AirAsia QZ8501 Update: Fuselage lifted to surface, but sinks again The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network Jan 24, 2015
This is another FRUSTRATING day. Again, so close and yet so far. Rest in peace!
1. "Woman stabbed 3 times by robber in Clementi - Stomp Jan 24, 2015
Hopefully this robber is NOT a foreigner who are desperately trying to get some doles for the coming CNY. When I was leaving and working in China, my local colleagues always warned me NOT to go anywhere near railway stations where some (even if it is just 10 or 100 of them) of the millions of migrant workers who are planning to go home in 'glory' for the CNY festival turned desperate!
Some of my colleagues were robbed and one of them had his head smashed, thankfully not fatally nor too seriously, by robber near the railway station in Beijing!
I hope we are NOT in similar situation in our 1st world vibrant global nation!
2. "Penalties for neighbours from hell 'a last resort' - The Straits Times Jan 24, 2015
A proposed law that sets out penalties for those who cause unreasonable disturbance to their neighbours would help deal with severe disputes, but only as a last resort, said MPs interviewed.
Under the Community Disputes Resolution Bill introduced in Parliament on Monday, offenders may be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for up to three months for a first offence.
But these would be meted out only if the offender breaches a court order issued by a tribunal proposed under the Bill. It will have the power to order the offender to pay damages of up to $20,000, or apologise, for instance.
Offensive actions cited as examples in the Bill include causing excessive noise or smell, or allowing one's pet to urinate near a neighbour's home.
The Bill is designed in a "step-wise fashion", said Jurong GRC MP Desmond Lee, who is Minister of State for National Development. "We want the neighbours to be able to solve problems among themselves first, and the penalties are only for situations that escalate to an acrimonious level."
Currently, neighbours can seek help at the Community Mediation Centre (CMC) if they cannot resolve disputes either on their own or with the help of grassroots leaders. But the centre cannot issue legal orders, and there is little the authorities can do if neighbours do not want to make up.
More importantly, if the law is passed, the tribunal can order neighbours to go for compulsory mediation - a key move, given the dismal attendance at the CMC. Currently, attendance is not compulsory, and the no-show rate is 60 per cent. The resolution rate is 75 per cent for cases where the neighbours show up."
It is about TIME for such a bill to be introduced though it is sad when neighbours could not live peacefully in harmony next to each other!
Lessons for me are:
1. when there is NO will to resolve the issues by one or both parties, there is NO CHANCE of success no matter how skilled the mediators are. It is as simple as that!;
2. when the involved parties DO MEET, the success rate of resolution as reported here is 75%! Fairly significant. Seriously, unless it is life and death issue, surely neighbours can find a common ground and adopt the 'give and take' attitude to resolve disagreement. In fact, most of time, the issues were due to MISCOMMUNICATION or MISUNDERSTAND through LACK of actual connections on a regular basis!;
3. of course, we had some very famous, or more appropriately, infamous, cases of 'neighbours from hell' in Singapore in the past. Some of them were 'legendary and lasting more than 5- or even 10-year'! Such state of affairs is DEFINITELY unpardonable and inexcusable. This is especially so when the 'neighbour from hell' is making life miserable for a number of innocent and helpless neighbours from living a NORMAL LIFE. Hence, this Bill will be WELCOMED. Of course, for those guardians of 'make sure this Bill is NOT been abused', perhaps we just have to wait and see how the laws are executed, if and when it passed into laws after the parliamentary deliberation/debates.
I LIKE!!
This is another FRUSTRATING day. Again, so close and yet so far. Rest in peace!
1. "Woman stabbed 3 times by robber in Clementi - Stomp Jan 24, 2015
Hopefully this robber is NOT a foreigner who are desperately trying to get some doles for the coming CNY. When I was leaving and working in China, my local colleagues always warned me NOT to go anywhere near railway stations where some (even if it is just 10 or 100 of them) of the millions of migrant workers who are planning to go home in 'glory' for the CNY festival turned desperate!
Some of my colleagues were robbed and one of them had his head smashed, thankfully not fatally nor too seriously, by robber near the railway station in Beijing!
I hope we are NOT in similar situation in our 1st world vibrant global nation!
2. "Penalties for neighbours from hell 'a last resort' - The Straits Times Jan 24, 2015
A proposed law that sets out penalties for those who cause unreasonable disturbance to their neighbours would help deal with severe disputes, but only as a last resort, said MPs interviewed.
Under the Community Disputes Resolution Bill introduced in Parliament on Monday, offenders may be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for up to three months for a first offence.
But these would be meted out only if the offender breaches a court order issued by a tribunal proposed under the Bill. It will have the power to order the offender to pay damages of up to $20,000, or apologise, for instance.
Offensive actions cited as examples in the Bill include causing excessive noise or smell, or allowing one's pet to urinate near a neighbour's home.
The Bill is designed in a "step-wise fashion", said Jurong GRC MP Desmond Lee, who is Minister of State for National Development. "We want the neighbours to be able to solve problems among themselves first, and the penalties are only for situations that escalate to an acrimonious level."
Currently, neighbours can seek help at the Community Mediation Centre (CMC) if they cannot resolve disputes either on their own or with the help of grassroots leaders. But the centre cannot issue legal orders, and there is little the authorities can do if neighbours do not want to make up.
More importantly, if the law is passed, the tribunal can order neighbours to go for compulsory mediation - a key move, given the dismal attendance at the CMC. Currently, attendance is not compulsory, and the no-show rate is 60 per cent. The resolution rate is 75 per cent for cases where the neighbours show up."
It is about TIME for such a bill to be introduced though it is sad when neighbours could not live peacefully in harmony next to each other!
Lessons for me are:
1. when there is NO will to resolve the issues by one or both parties, there is NO CHANCE of success no matter how skilled the mediators are. It is as simple as that!;
2. when the involved parties DO MEET, the success rate of resolution as reported here is 75%! Fairly significant. Seriously, unless it is life and death issue, surely neighbours can find a common ground and adopt the 'give and take' attitude to resolve disagreement. In fact, most of time, the issues were due to MISCOMMUNICATION or MISUNDERSTAND through LACK of actual connections on a regular basis!;
3. of course, we had some very famous, or more appropriately, infamous, cases of 'neighbours from hell' in Singapore in the past. Some of them were 'legendary and lasting more than 5- or even 10-year'! Such state of affairs is DEFINITELY unpardonable and inexcusable. This is especially so when the 'neighbour from hell' is making life miserable for a number of innocent and helpless neighbours from living a NORMAL LIFE. Hence, this Bill will be WELCOMED. Of course, for those guardians of 'make sure this Bill is NOT been abused', perhaps we just have to wait and see how the laws are executed, if and when it passed into laws after the parliamentary deliberation/debates.
I LIKE!!
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