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A Singaporean man has been charged with dangerous driving over a four-car accident in New Zealand that killed a motorcyclist. Lew Wei Kiong, 29, had been due in the Dunedin District Court on Tuesday (Dec 8) to face a count of dangerous driving causing death. Three new charges of dangerous driving causing injury were also due to be brought against him, reported the Otago Daily Times, but the case has been adjourned to Dec 22. Lew, who works at the Energy Market Authority (EMA), was involved in the accident along the state highway in North Otago, about 20km south of Oamaru, on Nov 29. EMA confirmed to Shin Min Daily News that Lew was an employee and that it was extending aid to two employees in New Zealand. According to stuff.co.nz, Lew was driving a rented Toyota and had allegedly crossed the double yellow lines on the highway to overtake a group of cars. He crashed into two cars and a motorcycle travelling in the opposite direction. The passenger in the Toyota, who is also believed to be Singaporean, had to be cut from the car and was flown to Dunedin Public Hospital with serious injuries. Five others suffered injuries, while the motorcyclist, 39-year-old Craig Alan Chambers, died at the scene. New Zealand police had blamed the car crash on driver "inattention". The accident also reportedly reignited a debate over tourist drivers and the condition of roads in New Zealand, with Labour Party MP Damien O'Connor suggesting that poor road design could have led to the crash. He said that certain roads on the country's south island could be confusing for foreign drivers and clearer signage was needed. http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/singapore-tourist-charged-with-dangerous-driving-after-fatal-crash-in-new-zealand?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#xtor=CS1-10

Is there T-mobile or AT&T booth at Terminal 5 (international arrival) where I can buy tourist mobile plan for 3 weeks?

Tourists argue with van driver in S’pore who refused to overload vehicle with their belongings source: https://mothership.sg/2020/01/tourists-van-driver-argument/ A group of tourists seen in a four-and-a-half-minute video harassing a tour bus driver in Singapore for refusing to overload her vehicle, has received widespread condemnation. The incident appeared to have occurred at the four-star Hotel ParkRoyal at Kitchener Road located opposite Mustafa Centre. The video was uploaded by the All Singapore Stuff Facebook page on Jan. 2. The caption of the video said that the tourists started picking on the female driver after she refused to load extra luggage and a wheelchair onto her 13-seater vehicle. She apparently declined as it would have resulted in the overloading of the vehicle, which would have been dangerous for her passengers. The caption read: “Singapore driver bullied by Tour Group for refusing load extra luggage on 13 seater … then they brought another wheel chair to put on top of luggage … driver refused as it is dangerous for passengers sitting inside due to sudden brake can drop.. but family started shouting at driver. This what’s happened..” What video showed In the video, which was apparently taken by the driver, a vehicle can be seen parked at the pick-up point of the hotel. A crowd was watching the commotion as it occurred over several minutes. A family, believed to be tourists, can be seen loudly arguing with the driver and refusing to clear their items from the vehicle. This occurred even after they were told that the tour bus management is sending them a larger vehicle to accommodate all of them. One of the tourists, a woman, can be seen standing inside the van while shouting that the driver “cannot scare us by recording us”. This occurred at the start of the video after the driver resorted to filming the group. The driver repeatedly told the group that they needed to clear the vehicle as she was responsible for it. However, one of the men in the group said the driver should drive them to their destination instead, since they are the passengers and can deal with any problems that arise from overloading the vehicle. The driver then told the group that they should get away from the van. Another man from the group told the driver that he is calling her superiors. One of the young children in the group also shouted at the driver. ParkRoyal staff can be seen intervening throughout. The tourists remained irate and one of the women apparently said in Hindi: “This is such rude behaviour, isnt it? She is creating problems for tourists. In no country can you trouble tourists like this. This is such filthy behaviour!” Driver manages to drive off but not before being confronted ParkRoyal staff then confirmed with the driver that a larger van was on its way. But the tourists remained angry and demanded answers as to what they should do if the other vehicle did not show up. Despite being told repeatedly to clear out, the tourists took their time to remove their luggage from the van as the hotel staff sent the driver on her way. When the driver asked the children to take their bags out of the vehicle, one child said: “That I will take! That I will take!” One of the men in the group then approached the driver, blocked the door from closing, and recorded the driver using his phone. He told the children that they should film the driver since she was filming them. The man then stood in front of the vehicle, which prevented the driver from moving off. Responses The video was initially watched about 80,000 times in one day. By Jan. 4, it has clocked 227,000 views. The majority of comments on the video have called for the tourists to respect the local laws and culture of the host country. Some 1,600 comments have been left on the video in response.

obigood!

not a good summer in Thailand and Thai divers were kept busy

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/malaysia-to-start-imposing-tourism-tax-from-august-8923430 http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysia-to-begin-tourism-tax-on-aug-1 And yes, did my search : "tourist", "tax", Malaysia, all negative..

YANGON: A Dutch tourist has been detained in Myanmar for insulting religion after being accused of pulling the plug on a speaker relaying a late-night Buddhist sermon in Mandalay. Klass Haytema, 30, has been held since Friday (Sep 23) night when he allegedly disconnected the cable linking an amplifier and a speaker at a hall playing the sermon after he complained that it was disturbing him, police said. "The religious hall is not far from the hotel where he was staying... he said he did it because it was too noisy for him," Kyi Soe, police chief at Maha Aung Myay township, told AFP. An angry crowd followed the man back to his hotel, where he was taken into custody by police and later transferred to a Mandalay prison. "We detained him for insulting religion," he said, adding it was under section 295 of Myanmar's penal code. He is yet to be charged but the law carries up to a two year jail term and fine. Buddhist-majority Myanmar is deeply devout and several foreigners have been found guilty of insulting religion. In July a Spanish tourist was deported from Myanmar after monks complained about a tattoo of Buddha he had on his leg. Last year a New Zealand bar manager spent 10 months in jail for "insulting religion" by using a Buddha image to promote a cheap drinks night. Buddhist nationalism has surged in Myanmar in recent years, with the country's Muslim minority -- around five percent of the population -- facing particular pressure. - AFP http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/dutchman-held-in-myanmar-after-pulling-plug-on-buddhist-sermon/3157058.html

Wah lau ayeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ...... wear sarong when visiting MY ... Yahoo news: Restrictive dress codes will impact tourism industry, association warns KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — The country’s tourism industry will suffer if tourists are forced to comply with Islamic guidelines on how to dress during their visit here, the Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association warned today. Association secretary-general Tai Poh Kim said imposing such rules is unnecessary in the first place as “we don’t have much problems with tourists thus far”. “Of course it will affect tourism,” Tai told Malay Mail Online when asked about the implications of such guidelines. “Tourists must respect local culture, but to have tourists dress 100 per cent in line with Muslim rules is overdoing it. No one wants to go to a place that’s full of restrictions.” Tai was responding to the dress code for tourists that recently appeared on Teganukita, the website of the Terengganu state government. The guidelines have since been removed. According to The Star today, the new dress code was to be distributed soon to all travel agents both in Malaysia and in neighbouring countries. Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman, however, denied today that the state issued the Islamic dress code for tourists, claiming he was surprised to hear that the story went viral. He added that such rules to police tourists’ attire were unnecessary as there were already sufficient laws to ensure public modesty. Tai warned that if such rules come into place, it could spread far beyond Terengganu. “(The rules) will affect the whole of Malaysia, not just Terengganu,” he said. “If one of the states starts doing it, others might follow.” Tai said Malaysia’s tourism has already been suffering since last year, especially after the MH370 disaster. He over the past year, many hotels in the country have experienced a dip in bookings, adding that Malaysian tourism could ill-afford further damage. “Investors in Malaysia’s tourism industry, including international chains of hotels, might pull out,” he said. Asked to comment on the issue, Terengganu-based travel agencies Ping Anchorage and DYG Travel said they have yet to receive any directive from the Terengganu government, but said they were confident such rules would only apply to Muslims. “It would disturb tourism if it affected non-Muslims,” said Zulkefli bin Salleh, who is the manager for DYG Travel, “but I don’t think it does.” “The Terengganu state government should make a clear statement that it (the guidelines) doesn’t affect non-Muslims,” he told Malay Mail Online over the phone. In The Star’s report, a source told the newspaper that both men and women need not dress entirely according to Islamic requirements, but their attire must be “decent.” Failure to comply will result in offenders being sent to “counselling”. It is unclear if said counselling will be religious in nature. The east coast state of Terengganu is almost entirely Malay-Muslim, with only a handful of other ethnic minorities residing there. more stories, link: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/restrictive-dress-codes-impact-tourism-industry-association-warns-085700276.html Didn't know 'Roti Prata' or "Roti Chenai" is Bolehland MB (Mentri Besar) fravourite food, flip & flip & flip ...

Here's a link to the full story

Not surprise with China chinese make it to the top 5 ..... Yahoo news: Are Americans Really the Worst? 5 Other Countries Whose Tourists Make Us Look Good By Paula Froelich | Y! Travel Journal – 15 hours ago We’ve all heard it before. “The Ugly American.” The clueless ding-dong who travels to other countries doing the following: talking too loudly, complaining about everything (especially cigarette smoke and the lack of decaffeinated coffee), bringing their own peanut butter to live on lest the local food poison them, wearing funny-looking clothes, and ignoring the personal space of everyone around them. 1. The Russians Armed with rigid self-confidence and a boatload of rubles, traveling Russians just don’t give a damn. Case in point: Last year, there I was in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt — all sorts of covered up, not just because culturally it’s respectful, but also because I didn’t want to get a third-degree sunburn — when I noticed the locals’ eyes bugging out. Behind me, a tour bus of Russians had arrived, the women in bra tops and short-shorts, the men in various stages of undress (it was 100 degrees out), and all turning a nice shade of boiled-lobster red. As the relatively scantily clad group wandered around, a bunch of local kids started running over to catch the pay-per-view. “Those Russians don’t care about anything,” said my guide, Osama. While I wouldn’t go that far, Osama has certainly seen his share of tourists and had an opinion. I’ve heard versions of that opinion before. A few years earlier, when I stayed at the Amantaka resort in Luang Prabang, Laos, a hotel employee said, “No one is here right now but a few Russians. They just sit by the pool and yell at us.” 2. The Chinese Chinese tourists’ behavior is so bad, even their own government has commented on it. Vice Premier Wang Yang has criticized the “uncivilized behavior” of certain Chinese tourists, saying, “They make a terrible racket in public places, scrawl their names on tourist sites, ignore red lights when crossing the road, and spit everywhere. This damages our national image and has a terrible effect.” He’s not wrong. Last year, a 15-year-old Chinese boy scratched “Ding Jinhao was here” into the 3,500-year-old ruins at Luxor in Egypt. Another group of tourists killed a dolphin while trying to use it as a prop in their photos. Others ate endangered sea clams while visiting the Paracel Islands, and still others forged marriage papers to get a honeymoon discount in the Maldives. One mother even let her child defecate on the floor at an airport in Taiwan. So you can see why they’re earning a bad rep. “Overseas travel is a new luxury; Chinese who can afford it compare with each other and want to show off,” Liu Simin, a researcher with the Tourism Research Centre of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Reuters. “Many Chinese tourists are just going abroad, and are often inexperienced and unfamiliar with overseas rules and norms.” Indeed. 3. The Germans It’s almost not their fault that some German travelers can’t seem to chill out — almost. Germans love rules. They also like to do things their way, and they want to do them speedily and do them now. I was on the climb to La Ciudad Perdida outside of Santa Marta, Colombia, recently and there was a German we’ll call Gunther. Gunther was practically a speed walker and couldn’t understand why the strenuous trek had to be broken up into four days. "Why can I not go to the top now? I want to walk fast and go! Why can this country not be like Germany? I pay park fees, and I walk and go!” “Dude, Gunther, relax,” someone said. “There are still some FARC rebels around here, and someone was kidnapped a few months ago from this trail. You’re not allowed to go off on your own for a reason.” “Yes, but I go now!” Another group of Germans almost lost their minds when they saw a Brit smoking on that trek. “It is a drug addiction,” one German woman sniffed to her partner. “Disgusting!” he said in a stage whisper. “They kill themselves and us!” “They cannot help themselves. They are just little addicts.” 4. The British Ever since the sun set on the British Empire, the subjects of the queen have been going out, trying to recapture the glory. They show up in former colonies, pale (not their fault — the sun never shines in the U.K.) and ready to rock. Many get drunk, some even get belligerent, and a few undress. When they get arrested for bad behavior — like having sex on the beach in Dubai or dressing up as naughty nuns in Greece — they are incredulous. In 2012, according to a British Foreign Office study, more than 6,000 Brits ended up behind bars on holiday, often because of crimes fueled by alcohol. The study also showed that as many as 10 Brits a day ended up in the hospital on vacation. 5. The Saudis You probably won’t run into a Saudi outside of the Middle East unless you are in a quite swanky location like New York City, St. Bart’s, St. Tropez, Aspen, Gstaad, Monaco, or … well, you get the point. Though Saudis don’t make most worst-tourists lists, they are certainly making a case for themselves. Take this, for example: Earlier this year, would-be vacationers were understandably peeved when their previously booked (and very expensive) accommodations at Anantara’s Veli, Naladhu, and Dhigu resorts in the Maldives were reportedly canceled at the last minute. The reason? The crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, decided to book three whole islands for nearly a month. And apparently Prince Abdulaziz al-Saud gets what he wants. Though the crown prince is not your normal tourist, Saudis traveling abroad almost all seem to be part of the ginormous royal family, and many hold diplomatic passports, which can allow them to get away with unacceptable tourist behavior: If they do something bad like driving drunk or murdering someone, they often expect to get away with it. Sometimes they do. Incidentally, even Saudis themselves seem not to love Saudi tourists. In fact, many deliberately avoid vacationing where they’ll run into their fellow countrymen, according to some travel agencies. Complaints include Saudis’ not respecting the laws of the country they are visiting and engaging in generally disruptive behavior. More of the stories, link: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/are-americans-really-the-worst--5-other-countries-whose-tourists-make-us-look-good-082056674.html Don't quite agrees with her....... SG tourist when in oversea, will goes hey it cheap cheap cheap, can buy ....

Migrant workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were charged with the murder of David Miller, 24, and the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23. The tourists’ battered bodies were found on the southern island of Koh Tao on September 15. The arrests of the men, both in their early twenties, followed intense scrutiny of Thai authorities which have been accused of mishandling the investigation. http://www.thenational.ae/world/southeast-asia/myanmar-man-accused-of-british-murders-is-scapegoat YANGON// The mother of one of the Myanmar men accused of murdering two British tourists in Thailand has said her son is a “scapegoat”. Migrant workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were charged with the murder of David Miller, 24, and the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23. The tourists’ battered bodies were found on the southern island of Koh Tao on September 15. The arrests of the men, both in their early twenties, followed intense scrutiny of Thai authorities which have been accused of mishandling the investigation. “The case has been fixed, my son is a scapegoat,” Zaw Lin’s mother Phyu Shwe Nu said, adding her son “has never done anything violent before”. Britain has voiced concerns about the way Thai police had handled the case so far and offered police support to Thailand. Myanmar president Thein Sein has also asked for a “fair” investigation, amid reports the accused were tortured into confessing.The mother of the second suspect, Win Zaw Tun, said the news of her son’s arrest had left her suicidal. Thailand has strongly rejected allegations of torture and defended its probe, with junta chief and premier Prayut Chan-ocha saying the case was “reliable”. Earlier in the week Thai authorities agreed to accept British and Myanmar observers to monitor the case but details of what form this would take were not provided. Thai police have said the two Myanmar suspects confessed to the crime and their DNA matched samples taken from Witheridge’s body. The murders dealt another blow to Thailand’s tarnished image as a tourist haven after months of protests in Bangkok led to a coup in May and the introduction of martial law -- which has yet to be lifted.* Agence France-Presse

For robbers that is. http://www.relax.com.sg/article/news/backpacker-of-30-years-says-kl-is-most-dangerous-place-he-has-ever-been-to Backpacker of 30 years says KL is most dangerous place he has ever been to. It's a stark contract to what was reported in 2011. http://www.mycarforum.com/topic/2665412-malaysia-ranked-top-safest-country/

South Korea unveiled its new “tourist police” force Wednesday, with snappy uniforms from rapper Psy’s costume designer and a “Gangnam Style” launch in central Seoul. Around 100 young policemen and women make up the first batch of the new force – formed to protect tourists from being ripped off during their stay in the South Korean capital. The officers were handpicked for their linguistic skills, and can speak a range of languages including English, Japanese and Mandarin. “Those who think they were overcharged by taxi drivers or street food vendors can come and talk to us. We will help settle the problem,” English-speaking recruit Park Jae-Hyoung told AFP. Each officer wears a badge denoting his language expertise on a special dark-blue uniform created by one of the costume designers for the “Gangnam Style” star Psy. The singer’s global hit was played at Wednesday’s launch event, with a police drill unit performing his signature horse-riding dance. “The tourist police wasn’t created because this country is unsafe,” Lee Charm, president of the Korea Tourism Organization told the new recruits. “You are ambassadors who promote how safe this country is,” he said. “From now on, you guys will be very busy having pictures taken with tourists.” The police are unarmed and are meant to summon regular officers in the event of any serious crime. South Korea unveiled its new "tourist police" force at Gwanghwamun square in Seoul on Oct 16, 2013, with snappy uniforms from rapper Psy's costume designer and a Gangnam Style launch. The tourist police will protect tourists from being ripped off during their stay in the South Korean capital. The number of foreign travelers to South Korea has steadily grown over the years and topped 10 million for the first time in 2012, partly thanks to interest sparked by the global popularity of “Gangnam Style.” The song, released a year ago, made Psy an international star, and is the most popular video of all time on YouTube with nearly 1.8 billion views. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/asia/story/s-korea-introduces-gangnam-style-tourist-police-20131016

A tourist bus descending from the popular Genting Resort, apparently rolled off the cliff at 2:30pm today!! According to the Police there are allegedly more than 40 people trapped in the bus, with local Police and ambulance arriving on scene within an hour. Any guesses on what could have happened? Driver slept at the wheel??

ugly human [shakehead]

Glad that he survived in all the 'tour' [laugh]

Good that many singaporeans now no longer think angmoh tuaki. This is good progress n maturity of Singaporeans! Pat ourselves on the back for finally grown up. www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120511-0000072/Where-are-the-friendly-Singaporeans-I-knew Where are the friendly Singaporeans I knew? Letter from Brian Nelson 04:46 AM May 11, 2012 HAVING visited Singapore, one of our favourite destinations, many times in the past 25 years, my wife and I were shocked at the deterioration in attitudes towards tourists. The signs were already there on our last visit four years ago. The first thing we noticed as elderly people, particularly when using the Mass Rapid Transit, was that the youth have no respect for the elderly and the seats reserved for them and pregnant or handicapped people. It is also dangerous getting on and off the train when one is shoved out of the way time and again. Another observation is that nobody smiles or returns a greeting any more. Taxi drivers, particularly, used to be a wealth of information and eager to point out areas of interest but are now, mostly a surly lot. Service has also deteriorated in shops and restaurants, where many of the staff can hardly speak English, are rude and abrupt. As for the words "please" and "thank you", they do not exist. It will not be long before it becomes just a rat race, like in many other cities. Has progress taken away Singapore's soul, the essence of being human, of recognising one another? Your city is beautiful, your buildings tall and proud, yet to walk along the streets and see the surliness of a face is disheartening.

Business trips / SAF 'sponsored' etc not counted..... only as a tourist/visitor. Mine: KL/JB/Melake (lost count) Sydney/Perth (at least about 5 times each, but stopped about 5yrs ago) HK/Tokyo (about 4-5 times, will go again more) NYC (4 times) other cities less than twice, so not counting them hope to visit more cities before WW3 starts

Are we still regarded as a garden city? Why is it we have become like that? Is it because of foreigners or we ourselves have let it happen or have contributed to this sad state? One only has to take a good look at the areas around our HDB blocks early in the morning of all the rubbish being thrown around before the hardworking workers sweep it all away. Something to reflect upon... From ST Forum: http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/...ory_684678.html Cleanliness on the decline I AM a Canadian who visited Singapore in 1995 for two weeks. It was the cleanest city I had ever been to. I came back a year later, and again was impressed by how immaculate the country was. I returned on June 2 this year to enjoy Singapore's famous food and the Great Singapore Sale, but was very disappointed. The cleanliness of the city is gone. I spent days walking and taking public transport to various parts of the city, and noticed an appalling amount of paper and plastic rubbish in the parks and on the streets. I asked those I met why there was a litter problem, and one common comment was that it was due to the people's attitude. Another common response was: 'It's the immigrants.' A garbage worker said the problem had become worse in the last five years. A young woman said: 'Singapore has a lot of problems. We have to worry about our money and how to make a living; the litter is not our problem.' I soon witnessed acts of littering and it infuriated me. A woman with her teenage son and daughter tossed a green plastic drink bag over a railing onto the grass. I yelled at her from down the street, but she just laughed. I saw a construction worker walking past a rubbish bin and placing a can on a wall a farther 10m away, before continuing on his way. It really upsets me to see the once-pristine Singapore turning into just another grubby, trash-laden metropolis. This litter problem is a blight on Singapore's reputation, and I hope Singaporeans will address this disrespect for their country. One way is for people to take all rubbish with them after leaving public places and place it in a trash bin, and not on the ground, a wall, a bench or in the park. Community groups can get together to clean up the streets in their neighbourhoods. The city can promote cleanliness through mass media campaigns. Keeping Singapore clean is the responsibility of everyone - citizens, immigrants and tourists. James Cruikshank

I think this lucky couple might get additional $40,000 thousand discount on the house. Or at least $40,000 NTUC voucher or similar. Why i say this is because i have a very good impression of my government and its fair treatment of citizens and tourist alike. Last week changi airport also got a similar milestone on tourist arrival celebration, and one lucky tourist got a 40mins shopping spree at changi airport to shiok shiok spent away for free anything he can buy within that time! This tourist managed to buy $40k worth of stuff in the airport. SINGAPORE: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has reached a milestone in its 50-year history, with the completion of its one millionth flat. With the completion of Treelodge@Punggol's 709 units, HDB has for the first time crossed the one-million milestone in its home-building programme. On Sunday, the keys to the one-millionth flat were handed over to the couple - Mr Wang Weiji and his wife, Christina Ng. The couple got married in 2008, and have been living with Mr Wang's parents in Hougang. Ms Ng said they got the flat they wanted on their first try. They paid $245,000 for a 4-room unit, a price which Ms Ng describes as reasonable. The couple signed for the flat in 2007, at a time when HDB resale prices were high, and supply of new flats was tight. The HDB's Resale Price Index shows that in the third quarter of 2007, prices went up about 16 per cent between the first and fourth quarters. And in November 2007, the government announced it would be building 7,000 new HDB flats over seven months to help first-time home-buyers. Three years on, the supply crunch might have eased, but some concerns over affordability remain. Speaking at the Treelodge@Punggol event, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, noted that this has "always been an issue". "We've had new residents who moved into Pasir Ris, we've had new residents move into Sengkang, and now we have new residents moving into Punggol. And in each era, there have always been concerns about affordability. "But as you can see, residents have been able to move in, been able to afford their flats, and we expect that would be so in the future as well," said Mr Teo, who is also the MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC. He noted that there are policies to help Singaporeans whatever their income. These include an Additional Housing Grant of up to S$40,000 to help lower-income families buy in the open market, as well as opening up more options for middle-class Singaporeans to purchase a new HDB flat. "Singaporeans know that if they work hard and budget wisely, they can aspire to upgrade to a better flat and a better life. The government's commitment has been, and continues to be, to provide affordable and quality housing to the masses," said Mr Teo. He added that HDB has moved from providing low-cost rental housing to building homes for ownership and along the way it has also picked up several international accolades. This year in Punggol alone, HDB launched 3,300 new flats through its Build-to-Order programme and will launch another project with 1,000 new flats in the next few days. HDB said its demand remains strong. It is on track to complete 35,000 flats in Punggol by end 2015. Treelodge@Punggol is Singapore's first eco-precinct, where green technology was incorporated into its planning design. Features include maximising the amount of natural light and ventilation, while harnessing the power of the sun for part of residents' electricity requirements. Apart from the HDB, other agencies such as the National Environment Agency, PUB and even the Economic Development Board were also roped in to develop the project. And Mr Teo used this to illustrate the whole-of-government approach outlined in the recently-released Public Sector Outcomes Review report. The approach itself is not new, Mr Teo said, but the report signalled a bigger effort in that direction. And by publishing the report once every two years, he said it will give the public a sense of how the government is doing, while motivating the ministries and agencies to do better. Source: Channelnewsasia - 19 Dec 2010 http://www.angelotan.sg

Check out the headlines... For a moment I thought the tourist was so hiong that he murdered his kidnappers! Read a bit more then realised it was the other way round. Check this URL

STB developing new blueprint to boost tourist growth By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 12 October 2009 2050 hrs SINGAPORE: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is developing a new road map for 2020. It is also looking for ideas from the public. Singapore's tourism industry has taken a hit with the economic downturn. Latest figures showed tourist arrivals from January to August fell 9.2 per cent over the same period last year to 6.23 million. There was one silver lining though - the rate of decline has slowed since June. The STB had previously set as its 2015 target 17 million visitor arrivals and S$30 billion in tourism receipts. But it now said that would be a challenge. Looking forward to 2020, the STB has put together a steering committee to chart strategic directions for the future of an industry that contributed 5.8 per cent to GDP last year. Five taskforces have been set up to look into specific areas - Business, Enrichment, Lifestyle, Marketing plus Travel and Hospitality. Industry leaders heading these taskforces know they face an uphill task. Dennis Foo, co-chair of Lifestyle Taskforce and CEO of St James Power Station, said: "... very exciting years ahead, with the two IRs (integrated resorts). But the big challenge is really to have the right software - essentially, it's the people. Hospitality is about people." Loh Lik Peng, co-chair of Business Taskforce and director of KMC Holdings, said: "A lot of it is looking ahead and seeing the growth opportunities in markets like China, India, Indonesia. "If you look at the wealth creation in those countries, the size of the middle class and the people who will travel for work and will want to come for events in Singapore or hold a conference here will increase exponentially. "We want to position ourselves so that we get a fair share of that market. We don't want to be marginalised by their own capital cities." About 70 per cent of Singapore's visitor arrivals are from Asia. For its new road map, the STB wants to tap on ideas from the public through this website. The public can submit their ideas over the next four months. STB's chief executive, Aw Kah Peng, said: "Everyone who has a good idea, who can contribute, we want to hear them. If we can take even a small number of these ideas and turn them into something that works for us, that will be tremendously powerful." The new road map and targets are expected to be ready by March next year. - CNA/ir It's funny to see this comment. Hospitality is about people. Sometimes ppl forget to see themselves in the mirror. imo, st james got the worst service standard among all clubs. Lol. sulky and impatient wait staff, long wait, bouncer who thinks they own the world, hard selling promoters etc. how can someone who cant even manage a club's service standard be managing a stb project to attract more tourist? it just make my day. lol

Hi guys, Do you think wet market will be a thing of the past? Their prices are not very competitive as compared with hypermart due to economy of scale. Their forte has always been the perceived freshness and low price. Do you foresee that we will only have one or two hyper wet market and attracting tourists or school children to visit them? Share your view here. Thank you very much. Regards,

A Dutch-born Australian IT consultant, a Mr. Filip Lou who was in Singapore for a conference jumped into the Esplanade water on a Sunday night to rescue a Caucasion lady, aparently due to sucide got minor hurt himself in the process. He was sent to SGH for treatment with a tetanus shot and was subsequently charged $90 for it. He may have said that in jest when he spoke to the reporter but in my opinion he was a hero when he rescue the stricken lady-in-the-water but he became a zero when the next day he sent his wife to collect the $90 from SGH. After the ST reported this on Wed, there were a couple of people who went to SGH to pay for Mr. Lou. He reminded me of a Mr. Tan in the aftermath of the Lehman issue. http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNew...ory_340341.html You're a hero Donor hands over the money to SGH to say thanks to man who saved drowning woman By Judith Tan Dutch citizen Filip Lai (left) and Singapore Nor Azhar rescued drowning people and received public spiritness awards yesterday from Lieutenant Colonel Yong Meng Wah of the SCDF. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN SEVERAL readers of The Straits Times came forward yesterday and offered to pick up the treatment tab for a good Samaritan injured while saving a drowning woman. More than 10 people offered to reimburse Mr Filip Lou's $90 bill after reading in The Straits Times yesterday that the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) would not waive the charges. WHAT ABOUT A MORE SERIOUS INJURY? 'What there should be is a policy looking into treating someone who got hurt trying to save another. Mine was a small injury. What if it had been a broken leg or dislocated joint?' ... more Lou commended WHEN contacted yesterday, SGH stood by its decision. 'We maintain our stand that we will not waive fees for medical services rendered,' a spokesman said. ... more They were beaten to it by an unidentified man, who turned up at the hospital early yesterday morning and handed over cash to cover Mr Lou's bill. Mr Lou, 34, a Dutch IT executive here for a conference, had jumped into the Singapore River on Monday night to rescue a woman who had fallen into the water. While pulling her out, he cut his hands and feet on the sharp stone steps along the water's edge. He was brought to the hospital, along with the woman, by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), where his wounds were cleaned and he was given a tetanus shot - and then presented with the bill. Yesterday, Mr Lou received a call from the hospital, asking him to return to collect his money. Initially, he thought SGH had gone back on its earlier insistence that he pay the bill. But when his wife, Ms Theresa Lee, arrived at the hospital to get the cash in the afternoon, she was told what had happened. Contacted yesterday evening, Mr Lou said he was rendered speechless by the generosity of Singaporeans. He said he understood SGH's policy, saying that there was a service performed, after all. But, he added: 'What there should be is a policy looking into treating someone who got hurt trying to save another. 'Mine was a small injury. What if it had been a broken leg or dislocated joint?' he asked.

Swede robbed on seventh visit to Kelantan Tue, Feb 17, 2009 The Star/Asia News Network KOTA BARU, Malaysia: It would have been a memorable seventh visit for a Swedish visitor to Kelantan but for the ugly incident in which snatch thieves stole her bag containing RM1,500 ($628.35) in Jalan Tok Hakim last Friday, leaving her with injuries to her arm and thigh. Paula Ljunggren, 64, said she was thankful that she did not lose her passport. "I love to visit Kelantan and this is my seventh visit here and before this, my previous visits had been blissful. "It happened so fast and all I knew was that I fell to the ground after they snatched my bag containing the money which I had just changed at the moneychanger's," said Ljunggren, who is a hairdresser from Vasteras, Sweden. She said that her friend, Sven-Inguar Eriksson, 68, a former policeman, managed to grab the thieves' motorcycle but was not strong enough to unseat them. She received outpatient treatment at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital. She later lodged a police report at the Kota Baru police station. "We love the people here, especially our local friends, the food, nature, and it's a shopping paradise," said Ljunggren, who was in a wheelchair when visited at a friend's apartment here. "We will come back to Kelantan in future. This incident will not stop me and my husband and friends from coming back here. However, we hope that there will be better security in areas which are prone to snatch thefts." Kota Baru OCPD ACP Zahrudin Abdullah said police were investigating the case under Section 379 of the Penal Code. -The Star/ANN