Respect and tolerance are the cornerstones of society, not English language proficiency
On February 27th, the Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party, Pritam Singh, proposed in Parliament that English language proficiency be used as a selection criterion for new immigrants. Language, religion, and race are sensitive issues that can touch the nerves of many people, resulting in newspaper comments and public discussions. This proposal has no practical effect […]
Pritam Singh warns of ‘Two Singapores’, then proceeds to create ‘Two Singapores’ with the English language divide
Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh warned in Parliament of the possibility of Two Singapores emerging. Ironically, he made divisive suggestions leading to the Two Singapores he warned of. The WP leader suggested that applicants for PR and citizenship be made to take an English proficiency test. Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo responded with […]
If the Government does nothing, litigation could change societal norms very quickly, says Shanmugam
We should not assume that the Courts will never strike s 377A down just because the Government chooses to retain it, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said in Parliament. The CA has said that legal standards do still exist, and may be applied, to judge the legality or constitutionality of Section 377A. “Our […]
Ong Ye Kung speaks on the FTA strategy and the falsehoods surrounding CECA
“FTAs and CECA have been made political scapegoats, to discredit the policy of the PAP Government,” Minister Ong Ye Kung said in Parliament 6 July 2021. In his ministerial statement Mr Ong said FTAs in general, and CECA in particular, are not the cause of the challenges our PMEs face delivered. If anything, they are […]
PM Lee: Our network of FTAs has benefited us enormously.
In a social media post yesterday, PM Lee reiterated the importance of our network of FTAs in creating investments and opportunities for our businesses, and jobs for our people. He also thanked the dedicated officers who spent years negotiating our FTAs and helping Singapore grow its links around the world. In his post, PM Lee […]
2 common myths about CECA that causes a big hoo-ha
CECA has been an oft-used word in the FB comments section of news particularly pertaining to Indian nationals. It has also become synonymous with people’s critique of the Government and the supposed “free flow” influx of Indian nationals to Singapore. So, what exactly is CECA and why does it cause such contention? What is CECA? […]
Criticisms of Government’s rules on travel should not be confused with obligations under CECA
Criticisms of government’s rules on travel should not be confused with Singapore’s obligation under CECA, said Benjamin Ong. The rights of Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs) to enter Singapore from anywhere in the world, including India, have nothing to do with Ceca or any other free-trade agreement (FTA), Benjamin Joshua Ong wrote in an […]
No international flights to and from Singapore and India since March 2020
There are no international flights from India to Singapore, nor from Singapore to India. In a joint statement, MOT, MOM and MFA said that India has banned all international flights to and from Singapore since March 2020. Singapore Airlines can only operate cargo flights to India. Currently, the only passenger flights between Singapore and India […]
Managing the B. 1.617 variant first found in India and now in 44 countries
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday (12 May) that the B. 1.617 variant of the COVID-19 behind the acceleration of India’s explosive outbreak is found in at least 44 countries. This variant was first found in India in October 2020. Singapore has managed to keep it at bay for many months. With the variant […]