Lee Kuan Yew seen at SGH on August 8th 2012

Yesterday we have written the rumors about  Singapore's former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's health which are widely circulated in Singapore's social media and hearthlands. The rumors are basically like this: "Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew passed away on August 5th and they will announce the news after NDP 2012".

Yesterday,  SPH political journalist Tessa Wong tweeted that Lee Kuan Yew is alive and one of her  colleagues will meet him tomorrow in his office." And then, a photo appeared in the internet which shows Lee Kuan Yew walking out of Singapore General Hospital (SGH). The photo is said to taken on August 8th 2012.

Lee Kuan Yew at SGH

Lee Kuan Yew not dead tweets Tessa Wong

UPDATE : This a post about an old event. Refer to Lee Kuan Yew health condition here for 2015 events.

As a blogger, I regularly check Google Trends Singapore to find out what people are searching in Singapore. This is a very good way to find out what is going on in Singapore. A few days ago, I have started to see "Lee Kuan Yew passed away" type of searches trending up in Singapore. And today most searches were about this: "lee kuan yew" is the number one search in Singapore as of today and "lky dead", "lky passed away", "lky died", "lky rumour", "lky sick" and "lky death" kind of search terms are all in the top 20 list (see screenshot below). (Update : As of August 9th "lee kuan yew death" is the top search term.)

I remember these type of rumors circulating before (back in 2010 a rumour/hoax was doing the rounds that Lee Kuan Yew suffered a “massive” heart attack and was hospitalized at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Cardiac Unit of the Singapore General Hospital (SGH)). They are not new and I think they are periodic. It is quite global also especially for important and elderly political figures who do not appear in the media for a while. I guess this time, the rumours about the health of Lee Kuan Yew (88), the founding father of Singapore, originated in twitter and quickly spreaded online and in the HDB heartlands.

Searches about Lee Kuan Yew's health are trending up as of  8 August 2012

And just today, I have heard two dudes in the train talking about it. One said "They are hiding it now because of NDP 2012 and will announce after that".

Later today, I have seen SPH political journalist Tessa Wong's tweet where she says Lee Kuan Yew is alive and one of her colleauge will meet him tomorrow. She twitted:

"People. LKY not dead. Okay? My colleague is seeing him tomorrow. And not in a mortuary."

She also wrote:

"The idea tt media is coverg up LKY's death cos "dowan spoil NDP" is ludicrous. Hello, NDP is gr8 excuse for giant LKY mourning parade, can?"



UPDATE: Lee Kuan Yew seen at SGH on August 8th 2012

Tessa Wong of SPH says Lee Kuan Yew is alive.

Public Transportation in Singapore : Singapore MRT

The major railway system spanning the entire Singapore is called MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) in Singapore and is one of the most important means to commute throughout the island. Whether you are living here or visiting Singapore for a short while it worth to use it since the taxis are hard to come by and buying or renting a car is quite expensive.

If you are planning to visit here, staying in a hotel near an MRT station is a very good idea which will save you time and money. There are many hotels right next to MRT stations to choose among and since Singapore is a small city state, you can even stay in a hotel relatively outside the city center; MRT can take you to your destination in a quite short time.

Currently there are 4 MRT lines in operation. The oldest one, North South Line,  which is the first MRT line in Singapore, starts from the south of the city and after spanning towards north, it ends at Jurong East MRT station. This line is called Red Line, due to its red color in the Singapore MRT map.
Second one, East west Line, which is also called Green Line, lies between the east and the west of Singapore island. This line has an extension between Singapore Changi Airport and Tanah Merah MRT station which connects Singapore airport and Expo to the city.

 North East Line, the first fully underground line in Singapore is fully automated and driverless and colored purple.

The forth and the last addition to the Singapore MRT system is the Yellow Line, Circle Line, is also fully automated. Despite its name, it is not a closed circle loop but shaped circle and starts from Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station and ends in Harbour Front MRT Station. This line has an extension which connects Marina Bay to Promonade and connects Gardens by The Bay and Marina Bay Sands casino complex to the MRT system.

Downtown Line is the next in line and its first stage is due to open in 2013.

Singapore MRT Map 2012 - Source : sgtransport.blogspot.sg

In the past 5 years, increased population, increased migration to city fringes due to ultra-high property and rent prices and run away COE prices limiting the availability of car ownership to many, the lines operates as sardine boxes in the peak hours and suffers from frequent delays and breakdown.  Still it is the only feasible transportation option for many.

Tips on utilizing MRT in Singapore

• If you are looking for a serviced apartment, hotel or hostel near by an MRT Station, go to the  http://www.nearby.sg, enter MRT stations name and then select Loadging --> Hostel/Hotel/Serviced Apartment from "Find Point of Interest".
• You can reach Singapore city center from Singapore MRT using the Green Line. You need to alight at Tanah Merah MRT Station and continue on the same line to which you can take a train on the same platform. Make sure that you take the direction which is marked as To City.
• Not all the trains on the Circle Line ends at Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station. Some ends at Marina Bay Sands so pay attention to the announced destination when you are taking a train on this line. If you are heading to Marina Bay Sands, and your train's destination is Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station, you can change trains at Promenade MRT Station.
• If you are new to Singapore, try to rent a place near MRT which will greatly reduce your transportation cost.
• The cheapest and most convenient places to rent a flat in Singapore are HDB/BTO buildings near MRT stations. A 3 bedroom HDB near an MRT station can be 24,000+ SGD per year cheaper than a same size private flat.

Singapore property update August 2012

* The overall Singapore Residential Price Index (SRPI) flash figures showed that the prices of private, completed non-landed projects fell sharply, 1.1 per cent, in July 2012 after recording a 0.1% gain in June 2012. The non-central private residential units recorded the sharpest decline by 1.3% while central homes recorded a 1.1% decline.
Source: Prices for resale homes fall in July, shoebox segment up

* "I would still maintained that the correction will be coming and the way I look at it, if there is a cycle, if you take away the 2008 temporary drop, you smooth out the curve, it is actually the eight or ninth year of the rise in this cycle". These are the Chairman of Wing Tai who warns for a possible correction in Singapore's property market. The warninf came after the property developer's forth quarter net profit fell 16 per cent to $140.5 million.
Source :Wing Tai warns of property market correction as profit slips

* Singapore Government warned that fresh measures might be introduced if commercial property prices do not moderate. Prices of factory and warehouse space have increased 16 percent in the first half of 2012 due to the investors diverted into the industrial property segment from residential property segment by cooling measures. Ministry Of Trade and Industry has noted that owners flipping their industrial units for a profit are on the rise and are currently 15 percent of all industrial property transactions.
Source : Government keeping close eye on industrial property

* After recording a sharp decline (In June 2012, new private residential property sales excluding Executive Condominiums fell 19.5 per cent to their lowest in 2012 after falling 32 per cent in May), private residential property sales in Singapore are up 41.7% from June 2012 to 1,943 units. Despite government
measures to cool the property market, property sales numbers and prices are still highly inflated due to ultra low interest rates.
Source :  Private home sales rebounded in July

* Housing Development Board (HDB) will offer at least 20,000 new flats in 2013 announced Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan in his blog entry. This is on the top of 50,000 new flats promised for 2011 and 2012:

"Next year, we will keep up this momentum to help more Singaporeans own their flats.  While the plan is still being finalised, I have told HDB to build at least 20,000 new flats next year." 

I expect this sustained supply to firmly stabilise the housing market. This will give Singaporeans many options as they make their flat purchases prudently and wisely."

Source : Making Steady Progress 

* National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan criticized the 50-year housing loan as a “gimmick”, and urged prospective home buyers not to fall for it. 50-year housing loan are reportedly offered by United Overseas Bank.

* United Overseas Bank (UOB) has announced the launch of instant home loan scheme, the Split-Second Home Loan approval service which would enable home buyers to get immediate approval at the show flat. This will allow mortgage brokers with iPads which are connected to its credit evaluation system and linked to the Credit Bureau (Singapore) would be ready to abuse your compulsive buying instincts in the showflats. But MAS, Singapore's Central Bank, has quickly stepped in said that they do not permit loan applications for residential property to be approved at such temporary locations, whether in-principle or otherwise, verbal or in writing:

“MAS rules allow banks to set up a temporary location at a property launch site to receive applications for residential property loans. We do not permit loan applications for residential property to be approved at such temporary locations, whether in-principle or otherwise, verbal or in writing. MAS has instructed banks that this is not allowed under our rules.” 

The authority also highlighted that a residential property loan is a long-term financial commitment, and by allowing banks to approve applications at temporary locations, imprudent lending by banks might occur. 

Said an MAS spokesman: “In granting residential property loans, MAS expects banks to conduct credit assessment of borrowers in a thorough and prudent manner. When banks entice consumers with loan approvals at temporary locations, consumers may be rushed into accepting a long-term financial commitment, even if a cooling off period is incorporated within the approval.”

Source : Instant home loan decision at showflats
Source : Split-second home loans? Hold it . . .

* There are 2 trends in Singapore property market which is hidden beneath ever increasing numbers of private property units sold in Singapore: Average unit size sold by developers are getting smaller, average price per square foot is also much lower compared to the pre-global crisis peak year of 2007. If you look at property market from total square footage and total dollars paid for apartments/condos perspective, the property market looks very different. These two trends are result of more units are being sold in the suburbs instead of the Core Central Region (CCR), where properties are costlier." says Business Times.
Source : Busting the myth of a hot property market


* Low income families in Singapore can now go for bigger HDB flats with the announced Enhancement to Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG) by HDB. With the changes families earning less than 1500 Singapore Dollars per month can use SHG to buy 3 room flats.
Source : HDB Launches 7 BTO Projects Offering 4,191 New Flats and Enhances Special CPF Housing Grant

AirAsia Japan begins inaugural flights to Sapporo, Fukuoka

AirAsia Japan, joint venture between Malaysia's AirAsia and Japan's All Nippon Airways, has become the third budget airline to start flights in Japan in 2012, by its first flight on August 1st 2012 from Tokyo Narita to Fukuoka. The airline is currently offering tickets which cost less than half the price of Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co.[1] For passengers choosing AirAsia, a one-way trip from Narita to Fukoka currently starts at ¥5,180 (US$68), while Sapporo flights come in even cheaper at around ¥4,580.[4]

AirAsia Japan's other domestic destination is Okinawa with flights starting on  August 3rd 2012 from Narita. AirAsia Japan, plans to add overseas flights to South Korea from Japan starting from October 2012.[1]

“AirAsia and ANA entered into a joint venture only about a year ago and the response has been overwhelming. I am delighted and emotional to see our first flights take off today to Fukuoka and Sapporo,” said Kazuyuki Iwakata, CEO, AirAsia Japan. “I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported and assisted us. We hope to get your continuous support as we take all effort to ensure that we provide the best quality service and affordable air travel for everyone.”


AirAsia Group CEO, Tony Fernandes added, “This is a dream come true for all of us at AirAsia. I have always believed in dreaming the impossible, but seeing AirAsia Japan’s inaugural flights take-off today puts a smile on my face. It has only been one year since we announced AirAsia Japan’s establishment and now we already have 2 aircraft, 243 staff in Japan and 3 domestic routes on the day we start our operations. Congratulations to Kazuyuki and his team for pulling this off.” [3]

AirAsia Cabin Crew

Air Asia Japan is the third budget carrier to enter the Japan market in 2012. Jetstar Japan, which serves Tokyo (Narita International Airport), Osaka (Kansai International Airport), Sapporo (New Chitose Airport ), Fukuoka (Fukuoka Airport) and Okinawa (Naha Airport), started services in July and Peach, which flies to Hong Kong and Taiwan in addition to domestic destinations, made its debut in March.


[1] - AirAsia Japan Starts Flying As Budget Lines Take On ANA, JAL
[3] - AirAsia Japan Launches Flights to Sapporo and Fukuoka
[4] - AirAsia joins Japanese budget airline battle

Boutique hotel in Singapore: Wanderlust Hotel

For travellers who have a great desire to explore Singapore, there is an interesting hotel in India to make your visit a little bit magical. Wanderlust Hotel at Dickson Road in Little India is transformed by entrepreneur Loh Lik Peng from a 4 storey school building constructed in 1929. The transformation finished in 2010 and in this magical boutique hotel, no two floors and even no two rooms are alike. The concept of the designs were all envisioned by childlike imagination and each floor was given to a design firm and these design firms (Asylum, PhunkStudio, fFurious and DP Architects). And as a result no two rooms are alike. For example a room (named Tree Room) by fFurious is designed to make its guests feel like they are sleeping in a tree house. Another features a rocket ship yet another has furniture that looks like they are drawn on the wall by hand.

Wanderlust is ranked number 3 in tripadvisor's Top 20 Trendiest Hotels in Singapore list just after Quincy Hotel and New Majestic Hotel. All 29 rooms are air-conditioned and have iPod docking stations and minibars. Beds in the rooms come with down comforters and premium bedding. As stated, rooms are individually furnished. Espresso makers and coffee/tea makers are offered. Bathrooms feature showers with rainfall showerheads. They also offer designer toiletries, slippers, and hair dryers. Partially open bathrooms are available in select guestrooms.

Wireless Internet access is complimentary. In addition to complimentary newspapers and laptop-compatible safes, guestrooms offer phones as well as free local calls (restrictions may apply). 32-inch plasma televisions have cable channels. Rooms also include windows that open and clock radios. Housekeeping is offered daily and guests may request irons/ironing boards. Guestrooms are all non-smoking.

Wanderlust Boutique Hotel in Singapore

Wanderlust Boutique Hotel in Singapore

So does it worth the money (the price is 200++ SGD per night)? The location is quite central. Bugis MRT Station and Little India Station are walking distance away and you can go to many attractions or business destinations using this subway system. Its central location also saves on taxi money for much attractions. The hotel has fantastic rating in HotelsCombined.com which compiles ratings from different hotel booking sites such as agoda and hotel.com.

The hotel serves a complimentary breakfast which is quite delicious and features a bar/lounge for drinks. The hotel also offers laundry facilities, dry cleaning/laundry services, and an elevator (lift). Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in public areas. Additional property amenities include air conditioning in public areas.

iPad rental for tourists in Singapore

There may be times in your Singapore visit when you regret that you just did not have an iPad equipped with unlimited high-speed 3G connection. Do not regret, rent an iPad. A company in Singapore is renting out iPads loaded with Singapore and Travel Apps and daily updates on cool events and things to do for 30 Singapore Dollars (24 USD) per day. All you need to do is to e-mail rental period, date & time of collection and pick-up location to the company and they will deliver the TouristPad, charger, cable and Apple iPad Smart Case to your chosen location and payment is collected on the spot. But you had better look after your TouristPad-a-day very well. On the spot, you will be required to sign a rental contract for a hold amount of S$800 on your credit card. If you manage to return the device in one piece and working and good condition this amount will not be deducted.

Here is the press release from the company web site:

A new iPad rental service is in town. Better known as a TouristPad, this trusty tool will empower all travelers to have the most amazing, effortless holiday experience. With a lightweight iPad on hand, consumers can access resources at their fingertips and make informed choices that maximize their stay in Singapore.

Travelers can now reserve their iPad easily online at www.touristpads.com for S$30 a day. The TouristPad will be hand delivered to them at their hotel/ the airport so that they can start enjoying the service immediately when they arrive in Singapore. A deposit of S$800 will be blocked on their credit card, which will be unblocked at the end of their rental.

It definitely worth to carry your connectivity with you in Singapore where information on hotels, restaurants, attractions, etc. may be very time and money saving.

iPad for S$30 a day

4 reasons why a TouristPad is made for travelers

1. Power comes with connectivity. They now have unlimited, high-speed 3G connectivity available on the go. Tourists can make a Skype call, get their YouTube fix and have online resources at their disposal.
2. Get around like a local. It’s more than just Google Maps. Our localized apps will have travelers using Singapore’s wide array of public transport networks as they get directions on the most time-efficient route from any road, street or alley.
3. Our App-visors save the day. If you fail to plan, you don’t necessarily plan to fail. At least not with our trip planning apps. Travelers will be discovering the best of Singapore with hundreds of recommended places and things to do. Air tickets, accommodation or even shows can be booked in record timing.
4. Capture the best moments. Photography buffs who love capturing moments in photos and sharing them with the world are in for a treat when they can do it effortlessly with a TouristPad. Tourists can enhance photos instantly or better yet, record and upload a video

Will there be more property cooling measures in Singapore?

It has been 7+ months since the last property cooling measure in Singapore is introduced to tame the runaway prices. An additional 10 per cent Buyers Stamp Duty is introduced on the top of 3 per cent for foreign property buyers in Singapore. This definitely effected foreign buyers as home purchases by foreigners plummeted 78 per cent in the first quarter 2012.[1] But it did very little to stop low interest rate fed property buying party in Singapore. In fact the quarter year after the last property cooling measure saw record number of property sales which saw more than 6,600 units sold.[2]

At the end, demand for Singapore private property is still strong despite several rounds of cooling measures that were introduced by the government. As it happened anywhere else, as long as the market is significantly distorted by artificially low interest rates for a long time, nothing else can prevent the asset bubble. The cooling measures are at best slowing down the bubble but still creating unintended damages. For example the  maximum 60% loan-to-value rule of a cooling measure for second home loans pushing many investors to shoe-box units which are not a significant part of property sales and facing danger of oversupply.

So after all these cooling measures (which did not work if you are hoping for a price fall and worked more than enough if you are hoping for higher prices to profit), will there be another cooling measure? Colin Tan from Chesterton Suntec international believes so. He thinks it is inevitable that there will be another round of cooling measures because the effects of the latest cooling measure have already faded away.

Colin Tan also has a warning for investors who thinks this time is different and low interest rate fueled party will last forever:

Finally, as a caveat to all would-be investors, I would like to say I cannot see the robust buying continuing indefinitely. It may be prolonged by changes in the local market and in the global environment, as in our current situation. 

Increasingly, more of the buying rests on low interest rates and less on fundamentals. What happens when there is a sharp hike in rates? Seven years of feasting may be followed by seven years of famine. It is best that we build our defences early, even as we play the game or are forced to play the game.[3]

On the back of endless stream of printed money, million dollar condominiums are declared as "mass-market" now and their prices are still rising while "Singapore property prices will never fall" mentality is its strongest age. And as if low interest rate created artificial affordability is not enough, half a decade loans are introduced. Singapore looks like pre-housing bubble burst years of Japan and USA.

[1] - Home sales to foreigners dive 78 per cent
[2] - Q1 net home sales hit record high
[3] - Cooling measures inevitable

Top 100 Highest Paying Jobs in Singapore in 2012

Salary.sg, a blog on salary and income in Singapore, compiles top 100 high paying jobs in Singapore every year. Salary.sg uses the wage data in Report on Wages in Singapore report to generate our Top 100 Jobs ranking table. According to this report:

"The tight labour market continued to lift workers‟ wages, despite the slower economic growth in 2011. Total wages (including employer CPF contributions) in the private sector rose by 6.1% in 2011, higher than the growth of 5.7% in 2010.  Taking into account the rise in consumer price index (CPI), the increase in real terms was 0.9% in 2011, lower than the gain of 2.9% in 2010.  The corresponding figures when adjusted using CPI excluding imputed rentals on owner-occupied accommodation were 1.9% and 2.4%. "

According to the 2011 report, top 20 jobs ranked based on pay are as below.


1 - Managing director/ Chief executive officer – $29,102
2 - Foreign exchange dealer/ Broker – $22,302
3 - Marketing and sales representative (institutional sales of financial products) – $20,834
4 - Trade broker (including oil and bunker trader) – $19,500
5 - Company director – $17,142
6 - Financial/ Investment adviser – $15,500
7 - Chief operating officer/ General manager – $15,005
8 - Commodities derivatives broker – $15,000
9 - Ship broker – $15,000
10 - Creative director (advertising) – $14,750
11 - University lecturer – $14,000
12 - Real estate agent – $13,952
13 - Software and applications manager – $12,280
14 - Advocate/ Solicitor – $12,213
15 - Lawyer (excluding advocate and solicitor) – $10,900
16 - Financial/ Insurance services manager (eg financial institution branch manager) – $10,250
17 - Chemical engineer – $10,105
18 - Network and communications manager – $10,024
19 - IT service manager – $9,999
20 - General practitioner/ physician – $9,963

You can see the full list here Top 100 Jobs In Singapore (2012).

3rd generation Apple TV available in Singapore

Since June 2012, Apple has launched local Singapore iTunes Store and now, 3rd generation Apple TV, a digital media receiver which can stream high-definition TV from the iTunes Store or a computer running iTunes, is available for consumers in Singapore. The price tag for Apple TV in Singapore is 148  Singapore Dollars.

The first two generations of Apple TV were not available in Singapore because iTunes Store was just opened here. 3rd generation device has a faster processor than the first two versions which allows streaming 1080p HD movies. The device is quite simple in look and use. You basically connect to a TV through an HDMI cable and switch it on. The device can connect to internet either through Wi-Fi (which is the mode most users prefer) or Ethernet cable. All you need to do is to enter your WiFi password and iTunes store account name and password to make the device ready to use.

Although the device has a great movie choice for the folks in US, you do not have the access to the range of movies and TV shows folks in the US do with just the click of the Apple TV remote. In fact, one of the biggest drawbacks of an Apple TV device is its content provided in Singapore.

June Yang does not hide her disappointment about the available content in Today Newspaper:

A big selling point of Apple TV Stateside is the content available via the iTunes Store. In Singapore, this argument falls apart.The poor selection of movies was a deal-breaker for me. There are barely a handful of titles, and many are B-list movies or blockbuster hits from 10 years ago (Jurassic Park or Ratatouille, anyone?). Unlike in the United States, we don’t get the benefit of subscribing to season passes for TV
series due to rights issues.

Also, the only content you can access from connected devices are those that are playable on iTunes — so no importing your personal .wma or .avi files, for example. A lot of the things Apple TV does — playing full HD movies and music — can be done just as well on my laptop, which I could just as easily plug into a big screen.  

Throughout my review, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I didn’t quite need Apple TV in my life since I had to import most of the useful content from elsewhere in order to use it, instead of getting them natively through Apple.

Source :  Apple TV or not TV?

Apple TV is now available in Singapore

Apple TV also provides a feature called AirPlay which lets you wirelessly stream what’s on your iOS device to your HDTV and speakers via Apple TV. Or you can mirror exactly what’s on your mobile display to the big screen. 

AirPlay allows you to mirror (show exactly what’s on your Mac, iPhone or iPad screen) to everyone in the room. You can show web pages, games, photos, videos, spreadsheets, class material and more on your HDTV via Apple TV. With AirPlay you can also convert your iPhone 4S or iPad to a game controller and your widescreen TV to a game console screen.3.

Since Singapore is obsessed with Apple products and many own an iPad, iPhone or a Mac, the Apple TV with its reasonable price is a must have for many.