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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/first-timers-must-select-bto-flats-when-invited-by-hdb-or-lose-priority-for-a-year-from-august-launch SINGAPORE - First-timer applicants who do not select a Build-To-Order (BTO) flat when invited to do so will be considered second-timers in subsequent flat applications for a year, starting from the August sales exercise. The tightening of the rule is meant to reduce the number of people who decline to pick a flat and ensure more efficient allocation, so that those who need a flat can secure it more quickly, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee on Thursday. Currently, first-timers will only be moved to the second-timer category for a year when balloting for flats if they do not book a BTO flat twice. Far fewer flats are set aside for second-timers - 5 per cent of four-room and larger flats, versus at least 95 per cent for first-timer families. Mr Lee also announced other measures to help first timers secure their home during the debate on his ministry’s budget, including setting aside more flats for a new subset of first-timer families - those with Singaporean children aged 18 and below as well as married couples aged 40 and below. From the August BTO exercise, up to 40 per cent of the flat supply will be reserved for this group of applicants, up from 30 per cent now. Up to 60 per cent of Sales of Balance Flats (SBF) units will be set aside for them as well, an increase from the current 50 per cent. SBF flats are typically either completed or in various stages of construction. Applicants under this new First-Timer (Parents & Married Couples) priority category will also get one additional ballot chance in their BTO and SBF applications, for a total of three ballot chances. Various MPs including Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC), Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) and Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) asked if more support can be given to help Singaporeans buy their first home amid the strong housing demand and elevated resale prices. Help will be provided on several fronts, starting with the ramping up of flat supply in the next few years, said Mr Lee. Close to 100,000 homes are expected to be completed between 2023 and 2025 across both the private and public housing markets, he said. Of these, almost 40,000 homes will be completed this year - the highest in the last five years, including pre-Covid-19 years of 2018 and 2029, he added. This increased supply should help to alleviate some pressure in the rental market as those who have been waiting for their keys will stop renting, and new homes will provide additional rental supply, said Mr Lee in response to Mr Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC). On tightening the rules for BTO flat non-selection, Mr Lee said it strikes a balance between considering the interests of flat applicants with urgent housing needs and being fair to those who successfully balloted for a flat. He noted that the drop-out rate for BTO flats has hovered around 40 per cent in the past few years, even as strong housing demand pushed up application rates. This means that four in 10 applicants either do not turn up or decline to book a unit at their flat selection appointments. Some reasons include people wanting only flats on high floors, trying their luck or the remaining flats being out of their budget, he said. “Understandably, some would rather give up the opportunity to select a flat now, and wait longer for a better flat. But whatever the reason, such applicants do crowd out other homebuyers who may have more pressing needs,” he said, urging Singaporeans to only apply for flats if they really intend to purchase one. The rules will also be tightened for second-timers from August. Those who do not pick a BTO flat when invited to do so will have to wait one year before they can apply for a flat again. Currently, this only kicks in after they fail to book a flat twice. Mr Lee said HDB will only waive the rule if applicants have 10 or fewer BTO flats, or five or fewer SBF flats, to choose from. “We understand that some applicants may have genuine reasons for not selecting a flat. Buying a home is a large financial decision, so we want to be fair to applicants who have very limited options when they are invited to select their flat,” he said. Where there are extenuating circumstances, HDB may exercise flexibility to waive the rule, he said. Mr Lee said the new First-Timer (Parents & Married Couples) priority category is targeted at those buying their first home and to help young families settle down more quickly. The current first-timer category covers a wide range of applicants, including those who already have their own homes but have not previously received housing subsidies. About 10 per cent of all first-timer applicants fall into the new category, Mr Lee said. To qualify, families must not have owned or sold a local residential property before, or did not have a chance to book a flat in the past five years before their application. This is on top of having at least one Singaporean child or meeting the age limit of 40 for married couples. Applicants do not need to submit additional documents to qualify for the new category. In addition, those under the new category will get first priority when applying for four-room or smaller BTO flats in non-mature estates, Mr Lee said. He said these applicants will be shortlisted ahead of all others who come under the expanded Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme - previously known as the Parenthood Priority Scheme. They thus stand a substantially higher chance of being invited to select a flat, he added. On why the measures will only take place from August, Mr Lee said: “We are announcing the changes early to give everyone some time to understand how these changes may affect them. And HDB will also need some time to stress-test and implement the system changes.”

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/moe-kindergartens-primary-schools-priority-phase-2a2-9443768

Interesting, I wonder if it will work or cause more issues https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/system-to-give-buses-priority-at-traffic-lights-on-6-month-trial Public buses are less likely to get stuck in traffic in future, with a new system that can prompt traffic lights to change in the buses' favour. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced yesterday that it is carrying out a six-month trial of the Smart Bus Priority System, starting today. During the trial, which ends next April, services 98 and 99 buses are fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) trackers, which transmit the buses' real-time locations to a back-end assessment system. As a bus with the GPS tracker approaches a traffic junction, the system will communicate with the traffic lights and prioritise its movement, if required, by either extending the green-light duration or shortening the red-light duration. For instance, if a bus that has been delayed by a traffic jam approaches a green light that is about to turn red, the traffic light will stay green longer to allow the bus to pass. This will also benefit other vehicles travelling alongside the bus. After the bus passes the junction, the timing of the traffic light will revert to normal. The LTA said the system, which has a similar concept to one already in place in Australia, is aimed at providing faster and more reliable bus journeys for commuters. It added that a total of 56 buses which currently ply the routes of services 98 and 99 will have GPS trackers. Services 98 and 99 ply Jurong East Avenue 1 and Jurong West Avenue 1 between Jurong Town Hall Road and Jurong West Street 42/52. They were chosen for the trial because both routes have multiple traffic-light junctions, which will enable the LTA to better evaluate the effectiveness of the system. At the end of the trial period, data collected will be analysed to determine whether the system can effectively complement existing bus priority measures - such as bus lanes, B-signals for buses at junctions and bus priority boxes - to improve bus journey times and reliability.

In the past, parents will eagerly volunteer at schools to get priority placing for their children going into P1. Based on this year's stats, and because of the new ruling to keep 40 spaces for Phase 2B and 2C, there is one school so popular that there may not be any vacancies at all for Phase 2A(2)! Guess which school? http://edumatters.sg/p1-registration-phase-2a1-closed-stats-update/

can only choose one.

Well that's an interesting idea.... From ST Forum: http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/forum-...iority-20121129 Recognise NSmen with HDB priority Published on Nov 29, 2012 WHEN Singapore's first-generation leaders adopted the Israeli model of a citizen army in 1966, they ensured that every Singaporean family had access to affordable public housing in the form of Housing Board (HDB) flats. The rationale then was to give every conscript soldier greater motivation to defend our young country by giving him a home and country to protect. In the light of the recent debate over public housing, I would like to suggest that the relevant government ministries such as the Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of Defence work together to adopt a back-to-basics approach to address this public property crunch. Singaporean citizens, especially those who have at least one family member who has served or is currently doing National Service should be given first priority to buy new and resale HDB flats. This way, not only are the needs of affordable public housing for Singaporeans met, it will also ensure that every Singaporean soldier has both a home and a country to defend. Some second-generation permanent residents who have served NS but opted not to take up Singaporean citizenship should also be allowed to buy new and resale HDB flats to recognise their contributions to the defence of our nation. New citizens with male children also should not be left out. Those who have sons eligible for NS soon should be allowed to buy new and resale HDB flats surplus to market requirements. This will ensure that the public housing needs and defence requirements of Singapore are met at one go. Hong Chou Hui

From STOMP: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sg...eat_auntie.html Posted on 25 Jun 2012 'Polite Ah Lian' who took on 'priority seat auntie' says she's no hero After being caught on video which depicts a spat on the MRT over a priority seat, Huina, has been dubbed the 'most polite ah lian' by netizens for the way she carried herself in front of a disgruntled woman. However the 20-year-old says, 'There is nothing for me to be hero about'. According to a report in The New Paper, netizens have praised Huina for facing up to the 'priority seat auntie', posting their support on her facebook wall with comments like, 'You are Singapore's pride. Awesome girl!' and 'You are my super idol'. Other netizens also posted encouraging comments like, 'Support ah lian. These old aunties need to be told off sometimes. Give them an inch and they want a yard.' as well as 'I support you, you are being nice to just keep quiet when she kept shouting at you'. Huina was on a train heading towards Pasir Ris last Monday (Jun 18) at about 6.30pm. The retail assistant had given up the priority seat she had been occupying to an older woman, who then insulted her: 'So displeasing. Most probably you're from China. Ask you for the seat, keep on staring for how many hours? So rude.' Huina initially ignored the woman, also partially because she was using earphones and could not hear the woman. Only after seeing the woman's hand gestures and finger pointing did she remove the earphones. The video had been taken by fellow commuter Muhammad Khair, 21, and ended with a heated argument with the two women exchanging profanities. However, Huina was lauded for saying 'please' before she started cursing and giving up her seat to begin with. She also avoided further conflict by moving to another cabin when the train stopped at Raffles Place. She eventually alighted at Tanah Merah station. A photo has also been circulating online of Huina, in which she won the 'Most Polite Ah Lian Award'. Huina also told the paper she really likes the picture. Chuckling, she commented: 'Where do you find a polite ah lian?' STOMPer Ren3 said: "This girl is cool! She not only takes her newfound fame in good stride, she is also amused by it although she doesn't like to be called 'ah lian'. "Really good-natured, unlike the grumpy auntie, who apparently had done the same to others in her path (priority seat). "Okay, maybe she shouldn't have used vulgarities back, but let's just say, a lot of us do use vulgarities automatically when enraged. "One up for the ah lian, and let's all keep a look out for the auntie in case she happens to be on the same train as us."

That's d way Mr PM. Sincerely hope u can accomplish that in 5 years. NEWS May 9, 2011 Government's priority is to improve citizens' lives: PM GIVEN the external international environment, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the overriding priority for his government is to 'improve the life for our citizens.' Mr Lee was speaking at the 30th anniversary conference of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) at the Shangri-La Hotel on Monday. To achieve this, Mr Lee said Singapore must first grow the economy by staying plugged into the world by attracting investments and talent, encourage local enterprises to diversify, expand and move abroad, among other things. Mr Lee added that it is also the government's objective 'to raise income across the board', including the 'the middle income households and those at the lower end' by upgrading productivity through re-training and education of workers, and restructuring Singapore's industries. Other ways to grow the Singapore economy include buffering it against volatility by accumulating adequate reserves and maintaining political support for policies which benefit Singaporeans. Mr Lee acknowledged in his speech that it is not easy for Singaporeans to cope with rapid changes, even when the overall standards of living are rising and that his 'newly elected PAP government has its work cut out for it.'

Bros Singtel has just launched Priority Pass for their BBOM customers on 7.2Mbps plan and above. I just found out that this service is not automatically activated for existing customers. You have to call their hotline (1688) to activate it. Activation takes about three days. I hope this Priority Pass is not a marketing gimmick, that I can see real improvement in surfing speed.

Double post. Please ignore this thread. Moderator, kindly remove this. Sorry for the inconvenience caused and Thank you. Regards,

How do you rank your priority when you choose your present ride... or the next one? What do you really want in your car? For me, the priority changes depending on the needs of me and my family for the next few years I have to live the the car after the purchase, current car is as follows, not sure about the next car yet: 1. Above average power / handling (TC/SC will be added advantage) 2. Looks and function (flexible loading capacity like MPV/SUV/Stationwagon type) 3. Reliable (to the extent it's trackable) and good resale potential Not that important: 1. Space 2. Image Are yours different?

I find it strange that some people are unwilling to spend more on stuff that are more useful / helpful/relevant to them but have no qualms on spending thousands on a set of rims and tyres or ICE. For example: - Home improvements so everyone else in the family can live more comfortably - Better entertainment system at home - A better bed (spend an average 8 hrs a day on it) - A better laptop or bigger monitor (spend so many hrs staring or using it) etc. For me, usually I try to put car expenses last cos I dont use it everyday and at most i spend is just 2 hours a day on it but sometimes of course give in to the odd performance part or set of rims going at a good price. I always thought money can be better spent elsewhere. What about you? Does your car expenses (wants spending) dictate your total expenditure?

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sg...s_marriage.html manz, tiger year is cuming manz

...for old lady in train, son besides playing PSP game. http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singapor...nt.jsp?id=63006

Back from my short trip and take train saw this incident an indian guy with his wife and a kid age around 3-4 they are seated but 2 or 3 person seperated them..the guy was 1 seat beside the priority seat incident was like this : this guy asked a lady to give up priority seat for his kid (who is seated with his mum 2 or 3 person away from the guy) not sure what happened about the conversation, when this lady walked away, she elbowed the guy and the guy walked towards the outside and said something to the lady. then this another indian guy (think is FT) seated at the priority seat, the guy asked him again to give up the seat..the FT guy agreed and the guy's family join him sitting with himself sitting at the priority seat in the first place, what's there for him to ask people to give up when his kid had seat and somemore not as young as a little baby?? i think the lady did it right to elbow him...LOL

haiz..... Business Times - 14 Jul 2004 Crash safety not a priority in car purchases here Buyers more motivated by prestige, image and price, say dealers By SAMUEL EE DO crash test ratings make a difference in the Singapore consumer's decision-making process? Not really, if the sales figures for mass market models are anything to go by. A case in point is the Honda Jazz. The latest results from the European New Car Assessment Programme, or Euro NCAP, show the Honda Jazz with a four-star rating - the best in its supermini class. But the crashworthiness of the popular Japanese-made car is hardly a key selling point in Singapore. Instead, its styling, flexible seat configuration, spaciousness and fuel economy are used to market this trendy model. In comparison, for the small family car category, the new Renault Megane hatchback was awarded the maximum five stars in front and side impact tests. In fact, all the models in the Renault range available in Singapore have a five-star rating when it comes to occupant protection. They include the Megane Coupe-Cabriolet, new Scenic, Laguna and soon-to-be-launched Grand Espace. This makes Renault the only marque here to achieve such a safety rating feat. However, sales of the new Megane pale in comparison with the Jazz. Launched last September, the stylish French car has registered only an average of 58 units a month this year (including the Megane sedan), compared with the Jazz's 112 units. The contrast is even greater when both models are compared with the top-selling Hyundai car, the Matrix mini-MPV. An average of 257 units were sold each month in the first half of this year. The Korean-made car does not have a Euro NCAP rating because the model is not sold in Europe. 'Euro NCAP ratings are good but they do not usually help to sell a car,' said the distributor of a popular Japanese marque. 'In general, safety does not sell as much as, say, price.' Taking airbags, or the supplementary restraint system, as an example, he said that subconsciously, car buyers hope they won't have to use them. As a result, this feature becomes less important to them. 'If they have a choice between paying for an airbag or ABS (anti-lock braking system), they will choose ABS because they press the brake pedal every day,' he explained. 'If they can feel it and they know that it's there, then it's important to them.' A distributor for a Continental make agreed. 'Not many people appreciate high safety levels,' he lamented. 'Some are just not sophisticated enough to value features like side impact beams and deformation zones.' In fact, he said as many as one-third of his potential buyers ask if they can downspec safety equipment like airbags in order to get a lower price. The fact that there are some entry-level models sold in Singapore which do not come with ABS as standard seems to attest to the consumer's indifference to safety. And among high-end cars with five-star ratings, such as the Volvo S40, and Saab 9-5 and 9-3, including the 9-3 Convertible, only the Mercedes-Benz C and E-Class sedans sell in significant volumes. 'Maybe having a three-pointed star is more important than five stars from Euro NCAP,' quipped one motor trader. However, he cautioned that while getting five stars is important, the test results are only an indication of crashworthiness, albeit a very good one. This is because a front impact test is carried out at 64 kmh and a side impact test at 50 kmh (there are also pedestrian impact and pole tests). 'Serious accidents usually happen when you are going fast, much faster than 64 kmh,' he said. 'That's why even if the car has a good rating, people can still die because they were speeding.' But while the value of the tests may be questioned, there is no denying the value of the safety features themselves. Unfortunately, the billions spent on safety innovations are sometimes lost on the people who buy them. 'When a person buys a car, the last thing he thinks about is crashing it,' said a senior manager in a local dealership. 'So that crashworthiness rating has no value. When you buy a car, what is more important is often the prestige and the image and how it differentiates you from other drivers on the road.'

Read this in another forum, what's your views on this??, many thanks :- "......... Different websites have different view. Quotes from some US websites basic mod starts with air-intake, inter bigger inter aircooler reasons more air plus cooler air means better combustion gives better power. What's come in fast must also goes out fast so they recommend exhaust as the second alternative but not legally approved by LTA "???". ECU is always the last part. Follow by this intake manifold & extractor, fuel rail, fuel pump, boost controller, suspension, all this involes a lot of dollars & cents. etc... Humble Japanese & British racer have different views. Lower the weight & improves the handling. This is the simplest and cheapest method for mod that won't burn a hole in your pocket. Cheers ............. "