X2024

How Happy Are Singaporeans?

2009-11-05T16:00:00.003+08:00

Oct-Dec, 2009

One year after the Lehman Brothers collapse, the economy is showing positive signs of recovery. Are Singaporeans happier and truly optimistic about the coming year?

Our research* sheds some light.

Positive signs of economic recovery in Asia, especially China, coupled with pick-up in the equities and property markets have given us optimism as we approach 2010. In July, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) boosted its 2010 global growth forecast to 2.5%, an improvement of 0.6 points from its April forecast (Source: AsiaOne News, 'IMF projects stronger 2010 recovery from global recession', 9 July 2009).

In the same article, Olivier Blanchard, IMF Chief Economist stated that while the world economy is still in recession, recovery is in sight. According to him, financial conditions have improved and are better than expected, owing mainly to public intervention. Moreover, recent data suggests that the decline rate in economic activity is moderating.

In this light, the IMF hiked its outlook for Japan up a hefty 1.2 points from 1.7% in 2010. Growth this year in the second-largest economy was estimated to be a negative 6.0%, instead of the 6.2% contraction previously forecasted. China would lead with expansions of 7.5% in 2009 and 8.5% in 2010, while India would grow 5.4% and 6.5% respectively.

It would appear that we are finally seeing the silver lining following the post-Lehman Brothers crisis dubbed the ‘worst financial crisis since the Great Depression’. Yet some people remain apprehensive about the recovering future and whether this pick-up is sustainable. In the words of the U.S. Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke: ‘Even though from a technical perspective, the recession is very likely over at this point, it's still going to feel like a very weak economy for some time as many people will still find that their job security and employment status is not what they wished it was.’ (Source: Channelnewsasia.com, ‘Bernanke says U.S. recession likely over technically’, 15 September 2009)

As 2009 comes to a close, we take the time to poll Singaporeans aged 25 and above to find out:

How they have been affected by the dark clouds in the earlier months of this year.

If they are feeling much happier than they did in the first half of the year.

Whether they feel upbeat and confident as they enter 2010.

49% Says We Are Happier

Of those surveyed, most feel upbeat and optimistic about the future as 2009 wraps up, though a small percentage are still worried about life ahead.

A good 49% of the respondents feel happier about their lives, work and business compared to the first 6 months of the year. This result is hardly surprising given the stream of good news since mid-year and the all-round cheer that has been brought about by reports of record-breaking sales at the Great Singapore Sale and various fairs like NATAS and Comex this year.

The constant assurances that no one will be left behind in this crisis and the S$20.5 billion Resilience Package 2009 unveiled by the Singapore Government at the start of this year contributed to the general optimism of Singaporeans.

Family Remains Top Priority During The Crisis

The survey also showed that about 30% of those polled had to reduce their monthly savings during the crisis while 40% cut their personal spending in order to manage their finances. Yet, only 25% stated that they had reduced family-related expenditures. This clearly revealed that the family unit remains a top priority to Singaporeans even during the downturn. This result ties back to our earlier research in January 2009 that Singaporeans will weather the recession by cutting back on personal savings and expenditure, and will attempt to avoid impacting family expenditure negatively.

Younger Generation Is Still Spending

While the older group is able to take downturns in their stride with their experience from surviving SARS and the 1997 Asian Crisis, the younger ones aged between 25 to 34 years old are uncertain about work as well as their earning power, given that this is their first time encountering an economic crisis. However, the worrying factor is, 18% of them are increasing their personal spending instead of adopting prudent measures to ensure they are financially protected.

This phenomenon highlights the importance of nurturing financial responsibility and maturity in the younger crowd, especially in the face of a new financial world order. Focus needs to be placed on balancing priorities and opportunities while achieving a sound financial portfolio.

Staying Cautious

Though a large percentage of those surveyed expressed optimism, there are still those who remain pragmatic and cautious. One in 5 is still worried about life and work as compared to the first 2 quarters of this year; 2 in 5 people are uncertain about what lies ahead and if recovery can be sustained over a longer period.

This could be due to concerns about the fragility of the recovery and possibly, even the speed of the rebound in the property and stock markets which are making some feel uncomfortable.

The most vulnerable group is likely to consists of the ones married with children working in less senior, white-collar positions including the blue-collar workers; and those belonging to the low to below average income category. In a recent article written in The Straits Times, Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong commented that the labour market is likely to remain weak for the rest of the year (Source: The Straits Times, ‘Rise in the chronic jobless’, 16 September 2009)

To stay competitive in this current economic climate, it is therefore important for us to press on with training and upgrading, so that we can get our workers to stay employed. These refer mainly to executives and technicians as well as those in the lower rungs of the corporate hierarchy. Workers in this category have been strongly encouraged to re-invent their skill sets or acquire new ones. On the whole, the outlook remains uncertain because companies are still adopting a conservative hiring approach.

Source: http://www.ocbc.com/personal-banking/askocbc/Talk/talk_q409_02.html?utm_source=asiaone_rotator_350x175&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=askocbc_nov09&u

God Washed My Car For Me!

2009-10-31T19:46:00.001+08:00

Among some of the things that are extremely low on my priority list would be the washing of my car.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I like the interior to be generally clean. But when it comes to the exterior of the car, I don’t really care. In fact, a dirty car could very well actually be a macho thing to some of guys!

As I had reluctantly agreed to finally go get a care wash after dinner, God sent a downpour so heavy that all the months of dirt got cleaned off in a jiffy. So while I was having dinner with my parents, God washed my car for me.

God loves me so much! God is a God that cares for all the little details in my life!

Jenny Wee

2009-10-03T21:53:00.000+08:00

On Thursday morning at around 1am, I received a call from my sister telling me that my cousin Jenny has passed away. It was rather sad for me as I just saw her on Saturday.

At my last visit, she even commented that I was very dark. I quickly placed my arms beside her whiter than white legs and pretended to play the piano! It was sad that she has to leave us so soon.

During the 2 wake services, I was so blessed. I got to hear many stories from our families and her church friends alike about her life. Her church friends testified to her faithful service to the Lord over the past 20 years in St Andrew Cathedral. She served in the children church, in the usher ad intercessor ministries. Her dedication to God and His church was evident for all to see.

And the part that brought tears of joy and pride to my eyes was when a few of them testified about how she had personally brought them to Christ. These people thank her for being an instrument in God’s hand to bring salvation to them.

This morning, while driving on the PIE, I thank God for her life. I thank God for bringing her into my life. I thank God that I have such a cousin that I can learn from. I thank God that my earthly cousin may pass away but my sister in the Lord will never.

Jenny, we celebrate your life. See you!

Birthday!

2009-09-10T22:52:00.002+08:00

Just turned another year older a few days ago; and by the grace of God, hopefully wiser as well!

Thanks to many for the kind words and gifts and songs and cakes and chocolates on both Saturday and Sunday… I really appreciate them all!

During one of the services, just as I was about to lead the prayer meeting, one of our leaders came up to me and encouraged me with some very heart-felt words. She said that many people are with me and they are assured of how God is leading through me! She was so honest and sincere. That’s a real encouragement to me!

Then later in the day, I had some one-on-one time with a leader. He said very similar things to me as well.

That encouraged me a lot. I know that if I had done anything good, it must have been God working through me. It strengthened me to know that I am not alone; God and many others are walking with me in this journey of extending His rule and reign together.

Once again, thanks and I really appreciate you all!

The Core Of The Core

2009-08-15T13:56:00.000+08:00

Spent some time in bed last night tossing and thinking about next week.

We will be having the Global Conference (GC) here in Singapore from the 19 - 21 August.

Many of the staff have been working really hard to ensure that all the necessary preparation are done up. However, to ensure that this GC be successful in touching lives and setting things aright in our movement, God's Presence is the key. The core of the core really is Him!

As such, I was spending some time in prayer on my bed and I would like to ask you to pray as well. Even as you read this, please take around 15 minutes to pray.

Pray for God's Presence be evident through all the P&W sessions and teachings and fellowship

Pray for God's assurance in the hearts of the pastors and leaders and members that God is with us as we move forward

Pray for God's anointing on all the stage ministers

Pray for God's truth and strength and encouragement be shared aboard throughout all the fellowship

Thanks for carrying God's vision with me!

A Flock Of Seagulls

2009-08-11T21:39:00.000+08:00

This was one of the songs that I grew up with in the 80s. It was beyond cool during my school days. We were dancing wildly to this song.

Those of you who are near my age would certainly enjoy this one. I just loved the hair cut and the accent.

Truly bring back memories... blogging this to keep as part of my growing up memories...

S1aNSATION

2009-07-26T21:52:00.000+08:00

A job well done to the vidoe team. The video was hilarious! Robert Chia really cracks me up. Thanks also to the ASPT for the very creative but convicting theme.

Thanks also to Stanley for sharing your life story. You communicate really well from the heart.

Thanks all for your work. I appreciate every bit of it.

Here's the defination from today's sermon....

SIAN
(see-en)
A wonderfully concise Hokkien adjective which conveys boredom, weariness, frustration and emptiness. The English equivalent would be "ennui".
1. “My job is damn sian, man.”
2. “Wah lau eh, I do A-maths, do until sian oreddy.”

SIAN JIT PUA (Contributed by Rene Sim)
(see-en jip poo-ah)
"Sian" describes something as boring. "Jit pua" is Hokkien for "half". Put together, and the phrase can be loosely translated as "too boring by half", meaning it is extremely boring.
"Sian jit pua, man! This disco is damn boring!" ("This disco is too boring by half.")

Also realised the some guys were twittering the sermon points and sayings on real time while I was preaching. Very creative...

Man U Fans Beware!

2009-07-22T23:56:00.000+08:00

Wife stabs husband late home after Man U match

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Police have detained a Malaysian woman who allegedly stabbed her husband in the chest for coming home late after watching a football match between Manchester United and Malaysia, an official said Tuesday.

The man had promised to come back immediately after the match in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday evening, but his wife was "very angry" when he returned after midnight, said district police chief Abdul Jalil Hassan.

The woman stabbed him twice in the chest with a kitchen knife and then took him to a hospital, where a doctor reported the incident to police, Abdul Jalil told The Associated Press.

"He was with friends after the match, so that's why he came home late," Abdul Jalil said.

The man was recovering in the hospital, he said.

Police have not decided whether to charge the woman with any offense.

The English Premier League champions defeated Malaysia 3-2 on Saturday in their opening match on a preseason Asian tour.

One Of Fave Song From My Fave Band!

2009-07-17T12:39:00.000+08:00

Have not seen this for a long time but still loving it as I watched it again...

Hope to meet Bono & the band one day :)

How To Be A Vision Carrier?

2009-07-16T10:13:00.001+08:00

This is a very important sermon that we, in Hope Singapore, needs to listen to.

Some of us may not have attended the services where I preached this sermon, please do download it and listen to it. It is important for our church life.

http://www.hopesingapore.org.sg/audio.php

Roy Keane

2009-07-12T22:56:00.002+08:00

You can have your own say but as far as I am concern, Keano is one of the best players that Manchester United can and will ever have. I am, of course, not proud of many of his trades (like violence and anger). But he does exhibits numerous selfless leadership qualities that we can all learn from.

Remember UEFA championships 1999. He was captain marvel to put the team through to the finals even though he would not playing in the final. That's leadership at its very very best!

Leading On Empty (Wayne Cordeiro)

2009-07-10T12:17:00.000+08:00

As I was not feeling well for the past 2 days, I had the time to finally devour a book that Mike & Lean Choo bought for me. Thanks both : )

It is a book from Wayne Cordeiro (he also authored Divine Mentor). He shared some really personal struggles that many leaders would be able to identify with. Bill Hybels wrote that this book is “A must read for all leaders.”

Cordeiro expressed many things that I have gone through but may not have the language or expertise to express. It helps me sort out my inner thoughts and feelings. The book also gave many practical suggestions on how we can pace and rest better.

Looking back, it might be “divine” that I have to fall sick in order to take the time to complete this book. By the way, I hardly fall sick (once in a few years).

Read it and let you know your thoughts

I am also trying to lay my hand on the book entitled "Simple Church". Could not get it from SKS as it runs out of stock... lend ot me if you have one...

MJ - King Of Pop

2009-06-27T00:07:00.000+08:00

I had to get this on blog to capture a piece of growing up years. While I certainly do not agree with MJ's many values in life, his entertainment value was high!

If my memory serves me right, I was still in Secondary School when this monster hit was produced. The whole album was great and this was my (and many of my friends) top hit.

The MTV was unbelievable by the standards of yesterdays. To be honest, it is still rather cool even as I watched it now (by my standards :) )

Gang fight cannot get any cooler than this. Believe me, my friends and I have tried some of the moves... and the response from those who saw it? BEAT IT!

One of my friends even tried to buy a replica of the famous red jacket in the MTV.

Anyway, here's the best version that I can find off yotube. Enjoy!

Funny Soccer Goal!

2009-06-25T17:59:00.000+08:00

11-7-2-14

2009-06-21T22:48:00.000+08:00

Wow… what a ride!

The past 14 days have been incredible. I get to preach for 11 times, 7 different sermons and teachings, in 2 languages, all in the span of 14 days.

To be honest, I am completed totally spent. If not for God, there is just no way for me to last the whole distance. Only God!

I am also very thankful for Hong Teck for co-preaching with for the last 5 sessions over this 14 days period. It was great help for me. He did so very well in all his sessions. Thank God for co-workers like him.

Most of all, thank God for pulling me through. It baffles me how I was able to last the distance. Indeed, only God!

Love This Pic!

2009-06-12T23:01:00.004+08:00

I want to blog this to keep it!

Keano and King Eric with the then young superheroes to be... much like discipleship...

GM Reinvention Commercial

2009-06-11T12:26:00.003+08:00

I enjoy this commercial very much. I like the honesty and it appeals to the potential consumers.

Will it work? Only time will tell...

BTW, I do not know how to size it to fit the blog page

Check This Out

2009-06-08T15:43:00.000+08:00

http://www.himgc.com/

Good News For Middle-Aged Men!

2009-05-30T01:13:00.000+08:00

There is hope! Check out the article. Get out in the sun more (but not too much) and eat more salmon...

Vitamin D boosts brain power in middle-aged men.

AFP - Thursday, May 21WASHINGTON (AFP) - - Higher levels of vitamin D, synthesized in the skin after being exposed to the sun and found in oily fish, are associated with increased brain power among middle-aged men, according to a new British study.

The link between increased vitamin D and faster information processing "was more significant in men aged over 60 years old, although the biological reasons for this remain unclear," read the report, to appear in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Manchester, in collaboration with other European specialists, compared the cognitive performance of more than 3,000 men between the ages of 40 and 79 years.

Men with higher levels of vitamin D "performed consistently better in a simple and sensitive neuropsychological test that assesses an individual's attention and speed of information processing," the study showed.

Resarchers "observed a significant, independent association between a slower information processing speed and lower levels of vitamin D," said lead author David Lee at Manchesters School of Translational Medicine.

The study is based on a large population sample and took into account other possible factors, such as depression, season and levels of physical activity.

The main source of vitamin D is 10 to 15 minutes daily exposure to sunlight. Oily fish are also an excellent source of vitamin D.

A separate 2008 study by researchers in Amsterdam showed that a lack of vitamin D could increase the risk of depression or other psychiatric problems among older people.

Enjoy The Moment!

2009-05-26T08:12:00.004+08:00

Reflect On This...

2009-05-12T22:19:00.000+08:00

Jesus was often alone but never lonely. People are hardly alone but often lonely.

Can you and I be alone and yet not be lonely?

Twitter

2009-05-07T00:06:00.001+08:00

Trying something new to be more connected

Check out...

http://twitter.com/JeffHJChong

Rome... Here We Come!

2009-05-06T09:06:00.000+08:00

NEW SERIES - End Times Revival (starting on the 3 May)

2009-04-27T11:47:00.000+08:00

The Book of Joel- End Times Revival

Sermon Series Write Up

The word "revival" is familiar to most Christ-followers. We are constantly speaking about and praying for a "revival," but do we know what it means? The root word "revive" is from the Latin, and may be interpreted thus to live again, to receive again a life which has almost expired; to rekindle into a flame the vital spark which was nearly extinguished. Revival thus, refers to the bringing back to life something or someone that is on the verge of dying or is already dead.

The truth is that each of us needs to be continually revived in order to function optimally - this we do daily by eating and living healthily. The same can be said of the Church.

In this six-part series, End Times Revival, we will be studying the book of Joel in the context of the end times, a period of not only unprecedented challenges for the church, but also of great opportunities. It will be a journey of discovery as we learn about the end times revival - the signs, conditions and blessings of the revival for the church. This is the trumpet call for us to be the Church that God has called us to be.

Sell Berbatov?

2009-04-21T12:59:00.000+08:00

I was already thinking of blogging this when I read the article below.

Berbatov has really struck me as someone who is too casual and he really does not contribute much to the team. Admittedly, there are flashes of brilliance. But when you pay £30.75million, you expect a more consistent performance rather than flashes of brilliance.

When Everton missed the first spot kick, I thought that we should have the shoot up all wrapped up. But when he causally passed the ball back to Tim Howard, we lost our advantage. And worse still, we boosted the opponent’s confidence and completely deflated ours.

Don’t get me wrong, people do miss penalties. Ferdinand missed his spot kick too. But the way Berbatov went about it was hard to imagine. Not only that, in many games that he played, he was all too casual.

There was also once a player that was very casual in his playing style. His name is Eric Cantona. The difference is that Cantona delivers. Moreover, Monsieur Cantona was has a lot of fire in his belly which seems to be missing in Mr. Berbatov.

Hopefully, Berbatov will pick up and do much better else we may have to...

Anyhow, have your own say in this
____________________________________________________________

Sir Alex Ferguson has leapt to the defence of record signing Dimitar Berbatov, the man who shouldered the majority of the blame for Manchester United's penalty shoot-out defeat in the FA Cup semi-final with Everton.

The critics were out in force again following Berbatov's woeful penalty miss; the Bulgarian's £30.75million transfer fee has been the subject of considerable debate almost since the day he moved north from Tottenham last summer.
Ferguson confirmed the 28-year-old was upset before defending his contribution to the Old Trafford cause.

"He will get criticism because when you pay £30million for a player everyone thinks he should be able to score with a penalty kick," said Ferguson. "He was upset and disappointed, as we all were.

"But I don't see any evidence of Berbatov's season tailing off.
"He has missed a few games and overall yesterday, I thought he did really well."