1. "Six more AirAsia crash victims found: Indonesian official - AFP Feb 02, 2015
JAKARTA - Indonesian divers on Monday found another six victims of the AirAsia plane crash, an official said, taking to 84 the number of bodies retrieved since the accident in late December.
Two bodies were found inside the fuselage of the plane, while another four were located near the wreckage on the bottom of the Java Sea."
Rest in peace to the victims.
2. "Budget 2015 to address needs of all Singaporeans: Tharman - CNA 02 February 2015
SINGAPORE: Singapore's upcoming budget will likely address issues on retirement adequacy and ensuring good careers for the young and middle-aged, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, as he provided a rare glimpse of Budget 2015.
He said the Government is in the final stages of shaping the Silver Support scheme. The new initiative, which was announced at last year's National Day Rally, will see the Government pay an annual bonus to low-income elderly Singaporeans from age 65 to help them cope with their living expenses.
"Providing assurances in retirement for our seniors is a very important priority - not just for today’s generation of seniors but those in future as well. It is a strengthening of our social security system," said Mr Tharman.
Besides retirement adequacy, Mr Tharman said what is equally important is ensuring that young and middle-aged Singaporeans have fulfilling careers: "We have always got to look to the future - anticipate the challenges, prepare our people and equip them with the capabilities and the expertise that they need to do well, individually as well as collectively as Singapore.
"When we talk about good careers, it is not just about those who are today in school or in our tertiary institutions and about to start their careers. It is also about our mid-career Singaporeans."
The finance minister emphasised that the budget initiatives will not stand on its own. He said it is a continuation of what the government has been doing in the past, especially the last five years.
Mr Tharman said steps have been taken that are significantly transforming Singapore's social and economic landscape, such as strengthening affordability in healthcare and housing for the lower and middle-income groups.
He said that this year's budget, which comes along with Singapore's 50th anniversary, will address both the needs of today and tomorrow. Mr Tharman will deliver Singapore's Budget for 2015 in Parliament on Feb 23."
Some say this will be the General Election Budget (GE Budget). A budget to 'please the voters' without, hopefully, breaking the promise of NO Pork Barrel politics by the ruling party all these years though some said they had already tried to practice that with the Potong Parsi Single Member Constituency years ago without success!
Lessons for me are:
1. the focus on raising the social spending to take care of healthcare and housing SHOULD had been taken earlier by the ruling party instead of, despite their furious and gallant efforts to catch up, been perceived to be reacting to 'pressure by the voters from the last GE'! An opportunity missed indeed;
2. giving annual bonus to the needy elderlies are great but hopefully we DON'T have too many needy elderlies especially those NOT in the pioneers group (say 60-65 years old) as they had done well under the most glorious growth period of Singapore when the nation leaped from a 3rd world nation to 1st world nation materially. If not, something is terribly wrong with the creation of wealth and the distribution of the same!;
3. for those below 60 years old, hopefully they have done well and that they have also LEARNED well on how to live, eat and exercise healthily - physically, mentally, and perhaps also spiritually. That they WILL NOT be dependent on the government's social safety net too much!
Hope that something will be done on how to encourage building of endearing values like: hard and smart work, beware of instant gratification and fight it, you can do well and good without being overpaid, harmony with mutual respect for the people you live/study/work with, etc.
JAKARTA - Indonesian divers on Monday found another six victims of the AirAsia plane crash, an official said, taking to 84 the number of bodies retrieved since the accident in late December.
Two bodies were found inside the fuselage of the plane, while another four were located near the wreckage on the bottom of the Java Sea."
Rest in peace to the victims.
2. "Budget 2015 to address needs of all Singaporeans: Tharman - CNA 02 February 2015
SINGAPORE: Singapore's upcoming budget will likely address issues on retirement adequacy and ensuring good careers for the young and middle-aged, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, as he provided a rare glimpse of Budget 2015.
He said the Government is in the final stages of shaping the Silver Support scheme. The new initiative, which was announced at last year's National Day Rally, will see the Government pay an annual bonus to low-income elderly Singaporeans from age 65 to help them cope with their living expenses.
"Providing assurances in retirement for our seniors is a very important priority - not just for today’s generation of seniors but those in future as well. It is a strengthening of our social security system," said Mr Tharman.
Besides retirement adequacy, Mr Tharman said what is equally important is ensuring that young and middle-aged Singaporeans have fulfilling careers: "We have always got to look to the future - anticipate the challenges, prepare our people and equip them with the capabilities and the expertise that they need to do well, individually as well as collectively as Singapore.
"When we talk about good careers, it is not just about those who are today in school or in our tertiary institutions and about to start their careers. It is also about our mid-career Singaporeans."
The finance minister emphasised that the budget initiatives will not stand on its own. He said it is a continuation of what the government has been doing in the past, especially the last five years.
Mr Tharman said steps have been taken that are significantly transforming Singapore's social and economic landscape, such as strengthening affordability in healthcare and housing for the lower and middle-income groups.
He said that this year's budget, which comes along with Singapore's 50th anniversary, will address both the needs of today and tomorrow. Mr Tharman will deliver Singapore's Budget for 2015 in Parliament on Feb 23."
Some say this will be the General Election Budget (GE Budget). A budget to 'please the voters' without, hopefully, breaking the promise of NO Pork Barrel politics by the ruling party all these years though some said they had already tried to practice that with the Potong Parsi Single Member Constituency years ago without success!
Lessons for me are:
1. the focus on raising the social spending to take care of healthcare and housing SHOULD had been taken earlier by the ruling party instead of, despite their furious and gallant efforts to catch up, been perceived to be reacting to 'pressure by the voters from the last GE'! An opportunity missed indeed;
2. giving annual bonus to the needy elderlies are great but hopefully we DON'T have too many needy elderlies especially those NOT in the pioneers group (say 60-65 years old) as they had done well under the most glorious growth period of Singapore when the nation leaped from a 3rd world nation to 1st world nation materially. If not, something is terribly wrong with the creation of wealth and the distribution of the same!;
3. for those below 60 years old, hopefully they have done well and that they have also LEARNED well on how to live, eat and exercise healthily - physically, mentally, and perhaps also spiritually. That they WILL NOT be dependent on the government's social safety net too much!
Hope that something will be done on how to encourage building of endearing values like: hard and smart work, beware of instant gratification and fight it, you can do well and good without being overpaid, harmony with mutual respect for the people you live/study/work with, etc.
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