Lianhe Zaobao English Selections (2012-01-28)

• China changes nomenclature for migrant workers; will there be improvements in their living conditions?
  Seven lawyers and an academic have submitted a proposal to China's State Council to request for the elimination of the use of the term "nongmingong" (rural workers) to describe China's domestic migrant workforce in official documents. They see this as a symbol of growing equality between the urban and rural residents in the country. Lianhe Zaobao's Zeng Shi reports from Guangzhou.

• Less job vacancies in Singapore
  Singapore had a total of 54,000 job vacancies in September last year, a decline of 3.4% compared to June the same year. However, the slide was 13% with seasonal adjustment. This was the first time the number of job vacancies has fallen since March 2009. These figures were revealed in the latest job vacancies report by the Ministry of Manpower.

• Yusheng tossing no longer reserved for seventh day of the Lunar Year
  Traditionally, "tossing yusheng" used to be done only on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. However, the practice has become an indispensable part of the Lunar New Year eve dinner and the start-of-work meal on the third day of the Lunar Year in recent years. With the seventh day falling on a Sunday this year, restaurant operators interviewed say that most customers will be having their New Year feast that evening and bookings have almost doubled.

• Mainland Chinese buyers expected to account for 25% of Hong Kong property market transactions this year
  There has been an increasing number of Mainland Chinese buying property in Hong Kong in recent years. The latest data from a Hong Kong property agency shows that Mainland Chinese buyers accounted for 20% of the transacted value of property deals in Hong Kong last year. This is expected to grow further to 25% this year. Lianhe Zaobao's Tai Hing Shing reports from Hong Kong.

• Wei brothers build instant noodle empire in China
  In this second part of an in-depth profile of the four brothers of the Wei family in Taiwan, who built their Ting Hsin Group into the largest instant noodle manufacturers in China, Lianhe Zaobao examines the strengths of each member and how this helped them achieve their success.

• Local rental contracts see new high despite gloomy economy
  Though the global economy was gloomy last year, the private residential rental market in Singapore performed well, with 45,062 rental contracts signed. This was a historic high and an 8.4% increase from 2010. However, the market has grown increasingly competitive.

• Productivity improvements imperative for construction industry
  [Editorial] A news report of a 30-storey skyscraper being built in 15 days in China garnered wide attention two weeks ago. Construction has traditionally been a labour intensive industry but new technology and productivity gains can help cut down on reliance on human labour. Continued efforts by the local construction industry to import new technology and set up more integrated construction and pre-cast hubs will inevitably lead to more well-paying technical jobs, thereby drawing more Singaporeans into the industry.

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