Open House Melbourne

Grab defends position in Uber deal to Singapore's anti-monopoly watchdog

SINGAPORE: Grab said on Friday (Jul 27) it disagreed with the Singapore anti-monopoly watchdog's assessment that its takeover of Uber's operations had harmed competition and called the commission's suggested measure of removing exclusivity arrangements with drivers "one-sided".

Earlier this year, Uber sold its Southeast Asian business to bigger regional rival Grab in exchange for a stake in the Singapore-based firm. But the deal has prompted regulatory scrutiny.

In early July, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) provisionally found that the merger had substantially reduced competition and suggested various remedies, such as the sale of their car-leasing businesses and removing exclusivity obligations on drivers who use Grab's ride-hailing platform.

The CCCS is set to make a decision after Grab submitted its representation this week, and also taking into account public feedback. It has proposed fines on the firms.

Grab disagreed with CCCS' assessment that the merger had harmed competition. In a written response, Grab said that it competes with all other transportation service providers for the same limited pool of commuters, citing a rider survey stating that 85 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that public transport options are substitutes for ride-sharing apps.

The competitive transportation industry has led to its diversity of services such as GrabHitch and GrabShare, to cater to different price points, it added.

With regard to the commission's suggestion for Grab to remove its exclusivity arrangements with drivers, Grab said CCCS has allowed other players and new entrants to maintain or enter into exclusivity arrangements with drivers, private hire rental fleet and taxi operators without restrictions.

"Grab believes that this double standard goes against the spirit of increasing choices for drivers and riders," it said, adding that Grab has proposed to the CCCS to lift its exclusivity arrangements, subject to it being applied evenly across the industry.

"Current market realities unfortunately do not reflect this, for instance, taxi operators are still able to restrict their drivers' ability to receive fixed-fare jobs on other platforms," it said.

The CCCS has said the exclusivity arrangements mean a new entrant would have to spend a lot of money to build up driver and rider networks similar in scale and size to the incumbents.

Grab was the dominant player in Singapore's ride-hailing market even before the Uber merger. It also competes with taxi businesses such as ComfortDelGro Corp Ltd.

Several new players, such as India's Jugnoo and Singapore-based Ryde, have recently entered the city-state's ride-hailing market. Indonesia's Go-Jek has also said it would launch services in Singapore.

Grab said it welcomes this competition and trusts that the CCCS would take appropriate measures to ensure a level playing field in the industry "without unduly favouring or disadvantaging any particular player".

The CCCS' decision could have wider implications, with Malaysia also saying this month that it was studying monopoly risks triggered by the merger of Grab and Uber.

Grab, which maintains that it operates in a market that is broader than private-hire and taxi-booking services, also said it has retained its pre-transaction pricing and driver commissions.

Its average fare per ride has also decreased by 3.4 per cent since acquiring Uber's Southeast Asia operations as a result of "improved network efficiency", it added.

Source: Reuters/CNA/na(hm)

Social Implication from the Popularity of Hawker Culture

Recent article in the Straits Times captured my attention. The title reads "Hawker culture reducing people ability to cook". The first thought that came into my mind before even delving into the content of the article is: "How true!".

But it gets more interesting when I read the entire article. Written by Dr Lee Siew Peng, the success of hawker culture in Singapore is so great that it has affected the design of a typical home design of Singaporean. The kitchen layout has substantially shrunk due to the fact that people hardly ever cook at home. Most will eat out in local hawker centres most of the week.

This really makes sense! When the kitchen is not used so regularly, it is only logical to carved out more space and give it to other rooms in the house. The case is completely the opposite where I live. In Australia, kitchen is one of the highlight of the entire house. A lot of attention and design are put into creating an attractive kitchen that can convince purchasers to buy. The kitchen is often very spacious with an island bench in the centre. It is after all the hearth of the home. The cause for this opposite phenomenon is not hard to comprehend. 

Eating out in Melbourne is a luxury which I only do once a week if I'm lucky. It is because eating out is very costly in Australian major cities compared to Singapore or Malaysia. Most people cook at home and it is no surprise why so  many people gradually become good in cooking after migrating to Australia!

Hawker culture is a unique experience in Asian societies. People venture out far away from where they live just to have a good bite outdoor. This unique culture has to be preserved and if the kitchen shrinks as a result of its success; so be it!

Penang Desires To Be International and Intelligent City

When interviewed by Bloomberg when he was in Singapore recently, Penang's Chief Minister wishes to attract more foreign investors in particular from Singapore due to the available local talent.

He further elaborate that Penang is here to complement and not compete with Singapore.

Penang To Learn From Japan and Hong Kong On Public Transport

Chow-Kon-Yeow-GEORGE TOWN: Penang will tap into Japanese expertise to manage its future mass transit infrastructure, state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow said.

Chow said private Japanese rail companies were highly profitable as they ran a sustainable operations regime, which Penang hoped to emulate closely.

“A major reason for the success of Tokyo’s private rail lines is because they diversified their businesses beyond transportation into real estate holdings and retail outlets.

“Rather than relying strictly on farebox revenue and ads, the transit system in Penang should also develop other revenue sources, just as the Japanese private railways have done successfully.

“For this reason, we will look to Japan for its sustainable operations regime for mass transit infrastructure,” he said in a briefing on Penang’s Transport Master Plan (PTMP) to some 50 reps of Japanese companies operating in the state.

Also present were Embassy of Japan in Malaysia Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister Yoshinori Kodama and Japan Consul-General to Penang, Kiyoshi Itoi. They were accompanied by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Penang plans to build its own Light Rail Transport (LRT) and other modes of public transport via PTMP.

The RM27 billion project will be financed by creating three artificial islands south of Penang Island.

The PMTP includes a 5-in-1 transport solution encompassing an undersea tunnel; a cable car service across the channel; ferries and water-taxis; light rail transit and monorail; including buses, taxis and highways.

Earlier, 48 representatives from 31 Japanese companies based in Penang participated in the seminar on PTMP. It was hosted by PTMP’s project delivery partner, SRS Consortium.

GEORGE TOWN, June 13 — Penang hopes to secure a conditional approval for its first railway scheme connecting Bayan Lepas to Komtar by next month, state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow said.

The local government committee chairman said SRS Consortium, the project delivery partner (PDP) for the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), met with Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) last week.

“The meeting went well and seemed favourable,” he told reporters after a PTMP briefing with Japanese delegates at Komtar this morning.

Chow added that a July approval for the proposed Bayan Lepas Light Rail Transit (LRT) would allow the state to proceed with a three-month public inspection beginning August, to allow public feedback.

The Bayan Lepas LRT project, along with the pan island highway link and the reclamation of two islands off southern Penang, are part of the first phase of the PTMP implementation.

Chow also said that once SPAD grants the approval, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be set up to administer the implementation of these projects.


The SPV will be a government entity that that will also be tasked with facilitating city planning, development, promotion and management of the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project, he said.

Chow added that the state hopes to commence construction on the Bayan Lepas line - the first phase of the LRT project - by next year. Operations for the first phase should begin by 2023 while the full line should be operational by 2030, he said.

Earlier, during a question and answer session, SRS Consortium business development senior manager Andrew Chan said it will take up to three years before they could have land to sell under the PSR to fund the PTMP.

He said they can proceed with construction of the LRT and highway project first but would still need to time it with the sale of lands from the reclamation.

“We will depend on bridging financing first to fund the reclamation and construction of the LRT and after the third year, we will have lands to sell to fund the project,” he said.

When asked about sustainability of the future transport assets, Chow said the transport system will not rely strictly on farebox revenue and advertisements.

“We are looking at property development to generate another revenue source to sustain the transport assets, like in Japan and Hong Kong. I think Hong Kong’s MTR is known more as a property developer than as the LRT operator,” he said.

Source: The Malay Mail

A Malaysian In Singapore

The post, though written in a listicle format, is surprisingly poetic – especially when she talks about her personal experience when she first came to Singapore alone at 19 to work. Her post has garnered over 1,900 reactions and has been shared over 766 times at time of writing – quite an impressive feat for 3 day old Facebook post.

She shares with her readers (or, ‘friends’, as she refers to them) the reality of working in Singapore – from the amount of money needed to survive, to the types of permits foreign workers hold, to asking if their urge to work in Singapore is simply for pride’s sake, since scrimping and saving in Malaysia might earn them similar rewards.

Here’s our translation:

#latenightinspiration #workinginsingapore #tips #thingsyouneedtoknow

I still remember I was 19 when I came to Singapore alone for work.

The first job had a basic salary of S$700 – I had to OT to death to get the salary I’m earning now.

Along this journey,

I would be lying to myself if I said I didn’t miss home;

saying that I’m not feeling sad when I’m sick and alone is lying to my parents;

eating instant noodles for 3 consecutive weekends and pretending I’m not hungry is also a lie I tell myself.

But since you want to earn 3 times the amount of money,

you need to work at least 3 times as hard!

Especially in a financially-advanced country like Singapore,

I’d suggest you find another route if you want to enjoy and yet earn 3 times the salary.

When you think about home expenses,

when you think about buying clothes, bags, shoes and plane tickets,

do you also realise that by earning and saving back in Malaysia, you can get them too?

Did anyone force you to come to Singapore to work at gunpoint, or is it simply for your pride?

Even though I’m simply a young person in society,

but I still wish to give some piece of advice to those who have just arrived in, or are planning to come to Singapore to work:

• Please prepare a resume before coming to find a job: a person with a proper resume will always succeed over someone who calls and says, “Hello, are there any job vacancies? I’m Malaysian, do you hire Malaysians?”
• Please do not use your Malaysian educational background to ask for a higher salary: do you think Singaporeans have lower education levels? Or do you think they aren’t as skilled in verbal communication?
• Please ensure that you can afford at least one month of living expenses before coming down (1 month of rent + 1 month of deposit + 1 month of food expenses + 1 month of transport expenses)
• Holding the same job for over 6 months can help you avoid taxes from the government, and is also good for your resume (even if you change your work permit, the record follows you)
• If you came to Singapore for a friend/relative/significant other with plans to live with each other, you’re simply wasting your time. Yes, you thought about the other person, but will the other person think of you? *Bosses very rarely hire sisters or friends because when one runs, the other does too.
• Don’t be limited by locations, Singapore’s public transport makes travel very convenient. “I want to find a place in Yishun because my boyfriend lives there”, “I want to find a place in Jurong, so I can live between M’sia and S’pore”, “I want to find a place near town, it feels more high class”. Why don’t ask for a job at the house next door then?
• When starting at your job, never ask your boss to lend you money, even if it gets tough. Once you ask, you’re done for.
• Malaysians need to be 18 years old before coming to Singapore to work.
• You must have a work permit before starting work, or else your boss and colleagues would be fined.
• You can’t do part-time jobs with your permit – if found out, you’ll be fined.
• You need to have a medical examination before applying for a permit. Those with diabetes, heart disease and other serious illnesses would not be allowed to get their permits. Most importantly, get appropriate spectacles if you are short-sighted.
• The company needs 2 Singaporeans’ CPF before they can hire 1 Malaysian.
• Levies are subject to grades: If foreign workers account for 25-40% of your company, and if you don’t have SPM, then the levy would be S$700. 10-25% would bring it to S$550, and those below 10% would be S$420. (With SPM, the amount would be cut by S$100, and so on)
• What is considered a pass in SPM: This is subject to approval. Even though the Malaysian government says that failing Bahasa Melayu and Sejarah means that you don’t possess SPM, an official from Ministry of Manpower (MOM) would sometimes accept it on a case-by-case basis. *You must have at least one pass. The transcript must be original with the green-coloured paper and the education ministry’s logo. Transcripts on white paper will not be accepted.
• A diploma in welding can only be used to reduce levies in a welding factory!
• Renting a HDB in Singapore: 1 room costs around S$700-1,000; sharing a room with 1 person would cost around S$250-350.
• The landlord will definitely ask for your temporary permit or passport – this is because they need to declare to HDB before you can apply for a formal permit.
• Regarding WP, SP, EP: WP is the lowest grade of permits (you can apply with even with Primary School education); SP is when your monthly salary is at least S$2,200 (Diploma); EP is when your salary is S$3,500 and above (Diploma/Degree).

If there are any mistakes, please correct me, and do message me if there are any queries!

I’ll help when I can, because Malaysians should help each other!

Malaysian readers who have experienced working in Singapore, do you agree with her statements?

Source: Vulcan Post 

And here is her original Facebook post in Chinese:

#‎深夜有感而发‬ ‪#‎新加坡工作‬ ‪#‎Tips‬ ‪#‎须知‬
还记得19岁那年一个人来到新加坡找工作
第一份工作底薪也就700新币 OT到死才换到我现在的薪水
这一路走来
没有想回家是骗自己的
一个人生病不难过是骗爸妈的
连续几个礼拜吃泡面假装不饿也是骗自己的
不过既然你要赚三倍的钱
就要比别人多付出三倍的努力！
尤其新加坡也算是经济发展最快国家之一
要享福又要赚三倍建议你绕道

当你给得起家用的时候
当你买衣买包买鞋买机票的时候
又有想过这些你其实都可以在马来西亚省吃俭用得到的？
来新加坡工作有人拿枪逼你来吗？是自己的虚荣心还是...？
我虽然算是这个社会的初学者
但是我还是想给那些刚来/想来/计划来新加坡的朋友们一点建议和须知
-麻烦请准备一份简历（Resume）才来找工作
一个有简历的人会比一个打电话说“hello找人做工是吗？我马来西亚人 请吗？”好太多
-请不要拿在马来西亚的学历来要求更高的薪水
难道新加坡人比你拥有的学历差吗？或没有比你更好的语言能力？
-请先确定有能力负担第一个月的生活费才找新加坡工作（一个月房租+一个月押金+一个月伙食费+一个月交通费）
-同一份工作待超过至少半年可以避免政府抽税 也对你未来往后寻求更好的工作有利（就算你换过准证卡记录也会跟着你）
-如果你是因为朋友/亲戚/另一半要来新加坡找工作选择一起来 一起住 配合对方 那你根本是在浪费时间 你为人家着想 人家就一定为你想吗？
*老板很少会请情侣姐妹朋友 因为你们要跑就会一起跑啊
-尽量不要局限于地区，新加坡MRT巴士都很方便
“我想找yishun因为我男朋友住那边”
“我想找jurong，我要来回”
“我想找市区，感觉比较highclass”
那不如你去家隔壁问工作好了？
-刚开始工作不要跟老板借钱
多么困难都好 你一开口就完蛋了
-马来西亚人必须要过生日满18岁才可以在新加坡工作
-一定要有临时准证才能上班，不然老板跟员工都会被罚款
-拿准证的都不能做part-time，被发现会被罚款
-申请准证前需要做身体检查，糖尿病心脏病等严重疾病都不会被批准 最重要的是有近视记得去配眼镜（这是常识）
-公司要有2个新加坡人的CPF才能请1个马来西亚人
-人头税有分等级
如果你公司外籍劳工占了25%-40%，而刚好你又没有SPM，那人头税就是700新币，10%-25%是550新币，10%以下就是420新币
（有SPM就扣100新币，以此类推）
-SPM怎么才算及格
这个是Subject to Apporver
虽然马来西亚政府说Bahasa Melayu&Sejarah不及格就不算有SPM
但有时候MOM（人力部）的长官也会看情况批
*至少要有一科及格
*一定要有正版的成绩单（纸是青色底，有教育部的logo），白色像收据的成绩单绝对不接受
-烧焊文凭只能在烧焊行业/工厂才能减人头税！
-在新加坡租HDB
一间房间大概介于700-1000新币
一个人share房大概250-350新币
入住时房东一定会跟你要临时准证或护照
因为他们必须申报HDB，这样你才能申请正式的准证
-准证分WP，SP，EP
WP没有最低薪水标准（小学学历也可以申请）
SP是每个月薪水至少2200新币（Diploma）
EP则是3500新币或以上（Diploma/Degree）
如果有错误请更正我 或是其它疑问都可以留言！
能帮就帮 因为马来西亚人应该一条心！

Source: Facebook

Brock Lesnar Hits Out At B

Brock Lesnar

Conor McGregor

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar Brock Lesnar has hit out at Conor McGregor for boasting about being the biggest draw in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). McGregor has said: "If somebody wants to state that they're the biggest pay-per-view draw in the world, I don't care". Lesnar is scheduled to make a one-off appearance at UFC 202, almost four years after his last fight, post which he decided to move back to WWE.

Lesnar's return to the UFC octagon saw him arguably become one of the biggest draws of his day and his clash against Frank Mir at UFC 100 was regarded as one of the top fights.

Since then, several fighters have taken the spotlight, but one name has garnered the most support that of the featherweight champion McGregor. At the moment, he is the most popular UFC fighter and has no qualms in calling himself "the biggest draw" in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

"If somebody wants to state that they're the biggest pay-per-view draw in the world, I don't care. I've never came out and said, 'Hey listen, I hold the most pay-per-view buys'. All I know is what I got paid and I'm happy to do so", Lesnar said, as quoted by Fox Sports.

"I don't know him, but I know of Conor McGregor and this sport has evolved even from the first time that I entered into the Octagon. I think that people were finding out that you have to talk the talk and more importantly you have to walk the walk, and so for guys that can talk and walk the walk, I think it's great. It's great for the company," the WWE superstar said.

Lesnar will take on Mark Hunt in the co-main event show at UFC 200 on 9 July at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada while McGregor will be in action six weeks later when he faces Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 202.

Source: MSN