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https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphoto...573169069_n.jpg Attached the print screen in words doc...

Yes, I'm hurt but...I can still fight: Ex SMRT CEO Former SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa talks about, among others, quitting to defuse the criticism of her and the night she decided to resign. Tue, Mar 20, 2012 The New Paper SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa is now serving out her resignation notice, moving around with crutches after a major knee surgery. She talks about, among others, quitting to defuse the criticism of her and the night she decided to resign. In the end, she became a magnet for abuse. And only by stepping down could she defuse the situation and allow the organisation to get on with the job. This is how former SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa describes the situation she found herself in early this year, just before she resigned. "The whole organisation was overwhelmed with trying to answer and defend on so many fronts," she says. "I had become a magnet attracting all the criticism. If I divorced myself from the organisation, then at least it could start on a clean path." Speaking in an exclusive interview with The New Paper on Sunday at her home off Lornie Road, the 57-year-old says it was her decision to leave and she was not forced out. There was mounting pressure on her to step down after the two major train service breakdowns on Dec 15 and 17 last year, affecting 221,000 commuters in all. The Criminal Investigation Department, the Land Transport Authority and SMRT are investigating the disruptions and a hearing on the findings, open to the public, will begin on April 16. But why did she decide to hand in her resignation letter on Jan 6, when only weeks earlier she had said she would be "staying put to fix things"? She says: "After trying so hard for 21/2 weeks or so, I felt that things were snowballing and it was very difficult... because every faction was coming at us. April 5 to be her last day "It took me one whole night to think about it." She says she "always believed I will do the best for the organisation that I belong to". So she asked herself what was the best thing she could do. She realised the best thing was to leave because "it would defuse the bubble straightaway". "It's like a bubble, you know. You defuse it, let people get on to do what is right for the organisation," she says. But didn't the company say in December last year, even before the train disruptions, that Ms Saw had expressed the desire to "move on" this year, after having served nine years with the company? SMRT's longest-serving CEO clarifies that the idea of quitting had indeed been brought up then, but she decided to stay on when the company made a bid to operate the new Downtown Line. All that changed, however, after the train service disruptions. What's next for her? Ms Saw reckons she has had a good run with SMRT, but she is not about to call it a day yet. "I'm going to be 58. I don't think I'm about to ride into the sunset." A few offers have come up since she announced her resignation, she reveals, but she has yet to decide. "I always thought people would say: 'Don't touch this person after all that's been said and done'. But my friends say: 'You've moved SMRT to be a very different organisation. "I think I've been proven to be able to manage a business and I think I can continue to do something, probably very different from SMRT," she says. She sees herself being active for another five to 10 years. And if not on the corporate front, then always as a martial arts teacher, having mastered taekwondo and tai chi chuan. Her last day with SMRT will be April 5. With a bit more time on her hands these days, she has finally started to deal with one issue that she has put off for some time - her health. The martial arts training and fighting has taken its toll on her body. She recently had major knee surgery and is moving around with the help of crutches while regaining her strength with physiotherapy. She also has four slipped discs, but adds quickly in case anyone thinks she's an easy target now: "I can still fight."

Johor Balu MP - Sporeans are nothing but trouble! Come here create trouble but go back Spore kena tamed. Damn!! Singaporeans fake car theft to claim insurance By Desiree Tresa Gasper An assemblyman has called for an investigation into Singaporeans who "dump" their vehicles in Johor to claim insurance when they return to the island republic. Datuk Tee Siew Kiong (BNPulai Sebatang) said such incidents were rampant and they gave a false impression that many vehicles were being stolen here. "A few Singaporean friends have admitted that Singaporeans who own luxury cars but could no longer afford it, prefer to dispose of them here and make a police report claiming it was stolen," he said. He cited the case of a Singaporean who reported the loss of his car but refused to claim it when it was found by Malaysian police. Tee said these Singaporeans could also sell their vehicle ownership passes worth hundreds of (Singapore) dollars. "Our police should work with their Singapore counterparts and the Interpol to clamp down on such activities," he said. Meanwhile, in his speech, Tee also lambasted Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for making derogatory statements pertaining to crime in the state and said statistics showed that the crime rate in Penang was much higher than Johor. "For each 100,000 residents here 639 crime cases are recorded whereas for Penang, about 800 cases are recorded for every 100,000 residents," he said, adding that this clearly proved that Johor was safer. His statement was immediately interrupted by Dr Boo Cheng Hou (DAPSkudai) and Gwee Tiong Hiang (DAPBentayan) who said that Lim had already apologised and it was unnecessary to bring up the matter. Tee said the apology was insincere and was only done via the media. "He only knows how to blame others and he should get his facts right," he said.

Most got their licenses at age 18-20 when our parents asked us to learn.. Unless you are ah sia kia, parents gv u money to buy car then, by the time u can afford a car is at age 26 or later for guys becos of NS, so 8-10 years of non-driving will make you forget there's an indicator switch, blindspots, inconsiderate lane changing.. Just some ranting.. Thanks for reading..

More Singaporeans own at least two cars More than 34,000 people with more than one car to their names By Cheryl Ong & Maria Almenoar http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/i...GES_MACAR24.jpg THIS may be the world's most expensive place to own a car, but it is not stopping more people from buying a second one or even a third. Land Transport Authority (LTA) figures show 6.8 per cent of car owners here have two or more cars, up from 5.5 per cent just four years ago. This translates into 34,226 people with more than one car to their names as of June. This has caused a crunch on the number of parking spaces available. It is not just the well-off who own more than one car. Parking spaces in the carparks in Housing Board estates are also getting hard to come by. Increasingly, residents have to park farther away from their flats or park illegally. When the HDB looked into complaints over this, it found 36,370 households owning more than one car - 60 per cent more than in 2006, when 22,700 did. Transport researcher Lee Der Horng of the National University of Singapore said the trend is a sign that people have come to see a car as a necessity, not a luxury. He said he had expected the demand for cars to fall, given the Government's drive to promote public transport and the expected hike in certificate of entitlement (COE) prices because of the limited supply of COEs available now. He said: 'If people believe in this lifestyle of having more cars, to satisfy that, they'll convince themselves that the price of a COE is an acceptable percentage of their disposable income.' He added that this suggested the Government's message to people to use public transport may not be getting through. COE premiums now stand at $30,000 to $40,000, higher than in recent years, when they dipped below $20,000; but they are still cheaper now than when they hit $100,000 back in the 1990s. Car dealers and owners cite a slew of reasons people have more than one car: Couples may each need their own car to get to work, or a non-working spouse may need one for errands. And then there are parents who register a second car in their names but let their children drive it, to save on insurance premiums for newer drivers. Sometimes, people buy another car because they can. Take for example a man who indulges himself with a second car, usually a sports car, said managing director Eddie Loo of used-car dealership Car Times. Another factor is the launch of cheaper China-made cars, which make for affordable second cars. The HDB said it will add 5,000 more parking spaces to the existing 500,000 in the next three years to ease the squeeze. Pasir Ris resident C. Ong, 23, drives her family's second car, which her father bought when she started her studies in Nanyang Technological University. Parking spaces are scarce by the time she gets home in the evening though she has a season parking ticket, so she sometimes parks illegally and risks a fine. Sembawang resident Valerie Toh, 23, also an undergraduate, said her parents each drive their own car and see their wheels as a necessity. Parking spaces are a rare find after 6pm, but they put up with it, she said. Those who own just one car are also vexed. Engineer Henry Chew, 38, of Tampines Street 71, said the multi-storey carpark near his block is always nearly full by 10pm on weekdays. The squeeze is on in condominiums and private estates too; some condo managements have resorted to making residents ballot for spaces or charging them for a second parking spot. In a private estate in Lorong Marzuki last week, cars were parked on both sides of a road with double yellow lines. To avoid parking fines, residents parked just outside their gates, so motorists using the road had to inch their way forward. Dr Lim Wee Kiak, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport and an MP for Sembawang GRC, suggested raising carpark charges, which Associate Professor Lee said may work to discourage people from driving to work or downtown. A survey last month, comparing parking charges across 145 cities, found Asia's most expensive parking spaces in Tokyo and Hong Kong - at $74 and $38 a day respectively. It costs an average of $29 a day to park in prime areas such as Shenton Way and Orchard Road. Prof Lee said that in the suburbs, parking charges could be pegged to the number of cars one owns, with multi-car owners paying higher rates. But Ms Lee Bee Wah, an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, doubts this will work. She said: 'If residents spend so much on a car, they'll pay for parking even if it's expensive. The solution is twofold - we have to improve public transport and manage the car population.' This means ensuring that even private estates are served by buses and trains, and further reducing the supply of COEs. 'If people think public transport is more affordable and efficient, they will consider it a more viable alternative to buying a car,' she said. [email protected]

Please lah, JB is not like last time where corruption is so rampant until you can open your big bloody mouth and start giving money and bribes like Santa Claus. The level of corruption in Malaysia has DROPPED as much as the RISE in corruption in Singapore. So dont say I never inform you to be discreet. NEVER NEVER give money to traffic police anymore. This is a warning. Eight Singaporeans held for bribery JOHOR BARU: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has detained eight Singa

I have notice this issue for very very long time. Until now I don't understand why. Many Ang Mos, they can strike out a conversation with anyone, esp their own kin. Sporeans, very unlikely will chat up other Sporeans when Overseas. I tried a few times but many Sporeans I tried to speak to, are very unfriendly, snobbish, arrogant, reserved, cocky etc. Its the women that are very Stuck-up to you as a stranger than the AMTKs. It is very easy to identify Sporeans in overseas public places - Singlish. Some force an artificial accent...The other reasons are above... It also seems that they are ashame to identify with Sporeans and try hard NOT to be Sporeans. Our passports are the most welcomed one in the World. I readily say I'm a Sporean and not

Happy Bdae Singapore, I am proud to be a Sporean. Though my fellow countrymen irks me at times, we share something in common as depicted in this clip:- To the unsung heros/heroines who have passed on to the nether worlds without seeing their fruits of labour, here's something to them:- Hailing from diverse backgrounds, You all converge, On this little island, That was once an overun forest. With only one common goal, You all put aside, Differences and Disputes. To make this island, A place where you can call it Home. A Home where your Heart resides. Home is when your Heart knows, all differences are accepted, all voices are heard. The island now and the island then, Might be totally different. Where your common goal, Might have been forgotten By those who have the power to make a difference. Fret not, for your contributions And goal will never be forgotten. Amongst those who are now Enjoying your fruits. And who now give thanks, For without you all, We will never be what we are now. Your legacy will live on, Even after we have passed on. For you have shown us, The true meaning of listening to your Heart. The Courage to listen to the Truth, though it might Hurts. The Courage to admit a Mistake, though it might the Ego. And the Wisdom to learn from past mistake instead of moving on and make the same mistake again.

Guess our counterparts in South Korea also practise it.. but nbz..they dislocate shoulder can get PES F..our side still serve as PES C..excuse upper limb..

Let count our blessing as a sporean? 1)Can enjoy housing and education benfit fr our govt only insitution such as HDB and MOE. 2)Get rebates from govt(Not gurantee every year have) 3)NS pay for 2years. 4)Reservist every year to keep fit. 5)Mean testing for hospital stay 7)No subsidy so tat we are independent and free and work till we die. 8)Got CPF 9)Baby bonus 10)Subsidy for HDB upgrading. 11)Income tax rebate 12)Anymore, pls feel free to add in as i can only think of these.

We could be the biggest losers if subprime problem is not resolved. SGD20 over billion up in smoke but our dear govt say they are unable to fund the help the poor programme. So up GST to collect from us to help them to help the poor. We are suckers!We are suckers!We are suckers!We are suckers!We are suckers!

No need to keep thinking or argue whether the Alfa specs in SPR are the real deal or not... just a sample of what it should be if it really WAS! These are Ti versions of the 159, brera & the GT Q2 with exterior & interior trim updates... notice the GT grille with REAL brushed steel trimmings... the burnished/wine stained leather interior of the alfa SPYDER - u think JACKSPEED in spr follow this same standard? (and who said Alfa interiors were crap quality?) One thing i noticed when at he Tokyo motorshow... the Alfa booth staff seem to be much more "dao" then the rest of the other marques leh... ALL their show cars were LOCKED... and there was a 300+ strong queue of ppl waiting in line for the Alfa Romeo brochure..... I would have thought that el-cheapo Alfa would have no one at their booth or maybe tat was a tactic to make the booth look busy? No other marque required you to Q for their brochures etc.. i didnt bother to wait. oH YA... just a bit of car nut TRIVIA for anyone interested: My photography not good so the special 8C paint work turns up more orange colour in me photos... it is actually a very deep red. And do not go mistaking this paint to be similar to the MICA metallic Red on the RX8 or special edition Metallic Red Lexus GS300 at the show... u could see the metallic bits in the paint on the Jap makes... but for the 8C red, it was a SILVER metalic film covered with a CLEAR RED tint lacquer... so u do not see flakey gold bits in the red paint at all. cheers