All in a Day's Work

After a good nine-hour, mainly uninterrupted sleep, I got up refreshed, recharged and ready to go another 72 hours with minimal sleep. Of course, that said, I do not intend to come close to doing something like my marathon, over the past few days, in the near future.

Instead, I zipped straight to complete the task of adding the finishing touches to the minutes on the meeting and clarification session with Ms Maureen Fung on Wednesday, which I applaud for having resolved any miscommunications we had previously.

A Penny for Your Thoughts? I'll Give You My Two Cents Worth

Three things of public concern in the past week:

1. The TT Durai-NKF Saga
2. The London Bombings: Strike Two
3. The revaluation of the Chinese Renminbi and Malaysian Ringgit

1. TT Durai's daughter appeals to PM Lee to help restore father's honour

'SINGAPORE : The daughter of TT Durai , the former CEO of the National Kidney Foundation, has appealed to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to help restore her father's honour and reputation if a review of the NKF shows there have not been any wrongdoings.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan disclosed this in Parliament on Thursday.

Mr Khaw, who was responding to points made by MPs over the two days of debate, had urged the House to also look at the issue from the perspective of Mr Durai 's family.

He said Mr Durai 's daughter, a junior college student who is mature for her age, had emailed the Prime Minister.

Saying she was adversely affected by the fiasco, she wrote: "Since I was young, my father had very little time to spend with us. I always asked myself why my father had no time for us. Were we less important to him than his patients? Was his work more important than us?"

And she went on to ask Mr Lee, "After the review by the new board, you will help him to restore his reputation and honour, if no wrong doings were found?"

Mr Khaw said Mr Durai 's achievements for the NKF were real and significant.

But ego and arrogance could have gone to his head, leading to poor judgement and insensitivity.

Mr Khaw cautioned, "I think there are lessons for us here. No matter how great our achievements are, we live for others. Look at the late Mr Hon Sui Sen. There was no ego in the man. He completely personified humility.

"Likewise the late President Wee Kim Wee and hence the huge outpouring of emotions at his funeral. President S.R. Nathan is another such humble man who has done great for society, but remains his past self."

Mr Khaw also had a word of caution for other players in the NKF saga.

He said, "I scanned through the local media today. I could not help noticing the different spin The Straits Times put to the MPs' speeches yesterday, compared to all the other local media, like TODAY and ZaoBao. Let us hope arrogance has not also gone to the head of the victor in the court case." '- CNA/de

2. Man shot dead in London subway station: police

'LONDON : Police shot and killed a man at an Underground subway station in south London on Friday, police said, amid television news reports that he was a would-be suicide bomber.

"We can confirm that just after 10am (0900 GMT) armed officers entered Stockwell Tube station," a police spokesman said. "A man was challenged by officers and subsequently shot...He was pronounced dead at the scene."

Sky News television reported earlier that the shot man was "a suspected suicide bomber", a day after an apparent failed attempt to carry out a new wave of bombings on three Underground trains and a double-decker bus.

Stockwell is one stop south of Oval station, one of three Underground stops that were, together with a double-decker bus, the scenes of apparent would-be suicide attacks on Thursday. '

3. Most Singaporeans say ringgit revaluation will not affect visits to Malaysia

'Most Singaporeans say the revaluation of the Malaysian ringgit will not affect their visits to Malaysia.

But its impact is already being felt by moneychangers and some heading across the Causeway.

On Friday, all eyes were on the currency exchange rates on the board - especially the Malaysian ringgit.

In one morning, 45 year-old moneychanger Abdul Haleem handled more than 50 enquiries on the ringgit's exchange rate.

He said: "No one's changing, they're just asking the rate. Just small transactions, not big transactions about 100 or 200 dollars only."

Another money changer Mohamed said: "This is the first time, never happened before. People don't understand when we tell them, they don't believe, they don't buy...they go check and come back and buy from us."

But the revaluation of the ringgit has not deterred some holidaymakers.

"Once we are in a holiday mood, we just spend, spend, spend," said one Singaporean.

"That doesn't affect us as our trip's already planned for and the Singapore dollar is still strong against the ringgit," said another.'

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Something else off the 'Net

Microsoft names next Windows version 'Vista'

'WASHINGTON : Microsoft Corp. on Friday said the next version of its operating system used on most personal computers around the world will be called "Windows Vista."

The world's biggest software company stopped short of providing a launch date for the new version of Windows.

The first overhaul of the dominant computer operating system since Windows XP five years ago, is expected to reach consumers sometime next year.

Microsoft, which developed the software under the codename "Longhorn," expects to make the test version available to developers and tech professionals by August 3, it said in a statement.

The new software is expected to sport a new graphical interface, giving it a new look and feel, and enhanced security and communications features.

"It introduces clear ways to organize and use information the way you want to use it," Microsoft said on its Web page for the new system.

"It seamlessly connects you to information, people, and devices that help you get the most out of life."

The operating system, used on around 90 percent of personal computers, accounts for around a third of Microsoft's revenue.'

- AFP /ls