Not for love of money, but of Humanity. "Greater is he who works for the good of all, then he who works for the good of himself only" ~ Matthew 25:40: "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"- (NIV). I live in Singapore where the Emperor must not be disturbed.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

IC re-registration, rats, medals and chairs: The daily frustrations of Singaporeans these days.

Why must people PAY to re-register their ICs under threat of $5000fine+5yrs jail, given the fact that IC registration is a national security concern and that people already suffer sky high cost of living in Singapore due to both GST as well as sky high foreign worker levies (up to $1000/mth) that employers pay on their foreign manual labour which just adds to our supermarket bills.

Yet the PAP spends lavishly on its sock-puppets, cronies and other unsavories.
For example:
a) Smokers are given a waiver of the usual 70% loading on insurance premiums contracted vz private health insurance companies: yet SG gahmen compulsory healthcare insurance schememedishield-life does not load smokers with any market rt based rise in premiums: i.e. an implicit subsidy to put more money into the tobacco industry (do some PAP leaders own shares of tobacco companies???). 

b) In article:
'Designer chairs for MOM staff': my paper, Fri, 25Mar2011"The MOM spokesman said that the chairs, which cost $575 each, were chosen because of various factors, such as their ergonomic design, durability and value for money." Instead of being prudent with gahmen funds, civil servants seem to have very expensive taste whereby their comfort at work is concerned with a total of $272K spent on 472 chairs. 

c) After almost losing the war against diabetes, the PAP with its sorry ego now wants to prop up the people's morale with some olympic medals and fit looking athletes, both of which there had been a drought for many years. If paying for medals won were an Olympic sized bribery contest: then Singapore would surely win FIRST prize: the saddest part being that its already public news: a sad bunch of people trying just too hard not to fail. Ref: How much money will gold medal winners in Rio take home? By Sally French, 21Aug2016 6:26 p.m. ET 

d) Bukit Batok MRT Station before and after rats extermination.:[source: https://www.singsupplies.com/showthr...tation/page16]
Jurong Town Council Spent $120,000 of Taxpayer Money to Kill 230 Rats (about $522 to kill each rat): before after photos show massive defoliation of the hill. Was taxpayers $$$ wisely spent, would preventive measures have been a cheaper option? Were poisonous chemicals used in the extermination resulting in agent orange like land contamination which would pose problems later (poisoning of crops/ fruits grown on the hill)?

e) PAP sock puppet recruitment process: a red carpet into parliament for all those willing to sell their souls for cash 'Without some assurance of a good chance of winning at least their first election, many able and successful young Singaporeans may not risk their careers to join politics,' Mr Goh Chok Tong, June 2006 ['GRCs make it easier to find top talent: SM'].
[Pict= Disassembling GRC system benefits PAP (Part 1 of 3)]

f) After serving the country with blood, sweat, tears for 2.5yrs (and more during reservists) for NO salary, the PAP gahmen wants to fine $5000 and jail 5yrs to compel cooperation to reduce the security risk in Singapore, but the $10 fee is probably rubbed in to show who's boss???: $10 might not be exorbitant, but in contrast to the overpriced rats, chairs but pittance NS allowances, it feels like a slap in the face no less. 

Despite all this mischief we suffer, I guess the following claim that we have a "first class political leadership"still stands:
 [alt pict source]

The appointed sock puppets/ attack dogs industriously at work:
"If the annual salary of the Minister of Information, Communication and Arts is only $500,000, it may pose some problems when he discuss policies with media CEOs who earn millions of dollars because they need not listen to the minister's ideas and proposals. Hence, a reasonable payout will help to maintain a bit of dignity."
MP Lim Wee Kiak apologises for comments on pay
[IMG URL]

Quote:
IC re-registration at age 55 to be compulsory from January
SINGAPORE — From January next year, Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PR) will have to re-register for their National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) when they reach age 55, so that data such as photos can be updated.
By Faris Mokhtar - 14November 2016
SINGAPORE — From January next year, Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PR) will have to re-register for their National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) when they reach age 55, so that data such as photos can be updated.

This is in addition to the current NRIC registration at age 15 and re-registration at age 30, said the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Monday (Nov 14). But those who received a replacement NRIC within 10 years before their 55th birthday will be exempt.

“As NRIC holders get older, the photographs on the NRIC will become outdated. This may cause difficulties in identification, particularly for the elderly. Besides possible inconvenience to the NRIC holders, this may also lead to security risks because the authorities may not be able to correctly identify an individual based on his outdated photograph,” said the ICA in a statement announcing the move.

If an NRIC is found by another person, he or she could assume the identity of the rightful cardholder, said the ICA’s deputy director of Citizen Services Chui Wai Cheng on Monday. “It could be a financial transaction or an attempt to purchase goods and services (by) assuming the identity of another person,” she added.

TODAY understands that the ICA has received reports of such cases but does not track the numbers.

Letters will be sent out to those affected a month before they turn 55, and they have one year to re-register for their new NRIC. The subsidised re-registration fee at age 55 is S$10 for citizens and S$50 for PRs — the same as fees for current registration exercises at age 15 and 30.

As re-registration is mandatory, failing to do so is an offence under the National Registration Act. Offenders can be fined up to S$5,000 or jailed up to five years or punished with both, if convicted.

For its part, the ICA will send out reminder letters, six and nine months after the NRIC holder turns 55 years old, asking the individual to re-register if he or she has not done so.

For those who are bedridden and unable to register in person, family members can submit a request to the ICA to make a home visit for re-registration and provide a doctor’s note on the person’s medical condition.

For those who have turned 55 before 2017, NRIC re-registration will be optional. This group can do so through an exercise that will start from 2018, details of which will be announced next year.

Meanwhile, those who have re-registered at the 30-year mark and have not turned 55, but feel that their NRIC photos do not resemble their current appearance, can also re-apply for a new NRIC. But they will not be able to enjoy the subsidised re-registration fee and will have to bear the normal fee of S$60.

And, from next year, first-time NRIC applicants and those who are re-registering will also have their iris images taken, after laws were passed in Parliament last Thursday allowing the Government to do this in a bid to strengthen identity verification at immigration checkpoints.

Senior Minister of State Desmond Lee said that the authorities will progressively roll out iris-scanning technology at the country’s checkpoints in the next two years.

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...-register-nric
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