Mrs Lee Kuan Yew dies at 89

This article is credited to Channel News Asia


SINGAPORE : Madam Kwa Geok Choo - the wife of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, and mother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has died on Saturday. 

Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, age 89, passed away peacefully at home at 5.40 pm. 

A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said the wake is held at Sri Temasek, official residence of the Prime Minister located within the Istana grounds, from October 4-5. 

Visitors who wish to pay their last respects may do so on October 4-5 from 10am to 5pm. 

Members of the public may call 6835 6614 for any queries. 

A private funeral will take place on October 6 at Mandai Crematorium. 

The family requests that no obituaries and no wreaths or flowers to be sent. 

All donations will go to the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) Health Research Endowment Fund. 

Madam Kwa was one of 8 children. 

An outstanding student at Methodist Girls' School, she also topped the 1936 Senior Cambridge Examination for the whole of Malaya and Singapore. 

At Raffles Institution, she caught the attention of a young Lee Kuan Yew when she gave him unexpectedly stiff competition for a Queen's Scholarship. 

But academic rivalry aside, he knew he had found his equal, and his soul mate. 

Their relationship grew through the years of Japanese Occupation, and by September 1944, love had blossomed. 

When World War II ended, Mr Lee left to study law in England in 1946. But he was miserable until she joined him at Cambridge University a year later. 

The two married secretly on 23 December 1947. 

She had just turned 27, and he was 24. 

Mrs Lee said: "You can't explain these things ... He had tremendous aplomb, self-confidence, very jaunty, he was a handsome young man." 

When they returned to Singapore in 1950, they tied the knot again, this time with their parents' full knowledge. 

When Mr Lee got more involved in politics and became Singapore's Prime Minister in 1959, it was Mrs Lee and his younger brother, Lee Kim Yew, who built up and expanded Lee & Lee - the law firm all 3 had set up in 1955. 

Mr Lee once said his great advantage was that he had a wife who could be a sole breadwinner and bring the children up. 

That was his, quote, "insurance policy," which allowed him to play the role he did in Singapore's history. 

In October 2003 - Mrs Lee suffered a stroke while on a visit to London. 

Fortunately, she made a swift recovery and was again seen in public at her husband's side at community events, and on official trips overseas. 

And she was there when Lee Hsien Loong was sworn in as Singapore's third Prime Minister. 

Although she had shied away from a high profile, her contributions to Singapore had been most significant, and pivotal to its history. 

"If she weren't an influence, supposing I had married somebody else, I might have become a different person, not that I would be a different person, but the things that I would have been able to do, the kind of backdrop I would have had, family, support, would have been different," said MM Lee. - CNA /ls


Credits -straitstime, -channelnewsasia

101002 WGM English Sub

Hi guys,

Stay tuned for the latest episode of WGM

Please help me click on the advertisements if you are fine with it.

Thanks a lot!
















Credits -fx3ffect, -diodanooo1, -khuntoriafc, -1en2gnuejns

Australia's Top model BIG MISTAKE

A publicity stunt?

Well, one of the judge mentioned that it's impossible. Just look at the look on Sarah's face.

She was horrified by her unconscionable mistake. It was a huge embarassment.

Even though its true that she really did not know about it.

Can we actually explore the possibilities that it could be the management's doings?

Why not? I mean look at it now, the news has made it to a global stage, garnering interest from all over the world.

Bazaar the megazine has also promised to allow the two finalists to be shoot for a cover each for the megazine.

She herself mentioned that she hoped the public accepts their decision and buy their megazine, hopefully if possible buy the both of them.

Through this quick move, they can easily make twice the amount of sales. How ingenious.

So what if its a publicity stunt? Its marketing for goodness sake.

Anything is possible in this competitive industry.

Australia's top model muddle @ Yahoo! Video



Credits -yahoo

Wiretapping laws on Facebook

U.S. Tries to Make It Easier to Wiretap the Internet

By CHARLIE SAVAGE

Published: September 27, 2010

WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement and national security officials are preparing to seek sweeping new regulations for the Internet, arguing that their ability to wiretap criminal and terrorism suspects is “going dark” as people increasingly communicate online instead of by telephone.

Essentially, officials want Congress to require all services that enable communications — including encrypted e-mail transmitters like BlackBerry, social networking Web sites like Facebook and software that allows direct “peer to peer” messaging like Skype — to be technically capable of complying if served with a wiretap order. The mandate would include being able to intercept and unscramble encrypted messages.

The bill, which the Obama administration plans to submit to lawmakers next year, raises fresh questions about how to balance security needs with protecting privacy and fostering innovation. And because security services around the world face the same problem, it could set an example that is copied globally.

James X. Dempsey, vice president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, an Internet policy group, said the proposal had “huge implications” and challenged “fundamental elements of the Internet revolution” — including its decentralized design.

“They are really asking for the authority to redesign services that take advantage of the unique, and now pervasive, architecture of the Internet,” he said. “They basically want to turn back the clock and make Internet services function the way that the telephone system used to function.”

But law enforcement officials contend that imposing such a mandate is reasonable and necessary to prevent the erosion of their investigative powers.

“We’re talking about lawfully authorized intercepts,” said Valerie E. Caproni, general counsel for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “We’re not talking expanding authority. We’re talking about preserving our ability to execute our existing authority in order to protect the public safety and national security.”

Credits -nytimes

The world follows you

My Financial Management tutor said this, as you learn more new things everyday, it almost seems like the world is following you.


It's really true you know?


In secondary school, when I learn a new chinese phrase, it appears to pop up right in the Chinese Drama I watched at night.

Then, when I learn a new concept, for instance about bonds, the next few days, a bond report came up.

When I learn about contract law, law cases start to pop up.

When I learn about Java, Ajax, cloud computing, news about them just springs up simultaneously.


Perhaps, that's the magic of learning. It motivates you by making you happy.

That you actually see the link with the real world.

How satisfying!