News Today

Repo man rammed car into me and injured legs: Accused
THE woman accused of stomping on the roof of a repossessor's car in a street- side altercation claimed in court yesterday that he injured her legs by ramming his car into her. Wong Nguek Chin said she had asked the man,... [Read more]

STI dips as investors play it cautious after recent surge
AFTER Wednesday's big surge, cautious sentiment weighed down the Straits Times Index (STI) yesterday although the broader market was mildly positive. Across the bourse, 430 gainers outgunned 312 losers. Another 628 counters sat out the action, ending unchanged. The STI, made... [Read more]

Asean solidarity prevails
THE spirit of football may have taken a knock when the Thais walked out in the first-leg final of the Asean Championship at the National Stadium last night.But the spirit of Asean solidarity prevailed. And a match that had threatened to... [Read more]

Fear not old age, plan now to meet it head on
SENIOR citizens will form a substantial part of Singapore's population in the near future. As a retiree, I add to the burgeoning grey brigade.My intention in writing is to generate an awareness of the need to prepare for and insure against... [Read more]

US military to probe Sunni woman's rape allegations
BAGHDAD - THE US military is weighing in on the politically explosive case of a Sunni woman allegedly raped by three Shi'ite policemen. It announced on Wednesday that it will investigate the claim, after the Shi'ite-run government dismissed her allegations as... [Read more]

Keeping animals: How to handle a pet peeve
I REFER to the letter, 'Important to take the time to understand a culture before making judgments' by Mr Roni Roberts (ST, Feb 16) in which he commented on whether HDB flat dwellers should or should not keep pets as 'an... [Read more]

Bad fumble gives Charlton precious point
BOLTON (ENGLAND) - CHARLTON secured an unlikely but precious point in their battle for Premiership survival, after a 1-1 draw at Bolton on Wednesday.An error by goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen allowed the Addicks to equalise, and move within two points of Wigan,... [Read more]

Five months on, and still no reply to enquiries on cancelled air tickets
In August 2005, I bought some miles and redeemed two air tickets to Hawaii for June last year. In March last year, I made some enquiries to change the ticket dates but there were no flights available, hence I decided to... [Read more]

Jerusalem mayor reviews construction near holy site
JERUSALEM - JERUSALEM'S mayor has ordered a review of construction work for a walkway near a holy site at the centre of an Arab-Israeli conflict, a City Hall spokesman said yesterday.Mr Uri Lupolianski, who has direct responsibility for the project, decided... [Read more]

GST hike likely to be at one go: PM
TAKE your medicine sooner, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday. By that he meant the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which looks set to be raised at one go, rather than over two phases. But there is also something sweet... [Read more]

If you want to 'advertise' yourself in Friendster, be prepared to be scrutinised publicly
I wonder how many parents in Singapore are aware that their young children with friendster.com accounts are 'married' as claimed in their 'friendster' profiles.However, these are not real marriages. They declare themselves 'married' simply to mean they are 'in a relationship'... [Read more]

Look to productivity, not immigration, to boost growth

ACCORDING to Mr Ng Ya Ken ('6.5-million population - not if but when'; ST, March 7), Singapore's population would have to keep growing to maintain our economic growth.

Stretching his logic further, countries in South and South-east Asia with big populations and large overcrowded cities would have become much richer than tiny Switzerland, with an area of 41,285 sq km and a population of 7.4 million.

According to UN figures, in 2003 Switzerland ranked fourth in the world with a gross national income per capita (purchasing power parity basis) of $32,220, after Luxembourg, Norway and the US. How did a small country with a small population achieve such high standards of income and living?

Growing our gross national income per capita and therefore standard of living is not such a simple matter as just throwing bigger and bigger numbers into the equation.

Much has been said about the pros of having a large population but the downside risks have mainly been glossed over. For example, can we sustain a large population without a large agricultural sector?

What would happen if a severe global economic downturn, which happens regularly throughout history, was to take place and a quarter of the adult working population lose their jobs?

Big cities like Tokyo, Bangkok, Mumbai, Dhaka, Karachi and Jakarta mentioned by Mr Ng all have large agricultural sectors to depend on in case of a severe recession.

Bangkok would have enough rice to go around. In the case of Hong Kong, it could count on China to provide it with food.

In the case of Singapore, we do not have an agricultural sector to speak of.

And what about overcrowding? The long-term negative effects of overcrowding and intensive farming have been well documented. For example, the emergence of the virulent H5N1 strain has been attributed to large-scale intensive farming of chickens, resulting in stress and compromised immune systems.

There ought to be smarter ways to grow our economic pie, for example, through increasing productivity. More can be produced with less through education and knowledge. In the global world, it is ideas and knowledge that determine our standard of living. In other words, emphasise quality rather than size in the Little Red Dot.

Let us do things the smarter way and leave something for posterity.



Richard Lim Siong Kheng

Clubs face charges over illegal transfer deals

LONDON - A PREMIERSHIP club who paid the parents of talented young players in a bid to sign them are one of the 16 top English sides facing disciplinary charges for breaking transfer rules.

The unnamed club feature in the 344-page document handed over to the League on Wednesday by the Lord Stevens team investigating illegal transfer payments.

More than 50 transfers have been found to break the rules.

While some of these are minor and will be dealt with by a warning or advisory letter, the others - including the illicit payments to parents - are likely to result in charges.

The worst offender may even have points deducted if found guilty, reported The Sun.

The League said it was considering the action to be taken.

The offending clubs can expect to be charged within the next month.

Officials insist the breaches are not 'criminal in nature'.

They mostly involve payments by clubs direct to third parties, agents representing more than one party and failure to disclose the full financial breakdown of deals.

Other transgressions include incorrect written agreements with agents, players' contracts containing potential breaches of rules and the involvement of unlicensed agents.

Three clubs did not even know the regulations.

A League source told The Independent: 'Some may involve very minor technical breaches that lead to small fines, or perhaps no action other than a warning.

'Others may involve charges under the FA or the Premiership rules.

'We don't know at this stage how many will fall into each category.'

However, there is a strong feeling among the clubs that they would receive only a warning for any misdemeanours.

Is the aim of education a set of perfect scores?

I READ that in Raffles Junior College some A-level students who got less than a perfect score of four As, A1 for General Paper and three distinctions in S papers were weeping or hanging their heads in shame despite doing very well.

They felt that their chances of a prestigious scholarship and a ticket to high office were blown because they did not get the perfect score. Whatever happened to talk of providing an excellent well-rounded education for children in Singapore?

Twenty years ago, paper qualifications took centre stage when scholarships were awarded; 20 years later, the same academic criterion is being used to measure top talent.

Now we find that many of these academically brilliant people are flops in the real world, deficient in every other department and good only at regurgitating facts and theoretical knowledge.

We are mass producing straight-As clones assembly-line-style in top JCs and this spells doom for Singapore because other more important qualities are being overlooked in the quest for perfect exam results.

It is a warped world of Alice in Wonderland when excellent students who have done very well feel like hopeless flops just because they don't have the perfect report card.

There is something missing in our education system and recognition of true talent. We cannot see the wood for the trees.

Dr Lim Boon Hee

Home duo asked to explain absence

THE Football Association of Singapore is asking two national Under-23 players to explain their failure to answer a call-up.

Defenders Juma'at Jantan and Kamarulariffin Abdul Karim will have a chance to plead their case in a disciplinary hearing next week.

The duo, both Home United players, had failed to show up at Changi Airport for their 11.05am flight on Monday, when the U-23 team left for Alor Star for last night's Malaysia FA Cup first-round tie against Kuala Muda Naza.

Kuala Muda Naza beat them 1-0.

Said P. Sivakumar, the FAS' chief of development and planning: 'This matter has been referred to the disciplinary committee, and there will be a hearing some time next week.

'The committee will send letters to the players, asking them to explain their behaviour.'

The duo had contacted team manager Eugene Loo at about 11pm on Sunday, asking to be excused from the trip.

They had just played the full 90 minutes against the Korean Super Reds in the S-League's opening match, which Home won 5-1.

Juma'at said his left thigh was strained, while Kamarulariffin said he was tired.

Home team manager K.T. Velu said that, as far as the club are concerned, the players had been released for the trip.

Home's other national U-23 players, Shahril Ishak and Shahril Alias, travelled with the team.

If found guilty, the players can be fined and/or suspended from club and national games.

Juma'at played for the Young Lions side that reached the semi-finals of the Malaysia FA Cup last year.

The 23-year-old left-back was also in the starting XI at the 2005 South-east Asia Games in the Philippines.

Kamarulariffin, a central defender, had said he was celebrating his 23rd birthday when contacted on Monday.

He had started most of Balestier Khalsa's S-League matches last season.

Apart from the ignored national call-up, the FAS is also upset that the duo are missing important preparations for December's South-east Asia Games in Thailand.

Cameroonian centre-back Moudourou Moise, a key Young Lions player in the S-League, was deliberately omitted for the game as he will not be eligible for the SEA Games.

Called up instead were Singaporeans who ply their trade at other clubs, such as Geylang United goalkeeper Hassan Sunny.

The U-23s were earlier hit by the withdrawals of skipper Baihakki Khaizan and Tengku Mushadad.

They had not been cleared to play in the S-League by the Ministry of Defence, as they were injured and were medically excused from military training.

limze@sph.com.sg

Wherever he goes, Park's inhaler follows

TUCKED among the clubs and balls in South Korean golfer Park Jun Won's bag is something that could prove to be a potential life-saver.

No, it is not a gap, lob or sand wedge.

Rather, the 20-year-old Seoul native carries around an inhaler - a palm-size device for administering asthma medication.

'From birth until I was about 13, I was constantly admitted to hospital after suffering asthma attacks,' said Park, who was born with the chronic respiratory ailment.

Ironically, though, the potentially life-threatening condition turned out to be a life-changing one for him.

He explained: 'I played football in elementary school and I really liked the sport. But, because of asthma, I had to stop.'

So, at 13, influenced by his golf-playing friends, he hung up his soccer boots and picked up a club instead.

The asthma attacks have since stopped, but he carries his inhaler as a precaution.

Now, the feelings of breathlessness are experienced only by the rivals he meets on the golf course.

As an amateur, the slight-built, 1.7-metre-tall golfer had two victories - the 2004 Tasmanian Open in Australia and the 2005 SBS Invitational in South Korea.

Last year, he turned professional and recorded three top-10s on the Asian Tour.

He was runner-up in the Philippine Open, sixth in the Pulai Springs Malaysian Masters and fourth at the Mecuries Taiwan Masters.

In 17 events, he chalked up US$100,091 (S$152,805) in earnings to finish 41st on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

'My first year went better than I thought it would,' admitted Park, the younger of two children of a restaurant-owner and housewife.

'I was very pleased and surprised to be able to do well.'

Yesterday at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club, he was dressed smartly in an orange polo tee and white pants and was a picture of quiet confidence.

He will be teeing off with 203 others at this week's US$1.1 million Clariden Leu Singapore Masters 2007, starting on Thursday.

At last year's Singapore Masters, his second professional start, Park missed the cut and was tied 121st in the 155-strong field.

But he is optimistic of a better finish this year.

'My game is good at the moment, but I'll be playing with caution,' he said, after a practice round at the Masters course, known for its rolling fairways, prominent water hazards and thick rough.

'Once you're too aggressive on this course, it might cost you dearly.'

He also plans to stay calm, taking a leaf from his idol, South Africa's two-time Major winner Retief Goosen.

Added the third-year sports science student at Seoul's Sung Kyun Kwan University: 'When I hit a bad shot, I try to think about something that makes me happy.

'I imagine I'm driving a nice car, like a Lamborghini.'

For Park, who drives a Hyundai, owning the Italian high-performance sports car could well become a reality in the near future.

The youngster, a 270-yard straight-hitter, has been tipped by observers as one of Asia's rising stars.

As US-based South Korean golfer Anthony Kang, 34, said: 'It's great to see Park playing the way he is right now.

'He's definitely a good prospect for the future.'

jwang@sph.com.sg

News Today

The first electric guitar
PHOTO: AP It looks somewhat out of proportion, but this guitar is the priceless 'Frying Pan', the first ever electric guitar, which was made in the 1930s. It is one of the highlights of the 'Born To Rock' exhibition, which opened... [Read more]

Why complainant could not get Business Class seats
I refer to the letter by Mr Robert James Eve, 'A would-be memorable trip marred by inability to get Business Class seat using frequent flyer award points' (Online forum, Feb 14).Singapore Airlines, like all other airlines, reserves a number of seats... [Read more]

Dubai shopping festival attracts the big spenders
DUBAI - WITH sales running into billions of dollars and prizes on offer worth millions, the annual Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is attracting more and more businessmen and shoppers each year. Among those in town for the business opportunities at this... [Read more]

New taste of egg-vertising
TOKYO - WHAT came first: the chicken or the egg? In a new twist to the age-old conundrum, a Japanese firm is betting that - in shopping baskets at least - the chicken or rather chicken noodles will follow the egg... [Read more]

Fewer floods soon with works to be completed early
SINGAPORE's flood management system will be significantly improved from next year, when the Marina Barrage and work to raise roads and widen drains should be complete. The Public Utilities Board (PUB) is bringing forward plans to keep Commonwealth Avenue, Cuscaden Road,... [Read more]

Bumboats to go electric
THE diesel-powered bumboats that ply the Singapore River will be phased out by the end of this year and replaced with quieter, less polluting electric boats. The two boat operators on the river - Singapore Explorer and Singapore River Cruises &... [Read more]

Clerc's last-minute try gives France victory
DUBLIN - WINGER Vincent Clerc scored a try one minute from the end and France beat Ireland 20-17 on Sunday to stay on course for another Six Nations championship triumph. When Ronan O'Gara kicked the Irish into a 17-13 lead -... [Read more]

Oil rig worker dies in Sarawak copter crash
KUALA LUMPUR - AN OIL rig worker died after a helicopter crashed off the coast of Sarawak, the second such incident in three months. In the high-seas drama on Tuesday, nine others were plucked from the sea after the Super Puma... [Read more]

Bid for a place on Chingay float with Lions
THE Singapore Lions, who dramatically retained their Asean Cup football title in Bangkok on Sunday, will be riding high at this year's Chingay Parade. Led by skipper Aide Iskandar, the team will be perched on what has been described as a... [Read more]

In Britain, a new, old terrorism
AT LEAST six people were injured by a series of letter bombs in Britain over the past three weeks, in what police said could be a campaign by animal rights extremists or a disgruntled motorist fed up with the country's laws... [Read more]

Cosco's profits up 28% to record $205m
CHINESE shipping group Cosco has posted a 28 per cent hike in profit to a record $205.4 million as turnover surged 39 per cent to $1.22 billion. The strong performance for the year ended Dec 31 came as the company repaired... [Read more]