A 3 day court hearing will determine how much damage Dr Chee and his sister will have to pay PM Lee and MM Lee for defaming the latter duo. The defamation took place in their party newsletter just before the 6th May polls in 2006 (2 more years to go to next election). The Chees have long been infamous for throwing claims on Lees on how the latter were corrupt - without presenting anything substantial to back their claims.

In fact, Dr Chee had a chance to face-off with MM Lee back in 2004. However, Dr Chee had a no-show for the court hearing. Needless to say, the results were not in his favour. One can’t help but wonder if he’ll pull a second fast one. I’m trying to look at things from the perspective of Dr Chee, but I am having trouble doing so - not because I am taking sides, but I find it hard to fathom his thinking process. If Singapore irks him so much, why won’t he spend the rest of his life peacefully elsewhere - since he probably knows that he’ll get nothing out of going against the system here. I’m not entirely supportive of the things that is being implemented in Singapore, but I can’t see how going against the system can help make lives better for everyone else. For ordinary people like me who are so comfortable with equilibrium, I only have time to care about my next bowl of rice, my next shelter over my head (metaphorically speaking).

Perhaps… just perhaps, he feels that it’s a calling for him; and maybe Dr Chee might gain more supporters if he’s able to show just a slight bit of evidence to support him. Too much allegations will just end up being noise - and it doesn’t help that, inferring from his arguments, the Singapore government is not allowing him access into his much-needed evidence. He’s a smart guy, but brute force isn’t always the way to go.

I’ve got so much things to say, but an entry isn’t sufficient. I wish him all the best.

THE Prime Minister and Minister Mentor are expected to go on the stand in a High Court hearing that starts on Monday.

The three-day hearing is to assess the damages Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan, his sister and the SDP will have to pay for defaming Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

The two leaders are likely to be cross-examined by lawyer M. Ravi, who is representing the SDP, as well as Dr Chee and his sister Chee Siok Chin, who are representing themselves.

If that happens, it will mark the first time that any PAP leader has been cross-examined by a political opponent in open court.

The opposition party and the Chee siblings were found to have defamed PM Lee and MM Lee in articles in their SDP newsletter two years ago.

The case began in the run-up to the 2006 General Election.

About a week before the May 6 polls, PM Lee and MM Lee had sued Dr Chee and the party’s leadership for repeating remarks alleging that they were corrupt and had covered up wrongdoings at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF).

The suit stemmed from articles in the SDP newsletter, The New Democrat. It centred on the NKF saga and drew parallels between how the charity and the Government were run.

Six SDP central executive committee members apologised subsequently. But two others, Dr Chee and his sister, did not, and contested the suit.

In June 2006, the High Court ruled that the SDP - which did not file a defence in the case - defamed PM Lee and MM Lee.

Three months later, in September 2006, the Chee siblings were found guilty of defaming the two political leaders.

The Lees are seeking aggravated damages, which are exceptional awards made by the courts where the plaintiffs have been wronged severely.

The last time MM Lee was on the stand in an open court hearing was in 2004, in a separate defamation case involving Dr Chee, who failed to show up for the hearing.

PM Lee was last on the stand in 1997, in a hearing to assess the damages opposition politician Tang Liang Hong had to pay for defaming 11 People’s Action Party leaders.

Over the next three days, Justice Belinda Ang will hear both sides present their case and decide on the damages to award.

The amount may not matter to the Chee siblings as they have already been declared bankrupt.

But if the SDP is unable to pay up, the 28-year-old party faces the prospect of being wound up.

However, before the hearing starts, the Chee siblings intend to ask Justice Ang to disqualify herself from the case because she gave the Lees a summary judgment in 2006 after the Chees had walked out of court.

Another matter is also pending. Lawyers for PM Lee and MM Lee have applied to strike out the affidavits of Dr Chee, his sister and former solicitor-general and opposition politician Francis Seow, on the grounds that they are scandalous, irrelevant and an abuse of process.

If their affidavits are struck out, the Chee siblings will not take the stand and be cross-examined by the Lees’ lawyers.

sueann@sph.com.sg

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 12th May 2008

Read this yesterday night and felt so demoralised that I didn’t want to blog about it until today. I mean… is there such a thing as fairness in this world? Especially where money is concerned? It’s quite amazing that despite NUS and NTU having produced so many generations of graduates, they lost out to SMU in terms of their students’ starting salary.

I mean, S$5,600?! How obscene is that? And the starting pay is? More than S$3,000!

So the SMU students get all the top jobs and the NUS/NTU students fill up the rest. I’m sure for a lot of people who have already graduated and stuck with their S$2,500 a month pay and still slogging away are complaining left, right, center.

But seriously, what’s the real starting pay like?

THE fourth and largest batch of graduates from the Singapore Management University (SMU) are getting higher starting salaries than their seniors from the year before.

They are also landing jobs sooner, with nearly all snagging positions within six months of graduation.

The overall starting salary for the Class of 2007 went up 6.7 per cent to $3,040 from $2,850 for the Class of 2006, the university’s latest employment survey indicates.

The top 20 per cent are getting monthly starting salaries of $5,600.

The top 12 per cent - one in eight graduates or 69 of them from across all degree programmes - are doing even better, drawing starting salaries of between $4,000 and $10,000 a month.

Among the Class of 2006, just 8 per cent - or 26 - made it to this pay bracket.

Of the 69 high-fliers, nine are making between $8,000 and $10,000 a month, mostly from investment banking or management consulting.

Indeed, about half the graduates are in banking, finance, auditing and accounting jobs.

Miss Seetoh Zhi Min, 23, who has a double degree in accountancy and business management, landed a job as an associate at the Boston Consulting Group.

Part of her job involves analysing strategic issues faced by her clients’ companies.

‘I like the exposure to various industries, the type of work the job provides and, more importantly, the learning prospects that come with it,’ said Miss Seetoh, whose name was a fixture on the Dean’s List for three years.

The Class of 2007 distinguished itself one other way in the business of job hunting: More snagged jobs even before graduation.

Eight in 10 landed job offers either before graduation or, at most, within a month of graduation.

Two-thirds got two to more than 10 job offers.

Miss Delaine Cheong, 24, sent out over 10 applications and received five offers.

She is now an investment associate with the Financial Institution Group at Temasek Holdings, where she helps evaluate investment opportunities.

SMU’s Graduate Employment Survey had a response rate of 87per cent - 618 out of the 711 who graduated between May and September last year responded.

The National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University have not released their employment surveys yet.

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 12th May 2008

Just like the prophecies foretold from a magical book of sorts, the signs are showing. First, the feedburner count plunged like the stock market from a high of 120+/130+ to just 71. Then the support group that Simply Jean has been so often immersed in has suddenly… "disbanded". Plaktoz - back to camp. Ridz - busy, DK - busy, Miccheng - busy, Alice - sick, Nicole - busy, Ruiping - MIA…

It’s probably just one of those ranting days again. Singapore, except for the recent raise in fuel prices, rice prices, ERP gantries (yes, the gantries, not the ERP fees) and all, had been very quiet recently; especially so when everyone was so disappointed with how the entire Mas Selamat case is being handled, everyone seemed to have lost respect for our DPM Wong. So much so that… everyone seemed to give up talking about them.

Retrospectively, the week crossing May Day had been quite crazy, with an event almost every other day. In fact, there will be 2 events crashing against this Wednesday. Why can’t those social media people start doing something about their dates instead of clashing with each other and forcing people to take sides? The results will always be unexpected.

Ok. Enough ranting. Back to work.