1. "Dr M slams Najib on 'broken promise - 'The Star/Asia News Network Apr 13, 2015
PETALING JAYA - Former premier Mahathir Mohamad has unleashed another scathing attack against Najib Razak, saying that the Malaysian Prime Minister broke his promise to build a crooked bridge between Johor Baru and Singapore.
In a four-part interview uploaded on the Din Turtle blog two days after Mr Najib's television interview, Dr Mahathir responded that the Prime Minister had supported the project when he took over office from Abdullah Badawi.
"He was my hope after Pak Lah (Abdullah) resigned. He said he would build the bridge when he became the prime minister even if Singapore opposes to it. But he didn't," claimed Dr Mahathir.
Dr Mahathir said he was unhappy when Mr Najib broke his promise and appeared to "kowtow" to Singapore for not proceeding with the project. "If Singapore does not agree to this, it is not my fault. It is our sovereign right, it is in our own territorial area, territorial waters. Half of that Causeway belongs to us. I'm not touching Singapore's side."
Just as Singapore continues to mourn the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, potentially tricky relationship between one of our closest neighbours, Malaysia, can be played up by rivalries among the politicians there.
Let's hope the younger leaders can deal with Dr M, the surviving old guard who simply cannot let go that he is slightly second best to Mr Lee! Just kidding. One should never taunt a good neighbour's political leader, albeit ex-political leader!
2. "Some who employ foreign workers still demand kickbacks - The Straits Times Apr 13, 2015
THE practice has been outlawed and many have been caught, but some employers here are still collecting kickbacks from foreign workers, said migrant worker groups, employment agencies and workers.
These extortions can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands, with some employers demanding upfront cash payments from workers to hire them, while others are forcing workers to pay when their work permits need to be renewed.
Worker groups said kickbacks take place across different industries, including the construction, marine and service sectors. Ms Debbie Fordyce, executive committee member of workers' rights group Transient Workers Count Too, said some workers pay as much as $10,000 just for a chance to work here. "Why should it cost that much? That is the question. We don't know where the money is going, and it's really hard to prove," she said.
Mr David Leong, managing director of recruitment firm PeopleWorldwide, agreed, saying "the pervasiveness of this practice is actually quite deep"."
Well. We may be 1st world nation but some of our employers are definitely NOT showing a 1st world behaviours toward their foreign employees! It is a shameful phenomenon and one I COULD NOT understand HOW it can even happened in squeaky clean and incorruptible Singapore!
It is ALSO a puzzle to me WHY would the foreign workers PAY SO MUCH, much more than what they could earn while in Singapore officially, unless their are making A LOT MORE MONEY unofficially, during their 'normal terms of stay'!!
Do we have a BIG illegal and overstaying foreign workers population? I HOPE NOT! The terrible example of a million overstaying Indonesian workers in Malaysia a few years back allegedly was the reason for the sudden increase in criminal cases, some fatal! Singapore has ONLY, really, laws and orders going for it now that the strongest of the national leaders, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, had just left us!! We CANNOT allow nor should we EVER TOLERATE breakdown in laws and orders.
If 'employers from hell' is one of the many root causes that pushed the 'displaced' foreign workers, or worst 'bitterly suppressed' foreign workers to commit violent crimes to exact their 'revenge' on innocent citizens, THAT would be a national disaster!!
If item 1 and 2 happened at the SAME TIME, will we be able to deal with the external unfriendliness and the internal breakdown of laws and orders by bitterly disgruntled foreign workers??
Beware. Be prepared!!
PETALING JAYA - Former premier Mahathir Mohamad has unleashed another scathing attack against Najib Razak, saying that the Malaysian Prime Minister broke his promise to build a crooked bridge between Johor Baru and Singapore.
In a four-part interview uploaded on the Din Turtle blog two days after Mr Najib's television interview, Dr Mahathir responded that the Prime Minister had supported the project when he took over office from Abdullah Badawi.
"He was my hope after Pak Lah (Abdullah) resigned. He said he would build the bridge when he became the prime minister even if Singapore opposes to it. But he didn't," claimed Dr Mahathir.
Dr Mahathir said he was unhappy when Mr Najib broke his promise and appeared to "kowtow" to Singapore for not proceeding with the project. "If Singapore does not agree to this, it is not my fault. It is our sovereign right, it is in our own territorial area, territorial waters. Half of that Causeway belongs to us. I'm not touching Singapore's side."
Just as Singapore continues to mourn the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, potentially tricky relationship between one of our closest neighbours, Malaysia, can be played up by rivalries among the politicians there.
Let's hope the younger leaders can deal with Dr M, the surviving old guard who simply cannot let go that he is slightly second best to Mr Lee! Just kidding. One should never taunt a good neighbour's political leader, albeit ex-political leader!
2. "Some who employ foreign workers still demand kickbacks - The Straits Times Apr 13, 2015
THE practice has been outlawed and many have been caught, but some employers here are still collecting kickbacks from foreign workers, said migrant worker groups, employment agencies and workers.
These extortions can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands, with some employers demanding upfront cash payments from workers to hire them, while others are forcing workers to pay when their work permits need to be renewed.
Worker groups said kickbacks take place across different industries, including the construction, marine and service sectors. Ms Debbie Fordyce, executive committee member of workers' rights group Transient Workers Count Too, said some workers pay as much as $10,000 just for a chance to work here. "Why should it cost that much? That is the question. We don't know where the money is going, and it's really hard to prove," she said.
Mr David Leong, managing director of recruitment firm PeopleWorldwide, agreed, saying "the pervasiveness of this practice is actually quite deep"."
Well. We may be 1st world nation but some of our employers are definitely NOT showing a 1st world behaviours toward their foreign employees! It is a shameful phenomenon and one I COULD NOT understand HOW it can even happened in squeaky clean and incorruptible Singapore!
It is ALSO a puzzle to me WHY would the foreign workers PAY SO MUCH, much more than what they could earn while in Singapore officially, unless their are making A LOT MORE MONEY unofficially, during their 'normal terms of stay'!!
Do we have a BIG illegal and overstaying foreign workers population? I HOPE NOT! The terrible example of a million overstaying Indonesian workers in Malaysia a few years back allegedly was the reason for the sudden increase in criminal cases, some fatal! Singapore has ONLY, really, laws and orders going for it now that the strongest of the national leaders, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, had just left us!! We CANNOT allow nor should we EVER TOLERATE breakdown in laws and orders.
If 'employers from hell' is one of the many root causes that pushed the 'displaced' foreign workers, or worst 'bitterly suppressed' foreign workers to commit violent crimes to exact their 'revenge' on innocent citizens, THAT would be a national disaster!!
If item 1 and 2 happened at the SAME TIME, will we be able to deal with the external unfriendliness and the internal breakdown of laws and orders by bitterly disgruntled foreign workers??
Beware. Be prepared!!
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