Search the Community

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

Mod please delete....... i apologise

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sg...poor_taste.html In need of a one night stand: CHIJ girls please stand up!" read the poster at club Filter, a large CHIJ school crest in the middle. STOMPer Jean feels this is very demeaning and insults students of the school. A photo of a similar poster at the club featuring the ACS school crest was also seen online. In an article in The New Paper today (Jan 18), the poster was seen in Filter Members Club last Saturday during a theme party, and a photograph of a group of girls posing with the poster was posted online yesterday. Permission was not sought for the use of the school crest by the club, said CHIJ School Board of Management chairman Vivienne Lim. She, CHIJ alumni and current CHIJ students also felt it was insulting, inappropriate, demeaning and tasteless. A PR consultant the paper spoke to also stressed the importance of a school badge as "it has historical connections and religious significance". A mother of three daughters who are enrolled in CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' Primary School said, "It's rude and gives the impression that all convent girls have loose morals." The club had described the get-up for the party as "scandalous school girls" and "East Coast preppy school boys" on its facebook page. The ACS school logo was also used in a party poster to promote a reunion party for former ACS students on Saturday. Its slogan read: "In need of a sugar daddy: Where my AC boys at?" Permission was also not sought for the use of this school crest, said an ACS spokesman. The club said it does not "comment on the actions of their guests when they are in Filter or what takes place in Filter." STOMPer Jean described her reaction to seeing the poster: "Being an alumnus of CHIJ Toa Payoh, I was shocked to come across the photo of the poster online. "When I read about the report in the papers, I was even more dismayed that the club had failed to see the significance and so sacrilegiously used the crest in such a demeaning manner. "How can it imply that all CHIJ girls are willing to partake in 'one-night stands?" It's even implicating those in the primary schools, who are as young as six. "CHIJ has a rich history of over 150 years. The club has destroyed it in just one night. "I hope they will be dealt with seriously."

Too cheem for daft people like me to understand. Channel News Asia Budget 2011: MOH's top priority is to transform long-term care By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid | Posted: 04 March 2011 2349 hrs SINGAPORE : Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said transforming long-term care is his ministry's top priority in the next decade. Speaking in Parliament on Friday, he also unveiled more measures to keep health care affordable. A new national body - the Geriatric Education and Research Institute (GERI) - will be set up to sharpen the focus on geriatric care. One beneficiary from the measures announced will be 88-year-old Madam Solat Laksmi Kasi who suffered a hip fracture and is bed-ridden. She is also diabetic and needs long term care. Her god-daughter Nayamani, who lives with her, is her sole caregiver. Nayamani said: "I always bring her to the polyclinic, they only give the medicine and then bring her back. I don't know how to give and how to care for her and so many problems I'm facing." But things changed when they received help from Touch Home Care in 2005. She added: "Sometimes when my mother is suddenly sick, I would just phone the Touch Home Care (and) the nurse will come and...take care. Then they give the medicine so now I am very free from the hard times." Madam Solat is a potential beneficiary of the $10 million Senior's Mobility Fund which aims to provide low income elderly with basic mobility devices. Mr Khaw said there will be some means-testing, needs assessment and co-payment. Such is an example of long term care that the government seeks to encourage further. Mr Khaw said: "Not all admissions are necessary and timely advice from the hospital geriatrician is often what is needed. Patients, doctors, nursing homes and hospitals save time as a result. Everyone benefits. Done well, this will particularly benefit the elderly with chronic diseases. The objective is to help them manage their diseases well, so that they have a good quality of life. Transforming long term care is our top priority in the next decade." The home care programme by Home Nursing Foundation (HNF) will also be expanded to benefit more patients while the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) will scale up its operations. AIC's teams of Aged Care TransitION (ACTION) care coordinators in hospitals help patients with complex needs transit smoothly from the hospital back into their homes and communities and has already touched the lives of over 10,000 patients. In this regard, the Geriatric Education and Research Institute (GERI) will seek to add value to the lives of the elderly. It will coordinate and implement initiatives to strengthen geriatric education and research in Singapore. For a start, it will develop integrated care for five groups of patients - those with hip fractures, stroke, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes. The institute will also serve as a central entity to coordinate the training and education of all healthcare professionals - doctors, nurses, allied health professionals involved in geriatric care. It is likely to be situated at the upcoming Yishun Community Hospital, next to the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. On financial support, some MPs had asked for caregivers to be given an allowance. But the minister disagreed. He said: "I believe paying caregivers to provide care giving is an insult, I think it cheapens the sacrifice that they are making." Mr Khaw said Singaporeans can help co-develop the long term care sector to become world class by contributing to the $1 billion Community Silver Trust - in which the government will match all donations dollar-for-dollar. Mr Khaw said "We need to inject more funds, skills and resources to help raise capabilities and make them world class. By matching donations, we preserve the legacy of the long term care sector being driven by large VWOs and the community." And to help Singaporeans finance healthcare costs, Medisave will be expanded to cover outpatient treatment for dementia and bipolar disorder. This will be in addition to 8 existing chronic diseases - diabetes, hypertension, lipid disorders, stroke, asthma, COPD, schizophrenia and major depression under the Chronic Disease Management Programme. Also included will be screenings for breast and colorectal cancers for those aged fifty and above. The Medifund budget will go up to $85 million - from the current $80 million - to help more subsidised patients. The Medication Assistance Fund (MAF) will also go up to $20 million and cover more drugs to help needy patients pay for expensive drugs. The MAF will be extended to cover six more drugs including Candesartan and Valsartan to treat heart diseases, Trastuzumab to treat breast cancer and Rituximab to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The subsidy cap for surgical implants will also go to $1000 from $500. Mr Khaw said the move will cover up to 90 percent of implants used in public hospitals. The Primary Care Partnership Scheme (PCPS) will be expanded to cover all the 10 major chronic diseases, making it more convenient for the elderly to receive subsidised care from participating GPs. The PCPS will also cover two specialist dental procedures: root canal treatment and crowning. Mr Khaw said "Healthcare is a complex, emotional issue and there is yet no perfect healthcare system. But in the past five years, we have made a lot of progress towards making it better. In independent surveys, our patients rated our public hospitals and polyclinics as either "good" or "very good". 73 percent rated them as "excellent value for money". Many foreign experts have studied and praised our healthcare system. But we must press on with reforms, underpinned by wisdom and realism, and a generous dose of humanity." - CNA/ch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLXiG9kQrwo

http://forums.asiaone.com/showthread.php?t=22059 What would you do if you child teacher insulted you in front of her/his classs?

July 9, 2008 S'pore should free courts from govt influence: lawyers group SINGAPORE should free its courts from any government influence and elevate human rights standards to international levels, the world's largest legal association said. The International Bar Association's (IBA) human rights arm expressed concern over the limitations of freedom of expression and the independence of Singapore courts in a 72-page report released late in London on Tuesday. 'In particular, democratic debate and media comment are extremely restricted and government officials have initiated numerous successful defamation suits against both political and media critics,' said the association's executive director Mr Mark Ellis. The global legal association noted that while the city-state had a good reputation when adjudicating commercial cases that did not involve members of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), when it came to matters regarding PAP litigants 'there are concerns about an actual or apparent lack of impartiality'. The London-based body of more than 30,000 member lawyers globally also said that while Singapore fared well in commercial and economic rankings, it fared poorly in press freedom rankings, which it said was a concern given that a free press can generate important dialogue on issues. 'Singapore cannot continue to claim that civil and political rights must take a back seat to economic rights, as its economic development is now of the highest order,' the report said. 'The International Bar Association Human Rights Institute strongly encourages Singapore to engage with the international community in a more constructive manner, and to take steps to implement international standards of human rights,' it said. The Singapore government did not immediately comment. Defamation suits Singapore, where the IBA held its annual conference last year, is among the most developed nations in Asia, with the second highest GDP per capita after Japan. However, media and human rights groups such as Amnesty International have criticised the government for restricting freedom of expression and using defamation lawsuits to financially cripple political opponents. In a list of 18 recommendations, the IBA urged the Singapore government to ratify the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ease restrictions on the media and ensure that its courts are free from government influence. IBA executive director said in a statement Singapore should be a leader in human-rights, and its advancement would be complementary to the city-state's future prosperity. The IBA also noted that some publications, including The Economist and the Financial Times, have paid out-of-court settlements to avoid defamation lawsuits. The government says these lawsuits are needed to protect its reputation. The legal body suggested the government set limits on defamation payouts in cases initiated by government officials. At the convention last October, Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said the city-state's citizens were free to read whatever they wanted. He said Singapore was built on the rule of law and did not tolerate corruption, in contrast to the surrounding region, where 'money politics' was a way of life. That meant defamation action may be taken against those who impute dishonesty among government officials, in order to clear any doubts, he said. -- REUTERS, AFP. http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/...ory_256122.html