Of F1 & IR and of Cheesebuns….

 I remembered in 1997 as an overseas student in RMIT Melbourne, the first ever Melbourne F1 Grand Prix came to town. It was held at Albert Park a big lake park on the other side of the Yarra River. On the first day of the trials, the car engines can be heard as far as Flemington & Parkville (near the vicinity of Melbourne Uni). I was staying at North Melbourne then and can hear the engines roaring like mosquitos (eeeehhh…ehhhhh..). F1 created lots of excitement for Melbourne and the then premiere of Victoria, Jeff Kennett managed to lure them. Adelaide, traditionally was the only city that had F1 Race but due to unpredictable weather of South Australia, makes Melbourne a perfect place for F1 car races. Now Melbourne is truly and exciting city since 1995. The Australian Open (Tennis) opens there, The F1 GrandPrix races there and the Largest ca_i_ o (oops) IR in the southern hemisphere, CROWN CASINO, is there. World Class airport. Voted Most liveable city etc etc.

Lets hope this IR and F1 thing can bring something positive to singaporeans, If not ……..Cheesebun liao…..

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Singapore F1 Grand Prix Route – a view from the top

May 14th, 2007

If you manage to get your hands on a copy of TODAYonline, you will see this.

 

This is a map shown the best F1 views in town, briefly there’s a couple of locations where fans can and get up close and personally in the race; mainly there’s the Pandang (20K-25K seats), at the Marina Bay(23k seats) and the Marina Channel (15K-20K seats, this is also where the finish line and pitstop will be)

Personally I would go for those seats at the Marina Channel, I love to caught the action in the pit stop and the F1 babes. (who doesn’t? )

For those with wings, here’s another view I googled up for you.

My sources tell me that the first rate will start in August 08, so make yourself available during that period, you won’t want to miss the first race! Even better book a hotel room!

Source from singeo.com.sg & TODAYonline.

 - extracted from http://www.internetfamous.net/2007/singapore-f1-grand-prix-route.html

Working Even After Retirement

In foreign countries, older workers look forward to retiring when the time is due. In Singapore, older workers dread retirement. With practically no social security system, Singapore’s older workers have to keep on working even beyond the official retirement age. Just look around the food courts in malls and coffee shops, there are many uncles and aunties in their 60s still working, clearing tables, cleaning dishes. Should they retire in dignity or still keep working fearing that the next meal will never come. Its sad. My dad is 67 and he is still working! This tripartiate comittee….i dunno is there for what, some told me its a facade to rationalise (to the people of singapore) that singapore will never have a social security system. No work = No $ = No meals. I dunno, i am politically ignorant. I can only say “Cheesebun!!!!”

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Law to make companies employ older workers beyond retirement age

This is one of the key recommendations by a tripartite committee which has been acccepted by the government to enable older workers to remain in the workforce.
May 17, 2007
AsiaOne

The Singapore government today accepted an extensive package of recommendations by a tripartite committee to enhance the employability of older workers, and this include a key proposal to change the law to allow workers to continue working beyond the retirement age of 62.

The Tripartite Committee on the Employability of Older Workers recommends that the legislative changes be introduced within five years to enable the older workers to remain the in the workforce.

It suggests that one approach is to implement law to “obligate companies to re-employ workers when they reach retirement age”, noting that this is being practised in Japan.

“Legislation can be a powerful signal and tool to shape behaviour and drive corporate practices,” said press statement from the committee, which is chaired by the Minister of State for the Manpower Ministry.

Recognising that that legislation, in itself, is not a panacea for dealing with the multiple challenges faced by older workers, the committee says: “Legislation must therefore be complemented by commensurate efforts to ensure that the ground is suitably prepared and businesses can adjust appropriately to new legislation to achieve a higher effective retirement age.”

In deciding on the final form of law, it says the government should assess the progress made over the next five years, as well as the prevailing economic environment.

“The actual form of legislative changes should be decided after assessing the progress of efforts and the response from companies and workers… But we should remain open to other ideas which may be better suited to Singapore’s economic needs and industrial climate,” says the committee.

“In the meantime, within the next 5 years, the Committee will take a tripartite approach to encourage as many employers as possible to voluntarily implement policies and processes that will facilitate older workers to continue working beyond age 62.”

The Committee was appointed by the Minister for Manpower in March 2005 to recommend measures to enhance the employability of older workers. On Jan 26, 2006, the committee presented its interim report to the government.

The committee’s recommendations are grouped into four key strategic thrusts:

1. Expand employment opportunities for older workers
2. Enhance the cost competitiveness of older workers
3. Raise skills and value of older workers
4. Shape positive perceptions towards older workers

The other key recommendations include enhancing the Work Development Agency’s Advantage Scheme; expanding the employment opportunities of older women and enhancing their employability; a higher Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) payout to low income workers above the age of 55; and expanding the promotion of fair employment practices through a Tripartite Centre for Fair Employment .

The Committee also wants the funding to be increased to $400,000 per company, up from $300,000 previously, under the enhanced Advantage scheme, which focuses on the recruiting, retaining and re-employment of workers beyond the age of 62.

The scheme will also be streamlined to support companies’ efforts on three broad front – recruiting more older workers, retaining older workers, and a greater emphasis on facilitating the re-employment of workers beyond age 62.

Companies would be given funding to support the implementation of HR policies and systems to facilitate the recruitment, retention and re-employment of older workers.

The Committee also recommends that the Advantage scheme run for three more years up to end 2010.

On expanding employment opportunities and enhancing the employability of older women, the Committee recognises that targeted assistance to encourage women to return to the workforce is needed to raise female employment rates.

“To give a sharper focus to enhancing the employability of women, the Committee recommends that current efforts be consolidated into a national programme,” says the statement .

“The Committee therefore proposes that NTUC’s “Women Back to Work” Committee be elevated to a Tripartite Workgroup, led by NTUC and with participation and support of employers and the Government.”

It also calls for higher Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) payout to low income workers above 55.

It notes that currently, older full time workers above 45 years who earn $1,000 or less are the principal target group of the WIS and receive higher WIS benefits.

“The Committee recommends giving older low wage workers above the age of 55 years a higher WIS payout when the scheme is reviewed in 3 years’ time. This would provide this group with an even greater incentive to work, more take-home income and further build up their retirement adequacy,” says the committee.

The tripartite centre to drive fair employment practices will expand its activities in promoting fair employment practices and reaching out to more companies and workers. Its efforts will be coordinated under a Tripartite Centre for Fair Employment.

The centre will serve as a focal point to promote awareness of fair employment practices, receive public feedback and give advice on fair employment practices, as well as provide assistance to employers who are keen to adopt good employment practices. The centre will also look into instituting a national award to recognise companies with the most progressive and fair employment practices.

To co-ordinate and oversee the implementation of its recommendations, the committee will continue its work for another five years.

“It will work towards raising the employment rate for residents aged 55 to 64 to the medium-term target of 65%,” says the statement.

The Committee will also work closely with the Ministerial Committee on Ageing to tackle the issues of an ageing population in a holistic manner.

To co-ordinate and oversee the implementation of its recommendations, the Committee will continue its work for another five years. It will work towards raising the employment rate for residents aged 55 to 64 to the medium-term target of 65%.

The Committee will also work closely with the Ministerial Committee on Ageing, led by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr Lim Boon Heng, “to tackle the issues of an ageing population in a holistic manner.”

- AsiaOne News

Another Sg-Suzhou Industrial Park Tragedy in the Making ?

Ahhhhh….remember Singapore-Suzhou industrial park ? We signed an agreement to build, develope the Sg-suzhou industrial park (read Losses in Singapore Suzhou project to hit US$90 million ). We are being cheated when the chinese built another industrial park nearby at lower cost, lower rent, lower everything. Can this Iskandar Development Region (IDR) be another sg-suzhou tragedy in the making ? cheesebuns…. read more about suzhou tragedy click Suzhou Park Saga.

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May 14, 5:59 AM EDT

Malaysia keen for Singapore to invest in new industrial park project

By SEAN YOONG
Associated Press Writer
 
LANGKAWI, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia will try to persuade Singapore to invest in a multibillion-dollar industrial park project when leaders of the two countries hold their first bilateral talks in nearly three years on Monday and Tuesday, an official said.

Prime Ministers Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Lee Hsien Loong may also talk about unresolved bilateral issues, including the price of water that Malaysia sells to Singapore and a dispute over Malaysian railway land in Singapore, said Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar.

But no decisions are expected to be announced on resolving the disputes, Syed Hamid told reporters.

“The intention is to take advantage of the friendly and very cordial environment that has been established … the chemistry between our prime minister and hsien loong seems to be very good,” Syed Hamid Albar said.

Both prime ministers are leading a high level delegation of nearly 30 ministers and senior officials each, representing international trade, transport, defense, sports, infrastructure development and other sectors.

Lee, who arrived earlier Monday, will be hosted by Abdullah at a dinner for the Singapore delegation later Monday. Both leaders are scheduled to hold a private breakfast meeting on Tuesday before the two delegations go on a cruise aboard a luxury ship off Langkawi, an island resort in northern Malaysia. Lee is scheduled to return home on Tuesday.

Syed Hamid noted that Singapore is one of the biggest investors in Malaysia, and that Malaysia would welcome Singapore’s participation in the Iskandar Development Region, an industrial park in the southern state of Johor bordering Singapore.

The 47-billion-ringgit ($14 billion) project, which was launched late last year, is Malaysia’s largest of its kind. Once completed, the zone would be almost three times the size of Singapore.

This is the first time Lee and Abdullah are holding official bilateral talks since Lee visited Putrajaya, Malaysia’s administrative capital, in October 2004.
 

Still Friends – Cheesebun isn’t it ?

Before this, Singapore and Malaysian mulling over many un-resolved bilateral issues, like the reclaimation works that causes eco-damage to malaysian beaches, or the new causeway construction, water prices. Now they are friends again….eating durian and playing golf. Hmmmm, what will be Tun Mahatir’s next move ? attack Mr. Abdullah Badawi again ? may be this time the malaysian secret service can send some secret agents to pepper spray him again…..haha…cheesebuns man.

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May 15, 7:19 AM EDT

Singapore pledges to help Malaysia develop Johor industrial park project

By SEAN YOONG
Associated Press Writer
 

AP Photo/VINCENT THIAN
 
LANGKAWI, Malaysia (AP) — Singapore pledged Tuesday to help Malaysia develop a multibillion-dollar industrial park, calling the venture’s success a litmus test for cooperation between Southeast Asian countries as they compete with China and India.

Singapore has assessed the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) project in Johor state, bordering Singapore in southern Malaysia, and determined “it is fundamentally good for us if the project takes off and succeeds,” Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.

Lee arrived Monday on the island resort of Langkawi for the first bilateral talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in nearly three years.

Both sides will set up a joint ministerial committee to study ways to cooperate to make IDR – launched last year – a success, the two leaders told a news conference.

Once completed, the zone would be almost three times the size of Singapore. Malaysia plans an investment of 47 billion ringgit (US$14 billion; €10 billion) over the next five years, and 360 billion ringgit (US$105 billion; €80 billion) over 20 years.

Malaysia is hoping to attract investors from Singapore to get the project going.

“Between us we will have a whole center of vibrancy, activities and interests, which will be good for tourism, manufacturing, investments, services and our people,” Lee said.

He didn’t give any figures on how much Singapore would invest. Johor Chief Minister Abdul Ghani Othman told reporters he expects “substantive” investments from Singapore and other countries to be announced by the third quarter of this year.

Prime Minister Abdullah said he envisioned Singapore’s relation with IDR as similar to that of Hong Kong and Shenzhen on the Chinese mainland.

“Singapore will invest. Singapore wants to invest,” he said.

The IDR would be “a very important growth area that can be a catalyst that can help in the development of the other countries” in Southeast Asia, Abdullah said.

The two countries have agreed to make travel easier between Singapore and IDR by issuing chip-embedded smart cards that would make passports unnecessary, Lee and Abdullah said.

Lee said cooperation was crucial in a dramatically changing Asia, where China and India have become “big blobs on radars” of investors.

His talks with Abdullah centered on “making sure that these little spots in Southeast Asia … get together and become something significant, which investors from other countries will have to take seriously,” he said.

Both leaders indicated they did not discuss in depth their outstanding bilateral disputes, including the price of water that Singapore buys from Malaysia.

Lee and Abdullah sailed on a cruise boat before the Singaporean delegation left for home Tuesday.

Cannot be No.1 Always – Cheesebun Attitude

Sometime not too long ago, i was driving my parents to changi airport to catch a plane for their overseas holiday. As i drive near the boulevard leading to Changi airport Terminal1 (with Terminal 2 on my right, and the up and coming Terminal 3 on my left). My dad just commented “Singapore cannot always be no. 1 in everything, it seems that we assume that the neighouring countries will never progress and improve….”. Its evident, Hongkong built their Chap Lap kok Airport and its more larger, better service than Changi. Look at KLIA, its just as big. And to think that other nations would not catchup is an arrogant self denial. I am glad that, we can ‘loose’ sometimes, which will teach up humility. Humility such that when we are ‘on top’, we will help others to improve and when we are loosing out, the humility and attitude to improve ourselves. The truth of life is that : No One Can Win All the Time!

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“
A Soulless Nation of Achievements

The Internet is rife with speculations that its people are ready to walk out on the country should we ever go to war.

Singaporeans often spit, litter on the most beautiful parts of our country say, Orchard Road.

ST survey shows that most young Singaporeans do not know who their ministers are.

Singaporeans are apathetic.

Singaporeans have no passion.

Why don’t Singaporeans care?

Singapore is a country with everything to show for, but it is soulless.

Sadly, Singapore have produced a generation of citizens who do not find ownership in their homeland…. “

Read more at http://chasingidledreams.blogspot.com/2007/05/soulless-nation-of-achievements.html

SG’s Spoonfeed Education System – Cheesebuns!

Its a long time of neglect. Every few years, there is a change in Minister of Education. Every new minister will have their new ‘baby’. Older programs implemented for less than 2-3 years are scrapped and remembered no more.

I am a product of the mid 80s educational system the classifies students as top 8% and ‘the rest’. Top 8% were supposed to be the gifted ones, destined for fame, glory and honor. I was one of ’The Rest’, kicked to Ngee Ann Polytechnic in mid 80s, managed to pass a Diploma in EEE, later went on to complete a degree in Australia and eventually attaining my triple masters there (in EEE, TELECOM, & IT Systems)……erm….you say….aren’t you suppose to be one of ’the rest’ ? Haha. just like brother, he got his Phd in record time and he was also one of ’the rest’ (non-8%). I think years of policy changes in Sg’s education systems has left many scared, labelled and rejected. The so called scholars have rotten tomatos among them (recent ex-saf scholar being sentenced for bribing for army arms contracts, Annabel Chong a bright scholar become an infamous porn star, saf scholars kill housemates in UNSW Sydney). The rejected ‘the rest’, some became successful technopreneurs and entrepreneurs. Think at the end of the day, most lost confidence in sg education system. Those that are able to afford it, emigrate elsewhere. That’s the cheesebun reality.

Deviate a bit: I know there are teachers out there who want to share their cheesebuns about their shitty work conditions….come on lets share!

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The result of spoon-feeding  

In Singapore, youths usually complete a total of 10 or 11 years of primary and secondary education before entering tertiary institutions such as polytechnics or junior colleges, as a stepping stone to university education or employment. In these institutions, much emphasis on independent learning is made.

Independent learning is one of the most useful skills anyone can have. With the massive amount of information available on the Internet or traditional libraries, the playing field has been leveled. With the right attitude, even people without access to traditional education can be educated nowadays.

However, this contrasts with the learning model in secondary schools here, where the students are spoon-fed so much that many are unable to conduct independent learning.

The Computer Guy

I often encounter friends asking me for help with computer issues. Most of these are simple to solve, and at first, I was glad to help out. However, the requests increased- in one case, a friend bombarded me with questions for three hour-long sessions.

An ex-classmate even asked me for help with his polytechnic homework- and he’s not in the same course or polytechnic as me. When I hinted that he should do it himself, he gave the angry reply (paraphrased):

“How many ISPs are there in Singapore?’ You think that I f*cking know? Forget it.”

Extremely annoyed, I vowed to stop spoon-feeding them. The frequent requests for help which I receive almost daily were the result of a past reluctance to say a firm ‘no’ to friends.

Another experience occurred in class, and will probably happen a few more times.

Lazy Students or Lazy Teachers?

One teacher was a firm believer in independent learning. He employed this method for all his lessons since term started.

Many students had the sentiment that my lecturer was not ‘teaching them anything’. They joked that they were like primary school kids being expected to learn quadratic equations.

I agree that they may have found the syllabus difficult to master, but I felt that the assumption that lecturers had a job to explain new concepts was brought about by 10 years of being spoon-fed in primary and secondary school. Additionally, it showed that they did not have a true desire to learn, but wanted to be taught.

We were expected to be independent learners, but that’s can’t erase an attitude towards learning built up over 10 or more years. In primary and secondary school, teachers feed students with worksheets, homework and remedial lessons for weaker students. Tests never quiz students on information beyond the scope of their textbooks (circular and ring probability in Mathematics is an example of this, as one skilled in secondary school maths only needs common sense to complete questions on these JC-syllabus questions, but secondary school teachers do not use them as surprise questions at all).

This spoon-feeding of students is in sharp contrast to the learning approach taken in polytechnics (especially Republic Polytechnic). It is no wonder that only few of my classmates actually use Google or a search engine to locate information they need- (such as how to make a HTML anchor tag handle e-mail addresses). Instead, some ask me, ignoring the fact that I am quite busy with assignments too.

One may point out that PM Lee Hsien Loong made the Ministry of Education (MOE) implement a ‘Teach Less, Learn More’ (TLLM) policy in 2005 onwards. I laugh whenever I hear that phrase, not because I disagree, but because my alma mater had made such pathetic attempts to foster real independent learning that they may as well not done it.

The Heads-of-Departments merely replaced one common test of every subject for each semester with a group project or individual assignment. Everything else remained the same. When the O Levels loomed, spoon-feeding actually increased with more remedials and mock test papers for practice. TLLM was by then a distant memory.

Why does so much spoon-feeding take place, when all it does is to transform students into question-answering machines incapable of learning new subjects without help from other people? Shouldn’t TLLM be implemented in full by making teachers lesson facilitators instead of spoon-feeders? What is the point of spoon-feeding them in the first place, when the teachers know how competitive it can be in an institute of higher learning?

If the education system removes this contrast by implementing TLLM properly in secondary schools, or at least teach students to use search engines whenever they want to ask an academic question, I dare say that students can go very far in life.

- extracted from “Michaelk - The Result of Spoon Feeding”

ERP costly – Cheesebunzzzzzz!

I did an experiment on monday morning, 14may 2007 . Drove up cte and enter through Braddell Road entry. drove all the way into orchard road. and it costs me $4.50. And somemore its jam like crazy too. Cheesebun man!

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 ERP rate increase… 

Starting from 7th May,5 ERP gantries will increase for all vehicle classes
5 affected gantries and timing are:

1) CTE gantry north of Braddell Road between 8am and 9am
2) CTE gantry south of Braddell Road between 8.30am and 9am
3) PIE gantry at Kallang Bahru from 8.30am to 9am
4) PIE gantry at the slip road into CTE from 8am to 9am
5) the gantry along Bendemeer Road from 9am to 9

- extracted from TalkBack at STOMP

NS – Another Cheesebun thing!

As we pondered about the deaths of two fallen comrades (the late 3rd Sergeant (3SG) Isz Sazli Sapari and the late Private (PTE) Fan Yao Jin) from the taiwan army jet crash…..and yet there are those that have fallen and no one knows about it. My mum likes to go to a particular wet market, they buy vegetables from a vege seller for the past 15 years. The old couple lost their son to NS too, but like many other NS fallen, remained unknown (or coverup ? we don’t know). The old couple lost their son when he fell from a tank. The couple have to take a month long holiday to china after all the funeral matters of their eldest. Its sad. NS is a real cheesebun issue.

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The Untold Truths of National Service

14 may 2007

From Edmund Ng,
Lawrence Leow was a bright young kid. He was very active in school and was pretty diligent in his studies. He was studying in Anderson Junior College. Disaster struck when he was serving his National Service.
Lawrence had suffered heat stroke during his National Service. What happened next was a shock to many of his friends and family. Due to the heat stroke suffered during National Service training, Lawrence was paralyzed in most of his body. He also suffered inflammation and infection in his wind pipe. That resulted in having an operation to have a opening at his throat.

Lawrence could not eat on his own and had limited mobility. He could only type using a small digital pad or sms to communicate his thoughts. He was in no position to take care of himself. As he can’t speak, he could only capture your attention by breathing deeply. Yes, it does sound like Darth Vader breathing with intensity.

I was concerned over his situation so I asked him whether Mindef offered any kind of assistance or compensation to him. I was told they are only paying him $500 a month plus a CSC card. In Lawrence’s own words via sms to me, “The $500 is not even enough for me to hire a maid!”.

This is sad as it adds on to Lawrence’s family burden. During the free internet marketing workshop at HWA, it was his grandfather that had been wheelchairing him all the way from Bukit Batok to the HWA office at Balester. How many more are in the same predicament of Lawrence Leow?

- extracted from http://disgruntledsporean.blogspot.com/2007/05/untold-truths-of-national-service.html

Cheesebun Opposition

Here comes JBJ! will the MIWs frett ? will JBJ challenge the MIWs again ? what evil schemes the MIWs will hash out this time to put JBJ down ? as the saying goes “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings…”, we shall see….JBJ was down but not out !

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Singapore veteran opposition politician says he’s no longer bankrupt, can run for office

May 10, 6:28 AM EDT 

By GILLIAN WONG
Associated Press Writer
 
SINGAPORE (AP) — A Singapore opposition politician who fought a long, lone battle against the ruling establishment said he emerged from six years of bankruptcy Thursday – which would make him eligible to run in the next parliamentary elections. Joshua B. Jeyaretnam, 81, told The Associated Press he is no longer bankrupt after making a final payment in damages from defamation lawsuits filed by the country’s leaders, including the prime minister. “Of course, I’m very relieved,” he said Thursday. “But it’s a very heavy price I have paid.” Bankrupts are barred from holding parliamentary seats in Singapore. Critics claim leaders use defamation suits to silence the opposition, but leaders argue that they have a right to defend their reputations against untrue criticism. Jeyaretnam said he has given a cashier’s order for 233,255 Singapore dollars (US$154,010; €113,641) to the Official Assignee, which handles such matters. He did not say how he got the money. An appeal court had awarded him a “conditional discharge” from bankruptcy on April 23, valid if he paid what he owed within three weeks. The long-ruling People’s Action Party, or PAP, holds 82 out of 84 elected seats in Parliament. Jeyaretnam, then-leader of the Workers’ Party, in 1981 became the first opposition politician elected to Parliament since Singapore’s independence from Malaysia in 1965. In Parliament, he became a rare voice railing fiercely against the PAP’s strict controls on political activity, media and public speech. However, leaders’ numerous defamation suits put him into bankruptcy, driving him from his legislative seat. But he is now eligible to run in the next elections, not due until 2011. Jeyaretnam was declared bankrupt in 2001 when he failed to pay more than S$600,000 (US$367,049; €308,512) in damages to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, former Prime ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, and others. He was found guilty of defaming them at a 1997 election rally, when he said a colleague had filed a police report accusing the ruling party leaders of defamation. Jeyaretnam also lost a 1995 lawsuit over remarks made in his then-party’s newsletter. He has earlier estimated that he has paid out more than S$1.6 million (US$925,000) in damages and court costs over the years. In recent years, Jeyaretnam – once a wealthy, flamboyant and high-profile lawyer – has stood on street corners to sell his own books about Singapore politics. He said Thursday he is applying for his license to practice law again The Official Assignee’s office confirmed it received the cashier’s order from Jeyaretnam, but made no further comment.  

Cheesebun Bishops

Former Methodist bishop calls for greater respect for homosexuals in Singapore

May 11, 4:24 AM EDT

By DERRICK HO
Associated Press Writer
 
SINGAPORE (AP) — A former Methodist bishop has called for greater understanding and respect for gays in Singapore, where recent public debate has questioned whether homosexuality should be decriminalized. “We know that the differences will exist, we only … plead for mutual respect and not for condemnation,” Rev. Dr. Yap Kim Hao, who in 1968 became the first Asian bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore and Malaysia, said at a Thursday night dialogue on homosexuality and the church. The dialogue, believed to be the first between the mainstream Christian church and the gay community in Singapore, was organized by the gay social outreach arm of the nondenominational Free Community Church. It was attended by more than 350 people, including representatives from major Christian denominations and members of the general public. The dialogue follows rare public debate about homosexuality in Singapore. Earlier this month, the city-state’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, questioned the country’s longtime ban on gay sex, saying the government should not act as moral police. His comments set off debates in newspapers and online forums. Yap, who is now the Free Community Church’s pastoral adviser, has said he believes he has been called by God to minister to gays, and is aware his views conflict with the conservative mainstream church in Singapore. “Even though we disagree, we need to respect the humanity,” Yap told The Associated Press. Participants in the forum also discussed interpretations of Biblical references to homosexuality, and how the church can pastor homosexuals. Panelists stressed that the church and policymakers in Singapore must realize there are real people behind the issue. “At the end of the day, we need to know that there is a human face to all this and then we learn to adapt our strategy differently,” said Tan Kim Huat, dean of studies at Singapore’s Trinity Theological College. But some audience members remained skeptical or indifferent to the calls for greater tolerance. One man took the microphone to compare homosexuality to bestiality. Still, Yap was pleased that so many from the mainstream church had attended the dialogue. “They came in some significant numbers to hear an alternative point of view. We have heard them condemning, but this is the first time they’re coming to hear the other partisan view,” he said. Under Singapore law, gay sex is deemed “an act of gross indecency,” punishable by a maximum of two years in jail. Authorities have banned gay festivals and censored gay films, saying homosexuality should not be advocated as a lifestyle choice. Despite the official ban on gay sex, there have been few prosecutions. Penal Code amendments proposed last year would decriminalize oral and anal sex for adult heterosexuals, but retain the ban on gay sex. That decision was applauded by the National Council of Churches in Singapore. The amendments are scheduled to be debated in Parliament later this year. The issue returned to the spotlight earlier this month when Lee questioned the gay ban, prompting a flurry of responses by lawmakers and the public. “Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew’s recent comments about liberalizing laws regarding homosexuality have got my family and me very concerned,” citizen Jonathan Cheng wrote to the Straits Times Forum pages. “Homosexuals lead a promiscuous and hedonistic lifestyle. What else can you expect when you do not have children to live for or be in a loving and committed relationship?” Most of Singapore’s 4.5 million people are Buddhist, followed by Christians. The nation’s other main religion, Islam, also forbids homosexuality.