Are highly educated men more susceptible to sex addiction?

The recent charging of 48 men for having commercial sex with an underage prostitute stunned the entire nation not only because of the sleazy nature of the crime, but because of the background of the men being implicated – many are highly educated, white-collar working professionals who are married with kids.

Among them are 9 civil servants, a senior banker, a company director, a senior vice-president of a private company, lawyers, a senior police officer, the former principal of Pei Chun Public School Lee Lip Hong and prominent grassroots leader and high-ranking MOE official Chua Ren Cheng. Their ages range from between 21 to 48 years old.

Are highly educated and qualified men more susceptible to sex addiction, an illness akin to gambling addiction?

According to experienced counselor from the Institute of Mental Health Viknesan SB, the majority of men seeking help for sex addiction are between 20 and 50 years old.

“They are mostly university graduates and professionals. They are either married or have a regular sex partner,” he said in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Ong Kai Cheng explained that the men in this age group faced extreme stress in their work and lives and sex becomes a convenient channel for them to ventilate.

However ‘We care’ family service center director Prem Kumar Shanmugam felt sex addiction has nothing to do with one’s education or marriage life and it can happen in any ordinary man.

Psychiatrists interviewed by Lianhe Zaobao described sex addiction as similar to addiction to alcohol, drugs and gambling, characterized by uncontrolled and repetitive behavior to satisfy the desire. Occasional causal sex with strangers or prostitutes is not considered a form of sex addiction.

If you think you may be suffering from sex addiction, you can contact the following agencies for help:

National Addictions Management Service: 6-RECOVER (6732 6837)

We Care family service center: 62946352

PHOTOS: Fire at reclaimed land northeast of Singapore

A reader ‘rachel’ sent in photos of huge plumes of black smoke emanating from the northeastern part of Singapore this afternoon which occurred on reclaimed land.

 

SCDF has contained the fire within a sand bunk wall. There were no reported injuries.

 

Josephine Teo: One year without breakdowns needed for MRT to regain public confidence again

Singapore’s public rail system appears to be falling apart with a series of major and minor disruptions in the past few months which prompted the three local universities to prepare ‘contingency plans’ during the examination period.

MRT train delays and disruptions have become part and parcel of daily life in Singapore that they are no longer news-worthy enough to be reported by the press.

In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo said the immediate task is to restore public confidence in the MRT rail system and this requires at least a year without any breakdowns.

“Most commuters are reasonable and understand that no transport system is free from disruptions. However, if they are late for exams or miss meeting an important client as a result of train disruptions, they will be very unhappy.”

She added that it is important to learn from mistakes and to prevent the same incident from happening again.

Speaking in Parliament recently, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said the government will try to minimize ‘major disruptions’ of more than 30 minutes, but warned that some disruptions and defects on the heavily-used MRT were ‘unavoidable’.

“We will try and minimise as much as possible the major disruptions and to keep them in check. But I think it is unavoidable that a system that is as heavily utilised as ours is today will not face any disruptions. Every day there are about 2.7 million passenger trips. We are running thousands of train trips for more than 18 hours a day. And I dare say that there is no way you can prevent disruptions from occurring.”

A week after his speech, Circle Line broke down for more than 12 hours affecting some 18,000 commuters.

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Related articles:

SMRT train did not stop at Tampines station with commuters being asked to go to Pasir RIs to board train back

SMRT train delayed from Clementi to Joo Koon

May Day ‘special’ from SMRT: Trains delayed along North-South Line for more than 10 minutes

Three minor disruptions in a day: Singapore’s public rail system sets new ‘First World’ record

Trains delayed along NEL due to ‘signaling fault’

SMRT trains delayed this morning due to train fault

SMRT trains delayed for 20 minutes due to train fault

SMRT to spend 900 million dollars to upgrade train systems

SMRT on LRT disruption: The walkway is safe to walk

LRT train stalled between Bukit Panjang and Senja stations

Lui Tuck Yew: I was gravely concerned over the spates of disruption

Singapore universities introduced MRT delay plan ahead of coming examinations

SMRT falling apart: 18,000 commuters affected by major disruption on Circle Line yesterday morning

PHOTOS: Massive 2 hour suspension in train service along Circle Line, 18 April 2012

Circle Line hit by major train disruption this morning

Singaporeans late for work as SMRT hit by major train disruptions this morning

SMRT: Experts found our maintenance regime consistent with good practice

SMRT train stalled at Clementi MRT station due to ‘train fault’

SMRT trains delayed this morning again due to ‘train fault’ and ‘platform door fault’

PHOTOS: Commuters packed like sardines at Ang Mo Kio and Yishun MRT stations

SMRT: 30 minute delay between Tanah Merah and Pasir Ris stations due to ‘train fault’

SMRT train delayed again due to ‘congestion’ ahead

Lui Tuck Yew: 13 percent of bus drivers from China

Lui Tuck Yew: Some train disruptions are ‘unavoidable’

Temasek Times firmly established as one of Singapore’s top 100 sites

In just three months since its founding, the Temasek Times has firmly established itself as one of the top 100 sites in Singapore with a readership comparable to some of the sites run by the mainstream media.

According to latest statistics from web analysis company Alexa.com, the Temasek Times is the 50th most visited site in Singapore:

[Source: Alexa.com]

Traffic rankings of other news sites in Singapore:

Channel News Asia: 22

Straits Times: 29

Today Online: 71

inSing News: 72

Zaobao.com: 82

Our readership has nearly doubled in the last one month and we now have 15,000 to 20,000 unique readers daily with an average of 70,000 to 120,000 views, an audience size which is magnified by our affiliated sites, Facebook pages and forums.

Some readers have been asking us why we did not register a domain name of our own – the reason being this site is only a ‘prototype’ for us to build a more stable, secure and sustainable platform in the future from which two entirely new sites with different names will emerge later at an appropriate time. One will be a tabloid news site reporting on juicy stuff while another will be a serious political commentary site devoted to local politics, society and economics.

In the second part of our experiment, we will be heaving off serious commentary articles to a separate site here

We are currently looking for freelance journalists, contributors, advertisers as well as investors for our new platform. Journalists will be paid on a fee-for-assignment basis.

If you are keen to learn more about our project or join us, please indicate your interest at

temasektimes@yahoo.com

Vikram Nair: I have developed a pretty THICK skin

After embarrassing himself with an empty threat to sue socio-political blog The Online Citizen (TOC) which left his reputation in tatters, newbie PAP MP Vikram Nair now says he has ‘come to terms’ with being flamed online by his detractors.

Mr Nair was roundly attacked by netizens for comparing WP MP Chen Show Mao’s proposals to help needy Singaporeans as a ‘Nigerian scam’.

Though his criticisms were relatively mild, Mr Nair still found fit to appease WP supporters in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao:

“The tone I used during the Budget debate was too sarcastic which caused me to be misunderstood. If there is a repeat, I will be more direct.”

‘Reflecting’ on the unpleasant episode two months later, Mr Nair told the Straits Times that he has developed a pretty thick skin for the flaming:

“I have certainly had my fair share of online flaming for all sorts of things. If there are any serious allegations, I usually put up a response on what my position is.”

His position is dramatically different from veiled threats he issued to TOC via inSing news:

“I hope not to take legal action but if there’s lingering damage I might have to consider it. It also depends on what they (The Online Citizen) do and how they respond to the matter. I just want to clear my name.”

With the state media on his side, Mr Nair can rest assured that he still plenty of time to repair his battered image before the next General Election.

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Related articles:

Vikram Nair’s move to appease WP supporters backfired

Vikram Nair: I was too harsh on Chen Show Mao

Indian new citizen defends Vikram Nair

Vikram Nair being made to look like a ‘joke’ by TOC

Vikram Nair to sue TOC for defamation?

Vikram Nair: ‘Deceptive’ of TOC to attribute ‘lies’ to me

Vikram Nair to Chen Show Mao: Show me the money

Chan Chun Sing: Explaining government policies is like eating pizzas

Since the divisive General Election last year, the PAP government has promised to ‘transform’ itself by being more ‘responsive’ to the concerns of Singaporeans and engaging them through a wider range of platforms such as social media.

Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing has been holding monthly sessions with residents to discuss government policies at the Buona Vista CC.

Mr Chan just conducted a session on “Population, Babies and Quality of Life” last night.

In an interview with Channel News Asia, Mr Chan compared the onerous task of explaining government policies to Singaporeans as akin to eating a pizza:

“If I may use an analogy from eating a pizza, recently you find a new generation of pizza shops that’s quite interesting. You go in there, you want to try out different things, you tell the chefs, they can prepare it differently for you,” Mr Chan said.

He added that Singaporeans are no longer just satisfied with having good solutions from the government:

“That probably reflects the way which our society is evolving. I think people are not just happy to have solutions, even if they are good solutions presented to them, they want to know how this solution is developed, what were the considerations behind the development of this solution.” 

A former Major-General in the Singapore Armed Forces before he was invited to contest in the election by the PAP, Mr Chan entered the Parliament last year by virtue of a walkover in Tanjong Pagar GRC. After one year, he is still the ‘Acting’ Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports.

Watch his interview with CNA below:

VIDEO: Flooded HDB staircase in Clementi

A netizen took this video clip of a flooded HDB staircase in Clementi on 5 May 2012 at about 2am in the morning during a heavy downpour:

Time to face the hard truth: Why integration is no longer possible with the present wave of immigrants

During a televised debate with his Socialist opponent Francois Hollande on May 1, French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged for a rethink of France’s immigration policies:

“I will never argue for zero immigration, but the reality is that when you invite more people than you can handle, you no longer integrate them.”

His statement encapsulated what we have been promulgating all along: We strongly believe Singapore must remain OPEN to immigrants, but we have to be extremely selective of who we take in and we may have now reached the stage where integration is no longer possible.

Though most of our forefathers were immigrants themselves, the present generation of Singaporeans are fully integrated as one people after three generations or more – we no longer see ourselves as being from China, India or Malaysia. Singapore is our home where we all belong.

Similarly, the American Chinese did not become Americans overnight. They are only fully assimilated after three generations.  And neither did the French immigrants in Canada’s province of Quebec became Canadians overnight.

Integration is a natural process and cannot be fast-tracked by simply throwing money to hold a few carnivals and festivals to promote it and pray that it will happen automatically somehow.

Human beings are not mere economic digits or emotionless robots. There is more to integration than simply reciting the National Pledge and changing the color of one’s identity card.

Before integration is possible, three conditions must exist:

1. The desire of the immigrants to settle in Singapore permanently.

2. The proportion of immigrants in the population.

3. The rate of intake of immigrants.

It is time for both Singaporeans and the government to face the hard truth that integration is no longer possible simply because we have got it all wrong right from the very beginning.

Read rest of article here.

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Related articles:

How uncontrolled immigration can destroy a nation: A comparative case study of the Korean kingdoms of Balhae and Silla

Address the real causes of low fertility rate instead of taking in more immigrants

Exposing the 6 major flaws in the PAP’s immigration policy

Why the present wave of immigration is different from the past

Sylvia Lim: WP will contest in Tampines GRC in the next General Election

The next General Election may be still some time away, but the Workers Party (WP) has already begun to ‘book’ the constituencies it intends to contest, including those previously contested by other parties.

In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, WP Chairman and Aljunied GRC MP Sylvia Lim revealed WP’s plans to contest in Tampines GRC in the next election.

Besides Tampines GRC, WP will also contest in the GRCs it contested previously.

“These GRCs are located in eastern and north-eastern parts of Singapore and will enable the party to better utilize its limited resources.”

(林瑞莲解释，这些选区集中在我国的东部及东北部，锁定它们能让该党更善用有限的资源。)

Tampines GRC was contested by the National Solidarity Party (NSP) in 2011 where it garnered 42 percent of the votes.

When contacted by the media NSP Chairman Sebastian Teo reiterated that NSP will not give up any constituencies which it had contested.

He also revealed that NSP has yet to decide if it would contest in the coming Hougang by-election.

With its capture of Aljunied GRC, the Workers Party is now undoubtedly the strongest ‘opposition’ party in Singapore though it hardly ‘opposes’ the ruling party. However, the increasing arrogance displayed by some of its leaders and its reluctance to work with other parties have peeved off some opposition supporters.

When asked by the media about the Workers Party’s views on the Budget which have been expressed earlier by other parties, Sylvia Lim retorted callously:

“But we are in Parliament, they are not. We will make use of the platform we have.”

Tin Pei Ling: I rather focus on my residents than what others said about me

One year after the divisive General Election, newly minted MacPherson MP Tin Pei Ling remains unfazed by the brickbats she has received from netizens.

In an interview with the Straits Times, Ms Tin said smugly she would rather focus on her residents than be bothered by what others said about her.

Indeed, Ms Tin’s Facebook has been updated only infrequently since the last election and she seldom replied to netizens with most critical comments about her being deleted without any reason given.

“You meet residents, hear about their problems and try to help them. These are bread-and-butter issues. It sets things in perspective. It helps you to focus on what are really important, their lives,” she said.

Just two days ago, an irate MacPherson resident Mr Tan wrote a complaint letter to PAP Chairman Khaw Boon Wan about Ms Tin not conducting her Meet-the-People session this Monday on the eve of May Day.

“I thought these sessions would only be unavailable on public holidays and not its eve. I earnestly hope this nonsense will stop somewhere as it is extremely unacceptable for MPs to be behaving in such a manner especially drawing on taxpayers monies with huge bonuses,” he wrote. (read more here)