Speaking at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry's (SCCCI) annual Lunar New Year gathering, Mr Nathan said Singaporeans should take heart from the fact that the Republic was facing the downturn in a stronger position than in previous recessions.
'Our economy is more diversified. Our banking sector, while not immuned to the global financial turmoil, remains sound,' he said.
'Companies have stronger balance sheets and are less leveraged. Households have low debt, and income has also increased across the board.'
He also added that the Government is in a 'strong fiscal position', having been prudent over the years and built up reserves during the years of growth.
'So while we cannot avoid the painful impact of a recession, we are in a good position to weather the downturn,' added Mr Nathan.
Last week, for the first time ever, the Government said it will be tapping into its past reserves to help pay for this year's Budget expenditure.
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said in his Budget Statement last Thursday that the Government is doing so in order to have 'full flexibility' to respond to the current economic crisis.
Mr Nathan has already given his in-principal approval for the Government to draw $4.9 billion from the reserves.
The money is to fund two measures aimed at saving jobs and keeping businesses here afloat in this downturn.
While the Govehrnment has announced a significantly expansionary Budget, with many aspects focused on helping businesses cut costs and build capability, Mr Nathan urged the business community to continue working together to tackle the challenges ahead.
'For us to do well coming out of this crisis...Industry associations and business chambers can help to reach out to many of our companies who are members,' he added.
'We need to continually emphasize to them that employees and employers have to work together to cut costs and save jobs. Companies need to do their part and take necessary steps to build capability and remain competitive so that they will emerge stronger from the downturn.'
Commending the SCCCI for playing a role in the local business circles, Mr Nathan said: 'The SCCCI has always played a leading role by rallying the business community to respond to national challenges. This partnership with the Government is even more critical during these unusually difficult times.'
Looking forward to the Lunar Year of the Ox, he reminded members and guests of its significance.
'I am told there is now a popular Chinese saying...meaning the Ox can turn around Heaven and Earth,' he said.
'Let us hope the Year of the Ox will help us take whatever hardships, as the Ox is reputed for.'
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Change has arrived 2009
The world welcomes the first Black African American, the 44th President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama.
God Save the World.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Busy Days for our top men
President Nathan Confers Top Military Award on Crown Prince of Brunei
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, was conferred Singapore's highest military award, the Distinguished Service Order (Military) [or Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera)], by President S R Nathan at an investiture held at the Istana today.
The Distinguished Service Order (Military) was awarded to His Royal Highness in recognition of his significant role in enhancing the excellent defence ties between Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. Under His Royal Highness' guidance, the close and longstanding ties between the defence establishments of both countries have strengthened. The defence ministries of Singapore and Brunei Darussalam haveinitiated linkages through new professional initiatives such as the Singapore-Brunei Defence Scholars Exchange Programme. Bilateral exercises and professional interactions between the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and the Singapore Armed Forces have also increased in scope and complexity.
Guests present at the investiture included Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen, Minister of State for Defence Koo Tsai Kee, Permanent Secretary (Defence) Chiang Chie Foo, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Desmond Kuek, other senior government officials and military officers from both countries.
As part of his visit, His Royal Highness also called on President S R Nathan at the Istana, and met with Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean. His Royal Highness will call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana tomorrow.
His Royal Highness is in Singapore for a four-day official visit from 19 to 22 January. He is accompanied by Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Qawi.
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, was conferred Singapore's highest military award, the Distinguished Service Order (Military) [or Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera)], by President S R Nathan at an investiture held at the Istana today.
The Distinguished Service Order (Military) was awarded to His Royal Highness in recognition of his significant role in enhancing the excellent defence ties between Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. Under His Royal Highness' guidance, the close and longstanding ties between the defence establishments of both countries have strengthened. The defence ministries of Singapore and Brunei Darussalam haveinitiated linkages through new professional initiatives such as the Singapore-Brunei Defence Scholars Exchange Programme. Bilateral exercises and professional interactions between the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and the Singapore Armed Forces have also increased in scope and complexity.
Guests present at the investiture included Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen, Minister of State for Defence Koo Tsai Kee, Permanent Secretary (Defence) Chiang Chie Foo, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Desmond Kuek, other senior government officials and military officers from both countries.
As part of his visit, His Royal Highness also called on President S R Nathan at the Istana, and met with Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean. His Royal Highness will call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana tomorrow.
His Royal Highness is in Singapore for a four-day official visit from 19 to 22 January. He is accompanied by Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Qawi.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Singapore Govt may tap reserves
The President of Singapore finally got his chance to do his job - Look after the National Reserves. Release or Not?
ONE of the country's sacred cows could be slaughtered during the Budget this Thursday as the Government mulls over a move to dip into Singapore's rainy-day savings: the national reserves. The leaders are now considering the unprecedented step of drawing from the reserves to fund the aggressive pain-relief measures needed in this downturn, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong disclosed yesterday.
'The issue which the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance are now thinking over, is whether we should go to the President and ask him for approval to use the reserves for extraordinary measures,' he told reporters after giving out $100 hongbao and goodies to the poor in his Marine Parade constituency.
But he also cautioned: 'It's a difficult decision because once you do that, you may open the reserves for future demands, which may not justify the use of reserves.'
On Friday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said the Budget will run into a deficit this year and if necessary the Government will dip into the reserves.
He told reporters: 'The Government's job is not to do everything which is asked for but to see which are the items which will be most effective and then how do I raise the money to fund all the things which I need to do, either from the Budget revenues this year or from the reserves.'
Last year, the Government had modified the rules to allow it to spend a larger chunk of investment returns from the reserves.
In 1999, in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, the Government had shied away from dipping into reserves, even in the face of a $5 billion Budget deficit. Mr Goh was the prime minister then.
Yesterday, however, he pointed out that a 'muscular response' in the upcoming Budget is needed as these are exceptional times - and the key issue is to save jobs.
'There must be exceptional measures for exceptional times,' he said.
He gave a sampling of the dire economic news coming in, noting the sharp dive in export figures last month. Singapore's exports plunged 21 per cent in December, the biggest fall in almost seven years. At PSA, 30 per cent of the cranes are sitting idle.
'The weather is so bad, and we've always said the reserves are for a rainy day. If this is not a rainy day, I don't know what is a rainy day,' he said.
Asked how much money the Government may take out of the reserves, he said the amount did not matter. What was important was that the measures justified the use of reserves.
The Government has a hefty war chest to turn to. The reserves include assets managed by the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), as well as those owned by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Temasek Holdings.
As of September last year (08), the MAS' foreign exchange reserves were valued at about $240 billion. GIC's portfolio is valued at well over US$100 billion (S$148 billion). Temasek Holdings' portfolio is worth $185 billion but its assets are not covered by the constitutional amendment on net investment returns.
MPs contacted gave mixed responses to unlocking the reserves.
Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Marine Parade GRC) and Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) said they were in favour if the money was well spent. Mr Liang said using the money to build up the economy and workforce is akin to investing in a different asset.
Mrs Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) however said she would rather wait first to see how bad the crisis gets.
'The conservative part of me says we really do not know how long this crisis is going to last. Will we risk running out of ammunition when we most need it?'
Financial analysts contacted backed any move to open up the war chest. That, they said, would spur a more aggressive Budget.
Said Dr Chua Hak Bin, Citigroup's head of Singapore equity research: 'We were concerned that the Budget was not going to be aggressive enough because of the constraint of having a balanced Budget.'
Nanyang Technological University economist Tan Khee Giap said that factoring in expenditure at the beginning was better than introducing off-Budget measures later. 'We should budget for the worst and hope for the best,' he said.
ONE of the country's sacred cows could be slaughtered during the Budget this Thursday as the Government mulls over a move to dip into Singapore's rainy-day savings: the national reserves. The leaders are now considering the unprecedented step of drawing from the reserves to fund the aggressive pain-relief measures needed in this downturn, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong disclosed yesterday.
'The issue which the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance are now thinking over, is whether we should go to the President and ask him for approval to use the reserves for extraordinary measures,' he told reporters after giving out $100 hongbao and goodies to the poor in his Marine Parade constituency.
But he also cautioned: 'It's a difficult decision because once you do that, you may open the reserves for future demands, which may not justify the use of reserves.'
On Friday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said the Budget will run into a deficit this year and if necessary the Government will dip into the reserves.
He told reporters: 'The Government's job is not to do everything which is asked for but to see which are the items which will be most effective and then how do I raise the money to fund all the things which I need to do, either from the Budget revenues this year or from the reserves.'
Last year, the Government had modified the rules to allow it to spend a larger chunk of investment returns from the reserves.
In 1999, in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, the Government had shied away from dipping into reserves, even in the face of a $5 billion Budget deficit. Mr Goh was the prime minister then.
Yesterday, however, he pointed out that a 'muscular response' in the upcoming Budget is needed as these are exceptional times - and the key issue is to save jobs.
'There must be exceptional measures for exceptional times,' he said.
He gave a sampling of the dire economic news coming in, noting the sharp dive in export figures last month. Singapore's exports plunged 21 per cent in December, the biggest fall in almost seven years. At PSA, 30 per cent of the cranes are sitting idle.
'The weather is so bad, and we've always said the reserves are for a rainy day. If this is not a rainy day, I don't know what is a rainy day,' he said.
Asked how much money the Government may take out of the reserves, he said the amount did not matter. What was important was that the measures justified the use of reserves.
The Government has a hefty war chest to turn to. The reserves include assets managed by the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), as well as those owned by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Temasek Holdings.
As of September last year (08), the MAS' foreign exchange reserves were valued at about $240 billion. GIC's portfolio is valued at well over US$100 billion (S$148 billion). Temasek Holdings' portfolio is worth $185 billion but its assets are not covered by the constitutional amendment on net investment returns.
MPs contacted gave mixed responses to unlocking the reserves.
Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Marine Parade GRC) and Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) said they were in favour if the money was well spent. Mr Liang said using the money to build up the economy and workforce is akin to investing in a different asset.
Mrs Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) however said she would rather wait first to see how bad the crisis gets.
'The conservative part of me says we really do not know how long this crisis is going to last. Will we risk running out of ammunition when we most need it?'
Financial analysts contacted backed any move to open up the war chest. That, they said, would spur a more aggressive Budget.
Said Dr Chua Hak Bin, Citigroup's head of Singapore equity research: 'We were concerned that the Budget was not going to be aggressive enough because of the constraint of having a balanced Budget.'
Nanyang Technological University economist Tan Khee Giap said that factoring in expenditure at the beginning was better than introducing off-Budget measures later. 'We should budget for the worst and hope for the best,' he said.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Tense / Messy dark region - Pakistan Vs Indian, Sri Lanka Vs Tamil Tigers
How Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa reacted when heard of attack on Lasantha
Just a few hours after Lasantha Wickrematunge was shot dead in a busy Colombo street last week his elder brother, Lal, rushed to the pioneering journalist's home.
Lasantha, the editor of Sri Lanka's The Sunday Leader newspaper, had warned Lal a few days earlier that the Government would try to kill him, and told him about a cupboard containing all his sensitive documents.
Rifling through it, Lal piled the papers into a plastic bag. Only later, as he read through them, did he realise that one was the handwritten draft of an obituary that Lasantha had prepared for himself, explicitly accusing the Government of assassinating him.
That extraordinary obituary, published in the The Sunday Leader, is now making waves around the world and spotlighting the assault on the media that has accompanied Sri Lanka's military campaign against the Tamil Tiger rebels since 2006.
“When finally I am killed, it will be the Government that kills me,” said the obituary entitled And Then They Came For Me. “Murder has become the primary tool whereby the state seeks to control the organs of liberty. Today it is the journalists, tomorrow it will be the judges.”
Under President Rajapaska the Army has made unprecedented gains against the Tigers, whose 25-year struggle for an ethnic Tamil homeland has claimed more than 70,000 lives.
The army captured Kilinochchi, the Tigers' capital, on January 2, and is now on the brink of a conventional military victory as troops close in on the rebels' last outpost in Mullaitivu.
Lasantha, however, was one of a small group of critics who accused the Government of systematically eroding civil liberties since a 2002 truce unravelled four years later.
A member of the ethnic Sinhalese majority, he also criticised the Government for failing to find a lasting political solution to address the Tamil minority's concerns.
“He was a lone dissenting voice,” said Sonali Samarasinghe, Lasantha's second wife, whom he married three weeks ago. “He was perceived as denigrating the Government's so-called victory.”
Lasantha knew the risks: he had survived other attacks, including the burning of his newspaper's printing press in 2007, and was used to regular death threats. Dilrukshi Handunnetti, the Leader's investigations editor, showed The Times an envelope that he received three days before he died.
It contained half a page of his newspaper with a message in red paint daubed across a critical story on Kilinochchi's capture. “If you continue to write this, you'll be killed,” the message said.
Be that as it may, on the morning of Thursday, January 8, President Rajapakse was busy with meetings at Temple Trees. At a meeting of four associations related to the coconut industry the President had been talking with key industrialists about the problems facing them in the present economic scenario.
The meeting was attended by the Coconut Product Exporters Association, the Coir Products Association, the Horticultural Exporters' Association and the Poultry Association where representatives of these bodies were making presentations setting out the current problems facing exporters.
While the Coconut Product Association presentation was being made by its representatives Rajapakse was to get a phone call. He would listen attentively interjecting only once to say 'oluwatada wedune' before terminating the call.
Immediately assuming the matter related to the military drive in the north and wondering if the President would be in a mood to continue with a coconut exporters' presentation the representative asked 'Can I continue Sir?' at which time Rajapakse told him to please continue his presentation.
In fact when a representative from the Poultry Association observed during the meeting that due to certain constraints they were better off doing business in Singapore, Rajapakse was to say jokingly 'then we should send you to Singapore.'
However when it was time to ask questions President Rajapakse had told those present, 'I'm hungry, aren't you'll hungry let's go out and eat.'
Just a few hours after Lasantha Wickrematunge was shot dead in a busy Colombo street last week his elder brother, Lal, rushed to the pioneering journalist's home.
Lasantha, the editor of Sri Lanka's The Sunday Leader newspaper, had warned Lal a few days earlier that the Government would try to kill him, and told him about a cupboard containing all his sensitive documents.
Rifling through it, Lal piled the papers into a plastic bag. Only later, as he read through them, did he realise that one was the handwritten draft of an obituary that Lasantha had prepared for himself, explicitly accusing the Government of assassinating him.
That extraordinary obituary, published in the The Sunday Leader, is now making waves around the world and spotlighting the assault on the media that has accompanied Sri Lanka's military campaign against the Tamil Tiger rebels since 2006.
“When finally I am killed, it will be the Government that kills me,” said the obituary entitled And Then They Came For Me. “Murder has become the primary tool whereby the state seeks to control the organs of liberty. Today it is the journalists, tomorrow it will be the judges.”
Under President Rajapaska the Army has made unprecedented gains against the Tigers, whose 25-year struggle for an ethnic Tamil homeland has claimed more than 70,000 lives.
The army captured Kilinochchi, the Tigers' capital, on January 2, and is now on the brink of a conventional military victory as troops close in on the rebels' last outpost in Mullaitivu.
Lasantha, however, was one of a small group of critics who accused the Government of systematically eroding civil liberties since a 2002 truce unravelled four years later.
A member of the ethnic Sinhalese majority, he also criticised the Government for failing to find a lasting political solution to address the Tamil minority's concerns.
“He was a lone dissenting voice,” said Sonali Samarasinghe, Lasantha's second wife, whom he married three weeks ago. “He was perceived as denigrating the Government's so-called victory.”
Lasantha knew the risks: he had survived other attacks, including the burning of his newspaper's printing press in 2007, and was used to regular death threats. Dilrukshi Handunnetti, the Leader's investigations editor, showed The Times an envelope that he received three days before he died.
It contained half a page of his newspaper with a message in red paint daubed across a critical story on Kilinochchi's capture. “If you continue to write this, you'll be killed,” the message said.
Be that as it may, on the morning of Thursday, January 8, President Rajapakse was busy with meetings at Temple Trees. At a meeting of four associations related to the coconut industry the President had been talking with key industrialists about the problems facing them in the present economic scenario.
The meeting was attended by the Coconut Product Exporters Association, the Coir Products Association, the Horticultural Exporters' Association and the Poultry Association where representatives of these bodies were making presentations setting out the current problems facing exporters.
While the Coconut Product Association presentation was being made by its representatives Rajapakse was to get a phone call. He would listen attentively interjecting only once to say 'oluwatada wedune' before terminating the call.
Immediately assuming the matter related to the military drive in the north and wondering if the President would be in a mood to continue with a coconut exporters' presentation the representative asked 'Can I continue Sir?' at which time Rajapakse told him to please continue his presentation.
In fact when a representative from the Poultry Association observed during the meeting that due to certain constraints they were better off doing business in Singapore, Rajapakse was to say jokingly 'then we should send you to Singapore.'
However when it was time to ask questions President Rajapakse had told those present, 'I'm hungry, aren't you'll hungry let's go out and eat.'
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island
When I saw the title, I thought they are mentioning our PrataMan! TOP Salary, Lazing around, Tropical Island...
An Australian state is offering internationally what it calls "the best job in the world" -- earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island for six months. The job pays 150,000 Australian dollars (105,000 US dollars) and includes free airfares from the winner's home country to Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland's state government announced on Tuesday.
In return, the "island caretaker" will be expected to stroll the white sands, snorkel the reef, take care of "a few minor tasks" -- and report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates.
The successful applicant, who will stay rent-free in a three-bedroom beach home complete with plunge pool and golf buggy, must be a good swimmer, excellent communicator and be able to speak and write English.
"They'll also have to talk to media from time to time about what they're doing so they can't be too shy and they'll have to love the sea, the sun, the outdoors," said acting state Premier Paul Lucas.
"The fact that they will be paid to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel and generally live the Queensland lifestyle makes this undoubtedly the best job in the world."
Lucas said the campaign was part of a drive to protect the state's 18 billion Australian dollar a year tourism industry during the tough economic climate caused by the global financial meltdown.
"Traditional tourism advertising just doesn't cut it sometimes and we are thinking outside the box by launching this campaign."
Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said some people might question whether it was risky to let an unknown person become an unofficial tourism spokesperson for the state.
"I think the biggest risk will be that the successful candidate won't want to go home at the end of the six months," she said.
"This is a legitimate job which is open to anyone and everyone."
Applications are open until February 22. Eleven shortlisted candidates will be flown to Hamilton Island in early May for the final selection process and the six month contract will commence on July 1.
Job-seekers can apply on .
An Australian state is offering internationally what it calls "the best job in the world" -- earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island for six months. The job pays 150,000 Australian dollars (105,000 US dollars) and includes free airfares from the winner's home country to Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland's state government announced on Tuesday.
In return, the "island caretaker" will be expected to stroll the white sands, snorkel the reef, take care of "a few minor tasks" -- and report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates.
The successful applicant, who will stay rent-free in a three-bedroom beach home complete with plunge pool and golf buggy, must be a good swimmer, excellent communicator and be able to speak and write English.
"They'll also have to talk to media from time to time about what they're doing so they can't be too shy and they'll have to love the sea, the sun, the outdoors," said acting state Premier Paul Lucas.
"The fact that they will be paid to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel and generally live the Queensland lifestyle makes this undoubtedly the best job in the world."
Lucas said the campaign was part of a drive to protect the state's 18 billion Australian dollar a year tourism industry during the tough economic climate caused by the global financial meltdown.
"Traditional tourism advertising just doesn't cut it sometimes and we are thinking outside the box by launching this campaign."
Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said some people might question whether it was risky to let an unknown person become an unofficial tourism spokesperson for the state.
"I think the biggest risk will be that the successful candidate won't want to go home at the end of the six months," she said.
"This is a legitimate job which is open to anyone and everyone."
Applications are open until February 22. Eleven shortlisted candidates will be flown to Hamilton Island in early May for the final selection process and the six month contract will commence on July 1.
Job-seekers can apply on .
Monday, January 12, 2009
Britain's Prince Harry apologises for racist language
Come on - everyone has some degree of Racist in them... Give him a break.
LONDON, (AFP) - - Britain's Prince Harry has apologised for using racist language after a Sunday newspaper reported he had filmed himself calling an army colleague a "Paki" and telling another he looked like a "raghead".
The video obtained by the News of the World plunges the 24-year-old prince, the third in line to the throne, into fresh controversy four years after he sparked outcry by wearing a Nazi swastika at a fancy dress party.
The newspaper posted the video on its website and said it was made in 2006 when the prince was still an officer cadet.
It begins as he is waiting with his platoon in an airport departure lounge for a flight to a training exercise in Cyprus.
Touring the room with a video camera as his colleagues snooze, he spots an Asian cadet and says: "Anybody else around here?... Ah, our little Paki friend, Ahmed."
"Paki" is a racist term for Indians or Pakistanis.
The royal family issued an apology, but insisted the prince had used the term without malice.
"Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause," a spokesman said.
"However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon.
"There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend."
The report said Harry made the "raghead" remark -- a racist term for Arabs -- while on the exercise.
Once again he is behind the camera when he spots one of his comrades with camouflage netting over his head and as he looks up at the lens, Harry says: "It's Dan the Man... Fuck me, you look like a raghead."
The royal spokesman said: "Prince Harry used the term 'raghead' to mean Taliban or Iraqi insurgent."
The prince served with the army battling the Taliban in Afghanistan last year but was forced to return home after his security was compromised when a carefully arranged media blackout on his deployment was broken.
Harry, an army lieutenant, is to begin training soon as a combat helicopter pilot.
Britain's equalities watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said the racism claims "appear to be disturbing allegations".
"We will be asking the MoD (Ministry of Defence) to see the evidence, share that evidence with us and their plans for dealing with it," a spokeswoman said.
"We will then consider what further action might be necessary."
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said: "Neither the Army nor the Armed Forces tolerates inappropriate behaviour in any shape or form.
"The Army takes all allegations of inappropriate behaviour very seriously and all substantive allegations are investigated.
"We are not aware of any complaint having been made by the individual," the spokeswoman said, referring to "Ahmed".
She added: "Bullying and racism are not endemic in the Armed Forces."
In another clip from the three-minute video, Harry pretends to make a mobile phone call to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
He says: "Granny, I've got to go. Send my love to the corgis. And grandpa... God Save You... yeah, that's great. See you, bye."
It is not the first time that the youngest son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana has been forced to apologise for his actions.
His decision to attend a friend's fancy dress birthday party wearing a swastika armband in 2005 sparked widespread criticism. The publication of photographs of that incident was followed by a swift apology from the royals.
In the past, it emerged he had smoked cannabis as a teenager and he was once involved in a scuffle outside a nightclub with a paparazzi photographer, but in recent years Harry has sought to shake off his 'playboy prince' reputation.
He is heavily involved in a charity in Lesotho to support children orphaned by AIDS which was launched in memory of his mother, and is patron of several other children's charities.
LONDON, (AFP) - - Britain's Prince Harry has apologised for using racist language after a Sunday newspaper reported he had filmed himself calling an army colleague a "Paki" and telling another he looked like a "raghead".
The video obtained by the News of the World plunges the 24-year-old prince, the third in line to the throne, into fresh controversy four years after he sparked outcry by wearing a Nazi swastika at a fancy dress party.
The newspaper posted the video on its website and said it was made in 2006 when the prince was still an officer cadet.
It begins as he is waiting with his platoon in an airport departure lounge for a flight to a training exercise in Cyprus.
Touring the room with a video camera as his colleagues snooze, he spots an Asian cadet and says: "Anybody else around here?... Ah, our little Paki friend, Ahmed."
"Paki" is a racist term for Indians or Pakistanis.
The royal family issued an apology, but insisted the prince had used the term without malice.
"Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause," a spokesman said.
"However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon.
"There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend."
The report said Harry made the "raghead" remark -- a racist term for Arabs -- while on the exercise.
Once again he is behind the camera when he spots one of his comrades with camouflage netting over his head and as he looks up at the lens, Harry says: "It's Dan the Man... Fuck me, you look like a raghead."
The royal spokesman said: "Prince Harry used the term 'raghead' to mean Taliban or Iraqi insurgent."
The prince served with the army battling the Taliban in Afghanistan last year but was forced to return home after his security was compromised when a carefully arranged media blackout on his deployment was broken.
Harry, an army lieutenant, is to begin training soon as a combat helicopter pilot.
Britain's equalities watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said the racism claims "appear to be disturbing allegations".
"We will be asking the MoD (Ministry of Defence) to see the evidence, share that evidence with us and their plans for dealing with it," a spokeswoman said.
"We will then consider what further action might be necessary."
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said: "Neither the Army nor the Armed Forces tolerates inappropriate behaviour in any shape or form.
"The Army takes all allegations of inappropriate behaviour very seriously and all substantive allegations are investigated.
"We are not aware of any complaint having been made by the individual," the spokeswoman said, referring to "Ahmed".
She added: "Bullying and racism are not endemic in the Armed Forces."
In another clip from the three-minute video, Harry pretends to make a mobile phone call to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
He says: "Granny, I've got to go. Send my love to the corgis. And grandpa... God Save You... yeah, that's great. See you, bye."
It is not the first time that the youngest son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana has been forced to apologise for his actions.
His decision to attend a friend's fancy dress birthday party wearing a swastika armband in 2005 sparked widespread criticism. The publication of photographs of that incident was followed by a swift apology from the royals.
In the past, it emerged he had smoked cannabis as a teenager and he was once involved in a scuffle outside a nightclub with a paparazzi photographer, but in recent years Harry has sought to shake off his 'playboy prince' reputation.
He is heavily involved in a charity in Lesotho to support children orphaned by AIDS which was launched in memory of his mother, and is patron of several other children's charities.
Friday, January 02, 2009
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