Money that could have lasted them for 10 years can maybe last them for 7 years now. You'll be damned if you ever grow old in Singapore.
I'm so happy that the gahmen cares.
Straits Times 11 Sep 2007
Bus fares to go up by 1 to 2 cents from Oct 1
By Christopher Tan
BUS fares will go up by one to two cents from Oct 1, the Public Transport Council announced on Tuesday.
But there will be no increase in train fares.
Senior citizen concessionary EZ -Link bus fares, which are flat fares pegged to the lowest adult EZ-Link fare band will also increase by 2 cents, up from the current 65 cents.
However, because they are flat fares, the same 67 cents fare will apply regardless of the distance travelled.
'The PTC has to strike a balance between safeguarding commuters' interests and ensuring the financial viability of the public transport operators so that they can continue to improve their services over time and sustain their capital investments,' Chairman of the PTC Gerard Ee said.
The Council said in August that transport operators SBS Transit and SMRT Corp had applied for fare increases - an annual revision exercise governed by a set formula.
This year, the formula caps fare rises at 1.8 per cent - or around three cents per ride.
The last fare increase was in October last year, when costs went up by one to three cents per ride.
Back then, the operators blamed high costs - in particular the high price of fuel and manpower - for the need to raise their fares. They are citing the same reasons this time.
SBS Transit, part of the ComfortDelGro group, for instance, said their costs have gone up significantly.
"Energy costs, for example, rose by 20 per cent or $20.3 million last year - having already increased by 41.2 per cent in 2005," SBS Transit spokesman Tammy Tan said.
"Manpower costs, the company's largest cost component, also increased by about $12.1 million during the year."
SBS also pointed out that it had invested heavily in buses as well as commuter services.
It spent $135 million on new buses in the past two years. And it has rolled out an online bus arrival system, which helps commuters to plan their journeys better.
Lower SMRT earnings
SMRT pointed out that the increase in the goods and services tax as well as the 1.5 percentage point rise in employers' CPF contributions will pull down its earnings by about $11 million a year.
It said the fare increase, if kept to this year's cap of 1.8 per cent, would only partially offset the company's total cost increases.
SBS is proposing to keep children and school student fares as well as concession pass charges unchanged.
SMRT has also said it will not raise fares for children and students, and all bus cash fares.
SMRT is also waiving any increase to the first fare band of its MRT single-trip ticket, which costs 90 cents. It added that it would extend its senior citizen concession hours to match SBS'.
Schemes to help the poor
Both operators said they would come up with schemes to help the poor cope with any fare rise.
'We have tried to keep fare increase small for as many commuters as possible but we know that any fare increase, no matter how small, would still be felt by commuters, especially tho se from needy families,
'Those who need additional help will receive help from the Government?s Public Transport Fund. The public transport four operators will also chip in towards public transport vouchers to help low-income families cope with the fare increase,' Mr Ee said.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) is not entirely convinced that a fare hike is in order.
Case executive director Seah Seng Choon has pointed out that transport companies are enjoying "good returns." For instance, SMRT achieved a 39 per cent rise in net earnings to $37.94 million in the first quarter.
"'With such significant increase in net earnings, commuters would certainly expect it to show clear justifications for any need to hike fares at this point in time,' he said.
I somehow feel that the older generation are continually being penalised for being old. For any old person not working, they are seeing their retirement funds decreasing each year, especially in 2007, this year of "plenty". Money that could have lasted them for 10 years can maybe last them for 7 years now. You'll be damned if you ever grow old in Singapore.
I'm so happy that the gahmen cares.
Straits Times 11 Sep 2007
Bus fares to go up by 1 to 2 cents from Oct 1
By Christopher Tan
BUS fares will go up by one to two cents from Oct 1, the Public Transport Council announced on Tuesday.
But there will be no increase in train fares.
Senior citizen concessionary EZ -Link bus fares, which are flat fares pegged to the lowest adult EZ-Link fare band will also increase by 2 cents, up from the current 65 cents.
However, because they are flat fares, the same 67 cents fare will apply regardless of the distance travelled.
'The PTC has to strike a balance between safeguarding commuters' interests and ensuring the financial viability of the public transport operators so that they can continue to improve their services over time and sustain their capital investments,' Chairman of the PTC Gerard Ee said.
The Council said in August that transport operators SBS Transit and SMRT Corp had applied for fare increases - an annual revision exercise governed by a set formula.
This year, the formula caps fare rises at 1.8 per cent - or around three cents per ride.
The last fare increase was in October last year, when costs went up by one to three cents per ride.
Back then, the operators blamed high costs - in particular the high price of fuel and manpower - for the need to raise their fares. They are citing the same reasons this time.
SBS Transit, part of the ComfortDelGro group, for instance, said their costs have gone up significantly.
"Energy costs, for example, rose by 20 per cent or $20.3 million last year - having already increased by 41.2 per cent in 2005," SBS Transit spokesman Tammy Tan said.
"Manpower costs, the company's largest cost component, also increased by about $12.1 million during the year."
SBS also pointed out that it had invested heavily in buses as well as commuter services.
It spent $135 million on new buses in the past two years. And it has rolled out an online bus arrival system, which helps commuters to plan their journeys better.
Lower SMRT earnings
SMRT pointed out that the increase in the goods and services tax as well as the 1.5 percentage point rise in employers' CPF contributions will pull down its earnings by about $11 million a year.
It said the fare increase, if kept to this year's cap of 1.8 per cent, would only partially offset the company's total cost increases.
SBS is proposing to keep children and school student fares as well as concession pass charges unchanged.
SMRT has also said it will not raise fares for children and students, and all bus cash fares.
SMRT is also waiving any increase to the first fare band of its MRT single-trip ticket, which costs 90 cents. It added that it would extend its senior citizen concession hours to match SBS'.
Schemes to help the poor
Both operators said they would come up with schemes to help the poor cope with any fare rise.
'We have tried to keep fare increase small for as many commuters as possible but we know that any fare increase, no matter how small, would still be felt by commuters, especially tho se from needy families,
'Those who need additional help will receive help from the Government?s Public Transport Fund. The public transport four operators will also chip in towards public transport vouchers to help low-income families cope with the fare increase,' Mr Ee said.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) is not entirely convinced that a fare hike is in order.
Case executive director Seah Seng Choon has pointed out that transport companies are enjoying "good returns." For instance, SMRT achieved a 39 per cent rise in net earnings to $37.94 million in the first quarter.
"'With such significant increase in net earnings, commuters would certainly expect it to show clear justifications for any need to hike fares at this point in time,' he said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
