Picture of the year 2008!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Unhappy Indian Voice
I have always warn you guys about the DARK force...
http://singaporeindianvoice.blogspot.com/2008/12/singapore-has-lowest-gdp-but-highest.html
Singapore has lowest GDP but highest paid PM in the world! Highest Paid Presidents / PM's around the WorldSource: The Mango Blog
The Economic recession has hit one and all, salary cuts and pink slips have taken their toll on the common man. Presidents, Prime Ministers are no exception. Most of the heads have cut down on their salaries or are planning to do so in the near future. Lets take a look at what the heads of top nations are earning.
Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore (Country GDP: $235.6 billion - 2008)Politicians in Singapore are amongst the most highly paid government officials in the world. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore earns five times more than the American President. Lee Hsien Loong takes an annual salary of $2.46 million.
Unhappy Indian Voice, how about President Nathan???
I add in for you...
CLP do nothing, earn Singapore Dollar $3 million.
http://singaporeindianvoice.blogspot.com/2008/12/singapore-has-lowest-gdp-but-highest.html
Singapore has lowest GDP but highest paid PM in the world! Highest Paid Presidents / PM's around the WorldSource: The Mango Blog
The Economic recession has hit one and all, salary cuts and pink slips have taken their toll on the common man. Presidents, Prime Ministers are no exception. Most of the heads have cut down on their salaries or are planning to do so in the near future. Lets take a look at what the heads of top nations are earning.
Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore (Country GDP: $235.6 billion - 2008)Politicians in Singapore are amongst the most highly paid government officials in the world. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore earns five times more than the American President. Lee Hsien Loong takes an annual salary of $2.46 million.
Unhappy Indian Voice, how about President Nathan???
I add in for you...
CLP do nothing, earn Singapore Dollar $3 million.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Indian police given moustache pay
Police in a district in India's Madhya Pradesh state are being paid to grow moustaches because bosses believe it makes them command more respect.
Ten policemen in the northern state are already receiving 30 rupees (66 US cents) every month for their efforts.
Jhabua district police chief Mayank Jain told BBC News Online: "The response is growing and in the months ahead we expect to see more moustachioed policemen.
"Moustaches are improving the personalities of our constables. They are acquiring an aura of their own. They are creating a positive impression on the local people and getting a lot of respect."
'Motivation'
The police chief hit upon the idea of moustaches-for-cash after a seminar attended by district policemen and local people.
"There were two or three moustachioed constables in the gathering and I saw people were looking at them very respectfully and pleasantly. That is when I thought of making more policemen grow moustaches," Mr Jain said.
The decision to pay them a whisker more every month for their efforts was just a "little motivation", he said.
Mr Jain said he was keeping a watch on the shape of the moustaches so that they did not look too intimidating, and so have the opposite effect on people.
"It takes time to keep a proper moustache. A good one has to take a turn near the angle of the upper lip," Mr Jain said.
He said that in the next few months many more of the 1,100 policemen at the district's 22 police stations would begin sporting moustaches.
Men in rural India have traditionally sported impressive moustaches to assert their masculinity.
Ten policemen in the northern state are already receiving 30 rupees (66 US cents) every month for their efforts.
Jhabua district police chief Mayank Jain told BBC News Online: "The response is growing and in the months ahead we expect to see more moustachioed policemen.
"Moustaches are improving the personalities of our constables. They are acquiring an aura of their own. They are creating a positive impression on the local people and getting a lot of respect."
'Motivation'
The police chief hit upon the idea of moustaches-for-cash after a seminar attended by district policemen and local people.
"There were two or three moustachioed constables in the gathering and I saw people were looking at them very respectfully and pleasantly. That is when I thought of making more policemen grow moustaches," Mr Jain said.
The decision to pay them a whisker more every month for their efforts was just a "little motivation", he said.
Mr Jain said he was keeping a watch on the shape of the moustaches so that they did not look too intimidating, and so have the opposite effect on people.
"It takes time to keep a proper moustache. A good one has to take a turn near the angle of the upper lip," Mr Jain said.
He said that in the next few months many more of the 1,100 policemen at the district's 22 police stations would begin sporting moustaches.
Men in rural India have traditionally sported impressive moustaches to assert their masculinity.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The Great Moustaches
The extravagant beards and moustaches proudly sported by generations of Indian men are under threat, according to a new book that celebrates the country's finest facial hair.
As India rapidly modernises, clean chins are becoming the rule among young people, said the book's author, Richard McCallum, who spent months on the road documenting the bushiest bristles he could find before they disappear forever.
With photographer Chris Stowers, McCallum scoured markets, festivals and villages to gather specimens now collected in their book Hair India - A Guide to the Bizarre Beards and Magnificent Moustaches of Hindustan.
"It was an idea that started out as a bit of fun but turned into a labor of love," said McCallum, 30, a British travel business operator who has lived in Delhi for four years.
"Beards and moustaches tell the story of modern India - how it is becoming a more Westernized, homogenized place, but also how the traditions and the love of display still exist."
"Male grooming is important to Indians, and facial hair proved a topic that took us to places and into conversations with people we would never have met otherwise."
The book, illustrated with hundreds of photographs, divides facial hair into categories including "the chin strap", "the soup strainer", "the wing commander" and "the walrus".
Among those pictured are both the world's longest beard, measuring 1.6 meters, and the world's longest moustache, at 11 foot-6 inches.
The record-breaking moustache is a big earner for Ram Singh Chauman, 54, who charges modeling fees and whose whiskers have starred in Bollywood films and even had a cameo in the Bond film Octopussy.
But the stars of the book are perhaps the ordinary stall-owners and rickshaw drivers showing off moustaches and beards that are cut, dyed, waxed and preened in an endless variety of shapes and sizes.
"Some people were confused when we first told them why we wanted to take their picture, but they soon became very keen," said Stowers.
McCallum and Stowers' search took them from camel fairs in Rajasthan to the Himalayan town of Leh, and from the banana groves of the Western Ghats to military tattoos in the capital New Delhi.
Along the way, they demonstrated their commitment to the job by discarding their razors, with McCallum growing an unruly black beard and Stowers sprouting a moustache which he tweaked into sharp upwards curls.
Sikhs, for whom "kesh" (uncut hair) is a religious principle, feature heavily in the book, and moustaches remain a professional requirement for the doormen of five-star hotels.
But otherwise the traditional belief that facial hair is a sign of virility appears to be facing the chop.
"Young people don't want an itchy moustache or beard which they think makes them look old," said Lalan Singh, 40, a restaurant doorman in Delhi's and the owner of a handlebar moustache
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Poor Indian FTs - Not paid again
Familiar case of Indian workers not paid
Singapore: Indian Migrant Workers Protest(Singapore) Sat, Jul 01, 2006 Indian Migrant Workers Protest
16 July 2004, more then 150 Indian migrant workers protested peacefully to claim 4 to 6 months salaries owned by their employer. This is the second protest by workers from Wan Soon Construction to claim their salaries amounting to some $4000 to $6000. 28 June 2004 200 Indian Workers protest at Indian Embassy On 28 June 2004, the Indian migrant workers gathered to demand that the Indian Embassy assist them to claim the salary own to them.
----> NOW
04 December 2008
THEY had run away, alleging their employers had not paid them and locked them in a 'cage' when there was no work.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has now resolved their claims. It found that these foreign workers with San's Marine Engineering Service, Han's Marine and K7 Engineering had not been not paid in full and has made sure that they received their full salaries.
But its investigations also revealed that not all of the workers' claims were true.
It found their complaints of no work and no pay over a long period to be unfounded.
In a statement issued yesterday, the ministry said it had resolved the salary claims involving 48 Bangladeshi workers from the three companies.
According to the statement, the companies had work contracts with shipyards but there were intermittent periods during which some workers were not deployed to work.
Instead, they were either given training to prepare them for skills tests or sent for re-training because their work standards did not meet those of the shipyards.
They were not paid their full salaries during these periods when they did not work, and there were also unauthorised salary deductions made by their employers. But the workers have since been paid, including for the training periods and for the deductions, after the MOM intervened.
The New Paper had reported on the workers' plight on 4 Oct. The men ran away in September after complaining that they had not been given work or their wages.
They also said they had had enough of being locked inside a fenced-up area, which they dubbed 'the cage', next to their employers' Tuas office during the day.
One of them, Mr Md Zakir Hossain Md Yousuf Ali, 24, had told The New Paper that they were made to sit in there day after day.
He said through a translator: 'We stayed in the cage the whole day doing nothing. We were not allowed to lie down or sleep.
'If we did, the bosses would scold us or pour water on us. They treated us like animals.'
Mr Md Zakir Hossain, who was employed by Han's Marine, claimed they were sent to the 'cage' as their bosses did not want them to be seen doing nothing at the dormitory during the day.
He said the same thing happened to subsequent batches of workers who arrived in Singapore.
But the HR manager of San's Marine denied any wrongdoing or ill-treatment of its workers, saying the fenced-up area was meant for training workers.
'Not a cage'
An MOM spokesman said yesterday that its investigations 'showed that it was not a cage, but an enclosed area in the company premises'. However, she did not say whether the workers were put in there as they had claimed.
The workers were listed as marine trades workers in their work permits. Once in a while, some would be deployed to do cleaning or general work for other companies, Mr Md Zakir Hossain claimed.
'Even when they sent us to do some work, we didn't get any pay. The company would deduct money for food, lodging and even laundry,' he claimed.
He paid an agent more than $8,000 to get a work permit to work here.
On this point, the MOM noted that many of these workers paid their Bangladesh agents money as security deposits for their job placements here. It has forwarded the names of these agents to the Bangladesh Embassy for further investigation and action.
The New Paper understands that some of the workers have found jobs with other companies.
When contacted yesterday, Mr Joy Kumar, 28, said he was paid $615 after the MOM intervened.
Although he felt it wasn't enough for his six months at San's Marine, he was happy that the MOM had helped him and some of the others find jobs.
He started working at another company yesterday, earning $16 a day.
'I am very happy that I can work and earn money,' he said.
Employers must ensure that they have work for the foreign workers they employ and make prompt salary payments.
First-time offenders can be fined up to $1,000 per charge. For repeat offenders, the fine is up to $2,000 per charge, or a jail term not exceeding one year or both.
They can also be barred from hiring new foreign workers if they are found guilty.
Singapore: Indian Migrant Workers Protest(Singapore) Sat, Jul 01, 2006 Indian Migrant Workers Protest
16 July 2004, more then 150 Indian migrant workers protested peacefully to claim 4 to 6 months salaries owned by their employer. This is the second protest by workers from Wan Soon Construction to claim their salaries amounting to some $4000 to $6000. 28 June 2004 200 Indian Workers protest at Indian Embassy On 28 June 2004, the Indian migrant workers gathered to demand that the Indian Embassy assist them to claim the salary own to them.
----> NOW
04 December 2008
THEY had run away, alleging their employers had not paid them and locked them in a 'cage' when there was no work.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has now resolved their claims. It found that these foreign workers with San's Marine Engineering Service, Han's Marine and K7 Engineering had not been not paid in full and has made sure that they received their full salaries.
But its investigations also revealed that not all of the workers' claims were true.
It found their complaints of no work and no pay over a long period to be unfounded.
In a statement issued yesterday, the ministry said it had resolved the salary claims involving 48 Bangladeshi workers from the three companies.
According to the statement, the companies had work contracts with shipyards but there were intermittent periods during which some workers were not deployed to work.
Instead, they were either given training to prepare them for skills tests or sent for re-training because their work standards did not meet those of the shipyards.
They were not paid their full salaries during these periods when they did not work, and there were also unauthorised salary deductions made by their employers. But the workers have since been paid, including for the training periods and for the deductions, after the MOM intervened.
The New Paper had reported on the workers' plight on 4 Oct. The men ran away in September after complaining that they had not been given work or their wages.
They also said they had had enough of being locked inside a fenced-up area, which they dubbed 'the cage', next to their employers' Tuas office during the day.
One of them, Mr Md Zakir Hossain Md Yousuf Ali, 24, had told The New Paper that they were made to sit in there day after day.
He said through a translator: 'We stayed in the cage the whole day doing nothing. We were not allowed to lie down or sleep.
'If we did, the bosses would scold us or pour water on us. They treated us like animals.'
Mr Md Zakir Hossain, who was employed by Han's Marine, claimed they were sent to the 'cage' as their bosses did not want them to be seen doing nothing at the dormitory during the day.
He said the same thing happened to subsequent batches of workers who arrived in Singapore.
But the HR manager of San's Marine denied any wrongdoing or ill-treatment of its workers, saying the fenced-up area was meant for training workers.
'Not a cage'
An MOM spokesman said yesterday that its investigations 'showed that it was not a cage, but an enclosed area in the company premises'. However, she did not say whether the workers were put in there as they had claimed.
The workers were listed as marine trades workers in their work permits. Once in a while, some would be deployed to do cleaning or general work for other companies, Mr Md Zakir Hossain claimed.
'Even when they sent us to do some work, we didn't get any pay. The company would deduct money for food, lodging and even laundry,' he claimed.
He paid an agent more than $8,000 to get a work permit to work here.
On this point, the MOM noted that many of these workers paid their Bangladesh agents money as security deposits for their job placements here. It has forwarded the names of these agents to the Bangladesh Embassy for further investigation and action.
The New Paper understands that some of the workers have found jobs with other companies.
When contacted yesterday, Mr Joy Kumar, 28, said he was paid $615 after the MOM intervened.
Although he felt it wasn't enough for his six months at San's Marine, he was happy that the MOM had helped him and some of the others find jobs.
He started working at another company yesterday, earning $16 a day.
'I am very happy that I can work and earn money,' he said.
Employers must ensure that they have work for the foreign workers they employ and make prompt salary payments.
First-time offenders can be fined up to $1,000 per charge. For repeat offenders, the fine is up to $2,000 per charge, or a jail term not exceeding one year or both.
They can also be barred from hiring new foreign workers if they are found guilty.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
More Indian FTs in Sink
The National Development Ministry (MND) has on Wednesday released the details of another 10 temporary dormitory sites for foreign workers.
The 10 sites, comprising 3 vacant state buildings and 7 vacant state lands, will provide an additional 20,000 bed spaces.
The 3 state properties which will be converted into temporary dormitories are the former Queenstown Polyclinic at 51 Margaret Drive, the former CAAS office at 1801 Upper Changi Road North, and the existing CPG Corporation Airport Development Division at 1800 Upper Changi Road North.
The former Queenstown Polyclinic and the former CAAS office will house 150 construction workers each. MND said these two temporary dormitories will be ready in about 3 to 6 months.
After the CPG Airport branch is vacated in 3 to 6 months' time, it will be tendered out for the development of a temporary dormitory for 800 construction workers.
The 7 state lands which can be developed into temporary dormitory sites are located in or near industrial estates. The sites are at Mandai Road, Old Choa Chu Kang Road, Hougang Avenue 3, Seletar West Farmway which is located in Jalan Kayu, Jurong Road and Kim Chuan Road.
Their leases have been kept to not more than 6 years.
MND said it has consulted the area's Members of Parliament (MPs) and grassroots organisations in the past two months on the development of the sites into temporary dormitories.
It added that several measures will be put in place to minimise the inconveniences posed by the dormitory developments. These include requiring the dormitories to have adequate facilities for workers, appointing a liaison officer as a point of contact for the grassroots organisations, and conducting educational programmes to inform workers of the social norms and laws in Singapore.
The government is also engaging the MPs and grassroots leaders of existing areas with very high foreign worker populations to identify and implement appropriate measures.
The temporary dormitories are part of the government's efforts to provide proper housing for foreign workers, while more purpose built dormitories come on stream over the next few years.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
India Upgrades Security - Patch
India will create an FBI-style national investigative agency, beef up security and streamline intelligence gathering after a string of lapses _ and a torrent of criticism _ tied to the deadly Mumbai attacks, the top security official said.
The Mumbai attacks that left 171 people dead revealed glaring gaps in the nation's security systems and a shaky intelligence apparatus that missed several warning signs of the siege, which lasted for three days and paralyzed much of India's largest city.
Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, the country's top law enforcement official, acknowledged serious failures Thursday. He outlined a new approach to fight terror in the government's first detailed response since an unprecedented outpouring of public anger and a hail of calls for urgent reform.
Besides creating the National Investigation Agency, Chidambaram said India would strengthen coastal security, improve training of local police, draft tighter anti-terror laws and improve intelligence sharing.
"Given the nature of the threat," he said, "we can't go back to business as usual."
India's intelligence failures were among the most troubling missteps in the attacks, and Chidambaram said Thursday, "We have identified the gaps."
India's foreign intelligence agency had heard as recently as September that Pakistan-based terrorists were plotting attacks on Mumbai, according to a government intelligence official familiar with the matter.
The information, intercepted from telephone conversations apparently coming out of Pakistan, indicated that hotels might be targeted, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the details.
India had also received intelligence of a waterborne attack from the United States. The terrorists reached Mumbai's coast on a dinghy, after hijacking a boat, authorities say.
"I have found that there is a tendency to treat some intelligence inputs that are not specific or precise as not actionable intelligence," Chidambaram said. "There is a need to make intelligence gathering and intelligence sharing more effective and result-oriented."
Another change announced Thursday was creation of regional hubs for the National Security Guards, the commando force that led the fight against the 10 gunmen who attacked sites across Mumbai.
The NSG is currently based near New Delhi, and it took nearly 10 hours for the commandos to reach Mumbai _ one of several problems analysts have cited in the response to the attacks.
The commandos "are hampered by the distance between their headquarters and the airport, the absence of a dedicated aircraft, and the poor logistics" in the field, he said.
Chidambaram also said new commando units from the state police would be trained in 20 counterinsurgency and anti-terrorism schools across the country.
Some experts said Chidambaram's speech to Parliament was as much about politics as security.
"This is a predictable response from the government...but it may not be enough to deal with the challenges of India's security," said C. Uday Bhaskar, a prominent defense analyst in New Delhi.
"This is really piecemeal at this point. We need something that is pre-emptive that will prevent problems," he said.
He said some of the changes, like creating new hubs for the commandos, were long overdue, and others, like improving maritime security, were important, but not innovative enough.
These changes "presume that the next attack will be a repeat" of the Mumbai siege, he said. "We need a total revamp."
Chidambaram said a new Coastal Command would be responsible for the security of India's 7,500-kilometer coastline.
The 10 gunmen who attacked Mumbai were Pakistanis trained by the banned Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba. Pakistan has arrested at least 20 people, including two extremists alleged by India to be instrumental in the Mumbai siege, but India has made it clear it wants to see more action.
The lone surviving gunman, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, 21, is in Indian custody and has been repeatedly interrogated by Indian authorities.
He is being held on 12 offenses, including waging war against the country, murder, and other offenses, but he has not yet been formally charged, said Rakesh Maria, Mumbai's chief investigator.
The Mumbai attacks that left 171 people dead revealed glaring gaps in the nation's security systems and a shaky intelligence apparatus that missed several warning signs of the siege, which lasted for three days and paralyzed much of India's largest city.
Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, the country's top law enforcement official, acknowledged serious failures Thursday. He outlined a new approach to fight terror in the government's first detailed response since an unprecedented outpouring of public anger and a hail of calls for urgent reform.
Besides creating the National Investigation Agency, Chidambaram said India would strengthen coastal security, improve training of local police, draft tighter anti-terror laws and improve intelligence sharing.
"Given the nature of the threat," he said, "we can't go back to business as usual."
India's intelligence failures were among the most troubling missteps in the attacks, and Chidambaram said Thursday, "We have identified the gaps."
India's foreign intelligence agency had heard as recently as September that Pakistan-based terrorists were plotting attacks on Mumbai, according to a government intelligence official familiar with the matter.
The information, intercepted from telephone conversations apparently coming out of Pakistan, indicated that hotels might be targeted, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the details.
India had also received intelligence of a waterborne attack from the United States. The terrorists reached Mumbai's coast on a dinghy, after hijacking a boat, authorities say.
"I have found that there is a tendency to treat some intelligence inputs that are not specific or precise as not actionable intelligence," Chidambaram said. "There is a need to make intelligence gathering and intelligence sharing more effective and result-oriented."
Another change announced Thursday was creation of regional hubs for the National Security Guards, the commando force that led the fight against the 10 gunmen who attacked sites across Mumbai.
The NSG is currently based near New Delhi, and it took nearly 10 hours for the commandos to reach Mumbai _ one of several problems analysts have cited in the response to the attacks.
The commandos "are hampered by the distance between their headquarters and the airport, the absence of a dedicated aircraft, and the poor logistics" in the field, he said.
Chidambaram also said new commando units from the state police would be trained in 20 counterinsurgency and anti-terrorism schools across the country.
Some experts said Chidambaram's speech to Parliament was as much about politics as security.
"This is a predictable response from the government...but it may not be enough to deal with the challenges of India's security," said C. Uday Bhaskar, a prominent defense analyst in New Delhi.
"This is really piecemeal at this point. We need something that is pre-emptive that will prevent problems," he said.
He said some of the changes, like creating new hubs for the commandos, were long overdue, and others, like improving maritime security, were important, but not innovative enough.
These changes "presume that the next attack will be a repeat" of the Mumbai siege, he said. "We need a total revamp."
Chidambaram said a new Coastal Command would be responsible for the security of India's 7,500-kilometer coastline.
The 10 gunmen who attacked Mumbai were Pakistanis trained by the banned Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba. Pakistan has arrested at least 20 people, including two extremists alleged by India to be instrumental in the Mumbai siege, but India has made it clear it wants to see more action.
The lone surviving gunman, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, 21, is in Indian custody and has been repeatedly interrogated by Indian authorities.
He is being held on 12 offenses, including waging war against the country, murder, and other offenses, but he has not yet been formally charged, said Rakesh Maria, Mumbai's chief investigator.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Indian Vs Pakistan - WAR!!!?
ISLAMABAD - PAKISTAN said on Tuesday it would not hand over any suspects in the Mumbai bombings to India and warned that while it wanted peace with its neighbour, it was ready for war if New Delhi decided to attack.
The remarks come amid mounting tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours after India said it is keeping all options open following last month's carnage in Mumbai, where 172 people were killed and more than 300 wounded.
'We do not want to impose war, but we are fully prepared in case war is imposed on us,' Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said.
'We are not oblivious to our responsibilities to defend our homeland. But it is our desire that there should be no war.'
Indian officials say the hardline Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which is based in Pakistan despite being banned by the government, is behind the bloodshed, and Indian media have suggested there could be Indian strikes on militant camps.
Mr Qureshi said he was sending 'a very clear message' that his country did not want conflict with India.
'We want friendship, we want peace and we want stability - but our desire for peace should not be considered Pakistan's weakness.'
The minister also said that India's demands for the extradition of suspects in the Mumbai attacks were out of the question and that Pakistan, which has arrested 16 people since Saturday, would keep them on home soil.
'The arrests are being made for our own investigations. Even if allegations are proved against any suspect, he will not be handed over to India,' Mr Qureshi said. 'We will proceed against those arrested under Pakistani laws.'
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain and nearly came to a fourth in 2001 after an attack on the Indian parliament that was blamed on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which means Army of the Pious.
Under international pressure to act, Pakistan on Sunday raided a camp run by a charity, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, that many believe has close links to Lashkar-e-Taiba, and arrested 15 people.
The charity is headed by LeT's founder Hafiz Saeed.
The LeT has been banned by Pakistan, but India accuses Islamabad of not cracking down on the group, which was established to fight Indian rule in Kashmir and has past links to Pakistani intelligence services and Al-Qaeda.
Mr Saeed on Monday condemned the arrests, saying the Pakistan government had shown 'weakness by targeting Kashmiri organisations'.
Two of the three India-Pakistan wars were fought over disputed Kashmir, which is controlled in part but claimed in whole by both nations, and the United States in particular has urged calm after the bloodshed in Mumbai.
Pakistan authorities were meanwhile said to be questioning a 16th man, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who was arrested Saturday. Indian media say the lone surviving attacker named him as a key planner behind the Mumbai attacks.
India has said that all 10 of the gunmen who carried out the brazen assault on Mumbai, the country's financial capital, were from Pakistan.
The attackers, some of whom arrived by boat, targeted two luxury hotels, a hospital, a Jewish centre and other sites. They managed to hold off Indian security forces for 60 hours before nine were killed and one was captured.
Referring to the arrests in Pakistan, the United States - which counts Pakistan as a vital ally in the 'war on terror' - on Monday welcomed what it said were 'some positive steps' taken by Islamabad. -- AFP
Can you guys Please Calm down...
The remarks come amid mounting tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours after India said it is keeping all options open following last month's carnage in Mumbai, where 172 people were killed and more than 300 wounded.
'We do not want to impose war, but we are fully prepared in case war is imposed on us,' Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said.
'We are not oblivious to our responsibilities to defend our homeland. But it is our desire that there should be no war.'
Indian officials say the hardline Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which is based in Pakistan despite being banned by the government, is behind the bloodshed, and Indian media have suggested there could be Indian strikes on militant camps.
Mr Qureshi said he was sending 'a very clear message' that his country did not want conflict with India.
'We want friendship, we want peace and we want stability - but our desire for peace should not be considered Pakistan's weakness.'
The minister also said that India's demands for the extradition of suspects in the Mumbai attacks were out of the question and that Pakistan, which has arrested 16 people since Saturday, would keep them on home soil.
'The arrests are being made for our own investigations. Even if allegations are proved against any suspect, he will not be handed over to India,' Mr Qureshi said. 'We will proceed against those arrested under Pakistani laws.'
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain and nearly came to a fourth in 2001 after an attack on the Indian parliament that was blamed on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which means Army of the Pious.
Under international pressure to act, Pakistan on Sunday raided a camp run by a charity, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, that many believe has close links to Lashkar-e-Taiba, and arrested 15 people.
The charity is headed by LeT's founder Hafiz Saeed.
The LeT has been banned by Pakistan, but India accuses Islamabad of not cracking down on the group, which was established to fight Indian rule in Kashmir and has past links to Pakistani intelligence services and Al-Qaeda.
Mr Saeed on Monday condemned the arrests, saying the Pakistan government had shown 'weakness by targeting Kashmiri organisations'.
Two of the three India-Pakistan wars were fought over disputed Kashmir, which is controlled in part but claimed in whole by both nations, and the United States in particular has urged calm after the bloodshed in Mumbai.
Pakistan authorities were meanwhile said to be questioning a 16th man, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who was arrested Saturday. Indian media say the lone surviving attacker named him as a key planner behind the Mumbai attacks.
India has said that all 10 of the gunmen who carried out the brazen assault on Mumbai, the country's financial capital, were from Pakistan.
The attackers, some of whom arrived by boat, targeted two luxury hotels, a hospital, a Jewish centre and other sites. They managed to hold off Indian security forces for 60 hours before nine were killed and one was captured.
Referring to the arrests in Pakistan, the United States - which counts Pakistan as a vital ally in the 'war on terror' - on Monday welcomed what it said were 'some positive steps' taken by Islamabad. -- AFP
Can you guys Please Calm down...
Friday, December 05, 2008
Now I know...
05-12-2008, 01:54 AM
SAMURAISAN Alfrescian
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 237
My Reputation:Points: 25 / Power: 7
Let's avange Hwei Yen !!
Yeah...let's kill a few Pakis and rape a few Paki women.
Singaporeans must act.
05-12-2008, 02:01 AM
saratogas Alfrescian
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 131
My Reputation:Points: 10 / Power: 6
Re: Let's avange Hwei Yen !!
Yah Rite,
As if you can differentiate who is Paki, Indian, Banglas... all look the same to me.
Life is about Payroll and Claims - $$$
05-12-2008, 02:03 AM
annexa Alfrescian (S)
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 536
My Reputation:Points: 36 / Power: 10
Re: Let's avange Hwei Yen !!
Banglas are dark skinned. Pakis are Muslim and fair skinned. Indians are mostly Hindus.
SAMURAISAN Alfrescian
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 237
My Reputation:Points: 25 / Power: 7
Let's avange Hwei Yen !!
Yeah...let's kill a few Pakis and rape a few Paki women.
Singaporeans must act.
05-12-2008, 02:01 AM
saratogas Alfrescian
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 131
My Reputation:Points: 10 / Power: 6
Re: Let's avange Hwei Yen !!
Yah Rite,
As if you can differentiate who is Paki, Indian, Banglas... all look the same to me.
Life is about Payroll and Claims - $$$
05-12-2008, 02:03 AM
annexa Alfrescian (S)
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 536
My Reputation:Points: 36 / Power: 10
Re: Let's avange Hwei Yen !!
Banglas are dark skinned. Pakis are Muslim and fair skinned. Indians are mostly Hindus.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Prataman welcomes top Muslim
Mawlana Hazar Imam is greeted by President S R Nathan at the Istana in Singapore. Photo: Akbar HakimThis morning, Mawlana Hazar Imam attended a meeting with President S R Nathan at the Istana, the official residence and office of Singapore’s Head of State.
This was followed by a visit to the Singapore City Gallery which offered insight into the concept planning activities of Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority. Hazar Imam was hosted by the Authority’s CEO, Cheong-Chua Koon Hean.
Later on, Mawlana Hazar Imam also received a tour of Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum from the museum’s Deputy Director of Curation and Collections, Tan Huism.
In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam was the guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Dr Yaacob.
This was followed by a visit to the Singapore City Gallery which offered insight into the concept planning activities of Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority. Hazar Imam was hosted by the Authority’s CEO, Cheong-Chua Koon Hean.
Later on, Mawlana Hazar Imam also received a tour of Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum from the museum’s Deputy Director of Curation and Collections, Tan Huism.
In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam was the guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Dr Yaacob.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
The problem between India And Pakistan
Its not a religious, race, language or terror problem, its in their blood. They live to disagree.
I was recently reading the chapter, 'India and the Bomb' of the book 'Argumentative Indian' by Amartya Sen and I was quite moved and enlightened too as it highlighted the devil hidden in the nuclearisation of nations, especially long time enemies and brothers, India and Pakistan. I've used the term brothers since both of us share the same kind of people with similar thoughts. If you go anywhere abroad, you'll find Indians and Pakistanis being the best friends. Although we become totally different when we reach our home countries.
Going back to the early days of the bomb, the father of the atoic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer qouted the bhagawad Gita after his team,Los Alamos tested the atom bomb, in the trinity test in New Mexico.
"If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one. Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."
That was the reaction of the father of the son, which went out to kill around 200,000 people instantly during World War II.
In response to the nuclearization of china, India tested its first atomic bomb at pokharan in 1974, followed by the nationalist BJP, which then went on under the guidance of Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam to test six more bombs in 1999. Our brother turned foe, Pakistan then replied with the testing of 6 more. The Indo-Pak nuclear cold war had begun then.
The 2001-2002 India-Pakistan standoff was a military standoff between India and Pakistan that resulted in the amassing of troops on either side of the International Border (IB) and along the Line of Control (LoC) in the region of Kashmir. This was the second major military standoff between India and Pakistan following the successful detonation of nuclear devices by both countries in 1998 and the most recent standoff between the nuclear rivals.
Indian Foreign Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said on June 5 that India would not use nuclear weapons first, while Musharraf said that he would not renounce Pakistan's right to use nuclear weapons first. In December 2002, Musharraf said he warned India "not to expect a conventional war from Pakistan" if troops crossed the Line of Control in Kashmir. India's Defense Minister replied that India could "take a bomb or two or more but when we respond there will be no Pakistan."
That was the first time the clouds of nuclear war gloomed over Asia as both countries were preparing for the worst. But when I read this, it was the first time I doubted lord Krishna's argumemt with Arjuna of the righteouness of war. Krishna insisted Arjuna to fight, irrespective of its consequences of the war. But the consequences of a genocide would cease to heal in two countries already plagued by poverty and a host of other economic problems.
The consequences have been best described the Arundhati Roy, in a phrase mentioned in 'The Argumentative India'Our cities and forests, our fields and villages will burn for days. Rivers will turn to poison. The air will become fire. The wind will spread the flames. When everything there is to burn has burned and the fires die, smoke will rise and shut out the sun. The earth will be enveloped in darkness. There will be no day. Only interminable night. Temperatures will drop to far below freezing and nuclear winter will set in. Water will turn into toxic ice. Radioactive fallout will seep through the earth and contaminate groundwater.
Most living things, animal and vegetable, fish and fowl, will die.These lines are the perfect representation of the consequences of a nuclear war, which makes Lord Krishna's argument of war, totally nullified.
I was recently reading the chapter, 'India and the Bomb' of the book 'Argumentative Indian' by Amartya Sen and I was quite moved and enlightened too as it highlighted the devil hidden in the nuclearisation of nations, especially long time enemies and brothers, India and Pakistan. I've used the term brothers since both of us share the same kind of people with similar thoughts. If you go anywhere abroad, you'll find Indians and Pakistanis being the best friends. Although we become totally different when we reach our home countries.
Going back to the early days of the bomb, the father of the atoic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer qouted the bhagawad Gita after his team,Los Alamos tested the atom bomb, in the trinity test in New Mexico.
"If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one. Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."
That was the reaction of the father of the son, which went out to kill around 200,000 people instantly during World War II.
In response to the nuclearization of china, India tested its first atomic bomb at pokharan in 1974, followed by the nationalist BJP, which then went on under the guidance of Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam to test six more bombs in 1999. Our brother turned foe, Pakistan then replied with the testing of 6 more. The Indo-Pak nuclear cold war had begun then.
The 2001-2002 India-Pakistan standoff was a military standoff between India and Pakistan that resulted in the amassing of troops on either side of the International Border (IB) and along the Line of Control (LoC) in the region of Kashmir. This was the second major military standoff between India and Pakistan following the successful detonation of nuclear devices by both countries in 1998 and the most recent standoff between the nuclear rivals.
Indian Foreign Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said on June 5 that India would not use nuclear weapons first, while Musharraf said that he would not renounce Pakistan's right to use nuclear weapons first. In December 2002, Musharraf said he warned India "not to expect a conventional war from Pakistan" if troops crossed the Line of Control in Kashmir. India's Defense Minister replied that India could "take a bomb or two or more but when we respond there will be no Pakistan."
That was the first time the clouds of nuclear war gloomed over Asia as both countries were preparing for the worst. But when I read this, it was the first time I doubted lord Krishna's argumemt with Arjuna of the righteouness of war. Krishna insisted Arjuna to fight, irrespective of its consequences of the war. But the consequences of a genocide would cease to heal in two countries already plagued by poverty and a host of other economic problems.
The consequences have been best described the Arundhati Roy, in a phrase mentioned in 'The Argumentative India'Our cities and forests, our fields and villages will burn for days. Rivers will turn to poison. The air will become fire. The wind will spread the flames. When everything there is to burn has burned and the fires die, smoke will rise and shut out the sun. The earth will be enveloped in darkness. There will be no day. Only interminable night. Temperatures will drop to far below freezing and nuclear winter will set in. Water will turn into toxic ice. Radioactive fallout will seep through the earth and contaminate groundwater.
Most living things, animal and vegetable, fish and fowl, will die.These lines are the perfect representation of the consequences of a nuclear war, which makes Lord Krishna's argument of war, totally nullified.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Old habit - India blames Pakistan
True to habit, India started blaming Pakistan for the terrorist attack on it soil even before the day was out – this time for the condemnable events of Mumbai.
Several facts should provide a reality check. First, the Russians have revealed they had provided advance information to New Delhi about the attacks, but the Indians did not respond.
Second, the BBC interviewed a cook who works for Leopold Café where the terrorists initiated their operations. He said that six or seven people had come to the joint, got something to eat, along with alcoholic beverages but refused to pay, saying in English they had no money (Nov 27). After getting drunk, they started firing at the people in the vicinity.
If these were Lashkar-i-Taiba operatives or some other Muslim extremists, they would never have consumed liquor because Islam forbids that. Also, the Lashkar has denied any involvement. It may be interesting to recall that in March 2000, when President Bill Clinton had reached India on a state visit, 36 Sikhs were massacred by a group of people dressed in Indian army uniforms, as partly narrated by another correspondent (Nov. 23).
That time too Pakistan-based militants were blamed. However, an eyewitness had revealed that these people had been drinking. A subsequent inquiry by a retired Indian judge had found Indian agencies responsible for the killings. The obvious reason for this deceit was to prove to the dignitary that Pakistan was abetting terrorism, so as to get it declared a state sponsor.
Fortunately, Mr Clinton was able to see through this Indian game and has been quoted by his secretary of state as saying it was the work of Hindu militants. But, this slap on New Delhi’s face hasn’t ended its propensity to defame Pakistan.Similarly, after the attack on Indian parliament, Islamabad was blamed and one of the suspects, a Kashmiri man named Afzal Guru, was sentenced to die. But, some Indian human rights activists had shown the police findings to be wrong and demanded his release.
Third, Indian security people claim to have arrested one of the Mumbai terrorists, saying he is a Pakistani named Ajmal Amir Kamal hailing from Faridkot in Multan (Nov 28). However, a BBC correspondent visited the area and found that there is no such village near Multan. There is one near Khanewal having 2,000 residents, but they said nobody by this name ever lived there (Nov 28).
Fourth, for some of the past cases Hindu fanatics have now been found responsible, such as Lt Col Purohit. In fact, the chief of Mumbai’s anti-terrorist squad, Hemant Karkare, who unfortunately got killed in the latest episode, had reportedly been threatened by some of these Hindu extremists after he found leads to their culpability. From the foregoing facts, it would be prudent to investigate highly trained Hindu militants with army links, for the Mumbai carnage.
Several facts should provide a reality check. First, the Russians have revealed they had provided advance information to New Delhi about the attacks, but the Indians did not respond.
Second, the BBC interviewed a cook who works for Leopold Café where the terrorists initiated their operations. He said that six or seven people had come to the joint, got something to eat, along with alcoholic beverages but refused to pay, saying in English they had no money (Nov 27). After getting drunk, they started firing at the people in the vicinity.
If these were Lashkar-i-Taiba operatives or some other Muslim extremists, they would never have consumed liquor because Islam forbids that. Also, the Lashkar has denied any involvement. It may be interesting to recall that in March 2000, when President Bill Clinton had reached India on a state visit, 36 Sikhs were massacred by a group of people dressed in Indian army uniforms, as partly narrated by another correspondent (Nov. 23).
That time too Pakistan-based militants were blamed. However, an eyewitness had revealed that these people had been drinking. A subsequent inquiry by a retired Indian judge had found Indian agencies responsible for the killings. The obvious reason for this deceit was to prove to the dignitary that Pakistan was abetting terrorism, so as to get it declared a state sponsor.
Fortunately, Mr Clinton was able to see through this Indian game and has been quoted by his secretary of state as saying it was the work of Hindu militants. But, this slap on New Delhi’s face hasn’t ended its propensity to defame Pakistan.Similarly, after the attack on Indian parliament, Islamabad was blamed and one of the suspects, a Kashmiri man named Afzal Guru, was sentenced to die. But, some Indian human rights activists had shown the police findings to be wrong and demanded his release.
Third, Indian security people claim to have arrested one of the Mumbai terrorists, saying he is a Pakistani named Ajmal Amir Kamal hailing from Faridkot in Multan (Nov 28). However, a BBC correspondent visited the area and found that there is no such village near Multan. There is one near Khanewal having 2,000 residents, but they said nobody by this name ever lived there (Nov 28).
Fourth, for some of the past cases Hindu fanatics have now been found responsible, such as Lt Col Purohit. In fact, the chief of Mumbai’s anti-terrorist squad, Hemant Karkare, who unfortunately got killed in the latest episode, had reportedly been threatened by some of these Hindu extremists after he found leads to their culpability. From the foregoing facts, it would be prudent to investigate highly trained Hindu militants with army links, for the Mumbai carnage.
Indian FT scared no Job
Since he came here three years ago, Indian welder R. Baskaran, 25, has developed a ritual of visiting Little India every Sunday for a meal with friends and some shopping. For the past month, however, he has added a new activity to his Sunday itinerary - a visit to the temple. 'I pray that I will not lose my job. At work, I hear other workers talking about the company losing business and how they may fire people. I don't want to be sent home,' said the native of Tamil Nadu state.
Foreign workers have not been spared the jitters from talks of layoffs and pay cuts since the global financial turmoil hit Singapore last month. They fear that they will be the first to go in the event of massive retrenchment.
Although employers interviewed by The Sunday Times said they have not let their foreign workers go, they may have to if the economy gets worse.
Said the manager of a construction firm, who declined to be named: 'If we do not have projects to work on, how can we continue employing so many workers?'
The warning signs are already there. In a recent dialogue with Malay grassroots leaders, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he expected the number of foreign workers to stabilise or fall in most sectors with the economic slowdown.
The construction industry is expected to be hit hard, said
Singapore Contractors Association Limited (Scal) executive director
Simon Lee, 'especially with private sector property developers post-poning building projects'.
The industry employs over 300,000 foreign workers. Latest figures show there are around 580,000 foreign labourers here and some 180,000 domestic maids.
A Ministry of Manpower (MOM) report in February said foreign workers are needed to fill jobs during the boom years - and they are the ones who will be shed in larger numbers in an economic downturn.
From 2001 to 2003, when Singapore was affected by the Sars crisis, foreign employment contracted by 71,600.
In 1998, following the Asian financial crisis, more than 7,000 foreign workers had their work permits cancelled because employers, affected by the downturn, had defaulted on levy payments, said MOM.
Maids, too, are worried about losing their jobs. Indonesian maid Nini Kuyadi, 25, has been warned by her employer that she may be sent home if he is retrenched.
'I feel very sad. I still want to work and support my parents back home,' she said.
During the last Asian financial crisis, the number of complaints from maids who were not paid nearly doubled from 165 in 1997 to 302 in 1998, MOM figures showed.
Many were sent home or returned to agencies to be transferred to another employer.
Some agencies are already seeing employers with financial troubles returning their maids.
In the past month, Mr Wilson Wang, director of Workforce International, has seen three or four such cases.
'These employers work as insurance and property agents, and they are badly affected by the crisis. There are also retrenched expats who cannot keep their maids because they have to leave the country,' he said.
Other maid agencies foresee there will be more such cases next year, when the economy is expected to worsen.
Service staff, too - many from the Philippines and China - worry for their future in Singapore.
With foreign visitor arrivals in Singapore falling for the third straight month in August, there could be retrenchments in restaurants and shops, said analysts.
Filipino service staff Angeline D., 28, is already looking for jobs in Dubai just in case she loses her customer service job in the telecommunications industry here.
'I can't afford to be out of job because I'm supporting my family back home. I will go any place that is willing to hire me,' she said.
Foreign workers have not been spared the jitters from talks of layoffs and pay cuts since the global financial turmoil hit Singapore last month. They fear that they will be the first to go in the event of massive retrenchment.
Although employers interviewed by The Sunday Times said they have not let their foreign workers go, they may have to if the economy gets worse.
Said the manager of a construction firm, who declined to be named: 'If we do not have projects to work on, how can we continue employing so many workers?'
The warning signs are already there. In a recent dialogue with Malay grassroots leaders, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he expected the number of foreign workers to stabilise or fall in most sectors with the economic slowdown.
The construction industry is expected to be hit hard, said
Singapore Contractors Association Limited (Scal) executive director
Simon Lee, 'especially with private sector property developers post-poning building projects'.
The industry employs over 300,000 foreign workers. Latest figures show there are around 580,000 foreign labourers here and some 180,000 domestic maids.
A Ministry of Manpower (MOM) report in February said foreign workers are needed to fill jobs during the boom years - and they are the ones who will be shed in larger numbers in an economic downturn.
From 2001 to 2003, when Singapore was affected by the Sars crisis, foreign employment contracted by 71,600.
In 1998, following the Asian financial crisis, more than 7,000 foreign workers had their work permits cancelled because employers, affected by the downturn, had defaulted on levy payments, said MOM.
Maids, too, are worried about losing their jobs. Indonesian maid Nini Kuyadi, 25, has been warned by her employer that she may be sent home if he is retrenched.
'I feel very sad. I still want to work and support my parents back home,' she said.
During the last Asian financial crisis, the number of complaints from maids who were not paid nearly doubled from 165 in 1997 to 302 in 1998, MOM figures showed.
Many were sent home or returned to agencies to be transferred to another employer.
Some agencies are already seeing employers with financial troubles returning their maids.
In the past month, Mr Wilson Wang, director of Workforce International, has seen three or four such cases.
'These employers work as insurance and property agents, and they are badly affected by the crisis. There are also retrenched expats who cannot keep their maids because they have to leave the country,' he said.
Other maid agencies foresee there will be more such cases next year, when the economy is expected to worsen.
Service staff, too - many from the Philippines and China - worry for their future in Singapore.
With foreign visitor arrivals in Singapore falling for the third straight month in August, there could be retrenchments in restaurants and shops, said analysts.
Filipino service staff Angeline D., 28, is already looking for jobs in Dubai just in case she loses her customer service job in the telecommunications industry here.
'I can't afford to be out of job because I'm supporting my family back home. I will go any place that is willing to hire me,' she said.
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