Part Time Employees Law (Malaysia)

兼职员工是否受到劳工法的保障?

根据 2010 年雇佣(兼职员工)条例,兼职员工是指那些工作时间占全职员工工作时间的30% 至70%的人士。少过全职工作时间的30%属于散工,并不在此条例管辖范围。

在2010 年雇佣(兼职员工)条例下,兼职员工可享有公积金、社险、公假、年假、病假、休息日和超时津贴。
若雇主没有提供福利给兼职员工和不遵守2010 年雇佣(兼职员工)条例,违例者一旦被定罪,每项罪行可被罚款最高一万令吉。
兼职员工所受到的保障:

公积金和社险:雇主必须替兼职员工缴付公积金和社险。
有薪公共假期: 兼职员工有权享有不少于7 天宪报公布的有薪
公共假 期:其中四天必须是:国庆日,元首诞辰,苏丹或州元首 华诞或联邦直辖区日及劳动节.
休息日:兼职员工享有休息日,不过必须符合条件,即必须工作5天或一周工作时间不少过20 小时
超时工作津贴:兼职员工的工作时间只占全职工作时间的70%至100%, 他们是根据每小时1.0计算,若他们工作时间超过全职工作 时间,是以每小时1.5倍计算。
公假工作享有薪水和超时津贴:兼职员工在公共假期工作可享有2天的薪水,在超时津贴方 面,若工作占全职工作时间的70%至100%,可申领2 倍,若超过全职工作时间,可申领3倍。
休息日工作享有薪水和超时津贴:兼职员工在休息日工作可享有2天薪水,在超时津贴方面,若 工作占全职工作时间的70%至100%,可申领1.5倍,超过全职工作时间,可申领2倍.
享有年假和病假:兼职员工根据服务年限有权享有年假和病假。
年假:

工作少过两年者, 每十二个月不断 的服务可领取6 天;
工作两年但少过五年者, 每十二个月不断的服务可领 取8天;
工作超过五年者, 每十二个月不断的服务可领取11天
病假:

工作少过两年者, 每十二个月不断 的服务可领取10 天;
工作两年但少过五年者, 每十二个月不断的服务可领取13天;
工作超过五年者, 每十二个月不断的服务可领取15天.
*2010年雇佣(兼职员工)条例里并没有提到兼职员工可以 享有产假津贴和住院病假的福利.

参考:
1. Employment Act 1955 Employment (Part Time Employees) Regulations 2010
2. Akta Kerja 1955 Peraturan-Peraturan Kerja (Pekerja Separa Masa) 2010
https://www.mkma.org/Notice%20Board/2014/EmploymentPTAct.pdf

==============================

*如果需要法律咨询或者聘请律师处理法律事务,你可以联系我们。

*浏览我们律师楼的法律文章: www.kuekong.com

*订阅我们的YouTube: http://bit.ly/lawnjustice

*加入 我们“法律与你同行”的FB 群组: http://bit.ly/fblawnjustice

*Like 我们“法律与你同行”的FB Page: http://bit.ly/lawnjusticefbpage

*加入我们的网络论坛: www.queco.org

*Kuek, Ong & Associates
*original link:

https://www.kuekong.com/part-time-employee-protection/

Being Good At Maths Can Help Your Kids Start Their Own Business

Every child is unique; every human with an entirely different set of fingerprints. Whether your child has the potential to be an engineer or a boss of their own, one thing remains inextricably part of life – math.

Take it from me, a 22-year-old business owner who used to flunk math. Your kids will hate maths until they start to see that they can actually do and get better at it. From F9 in A Maths, I studied hard and studied right to achieve A2. Your kids can do it with the right guidance and the right motivation.

And I’m not referring to scoring better than your neighbours or nephews and nieces. Your kids don’t care about that – and you shouldn’t too. Focus on the important things.

What are they? In this article, I’ll be sharing with you, parents, what will motivate your kids to want to be good at maths that are not grades.

Help Your Kids Be Their Own Boss

Many kids have entrepreneurial blood and a knack for sales. Look at how well they persuade you to get what they want. Remember the times where they came up with the most ingenious of ideas – you were surprised; thought it could even become a business.

If your kids have a tendency to solve problems in the most creative ways possible and have a sense of leadership, you should get excited. They might be the next CEO of Amazon!

Math is crucial in starting and running a business. Whether it is running an eCommerce store (which is very profitable in 2019 and beyond) using platforms like www.shopify.com.sg or selling their artistic services online, math is a must.

Kids are motivated by things other than grades

You might think that this isn’t exciting for your kids.

Maybe they never thought it would be possible… Maybe all they knew was just the linear way of life…

What if they were interested in starting their own mini business? What if they got excited to be good at maths, motivated by the fact that they could apply to real life?

Now that I’ve sparked something in you, you might be thinking ‘Why does running a business need math?’

Being Good At Maths Can Help Your Kids Start Their Own Business

Reason #1: Doing their taxes

I wish my parents taught me how to do my taxes and to avoid ‘savings plans’ by a certain insurance company. These are the important things that will matter to your kids when they are adults – something that is missing in schools and not taught by most parents.

Being good at math will ensure that they don’t get lost in all the numbers, percentages, appreciation, depreciation, interest, and more. With a good foothold in working with numbers, your kids will not hate doing their taxes and avoid any penalties that come with incorrect tax payment or filing.

Reason #2: Ensure they are always profiting

Starting their own business means they have no one to tell them how much they need to charge to have a good amount of profit. No teacher to tell them that they are spending way too much on unnecessary things and blowing out their expenditure. They have no tutor to guide them saying ‘to meet your financial goals and achieve sustainability in Singapore, you need to get $XXX a year.’

Running a business well demands good math skills to calculate and plan the finances.

Now, your kids have a teacher, they have you and a math tutor. Bring math in real-life situations and you’ll start to see an increase of drive in their eyes.

Conclusion

Perhaps it’s time to unveil the a little bit more about reality to them. It could get them thrilled to head on to ace that math paper!


Author: Jamie

How to speak to Human Singtel Customer Officer

How to contact Singtel customer service

If you try calling the Singtel hotline 1688, you will spend most of your time to navigate the maze of options trying to speak to a human Singtel Customer Officer. I have not managed to successfully find the option to speak to a human Singtel Chat Agent through the hotline, if you know the method please comment below!

Also, do not bother speaking to “Shirley” on the Contact Us page (https://www.singtel.com/contact-us). It is quite clear Shirley is not a human, but just a bot.

The Trick to Chat with a Human Singtel Customer Officer

  1. Go to the Contact Us page.
  2. Click on Ask Shirley
  3. Type “can i chat with customer service officer”.
  4. Type in the category of your question, e.g. “billing”, “voucher”, etc.
  5. Whatever Shirley says, just click “Submit Enquiry”
  6. Bingo! You are now connected to a Human Chat Agent!

From trial and error, this is the easiest way to get to speak to a Human Singtel Customer Service Officer/ Chat Agent. There is no direct link to chat with a Singtel Customer Representative.

For the above method, you don’t even need to login to your Singtel account. But you may be asked your name and NRIC for verification purposes.

How to contact Singtel Live Chat Agent

At least 2 people have managed to contact Singtel’s live chat agent using the method above, and commented positively below. We are glad to be of help! Do spread the word on how to contact a human Singtel Live Chat Agent via Facebook to your friends and relatives. Once again, do not waste your time calling 1688, you will just be stuck in a loop talking to robots.


Money Saving “Lobang” (Tips):

Chinese Math Olympiad (Primary) Trick vs Singapore Modeling Math

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

Both Methods (I) & (II) below does not use Algebra, which is not taught to primary school kids until secondary school (above 12 or 13 years old).

(I) Ancient Chinese Arithmetic Method:

例2:The sister is 13 years old this year, while the brother is 9 years old.
When the total of their ages is 40, how old will they be?

【这位妈妈太绝了!竟把小学6年奥数化为13句口诀】

Trick: Age difference does not change over time, they + or – in tandem. When 2 ages change, the multiple between them also changes.

https://m.toutiaocdn.cn/group/6636154201682477582/?iid=65171531104&app=news_article_lite&timestamp=1552573996&group_id=6636154201682477582&tt_from=android_share&utm_medium=toutiao_android&utm_campaign=client_share

(II) Singapore Modeling Math:

[例2]

Compare the Ancient Chinese Arithmetic (I) & Singapore Modeling Math (II):

  • (II) is better for young kids to understand visually the logic behind,
  • (I) is more a memorised trick but poor math education pedagogy. In [例 2] it is very hard for kids to understand why the 2 steps (40+4) & (40 – 4), although they lead to…

View original post 130 more words

English Fun Math

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

Different Maths:
1. English (UK/USA) Math is playfully tricky (Math Olympiad, Math Puzzles eg. this Numberpile video)

2. French Math is abstractly theoretical (Group theory explains Symmetry, Rubik’s cube game,… )

3. Chinese Math (Abacus, “Chicken-Rabbits Problem” 鸡兔问题, Singapore Modeling Math) is applied & procedural (明朝 13CE invented “Determinant” 行列式 before the 19th CE “Matrix” by UK Sylvester,Chinese Remainder Theorem 韩信点兵).

4. Indian Math (Vedic Math , Factorization, Ramanujian-Style Math) is mysteriously spiritual.

View original post

AI with Advanced Math helps in discovering new drugs

Why French excel in math ?

tomcircle's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

Mathematics and quantitative finance, France

Since 1990, there have been 22 winners of the Fields Medal, widely regarded as the Nobel Prize of mathematics. Thirteen came from just two countries, Russia and France. Russia has more winners (seven), but more than twice the population, so the honours go to France, with six winners.

Cédric Villani, the 2010 Fields Medallist, cited national character. “Maths is an abstract way of looking at the world, which fits well with the French mentality. We apply algebra to everything.” Elite institutions help too. France’s brightest school leavers progress to the grandes écoles, which traditionally educate top scientists, administrators and presidents. For maths, you want Monsieur Villani’s alma mater, the École Normale Supérieure (ENS). All 10 French Fields Medallists learnt there. At ENS, no teacher can stay longer than 10 years. Instead of ancient dons, students get tutors at the forefront…

View original post 190 more words

The Laws of Mathematics Zermelo-Fraenkel Axioms Set Theory

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

The Foundation of Modern Math which is based on the “Set Theory”, hit a crisis due to Bertrand Russell “Barber’s Paradox”, until the Zermelo-Fraenkel Axioms came to its rescue.

Here is a humorous example of an ISP Internet Plan violating the 9 Z-F Axioms:

How ISPs Violate the Laws of Mathematics:

Video:

View original post

Best Machine Learning / Deep Learning Books

After some research, I find that the best book on Machine Learning / Deep Learning currently on the market is: Deep Learning with Python.

It is written by François Chollet, who is the creator of the famous Keras library (Google Tensorflow). The most popular language for machine learning is currently Python, which is the subject of this book. (Another language is R, but many people find R to be less user-friendly as compared to Python).

The book is suitable for those who are studying deep learning from scratch, with zero prior knowledge. Currently, machine learning is at the peak of its hype, with many employers seeking to utilize machine learning in one way or another. It is very useful for students to pick up this skill for potential usage in the future.


Deep Learning with Python

A key competitor to Keras/Tensorflow is Pytorch, developed by Facebook. It is supposedly even more user-friendly than Keras/Tensorflow. However, the drawback is that it is too new and few books/tutorials exist.

Alexa Ranking Below 1 Million

Thanks to all readers, Mathtuition88 has reached Alexa Rank of below 1 Million!

Current Global Rank: 983,883

SG Rank: 11,701

This is the first time Mathtuition88.com has broken the 1000,000 Alexa Rank barrier.

For ranking, the lower the better. For instance Google is ranked number 1, and YouTube is number 2. Facebook is ranked number 3.

Powerpac Ceramic Cooker Review

This should be the cheapest ceramic cooker on the market. PowerPac is a reliable Singaporean brand that has been on the market for quite some time.

At the price of $29.90, the Ceramic Cooker even comes with a free stainless steel pot with cover (CNY Promo). Unbeatable price! It is also free delivery.

It is ideal for home steamboat / hotpot cooking. By the way, ceramic cooker can cook all types of pots and pans (unlike induction cookers).

URL: https://qoo.tn/BrGOhR/Q100000595

[S$29.90](▼51%)[PowerPac Promo]PowerPac Ceramic Cooker (Any Pot) 2000 Watts (PPIC833) //Suitable for any use with any types of pots

WWW.QOO10.SG

Group Theorems: Lagrange, Sylow, Cauchy

tomcircle's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

1. Lagrange Theorem:
Order of subgroup H divides order of Group G

Converse false:
having h | g does not imply there exists a subgroup H of order h.
Example: Z3 = {0,1,2} is not subgroup of Z6
although o(Z3)= 3 which divides o(Z6)= 6

However,
if h = p (prime number),
=>
2. Cauchy Theorem: if p | g
then G contains an element x (so a subgroup) of order p.
ie.
$latex x^{p} = e $ ∀x∈ G

3. Sylow Theorem :
for p prime,
if p^n | g
=> G has a subgroup H of order p^n:
$latex h= p^{n}$

Conclusion: h | g
Lagrange (h) => Sylow (h=p^n) => Cauchy (h= p, n=1)

Trick to Remember:

g = kh (god =kind holy)
=> h | g
g : order of group G
h : order of subgroup H…

View original post 83 more words

陈省身 SS Chern – “The 2nd Gauss”

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

陈省身香港科技大学 演讲经典 (Highly Recommended – spoken in English & Chinese)

http://www.bilibili.com/video/av5473133

他的女婿是香港科大校长。现任校长是 Prof 陈繁星 Tony F. Chan , the ‘Search Algorithm Thesis’ supervising Prof of the 2 Google founders in Stanford University, Applied Math Department)

Key Points:

  1. SS Chern won the “Wolf Prize” in the same year with the Hungarian “Vagabond” 流浪汉 Mathematician Erdos Paul.
  2. He was appointed the Scientific Advisor of President Reagan, during which Chern recommended to build the USA Center of Math in Berkeley University. After retirement, Chern built a similar center in China at his alma mater Nankai University 南开大学 where he graduated in 1930.
  3. SS Chern was an assistant lecturer of Prof Yang WuZhi 杨武之, who liked to invite Chern to his house for dinners, where he saw his 8-year old son Yang ZhenNing 杨振宁 (Nobel Prize Physics 1958).
  4. SS Chern has guided great PhD students eg. James Simons (Billionaire Financial Investor applying…

View original post 208 more words

70-million Bounded Gap Between Primes

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

Since Ancient Greek :

  1. Euclid had proved there are infinite primes.
  2. Sieve of Eratosthenes to enumerate the primes.
  3. Recent time 3 Mathematicians GPY attempted another Sieve method to find the bounded gap(N) of primes in infinity, but stuck at one critical step.
  4. Dr. YiTang Zhang 张益唐 (1955 -) spent 7 years in solitude after failure in academic career, in 2013 during a 10-min walk at the deer backyard of his friend’s house, he found an Eureka solution for the GPY’s critical step: $latex boxed { epsilon = frac {1} {168}}&fg=aa0000&s=2 $ which gave the first historical bounded Gap (N) from an infinity large number to a limit of 70 million.

Notes:

  • Chinese love the number “8” ba which sounds like the word prosperity 发 fa (in Cantonese) . He could have instead used 160, so long as $latex epsilon $ is small.
  • The UltimateGoal of the Bounded…

View original post 64 more words

Betta Fish Tricks

Betta fish are quite intelligent and curious. I trained my Betta fish to do some simple tricks.

I bought my 5 Gallon tank on Qoo10: Betta Fish Tank. The modern viewpoint is that Betta should not be kept in small bowls or vases (though they might still survive). A 2.5 gallon tank is considered the absolute minimum, with 5 gallon and above being a better choice.

Jumping Trick and Going Through Hoop Trick

Following Pen Trick

小算盘 大乾坤 Abacus

tomcircle's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

浙江临海市 算盘博物管主人 雷国华 收藏算盘20年,散尽储蓄,感慨涕下不已。

中国的算盘上面2珠 (2×5),下面5珠(5), 共15,加1 = 16 进位。古代是16位 (Hexadecimal) 制, 半斤 八两 (= 1/2 斤 x 16 两 = 8 两)。

日本改良成10位制: 上面1珠 (1×5),下面4珠(4), 共9,加1 = 10 进位。

View original post

十二平均律 12-tone Equal Temperament

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

《十二平均律》 是明朝 "布衣王子" 朱载堉 (1536年-1610年) 发明的,由当时在中国传教的意大利人 利马窦 (Matteo Ricci, 1552 – 1610), 传给欧洲的法国数学家 Marin Mersenne (Mersenne Prime ) 。现代音乐之父 巴哈 Bach 第一个采用,制作世界第一架钢琴有12黑白键,并作曲 《Bach 12-tone Equal Temperament》。

朱载堉把 “1” 到 “i” 的八度 (Octave) 分为等比 (ratio) 距离的12个半音 (half note), 每个音是前音的 $latex sqrt[12] {2 }$,第8高音频率 (frequency) “i” 巧好是第一音 “1”的2倍。他用81行的大算盘算出:

Side Note:

1977年法国大学数学教授在课堂好奇地问我,你们祖先如何解代数?是用算盘吗?当时计算机还不流行,复杂的算法只能用Log Table 或 计算尺 (Slide Rule) 。

朱载堉的算盤算法就是个例子。

Bach 12-tone Equal Temperament

https://zh.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8D%81%E4%BA%8C%E5%B9%B3%E5%9D%87%E5%BE%8B

倍大吕:

View original post

Richard Dedekind

tomcircle's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

Julius Wilhelmina Richard Dedekind (6 Oct 1831 – 12 Feb 1916)

– Last student of Gauss at Göttingen
– Student and closed friend of Dirichlet who influenced his Mathematical education
– Introduced the word Field (Körper)
– Gave the first university course on Galois Theory
– Developed Real Number ‘Dedekind Cut‘ in 1872
– Accomplished musician
– Never married, lived with his unmarried sister until death
“Whatever provable should be proved.”
– By 1858: still yet established ?
$latex sqrt{2}.sqrt{3} = sqrt{2.3} $
– Gave strong support to Cantor on Infinite Set.

http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Biographies/Dedekind.html

View original post

HDB Low Water Pressure: Phone Hotline

For those living near the top floor of HDB blocks, you may experience low water pressure since the water tanks are typically built at the rooftop of HDB flats.

The pressure exerted by a column of liquid of height h and density ρ is given by the hydrostatic pressure equation \displaystyle\boxed{p=\rho gh}, where g is the gravitational acceleration.

(Wikipedia)

By this equation, you can understand why those at the top floors experience low water pressure, due to the low height h (from the water tank). There is probably a need for a pump to increase the pressure. For low floors, it is typically ok, the natural pressure should be enough to make the water flow fast.

Water Pressure Low Hotline: 1800-CALL-PUB

The number you should call when experiencing low water pressure for HDB flats is:

1800-CALL-PUB
(1800-2255-782)

My Experience with Low Water Supply

I experienced unbelievably quick action by PUB on Chinese New Year, around 9pm. I called the PUB hotline due to very low water pressure (insufficient for even bathing). Mentally, I was prepared that probably they could only fix it the next working day (which is 2 days later).

To my amazement, a repairman arrived 15-20 minutes later, and proceeded to fix the water tank. The water pressure was back to normal in just half an hour from the time I dialed the hotline. I was quite impressed by the high efficiency.

I am not sure what caused the problem in the first place though. This problem of low water pressure has been reported by Channel News Asia.

HDB Low Water Pressure What To Do

Firstly, you should check with neighbors on the same floor whether they experience the problem of low water pressure. This is to confirm whether the problem is with the water tank pump/pipes, or an isolated problem only pertaining to your unit.

If your neighbors also experience low water pressure, then most likely it is a problem pertaining to the water tank pump/pipes. You should dial the PUB hotline (1800-2255-782) and inform them of the low water pressure. They will liaise with the Town Council and send a technician to investigate. (The service is free of charge.)

If the situation still does not improve, you may wish to purchase this “Wind Storm” High Pressure Shower Head. Basically, it turns a low pressure stream of water into a high pressure spray of water, to the extent that you can feel a “wind” blowing. It also saves water so it will pay for itself in the long run (by reducing your water bills).

URL: https://qoo.tn/BpGvgR/Q100000595

[S$11.90](▼77%)[Restock] Wind Storm Shower Head ★Powerful High Pressure Shower heads ★ For Bath

WWW.QOO10.SG


Also see: Free Water Saving Kit (Singapore)

Formula for 3×3 Matrix Inverse

Let \displaystyle A=\begin{pmatrix}a &b &c\\  d& e& f\\  g& h& i  \end{pmatrix}.

Then,
\displaystyle A^{-1}=\frac{1}{\det(A)}\begin{pmatrix}  ei-fh &ch-bi &bf-ce\\  fg-di &ai-cg &cd-af\\  dh-eg &bg-ah &ae-bd  \end{pmatrix}.

This method is about the same speed as the Gaussian-Elimination method. However, if you have already calculated det(A), using the formula may be slightly faster.

The formula provides an insight on why A is singular (not invertible) if det(A)=0. (Because, if det(A)=0, in the formula we would be dividing by 0 which is not allowed.)

Men’s wallet with coin compartment Singapore

Despite many cashless initiatives like PayLah, Singapore is not yet a truly cashless country. Coins are still needed to buy coffee or tea at the “Kopitiam”, or to put a $1 coin for pushing a trolley at supermarkets. Even if you carry paper notes, when you receive coins as change you will need a place to put them.

Many wallets do not have coin compartments. On Qoo10, this brand “Arete First” is a Singaporean brand that sells Leather Wallets at a reasonable price, with coin compartment. The quality is good, and it is genuine leather. It can also put a decent number of cards (nine card slots).

Do check it out if you are interested in a wallet with coin compartment.

URL: Arete First Genuine Leather Wallet

[S$19.90](▼88%)[Arete First] Genuine Leather Wallet for Men | RFID blocking | Bifold | Coin compartment

WWW.QOO10.SG

Math for AI : Gradient Descent

Singtel Voucher $100

Singtel Voucher Link: Click here to enter Official Singtel Voucher Website

As most people will know by now, Singtel is cutting down the recontract voucher. Nowadays it is hard to get Singtel recontract voucher, or even if you get one the amount is very little compared to last time.

However, now there is a new deal of a whopping $100 voucher for Singtel Combo plans. It is via referral codes and promo codes. Click on the link on the top of this post (or see the bottom of the post for more details).


Hi, heard you were looking for a new mobile phone? Here’s a Singtel mobile offer just for you. Sign up using my exclusive link below to enjoy an extra $100 OFF on selected phones when you switch to a new Singtel Combo plan.  When you’ve switched, I’ll be rewarded too!
https://www.singtel.com/personal/promotions/refer-and-earn/referee?payload=0OjLMNU%2BhTCxKkzI574ZL4GJzhqPYWkKgx4aINzKihoRSYop3vXmuVjzLvzA%2FLMc&campaignID=cK5v4D&promoCode=FRIENDOFST

Sweden: From Safest to Most Dangerous Country in Europe

From young, through news and media my impression of Sweden is that it is a truly 1st world country on par with Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, etc. Also, my impression is that it used to be very safe, possibly one of the safest countries in the world.

But recently, Sweden seems to have risen to the rank of one of the most dangerous country in Europe, and some say the world! It is truly saddening and unbelievable. (I started to research on Sweden as I was searching for some jobs that had overseas travel requirements.)

From the way the online news media are portraying it, Sweden is very dangerous, almost on the level of Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan. I will definitely not dare to visit, let alone work there in the future.

Sources:

“Mass immigration, mass raping mass crimes evil place to live was great now it’s a hell hole”

“STOCKHOLM — Sweden may be known for its popular music, IKEA and a generous welfare state. It is also increasingly associated with a rising number of Islamic State recruits, bombings and hand grenade attacks.”

The claim: Many young male migrants arrived in Sweden over the past few years, when the country accepted unprecedented numbers of refugees, and there has been a huge rise in sexual crime in Sweden especially in the southern port city of Malmo.”

“The number of explosions caused by hand grenades has increased in Sweden in recent years. There were fewer than five in 2014 but at least 20 in 2017, and a further 39 grenades were seized by police.”

YouTube video: Some people have started wearing bulletproof vests in Sweden.

No More Recontract Voucher from Singtel? Best Phone to Recontract and Sell

It is an “open secret” last time that if you call the Singtel customer service hotline at 1688, they may give you a recontract voucher for you to get a new phone. In previous times it used to be as high as $100, then over the years it slowly reduced to $50. It seems that the voucher is gone now, for low usage customers (e.g. Combo 2 plan). That is, no more recontract voucher. That was my experience in September 2018. That being said, experiences may differ from user to user, you may still want to phone in to try your luck. The only reason I am still using Singtel is that the rest of my family is on the “Singtel Circle” plan.

Important Update: There is a new form of voucher, called the Singtel Referral Voucher, worth $100! Basically you switch to a new Combo Plan and get $100 off the phone.

Best Phone to Recontract and Sell Off

Traditionally, the best phone to recontract and sell has always been the latest iPhone. This is based on the strong demand for iPhone. For instance, as of now, the most popular seems to be iPhone XS, Gold color, 256 GB. Do take note of the color/storage size as unpopular combinations may fetch a lower price. At the time of writing, recontracting and selling an iPhone may earn as much as $300 or more (buy at $1338 and sell off at $1640).

How to get Singtel Voucher (2019 onwards Method)

Are you still looking for the elusive Singtel Discount Voucher to offset your phone purchase? Do not bother to call 1688 anymore, that is the old-school method that does not work nowadays (you can still try if you want, you will find it hard to even speak to a human Singtel operator).

The new method is to use the Singtel Referral Voucher which is worth $100. Click here to go directly to the official Singtel website where your $100 voucher will be applied automatically.

Free Water Saving Kit (Singapore)

I believe this is not new, but it is the first time I heard of it. Anyway, it is free, so do feel free to request for a sample at the PUB Official Website.


PUB has revamped the packaging of its popular water saving kits featuring its mascot Water Wally. A set of thimbles with three and four holes allows residents to have greater flexibility in regulating their tap’s and showerhead’s flow rates. Water Wally stickers with specific messages are also included in the kit to act as reminders of good water saving habits in homes. ​

URL: https://www.pub.gov.sg/savewater/requestforwatersavingkit

How to win Sir Roger Penrose’s Chess puzzle (that computers can’t solve)

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/03/14/can-solve-chess-problem-holds-key-human-consciousness/

Despite chess computers being very highly rated and winning virtually all human grandmasters, there are still certain positions that the computers can’t solve.

Sir Roger Penrose has documented one of them here:

Chess engines will state that black is winning by a large margin, when in fact White can easily draw, or even win!

Drawing should be easy. Just move the king around (without moving the c6 pawn). The only black pieces that can move are the dark-squared bishops, which can’t checkmate your king.

Winning should be only possible if Black plays badly, e.g. Bishops all give up control of the c7 square. Then c7 followed by c8=B or c8=Q is checkmate!

Very nice study by Sir Penrose that illustrates the weakness of computers!

Unique Cars and Parts

There are hundreds if not thousands of Automotive websites to be found on the net, so often it can be a little hit and miss as to finding the best of the best that is out there. Unique Cars and Parts is just one of those sites, one of the best that there is. Well researched and covering almost every automotive topic there is, the site also boasts a mammoth array of various media types, from old auto radio commercials, TV and cinema advertising, car brochures, press releases, car launches and biographies.

Even better is the ability to sell your old car and or parts for free, or even list your auto business if you are in the trade. No cost really does mean no cost – not sure how they do it – but what they have created is brilliant. If you are a car aficionado or even have a simple passing interest in the history of automobiles, from the earliest contraptions found on the roads at the beginning of last century, the the more modern vehicles we drive today – pay this site a visit and we would recommend you bookmark it for future reference.

Click here to go to the Unique Cars and Parts Classic Car Website

Secondary Level Chinese Tuition

Looking for O Level / IP / JC Chinese Tuition?

Ms Gao specializes in teaching secondary level chinese (CL/HCL) tuition in Singapore. Ms Gao has taught students from various schools, including RI (Raffles Institution IP Programme).

Teaches West / Central Area: E.g. Clementi, Jurong East, Bukit Timah, Dover, Bishan, Marymount

Email: chinesetuition88@gmail.com
Website: http://chinesetuition88.com

Princeton Professor Predicts 99% Chance for Hillary Clinton to Win

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/sam-wang-princeton-election-consortium-poll-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-victory-a7399671.html

A survey from the Princeton Election Consortium has found that Hillary Clinton has a 99 per cent chance of winning the election over Donald Trump.

Three days before the election, Ms Clinton has a projected 312 electoral votes, compared to 226 for Mr Trump. A total of 270 electoral votes are needed to win.

The probability statistic was found by the university’s statistical Bayesian model.

The developer of the model, neuro and data scientist Princeton professor Sam Wang, correctly predicted 49 out of 50 states in 2012.

Donald Trump’s Answer to Math Question: 2+2=?

Source: http://www.attn.com/stories/6407/george-takei-impersonates-donald-trump

Question: What is 2+2?

Answer:

“I have to say a lot of people have been asking this question. No, really. A lot of people come up to me and they ask me. They say, ‘What’s 2+2’? And I tell them look, we know what 2+2 is. We’ve had almost eight years of the worst kind of math you can imagine. Oh my God, I can’t believe it. Addition and subtraction of the 1s the 2s and the 3s. It’s terrible. It’s just terrible. Look, if you want to know what 2+2 is, do you want to know what 2+2 is? I’ll tell you. First of all the number 2, by the way, I love the number 2. It’s probably my favorite number, no it is my favorite number. You know what, it’s probably more like the number two but with a lot of zeros behind it. A lot. If I’m being honest, I mean, if I’m being honest. I like a lot of zeros. Except for Marco Rubio, now he’s a zero that I don’t like. Though, I probably shouldn’t say that. He’s a nice guy but he’s like, ‘10101000101,’ on and on, like that. He’s like a computer! You know what I mean? He’s like a computer. I don’t know. I mean, you know. So, we have all these numbers, and we can add them and subtract them and add them. TIMES them even. Did you know that? We can times them OR divide them, they don’t tell you that, and I’ll tell you, no one is better at the order of operations than me. You wouldn’t believe it. So, we’re gonna be the best on 2+2, believe me.”

Credit: Original Author Steven Edwards.