This article briefly discuss about the role of a mortgage broker and how they can be of help to you when sourcing for a home mortgage loan to finance a new property or to refinance an existing mortgage loan. This article is republished with the permission from CPCG - Chan & Partners Consulting Group.

Last week I went to AMK OCBC bank to open business bank account for my own private limited company. After the bank staff browsed directors' residential status, he said he needs to get approval from senior management because of their internal policy. Then I understand that there may be because of US sanction on Myanmar. For your information, I am Myanmar citizen and Singapore PR. And I have personal bank account at OCBC.

Then when I went down to the bank after 5 days and asked the status, the bank staff told me that he was sorry and their bank (OCBC) unabled to open my company bank account even I have personal bank account at OCBC. When I ask the reason, they said they don't have reason. Even if they have problem opening business bank account for Myanmar nationals, they should state it on website or officially.

I think it's really not good. Everything is 100% legally and I am going to deposit money to their bank (not to take loan). Even I cannot open business bank account for my company in Singapore, it's not problem luckily. Because I am not doing export/import and my company business is especially software development.

I suggest Singapore government or MAS to take action such bank internal policy.

I really upset some behaviors of Bank and government agenicies upon Myanmar nationals. They should divide and see Myanmar government and Myanmar nationals.

Thank you for reading!
Ko Aung

Not sure if its right for me to say these, but why is our Government making life more difficult? Are our government listening to Majority of the Singaporean or just a few whom they felt that they can give good feedbacks?

With the inflation going high, FOOD prices increases due to several factors, namely, 1. Global demand 2. Poor Harvest and 3. Fuel for transportation increase. Plus FUEL price at all time high; Economic of the world doesn't look very positive; Salary does not increase fast enough to meet monthends; GST increase to 7% last year (which is almost 40% increase from 5% if my maths is correct). All these are adding to low-income and Middle-income Singaporean.

Yes, no doubts our government are giving rebates, GST rebates, Tax rebates, road tax cuts, but all these are given with calculated amout. Are these enough?

Take Road Tax cut for Example, a 1500cc road tax now is about $900, which with cut is about $700. Sum of $200+ different for 1 year, making it $16+ a month. But can you imagine those who need to travel due to work, $16+ a month is definitely not enough.

The next point I want to put up is, is there a better timing to increase all these? Other countries are protesting against High Inflation, High Fuel cost.. Can we Protest against HIGH ERPs? I wish I could, cause some are of the ERPs are more than Cash-cow than really reducing traffic. Take CTE for example, so what if the JAMs at CTE jam all the way to AMK? If I need to get home, I still need to go by this road. Will ERPs stop my travel. NO. Unless I don't want to get home. Especially night time when everyone have their choice of route to go home and time. Why charge ERPs. Let it jam until KPE is out and ready and monitor if its needed for ERPs.

Allow me to predict darely that with KPEs, there will also be ERPs charge for usage in both Day and Night in time to come.

We need a breather. NOT INCREASE ERPs.. how many times we have seen it increase. does it really stop traffics. Answer, I think people on the ground knows better.

just wanna bring my view of the ERPs and increase cost of living.

regards.

I'm pretty upset about the incident that had recently happened to me.

I was riding from a filter lane to a small road that is connected to an expressway, and had noticed a mini bus a distance away (from 5 to 7 car length) from the dotted line that I was on, thus I turned and shortly after, the bus banged my motorcycle and I fell to the ground.

That bus driver told me he was speeding and when I ask him why he is speeding, he replied, saying who wouldn't speed in a small straight road. He ask me not to call  the police or an ambulance since I'm not seriously hurt and throw $30 to me on the ground and ask me to see a doctor. This is ridiculous.

What is more ridiculous is that when I went for the interview before the verdict is out, the senior Investigating Officer who is in charge of my case told me I’m liable for the accident. He said no matter what it is, the person coming out from the filter lane will always be at fault even if he is being knocked down by an oncoming vehicle from the main road.

He said speeding is not an issue for my case and the driver is not at fault, even if he was speeding at 80 - 90 km/hr and knocked me down, though the speed limit is 50km/hr. So when I ask him if I switched role with the bus driver, I'll be off the hook isn't it. HE SAID NO! Because I’m speeding!

Is this discrimination to female riders? So if I’m the bus driver I'll be at fault but if the bus driver is speeding, he is not at fault because he is a guy?

It takes two hands to clap, isn't it? I admit I was at fault too, but with the driver admitting to speeding to the witness, my fiancé and me, isn't it counted as a verbal statement too? Moreover, as the witness is someone whom I’ve met before, the Investigating Officer said that he can't be my witness since we’ve seen each other before, as he lived in the same block as my fiancé? This is ridiculous! What if I died from the accident? There won't be any witness because he was the only one who witnesses it.

The police said unless I died from the accident, speeding will then become an issue. So do I count myself as lucky or unlucky? Lucky that I’m not dead but unlucky because I had to pay for the fine and medical bill and the bus driver can just get away scot-free though he did SPEED?! The Investigating Officer even told me they need a speed meter to justify that the driver had speed in order to prove he is at fault too.

Is this law? Or personal discrimination to bikers especially FEMALE riders?

I can't help but to keep thinking that he had something against riders especially a female one as he did not seem to take me seriously during the interview. He did not put down important notes that I told him like "the driver admitted to the three of us that he was speeding because it is a small and straight road, and he was late for work" but he wrote “the driver gave me $30 dollars to see a doctor". When I questioned him about it, he said he just want a short and sweet report.

The conclusion that I gather are:

1) A person whom you’ve seen before cannot be a witness, though you may not know him or her.

2) Female riders are always at the losing end.

3) Those drivers coming out from the filter lane are always at the losing end even if the drivers from the main road driver speed and knock down drivers coming from filter lanes.

4) We can speed and get away scot-free if we hit someone from the back unless that person died from the accident.  

Dear Sir/ Madam,

My CCA at CCKPS is Wushu. I found it very good. I did not attend CCas regularly. At that time, I feelreally bad about myself. Never mind. I'm finding a new CCA which is Swimming. Thanks

Recently, the government is interested in holding a Formula One racing in Singapore downtown area. Using the beautiful, well-lit night scene of Downtown Singapore as a backdrop, with race cars racing down the tracks along Raffles, Suntec, Marina Bay. It will be a spectacular scene.

One of the weekend night along Esplanade, I spotted a small “Illegal” street racing, involving SUV, sport cars racing down the Raffles Boulevard, next to Esplanade. I wonder, will it be also interesting for Singapore to hold the world’s first legalized Street Racing other than the F1 racing.

F1 racing is based on seasons within a year. But street racing, it can be organized by organizer within Singapore and can be slot in to cover days where there is no F1 racing held. This will keep attracting tourists into Singapore, especially neighboring countries such as Malaysian street racer.

Below attached a picture of a popular street racing game : Need For Speed Underground 2.
Imagine how spectacular Singapore will look like with the night street racing as one of the event.

Why can't  we have free parking at HDB car parks on Saturdays?

More than 80 % of us live in HDB flats. Many of us are working on a 5-days week. There are more car owners today than 3 years ago.

Why can't we visit our friends and relatives on a Saturday without paying parking fee?

There are many malls in the housing estates. People are shopping and eating at the neighbourhood malls and centrals. Parents are driving the children to Saturday enrichment classes.

Why can't the local service industry be given a boost by encouraging people to shop and eat without paying parking fee?

I read recent article by Prof Mabhubani and today's ST's forum articile on Singaporeans attaining overseas education.  Even the Professor's children are studying abroad and so do all countless list of Singapore leaders who had send their children abroad.  Some do out of fame and money, while some do out of scholarship (though they can be rich). 

I am just dismay to note that our enrolment system in NUS / NTU are not welcoming large pool of local students who end up going abroad. 

Who is the cause of this exodus ?  

The large pool of Foreign Talent as teachers / Professors who are hired by the Universities,  thus paying them high,  thus depriving our local the chance whereby a foreign students enrolment will get a non-subsidy? 

The cost of living of these Expats,   thus costing us the chance for locals ?

These deprived students who can be better are booted out.  They study overseas and settle there with more breathing space.  

Please remember it is also not equally cheap to send the kids overseas.  

Let's take a paradigm shift.   Why not instead, of 3rd and 4th Universities,  build more to cater for the locals who can equally spend the same amount of money here.    The kids today are exposed to the world with thanks to the internet.   Thus,  the desire to excel will start even when they are already kids.   As such,  the paper chase also goes along with it. 

Disappointed citizen