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Dear Sir/Madam, Can MOM and our labour movement, NTUC clarified how come GLC Keppel Corp needs to place advertisement in Malaysia newspaper to hire PMET as reported by Temasek Review? (read article here) Does NTUC works with Keppel Corp assist them to hire PMET? It is understandable if companies' placed advertisement in the local papers and foreigners are attracted to apply for the job locally. However, Courts Singapore and Keppel Corp are placing advertisement overseas to attract foreigners to work in its home country and not their overseas base. Or is it that ST advertisement rate are becoming more expensive too (everything in Singapore have increased, SPH is no exception)? So far the Government have announced a number of "pro-local" measures but it seem that companies (GLC or not) and the Government are just paying lip service or wayang changes to prepare for "coming election". Will the increase of FW or S-Pass levy deter Keppel Corp and Courts Singapore from hiring more Singaporeans? These companies can later endorsed their foreign workers to apply for PR and hence increasing their foreign worker quota; and a new batch of foreigners come in. Ms Farah, I would like remind you that the PMO acknowledged that Singapore Permanent Residents (PRs) are not Singapore citizens. In future, when MOM releases public data between Resident vs non-Resident, please exclude PR from the Resident column.   Tan Keng Hong  Read More →

By MJ, S-League Correspondent Pictures courtesy of bolasepako.com [email protected] AFC Champions League Match Day 3 saw 2008 winners Gamba Osaka FC come away with their first win of the season following a hard earned 4-2 victory over SAFFC at the Jalan Besar Stadium. SAFFC twice equalised but eventually the match was settled by a hat-trick from 22-year-old striker Shoki Hirai. SAFFC started the match with high energy and were almost rewarded immediately in the 3rd minute when Erwan Gunawan placed a free header straight at the Gamba keeper. Gamba Dominance That miss proved to be costly as Gamba recovered from the early scare to score in the 7th minute when Shoki Hirai was put through by skipper Tomakazu Myojin and he coolly slotted the ball in the far bottom corner beyond the reach of the SAFFC keeper Shahril Jantan. On the half hour mark, Erwan made amends for his earlier miss when he headed in a cross by Indra Shahdan as SAFFC pulled level against the run of play. Barely 15 seconds after the break, Gamba regained the lead as a cross from the left was fumbled by Shahril Jantan under the pressure of the statuesque Cho Jae-Jin and Hirai headed the loose ball into the empty net. SAFFC then worked hard to contain the onslaught of Gamba who pinned SAFFC back in their half with slick passing and movement off the ball. SAFFC got back on level terms with their only chance in the second half - Swedish defender Niklas Sandberg escaped his marker and nodded in Ahmad Latiff’s free kick after 62 minutes. SAFFC's belief was lifted after the goal and were determined to get a result against the J-league giants. That hope was however dashed barely eight minutes later as a poor clearance in defence was punished by Sota Nakazawa who struck an unstoppable shot from point blank range. Akiyoshi Taisuke facing his Japanese compatriots In the 74th minute, SAFFC’s Japanese winger Taisuke Akiyoshi was the given his marching orders from the referee after receiving his second yellow of the night and SAFFC was left to play out the remainder of the match with 10 men for the second consecutive match. Gamba took advantage of their numerical superiority and put the tie beyond SAFFC with the impressive Hirai completing his hat-trick in the 81st minute. He beat two SAFFC defenders before beating Shahril Jantan at his near post. Assessment on SAFFC SAFFC’s two goals against Gamba here was the most an S-League side had ever scored against a Japanese side in a single game. All in all, S-League sides had lost five out of five against Japanese teams, conceding 21 goals in the process. The Warriors were never expected to get a result here against the J-League giants despite a recent run of poor form by the Japanese side on their domestic front. Furthermore, they are missing three of their regular first team players, including current Japanese international Yasuhito Endo. However, SAFFC showed that they were capable of rising to the occasion with a disciplined performance, scoring twice in the process and were level on terms with Gamba until the 70th minute. Gamba struggled to settle into their normal passing game probably suffering from the humid Singapore weather and playing on the unfamiliar artificial turf at Jalan Besar Stadium. In spite of the difficult conditions, the Japanese’s class and superior technical abilities got them through this game unscathed. Bok: Much positives to take SAFFC deployed a soak and strike strategy hoping to keep the Japanese at bay while trying to score on the counter. The players were committed to their tasks and were 20 minutes away from a respectable draw. Coach Richard Bok should no doubt take heart in their performance from this game and playing at this level will definitely improve the team. With this performance, SAFFC may well be slowly but steadily inching towards their 1st AFC Champions League Group Stage win.   Group G Analysis Other Result: Henan Construction 0 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2 After Match Day 3’s results, it appears that the two hot favourites in the Group have found their footing. Realistically, SAFFC is unlikely to finish top two in the Group now, with visits to Korea and Japan still to come. However, reaching the next round was never a target for the Chua Chu Kang-based club. The next key match is the visit of Henan Construction on 13 April. Club Nation Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Suwon Samsung Bluewings SKR 3 2 1 0 4 0 4 7 Gamba Osaka JPN 3 1 2 0 5 3 2 5 Henan Construction CHN 3 0 2 1 1 3 -2 2 Singapore Armed Forces SIN 3 0 1 2 2 6 -4 1   Also on SAFFC: AFC Champions League MD2: SAFFC 0 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2 About the reporter – MJ has watched more S-League games than anyone he knows and hopes to see it blossom into one of the strongest leagues in the region. He is however annoyed by the lack coverage in the mainstream media and hopes to be the alternative voice.  Read More →

By Jumong Details: Title: 선덕여왕 (善德女王) / Seonduk Yeo Wang Episodes: 62 Broadcast network: MBC Broadcast period: 25/05/2009 - 22/12/2009   Opening theme:     Historical context: The story was cast during the three kingdom era of Korea. Silla, which occupied the southeastern portion of the Korean peninsula, used to be smallest and weakest of the three kingdoms, the other two being Gorguryeo and Baekje. After King Jinheung conquered the fertile Han valley, the tide started to turn in favor of Silla. Queen Seondeok was the second eldest daughter of King Jinpyeong (grandson of King Jinheung) and was known as Princess Deokman when she was young. As King Jinpyeong did not have any sons, the throne was passed to Princess Deokman after he passed away in 634 AD who became Queen Seondeok, the first female ruler of any country in East Asia. (China's Empress Wu Ze-tian did not reign until 690 AD) Queen Seondeok's reign was a tumultuous one - wrecked by intermittent factional conflicts with the aristocracy and wars with neighboring Baekje. She was reputed to be a capable ruler who kept the country together by suppressing the nobles and centralizing power gradually into the hands of the royal family by assiduously courting the Gaya people whose confederacy was conquered years earlier by King Jinheung. Queen Seondeok used talents liberally regardless of their birth or background. One of the talent she discovered was the famous Silla general Kim Yu-Shin of Gaya descent, who eventually conquered Baekje in 661 AD after her passing in 647AD. Though Queen Seondeok's rule was relatively brief, she laid down the foundation for the unification of the Korean peninsula twenty years later. She was also credited with building the "Star-Gazing Tower," or Cheomseongdae, considered the first observatory in the Far East. The tower still stands in the old Silla capital of Gyeongju, South Korea.   Synopsis: Deokman was born as a twin but was sent out of the palace together with a court maid by her father due to a prophecy that the male lineage of Silla dynasty will end if a king borne a pair of female twins. Mi-Shil, the Seal-keeper of the Silla Court sent her bodyguard Chil Sook in pursuit of them to expose the twin birth, but they managed to escape to the Taklamakan desert where Deokman was brought up as a learned and crafty trader. Chil Sook eventually caught up with them later and after being separated from her foster mother, she returned to Silla in search of her parents. Deokman who was disguised as a male met her twin sister Princess Cheonmyong along the way and was enlisted into the Dragon Flower Hwarang as a Nando led by Kim Yu-Shin. The trio became good friends and tried to counter the rising influence of Mi Shil in the Silla court. After Deokman discovered that she was a princess, her sister was assassinated by Mi Shil and she returned to the capital Soerobal to find her place in the royal family. Deokman finally eliminated Mi Shil and became Queen Seondeok, the first female ruler of the Silla kingdom, but not after giving up the two men she loves.   Cast Lee Yo Won as Queen Seondeok: The versatile Lee played the young tomboyish Deokman, the demure princess and the authoritative queen all in one go and impressed with her near flawless acting.  It was a close call between her and Ko Hyun Jung for the Grand Daesang award which was eventually won by the latter.     Ko Hyun Jung as Mi-Shil: Coming back after a two year hiatus, veteran actress Ko Hyun Jung mesmerized the audience with her larger than life portrayal of Mi-Shil, an ambitious court lady who plotted her way to become the number two powerful figure in Silla. Evil has never been more seductive.     Uhm Tae Woong as Kim Yu-Shin: Uhm appeared to have resurrect his career as Kim Yu-Shin, one of the most revered historical figures in Korea. He was a childhood friend of Deokman and he played an instrumental role in her becoming the ruler of Silla.     Park Ye Jin as Princess Cheonmyong Park was overshadowed by both Lee Yo Won and Ko Hyun Jung which was not entirely her fault as her character appeared for only 20 episodes or so.       Availability in Singapore: Chinese version with both English and Chinese subtitles ($200 + for 5 sets) Average ratings in Korea: 35.4% Awards: 2009 MBC Drama Awards: Grand Prize (Ko Hyun Jung) 2009 MBC Drama Awards: Female Top Excellence Award (Lee Yo Won) 2009 MBC Drama Awards: Male Top Excellence Award (Uhm Tae Woong) 2009 MBC Drama Awards: Male Excellence Award (Kim Nam Gil) 2009 MBC Drama Awards: Male Newcomer Award (Yoo Seung Ho, Lee Seung Hyo) 2009 MBC Drama Awards: Drama of the Year Award 2009 MBC Drama Awards: Best Couple Award (Kim Nam Gil & Lee Yo Won) 2009 MBC Drama Awards: PD Award (Shin Goo) 2009 MBC Drama Awards: Special Child Actor Award (Nam Ji Hyun) 2009 MBC Drama Awards: Golden Acting Award (Ahn Kil Kang, Seo Young Hee) 2009 MBC Drama Awards: Writer of the Year Award (Kim Young Hyun & Park Sang Yun)   Related articles: >> Queen Seondeok Press Conference  Read More →