I was an international student studying in the Singappore and had been living in the country for a few years. During that time, I had experienced many cultural and language barriers. I had to work hard to learn English, and even then, my English wasn’t perfect. My accent was an East Asian one, and it was difficult for many native English speakers to understand me.
I was always conscious of this fact, and it made me feel embarrassed and uncomfortable in many social situations. I tried my best to adapt and fit in, but I felt like I didn’t always succeed.
I was able to find a job as an administrative assistant at a local company. At first, it was great. I was able to use my English and learn more about Singapore culture. I also got along well with my colleagues, and they were always friendly and patient with me.
However, things started to change after a few months. People began to make comments about my accent and started to act differently towards me. They seemed to think that I was hard to understand and started to avoid me. I felt like I was being ostracized and I became very self-conscious about my accent.
I tried to ignore the comments and just focus on my work, but it became more and more difficult. I was constantly worried that people couldn’t understand me and was afraid to talk to anyone. I was also worried that I was making mistakes in my work because of my accent.
One day, my boss called me into his office and told me that he was letting me go. He said that the company had received complaints from customers and colleagues about my accent and that they could not understand me. He said that he was sorry but that he had to let me go.
A tenant was subletting the unit to 11 people to cover the rental. Lady talking is the property agent who tries to educate the tenant that it is illegal to do so.
They were already caught by the HDB once and when ever an officer comes to visit they will quickly leave like scattered ants and return after the officer leaves.
Illegal subletting is a serious problem in Singapore as it can lead to overcrowding and other social problems. It is also a drain on public resources as HDB flats are meant for Singaporeans who cannot afford private housing.
HDB flats are in high demand and there is a long waiting list for them. However, there are some Singaporeans who are willing to risk breaking the law by subletting their flats illegally.
Illegal subletting often leads to overcrowding as the flat is being used by more people than it is meant for. This can cause problems such as noise pollution and hygiene issues.
It is illegal to sublet an HDB flat without the approval of the HDB. Offenders can be fined up to $5000 and/or jailed for up to 3 years.
Here are what netizens think:
better take action now rather than later n owner have to answer it too…smart alec tenant…
Just report them to police, evict them and confiscate the deposit.
police don’t care if no crime is committed leh….this one is private treaty…..
When I first started working at my current company, I was surprised to learn that my boss didn’t believe in WhatsApp.
It was the only thing I used to communicate with my colleagues, and I couldn’t imagine having to revert back to texting.
But that’s exactly what my boss wanted. He told me he was an old-school type of guy and he was very strict on communication policies. He didn’t believe in WhatsApp and demanded that everyone communicated via SMS only.
At first I was frustrated. I thought it was a bit ridiculous to still be using the same technology from 20 years ago. But I soon realized that it wasn’t about having an outdated technology, it was about having a consistent way of communication.
My boss explained to me that he wanted to make sure all of his employees had access to the same information. He wanted to be able to see when messages had been sent and received, and he wanted to be sure that all of his instructions were understood.
He also told me that he believed in the importance of communication etiquette. He said that texting was more polite than WhatsApp because you could take your time to craft the right message. He said that if you sent a message on WhatsApp, you might not know until the next day if the recipient had received it. Whereas with a text message, you would know immediately if it had been sent and received.
So I reluctantly agreed to use SMS for all of my communication with the boss and my colleagues. I found it a bit inconvenient at first, but I soon got used to it and it became second nature.
Now, when I talk to my colleagues, I find myself going back and forth between WhatsApp and SMS. I use WhatsApp for casual conversations, but I use SMS for anything related to work. I think it’s a great way to stay organized and keep communication professional.
I then told my boss my mobile plan did not have free SMS and some of my colleagues started complaining and told our boss to reimburse the SMS fee.
He started to learn Whatsapp, *FAINT*. cause he doesn’t want to pay.
A KTV girl was seen exploding into anger and wanted to start a fight at a local KTV.
The woman dressed in red started shouting vulgarities and started to get aggressive, a few of the women and men were seen trying to stop her but she continued her fury.
It is unclear what happened but at the end of the video, the man said that he will pay.
Netizens who saw the video said that during a KTV session, it is common for multiple girls to come in and the customers must tell the girl to go off if they do not need her. The man said something about “She was sitting in between”.
Meaning the girl was allowed to continue to stay in the room and in the end she did not get her tip.
At the end of the video the hostess got even angry after realising that she was filmed.
Full Video Loading…
Here are what netizens think:
This kind of hostess standard who want to go sia??
Haiyah this one is still okay.Go Marina South Pier and Kallang and see how the helpers ” fight” for their prized bhaiyaaa.
This the type of foreigners we import in
KTV/pubs/casino/nightlife entertainment places should be taxed heavily because they earn hell lots. Did you forget to announce?
With the changes to the taxation on Cigarettes, netizens have been commenting and creating Memes about the prices of cigarettes after Lawrence Wong announces the 2023 budget stating that the prices of Cigarettes will increase by 15% in excise duties.
One netizen pointed out that he has a work-from-home setting and wants to move to Johor Bahru due to this.
In his post he said:
Nabei now Malboro is like $15 one packet, now another 15% tax means a packet is going to cost me $17.25. I smoke 1 pack a day adds up to $534.75 a month.
You see the photo below for renting a 500 sqft size condo in Johor. Eh this is as big as a 2 room HDB but got condo facilities and it only cost me about S$400 to S$420.
Even if I smoke in Malaysia its only going to cost me $150 a month, a bit more expensive (renting + smoking) than smoking in SG But the quality of life is different.
Like that I rent out my Singapore HDB 1 room out I get $1,000 a month and I stay condo got swimming pool and cheaper than smoking in Singapore.
By the way, I work from home so I no need commute.
Food also cheaper, want see doctor or what come back Singapore for better healthcare, When save up old already then I move back to Singapore.
It’s time to make plans. Drink cheaper, food cheaper, smoke cheaper. I still got what to complain.
(F21) I have an imaginary boyfriend because I get sad and lonely.
I don’t know if this is a place to post, but for the last 2 years of my life, i’ve had an imaginary boyfriend.
It started off as a little crazy joke to make a former friend-with-benefits jealous, and I used it to tell my parents I had a boyfriend so they would stop asking me why I was single.
But, i’ve held this imaginary dude in my head since then and have built “memories” “actual feelings” with him when i get lonely.
I do see other guys, to try and leave this little imagination, because I am not THAT delusional with this little weird imaginary stuff.
I actually try to meet new guys, to forget and stop having to pretend, but it never works for me. I never have had a real boyfriend and every guy i have ever been with used me for just for my body.
When guys ask me if I’ve ever been in a relationship, I use my imaginary boyfriend and refer to him as my ex, and use actual combined experiences of mine with other men to describe this imaginary bf/ex.
When I get super sad and lonely, i imagine this guy and I and how he is perfect and just imaginary situations i make up. I cry myself to sleep wishing he was real.
I “write” to him about how my day is and how i feel, how i wish he was real because my life is very lonely and i have never had a man treat me right. so he’s my version of an ideal male.
i feel like a weirdo that i have to do this. i’m a very attractive young woman, used to model, and if i ever told a body i did this , they would probably be baffled.
Netizens’ comments
It sucks you’re experiencing such bad loneliness. Not all men are the same. A man that respects you, would not just use you for your body. But to know if a man respects you, you have to respect yourself first.
No man is perfect. We’re all deeply flawed and all have our own individual quirks. But one good thing about your imaginary boyfriend is that it’s giving you a place to start your journey to find that partner. Your imaginary boyfriend is the list of attributes and values you want your future husband to possess. Write these things down and keep meeting different men. Don’t worry about what the men look like. Try to get to just know different men, and then when you start meeting men that are fulfilling the list you have of your future husband, start spending more time with them and explore developing a deeper relationship than just your friendships.
I’ve been with A LOT of very bad women in the past due to loneliness, but I kept my imaginary gf in my heart until I found her. It took me 14 years but I found her.
You can find yours too. You just have to make a lot of friends and meet a lot of new people. Just be patient and keep searching. If you get burned out for a bit, take some time to recharge, then when you feel ready go back on your search.
The Singapore government is set to impose an additional 15% on excise duty across all tobacco products, with effect from 14 February onwards.
Excise duty is the duty that is levied on goods that are imported into or manufactured in Singapore.
Speaking during his 2023 Budget Statement, the Minister of Finance and Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the move is to discourage the consumption of tobacco products.
The increase in excise duties for tobacco products comes as part of a number of changes to taxes, as explained in the Budget 2023.
Wong said that the increase in excise duties is expected to generate about SGD$100 million in revenue each year.
Snippet from MOF’s press release
EXCISE DUTIES FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS
To discourage the consumption of tobacco products, we will raise the excise duties by 15% across all tobacco products. These tax changes will take effect on and after 14 February 2023:
(A) Cigars, Cheroots, Cigarillos and Cigarettes, and Other Manufactured Tobacco: From $427/kgm or 42.7 cents/stick of cigarette to $491/kgm or 49.1 cents/stick of cigarette.
(B) Beedies, Ang Hoon, and Other Smokeless Tobacco: From $329/kgm to $378/kgm.
(C) Unmanufactured and Cut Tobacco and Other Tobacco Refuse: From $388/kgm to $446/kgm.
Netizens’ comments
Of course smoking is bad. But benefiting from people’s habits is worse.
C’mon smokers, no matter how, it is still way cheaper than Australia where a pack of ciggies cost a whopping A$50
OMG!!! Smokers, all gotta cut down on smoking…
The government could actually impose a higher % in the excise duty, but they didn’t. Reason being if the increase is too steep, many smokers will quit altogether, causing a drop in the tobacco demand. Only by increasing it ever so slightly, smokers can still smoke and government can still collect a substantial amount from the excise duty.
The Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong, delivered his 2023 Budget speech in parliament on 14 February and among the announcements was the increase in the CPF Housing Grant.
Snippets from MOF’s press release
ANNEX E-1: INCREASE TO THE CPF HOUSING GRANT FOR FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS PURCHASING RESALE HDB FLATS
The Government will increase the CPF Housing Grant to provide more support for first-time homebuyers purchasing resale HDB flats. Eligible homebuyers who submit their resale applications on or after 3.30pm, 14 February 2023, will qualify for this increased grant. They will receive the additional grant amount from April 2023 onwards.
(A) First-Timer Families
For eligible First-Timer families, the grant amount will be increased:
a) From $50,000 to $80,000 for those buying a 2- to 4-room resale flat; and b) From $40,000 to $50,000 for those buying a 5-room or larger resale flat.
Together with the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant1 and the Proximity Housing Grant, eligible First-Timer families will be able to receive up to $190,000 in housing grants (see Table 1).
(B) First-Timer Singles
First-Timer singles buying resale HDB flats will also benefit from the increase to the CPF Housing Grant. The grant amount, which is half of that for families, will be increased:
a) From $25,000 to $40,000, for those buying a 2- to 4-room resale flat; and b) From $20,000 to $25,000, for those buying a 5-room resale flat.
Together with the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant and the Proximity Housing Grant, eligible First-Timer singles will be able to receive up to $95,000 in housing grants (see Table 2).
The Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong, delivered his 2023 Budget speech in parliament on 14 February and announced several one-off support measures under the Assurance Package (AP).
Snippets from MOF’s press release
The enhanced Assurance Package (AP) and the enhanced permanent GST Voucher (GSTV) scheme aim to help Singaporeans tide through this period of higher inflation and cushion the impact of the GST rate increases.
(A) Enhancements to the Permanent GSTV Scheme
GSTV – Cash
The enhanced permanent GSTV scheme will continue to provide help for lower- to middle-income Singaporean households to defray GST expenses, beyond the transitional support covered by the AP.
At Budget 2022, the permanent GSTV scheme was enhanced by (i) raising the Assessable Income (AI) threshold from $28,000 to $34,000, (ii) increasing the GSTV – Cash quantum by up to $200, and (iii) making the Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) Rebate a component of the permanent GSTV scheme.
The GSTV – Cash quantum will be further increased, by up to $350. This increase will be implemented over 2023 and 2024.
a) Those residing in homes with an Annual Value (AV) of $13,000 and below will receive $200 more in 2023, followed by an additional $150 from 2024 onwards.
b) Those residing in homes with an AV above $13,000 and up to $21,000 will receive $100 more in 2023, followed by an additional $100 from 2024 onwards.
Refer to Table 1 for the scheme details.
The enhanced GSTV – Cash will benefit about 1.5 million adult Singaporeans in August every year.
(C) Enhancements to the Assurance Package
At Budget 2022, the Government enhanced the AP from $6.0 billion to $6.6 billion to cushion the impact of the planned GST increases for all Singaporeans.
As announced at Budget 2023, the Government will further enhance the AP from $6.6 billion to $9.6 billion, to account for higher inflation, as well as provide additional one-off support to Singaporeans in 2023 to address immediate cost-of-living (COL) concerns.
All eligible adult Singaporeans (i) aged 21 years and above (ii) with AI of not more than $100,000 and (iii) who do not own more than one property will receive additional AP Cash of between $300 and $650 over the remaining years of the AP, in December every year. This will bring the total AP Cash payments received by adult Singaporeans to between $700 and $2,250 over five years. Refer to Table 5 for details.
AP Cash will benefit about 2.9 million adult Singaporeans.
2023 COL Special Payment
All eligible adult Singaporean citizens (i) who are aged 21 years and above in 2023, (ii) with AI of not more than $100,000, and (iii) who do not own more than one property, will receive one-off cash between $200 and $400 in June 2023. Refer to Table 7 for the scheme details.
The COL Special Payment will benefit about 2.5 million adult Singaporeans.
Lawrence Wong’s Facebook post
In #SGBudget2023, I announced comprehensive measures to help Singaporeans tide through the immediate cost of living pressures. We are also taking decisive steps to secure our future in a more uncertain and troubled world.
We are pursuing new strategies in several key areas through the #ForwardSG exercise, which will be completed in the second half of this year. But in this Budget, we are making several significant moves, including:
Assurance Package top-up to $9.6 billion to help with cost of living
More support for first-timer families to get a BTO or resale flat
More help for parents to raise your children
Equipping workers to find good jobs and developing our local enterprises
More support for the lower-income and vulnerable communities
Building up our resilience to future shocks, including climate change and future crises
The road ahead will not be easy. But we have braved many hardships before as a country, and always emerged stronger. So long as we stand as one people and keep alive the #SingaporeSpirit, we can move forward together with confidence!
today my hardworking collegue finally snapped and told off the boss
Boss always throw his weight arounf. Make all of us work and work long hours don’t let is sit to rest in between even when there’s no customer.
He even wanted to confiscate his handphone just because he had to made a urgent call because his child fall sick.
i was working 11pm to 8am, then saw my hardworking collegue who came in at 7am resigned on the spot, boss made me stay back to look after the counter while he talked to hardworking collegue in office. In the end i left only at 11am.
Today he finally snapprd and told him off and resigned on tje spot. We are so proud of him but worry for him too.
Later he told us luckily his wife managed to help him to got PR and confirmed. We are so happy for him. Some boss is like that like to torment their workers because they know the workers need the job.
Expected their workers to sacrifice their own life to work solely for them to maximise their profits.
Really he told us his wife who is already PR for quite a while got a letter from her workplace that helped him with the application. Her daughter is also studying here. He is a good guy i am sure he would find something better.
Netizens’ comments
Sounds like your typical retail workplace. I’ll be honest because I was in the same shoes… unless you upskill and find better prospects you will be stuck in this situation. If you are a student getting extra cash it’s fine but if this is your full time job then you know what you have to do.
many bosses in reputable companies also don’t give market rate increments to the older workers (age 50++) because they have almost have 0% chance to job hop
Besides, even if he had full citizenship, he might be able to command a higher pay, but no one in the right mind is going to hire a ex retail staff to anything else that is not fnb/retail.
