Two in three S’poreans concerned over foreigners: survey

By Angela Lim – August 2nd, 2010

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While most Singaporeans understand the need for the government to bring in foreigners to boost the economy, many have concerns about their long-term impact, says a new survey.

According to a poll of over 2,000 citizens aged between 21 and 64 conducted last year by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), two out of three respondents felt that national unity would be compromised by the presence of foreigners, regardless whether they were here to settle down or were transient workers.

The survey involved face-to-face interviews conducted between February and May last year. This National Orientations of Singapore (NOS) survey has been done roughly every five years since 1993.

Over 60 per cent of respondents felt “the policy to attract more foreign talent will weaken Singaporeans’ feelings as ‘one nation, one people’”, a significant increase from the 38 per cent of respondents who felt the same way in 1998, when the survey question was last posed.

Most of those concerned about the influx of foreigners were low-income earners making less than S$2,000 a month, and those living in one-, two- or three-room flats.

Despite this, when asked if the government was right to increase the number of foreign workers to support the Singapore economy, two out of three respondents said “yes”.

Sociologist Tan Ern Ser, one of the study’s authors, told The Straits Times the contradiction was a result of Singaporeans making a distinction between how they are affected as individuals and a collective.

“As citizens and employees, we may have a somewhat negative orientation towards having an influx of foreigners, but as investors and consumers, we may be more welcoming of them,” said the associate professor at the National University of Singapore.

“I reckon Singaporeans would resolve this contradiction by taking the stand that we understand the need for bringing in foreigners, but they must not be allowed to threaten my job, my space, my comfort zone, my sense of security and the Singaporean way of life. Should these threats remain, we would expect some degree of tension to prevail,” he adds.

Singaporeans want more say in policy-making

In addition, the IPS poll also reveals that Singaporeans want to have more say and involvement in policy-making compared to 12 years ago.

But when it came to actually making their views on public policy issues known to the government, just 8 per cent actually did so.

The survey found over 85 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that “voting gave citizens the most meaningful way in which to tell the Government how the country should be run.” This was an increase from 72 per cent in 1998.

Political observer Eugene Tan of Singapore Management University (SMU), told the same paper that the trend pointed to an active citizenry and suggested that Singaporeans increasingly expect to be consulted on major policy matters.

“It means that the ‘we know more than thou’ approach in policymaking is out of sync with (their) aspirations. Singaporeans want to be ‘talked with’ and not ‘talked to’ by the government,” Mr Tan said.

National loyalty ‘at healthy level’

The findings on political participation aside, the survey also found that the level of national loyalty and pride inched up and was at a “healthy and stable” level.

But the sense of loyalty and pride was considerable weaker among the more educated, higher-income groups, the young and the politically alienated.

The study’s authors — IPS senior research fellow Gillian Koh was the other — suggested that this was because those who were more highly educated and better off were more likely to be widely travelled, and so more exposed to the cultures of other countries.

With increasing concerns about foreign workers, national loyalty and a growing number of Singaporeans wanting a greater say in the political process, the IPS survey results are providing an interesting backdrop for the upcoming General Elections.

foreigners actually help us in our economy. we should welcome them with open arms in order to be competitive.

how to sit

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6187080.stm Sitting straight 'bad for backs'

Slouching over a desk is certainly not recommended Sitting up straight is not the best position for office workers, a study has suggested. Scottish and Canadian researchers used a new form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to show it places an unnecessary strain on your back. They told the Radiological Society of North America that the best position in which to sit at your desk is leaning back, at about 135 degrees. Experts said sitting was known to contribute to lower back pain. Data from the British Chiropractic Association says 32% of the population spends more than 10 hours a day seated. Half do not leave their desks, even to have lunch. Two thirds of people also sit down at home when they get home from work. Spinal angles The research was carried out at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen. Twenty two volunteers with healthy backs were scanned using a positional MRI machine, which allows patients the freedom to move - so they can sit or stand - during the test. Our bodies are not designed to be so sedentary Rishi Loatey, British Chiropractic Association Traditional scanners mean patients have to lie flat, which may mask causes of pain that stem from different movements or postures. In this study, the patients assumed three different sitting positions: a slouching position, in which the body is hunched forward as if they were leaning over a desk or a video game console, an upright 90-degree sitting position; and a "relaxed" position where they leaned back at 135 degrees while their feet remained on the floor. The researchers then took measurements of spinal angles and spinal disk height and movement across the different positions. Spinal disk movement occurs when weight-bearing strain is placed on the spine, causing the disk to move out of place. Disk movement was found to be most pronounced with a 90-degree upright sitting posture. It was least pronounced with the 135-degree posture, suggesting less strain is placed on the spinal disks and associated muscles and tendons in a more relaxed sitting position. The "slouch" position revealed a reduction in spinal disk height, signifying a high rate of wear and tear on the lowest two spinal levels. When they looked at all test results, the researchers said the 135-degree position was the best for backs, and say this is how people should sit. 'Tendency to slide' Dr Waseem Bashir of the Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging at the University of Alberta Hospital, Canada, who led the study, said: "Sitting in a sound anatomic position is essential, since the strain put on the spine and its associated ligaments over time can lead to pain, deformity and chronic illness." Rishi Loatey of the British Chiropractic Association said: "One in three people suffer from lower back pain and to sit for long periods of time certainly contributes to this, as our bodies are not designed to be so sedentary." Levent Caglar from the charity BackCare, added: "In general, opening up the angle between the trunk and the thighs in a seated posture is a good idea and it will improve the shape of the spine, making it more like the natural S-shape in a standing posture. "As to what is the best angle between thigh and torso when seated, reclining at 135 degrees can make sitting more difficult as there is a tendency to slide off the seat: 120 degrees or less may be better." no wonder we always complain about backache and such, that's probably due to sitting position. But in secondary school, teachers will always ask us to sit straight so we'll be awake. That's probably misleading. For me, i find that 135 degrees is a comfortable position to sit in, what about you?

let's go for a swim

Singapore

HOME > BREAKING NEWS > SINGAPORE > STORY

Jun 16, 2010

What causes flash floods?

The PUB is investigating the cause of the flood, especially in the worst-hit Orchard Road/Scotts Road intersection, where the flood waters reached 300 mm high, flooding basement carparks and shops, destroying goods and disrupting businesses. -- PHOTO: KHALEEL RAHMAN

THIS question was asked by scores of Singaporeans as they battled one of the worst flash floods which wrought havoc in many areas on Wednesday after a heavy early morning downpour.

The PUB is investigating the cause of the flood, especially in the worst-hit Orchard Road/Scotts Road intersection, where the flood waters reached 300 mm high, flooding basement carparks and shops, destroying goods and disrupting businesses.

The last known major flooding in the area was in 1984. But the investigations can only be carried out when the water level in the drains have fully subsided, said the PUB in an udpate on the flooding situation late Wednesday afternoon. It also warned that the flash floods may still occur in the event of heavy storms and urged the public to exercise caution.

PUB said about 100 mm of rain fell from 9am to 11am over many parts of central Singapore, with two peaks at 9.30 am and 10.30 am. The amount of rain recorded was 'more than 60 per cent of the average monthly rainfall for June,' said a PUB statement. The average rainfall for June is 162 mm.

When the rain first started at about 8am, PUB mobilised its contractors and staff on standby at hotspots and flood-prone areas, including Cuscaden Road, Wilby Road, Jalan Haji Alias and Little India.

When the torrent intensified at about 9.15am, the Traffic Police were alerted. PUB also despatched its officers and contractors to help stranded motorists, residents whose homes were flooded and owners of premises at affected locations.

'At the Upper Bukit Timah area, our men operated the flood gate and this helped to mitigate flooding in that area. PUB also sent sms alerts to the management of condominiums located in the area when the water level sensor reached 75 per cent at about 9.30am,' said PUB.

A second more intense storm fell over the central part of Singapore at about 10.30am. The worst-hit was the Orchard Road/ Scotts Road intersection, where the flood waters rose to almost knee-high. The deluge subsided within one hour, at about 11.30am.

PUB officers and contractors are clearing up the debris on the roads as well as assisting premise owners to pump out water from their basements.

The public can obtain the latest weather reports, including heavy rain warnings, by tuning in to radio broadcasts, calling NEA's weather forecast hotline at 6542 7788, visiting the NEA website atwww.nea.gov.sg or accessing the mobile weather service (Weather@SG - weather.nea.gov.sg).

The public can also call PUB's 24-hour Call Centre at 1800-284 6600 to report obstructions in drains or to check the flood situation.

Read also:
Floods hit shop, business
Flash floods wreak havoc

CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE:

article link: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_541187.html

how high tech is your mum?

Asian moms hooked on Internet for children, selves-study

Reuters - Thursday, May 20

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SINGAPORE, May 20 - The Internet is a lifeline for Asian mothers, with a survey finding two-thirds use it to shop for themselves and their children and an even bigger number going online to research purchases and talk about them.

The study, by Microsoft Advertising and Starcom MediaVest Group, showed that mothers ultimately hold the purse-strings in the region, influencing purchasing decisions ranging from household staples to big-ticket items such as cars.

And their resource of choice to make these purchases is the Internet, with 58 percent saying they used online networks and online customer reviews before actually buying.

"Mums have become the one-stop shop for family purchases, and brands need to be aware of this influence," Kenneth Andrew, managing director of Microsoft Advertising Greater Asia Pacific, told reporters.

"Mothers are becoming increasingly digitally savvy, and conversely, much more cynical of advertising."

The survey was based on interviews with about 3,000 mothers in eight markets -- China, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. The respondents ranged from pregnant women to mothers with teenage children.

On average, the survey found that Asian mothers spend 17 hours a week online, and the sites they visited ranged from those offering media, such as music and video download sites, to social networks, to sites specifically catered to children.

But largely, the online activities of mothers depended on the age of their children, with expectant women relying on sites that allow them to interact with other mothers, while those with older children rely on the web for email and searches.

The research was intended to help advertisers focus on a demographic Andrew said had been so far neglected in Asia.

"There is an opportunity for mothers to become an unofficial brand ambassador, as they love to share their views and are very influential," he said.

- from http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20100520/tap-asia-mothers-online-c3bb44c.html

how i wish my mum can learn some computer skills, so she can log in to chat with my brother without asking help from me. haha. ^^

facebook

have you wondered when was your last time you log into Friendster?

if i'm able to remember, perhaps it's around 2years?

Barely 2 years ago, Friendster was No.1 in Singapore. The incumbent had an average of 907,000 visitors monthly with users spending almost 2.5 hours on average on the site.

Today, Facebook gets about 160 times more traffic than Friendster. And Friendster? It was bought over for a mere S$140million last year by online payment solutions provider MOL Global, part of a Malaysian conglomerate owned by billionaire businessman Vincent Tan.

Third-party applications:The engineers there could not have thought of every possible game or frivolous poke you’d want to send to a friend, so they let others do it for them. The plan worked so well that developing apps for Facebook moved from hobby to marketing campaigns by companies to get our attention.

Simple to be social: Facebook changed everything. It was not only simple to post something to your news stream, but they made every single action, post, picture, and video easy to forward, like, reply, and comment. Who would have thought there’d be a need to comment on every single photo and even the album?

Discovery: I recall in 2008, almost every friend I had who started using Facebook talked about how they managed to hook up with old school mates they hadn’t seen in ages. But in order for Facebook to help us with this discovery, it required true data. We had to leave our anonymity behind at forums and IRC and entrust social networks with our true identity.

details got from yahoo.com

as Facebook and such is getting better, cases of cyper bullies is also rising. it's much more easier to abuse anyone mentally using the internet nowadays.

SUICIDE

It’s almost as if everyday you could see cases of suicide in the news or newspaper. Suicide rate is seemingly becoming a trend. Recently a temasek polytechnic girl leap to her death due to relationship matters. This is almost similar to a friend i barely know for 3 days. That’s would be the first and last time I know her. Due to relationship problems and having to stress over how to pay her expensive phone bill which sum to $500. That day, she skipped school and bid goodbye to this world by jumping down from the 15^th floor.

Suicidal thoughts are very active and have tremendous emotional power. They push you, urge you, and compel you towards suicide. Conditions that lead to suicide are extreme stress, emotional upset, – especially with no apparent hope of change or improvement.

Hopefully everyone would be able to cherish and show more concerns to their friends. You never know if this would be happening to your close friend or so. Everyone have his or her own secret or things they’re troubled about, just be there for them if they need you.

i'm suppose to blog and talk in class to get A. how awesome.