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Johor police chief Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff speaking about the Johor crime situation to Singaporean and Malaysian media in Johor Bahru on Thursday. The police chief of Johor has declared his state to be "safe beyond doubt". Referring to negative perceptions of the crime situation in Johor and recent crime statistics, Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said that the state's police are in "full control". Datuk Mohd Mokhtar noted that the number of violent and property crime cases in Johor fell about 36 per cent between 2008 and last year. Overall, there were 17,105 crime cases in the state last year, or about 10 per cent less than in 2012. The police chief also assured Singaporeans that they are not specifically targeted by criminals: "Crimes are committed when an opportunity arises regardless of (a victim's) race, religion, sex and nationality." Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/johor-safe-beyond-doubt-and-singaporeans-are-not-crime-targets-johor-p

Some how I suspect Prof Lim's shock-wage theory has a part to play in all these hasty follow-ups... Anyway glad these cleaners are finally getting attention from the so-called labour movement but unless it is law employers may not accept the "recommendation". And hope they keep to their word of looking into the low pay situation of other low-wage workers in other industries. From CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1209015/1/.html NTUC sets wage targets for cleaners By Saifulbahri Ismail | Posted: 21 June 2012 1443 hrs

[extract] It seems that Dr Martin Winterkorn isn

SKODA, a Czech brand once associated with the backwardness of the communist bloc, will be the first here to offer a ready supply of a new generation of 'green', powerful cars. The Volkswagen-owned brand, imported by auto entrepreneur Peter Kwee's Czech Auto, has a 2.5-litre Superb model with a turbocharged diesel V6 engine. It meets a future emission standard known as Euro 4 and is cleaner than some electric hybrid and natural gas vehicles now available. The standard becomes mandatory here in October 2006, but taxis and commercial vehicles that meet it before then qualify for tax rebates. The Straits Times understands that Czech Auto is trying to market the car to fleet operators here, and that the first shipment can arrive as soon as within three weeks. Owners of Euro 4 cars registered for use as taxis before the end of next year qualify for a green incentive scheme, giving them 100 percentage-point rebates on the additional registration fee (ARF) - worth tens of thousands in savings per vehicle. Not only is it environmentally sound, but the Superb 2.5 TDi is also almost twice as powerful as an ordinary Toyota Crown cab. The sedan, with twin exhaust pipes and a sophisticated electronic stability control normally found only in luxury cars, has an open market value - roughly, cost price - of about $37,000. Ms Tammy Tan, spokesman for ComfortDelGro Corp, said: 'Skoda has made us an offer which we are looking at closely, given that it is the only manufacturer at this time willing to bring in the Euro 4 diesel engines to Singapore.' Also, DaimlerChrysler is preparing to bring in a prototype of a Mercedes-Benz E-class that runs on compressed natural gas (CNG) and petrol. This bi-fuel Merc will be on loan to a taxi firm for trial. Currently, Singapore has only two CNG taxis running: a Nissan and a Volvo Bi-Fuel. Meanwhile, Ms Tan said ComfortDelGro is examining 'various options' to meet the Euro 4 standard, 'including new technologies like gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuels'. Oil major Shell and Japanese carmaker Toyota are testing a fleet of Toyotas in the United Kingdom using a liquid fuel made from natural gas. Fitted with a new exhaust system, the cars are said to surpass Euro 4 standards. GTL is seen as an economically viable option because it does not require new infrastructure or new vehicle types. 'Cost and long-term sustainability are among some of our key considerations,' noted Ms Tan. Elsewhere, SMRT Corp has ordered over 100 Euro 4 Mercedes-Benz taxis, which will be ready around the middle of next year. They will still be eligible for the generous ARF rebate, making them almost as competitively priced as today's Japanese cabs. -- Christopher Tan