Are you going shopping at Centrepoint in black at 4pm today?
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I was trying to post a nice black poster for the above, but failed. Nevertheless, for those of you who are going, enjoy your shopping at Centrepoint.
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Singapore's pension reform plans spark rare protest
Reuters - Thursday, September 6
SINGAPORE, Sept 6 - Singaporeans have started a rare protest against the government's pension reform plans with an online petition and a planned public protest action.
An online petition against the pensions reform had drawn nearly 600 online signatures as of Thursday, while on Saturday, activists will test Singapore's ban on demonstrations by staging a symbolic "black T-shirt" protest at a popular downtown mall.
Any public protest is rare in Singapore, where all outdoor demonstrations are banned and any public gathering of more than four people requires a permit.
The protest takes aim at plans to make it mandatory for all Singaporeans under the age of 50 to buy annuities and which would impose restrictions on how pension savings are invested.
"People are quite unhappy, partly about way the announcements about the pension reforms were made," political commentator Leong Sze Hian told Reuters.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the pension reform in his National Day speech last month, saying there was no choice as "people are living longer".
To cope with a rapidly ageing population, the government is upping the retirement age from 62 years to 65 years by 2015, and up to 67 beyond that.
In recent weeks, government ministers have talked about several planned changes to the Central Provident Fund , a mandatory retirement savings scheme for all Singaporeans that pays a lump sum upon retirement and can be used to pay for flats.
"There is concern, but the public ought to wait for more specific details on the changes, to be out later this month," Member of Parliament Halimah Yaacob told Reuters.
Singaporeans have turned increasingly to cyberspace as an outlet for their dissatisfaction.
The latest petition -- on Petitiononline.com -- has drawn 580 signatures over two weeks. In the past two years, petitions against a pay-and-perks scandal at a national charity and against the introduction of casino gambling drew thousands of signatures.
Saturday's protest -- announced on political blogs and online forums -- is set to test Singapore's limits on freedom of assembly, as organisers merely suggest participants turn up at 4 p.m. at the Centrepoint mall, dressed "partly" in black.
Law student and online activist Choo Zheng Xi told Reuters he does not expect a strong turn-out, as other small-scale protest actions in the past months have drawn a massive police presence as well as plainsclothes policemen filming protesters. -
e i got tuition at 5 no fun de ....
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You can go after that if you want to.Originally posted by yong93:e i got tuition at 5 no fun de .... -
imagine those emo kids going to centrepoint area den kena arrested for nth
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im staying home today.
maybe i can catch you on the news! -
I'd like to see what the home team can do.
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There is no law in Singapore that wearing black shopping will be arrested. KNow your law!Originally posted by sEphIrOth:imagine those emo kids going to centrepoint area den kena arrested for nth -
huh... hahaaa
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if the protest were to get out of hand and these protestors were caught whilst donning a black t-shirt, some people wearing black in the midst might get implicated.Originally posted by qlqq9:There is no law in Singapore that wearing black shopping will be arrested. KNow your law!
why dont u read properly
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I don't think they will misbehave because they don't want to risk the chance of sending the gahmen the message. If they misbehave then the purpose of the event is in vain, so be rest assured they will not misbehave.Originally posted by sEphIrOth:if the protest were to get out of hand and these protestors were caught whilst donning a black t-shirt, some people wearing black in the midst might get implicated.
why dont u read properly -
sorry. won't it be like illegal gathering?
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Can you imagine the police next time will be able to base their arrest on activities organised online? Imagine an sgforums organised outing by a forumner, more than 5 people turn up together, oh hor, illegal gathering.
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Think a lot of people don't know about what illegal gathering in Singapore law is. Illegal gathering is if there are 5 or more gather for purpose then this is illegal gathering.Originally posted by wxboi:sorry. won't it be like illegal gathering?
In centrepoint they are just wearing black shopping at 4pm. The law will not arrest people wearing black doing shopping. -
Wouldn't any outing organised here by a forumnite, for other forumnites, and then meeting up at a location where more than 5 people turn up and meet together constitute an illegal gathering?Originally posted by wxboi:sorry. won't it be like illegal gathering? -
somehow its not about misbehaving here. you see governments are very stern about their ideologies and would like to protect their interests. they can find 101 reasons to detain these protestors. so being away from centrepoint would be better in case of any emergencies.Originally posted by qlqq9:I don't think they will misbehave because they don't want to risk the chance of sending the gahmen the message. If they misbehave then the purpose of the event is in vain, so be rest assured they will not misbehave. -
Don't think they will be so extreme. If they do that, the gahmen and police will be very busy.Originally posted by ditzy:Can you imagine the police next time will be able to base their arrest on activities organised online? Imagine an sgforums organised outing by a forumner, more than 5 people turn up together, oh hor, illegal gathering. -
If there is criminal intent, then it will be considered an illegal gathering.Originally posted by qlqq9:Think a lot of people don't know about what illegal gathering in Singapore law is. Illegal gathering is if there are 5 or more gather for purpose then this is illegal gathering.
In centrepoint they are just wearing black shopping at 4pm. The law will not arrest people wearing black doing shopping.
Else, we'd have STAR team at Botanic Gardens every sunday. And people will take pics of them and send to STOMP complaining that our policemen eat finish nothing to do. -
ooooohOriginally posted by ditzy:Wouldn't any outing organised here by a forumnite, for other forumnites, and then meeting up at a location where more than 5 people turn up and meet together constitute an illegal gathering? 
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So they actually came up with something they cannot actually really enforce?Originally posted by qlqq9:Don't think they will be so extreme. If they do that, the gahmen and police will be very busy. -
If you feel uncomfortable then stay away. Singaporeans will forever be oppressed by the ruling party for the people of Singapore are just too easy for the ruling party to take advantage. Good luck.Originally posted by sEphIrOth:somehow its not about misbehaving here. you see governments are very stern about their ideologies and would like to protect their interests. they can find 101 reasons to detain these protestors. so being away from centrepoint would be better in case of any emergencies. -
mens rea is enought. actus rea is much more severe
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im staying away. arent u a singaporean?Originally posted by qlqq9:If you feel uncomfortable then stay away. Singaporeans will forever be oppressed by the ruling party for the people of Singapore are just too easy for the ruling party to take advantage. Good luck.
where is the mirror?