Hehe.. heading to Sitex now. I quite dread going for shows that are all the way to the east in that… it favours only to the Easterners (while some may prefer it, for various other reasons); and it’s so far (I am a Westerner now).

Target for this show would be the Nikon D40/D40x, depending on which will burn less of my pocket, and which is better. I am hoping for the D40x to be sub-1000, although I am quite sure that that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. So, if I have to get a D40, then it’d better be really cheap or be filled with freebies. Greedy? Not really, because if it’s the same price, I can get it any other day.

The next thing on the list is a decent Nokia handphone that can store more than 500 contacts. For some weird reasons, none of the Nokia phones that I have used can store more than 500 contacts. Alright, for the record, I have about 758 contacts now… and still counting. Do I keep in touch with all of them? Well… most of them, I’d say.

Yup. That’s all for now. I had been contemplating about getting a replacement colour laser, but since the prices had been quite stagnant since 2 years ago, I think I’d just wait out. I might get a decently fast monochrome laser though. For this, I prefer HP LaserJets. The reason being HP provides a full toner while most others provide half-filled toners, commonly marketed as “starter kits”. Most people do not know what “starter kit” for a laserjet really means, well, for the uninitiated, it means 1/2 fill toners - and they are usually, not always, but usually not cheap to get.

That’s about it for this visit. I have my recorders, monitors, a rather barely decent tablet that crashes everyday, a pretty good digital camera (that could be better, but I’d save up for that another time). All I need to do now is to wait to replace my tablet that crashes everyday. The Fujitsu U1010 seems rather good, but can only last for 85 minutes. Not much use, aye?

After consolidating all the various reasons that are conjured or from first hand accounts, Simply Jean presents to you… the top 10 reasons on why that taxi driver seemed to just zoom pass you, or is HIRED with no passengers, or is simply just sitting in the comfort of his cab (pun unintended) having a sparring session with your eyes as you wait in the coldness of the rain waiting for a cab in the queue.

Disclaimer: These accounts may be fictitious or conjured and may not represent the views of the entire fleet of taxi drivers.

On why taxis seem to disappear during peak hour in CBD
I’m outside CBD wat… if I go in, then who pay for ERP?

On why taxis are not picking up people from heartlands
No lah, if I go to town, then I can earn surcharge mah (Ed: so who pays the ERP?)

On why taxis seem to disappear on rainy days
Outside raining so badly, can’t find people and bad traffic… might as well enjoy my cup of hot kopi while waiting for people to call for taxi. Like that then can earn surcharge mah!

On why taxis are everywhere but not at the taxi stand
Like that then can earn surcharge mah… they wait, I wait lor. They call then I pick them up lor. Why pick them up when I can earn a few dollars more when they give up and call? Eh? Rhymes hor?

On why taxis seem to disappear before midnight
Aiyah, this kind of question who will ask one? Of course to earn midnight charge lah. 50% more, ok?

On why taxis tout for customers
Eh? You can’t see ah? Mercedes ok? Mercedes means higher rental, then of course must charge higher mah? People don’t know… they will pay more

On why taxis seem to disappear after 9:30am
Aiyah, those people so kiam siap (stingy), they don’t want to pay peak hour surcharge, then ok lor. After driving one whole morning, I also need rest mah. Of course go drink kopi

On why taxis seem to disappear before 5:00pm
Change shift mah… no lah… actually we are waiting for the evening peak hour surcharge

On why taxis don’t want to pick passengers up even when they are in a taxi stand
Eh, I tell you. You know where she want to go or not? Just a few blocks away. Siao ah, I queue here just to take her to a few blocks away? Waste me time only… so ask her to take the taxi behind lor

On why taxis don’t want to pick up passengers along the road
Just now that one ah? Don’t want lah. I want to pick someone who is going town, then I no need to pay ERP, then can get CBD surcharge from people taking my taxi inside CBD. Maybe lucky, can earn peak hour also. Like that then tan tio (hit jackpot)!

PS: Guess the theme of these reasons

PPS: Do feel free to add more to it

There is an increased in quota for S-pass foreign workers as well as relaxation of rules for Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) - people who earn at least S$7000 by the Manpower Ministry.

This effectively means that companies are now about to hire more foreign talents if they are not able to hire any locals for the job. In turn, this means that if the ratio of foreign talents to locals in their company is less than 1:4, they have the option of looking overseas for potential job-seekers.

While this means they have to pay the foreigners at least S$1800 (because it’s an S-pass), they will not suffer a labour crunch then they (i) can’t find people here and (ii) meet the 1:4 ratio requirement.

However, because of the S$1800 minimum salary requirement, it is unclear how this will affect the dynamics of hiring a foreign talent, though it has always been considered cheaper to do so.

In addition, the rules for PEP has also been relaxed. This means that for anyone who earns at least S$7000, he can apply for a 6 months PEP to look for job here, as opposed to confirming a job offer here before applying for a pass. This system is somewhat similar to that of Australia, where you typically apply for PR before you can get employed.

The next question is - how this will affect the salary that a Singaporean gets nowadays.

COMPANIES hungry for workers cheered yesterday when the Government announced that they can soon hire more foreign workers.

They can do so at all levels but a bigger chunk of these extra workers looks set to be mid-level skilled workers, or S-pass holders, due to strong industry demand.

This is because these workers can form up to 25 per cent of a company’s total workforce, a jump from the current 15 per cent. An S-pass worker, who is a notch above a work permit holder, must earn at least $1,800 a month.

The changes in the various industries’ dependency ratios - which is the number of foreigners a company can employ relative to its local employees - will take effect in January.

They were announced by Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen last night at the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year event, at which logistics firm YCH Group’s chairman and chief executive, Mr Robert Yap, won the title.

In applauding the changes, the Singapore National Employers Federation, said: ‘They are a very welcome, very timely and very significant response from the Government.’

Its executive director, Mr Koh Juan Kiat, also said that potentially, the 10 percentage point increase in S-pass holders may see between 50,000 and 100,000 workers coming in.

Employers have recently called for the foreign worker quota to be raised. Faced with a buoyant economy, many struggle to fill job vacancies.

It was a situation not lost on Dr Ng.

He said that to succeed as an ‘economy built on high innovation and value addedness’, relying on talent in Singapore is not enough.

There is a limit to the growth of Singapore’s resident labour force, he said, referring to a workforce that includes permanent residents as well. It eased off to just 2 per cent this year.

At the same time, unemployment is at a 10-year low - 1.7 per cent in September.

Dr Ng also noted a crucial condition that helped Singapore become the world’s most competitive labour market this year. This factor is that companies here have access to the manpower they need.

Hence, the introduction of the measures to ensure such access continues.

But with the higher proportion of S-pass holders being allowed in, the Manpower Ministry is hoping companies will use it to improve the quality of their foreign workforce.

Contractors look set to do so. Mr Simon Lee, executive director of the Singapore Contractors Association, said the new S-pass quota comes in handy because contractors would need more skilled supervisors to lead bigger groups of workers, as building activities at a few major projects are expected to intensify from mid-2008.

However, Mr Kellvin Ong, Rendezvous Hotel’s general manager, cautioned: ‘We also have to be mindful of the bottomline. S-pass workers have to be paid a minimum salary.’

Citigroup economist Chua Hak Bin said that in sectors like construction, allowing more foreign workers will mitigate labour costs and ‘more importantly, the greater risk of project delays due to a shortage of workers.’

Besides the quota changes, the Manpower Ministry is also removing the two-year requirement for higher-paid workers eyeing a personalised employment pass (PEP).

This pass, introduced this year, lets them remain here for up to six months in between jobs. Currently, those earning at least $7,000 a month must work here for at least two years before they can apply for a PEP.

But from March 1 next year, those whose last-drawn fixed salary abroad is $7,000 a month can apply straightaway for the PEP.

ghimlay@sph.com.sg

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 29th November 2007