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SINGAPORE: Singapore Customs said the number of people who violated the three-quarter-tank rule doubled last year. It said the figure went up to about 4,000 compared to that the year before. The rule, which has been in place since 1991, requires all motorists travelling north out of Singapore, to fill their petrol tanks to at least three-quarter full. One driver said: "The (petrol) prices are pretty high right now. If I'm going to Malaysia, I will go with a three-quarter tank, and top up to a full tank before returning to Singapore. "I think that's the norm -- a lot of people do that". Another said: "Most of the time, I go in with three-quarter tank or more than three quarters, depending on the situation. I mean, since I'm going to Malaysia, I might as well top up there". In Singapore, petrol costs about two dollars per litre, while in Malaysia, it's about RM1.90 or about 80 Singapore cents. The price difference is why Singapore motorists are heading north to fill up their tanks. Singapore Customs said the number of people violating the three-quarter-tank rule has been on the rise between 2008 and 2010. Offenders face a maximum fine of S$500. Some motorists go even further by tampering with their fuel meter. Last year, 23 car owners were charged with that offence, down from 24 in 2009. In 2008, there were only four such cases. Offenders who tamper with their fuel meter face a S$5,000 fine or a year's jail. - CNA

WTF, count votes count until die, the condition there must be real bad!!! https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/318-election-officials-die-more-than-2000-ill-after-indonesias-mammoth-single-day-poll JAKARTA - Kindergarten teacher Tursina Maya's days were packed on and around the election on April 17, the biggest single day poll held anywhere in the world and one of the most complicated with 240,000 candidates running for office. For the first time ever, Indonesians were simultaneously taking part in presidential as well legislative polls. A day ahead of the poll, Ms Tursina and her neighbours, who were tasked to manage their polling station in North Jakarta, held meetings, set up a tent, desks and instruction signs. They worked tirelessly from morning to midnight. On D-day, she continued working the clock, administering to voters before proceeding to the more daunting task of counting ballots. The next day, the 42-year-old mother ended up in hospital and had to be warded for four nights because of exhaustion and elevated blood pressure. She was, however, luckier than Abdul Rohim, 40, a security officer assigned to a polling station in Bekasi, West Java. He was admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), suffering from exhaustion and heart pain. He died subsequently. As at 8am on Tuesday (April 30), 318 polling station committee officials have died and 2,232 fell ill, said the general election commission (KPU), which oversaw the polls. Related Story More than 300 election workers, police officers in Indonesia die of exhaustion Related Story Indonesia urged to review polls after over 100 election workers, police die of exhaustion Related Story Indonesia election microsite: Read more stories "Many of them had to stay up through two nights and not while they had coffee to watch football games, but while they were under pressure amid efforts of ensuring there was no miscounting," said Mr Pramono Ubaid Tantowi, a KPU commissioner, on Tuesday. After polls closed on April 17, ballots were first manually counted at more than 800,000 polling stations. The counting at many polling stations lasted until past midnight and officials then had to oversee the transport of ballot boxes to collection points, which were plagued with long queues, adding to delays. The results of the polling stations were then tallied at the sub-district, district and provincial offices before ending up in the national vote tally in Jakarta. Election officials were tasked to monitor closely each stage of the counting process. A normal person would be able to work hard for eight straight hours and then stay awake for the following eight hours before he has to get six hours' sleep, Mr Pramono said, citing medical doctors. Under the existing election law, manual vote counting at a polling station must be completed within the same day (midnight deadline) and a Supreme Court decree stipulates it could be extended for 12 hours conditionally but without any break in the vote-counting period, Mr Pramono noted. "I started my day around 5am and wrapped up around the same time the next day," said Ms Tursina, stressing that staying up all night working was the part that caused her physical stamina to drop. After finishing vote counting at around midnight, she oversaw the transport of ballot boxes to a collection point until 3am. She recalled that in the last election in 2014, when the legislative poll was held a few months earlier ahead of the presidential one, manual vote counting mostly finished by 5pm. Mr Abdul Rohim's widow, Madam Masnun, 38, said her husband felt exceptionally tired after the Wednesday polls and rested at home. He was rushed to a clinic on Friday and died on the subsequent Wednesday (April 24). "On Monday (April 22) he said he felt pain on the chest. Then he did not speak at all until Wednesday," Ms Masnun told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar in Jakarta held by Ombudsman Indonesia. The seminar was the beginning of a study of the 2019 election by the independent agency overseeing public services in the country.

China officials slam themselves - on TV Criticism session part of CCP's self-cleansing campaign: Observers Published on Sep 27, 2013 Mr Xi has pledged to clean up the CCP by ridding its ranks of bureaucracy and extravagance. -- PHOTO: REUTERS By Kor Kian Beng, China Bureau Chief, In Beijing IT WAS a made-for-television criticism and self-criticism show. In an unprecedented move, China's state broadcaster CCTV showed top officials of Hebei province criticising "impatient" superiors even as they admitted to overspending on things like official cars and lavish dinners. Observers noted that the programme televised on Wednesday is a first, and shows the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intensifying its "self-cleansing" campaign. They also said other provinces might follow Hebei's lead, and that the people would dismiss such "self-criticism" sessions as a mere show, unless errant officials were also taken to task. On Wednesday, viewers saw Hebei party boss Zhou Benshun reproaching himself for being impractical and less hard-working than before, while his subordinates criticised him for not doing more to help the poor and neglecting environmental issues. The provincial party boss also criticised a subordinate, Qinhuangdao city's party chief. "I feel Tian Xiangli is too hungry for success and over-eager to prove herself and impress her bosses. Such behaviour will lead us to do things that are irrelevant to the people's interests," he said. Besides Mr Zhou, Hebei deputy party boss Zhao Yong was also shown confessing to being impulsive, and provincial governor Zhang Qingwei to being arrogant. The criticism and self-criticism took place during three days of meetings starting on Monday to discuss how to improve the people's livelihoods. President Xi Jinping, who has pledged to clean up the CCP by ridding its ranks of bureaucracy and extravagance, attended the meetings. Provincial propaganda chief Ai Wenli noted that Hebei "wasted" 3.3 million yuan (S$674,000) on Chinese New Year celebrations last year, while Vice-Governor Yang Chongwen said the annual budget ballooned from 253 million yuan last year to 660 million yuan this year due to a massive jump in the expenditure on official cars. China's 25 Politburo members, including Mr Xi, held a similar session over four days in June. Mr Xi sounded a warning when he said: "Don't think that all is fine if you pass the 'test' at such sessions. You should continue to think more deeply about how to improve people's lives." Hong Kong-based observer Willy Lam said the purpose of the sessions is to "ensure regional leaders follow instructions from the top and consolidate Xi's power". Many see the revival of self-criticism, common during the Cultural Revolution, as a reflection of Mr Xi's Maoist ideals. Professor Lam said it shows "that Xi still believes in the rule of man rather than the rule of law". Singapore-based analyst Bo Zhiyue noted Hebei's leaders were careful to admit to their shortcomings rather than to mistakes that might expose them to party discipline or criminal prosecution. "They were praising one another in a negative way, such as how they were impatient because they were so eager to serve the people," said Dr Bo, an analyst at the East Asian Institute. All this could backfire on the CCP, said Renmin University analyst Zhang Ming. "The public will enjoy watching officials criticising themselves, but they won't be pleased if these officials are not punished." [email protected]

PepsiCo Inc. is moving to deepen its management bench and line up a potential successor to Chairman and Chief Executive Indra Nooyi, tapping an outsider to a senior role and an internal candidate to a new post following investor frustration with the company's recent performance. On Monday, the Purchase, N.Y., company plans to name former senior Wal-Mart Stores Inc. executive Brian Cornell to head the company's largest and most profitable unit, according to people familiar with the matter. PepsiCo also plans to appoint longtime company executive John Compton to the new position of president, responsible for integrating PepsiCo's far-flung global operations and brands more closely, these people said. The appointments position both men, along with European operations chief Zein Abdalla, as the top internal candidates to succeed Mrs. Nooyi, who has faced investor dissatisfaction as beverage rival Coca-Cola Co. has swiped market share from PepsiCo. Mrs. Nooyi has also been unable to boost the company's stock since she became CEO in 2006. Some on Wall Street have called for a split-up of PepsiCo, which has 22 billion-dollar retail brands, including Tropicana, Gatorade and its namesake cola. Mr. Cornell, who worked at PepsiCo for six years before leaving in 2004, will assume Mr. Compton's current post as head of PepsiCo's Americas-wide food division. Last year the unit generated roughly a third of PepsiCo's revenue, or $23 billion, and half its operating profit, or $5.5 billion, with such brands as Lay's potato chips, Doritos tortilla chips and Quaker oatmeal. The hiring is a coup for PepsiCo. Mr. Cornell, 53 years old, was viewed as a potential CEO at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. after taking the reins of the 610-store Sam's Club unit in 2009 and boosting sales. But he was also considered to be behind other candidates for the job. He left the Bentonville, Ark., retailer in January, saying he wanted to move back to the Northeast for family reasons. Recently, he was approached by Avon Products Inc. about the cosmetic company's CEO opening, according to people familiar with the matter. Avon declined to comment. Mrs. Nooyi, 56, has said she "loves" her job, and there are no immediate plans for her to step down, according to people familiar with the matter. The company also has ruled out a split-up for now. Last month, PepsiCo's board said it fully backed top management and its business strategy. In a February meeting with investors, Mrs. Nooyi said that PepsiCo had "outstanding leaders'' running each of its businesses and that they "are all CEO capable.'' Mr. Cornell had been seeking a CEO position since leaving Wal-Mart but has received no assurances that he will replace Mrs. Nooyi, according to people familiar with the matter. As for Mr. Compton, the title of president doesn't automatically make him the heir apparent, people familiar with the management overhaul cautioned. Hugh Johnston, PepsiCo's chief financial officer, is also in the running but is a less-likely candidate, these people added. Mrs. Nooyi has taken several steps to boost the company's performance. PepsiCo said in February it is slashing 8,700 jobs and boosting its marketing budget in 2012 by as much as $600 million. But the company also warned that its profit will fall 5% this year, dragged down in part by rising commodity costs, even though it is targeting $1.5 billion in new cost savings by 2014. The company said it expects to return to "high-single-digit'' earnings growth next year. Mr. Compton, 50, is being entrusted with the crucial task of bringing PepsiCo's disparate parts more closely together to rein in costs and improve sales after many years of decentralized management. How well he does could determine not only whether he becomes the next CEO but also whether the company stays together. Mr. Compton joined PepsiCo in 1983 and most recently was responsible for overseeing the Americas food unit. PepsiCo said last month it will focus much of its redoubled sales push on a dozen major global brands. It plans to roll out its first-ever global marketing campaign for its struggling flagship Pepsi-Cola brand in coming weeks and to increasingly market its most-popular drink and snack brands, such as Mountain Dew and Doritos, together. Mrs. Nooyi signaled in February that the company could revisit its business strategy in 18 months if performance doesn't improve. PepsiCo executives insist that breaking up the food and beverage businesses would put PepsiCo at a big disadvantage and that it needs the combined scale to compete effectively in developing markets around the globe. But it hasn't ruled out eventually selling its U.S. bottling operations. PepsiCo's Indian-born CEO has been named in recent media reports as a potential candidate to head the World Bank, but she hasn't been approached about the position, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mr. Abdalla, 53, has headed PepsiCo's European business since 2008 and is also considered a strong candidate to eventually succeed Mrs. Nooyi. The Sudan-born, U.K.-educated executive has been assigned to oversee the integration of Wimm-Bill-Dann, the Russian dairy giant that PepsiCo acquired last year in a roughly $5 billion deal. Last year he was also given some responsibilities in Africa. Mr. Johnston, 50, CFO since 2010, has held several positions since he joined PepsiCo in 1987, including heading Pepsi-Cola's North America business and overseeing global operations. Some industry insiders have speculated that Michael White, chairman and chief executive at the digital television company DirecTV Group Inc. since 2009, could return to PepsiCo as CEO after narrowly losing out to Mrs. Nooyi in 2006. But Mr. White hasn't been in contact with PepsiCo's board since he left the company, has had "no discussions whatsoever'' about returning to PepsiCo and "is very happy'' at his current company, said a DirecTV spokesperson. Write to Mike Esterl at [email protected] and Joann S. Lublin at [email protected]

For government officials in Huili, a distinctly modest county in a rural corner of south-west China, attracting national media coverage would normally seem a dream come true. Unfortunately, their moment in the spotlight was not so welcome: mass ridicule over what may well be one of the worst-doctored photographs in internet history. The saga began on Monday when Huili's website published a picture showing, according to the accompanying story, three local officials inspecting a newly completed road construction project this month. The picture certainly portrayed the men, and the road, but the officials appeared to be levitating several inches above the tarmac. As photographic fakery goes it was astonishingly clumsy. All this was, however, too late to prevent a torrent of mockery as the offending image was passed around chatrooms and other websites. Inevitably, within hours there was a flood of parodies showing the officials variously landing on the moon, surrounded by dinosaurs and, in one instance, joined on their inspection tour by the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il.

After a year it's finally back.. Any returning officials or first timers in here? Come share with us what your role will be this year

These are few moments that restore my faith in a failing system what do you guys think? Chief Justice sets man free http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews...120-102191.html Thu, Nov 20, 2008 The Straits Times IN THE High Court on Thursday, Johnny Ong asked for time to post bail and seek legal aid. The 21-year-old said he wanted to get a lawyer to argue his appeal against being sent to the Reformative Training Centre (RTC) for helping run an illegal gaming service. Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong asked him to sit down.After considering the prosecution's arguments, CJ Chan decided that Ong had been punished enough. He would be freed on Friday. The CJ also pointed out that this was Ong's first brush with the law. Ong also told police that he needed to work to support his ailing mother. He was paid $70 a day as a cashier at the gaming den but was not planning to work there long. The CJ noted that Ong has served more than two months in detention since conviction.

NO JOKE. Where else but our very own Truly ASSia Malaysia Boleh! For the benefit of those non-Malaysians and Frog in the well Singaporeans, RELA is Malaysia's official religious "spy" club with the power to arrest those who go against their practise of religion. They themselves however have their fair share of "horny" moments. Speak up, Maslinda tells victimised women Sun, Sep 14, 2008 New Straits Times >PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA - Maslinda Ishak, the nightclub employee who was told to relieve herself inside a Rela truck five years ago, still has nightmares about that humiliation. Maslinda, 31, who was rounded up with others during a religious department raid, had asked permission to use a toilet. But Rela volunteer Mohamad Tahir Osman told her to urinate inside the truck. On Thursday, the court ordered Tahir to pay RM100,000 in damages to Maslinda for taking pictures of her private moment inside the truck. Tahir was sentenced to four months' jail in April 2003 by the magistrate's court for outraging her modesty. Her husband, who only wanted to be known as Aiman, described how Maslinda had cried all day and night upon hearing the court's verdict against the former Rela member, who put her through her life's worst nightmare. Maslinda was not in court when the judge read out the verdict. In fact, she had kept away from the hearings, except for the times which she had to testify. It was Aiman who would attend every time. During an interview on Friday, the rather embarrassed Maslinda started off by talking about her nightmares on the incident. "When I was squatting and relieving myself in the truck, someone else yanked the scarf that my friends held around me while he (Tahir) laughed and began clicking away (tergelak-gelak). "I could tell he enjoyed taking the shots. Then I heard my friends say 'Shield your face, shield your face' and I did so. I was in a state of shock." Maslinda said that the Rela and Jawi team went on to raid two other clubs. By the end of the three stops in the wee hours of the morning, the truck was full of people. "We were sandwiched together with the men. "Then, when they took us to the Jawi office, they separated the men and the women. "What was the point in that? I did not understand anything that was happening then." Aiman was there almost immediately and managed to take Maslinda home. Once inside the car, she told him about the incident and Aiman became furious. "He is still very angry after all these years about what happened to me. You see, we were newly-weds at that time," she said. Not only that, Maslinda had to deal with her worried parents, four sisters and brother when the news broke. "Everyone just cried and cried. They were so upset. But my mum reassured me and told me that they would back me all the way, whatever action I decided to take." Maslinda felt particularly hurt when some of her parents' neighbours in Negri Sembilan gave them the cold shoulder after the incident became a news topic for months after that. "My mum fought with some of them. But through it all, she encouraged me to soldier on. "My family and Aiman have been my greatest support. The women from Sisters in Islam and Women's Aid Organisation were also pillars of strength for me. "They would come in full force, nearly 30 of them, whenever I had to go to the syariah court, which was eight times. "I was never charged with anything." Aiman said that there were times when Maslinda wanted to give up the fight, especially when the court upheld the decision that four months' jail was sufficient for the offender. Maslinda never returned to work at the club. She stayed home for nearly two years, all the time hating the publicity she was getting. "People who never spoke to me published stories about me in the papers and magazines. "I was very embarrassed," she said, politely declining requests to be photographed. To Maslinda, her short working stint at the club was just a job she took after working in a factory for five years. "It wasn't a career decision or anything. It was just a job at that time." Maslinda's life was slowly returning to normal until last Thursday. "After all our struggles, this is the verdict. It is so unfair," she said. While Maslinda and Aiman mull about what next to do, she is clear about one thing. When something like this happens, the victim must speak up. "My message to women out there is not to be afraid, especially when you know you are not in the wrong. "Many similar cases go unreported. That will not solve the problem." In some ways, Maslinda thinks she is ready to move on to the next step of starting a family, a decision that was delayed because of the incident. But Aiman is concerned that they are not financially ready. "A lot of our financial resources have been drained because of this case. "I'm not sure what we are going to do now, but we are not giving up," said a determined Aiman. Seem like some people are manipulating the name of a good religion for their own good and commit crimes hor.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news...214151922.shtml Singapore proving to be a victim of its own success... Potential Singapore Grand Prix race-goers endured a frustrating time on Thursday, as tickets went on sale for the inaugural event. The local New Straits Times describes the performance of Singapore's ticketing procedures as 'complete chaos', as fervent ticket-buyers in some cases tried several times to book a seat - by phone, internet and in person - before giving up. "It was absolutely frustrating and a disgrace," said one unsuccessful patron, who tried for four hours to buy tickets. Another, who between 11am and 8pm unsuccessfully tried to buy tickets on the crashed website and by phone, wrote on the Straits Times website: "This is really a sad day for Singapore events. "I was so intent on getting a ticket today... what a shame/sham!" Another wrote: "This is an absolute disgrace and the organisers should have some way to compensate those of us that were told we would be called back with tickets but were not. "What an embarrassment for Singapore hosting this world class event, after delays in releasing tickets for sale and then this. Pitiful."