Blog Posts by Lin Wenjian

Premiums for MediShield, Singapore's national health insurance scheme, are set to rise next year even as it aims to provides wider and enhanced coverage for Singaporeans.

The annual premium will rise between S$17 and $251 per year, depending on a person's age.

For the majority of policyholders aged 65 and below, the raise will amount to no more than S$5 per month.

For those older, their premiums will be largely offset by the annual and one-time Medisave top-ups.

"The important thing is to assure Singaporeans that even with the adjustment in premiums and deductibles, MediShield and healthcare will continue to be affordable for Singaporeans," said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Wednesday at the opening of a new training centre at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Explaining the decision behind the revamp, the last of which was done in 2008, Gan said that costs have risen as patients receive better drugs and treatment. Claims by an insured person have also been going up.

The new changes would

Join us in recognising the exceptional individuals who have made an impact in Singapore.

Every great achievement has a humble beginning. In the case of Eldwin Chua, his rise to being at the helm of a award-winning restaurant chain took root in a nondescript zichar stall in a 25-seater coffeeshop located in an industrial estate.

For this sterling achievement, the founder and CEO of the Paradise Group is one of Yahoo!’s Singapore 9 nominees this year, chosen for bringing quality cuisine -- which ranges from the affordable to the exquisite -- to Singaporeans frustrated by rising food costs, inflation and a bleak economic outlook.

Chua, 32, is not the only one who will be recognised this year.

Yahoo!’s S9 2012 nominees fall into three main categories – those who have created an impact in the demanding entertainment circuit; made a difference to people around them in the social enterprise arena; and carved out a pie for themselves in business scene.

Indeed, many of our business nominees have made it to the list after having had the courage and vision to take the

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew will respond to the Committee of Inquiry's (COI) report on last December's MRT train disruptions, in Parliament next week.

Over a six-week period earlier this year, the Committee heard evidence from 116 witnesses, including ex-SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa, on the two major disruptions to train services on 15 and 17 December last year.

On Tuesday morning, the Committee submitted its report, which includes "recommendations to improve the reliability of MRT services, as well as incident management processes", to the Minister.

They added that the recommendations, when carried out, will greatly reduce the likelihood of similar disruptions should they recur, and improve the management of future incidents.

Acknowledging the receipt of the report, Lui thanked the Committee -- which comprised Chief District Judge Tan Siong Thye, Director of Prison Soh Wai Wah and NTU Professor Lim Mong King -- "for its hard work and dedication in examining all possible causes and

Adrian Pang will be looking out for nominees with passion, imagination and "perhaps a bit of a rebellious streak"


Adrian Pang is on the hunt for someone with passion, imagination and “perhaps a bit of a rebellious streak!”

No, the artistic director of Pangdemonium Productions, the theatre company he founded with his wife, Tracie, is not casting for his next big production.

Rather, these are the qualities that he will be looking for in the Singapore 9 nominees, as one of the three judges for the campaign, along with the Elim Chew, founder of youth fashion chain 77th Street and lifestyle entrepreneur Michel Lu.

Asked why he has agreed to be a judge for the campaign despite his busy schedule – Pang was in the Philippines for work when Yahoo! Singapore caught up with him for this e-mail interview – the gregarious 46-year-old said, “I understand what it is like to have a genuine desire to make a difference and to affect lives in a significant way by one’s chosen field of profession.”

He lauded the Singapore 9 campaign for recognising and celebrating “the spirit of daring, innovation and social

Adrian Pang will be looking out for nominees with passion, imagination and "perhaps a bit of a rebellious streak"

Adrian Pang is on the hunt for someone with passion, imagination and “perhaps a bit of a rebellious streak!”

No, the artistic director of Pangdemonium Productions, the theatre company he founded with his wife, Tracie, is not casting for his next production.

Rather, these are the qualities that he will be looking for in the Singapore 9 nominees, in his position as one of the three judges for the campaign, along with the Elim Chew, founder of youth fashion chain 77th Street and lifestyle entrepreneur Michel Lu.

Asked why he has agreed to be a judge for the campaign despite his busy schedule – Pang was in the Philippines for work when Yahoo! Singapore caught up with him for this e-mail interview – the gregarious 46-year-old said, “I understand what it is like to have a genuine desire to make a difference and to affect lives in a significant way by one’s chosen field of profession.”

He lauded the Singapore 9 campaign for recognising and celebrating “the spirit of daring, innovation and

Veteran lifestyle entrepreneur Michel Lu belives greatly in grooming the next generation of industry talents

Michel Lu has the midas touch.

From bringing international modelling agency Elite to Asia when he was a young lad of 23, to securing the first 24-hour operating licence for the iconic club Centro in his maiden foray into the food and beverage industry, Lu always has the knack for doing the right thing at the right time.

But the Hong Kong-born 42-year-old did not stop there. Instead, he has gone on to create lifestyle outlets – think hip club Hacienda and Stereolab, as well as uber-cool restaurant Prive – that ooze the chic factor and draws in the crowds in recent years.

Indeed, with close to a decade of experience creating such successful lifestyle concepts, it is no wonder that Lu, was described as an “outstanding individual on the entrepreneurial scene” and a “good role model and inspiration” by Merrill Lynch’s Global Wealth Management Asia-Pacific.

Dynamic and determined, he is now the chief executive officer of the Argentum Group, where he brings his considerable know-how to making a

Entrepreneur Elim Chew wants to give youths here a platform to create change













To say Elim Chew is a born entrepreneur would be no exaggeration.  At 22, an age where most people are barely out of university, Chew has already founded popular street-wear fashion chain, 77th Street.

Through a mix of business acumen, keen eye for fashion trends and determination, she has since grown the stylish brand into one that boasts 10 outlets in Singapore, and a shopping mall in Xidan, Beijing, called 77th Street Plaza.

Chew, now 46, is not just armed with a never-say-die attitude; she is also keen to share her experience and know-how with young people who dare to dream and be different.

Which perhaps explains why she is glad to be one of the judges for Yahoo!’s Singapore 9 campaign this year. “I never fail to believe in the importance of recognising youths, as they are the ones who can introduce change,” she said.

She added, “To the youths, something like the Singapore 9 will let them know that they are going in the right direction; and they are getting recognition for what they

Most Singaporeans are happy with their current sex lives, a recent survey on sexual habits and attitudes revealed.

Condom maker Durex released findings of its global sexual well-being survey on Thursday, and of the 506 Singaporeans who participated in it, around two-third of them (66 per cent) said they are satisfied with lives in the bedroom.

This puts Singapore in the middle ground when it comes to sexual satisfaction, with Indonesia (a whopping 89 per cent) and Hong Kong (56 per cent) taking up the two extremes in Asia.

In all, 29,003 adults from 26 countries including China, the United States and the United Kingdom took part in this survey that was conducted between September and October last year.

Respondents were asked questions on different aspects of their lives, such as health, sex and relationships and attitudes to sex and social circumstances.

Except for in Nigeria where the participants were asked these questions in person, the other respondents took part in online