"Previously 'Gears of War' and 'Gears of War 2' didn't have any official kind of launch. This one is the final episode and they have a big event so I definitely had to come," said Ten, who has even cleared his schedule to play the game.

"No more going out for the week, just 'Gears'!" said the student of the latest game which completes the "Gears of War" trilogy.

Receiving a slew of special "Gears of War 3" premiums for being the first fan in line, Ten revealed that he couldn't have pulled off his feat alone.

Apart from loyal friends, he said his mother and sister, who both play video games too, helped him make it through the 29-hour wait.

"My mother and sister play as well. My mother came to accompany me while I queued," said Ten.

Interestingly, Ten's mother is not the only one who went out of her way to help her son out.

65-year-old Florence Phua was spotted patiently waiting in line for hours in order to collect a pre-ordered copy of the game for her son.

"I'm collecting the game for my son. He is in his 30s.

"He is not free, he is working today," added Mdm Phua who waited some five hours before she received her copy of the game.

"Gears of War 3", the biggest release of the year for Microsoft's Xbox 360, revolves around a group of human soldiers lead by grizzled war hero Marcus Fenix.

They embark on a desperate attempt to find a path to salvation for humanity, through the onslaught of the Locust and the Lambent, two hostile races that seek its destruction.

The Xbox 360 exclusive M18-rated game features more multiplayer modes, a wider range of weapons for players to experiment with and boasts even better graphics than its predecessors, which together sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.

Among the reasons why they remain single, 32 women said that it is because they have yet to find the right partner.

Others who hold white-collar jobs with a monthly income of more than $2,000 stated that they are looking to establish a career first before shifting their focus to their love lives.

"Women are getting more educated, compared to the past. Now, more Singaporean women hold master's or PhD degrees," said Ms Violet Lim, founder of dating agency Lunch Actually.

According to the Census of Population 2010, women make up almost half of university graduates in Singapore.

To top it off, the number of female doctoral-degree students at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has gradually climbed, from 31 per cent to 35 per cent over the last five years.

NTU has also enrolled more than 4,000 female students in its postgraduate courses in the last academic year.

Meanwhile, 38 per cent of the students who enrolled in a postgraduate programme at Singapore Management University last September are female. Similarly, the National University of Singapore (NUS) saw an 83 per cent increase in its number of female doctoral-degree students, compared to 2005.

The time taken to complete a postgraduate programme can range from one to five years.

Ms Lim said: "When you have spent so much time on your education, you would want to build up a career first before moving on to relationships."

However, there might be factors other than a higher education that have contributed towards women becoming more career-minded as well as an increase in the number of career- minded women.

Said Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser of NUS' Department of Sociology: "Singaporean women also value their independence, which would be compromised if they take on the role of both a wife and a mother."

Women are also delaying marriage due to finances, with 29 women polled saying that their biggest concern is whether they have enough savings. A further 13 women worry about being unable to afford a house.

Among the 70 women polled, 64 earn a monthly income of less than $4,000.

"A house is an investment, and if I'm going to be spending a small fortune on it, I want to make sure that it is in a good location," said 24-year-old operations executive Stephanie Kay.

She added that she may still need financial help from her parents after marriage if she wants "a decent place".

Said Ms Kay: "I would feel comfortable letting my husband be the sole breadwinner only if he earns $20,000 a month."

Ms Lim also commented on what former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew said to a 27-year-old female PhD student during a university dialogue held at NTU on Sept 5.

Mr Lee had advised the unmarried student not to waste time starting a family, as it was "more important and more satisfying than your PhD".

Ms Lim said: "I can tell you, from my experience in the industry, that there is truth to what he said. Time is not on our side."

She added: "It might be a good strategy for men to focus on their careers before their relationships, but that is not the case for women."

Ms Lim stressed that having a career and a love life are not mutually exclusive, and finding a balance between the two is not impossible.

"Be disciplined in setting aside time to go out, relax and socialise," she advised.

Survey of 70 single women aged 35 and below

57 women plan to get married.

Out of these, 44 plan to have kids; 42 plan to tie the knot before they turn 30 years of age; and 26 plan to have children two years after their wedding.

13 women say they do not plan to get married.

They cite reasons such as the cost of living and that Singapore men are boring.

32 women say they are single because they have yet to find the right partner.

Another 20 say they are focusing on their careers while 12 women say they are focusing on their education.

These women are aged between 21 and 30 years old.

Six women cite following reasons why they are single: They are uninterested in dating; they do not have enough time for relationships; and there are not enough eligible men in Singapore.

42 women say they worry about financial matters when it comes to marriage.

Their biggest concerns are whether they have enough savings (29) and whether they have the means to buy a house (13).

35 women say they will consider having children if they are offered better maternity benefits.

These benefits include longer maternity leave, equal chances of promotion when they return to work and a bigger Baby Bonus.

About 400 students took part in such close encounters.

Other activities included eating a biscuit from opposite ends and hugging the opposite sex.

Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao said some girls were so affected that they burst into tears later.

A male student who took part in the three-day-two-night event told Wanbao about a female peer who sobbed after the event: "I heard she has a boyfriend. Such intimate contact made her feel like she was cheating on him and she broke down."

He said the lying-down game was especially traumatic for some: "Imagine the girl and guy facing each other. If the guy's hand slipped or he wanted to take advantage of the girl, he would be mouth-to-mouth and chest-to-chest with her."

Out of 100 people polled by The New Paper yesterday, three in four were aghast when they saw a picture of a couple "in action". They said such steamy games were not okay.

But some students involved dismissed allegations that the activities were lewd.

A female student, who wanted to be known only as Siew Yi, said she had not been forced to take part. "I took part in all the games, including the one where some guys were on top of the girls," she said.

"It's a common game at the universities, I enjoyed the freshman orientation camp."

Siew Yi added that students could always opt out if they felt uneasy.

"The orientation group leaders understood the discomfort the close contact could cause in some people," she said.

"But we're adults, physical contact with the opposite gender is normal. It's all in the name of fun."

Final-year SIM-UOL student Vincent Wang, 24, defended those who organised the games.

"Sometimes, (the activities) do achieve a purpose.

Games like the one shown in the picture were more to fulfil (matchmaking) objectives,"he said.

"Others would be more like ice breakers, to get people to make new friends before they start school."

He also pointed out that students who felt uneasy could opt out.

"If anyone felt uncomfortable, he or she would be told to stay out of the game."

A SIM spokesman said the school sets "clear guidelines to ensure acceptable conduct from our students".

He added: "The orientation programmes for freshmen are organised by student councils of the respective academic programmes.

"Student leaders are given clear guidelines and are reminded that safety and modesty should be adhered to." The school also briefs student leaders to respect the rights of freshmen (who) decline to take part in any orientation activity.

Feedback

The spokesman said that a review is conducted after every event and "any concern or feedback will be addressed seriously".

In 2008, a Straits Times Forum page writer had complained about students taking part in the risque practice.

Ms Soh Eng Phang said such activities were "totally uncalled for and gave youth a very superficial idea about making friends and finding a partner".

She also called on the then Social Development Unit (SDU) and school authorities to monitor orientation camps, since many were partly sponsored by the former.

An SDU spokesman said at the time that the organisation had informed students who sought its support to keep physical contact in activities minimal.

Still, Dr Carol Balhetchet, director of youth services at the Singapore Children's Society, questioned the objective of such games.

"How appropriate is it when a girl is lying down and a guy is on top of her? It's clearly an intrusion of her personal space," she told TNP yesterday.

When told that organisers had designed the games to build rapport, she said: "Why are they trying to match a certain group of people before they've entered university proper?

"Students need some time to know and get familiar with their environment so that they can feel safe and comfortable."

The rapport-building may also backfire, said Dr Balhetchet.

"Put yourself in the shoes of someone else. The average person will probably be uncomfortable with such physical contact.

"For example, how comfortable is it when you're so close you can smell the other person's deodorant in an MRT train?"

Even though students can opt out, they may be unaware they have this choice.

"Everything is about peer pressure. At their age, teens just want to fit in and belong, so how many would take up the clause to sit out the games?" she asked.

Dr Balhetchet suggested that students learn to be assertive about voicing their opinions and say no if they are not comfortable doing something.

Singapore Management University assistant professor of Sociology Nicholas Harrigan said it boils down to people having different values.

Since people develop norms and values from their friends, families and popular culture, "someone with a relatively modest approach towards physical contact may feel awkward when put under peer pressure to do something they believe is inappropriate".

"This is especially pronounced when what they are facing goes against what they've internalised," he said.

3 in 4 say it's too much

IS IT okay for students to be in close physical contact with members of the opposite sex during orientation games?

The New Paper polled 100 students and working executives, aged 17 to 30, at Toa Payoh Hub.

They were shown pictures similar to the ones in this article.

Three in four people felt the students should not be put in such an intimate position.

Negotiations at Parkway succeeded, but the deal at Wheelock fell through, resulting in a hurried shut down of the bookstore in Orchard a fortnight ago.

In addition, Mr Webber said Popular Holdings was considering a deal to take over Borders' Wheelock lease which would have ended in January 2013, buy over its current stock in the Orchard store, as well as the fixtures and the exclusive licence to the Borders' brand for S$2.

This too, fell through last month as Borders had due financial obligations - including the threat of re-possession for a rental payment of about S$572,100.

The company is also in negotiations with REDgroup Retail - its parent company in Australia - to obtain a formal release from a A$2.5million (S$3.2 million) loan REDgroup gave Borders. Borders had asked for the loan due to the global financial crisis and the digitisation of books, music CDs and movies.

But Borders' fate was inextricably tied up to REDgroup's, as the latter had become insolvent and was placed under voluntary administration in Australia in February this year.

According to court documents, this resulted in Borders "no longer being able to leverage on the economies of scale, established relationships or general advantages of operating as part of a larger group, as it previously had."

The bookstore currently has an inventory worth about S$2.76 million which ordinarily would sell for S$4.5 million.

Mr Webber said if the company is wound up, it may only receive S$1.4 million from a "fire sale".

As a clearance sale at the Singapore Expo ended yesterday, final proceeds from the five-day event were not immediately available.

But Borders' appointed judicial manager, Mr Timothy Reid, said: "In my preliminary view, the sales achieved have been substantial and are resulting in significant cash returns. The sales have also helped lessen the warehousing costs which were necessarily incurred."

Mr Webber felt a judicial management order would give Borders "breathing room and time to properly seek out deals with investors". Once under judicial management, Borders cannot be sued by any of its creditors.

Mr Reid said Borders will be looking to get REDgroup to assign their rights to Borders' debt so that the latter's employees, gift card holders and other creditors can be paid.

There are about 1,260 gift card holders with some S$400,000 in credit with the bookstore. Borders is also hoping to get back some of the S$1.8 million in rental deposits from Wheelock and Parkway Parade.

I challenge readers to solve this problem in five minutes, which is all the time a Primary 6 pupil has to do it.

I challenge school principals to do it, without the help of equations, which Primary 6 pupils aren't equipped with yet.

Setting such difficult questions serves no educational purpose — it only undermines the pupils' self-esteem.

He could do this as his Medisave Account and Retirement Account (RA) had the required amount.

Since 2008, Mr Low had used his Medisave to pay for some medical expenses, whittling away his Medisave Required Amount (MRA), which was $14,000 as of Jan 1, 2008.

However, the required amount was raised to $27,500 as of Jan 1 this year.

Said Mr Low: "I was shocked to find that $10,000 from my OA had been moved to my MA without my approval.

"I did not even know that the money was moved, let alone the amount moved."

He had one big question:

"What if I had taken all my money out when I turned 55?

"Would they have asked me to top up the MA to be back above the required MRA?

"How are those who keep their money with the CPF different from those who continue to save with it?"

When contacted, a CPF spokesman said that this was not a new scheme.

She said in a statement that "on an average yearly basis, less than 1 per cent of CPF members who turned 55 years old have had a transfer from their Ordinary and/or Special Account to their Medisave Account".

She told The New Paper: "It only affects people who have met the minimum sum requirement in the RA but not the minimum sum in the MA."

If such a member wants to withdraw money from his OA, his MA is subject to a top-up from his OA.

The statement also stated that "the MRA that members need to set aside to provide for healthcare needs in retirement is currently $27,500 and is annually adjusted to address increasing lifespans and rising health-care costs."

"CPF members who turn 55 and have the full CPF Minimum Sum are required to set aside the MRA in their MA when they make a CPF withdrawal," the statement read.

"If such members have less than the MRA in their MA, their Ordinary and/or Special Account balances would be used to top up the MRA."

Members above 55 who are still contributing to their CPF accounts still have a Special Account instead of a Retirement Account.

The statement did not say what would happen to those who withdraw all their money from the OA when they turn 55. It also did not say if they have to top up their MA should they withdraw from it.

Not satisfied

But Mr Low is not satisfied with the response or the policy, even though it is stated on the CPF website.

He said that there may be others who are equally in the dark about the policy.

He asked: "Why should they take the liberty to debit my account and transfer money to my Medisave Account? The money in my Ordinary Account was mine to take in 2008, when I turned 55.

"Now my money which has been transferred to my Medisave is untouchable. I just want my money back in my Ordinary Account."

He feels that the CPF Board could have made clearer that this policy was in place.

This would allow CPF members to make a more informed choice as to whether or not to leave their money in their OA on turning 55.

Mr Low is still awaiting a detailed response to his queries from the CPF Board.

Currently, the $10,000 is still in his Medisave Account.

Learn more about CPF policies

THERE are three ways for those who want to find out more about CPF policies that apply to them on turning 55, said the CPF spokesman.

• The CPF Board holds a "Reaching 55" talk monthly. Registration and information can be found at http://www.cpf.gov.sg/seminar.
• Visit the CPF website at http://www.cpf.gov.sg for more information.
• Customer service officers are available at the CPF service centres located at various locations island wide.
• They can also be reached via the CPF hotline at 1800-2271188 if you are calling from a local number, or 65-6227 1188 for overseas calls.
• Other than that, queries regarding retirement can also be sent to retirement@cpf.gov.sg.

MAS had lost money on an annual basis only once before in its 40-year history and that was during the financial crisis, he added.

The Singapore dollar, which hit a record high of 1.2138 against the US dollar on Wednesday, has been one of the strongest-performing Asian currencies in the past two years.

According to MAS, the Singapore dollar rose 10 percent against the US dollar and 5.5 percent against the euro over the course of the 2010/11 financial year.

The city-state's currency has gained about 5.6 percent against the US dollar so far this year.

MAS held S$299.8 billion in assets at end-March 2011, with foreign financial assets accounting for S$287.7 billion.

The central bank incurred S$170 million in staff costs in financial year 2010/2011, an increase of 24 percent over 2009/2010.

Commuters can expect some time to adjust to any fare changes, as it was said this year - once by the PTC in February and again by Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in June - that any consideration of fare increases should be done in relation with the opening of the Circle Line's final two stages in October.

SMRT executive vice-president for trains Khoo Hean Siang said yesterday that non-fare businesses from commercial activities - such as retail rentals and advertising - have contributed to productivity gains but they could not mitigate the "uncontrollable cost pressures due to fuel prices and manpower costs".

SMRT's energy cost increased 17.5 per cent for the year to March 31, due mainly to higher electricity and diesel prices as well as the expansion of rail network with the opening of the first two phases of the Circle Line.

The SMRT said a higher employer's CPF contribution rate contributed to higher manpower costs.

"In addition, more staff had to be hired due to the opening of Circle Line Phase 1 and 2, and to operate additional train and bus trips from various service enhancements efforts implemented to meet the rising commuting demand," the SMRT added.

Besides rising fuel and energy costs, SBS Transit said it "continues to face significant cost pressures despite increased efforts to lower costs and increase productivity".

In particular, SBS Transit cited its investments in new buses which began in 2006, with some 600 buses - bought at a cost of S$268 million - scheduled for delivery over this year and next year.

"In all, our 2,050 new buses are costing us some S$854 million," SBS Transit added. The company said more details of the application, which is subject to the approval of the PTC, will be announced at a later date.

The PTC's fare revision formula takes into account inflation, average wages and productivity of the operators to arrive at a cap to fare adjustments.

"I would like to look at it holistically," he added. "We need to ask ourselves what has worked, what has not worked, how we may re-look at this formula and make it more relevant to its objectives."

Last year, overall fares were up 0.5 per cent. In 2009, the transport operators decided to reduce fares by 4.6 per cent because of the severe economic downturn, even though the formula allowed for a 5 per cent rise.

In 2008, fares rose 0.7 per cent. And in 2007, the council approved a 1.8-per-cent rise in bus fares but kept train fares unchanged.

SMRT's net profit dropped 1.1 per cent to S$161.1 million for the year to March 31 as staff, energy and operating costs rose.

Meanwhile, SBS Transit's net profit for the full year ending December 31 last year was S$54.3 million, down a marginal 0.6 per cent from the year before.