Hi guys,

Just curious la, anyone here earning at least $5,000 a month (basic salary only, excluding allowances, bonus and AWS)?

May I know wat's your profession and industry is if you don't mind to share?

Why do they have so much fixed allowance?

mind to share what kind of position they are ? comfortable office job .. 

What's the nature fixed allowance? When you say "office based", is that office on site, or in town?

For instance, we used to have accountants based in Kertih (working in the nice, very comfy onsite office... with practically no need at all to actually leave the 'admin' area of the site). We have to pay the Kertih guys hardship allowances which are 150% of the salaries of their peers in KL just to persuade them to stay there.

You're absolutely right that he's damn lucky. Damn lucky that his company doesn't mind or doesn't realise. If I were making decisions at your friend's company, I'd reduce his salary to market or hire someone else.

Question 1.

You can open a savings account only if you got the in-principle approval letter from MOM (mine is DBS anyway, not sure if POSB is same)

Question 2.

Singapore prepaid package is around $15 (i bought Singtel last time). but bare in mind u cannot use the same number when u want to convert to postpaid (stupid sysyem).

Question 3

2nd link I am not too sure. But for Causeway, I usually leave house at 7:30am. sometimes will reach office at 8:30am, sometimes reach at 8:45am.
The queue on the Kastam takes around 10-30mins. I believe 2nd link should be the same. i see that ur office and house is very near to 2nd link. I think 1 hour should be enough.
also need to see what is the average speed u ride la. if u ride 60-80kph, then better leave 2 hour early.

u start work at 7am?? no nid so early wake up la. I work at 9, i also wake up at 7am. 30 mins is more than enough for a guy to change and bath.
somemore my house to my office, the distance is 38KM. its freaking far. if i were u, i just leave house 1 hour early will do.  I also ride a scooter only.
doing average 120kph on highway, but because i use causeway, so most of the time stuck between cars and move at 70-80kph.

regarding your question, you need to enter Singapore with the white card on the 1st day. Then after they submit the inprincipal approval letter with the white , they will give u a new letter.
You can enter JB-SG with that letter, that letter serve as a temporary EP for you. you should be able to collect the physical card 3-4days later.
If you are riding a Malaysian bike, just cross the immigration normally, then go and do a Autopass. I see that your office is very near to 2nd link, i dun think you will need to install the IU.
And also AYE got no ERP near Tuas section. you will need the IU if u want to go town because if u cross 1 ERP without the IU, its $70.

need someone to verify on this.i went to POSB branch in mid june with the in principal approval letter to open account, but was rejected. The customer service said they just changed rules, n only can open new account after u get the EP card...

Autopass is works as a cash card for your foreign vehicle. it stores you car/bike details on it so LTA will know when this car enter and exit Singapore.
Autopass have a lifespan of 5 years. it cost you $10 to purchase the card with $4 pre-loaded on the card it self (means its $6 for the card).
you can top up your autopass at any DBS/POSB ATM machine to pay the VEP and toll charges.
Autopass also stores your Malaysian roadtax details on it. When your roadtax expires, you need to bring the new roadtax and the autopass to LTA office to update (can be done at check point).
In other words, Autopass is like the passport for your foreign car in SG. When the 5 years is up, you need to purchase a new autopass (same $10 with $4 preloaded).
You would also need to purchase a new autopass if u forgot to bring or lost the autopass card. Because of that, my bike now has 2 autopass.

me, yup.
but HR told me, it shouldn't be like that...
btw, when u open account, tell them u wanna activate online banking as well. so that u dun need go to branch again next time.

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Added on July 27, 2011, 3:19 pmi do see some shops in woodland checkpoint there, got offer auto pass top up services...
dunno how much the charges lar

sorry, i din read your question completely, lets me clarify this because u are using 2nd link.

Admin Fees

On admin fees, this will be charge to your card directly. Admin fees will incur if you din do what u should do when u enter and exit the checkpoint.
let me give you a scenario to explain this further.

FYI, everytime u enter and exit Singapore, u need to slot your autopass in to pay the toll. lets say u forgot to slot the card when u enter. then when u exit, when u slot it in, error will occur and you need to go to the LTA office. When LTA office find out you din punch in in the morning, that's when they charge u $10 admin fees to help u key in the details manually.
Toll Charges

For motorbike, you need to pay $0.50 toll charges upon enter and also exit Singapore. So you are paying $1 daily. This is for the Singapore side, Malaysia side, you need to prepare a Touch N Go card coz you need to pay Rm1.20 upon arriving and departing. so total cost for 1 day will be $4 VEP + $0.50 + $0.50 + Rm1.20 + RM1.20.

At Causeway (Woodlands), no toll will be charge to Motorcycles. So I am only Paying $4 VEP daily.

Scenarios:

Lets say u enter from Causeway and departing at Tuas, You will need to pay $4 VEP + $0.50 +Rm1.20. Because when u enter, you are not paying the Malaysian toll and also Singapore toll. Only charged you when u depart. If you got any Doubts, can always ask me.

For account opening, most POSB/DBS requires the card, or at least an appointment.
However, there are some that allows just with IPA, can't remember which one.

I managed to open an account with IPA and Passport at their Jurong West branch

try not to rent from a single old lady, my own research stats show this will cause problem and sleepless nite

long ago, as career progress decided i have the mean to rent a small hdb on my own, so i call agent i saw in the internet which advert a location nearby where i am staying in boon lay, the place is 2 bedroom, where landlord lock one room up, so i get the whole hdb on my own, i went and view it, omg i was like, the place look so nice, and renovated look like a ikea show room with alarm fitted. the agent told me, the landlady, single stay with his boyfriend. 

i saw the old lady she look nice and quiet, and she mention she come back once in awhile cause she still have some stuff in her lock room, i pay the rental with deposit and agent commision fee and sign the dotted line

the horror begin.

after i move in then few day, i found out the landlady actually staying in the house exactly opposite, that the boyfren place, feeling like being watch, then i look carefully, i think she watching with a binocular from the opposite side, then as i felt that got people touch my stuff when i went back malaysia, i did a test i purposely  put my cloth according to certain arrangment, indeed when i come back i saw somethign is move, so she is ransacking my stuff and this is only the first month ,  then it get worse the landlady starting to accuse we temper with the door lock, and we over using the electronic good like the washing machine, i was like  we got the key to the door why ..we want to temper the door lock

then it get worse she call my office and checking on me, asking my snr, how my work performance, lucky my snr is close with me , she came back very often in the middle of nite to her room to take stuff, banging the door, waking me up.

finally i decided, although the contract is for a year, we mutually agree to revoke and i left, i stay for two month i think , i thought i was unlucky only

after thing back to normal.. i look back

i can say the whole thing is a conspiracy .. do u see IT 
the agent is in IT  (case 1)

Not to be sexist...but there is a very simple explanation.
There is a reason why she is single.
Understand that and you understand why it is bad.

yes.......the other criteria would be your income in that particular year doesnt hit around SG20k-21k, then you're not required to pay tax....to be precise its not working for more than a year.....its stayed/worked in Singapore for 183 days in a 365 days of a calendar year....else its a flat 15% tax rate

I would still do a filling....same as my income tax in Malaysia.....i would file it as 0 income.....better to be safe than sorry

I mean for the Malaysia side of the income tax lor.....I file as 0 income..because i'm working in singapore mah
OT yes...because it goes into your salary.....same as allowances...unless its reimbursement for company expenses then its not....if your hit around 20-22k maybe u dont even need to file one.

I do my submission for BOTH sides..regardless of the amount....better to be safe than sorry....

^ Or it means you will be taxed no matter how little you earn if you are here for less than 183 days?

Later can get refund if subsequent year still working in singapore.