Made In Singapore's local spotlight

TODAYonlineMade In Singapore's local spotlightTODAYonlineMade In Singapore's local spotlight. Dick Lee's first drama Rising Son, the first in his Family Trilogy, will be staged under the Singapore Repertory Theatre's Made In Singapore series. Photo: SRT. Dick Lee (below) tries his hand at writing drama with ...

Haze over Riau could hit Singapore soon, says Indonesia official

IN JAKARTA - The haze over Riau could hit Singapore soon as wind speeds change, the head of the local weather station said on Friday.

'Wind movement that was previously from the north and east to the south has begun to reverse, so there's a chance the haze could reach Singapore,' said Mr Sugarin, head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) station in Pekanbaru.

But its impact on Singapore was not likely to be severe, he told a coordinating meeting of the task force tackling the haze at the city's airbase, as satellites detected 395 hotspots in mainland Sumatra on Friday morning, 359 of them in Riau.

The Meteorological Service Singapore forecasted in an advisory on Friday night that prevailing northeasterly winds would keep the haze in Sumatra away from the Republic for the next few days. It added, however, that 'occasional slight haze' may occur 'under stable atmospheric conditions, particularly in the morning'.

Bitcoin ATMs open in Singapore

Singapore is now home to two of Asia's first bitcoin ATMs, which will allow users to feed in Singapore dollars and buy the virtual currency.

One made-in-Singapore ATM was launched yesterday at a bar called The Spiffy Dapper in Boat Quay, while another, imported from the British Virgin Islands, will be launched today at Citylink Mall.

The machines aim to make it easier for bitcoin buyers here, who up to now have had to wire money to a foreign exchange to buy bitcoins and wait at least a day for the transaction to be completed.

The Singapore ATMs are believed to be among the world's first in operation for bitcoins, following similar machines in Canada and the United States. Many more ATMs are planned this year, including in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and London.

How do Singapore's poor families get by?

Nurhaida Binte Jantan is making dinner. She is roasting otah-otah, a Malay dish of fish paste wrapped in banana leaves, over a portable stove.

She is a 29-year-old unemployed single mother with six children from five to 13 years old. She lives in a tiny flat, just 30 square metres, with little furnishing.

There is no dining table, so the children eat their otah-otah with rice and chillies crouched on the floor.

The children share the single bedroom - their only bedding is mattresses and thick blankets. Nurhaida sleeps on the sofa in the living room.

She receives weekly groceries from charities, as well as about S$600 ($474, £262) a month in government aid and money from a boyfriend. But she admits that it is difficult to make ends meet. She has not been able to afford asthma medicine for her second daughter for months.

'No one can afford to get sick in this house because our finances are too tight. It's quite tough and a struggle for me to be raising them up,' she said.

'I have to look after this house 24/7... so for me if I were to find a job, it would have to be a night job, so that once they are in bed, I can go out and the older kids can watch the young ones.'

What is surprising about Nurhaida's story is that she lives in Singapore, one of the wealthiest countries in the world. But it is also one of the most costly.

Singapore recently ranked as the world's sixth most expensive city according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, and its property market is among the top 10, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The city-state's efficient infrastructure, relative safety and low taxes have attracted many of the world's wealthy. It now boasts more millionaires per capita than any other country.

Its gross domestic output per individual is among the highest too, at over $51,000 (£30,600), outranking that of developed economies like Germany and even the US in some measures. But the wealth gap is the second-widest among advanced economies in Asia, next to Hong Kong.

So it comes as no surprise that the less well-off would struggle to pay for daily necessities. There is no minimum wage or poverty line set and no welfare provision along the lines of many developed Western economies.

It has become such a problem that anti-poverty campaigners are now posing a challenge - can you make ends meet on S$5 dollars a day?

'Change the narrative'

According to the campaigners, S$5 a day is what nearly 400,000 Singaporeans are left with after paying for utilities, school, rent, loan instalments and healthcare.

The people behind the challenge are Caritas Singapore, the social and community arm of the Catholic Church. They wanted to change the opinions of Singaporeans about the poor, said Tang Lay Lee, an advocate and social worker from the group.

'Mindsets will not change just with facts and figures about poverty. We want people to feel what it is like to be in the shoes of a person getting by on S$5 a day for food and transport,' she said.

The issue has been raised in parliament by Nominated MP Laurence Lien.

'Social researchers have estimated that 10 to 15% of households are low income. We do not see poverty in your face; it's not abject poverty around here,' he said.

'And that's why it's hard to understand, if you look at the infrastructure, it's beautiful but what happens behind closed doors is a different matter for most families.'

Mr Lien said that despite government efforts, the problem had got worse in the past decade because of globalisation and the influx of lower-cost foreign workers who have suppressed the wages of many blue-collar Singaporeans. It is meant that the income of the poorest 20% of Singaporeans had stagnated, he said.

But Mr Lien said that national identity was also a contributory factor.

'This society has been founded on the basis of meritocracy... if you have been successful, it's because of your own efforts, if you're not, it's your fault,' he said.

'But we need to change that narrative because people have got different opportunities and different conditions that could impede their ability to move out of that poverty trap.'

Welfare 'crutch'

The budget announced by Singapore's Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam last week aims to address some of these problems.

The stated aim of the budget, which will push the government into deficit this year and next, is to achieve a 'fair and equitable society'.

To do this, the government is offering kindergarten fee assistance to more households to help families like Nurhaida's, as well as transport subsidies to those with disabilities. But the lion's share of spending will go to the older generation.

Singapore is spending the equivalent of $7bn on lifelong healthcare subsidies for elderly citizens. Some 450,000 aged 65 and above will get medical benefits ranging from specialist care to medical insurance.

The city-state has one of the fastest ageing populations due to the low birth rate, and many of the elderly, dubbed the 'pioneer generation', are credited with the work that built today's modern, wealthy Singapore.

But despite the wealth, there is increasing discontent. The ruling People's Action Party, which has held power for more than half a century, suffered its worst election result in 2011. It has since lost two more by-elections, and some analysts say that they are now seeking to placate a more demanding electorate.

Financially, Singapore can afford a welfare state for those in need, said Eugene Tan, an associate professor of law at Singapore Management University who comments widely about local politics. But politically, welfare is unpopular, he said.

'It is seen as a path to economic irrelevance because it undermines the dignity of work in a society that abhors and just doesn't do welfare,' he said.

'It's an abiding fear of becoming enervated by a poor work ethos where welfare becomes a crutch.'

But he admits that Singapore has become more welfare-oriented than ever before, even if that welfare is strictly controlled.

'It's a social welfare state in-the-making, where the tight-fisted approach is now recognised to take away from nation building.'

But whether Singapore ever goes the way of many other developed economies by providing more welfare for families like Nurhaida's would be 'a tightrope walk', he said.

Malaysia, Singapore grapple with prolonged dry spell

By Laura Philomin and Stuart Grudgings

SINGAPORE/KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Singapore and Malaysia are grappling with some of the driest weather they have ever seen, forcing the tiny city-state to ramp up supplies of recycled water while its neighbor rations reserves amid disruptions to farming and fisheries.

Singapore, which experiences tropical downpours on most days, suffered its longest dry spell on record between January 13 and February 8 and has had little rain since.

Shares in Hyflux Ltd, which operates desalination and water recycling operations in Singapore, have risen 3.5 pct over the past month.

In peninsular Malaysia, 15 areas have not had rainfall in more than 20 days, with some of them dry for more than a month, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department. The dry weather is expected to run for another two weeks.

The Indonesian province of Riau has also been hit, with parts of the region wreathed in smog, usually caused by farmers setting fires to illegally clear land. Poor visibility has disrupted flights to and from the airport in Pekanbaru.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was due to discuss the drought at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that would decide whether to declare a national emergency, according to state news agency Bernama.

On Wednesday, media said the Malaysian state of Selangor had won approval from the federal government to take over four water firms, with the dry spell forcing an end to a five-year feud over control of water resources.

The state will pay the firms, which include builder Gamuda and water services company Puncak Niaga, 9.65 billion ringgit ($2.94 billion) to their owners in compensation.

While some dry weather is expected at this time of year, the abnormal lack of rain is raising concern about the pace of climate change.

'The concern is that these uncommon weather events may be happening more frequently sooner rather than later,' said National University of Singapore researcher Winston Chow.

PALM OIL PRICES HIT

Malaysia is the world's second-largest producer of palm oil and planters say dry weather lasting more than two months can hurt yields six months to two years down the line, affecting output and fuelling benchmark Kuala Lumpur prices.

Concern the weather will hurt production has helped push up palm oil prices about 8 percent in February, setting the market on track for its biggest monthly gain in four months.

The lack of rain is also believed to have caused extensive damage to the rice crop.

In Singapore, the dry weather is being blamed in part for the death of fish stocks at several offshore farms. About 160 tons of fish have died in recent weeks because of a lack of oxygen in the water.

The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department said it had got more than 7,000 calls about forest and bush fires nationwide since early February, five times more than usual.

Selangor, Malaysia's richest and most industrialized state, began limited water rationing on Tuesday as levels in its dams plunged to critical lows.

'We pledge that every consumer will receive water, but it will be rationed to ensure supply every two days,' Bernama quoted state chief minister Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as saying.

'In a week, consumers will receive water for four days.'

The state of Negeri Sembilan, near Kuala Lumpur, declared a 'state of crisis' over the water shortage last week.

In Singapore, the Public Utilities Board has boosted the supply of recycled water, known as NEWater, and desalinated supplies, to keep up reservoir levels.

Singapore's national security concerns mean it has developed into one of the world leaders in water technology as it tries to cut reliance on imported supplies from Malaysia.

About 55 percent of Singapore's water is now desalinated or recycled, in line with an aim to be self-sufficient by 2061, when a 1962 agreement to buy 250 million gallons per day from Malaysia ends, according to the board.

The deal lets Singapore buy the Malaysian water at 0.03 ringgit ($0.01) per 1,000 gallons, and sell back treated water for 0.50 ringgit per 1,000 gallons.

Some experts say while Singapore is coping well with the dry spell, it needs to diversify its water supplies further.

'The expectation of the large increase of NEWater and desalination water may not be practical due to their much higher cost than imported water and catchment water,' said Pat Yeh, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at National University of Singapore.

Johor, the Malaysian state that borders Singapore, has been urging an early re-negotiation of the water deal, saying it is too advantageous to the city-state.

'The talks should begin immediately,' Hasni Mohammad, chairman of a public works panel, told Bernama in a recent interview. 'We have long been in a losing position.'

(Additional reporting by Niluksi Koswanage; Writing by Rachel Armstrong; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Robert Birsel)

Qantas cuts 5000 jobs, ends Perth

SYDNEY (AFP) - Struggling Australian carrier Qantas on Thursday said it will take measures including cutting 5,000 jobs and ending its Perth-Singapore route in a major shake-up after a first-half net loss of A$235 million (S$267 million), warning of more pain ahead.

The airline, battling record fuel costs and fierce competition from subsidised rivals, is working to slash costs by A$2 billion over three years as it faces some of its toughest ever conditions.

The carrier's underlying loss before tax in the six months to December 31 - the airline's preferred measure of financial performance - came in at A$252 million, a figure chief executive Alan Joyce called 'unacceptable and unsustainable'.

'Hard decisions will be necessary to overcome the challenges we face and build a stronger business,' said Mr Joyce, who will take a 36 per cent wage cut.

Singapore and Malaysia hit by extreme dry spell

A port is covered with thick haze in Port Klang, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014. Photograph: Lai Seng Sin/AP

Singapore and Malaysia are grappling with some of the driest weather they have ever seen, forcing the tiny city-state to ramp up supplies of recycled water while its neighbour rations reserves amid disruptions to farming and fisheries.

Singapore, which experiences tropical downpours on most days, suffered its longest dry spell on record between Jan 13 and Feb 8 and has had little rain since.

Shares in Hyflux Ltd, which operates desalination and water recycling operations there, have risen 3.5% over the past month.

In peninsular Malaysia, 15 areas have not had rainfall in more than 20 days, with some of them dry for more than a month, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

The dry spell in the Southeast Asian neighbours is expected to run for another two weeks, forecasters say.

The Indonesian province of Riau has also been hit, with part of the region wreathed in smog, usually caused by farmers setting fires to illegally clear land. Poor visibility has disrupted flights to and from the airport in Pekanbaru.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak was due to discuss the drought at a regular cabinet meeting on Wednesday that would decide whether to declare a national emergency, according to state news agency Bernama.

While some dry weather is expected at this time of year, the abnormal lack of rain is raising concerns about the pace of climate change in the region.

'The concern is that these uncommon weather events may be happening more frequently sooner rather than later,' said National University of Singapore weather researcher Winston Chow.

Malaysia is the world's second-largest producer of palm oil and planters say dry weather lasting more than two months can hurt yields six months to two years down the line, affecting output and fuelling benchmark Kuala Lumpur prices.

Concerns that dry weather will hurt production have helped push up palm oil prices about 8% in February, setting the market on track for its biggest monthly gain in four months.

The lack of rain is also believed to have caused extensive damage to the rice crop.

In Singapore the dry weather is being blamed in part for the mass death of fish stocks at several offshore farms. Around 160 tonnes of fish have died in recent weeks because of a lack of oxygen in the water.

The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) said it had received more than 7,000 calls involving forest and bush fires nationwide since the beginning of February, due to the hot weather, five times higher than in the same period last year.

Selangor, Malaysia's richest and most industrialized state, began limited water rationing on Tuesday as levels in its dams plunged to critical lows.

'We pledge that every consumer will receive water, but it will be rationed to ensure supply every two days,' Bernama quoted state chief minister Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as saying.

'In a week, consumers will receive water for four days.'

The state of Negeri Sembilan near the capital, Kuala Lumpur, declared a 'state of crisis' last week as water in its dams fell to critical levels.

In Singapore, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) has boosted the supply of recycled water, known as NEWater, and desalinated supplies, in order to keep up reservoir levels.

Singapore's national security concerns mean it has developed into one of the world leaders in water technology as it tries to cut reliance on imported supplies from Malaysia.

Around 55% of Singapore's water is now desalinated or recycled, in line with an aim to be self-sufficient by 2061, when a 1962 agreement to buy 250 million gallons per day from Malaysia ends, according to the PUB.

The deal lets Singapore buy 250 million gallons of water a day from Malaysia at 0.03 ringgit ($0.01) per 1,000 gallons, and sell back treated water for 0.50 ringgit per 1,000 gallons.

Johor, the southern Malaysian state that borders Singapore, has been urging an early re-negotiation, saying the deal is too advantageous to the city-state.

'The talks should begin immediately,' Hasni Mohammad, chairman of a state public works panel, told Bernama in an interview on 18 February.

'We have long been in a losing position when we sell raw water to Singapore at three sen (for 1,000 gallons),' he said, adding that the price of treated water was too high.

Bad Singapore driving habit shamed in video

Billionaire Jack Ma, the founder and ex-CEO of Alibaba Group, as well as one of the most successful Chinese Internet entrepreneurs, shares his wealth of experiences. Jack Ma: The mistake I regretted the most In 2001, I made a mistake. I told 18 of my fellow comrades whom embarked on the entrepreneurship journey with me that the highest positions they could go was a managerial role. To fill all our Vice President and Senior Executive positions, we would have to hire from external parties. Years later, those I hired were gone, but those whom I doubted their abilities became Vice Presidents or Directors. I believe in two principles: Your attitude is more important than your capabilities. Similarly, your decision is more important than your capabilities! Jack Ma: You cannot unify everyone's thoughts, but you can unify everyone through a common goal. Don't even trust that you are able to unify what everyone is thinking; it is impossible. 30% of all people will never believe you. Do not allow your colleagues and employees to work for you. Instead, let them work for a common goal. It is a lot easier to unite the company under a common goal rather than uniting ... The post Billionaire Jack Ma teaches you how to be successful in life and business appeared first on Vulcan Post.

Singapore's Cathay Returns to Production With 'Sister Mambo'

HONG KONG - Cathay, one of the great old names of Chinese-language film-making is to return to production for the first time in 15 years.

As a one-off venture to celebrate its 80th year of operation, the Singapore-based Cathay Organisation will produce romantic comedy 'Our Sister Mambo,' a tribute to the iconic Cathay and Motion Picture & General Investment movies of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

'Our Sister Mambo' will be directed by Ho Wi Ding ('Pinoy Sunday',) from a screenplay by Michael Chiang. Cathay Organisation's executive director Choo Meileen will produce, with Lim Suat Yen and Lee Soon Gee set as co-producers.

The film will star Singaporean favorites Moses Lim and Michelle Chong as a father-daughter pair. Well-known stage Singapore actress and comedienne Siti Khalijah Zainal, and jazz vocalist Rani Singam will also make their feature film debuts. Other cast include Muhammad Mahfuz Mazlan, Nelson Chia and Shankara Ebi, and actresses Audrey Luo and Judee Tan.

The story leans heavily on 1957 Cathay picture 'Our Sister Hedy' (pictured) about a middle-class family with four unmarried daughters, and borrows elements from ethnic drama 1961 'The Greatest Civil War on Earth.' Chiang's screenplay revolves around the Wong household where the father acts as the glue that holds everyone together while Mambo, the protagonist and third daughter, tries to get her other sisters hitched.

Delivery is set for July 2015. The film will be presented in English with elements of Mandarin, Cantonese, Malay and Tamil. Cinematographer is Ho Yoke Weng.

After its production heyday some 50 years ago, Cathay these days is predominantly involved in exhibition, distribution and property development. Its Cathay Asia Films unit has produced six film including Army Daze: The Movie (1996), the first locally-made English-language film to gross more than $1 million at the Singapore box office, and That One No Enough, the feature debut of Singapore's most successful director Jack Neo.

'As a gesture of goodwill to the Singapore society who have grown up with Cathay over the years, we will donate all profits made from the film, after recoupment of production costs, to charities adopted by Cathay Organisation,' said Choo. Budget is undisclosed.

The film is a Cathay Asia Films production in association with Oak3 Films, a Singapore-based production fund.

Trans

An ambitious 12-nation free trade plan, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), has hit a new roadblock after four days of negotiations in Singapore.

Sticking points over market access and differences over tariffs on imported goods were the main reasons cited.

TPP members were also aiming to set a common trading standard on a range of issues, including labour regulation and environmental protection.

Negotiators were initially hopeful that a draft deal would be ready in April.

That is when US President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit the region.

A TPP deal at that time would solidify the US pivot to Asia.

TPP: Nations currently negotiating

Some analysts had suggested the US might be trying to use the TPP as a means to undermine China's growing economic power in the region.

But differences on the issues of tariffs on imported goods, particularly between the US and Japan, are becoming difficult to overcome.

Agricultural tariffs have become a bone of contention for Japan, which is trying to protect its rice, wheat, beef and pork as well as dairy and sugar from outside competition.

Meanwhile, other TPP members with a fairly large agricultural sector available for export, are pushing for the elimination of all tariffs.

Twelve countries are involved in the TPP talks: Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the US and Vietnam.

Singapore experiencing record dry spell

The nearly month-long dry spell from Jan 13 to Feb 8 has gone down in history as the country's worst since extensive data recording began five decades ago, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).

Barely any rain fell in Singapore for those 27 consecutive days, comfortably dwarfing the previous record, an 18-day dry spell in 2008.

Though brief showers on Feb 8 and Feb 9 ended the dearth and brought respite to parched parks and gardens islandwide, the lack of rain has persisted. Apart from again short-lived showers in western Singapore on Feb 16, the island has seen no rain since.

The dry weather is 'likely to persist into the first half of March', the NEA predicted, which could set another record.

Mermaid Marine to buy Singapore's Jaya for $550m

Marine services provider Mermaid Marine plans to buy Singapore-based competitor Jaya for $550 million.

The offshore oil and gas services company entered a trading halt on Tuesday morning pending the announcement.

It will fund the deal through a $317 million equity raising, borrowing the balance through NAB and ANZ.

The company said Jaya was an established offshore oil and gas services providers with a fleet of 27 vessels and two shipyards in Singapore and Indonesia.

The takeover agreement comes as Mermaid Marine's net profit for the six months to December 31 slumped 25.5 per cent to $24.2 million.

Company chairman Tony Howarth said several key projects starting later than expected, while some including three major liquefied natural gas projects - Shell's Prelude, Inpex's Ichthys and Chevron's Wheatsone - yet to begin.

Mermaid Marine managing director Jeffrey Weber said the Jaya deal, which is subjected to shareholder approval at a meeting scheduled for April, would deliver deliver immediate scale in international markets.

''This acquisition provides increased geographic diversification for our vessel operations through the addition of a complementary vessel fleet which already has operations in markets across south east Asia and the middle east,'' Mr Weber said.''Ownership of two shipyards located in Asia will allow us to combine Mermaid Marine's existing marine technical expertise with [offshore engineering services] technical shipbuilding capability.''

Shareholder activist Stephen Mayne supported the deal on social media. ''Big deal for Mermaid Marine and Australia for that matter. As the world's biggest island we've been hopeless at shipping,'' Mr Mayne posted on Twitter.''Australia should be a global powerhouse in shipping the MUA [Maritime Union of Australia] has a lot to answer for. Well done to Mermaid Marine, '' he wrote in another post.''

The equity raising will be structures as a seven to 18 underwritten pro rata accelerated renounceable entitlement offer, priced at $2.40 a share.

Mermaid Marine's shares, which are yet to emerge from the trading halt, sank 3.1 per cent on Monday to $2.81.

$35000 raised for needy students in Singapore and Cambodia

SINGAPORE - Fund-raising event Project Happy Feet Slipper Race raised $35,000 last Saturday for needy children in Singapore and Cambodia.

About 1,000 participants turned up for the event, which is into its fourth consecutive year.

Eighty per cent of the money raised this year will go to students under the Lower Secondary School Development Programme of the Special Education Financial Assistance Scheme by Community Chest of Singapore.

The remainder will be donated to students supported by Siem Reap-based This Life Cambodia.

Last Sunday's event was the race's inaugural Total Defence edition, in support of Singapore's Total Defence 30th anniversary.

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Singapore Budget 2014: Plenty of goodies, but implementation is key, say ...

This year's Budget brings welcome relief for elderly Singaporeans, workers and companies alike, but the devil will be in the details.

Panellists at The Straits Times Budget Roundtable last Saturday said careful implementation will be important to make sure the benefits get to individuals and businesses in need, as some may not know how to access them.

The Pioneer Generation Package and measures to help with health-care costs in particular were welcomed, as these will lessen cost pressures on individual families and help strengthen inter-generational bonds, said Tsao Foundation chairman Mary Ann Tsao and Member of Parliament Lily Neo.

UOB's head of economic-treasury research and investor relations Jimmy Koh added that Budget 2014 continues the Government's recent trend of giving more help to older and lower-income Singaporeans, while health-care consultant Jeremy Lim of Oliver Wyman said the new initiatives should nudge society towards taking better care of each other.

However, some of the announced moves will put more pressure on local companies struggling with rising costs and they could do with more help, said Singapore Business Federation chief executive Ho Meng Kit and KPMG tax partner Gan Kwee Lian.

Tata

Singapore Airlines has not given its name to associate airlines. For instance, its regional airline is named SilkAir and its low-fare unit is called Tiger Airways. Photo: Reuters

Mumbai: Tata Sons Ltd and Singapore Airlines Ltd's (SIA) joint venture has asked advertising agencies to create a catchy new brand name that will reflect the freshness of the proposed full-service airline instead of using the established and trusted Tata or Singapore Airlines brands.

The proposed airline, which is awaiting final clearances from the government, has approached two advertising agencies to suggest a new brand name ahead of its launch, according to two people close to the development who declined to be named.

In September, Tata Sons (51%), the holding company of the Tata group, and Singapore Airlines (49%) teamed up for a third time to start an airline after their plans were thwarted twice before. In December, the venture applied for a no-objection certificate from the aviation ministry and is working towards starting the airline by the start of the next financial year, although experts anticipate delays because of regulatory red tape and a national election that is due by May.

Spokespersons for Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines declined to comment on the development.

The new name will not bear the names of the two partners, but will reflect freshness and connect to Indian flyers, said one of the people cited above.

'Tata-SIA has asked (two advertising agencies) to explore a different and fresh name,' said the second person cited above. 'Nothing has been finalized about naming the airline.' The branding will happen only after achieving certain milestones including receiving clearances from the government, he added.

The Tata-Singapore Airlines venture has opted to operate A320 planes and plans to lease 20 such planes.

On the face of it, it is foolish not to leverage the brand of Tata or Singapore Airlines, according to Ramesh Jude Thomas, president and chief knowledge officer at Equitor Management Consulting (Pvt.) Ltd, a brand value management firm. However, he added that the companies may want to avoid complications linked to owning a brand at a later stage.

'By opting for a new name, they may be aiming at two things. Firstly, to avoid too much attention. Secondly, they want to offer a fresh service with no brand baggage. But they would be offering back-end capabilities of both groups,' Thomas said.

To be sure, Tata Sons had named its original airline venture Tata Air Lines, till it was converted into the national carrier. On 29 July 1946, Tata Air Lines was renamed Ltd, and later in August 1953 it was nationalized with as its chairman.

On the other hand, Singapore Airlines has not given its name to associate airlines. For instance, its regional airline is named SilkAir (Singapore) Pte Ltd and low-fare unit is named Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd, in which Singapore Airlines has a 40% stake. Both these airlines fly to India already. Singapore Airlines's ultra-low fare airline is named Scoot Pte. Ltd. Scoot also plans to fly to India.

In an interview to Tata Review, the Tata group's internal publication, Mukund Rajan, a member of the group executive council and brand custodian of Tata Sons, said: 'Early flag bearers who had the Tata name were allowed to continue using it; second-generation companies leverage the parent's name; third-generation companies present their names in a certain manner; and new companies may or may not be given the benefit of using the Tata name.'

Rajan told Tata Review that his group is revisiting its brand equity and business promotion document to discuss issues of using the Tata name. 'For example, it has been suggested to us that by not allowing new businesses to use the Tata name, we deny them the opportunity to take advantage of our brand equity,' Rajan said in January.

'In an ideal situation, a brand name must reflect or give a flavour of the core belief or philosophy of the brand. For example, is the Greek goddess of victory and Nike is all about winning. Or (cab company) is the unshakeable mountain and Meru is all about dependability,' said Kiran Khalap, co-founder, Chlorophyll Brand and Communications Consultancy Pvt. Ltd.

But this consideration can be overridden by multiple factors.

'An established family name like Tata, trusted since 1868, may have greater cache. Singapore, a brand name that connotes quality, may have greater resonance. The third alternative could be a brand name that connotes a philosophy and is backed by the established names, for example, or ,' Khalap said.

He added that since the Tata brand name has no strong associations with design, these brands were created as stand-alone brands.

'But the buying of gold needs trust, so it is their endorsement by Tata that provides the trustworthiness,' he said. 'So maybe that's the strategy they are following for the airline.'

Singapore Budget 2014 measures 'debunk view that health

Specifically for the pioneer generation members - those aged 65 and above this year and who became citizens before 1987 - they will receive more subsidies on outpatient care to help especially with treatment for chronic illnesses, Medisave top-ups and MediShield Life subsidies.

Honouring our Pioneer Generation Get the full story from The Straits Times.

Here are the excerpts from the Budget Speech by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in Parliament on health care reviews for the Pioneer Generation:

Criteria for the Pioneer Generation

Taken together, the review of MediShield Life - including the subsidies we will provide for Singaporeans - as well as our enhanced SOC subsidies, are significant improvements in healthcare accessibility and affordability. These are changes that we will sustain for the long term for all Singaporeans.

Let me move on now to the Pioneer Generation Package which provides a special package of support on top of these enhancements.

As the Prime Minister has announced, the Pioneer Generation Package will be for the first generation of Singaporeans who were living and working in Singapore after we became independent.

The Pioneer Generation Package will thus be for those who were at least 16 years old in 1965. Within these age cohorts, we have - for practical reasons - included those who became citizens before 1987.

This is because our manual records before that are incomplete with regard to the dates they became citizens. However, we know that more than 90 per cent of those who became citizens by 1987 were already living in Singapore before 1970.

In total, about 450,000 Singaporeans fulfil the criteria. There may be people who marginally miss out on the precise criteria, but have good claims to be counted among the Pioneer Generation. We will hence establish a panel to assess appeals on a case-by-case basis.

Academic freedom in Singapore?

By Jess C Scott / Photo: Yale-NUS College

According to AAC&U, academic freedom also allows for those working within a scholarly community to 'develop the intellectual and personal qualities required of citizens in a vibrant democracy and participants in a vigorous economy.'

Students and professors need the freedom to share their ideas publicly and responsibly, so as to develop critical judgement by exploring a wide range of insights and perspectives.

Do academics in Singapore have a safe environment to express their own views?

Here is a brief look at some of the academics who 'expressed their views' about the Singapore government.

1. Rey Buono

Rey Buono taught in Singapore for nine years between 1987 and 1996. He was hired by the MOE to establish the first Theatre Program in the Singapore educational system.

In 1994, he wrote an article criticizing the architecture of the proposed Esplanade building. He said:

'The subtext of the article was the rigidity of the PAP government and the oppression of local artists. This was enough to result in the non-renewal of my contract. Later, I found out that my phone was tapped, I was followed by police, and the Ministry had in its files detailed information about what went on in my classroom.'

2. Cherian George

Dr. Cherian George is a writer and academic engaged in journalism research, education and advocacy.

In September 2012, he delivered a talk at Singapore Management University about the restriction of the press, government accountability, and the co-existence of online journalism and traditional media in Singapore.

In 2013, Dr. George's second application for tenure at NTU was rejected. Despite petitions and an international outcry, NTU has maintained the stance to deny him tenure. Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, a Cardiff University professor, said the news suggested that anyone ' critical of the government ' was not going to get a permanent government position.

3. Christopher Lingle

Dr. Christopher Lingle began research for his book, Singapore's Authoritarian Capitalism, during his fellowship at the National University of Singapore.

Work on the book was disrupted when police questioned Dr. Lingle about an opinion piece published in The International Herald Tribune, where he had written that some East Asian governments relied on a 'compliant judiciary to bankrupt opposition politicians.'

Although Lingle's published comments did not name any country or individuals, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew insisted it was clear Dr. Lingle was referring to Singapore.

The paper agreed to pay $214,285 to Mr. LKY, who asserted that he had been defamed.

4. Chee Soon Juan

Dr. Chee Soon Juan is the well-known leader of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).

In 1993, Dr. Chee was fired from his position at the National University of Singapore for allegedly using research funds to mail his wife's doctoral thesis to the United States. Dr. Chee denied misuse of the funds and staged a hunger strike in protest.

5. James Gomez

Dr. James Gomez is a politician and academic from Singapore. His first book was written in 1999 and titled, Self-Censorship: Singapore's Shame.

In 2006, Dr. Gomez wrongly accused a staff at the Election Department for misplacing his minority certificate which he promptly apologized for. However, a police report was made against him and the police acted to investigate him for 'criminal intimidation'.

The incident was played up by the local mainstream media. Mr. Lee Kuan Yew seized the opportunity to call Dr. Gomez 'a liar' and a ' bad egg.'

6. Tey Tsun Hang

Tey Tsun Hang was an NUS law professor, former district judge, and seat counsel in the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Prof. Tey has been critical of Singapore's legal system, as evident in his publications such as Death Penalty Singapore-Style: Clinical and Carefree.

In 2011, Hong Kong University Press published his book, Legal Consensus. The blurb states that the book 'hints at the power relations and dynamics between the political establishment and the Singapore judiciary.'

In April 2012, Prof. Tey was arrested by the CPIB for investigation on charges of corruptly gaining favours from students. A year later, Prof. Tey was found guilty of corruptly obtaining gifts and sex from former student Darinne Ko, and sentenced to five months' jail in June.

Darinne Ko said that she had been pressured into agreeing with CPIB on her witness statement after being told by Mr Teng that she could also be charged for corruption.

__________

As Ray Buono wrote:

'I am not the only lecturer to have this happen. I can name two of my contemporaries (and there are many more). . .who were expelled for political reasons.'

One has to wonder how 'many more' academics have been treated in a similar manner - and how much of a factor this is in contributing to the steady brain drain whereby many of Singapore's best and brightest leave for a better life elsewhere.

Singapore Budget 2014: More support for companies to raise funds

Singapore companies struggling to raise capital for expansion will get more help from the Government.

To spur private investment in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the Government is offering another $150 million in a co-investment scheme that has already catalysed $500 million worth of private funding for local firms.

The Co-Investment Programme (CIP) was launched in 2010 and has already dispensed $160 million, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in Parliament on Friday.

Announcing an additional $150 million of capital for this programme, he said that the amount would be allocated to two funds.

One will make direct equity investments in companies alongside other private equity investors, and the other will meet the demand from SMEs for 'mezzanine funding', which is a hybrid debt-equity system.

In addition, Mr Tharman said that the Government would take on more of the risk in its micro-loan programme, which is aimed at helping young SMEs raise capital.

Spring Singapore, the Government's agency for SMEs, will raise the government risk share from 50 per cent to 70 per cent in the scheme. This is expected to catalyse an additional $32 million in loans for the next two years of assessment, he said.

Singapore Budget 2014: Relief for the elderly, CPF boost for all workers

Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam's Budget had good news for workers, students and especially the elderly.

The much-anticipated package for the Pioneer Generation was the centrepiece and it did not disappoint: Its three components will work to ensure that the 450,000 Singaporeans who were at least 16 years old in 1965 will receive help with health-care costs for the rest of their lives.

And all pioneers, regardless of income or wealth, will get the same package because the Government's objective is to honour the contributions of the whole generation, said Mr Tharman.

First, each pioneer will receive annual Medisave top-ups of $200 to $800 depending on their age group. They will also get a further 50 per cent off bills at specialist outpatient clinics and polyclinics and get eligibility to join the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), which subsidises private GP and dentist visits.

There will be cash assistance of $1,200 a year for pioneers who are disabled or immobile - or their nominated caregivers.

Finally, pioneers will pay a subsidised rate for the upcoming MediShield Life universal health insurance scheme. Their premiums will be offset by 40 to 60 per cent.

For those 80 and older, the Government intends to fully cover their MediShield Life premiums.

The Pioneer Package will be financed by a special $8-billion fund that will be ring-fenced so benefits will be paid out regardless of the finances of future governments.

But it was not just pioneers who received a boost for health-care costs. Mr Tharman announced a surprise 1 per cent increase in Central Provident Fund contributions from employers for all workers, which will go entirely into their Medisave accounts.

This will lift CPF contribution rates for workers up to 50 years old to 37 per cent, of which 17 per cent will come from employers and 20 per cent from workers.

These will be the last change to CPF rates for a while, Mr Tharman said. The Government will also spend about $300 million offsetting the rate increase in its first year to ease employers' transition.

Older workers aged 50 and above will also see their CPF contribution rates rise from January next year.

Lower- and middle-income Singaporeans will also receive permanent subsidies for MediShield Life premiums and higher offsets for their bills at specialist outpatient clinics.

In line with the social assistance bent of the last few Budgets, Mr Tharman expanded on or extended a range of subsidy schemes.

Singaporeans with disabilities will get greater subsidies for early intervention education programmes and transport costs, while students from lower- and middle-income families will see larger offsets for kindergarten and tertiary education fees.

Singapore's 'major, multi-year undertaking' to boost productivity and restructure its economy away from cheap foreign labour was a major feature of the speech as well.

The Productivity and Innovation Credit, which gives tax deductions and cash grants to firms that invest to raise their capabilities, was extended for three more years and its expenditure cap increased from $400,000 to $600,000 per area of spending.

The Government will also boost financing and bear more risk for smaller firms looking to get off the ground or expand overseas.

But the screws continue to tighten on companies that rely on cheap foreign labour.

The annual levy for a foreign construction worker with basic skills will rise in July 2016, while Mr Tharman cautioned that construction firms may eventually be required to have a minimum proportion of higher-skilled workers.

And in a unexpected move towards the end of his speech, Mr Tharman raised 'sin' taxes on alcohol, tobacco and lottery betting.

rchang@sph.com.sg

For more news and analysis on Singapore Budget 2014, click here for ST's Big Story coverage.

Budget 2014: Duties on alcohol, tobacco and gambling to rise

Straits TimesBudget 2014: Duties on alcohol, tobacco and gambling to riseStraits TimesThis will affect Singapore Pools but not private clubs as jackpot machine takings come under a different duty scheme. The hikes on cigarettes and tobacco will net the Government $70 million more a year. Liquor levies will add $120 million and betting ...

Inquiry begins into Singapore's 'worker' riot

Singapore - Two months after the death of a foreign construction worker under the wheels of a bus in Singapore's Little India district triggered a major riot, an official Committee of Inquiry has begun its investigation into the city's first outbreak of civil unrest in four decades.

At least 70 witnesses - including officials, police and foreign workers accused of involvement in the December 8 riot, in which vehicles were set alight and nearly 50 police officers injured - are expected to give evidence over the next four weeks.

The bus driver and his assistant, who were arrested initially on suspicion of causing death by a negligent act, but have already been cleared, are also expected to appear.

'The Attorney General's Chambers will be leading the evidence,' the government said in a statement.

On the first day of the hearing Wednesday, Senior State Counsel David Khoo presented an opening statement broadly explaining the evidence, which will cover the events surrounding the riot and some of the possible factors and circumstances that may have led to it.

Foreigners do not have an inherent legal right to work and stay in Singapore. Foreign workers must know that if they flout our rules, they do face repatriation.

- Teo Chee Hean , home affairs minister

The four-member committee convened amid tightened security in Little India, one of Singapore's most vibrant districts and popular not only with the foreign workers who gather there on their day off, but tourists and Singaporeans as well.

The area has been designated a special policing zone with increased patrols, more CCTV surveillance cameras, and restrictions on the sale of alcohol, which the government has said contributed to the rioting.

A new law that could come into force in March is expected to give police the power to search anyone they deem a risk to public order or suspect of carrying alcohol.

'Safety and security'

' Foreigners do not have an inherent legal right to work and stay in Singapore, ' Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean ' Foreign workers must know that if they flout our rules, they do face repatriation. We need to be strict about this to maintain the safety and security of our society. told parliament last month. '

Business student BJ Chia was at his post as a valet at a popular Little India restaurant on the night of the disturbance. Hearing the commotion, he ran across the road to see what was going on and videotape it.

' My mind just went blank, ' Chia told Al Jazeera on the ground floor of the public housing block, where he lives with his parents. ' I didn't think whether they might hurt me. I just felt I had to record it. I never thought I would see anything like this in Singapore. '

Chia says the crowd was extremely emotional and some of the men were in tears; their attention focussed on the rear left of the bus where fellow worker Sakthivel Kumaravelu was pinned underneath. But some were also violent. Chia's footage shows a group of men smashing the front windscreen of the bus, despite the desperate efforts of another man to stop them.

The student asked his girlfriend to upload what he'd shot to Facebook; one of scores who shared their material on social media networks that night. The next day, police officers visited his home, taking a statement and asking him not to distribute his footage.

The authorities also moved quickly against the workers.

Riot policemen watch burning vehicles in Little India [Reuters]

Teo told parliament in January that police interviewed about 4,000 workers in their dormitories or at their work sites in the two weeks after the riot.

Some 213 people were issued police cautions, but allowed to stay, 57 were given 'stern warnings', deported and banned from ever returning to Singapore, while the remaining 25 were charged in court. Two have been found guilty and given 15-week-jail terms for 'failing to disperse'.

'Kneejerk reaction'

Some Singaporeans worry the response has focused too much on security, noting the already-considerable legislation relating to public order and calling on the authorities to postpone the introduction of the new bill.

The new law ' proposes to give the Executive extensive powers, some of which are unprecedented in current legislation, and all of which are not subject to judicial oversight ', said activist Vincent Wijeysingha, one of five civil society activists calling on the government to consider the bill more carefully and slow its passage through parliament.

At Tuesday ' s reading, MPs from the Workers Party voiced their opposition to the bill, calling it a ' kneejerk reaction '.

Wijeysingha is also among those who hope the inquiry will look more closely into the daily lives of the hundreds of thousands of poorly paid workers in the city. Some take two years simply to repay the fee of the agent that recruited them.

Healthserve is a charity that provides medical assistance and operates drop-in centres for workers from India, China and Bangladesh.

' Urban life is very harsh, ' co-founder Tang Shin Yong told Al Jazeera. ' They (the workers) have to negotiate so many different things - language, culture, work, exploitation. It ' s a risk they take. '

Providing what Tang calls a, ' human touch, ' the group, made up of local volunteers, teaches the workers English and computer skills. The Bangladeshi men watch sport and drama on Youtube, catch up with news from home and share stories. Most have been in Singapore for around seven years, rarely having an opportunity to visit the wives and children they ' ve left back home. The centre has become their surrogate family.

Singaporeans don't want to do hard work. We depend on foreign workers. Without them we wouldn't have our MRT or our high-rise buildings.

- Irene Yeoh , liquor store owner

' I never did anything (before), ' said 32-year-old Akbar Ali, who ' s been in Singapore for six years but only started visiting the centre six months ago. ' I just sleep in my room. Now I can use the Internet, Facebook and find out what ' s going on in my country. We ' re all brothers and can take care of each other. '

Poor conditions

Some dormitory operators have started to introduce more activities and improve facilities for their workers. Westlite, which provides beds for 23,000 workers in four dormitories across the city state, says it wi ll spend 20 percent more on leisure activities and entertainment events for its residents in 2014. The government itself has set up two recreation centres.

Still, for many workers, home remains a stuffy room crammed with bunk beds. For others, it ' s a converted factory with 250 people on each floor and no cooking facilities.

Workers remain in Singapore only at their employer ' s discretion. Permits can be cancelled online, although workers do now have an opportunity to alert immigration to their plight at the point of departure, according to activists.

The inquiry ' s not due to file a report on its findings until June. It ' s not clear yet whether the document will be made public, but some Singaporeans say the riot should serve as an opportunity for the country to think more deeply about the way foreign workers are treated.

Irene Yeoh and her two brothers have operated a liquor store in Little India for 40 years. Boxes of beer are stacked at the back of the colonial shophouse around the corner from the scene of the riot. One wall is lined with shelves of vodka, whisky and liqueurs. Some of the bottles are so dusty they look like they ' ve been there as long as the shop.

Now, after selling a can of beer to a regular on the first day the new alcohol restrictions were introduced, the family ' s lost its licence to sell alcohol. Yeoh and her brothers are angry, but not with the workers, many of whom were their regular customers.

' Singaporeans don ' t want to do hard work, ' she said. ' We depend on foreign workers. Without them we wouldn ' t have our MRT or our high-rise buildings. '

As discontent grows, Singapore budget to tighten noose on the rich

Credit: Reuters/Edgar Su

People look at the skyline of the central business district from the Skybridge of The Pinnacles at Duxton public housing estate in Singapore April 25, 2013.

But as the orderly city-state comes within a whisper of overtaking Switzerland as the world's largest offshore wealth hub, a growing public backlash is forcing the government to tone down its policies catering to the rich.

The government's budget on Friday could raise levies on high-end cars and purchases of multiple properties, along with a possible widening of the top income-tax rate, say economists. It would build on measures announced last year that cooled Singapore's red-hot property market and targeted mostly rich homeowners.

With maximum income tax rates of 20 percent and no capital gains tax, Singapore has long been synonymous with affluence, boasting the world's highest concentration of millionaires. Daimler's Mercedes was the top selling car brand last year, followed by BMW, government data shows.

Businesses that service the wealthy say their clients fear the new policies could mark the start of a trend as the long-standing ruling party, under pressure since its worst-ever election showing in 2011, tries to ease the burden in a country where the average monthly wage is $3,705 ($2,315).

'There are a lot of people who don't know what's next,' said Juliet Poh, owner of SG Vehicles, which sells car brands Ferrari (FIA.MI), Rolls-Royce (BMWG.DE), Aston Martin and Lamborghini

Cars in Singapore are already expensive by most global standards owing to the cost of a government 10-year license that must be purchased with each new vehicle.

But in last year's budget, the government introduced a new tiered tax system targeting luxury cars. The first S$20,000 ($15,900) of a car's open market value is taxed at 100 percent, the next S$30,000 at 140 percent, and anything above S$50,000 at 180 percent. As a result, sales of luxury cars fell more than 80 percent in the second half of 2013, official data shows.

In measures partly aimed at buyers of multiple homes, the government also tightened property curbs last year, including a rise in stamp duties. Sales of private homes to the wealthiest 15 percent of the population have tumbled in the past few months.

'A lot of people are affected by the property curb. It is like an indirect curb on cars,' said Poh, whose dealership saw car sales drop around 50 percent in 2013.

'A lot of people can't buy-and-sell properties and do not make money. Thus, they don't have the cash flow to buy the cars.'

PUBLIC ANGER

Public anger at the rich-poor divide and new taxes aimed at the ultra rich has been bubbling in fiscally stretched large Western economies since the 2008 global financial crisis. The changes in Singapore illustrate how that is spreading to countries usually seen as low-tax enclaves for the wealthy.

Ten years ago Singapore courted the world's wealthy, offering permanent residency to people with personal assets of at least S$20 million, as long as they parked a certain amount here. That scheme was scrapped two years ago amid criticism over the number of wealthy immigrants. Switzerland is now seeing a similar debate.

Canada's government this month ended a program that effectively allowed rich Chinese nationals to buy permanent residency. Critics said it allowed wealthy foreigners to buy their way into the country without long-term benefits.

'All these very established cities for high net worth individuals are feeling the strain,' said Tan Choon Leng, head of the private wealth practice group at legal practice RHTLaw Taylor Wessing LLP in Singapore.

Singapore income inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient, is the biggest after Hong Kong among advanced economies, based on its 2012 reading of 0.478. The level eased in 2013 to 0.463, according to government figures.

'POOR PEOPLE'

The budget is likely to play well with an electorate increasingly hostile towards ostentatious displays of wealth, a mood that was highlighted last month when an expatriate wealth manager fled to Australia following uproar over his complaints on social media about 'poor people' riding public transport while his Porsche was in for repairs.

While average wages in Singapore rose last year by 6.5 percent, the wealth of Singapore's high net worth individuals raced ahead 11.5 percent, the 2013 World Wealth Report by Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management shows.

Wealthy foreign residents include Eduardo Saverin, the co-founder of Facebook, who has called Singapore home since 2009. Brazilian-born Saverin, who renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2011, was ranked 7th on a Singapore's rich list published by Forbes Magazine with an estimated net worth of $2.65 billion.

Locals who made fortunes in real estate, finance and trading figured prominently but the list also included New Zealand-born investor Richard Chandler with $2.8 billion, ranked 6, and China-born property developer Zhong Sheng Jian with $1.35 billion, ranked 16.

The changes follow pressure on the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to respond to signs of growing disquiet over the vision of the country set forth by the People's Action Party (PAP), which has ruled for five decades.

Founded by Lee Kuan Yew, father of the current prime minister, the PAP is credited with transforming Singapore from a colonial outpost in the 1960s into a global business centre. Part of that success is built on cheap foreign labor and a consumer class full of wealthy expatriates.

But stung in 2011 by its worst election showing in history, when 40 percent of voters went against the PAP, the government has become more open to seeking input from citizens and factoring their views into policymaking ahead of the next election in 2016.

'I would understand if the wealthy people might be angry, but this is for the future,' Khairul Adzmie, 39, a coffee shop manager, said of the new measures, echoing a comment heard in other areas of the island of 5.3 million people. 'With all these taxes, Singapore can build a better future with better financial security.'

($1=1.26 Singapore dollars)

(Reporting by Brian Leonal; Writing by Rachel Armstrong; Editing by Jason Szep and Neil Fullick)

Xiaomi Mi

Xiaomi created a Singapore MIUI theme to commemorate the launch of the Redmi in the country. (Credit: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi has started its global expansion outside of Greater China (China, Taiwan and Hong Kong), beginning in the city-state of Singapore. The company's midrange Redmi Android smartphone (our full review here) will go on sale starting this Friday for S$169 (US$134). Given the device's specs, which includes a 720p IPS display and quad-core MediaTek processor, the price is extremely attractive.

In addition, Xiaomi's VP Hugo Barra, who is in charge of global expansion, announced that the flagship Xiaomi Mi-3 smartphone will be available in Singapore from March 7 for S$419 (US$332). This model is the same as the one sold in Hong Kong and Taiwan and will not include LTE connectivity. However, company co-founder Lin Bin said Xiaomi is working on new LTE models and expects to unveil them later this year.

Xiaomi's Hugo Barra (left) and Lin Bin (right) answered questions about the company's expansion outside of Greater China. (Credit: Reuben Lee/CNET)

Aside from hardware, Xiaomi is well-known for its highly customizable MIUI software. To commemorate the launch in Singapore, the company has created a software theme (shown above) with Singapore-centric app icons and an image of the city's skyline for the wallpaper.

Those interested in buying the Redmi can visit xiaomi.com/sg on February 21 -- customers can place an order starting from 12pm (GMT+8). Do note that Xiaomi handsets have proven to be extremely popular in all the markets they have been launched, and usually sell out within minutes of availability.

For those who prefer not to participate in the five (or fewer) minutes of madness this Friday, all three Singapore telcos will also be offering the Redmi. StarHub is the first to announce its plan to sell the phone starting February 27 at S$169 with a prepaid plan or as low as S$0 with a post-paid plan. At the time of writing, both M1 and SingTel have yet to announce their plans.

Xiaomi will open a service center for Singapore customers in a shopping mall called The Central. The company plans to expand to a larger location in the future, with Barra adding that a retail presence could also be a possibility. Singapore will be the base of operations for this region's expansion, with a new corporate office and a distribution center slated to be opened soon. Malaysia will likely be the next launch country but no specific availability date was given.

British Airways to use A380 on London

British Airways, the last European airline flying to Australia, will give customers the option of flight on a new A380 on the London-Singapore leg of the trip from October, in a move to enhance its offering.

The decision by the British flag carrier, which uses a Boeing 777 for direct flights from Sydney to London with a stop in Singapore, comes after Virgin Atlantic Airways this month said it would pull out of the Sydney-Hong Kong route from May.

That will leave British Airways as the only European airline flying all the way to Australia. Qantas Airways is the only Australian airline that offers flights all the way to London, but now via a stop in Dubai rather than Asia. Qantas uses an A380 all the way to London both from Sydney and Melbourne.

British Airways will begin A380 flights on the London-Singapore route three times a week in October, with the remainder of the days being flown with an older Boeing 747.

The A380 will feature on the BA11 London Heathrow to Singapore service operating on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and the returning BA12, operating on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

British Airways regional commercial manager for the south-west Pacific Nicole Backo said the service would increase capacity on the route by 4000 seats a month, creating more availability and options for passengers.

'The A380 operating from Singapore further enhances and aligns our offering for all markets across Australia,' she said. 'With our codeshare options to both Singapore and Hong Kong from the major Australian gateways we have created more choice than ever before on stopovers or connections onto our newest aircraft.'

British Airways offers customers the option of flying from Australia to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific Airways and then onward to London via the British flag carrier.

Customers on British Airways 777 flights from Sydney-to-Singapore will need to change aircraft if they want to use the A380 option.

A test booking on the carrier's website for November showed a passenger flying from Sydney to London would arrive 30 minutes earlier in Britain by switching to the A380 due to a shorter stopover in Singapore.

On the return flight, the passenger would need to leave London 2.5 hours earlier on the A380 and would have a longer stopover in Singapore before arriving in Sydney on the 777.

Ms Backo said British Airways was seeing a year-on-year increase in passengers from the Asia-Pacific region, largely due to the alternative route it provided to Europe and the rest of the world.

British Airways now has four A380s and is taking delivery of another four later this year as part of an overall fleet expansion of 20 aircraft.

Most popular 3

Singapore 2014 budget: Who will be the winners?

Tom Cockrem | Lonely Planet Images | Getty Images

Singapore's widening income gap has been identified by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as one of the country's key fault lines. Despite exceptional levels of wealth in the Southeast Asian financial hub, it has among the highest levels of income inequality among the world's advanced economies.

Its Gini coefficient - which measures the degree of inequality within a country where zero is complete equality and one is maximum inequality - rose to 0.478 in 2012. By comparison, Denmark, among the world's most economically equal countries, had a Gini coefficient of 0.248 as of 2011.

In order to address the income gap, the government could introduce another round of the GST (government service tax) Voucher Special Payment to help low and middle income residents cope with the rising cost of living, in addition to a possible enhancement of schemes such as the Workfare Income Supplement, according to analysts.

Healthcare in the spotlight

In addition to further enhancements of some existing schemes, there could be more generous funding on healthcare to defray the rising costs in this area, said experts, especially for the older generation.

The government's annual healthcare expenditure is expected to remain on an upward trajectory to reach $8 billion in fiscal 2016, from an estimated $5.6 billion in 2013, according to Citi.

( Read more: Do rising Singapore bankruptcies signal trouble ahead?)

By international standards, government healthcare expenditure in Singapore is low, with out-of-pocket expenses comparatively high. The country's healthcare expenditure stood at an estimated 1.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2013, far below the average of 7.7 percent in high-income economies as of 2010.

The elderly will receive targeted support through the 'Pioneer Generation' package, which will assist the country's approximately 450,000 citizens over the age of 65 with subsidies for outpatient treatment and help with premiums for the new national insurance scheme, MediShield Life, among other things.

Who will pay for increased spending?

Higher social spending costs will likely be borne first by tapping the returns on the country's fiscal reserves, with higher income taxes for the rich a last resort, said Wei Zheng Kit, economist at Citi.

'Rather than taxing incomes, which would erode the incentive to work harder and reduce Singapore's competitiveness vs Hong Kong (where both top personal and income tax rates are lower than Singapore), the government would likely prefer to first tax consumption in our view,' Wei said, citing the example of motor vehicle taxes.

( Read more: Is Singapore set for an Icelandic-style crash?)

Francis Tan, economist at UOB, who agrees raising the income tax for the wealthy is unlikely, says one possibility is for the chargeable income at the top tiers of the income brackets to be lowered.

'For example, those with an annual income of $320,000 and above are taxed at the maximum 20 percent rate currently and the chargeable income could be lowered to, say, $300,000 or even $280,000. The effect will be an increase in the tax base without affecting our tax competitiveness,' Tan said.

However, fiscal prudence practiced by the government means that the 'goodies' would have to be provisioned for, he added.

(Read more: Higher wealth taxes on the cards for Singapore?)

Singapore's fiscal position is likely to be stronger than originally expected - with the budget surplus exceeding 1.5 percent of gross domestic product or at least $5.5 billion Singapore dollars for fiscal year 2013 ending in March, according to bank estimates.

-By CNBC's Ansuya Harjani. Follow her on Twitter:@Ansuya_H

Singapore, Now World's Fastest Growing Wealth Management Hub, Not Free ...

Singapore has overtaken Switzerland, emerging as the world's fastest growing wealth management center, but banks in the Southeast Asian nation have a long way to go towards tax transparency, particularly in regards to money that may be questionable from other Asian countries.

Singapore Christian parent takes issue with SingTel for allowing two women to ...

A mother criticises SingTel for endorsing a 'kiss-a-thon' contest which saw two women kissing in public. (Yahoo ...

A mother, who proclaimed to be a 'faithful Christian', has taken to the social media to criticise local telco SingTel for endorsing a 'kiss-a-thon' contest which saw two women kissing in public.

According a post on The Real Singapore (TRS) by a reader called Esther, the contest, organised by SingTel and HOT FM 91.3, took place at The Cathay over the weekend of 8 and 9 February.

From the photo posted on the page, it appears that the contest was held at the outdoor area of the mall.

Esther said she was walking past the mall with her two children when the incident took place, prompting questions from the kids.

'They started asking me why are there two girls kissing and they are only 9 and 11 years old for god sake,' said the mother.

She also expressed frustration over her children being exposed to homosexual culture.

'How am I suppose to tell them? Am I suppose to embrace the growing gay culture and tell them that it is cool to be a homosexual,' added Esther.

In her post, the mother also called the two women lesbians and said that she was 'offended' by SingTel for allowing them to 'kiss publicly'.

Esther added that the incident led to a fight with her husband.

'My husband on the other hand seems to be enjoying the sight of two ladies kissing. He told me two girls kissing is okay but two guys kissing is not okay, this is so ridiculous! I had a full day of fight with him because of this,' said Esther.

The mother urged the government to take action.

'Isn't SingTel supposed to be a family-oriented company? How can singtel endorse such an act of public indecency?

The government should fine SingTel for endorsing such an act. No wonder people say that our society's moral values are slowly being corroded,' said Esther.

The post was up on Monday evening and has gathered 180 comments as at 3pm on Tuesday.

Readers of the post criticised the mother for being 'ignorant' and 'intolerant'.

'Esther, welcome to the real world.hiding the truth will only make your kids as ignorant as you,' said one reader.

Another said, 'You have your beliefs and preferences, so do others. If I were as intolerant as you, I'd be complaining on the Internet every time I see women wearing crucifixes and men declaring their faith publicly as if to proselytise.'

One reader, who claimed to have participated in the contest, pointed out that there was a 'safety card' in between the participants, thus it's not lips-to-lips but rather lips-to-card-to-lips.

Yahoo Singapore has contacted SingTel for comments.

Related stories:Singapore church's anti-gay lifestyle 'guide' leakedPetitions put spotlight on Health Promotion Board's FAQ on sexualityGay man launches Singapore campaign for workplace discrimination protection

Singapore Plane Spree Anything But Plain Vanilla: Southeast Asia

Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

Airbus Group NV and Boeing Co. spent a week with Asian companies sounding more like cocktails than airlines, some of which didn't exist a year ago, highlighting the region's status as one of the most dynamic aircraft markets.

More from the Singapore Airshow:

From VietJet to Thailand's Nok Airlines and Air Costa of India, short-haul startups dominated orders at the Singapore Air Show as Asia's increasing urbanization and growing middle class fuel a surge in travel. New airlines are popping up all over Asia, including some exotically named Japanese carriers Vanilla Air and Peach Aviation Ltd.

The expo's $32 billion of orders, while modest compared with a Gulf carrier-inspired $206 billion splurge in Dubai three months earlier, highlighted the emergence of the latest class of airline serving intra-Asian routes that are starting to criss-cross the continent. Startups such as Air Costa are jostling for position with new units at older carriers that range from ANA Holdings Inc.'s Vanilla and Thai Airways International PCL's Smile division to the Tiger brand of Singapore Airlines Ltd.

'The Asia-Pacific is unique because of the number of cities with more than a million people,' Robert Martin, chief executive officer of Singapore-based aircraft lessor BOC Aviation Pte, said in an interview at the show. 'In China there's more than 100, India has more than 50. The number of city pairs we'll have in the long term will be phenomenal.'

Asian Explosion

Close to half the world's air traffic growth will involve Asian routes over the next 20 years, Boeing marketing chief Randy Tinseth said in Singapore, with carriers from the region requiring 12,820 more aircraft, or 36 percent of the global total. Competitor Airbus puts the figure at 11,000 planes.

Asia's exploding growth, which is spurring the foundation of new airlines every few months, contrasts with the mature markets of the U.S. and Europe, where over-capacity has led to consolidation and fewer carriers for planemakers to sell to.

Even the Persian Gulf's flood of wide-body orders is inspired by Asian economies, with Dubai-based Emirates, Etihad Airways PJSC of Abu Dhabi and Qatar Airways Ltd. vying to build hubs for long-haul links with Europe, the Americas and Africa.

In Singapore, smaller models used to provide point-to-point links predominated. Air Costa, based in Vijayawada in southern Indian and packing planes 87 percent full after three months of operations, ordered 50 Embraer SA jets worth $2.9 billion. Two-year-old VietJet, based in Hanoi, signed for 63 Airbus A320s with a sticker price of $6.4 billion, while Nok Airlines Public Co. announced a $1.45 billion commitment for eight Boeing 737s and Bangkok Airways Co. bought six ATR 72 turboprops.

Gravity Shift

'The center of gravity has shifted to Asia,' Norm Liu, chief executive officer of General Electric Co. 's world-leading leasing arm, said in an interview in Singapore. GE made its first deal in Myanmar last week with an accord to supply 10 Boeing 737s to Myanma Airways.

Economic expansion is putting more people on planes from India to Indonesia, many for the first time, as startups and established carriers develop a range of business models to tap both the newly affluent and high-income frequent travelers.

'We're seeing the gamut,' said engine maker Pratt & Whitney's Mary Ellen Jones, who recently became sales chief for Asia after previously covering the U.S. 'There's a multitude of airlines from the little guys with a couple of planes to the major carriers. The vibe and energy level is high.'

Pratt's haul at the show included engines for 15 A320neos ordered by Bank of China-owned BOC, plus the Air Costa planes.

Singapore Airlines illustrates the trend toward separate brandings aimed at specific markets, according to GE's Liu.

Once simply a network operator, 'now they have Silk Air for regional, Tiger in low-cost short-haul and Scoot for long-haul,' he said. 'We see the same with All Nippon, which has Peach, and Japan Airlines with Jetstar Japan.'

Four-Figure Fleets

India alone has 'huge potential,' with just 1 percent of its 1.2 billion of population so far traveling by air, Embraer's Mark Dunnachie, head of commercial aviation for the Asia-Pacific, said after the Air Costa deal. 'And we see something similar in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.'

Growth is evident in support services, as well as aircraft sales, with Airbus last week joining with Singapore Airlines to establish a pilot-training school and securing a 15-year-deal to provide support for Thai Smile's fleet of 20 A320s. While Boeing provided 56 percent of the 5,000-plus planes flying in Asia today, the backlog shows Airbus with 69 percent of future narrow-body deliveries and a 53 percent share on wide-bodies.

Orders placed in Singapore barely scratched the surface, according to Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia Bhd., which is vying with Indonesia's PT Lion Mentari Airlines and Qantas Airways Ltd. affiliate Jetstar Airways Pty. for discount supremacy.

With the continent's 3 billion people served by a fleet less than half the size of that in the U.S., which has a population of 315 million, the days of an Asian carrier with more than 1,000 jetliners can't be far off, Fernandes reckons.

AirAsia already has about 140 A320 planes in operation plus 335 on order; Lion Air has a 105-strong fleet and a mammoth 650 Airbus and Boeing narrow-bodies yet to come.

To contact the reporters on this story: Andrea Rothman in Toulouse at aerothman@bloomberg.net; Kyunghee Park in Singapore at kpark3@bloomberg.net; Anurag Kotoky in New Delhi at akotoky@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anand Krishnamoorthy at anandk@bloomberg.net; Benedikt Kammel at bkammel@bloomberg.net

Singapore Plane Spree Anything But Plain Vanilla

Bloomberg News

Airbus Group NV (AIR) and spent a week with Asian companies sounding more like cocktails than airlines, some of which didn't exist a year ago, highlighting the region's status as one of the most dynamic aircraft markets.

From VietJet to Thailand's Nok Airlines (NOK) and Air Costa of India, short-haul startups dominated orders at the Singapore Air Show (SIA) as Asia's increasing urbanization and growing middle class fuel a surge in travel. New airlines are popping up all over Asia, including some exotically named Japanese carriers Vanilla Air and Peach Aviation Ltd.

The expo's $32 billion of orders, while modest compared with a Gulf carrier-inspired $206 billion splurge in Dubai three months earlier, highlighted the emergence of the latest class of airline serving intra-Asian routes that are starting to criss-cross the continent. Startups such as Air Costa are jostling for position with new units at older carriers that range from ANA Holdings Inc. (9202)'s Vanilla and Thai Airways International PCL (THAI)'s Smile division to the Tiger brand of Singapore Airlines Ltd.

'The Asia-Pacific is unique because of the number of cities with more than a million people,' Robert Martin, chief executive officer of Singapore-based aircraft lessor BOC Aviation Pte, said in an interview at the show. 'In China there's more than 100, India has more than 50. The number of city pairs we'll have in the long term will be phenomenal.'

Asian Explosion

Close to half the world's air traffic growth will involve Asian routes over the next 20 years, Boeing marketing chief Randy Tinseth said in Singapore, with carriers from the region requiring 12,820 more aircraft, or 36 percent of the global total. Competitor Airbus puts the figure at 11,000 planes.

Asia's exploding growth, which is spurring the foundation of new airlines every few months, contrasts with the mature markets of the U.S. and Europe, where over-capacity has led to consolidation and fewer carriers for planemakers to sell to.

Even the Persian Gulf's flood of wide-body orders is inspired by Asian economies, with Dubai-based Emirates, Etihad Airways PJSC of Abu Dhabi and Qatar Airways Ltd. vying to build hubs for long-haul links with Europe, the Americas and Africa.

In Singapore, smaller models used to provide point-to-point links predominated. Air Costa, based in Vijayawada in southern Indian and packing planes 87 percent full after three months of operations, ordered 50 Embraer SA (EMBR3) jets worth $2.9 billion. Two-year-old VietJet, based in Hanoi, signed for 63 Airbus A320s with a sticker price of $6.4 billion, while Nok Airlines Public Co. announced a $1.45 billion commitment for eight Boeing 737s and Bangkok Airways (BA) Co. bought six ATR 72 turboprops.

Gravity Shift

'The center of gravity has shifted to Asia,' Norm Liu, chief executive officer of 's world-leading leasing arm, said in an interview in Singapore. GE made its first deal in Myanmar last week with an accord to supply 10 Boeing 737s to Myanma Airways.

Economic expansion is putting more people on planes from India to Indonesia, many for the first time, as startups and established carriers develop a range of business models to tap both the newly affluent and high-income frequent travelers.

'We're seeing the gamut,' said engine maker Pratt & Whitney's Mary Ellen Jones, who recently became sales chief for Asia after previously covering the U.S. 'There's a multitude of airlines from the little guys with a couple of planes to the major carriers. The vibe and energy level is high.'

Pratt's haul at the show included engines for 15 A320neos ordered by Bank of China-owned BOC, plus the Air Costa planes.

Singapore Airlines illustrates the trend toward separate brandings aimed at specific markets, according to GE's Liu.

Once simply a network operator, 'now they have Silk Air for regional, Tiger in low-cost short-haul and Scoot for long-haul,' he said. 'We see the same with All Nippon, which has Peach, and Japan Airlines (9201) with Jetstar Japan.'

Four-Figure Fleets

India alone has 'huge potential,' with just 1 percent of its 1.2 billion of population so far traveling by air, Embraer's Mark Dunnachie, head of commercial aviation for the Asia-Pacific, said after the Air Costa deal. 'And we see something similar in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.'

Growth is evident in support services, as well as aircraft sales, with Airbus last week joining with Singapore Airlines to establish a pilot-training school and securing a 15-year-deal to provide support for Thai Smile's fleet of 20 A320s. While Boeing provided 56 percent of the 5,000-plus planes flying in Asia today, the backlog shows Airbus with 69 percent of future narrow-body deliveries and a 53 percent share on wide-bodies.

Orders placed in Singapore barely scratched the surface, according to Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia Bhd. (AIRA), which is vying with Indonesia's PT Lion Mentari Airlines and Qantas Airways (QAN) Ltd. affiliate Jetstar Airways Pty. for discount supremacy.

With the continent's 3 billion people served by a fleet less than half the size of that in the U.S., which has a population of 315 million, the days of an Asian carrier with more than 1,000 jetliners can't be far off, Fernandes reckons.

AirAsia already has about 140 A320 planes in operation plus 335 on order; Lion Air has a 105-strong fleet and a mammoth 650 Airbus and Boeing narrow-bodies yet to come.

To contact the reporters on this story: Andrea Rothman in Toulouse at aerothman@bloomberg.net; Kyunghee Park in Singapore at kpark3@bloomberg.net; Anurag Kotoky in New Delhi at akotoky@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anand Krishnamoorthy at anandk@bloomberg.net; Benedikt Kammel at bkammel@bloomberg.net

No new lease for Keppel Club; other clubs get leases through to 2030 and 2040

MinLaw said in a statement that six other clubs, whose leases run out in less than a decade, will be offered lease extensions. The new leases will run through till 2030, 2035 or 2040.

Here is the press release in full from the Ministry of Law: Get the full story from The Straits Times.

The leases of seven golf clubs will expire in the next 10 years. They will be offered new leases for some of their courses. The leases will be for differing periods which will end between 31 December 2030 and 31 December 2040. They are Changi Golf Club, National Service Resort and Country Club (Changi), Orchid Country Club, Seletar Country Club, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) and Tanah Merah Country Club.

Achieving balance between competing land use needs

One of SICC's two 18-hole courses at the Bukit location will be reallocated as a public course. It will be managed by the labour movement for the general public and for the labour movement, when its lease expires on 31 December 2021.

Keppel Club's lease will expire on 31 December 2021. No new lease will be offered as the land is needed for housing development.

Singapore has 17 golf courses (14 private and 3 public) on approximately 1,500 ha of land. The majority of these are located on 30-year leasehold land.

Golf course leases

Golfing is an activity that is enjoyed by many Singaporeans, with many of them owning or aspiring to own memberships in golf clubs. In addition, the presence of golfing facilities adds to Singapore's attractiveness as a business hub.

However, golfing and golf clubs are land intensive and there is a need to balance the competing demands for land. As a result, the amount of land used for golfing will have to be reduced over time, and the sites reallocated for uses such as housing and public infrastructure.

Lease renewal decisions

Golf club leases are for a fixed term with an end date. This information has always been public and known to those who become golf club members. When the lease ends, the land reverts by law to the Government. This position applies for all State leases, whether the leases are for residential, commercial, industrial or other uses.

The Government is taking the step of letting the clubs, their members and the public know the status of expiring leases more than seven years in advance.

Keppel Club's lease will expire on 31 Dec 2021. The land is needed to redevelop the site for housing. This plan was announced in 2001 in URA's Concept Plan.

To support the club's continuity, if the club is keen, it will be offered an alternative site to operate as a social club. Discussions are on-going as to the possible location.

The operator of the new public course (see paragraph below) will be encouraged to discuss the possibility of offering some arrangement to Keppel Club members. This depends, of course, on all the parties being able to agree on terms.

SICC will be offered a new lease at the Island location until 2040. SICC will also be offered a new lease for one of the two 18-hole courses at the Bukit location, until 2030. The other 18-hole course at Bukit will be run as a public course upon lease expiry on 31 December 2021, to be operated by the labour movement for the benefit of the general public and the labour movement.

Summary of Q&A Session with the Law Minister

This will ensure continued public access to golfing facilities when the Marina Bay Golf Course is phased out for redevelopment. However, in order to secure the extension for the 18-hole course at Bukit, SICC will have to work with the labour movement and conclude an agreement by the end of February 2015 on how the courses can be reconfigured, and the necessary arrangements for the sharing of facilities.

Tanah Merah Country Club and National Service Resort and Country Club (Changi) will also be offered new leases. However, their courses will become smaller as parts of the sites will be affected by Changi Airport's expansion plans, the details of which will be announced separately.

1. Members asked if it was fair to Keppel members who had bought their membership earlier.

Minister explained that golf club leases are for a fixed term and members should have factored in the term of the lease when they bought their memberships. Keppel members would have also known that the land would be needed for housing development. This plan was announced as early as 2001 in URA's concept plan.

2. In response to Members' request for a short extension for their current land and to retain some portion of their existing clubhouse, Minister shared that the land preparatory works will be initiated quite immediately after the lease expiry in 2021 and hence these options were not possible.

3. As for why it would not possible to allocate another golf course to Keppel, Minister explained that the overall land allocated for golf has to be reduced over time as there is need for other uses such as housing and infrastructure. Government will therefore be unable to provide replacement golf courses to clubs affected by the redevelopment plans.

4. With regards to the potential site for Keppel's social club, members asked if there would be concessions in obtaining the new piece of land.

Noting that Keppel will be the first club whose lease will expire without being offered a replacement golf course and in recognition of Keppel's heritage, Minister said that Keppel would not have to bid to lease the new site.

In addition, Keppel could explore partnerships with other clubs to ensure continued access to golfing. The operator of the new public course will also be encouraged to discuss the possibility of offering some arrangement for Keppel Club members.

5. Some members also asked if Keppel could operate the new public golf course.

Minister clarified that this was not feasible as the course would have to cater to both the labour movement and the public. The new public golf course will not have individual private memberships.

Interview with creators of Singapore's first card game

The Online Citizen speaks with a new young and vibrant Singaporean company that created the Singapore Card Game and ask them on what made them to make a Singapore based card game.

What inspired your team to create this game?

We are all no strangers to card games, having played all the popular ones (eg: Magic, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Monopoly Deal etc) since we were young. We have always wanted to see a Singaporean card game launched specifically for our local market.

So we thought to ourselves: 'what better way to see your wish come true than by doing it yourself?' So we set about designing and creating Singapore's very first card game that is inspired by Singaporean culture and some infamous Singaporean 'events'. We chose to incorporate Singaporean locations so that we could introduce foreigners to our beautiful country.

What is the theme of this game?

The theme of the game is to be the most Singaporean as the one who is the most 'kiasu' will usually win in the end. This game is unique in that there is more than 1 way to win each with its different advantages and disadvantages.

What's so special about the Singapore Card Game?

Beyond the fact that we're the first Singaporean card game on the market. Our game is fully based on Singaporean culture and landmarks. This local Singaporean flavour is our main differentiator from the other card games on the market. The Singapore Card Game takes place in the form of a journey around Singapore.

To win the game, one has to do the most Singaporean activities (Play the different Singapore point cards) or travel around Singapore (Play the different location cards). Along the way, you can get sabotaged (Train break down, stomped etc) or get your cards stolen (Loan sharks, 'Chop' Seat etc) by the other players.

There are Reward cards available to players to assist them on their journey. As a last resort, players can always get their local MP to help by playing the complain MP card.

What do you need to play the Singapore Card Game?

All you need is the basic set. But we did create an optional customized Singapore Card Game board that you can buy to learn the game quicker or to enhance your gameplay experience.

Is the Singapore Card Game hard to learn?

The rules of the Singapore Card Game are relatively straightforward and logical. There is an element of luck as with all card games with regards to what cards are drawn. But you cannot win this game purely by luck alone. The game has many variables that can open up the game to many kinds of strategies so the game remains fairly balanced.

How exactly do you win in the Singapore Card Game?

In a usual 4 player game, there are 2 ways to win the game. The first is to collect 8 locations than the rest of your opponents. Alternatively, the first to collect 60 points wins. The victory conditions will vary according to the number of players. Because there are two separate victory conditions, there is an additional element of unpredictability to the game. For example, when everyone is focused on collecting locations, you can switch to collecting points while still being able to sabotage your opponents.

What does the future hold for the Singapore Card Game?

Our main focus currently is on fulfilling orders for the Singapore Card Game. But, we have started work on possible expansions to the Singapore Card Game which we will launch in the future depending on the demand for the Singapore Card Game.

Gameplay

So we decided to play a short game just to try out the cards with Stean, one of the people who brought us Singapore's first card game.

Rules are pretty clear cut and simple; players win when they accumulate 8 location cards or 80 points (for 2 player, 70 for 3, 60 for 4) in the player's card face value. While playing, players can utilize 'sabo' cards that would disrupt another player's game play, steal card to obtain cards owned by other players and reward cards which give a prefixed advantage to the player throwing the card. Recommended to be played with 3 or more players as two can be pretty boring and bland without the thrill of throat cutting rivalry and discord to prevent others from winning.

A nice and simple ice breaking game for Singaporeans and friends from aboard played with the widely known antics of Singapore residents that makes us 'Uniquely Singapore'. Visit http://sgcardgame.com/ to view more information of the game and how to get one for yourself or your family and friends!