Singapore Consumer Interest Group

Singapore is a safe place but no society is free of any crime. Things can happen here. We only wish we will not become a victim at any point in time. Crimes can be in different forms – it can be extreme like murder or light as vandalism. Regardless, every crime is punishable by law.

We are not asking to be robbed but in the event of robbery, it is important that we know what to do to increase our chances of survival. Let us begin by learning about the don’ts.

• Do not stare: Be observant but not to the point of staring. It is crucial that we are observing the robbers and make a mental note. Our descriptions will surely help police officers in their investigation.
• Do not resist: We should not resist because resisting may mean death. We have to follow the robber’s command but we should not volunteer to help them.

• Do not make unnecessary movements: One false move may cost us our life. Any movement can endanger our life and the people around us. When we make movements, the robbers will be alarmed.
• Do not chase the robber: When the robbers are done, they will flee. When they flee, it is important that we do not chase them. If we are not trained (like police officers), we should not act as heroes because it will surely cost us our life. The best thing that we can do is note the description of the vehicle (like type, model and colour) as well as its plate number and the direction of escape.

When these things happen, we need to be calm and assure the people around us. The police can help us if we are cooperative.

Many people receive money without thinking of its genuineness. Upon touching the money, you have to know whether it is genuine or fake money. Counterfeiting is present in Singapore and it would be beneficial on your part to study the security features of the money to avoid or minimize the risk of being a counterfeit victim.

Here are some the security features that you must look for when determining whether the money is genuine or not:

• Micro-prints: Genuine money features intaglio microprint. On top of the note, you will see a text “BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY SINGAPORE”. This text is above the 4 official languages of the word SINGAPORE. To the naked eye, this looks plain but when you magnify it, you will see ‘BCCS’ in micro-letters found in the shadow of a particular value.
• Watermarks: The next thing that you should look for is the watermarks. The watermarks feature three-dimensional portrait of the late President Yusof bin Ishak. The multi-tone portrait of the late president can be seen if you hold it against the light. The portrait’s tone varies depending on the light.

• Security thread: You also need to look for the security thread. Every note will feature interwoven threads vertically. When you hold it against the light, you will see that the thread looks like a bold line that shows series of text displaying the value of the money.
• Invisible feature:  When you hold the note in ordinary light, the value of the note looks plain but when you put it against Ultraviolet light, you will see that part which glows. Apart from the value of the note, you will also see the glowing of the serial numbers.

This is enough to guide you. Now, you know which is genuine and not.

Everybody here in Singapore wants to be successful. Well, for starters, you have to set your goals and wake early. You also need to avoid many things so your path to success will not be obliterated. What are the things that you need to avoid, here’s the list:

• Do not break commitments: The first thing that you have to learn is stay true to your words no matter what. If you constantly break promises, this is the time to think about it and avoid it. Being on top is hectic but if you gave commitment, you have to make sure that you will make it happen.
• Failing to see the whole picture: Leaders see the whole picture. If you do not want to lose sight of things that are not important, be sure that you thoroughly scoured the pictures.
• Do not be jealous or resentful: There will always be someone on top of you. The least that you can do is wish them well and not die in jealousy or frustration. If you have competitors, welcome them and do not make something that will ruin them.

• Do not ask for too little: The biggest mistake that you could commit is asking too little of something. Do not just settle for less because you know that you deserve more.
• Do not try to do it all: You are only one. You can do so much but doing everything on your own is not ideal. You need to ask for help if you want to be big someday.
• Do not say it is not your job: Successful people do not work in isolation and they share jobs. If you are selfish, you are not driving your company to greatness.

That would suffice. Good luck! You can conquer Singapore if you put your heart and mind to it.

There are really a lot of places that you can visit in the country. Tourists from different part of the globe never regret the things that they see and do in Singapore. One of the places that are crowded by foreign visitors is the Merlion.

This is a creature that combines a fish and a lion. With that, there is a Hotel that is named after the creature. It is crowded by many tourists from all over the world, especially the visitors that visit Singapore because of the Merlion and its view. Other than that, you can also find these places

The Bubble Tea

If you want have a tea in this place, you should not visit during peak hours. It’s either you will get weary while waiting or get will not be served because it’s already sold out. The taste of the tea here maybe the reason why there are so many customers keep on patronizing the drink they serve.

Maid Cafes

Want to have pure relaxation? If you go to the Cafe they called Akibanana, you will be served like a prince or perhaps a princess. Here, you have nothing to do (literally). Why? This is because, the maids will poon-feed you like a baby and they will give you a massage. The girls here are trained not to serve their clients to the fullest and when it says fullest, they will guarantee that they give their all.

Almost every day of our lives, we use water. We water the plants in the garden, wash the car, the dishes, and the clothes. In the kitchen, we use it to clean the meat, fishes and other foods. Also, we drink water and use it to refresh our body. However, when you use water, you have to pay for it. But there are ways to decrease your water bill.

1. Take a bath only once daily. Sometimes, if the weather is warm, you take a bath twice or even more. This should be tolerated because it will only increase your water bill. To get rid of this, you should take a bath once. When the temperature is hot, you should pick up a great time to take a bath.

2. Use a glass when brushing. Yes, you definitely know this. It is just to remind you to skip doing this because the more you are not using glass while having a toothbrush, the costly it will be when your water bill arrives. Actually, there is no difference if you brush your teeth using a glass.

3. Take a shower with your partner. It’s a little bit sexy, right? Aside that it can make your relationship stronger, it saves you gallons of water and a possibility of decreased water bill. However, if you haven’t have any partner, take a shower for a short time and just like brushing our teeth, turn the shower off when it is not in use.

You wish you are like Edward Cullen (from Twilight) who can read or hear thoughts but you know that it is impossible. Well, it is true that you cannot read or hear thoughts but there is a way to know if the person is lying to you. It will benefit you to spot a liar in a sea of people.

You will need to study body language. Learning body language will be your key to survival here in Singapore. The good news is that there are many ways to tell if the person is actually lying. Here are some tips on spotting a liar here in Singapore:

• Talking gibberish: When someone tries to convince you, he/she tends to talk too much to the point that everything is gibberish.  Watch out for the exaggerated shrug or words like “I am telling the truth” or “I am being honest”.
• Inconsistency: When someone is telling the truth, the body will tell the same story as his/her words. When a person lies, body language and words will contradict.

• Shallow breathing: When a person is telling a lie, the stress and anxiety will result to shallow but frequent breathing. You should also watch out for the raise in their vocal pitch.
• Long pause: You may not notice it but when you tell a lie, you usually pause long. Maybe this is the body’s way of preparing for the lie. The long pause suppresses the brain so it will not give out the honest answer.
• Eye movement: The person who is telling the truth will simply recall a memory. He/she will glance up or on the left but if the person is fabricating stories, he/she will look up or on the right.

The body language will give the person away. So, the next time you are in doubt, look for signs.

When there is a serious situation, you tend to panic. You should know that severe stress and anxiety will lead to meltdown. This is the body’s response and unfortunately it can cause a long-term damage to your health should this linger. When this happens, it can affect your work performance or worse it can affect your family relationship.

If in this case you are trying to look for ways to stay calm amidst crisis at your workplace, you are in the right place. Here are some tips on staying calm amidst crisis:

• Slow down: It is important that you take things slowly. Do not react immediately but instead be patient and try to collect information about the situation.

• Be positive: When you encounter stressful moments, it is best to stay positive. Remember that you attract your dominant thoughts.

• Take care of your body: The best thing that you can do to yourself is take care of your body. If you prioritize your personal health, everything will follow. Singapore has a lot of wellness activity in store for you.

• Watch your caffeine: You think that coffee can make you happy but you should think twice. Caffeine (which is a coffee ingredient) can trigger release of adrenaline. At first it is good because you will feel energized but at the end of the day, you will feel exhausted and irritable.

• Call a friend or loved one: If you really need to vent out, you should quickly call a friend or a loved one. If they cannot handle it, it is time that you call an expert. You should not worry because there are many professionals here in Singapore that can help you. Asking for professional help is not a taboo.

Singapore is suffering from an unprecedented attack. No matter the control and surveillance programs of the government, it still persists. We are talking about mosquito populations. For your information, Singapore has one of the best programs to put off mosquito population in the world but more things should be done including the development of new tools.

In 1960, the country got through the first major dengue outbreak. The country successfully managed but in 2013, there were 22,000 cases of dengue reported. Up to this day, the government and the civilian parties cooperate to stop mosquito population from pestering.

According to Dr. Raman Velayudhan, a coordinator of World Health Organization (WHO), surveillance here is difficult because of the movement of people. It is difficult to trace especially with so much movement. With this, WHO is currently evaluating eighteen new technologies that could help deal with mosquito populations.

New technologies include control agents, traps and many more. There are no dengue vaccines in the market yet but Sanofi is doing its best to develop one. It is now on its phase three. Takeda and Merck are also developing vaccine.

The main concern of the country now is intensifying its hunt for the breeding grounds of mosquito which skilfully evade the authorities. As a part of the community, you have to put an effort too. You should not depend on the government. Do whatever you can to help the government in terms of hunting the breeding grounds. Always follow the guidelines and protocols. More importantly, you should be vigilant.

When you travel in or out of Singapore, whether for leisure or business, you bring cash. You bring cash because you are thinking of contingency plans. What if things happen and you need money? It would be easier if you have spare cash in your wallet. However, you have to know that the current threshold is lowered.

Passengers who are carrying money in and out of Singapore worth $20,000 should declare the amount to the authorities. If you might recall, the current threshold is S$30,000 but starting on September 1, 2014, it will be lowered to S$20,000. This rule applies to local currency (Sing dollars) and other foreign currencies. If you want to know, the threshold in United States and Australia is S$10,000.

If you are carrying $20,000, you should fill a form and submit it to the immigration officers of Customs Red Channel or at any immigration counter. The statement was released by Singapore Police Force on August 26, 2014. This rule is in alignment with the Financial Action Task Force.

Why is the sudden change? This is to avert terrorists and other criminals to move their physical funds around the world. The funds of terrorists and other criminals can be used to finance their illegal activities and Singapore is susceptible like any other state. These people use cash couriers to move their funds and the authorities are keen on stopping this.

If you are travelling, you should not bring too much money because you might be suspected of ill motives and activities. Just bring enough that will suffice your travel.