Latest news with #Yue
AsiaOne
4 days ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
'We are just the middlemen': How property agents grapple with landlords' discriminatory preferences, Singapore News
Over the past four years, Yue Kaixin regularly advises landlords on how to maximise their rental income. But the last thing the property agent from ERA Singapore would do is go against their choice of tenants — even when some insist, "No Indians". "I still had to obey them," Yue said. "I can't tell them what to do. If not, do you think I'll still have a business?" Yue is among several property agents in Singapore who told AsiaOne they are reluctant to confront landlords who refuse to rent to tenants from minority races. Other agents, on the other hand, have to grapple with landlords who show prejudice against members of the LGBTQ community. One property agent, who has worked in real estate for over a decade, recalled feeling awkward early in his career when landlords made it clear they did not want to rent to Indians. Some of these preferences stem from stereotypes that Indian tenants, both Singaporeans and expats, have a nonchalant attitude towards maintaining the property and they cook food with strong smells. The PropNex agent, who declined to be named, said that he feels conflicted at times — between doing his job and doing what is morally right — but has never pushed back against landlords with such requests. "Some might think it's racist, but there a thin line between racism and preferences," he said. "We are at the end of the day, just the middlemen. The neutral party. We neither condone nor accept such behaviours." It's not just about race But bias in the rental market extends beyond race, William Tan, a property agent from Singapore Realtors Inc, said. He recalled an incident last year when a landlord accepted an offer, before withdrawing the next day after finding out that the identity of the tenants. "They've already put in the deposit, but during the process of doing the paperwork, they had to present their passports," he said. "That was when the landlord started questioning on how come the tenants are two males… so that's when I told them they are actually gay parents with two biological kids." As a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, Tan said the incident conflicted with his values. 'We're not powerful enough to stop rental discrimination,' he said. 'All we can do is stay professional and follow guidelines from the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA).' 'Not outright discrimination' To Yue, landlords who refuse to rent to someone who is "Indian or PRC [People's Republic of China]" are not necessarily racist. He argued that some of them may have had prior negative experiences with tenants from these groups. But he urged landlords against dismissing potential tenants based on stereotypes, saying that it does not make business sense. The property agent recalled that when he and his wife first put their home up for rent, they initially preferred only Chinese or Western tenants. Then came an enquiry from an Indian family, which Yue said: "I discussed with my wife on whether we should ask them to come for house viewing or just say, 'sorry' and give an excuse [to reject them]. "But we thought it's better to give everyone a fair chance… it turns out they were really good tenants." Heikal Shafrudin, co-founder of real estate agency Herohomes, said that it is more nuanced for landlords renting out their rooms in their homes. For such instances, preferences around age and gender do show up since it is akin to "finding a housemate". "Sometimes, it is not outright discrimination, but more about lifestyle fit or perceived safety," Shafrudin said. [[nid:682399]] What does the law say? A 2022 survey of more than 2,000 Singapore residents by CNA and the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) found that over 90 per cent said they would rent a property they own to a Singaporean Chinese. In contrast, only 62 per cent of those surveyed said they would accept Singaporean Malay tenants in a property they own, and Singaporean Indian tenant at 57 per cent. The rights of all Singaporeans are protected under law, with Article 12 of the Constitution saying: "There shall be no discrimination against citizens of Singapore on the ground only of religion, race, descent or place of birth in any law… or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment." The Ministry of National Development, however, maintained that rental decisions are ultimately private agreements between property owners and tenants. "Similar to how a tenant has the freedom to choose his accommodation, a landlord has the right to decide whom he would like to rent his property to," the ministry said, in response to a parliamentary question in 2022 about measures to prevent rental discrimination. "While we have a framework that protects the rights of all Singaporeans, we cannot rely on the law in every instance and will need to continue to deepen mutual understanding and empathy across different groups to build mutual trust, respect and understanding in our community." 'Landlords entitled to choose their tenants' Dr Mathew Mathews, IPS' principal research fellow and head of its Social Lab, said that while Singapore has robust laws to protect racial harmony, the lack of specific measures against rental discrimination stems largely from the complexity of proving such cases. He also drew parallels to workplace discrimination, which he said took many years and consistent advocacy before comprehensive legislation was introduced, despite longstanding concerns from minority groups. "In the context of property rentals, landlords are generally entitled to choose their tenants, and their decisions are often based on subjective assessments," Dr Matthews said. "This makes it difficult to clearly establish when a refusal is rooted in discrimination rather than other legitimate considerations." No discriminatory advertisements CEA's regulatory guidelines require agents to be sensitive to the multicultural nature of Singapore's society. They must also advise landlords against placing advertisements that are discriminatory, offensive or stereotyped in nature against any race, religion or group in society. Shafrudin empathised with his colleagues who feel pressured to carry out their landlords' discriminatory preferences. But what does he tell property agents who are facing such scenarios? "They have to understand why [the landlords have these preferences]," Shafrudin said. "Whether it is just personal bias against a specific group or a based on a bad experience or misunderstanding. "We will try to reframe the conversation [with landlords] back to the lease terms rather than identity… if they are concerned about cleanliness, then we can address these with specific clauses in the agreement. "If it crosses the line into blatant discrimination, then [property agents] have every right to walk away if they are not comfortable." Dr Matthews said that property agents should also be empowered and encouraged to educate landlords about Singapore's stance against rental discrimination, and remind them that such practices are not socially acceptable. [[nid:498986]] 'Diversity friendly' property listings, but are they really? Several property search platforms have also implemented various measures, which they said addresses rental discrimination and promote inclusivity. and PropertyGuru allow property agents to tag listings as 'Diversity Friendly' or 'Everyone Welcome' respectively — signaling that all renters are accepted regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. In the release of its 2024 Sustainability Report published on May 21, PropertyGuru said that one in four rental listings - or around 10,000 of the 40,000 on the platform - are tagged as "Everyone Welcome". As of May 28, around 2,300 of its 35,000 listings in are "Diversity Friendly". Other popular property search platforms, such as and EdgeProp, do not have this feature. Property agent Tan remains sceptical about whether properties tagged as welcoming to all on search portals truly live up to that label, even if he sees it as a 'nice gesture'. "It does not necessarily reflect what the landlord wants," he said. "When an agent ticks that box, it may be just so that the listing will get more eyeballs." Checks by AsiaOne found that even for some of listings that are tagged as inclusive-friendly, they still include phrases indicating the kind of tenants who are "preferred". An 'Everyone welcome' listing, published on May 20, says the home is 'suitable' for singles and families, but "no Indian". Responding to AsiaOne's queries, PropertyGuru said that its platform prohibits indicating preferences such as race, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, or any physical or mental disability in its listings. Cecile Corda, head of sustainability at PropertyGuru Group, said that all its listings with the Everyone Welcome tag are reviewed for discriminatory language prior to posting. "The tag is suspended if the listing has been reported for discrimination. PropertyGuru reviews all cases, and our moderation team contacts the agent to work with him or her to amend the listing," she added. Users can also 'report' the listing on our platform for discriminatory behaviours at any stage of the property search process. Unconscious bias training for agents Property agents are also offered unconscious bias training and guidance on avoiding discriminatory behaviour, according to Corda. "Through continued education and open dialogue, we are working towards an ideal world where the Everyone Welcome feature will no longer be needed. It is a journey, and everyone has an important role to play," Corda said. Like PropertyGuru, a spokesperson for said that it has mechanisms, such as manual curation and keywords monitoring, to moderate listings that contain discriminatory language. "We do not track [the prevalence of discriminatory listings over time]," but based on observations, it has decreased." Tan believes that perceptions of tenants from minority groups in Singapore are gradually improving. Still, the question of who makes a 'good' tenant remains a topic people tend to avoid "making a big fuss about". "They will say, 'Oh, we don't discriminate. We tolerate," he said. [[nid:530162]] chingshijie@
RTHK
08-05-2025
- Business
- RTHK
Cross-border digital currency platform may debut soon
Cross-border digital currency platform may debut soon Eddie Yue told RTHK that the mBridge project may soon be launched if a trial run is smooth. Photo: RTHK The head of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), Eddie Yue, said a new digital currency platform could soon be put in place if a trial run proves successful. The platform, called mBridge, aims to facilitate cross-border payments. It's jointly developed by the People's Bank of China and the central banks in Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, along with the HKMA. "The trial run this year is using real-life transactions for cross-border settlement. If it goes on smoothly, the platform will actually be ready for launch," Yue told RTHK's "Government and You" programme. He added that local officials have been working with their Middle Eastern counterparts in promoting linkages in equity and bond transactions.
RTHK
06-05-2025
- Business
- RTHK
Exchange Fund records HK$67.2b in investment income
Exchange Fund records HK$67.2b in investment income Eddie Yue says the Monetary Authority has been diversifying its investments in recent years to minimise risks. Photo: RTHK The Exchange Fund recorded an investment income of HK$67.2 billion in the first quarter, reversing a loss from the previous three months. The fund backing the local currency was boosted in part by rallies in local stocks in the January-March period, as investment interests surged over mainland stocks following AI firm DeepSeek's release of its cost-efficient AI models. The gains compared with an investment loss of HK$20.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024 and represented a 7.8 percent increase year on year. Announcing the Exchange Fund's performance on Tuesday, Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) chief executive Eddie Yue said the authorities have in recent years reduced the holdings of US dollar assets, diversifying the fund's investment portfolio. Speaking in a Legislative Council panel meeting, Yue said while the dominance of the greenback as a reserve currency will not change in the short term, the HKMA has been gradually diversifying its investments to minimise risks. "The investment portfolio is highly diversified, and it not only includes US dollar bonds or US dollar assets, but also many other assets," he said. "At the end of last year, our annual report showed that the holding of our US dollar assets stood at about 79 percent in our two investment portfolios, compared with more than 90 percent a few years ago. So we have gradually diversified our investment portfolio into non-US dollar assets, including renminbi, the euro, the Japanese yen, the British pound, etc." Looking ahead, Yue expects the Exchange Fund to face greater uncertainties for the rest of the year due to the tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Yue said the Hong Kong dollar could strengthen further in the coming months due to high demand. He said the appreciation will depend on several factors, including upcoming IPO activities, stock dividends and reduced carry trade activities, an arbitrage whereby investors borrow low-yielding currencies to buy high-yielding currencies. The HKMA has intervened in the currency market in recent days to stop the Hong Kong dollar from breaching the upper end of its trading range. Yue said the city's currency market continues to operate in a smooth and orderly manner.
South China Morning Post
24-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Table tennis bosses sign 3-year deal to bring world-class tournaments to Hong Kong
Table tennis fans in Hong Kong will be able to watch world-class players in action in the city for the next couple of years, the Post has learned. Advertisement Already preparing for the WTT Finals in December, the head of the local association said a multi-year deal had been struck with World Table Tennis (WTT) for the city to host more senior events in 2026 and 2027. But Tony Yue Kwok-leung, president of the Hong Kong, China Table Tennis Association, cautioned that while Hong Kong had a three-year deal, tournaments 'may not always be the Finals'. 'But it will not be just some random tournaments, either,' Yue added. 'Hong Kong fans are not easily satisfied and always want the best tournaments. 'I want to bring major events back to Hong Kong, too, so we aim to host at least the WTT Champions Series, if not the Finals.' Hong Kong's Wong Chun-ting (left) and Doo Hoi-kem will get wild card entries in the mixed doubles at the WTT Finals. Photo: Elson Li There was little chance of grand smash events being staged in the city, however, with Yue saying the WTT wanted to start 'building the atmosphere' in places that already had those tournaments, such as Singapore and Beijing.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
An AI doctoral candidate in California says they had their student visa revoked
An AI doctoral student in California had their SEVIS record — the digital proof of their valid student visa — terminated, putting their immigration status at risk. Speaking to TechCrunch, the student, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, said they were notified via their college's international student center that they'd been identified in a criminal records check. The student said that they'd been studying in the U.S. for nearly a decade starting as an undergraduate, and that they have no criminal record. "The most likely cause may be an interaction with the police many years ago, even before I entered graduate school," the student said. "I was conducting research in the AI field and had planned to continue my research after graduation." Over the past few months, more than a thousand international students in the U.S. have had their visa statuses challenged by the State Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of an aggressive crackdown orchestrated by the Trump administration. In many cases, colleges haven't been directly notified by the relevant federal agencies, leaving students with little notice — or recourse. Yisong Yue, a machine learning professor at Caltech, told TechCrunch the U.S. government's hardline stance on student visas is "harming the talent pipeline." "The cumulative effect is making the U.S. a significantly less appealing destination for many talented researchers," Yue said. "Because research is highly specialized, when a doctoral student is pulled from a project, it can set back the project by months or years. Beyond the specific students and projects affected, many students on visas are worried." Few institutions have been spared by the crackdown. According to reports, students attending Ivy League universities, large public colleges, and small liberal arts schools have had their visas suspended. While the government has accused some of these students of supporting Palestinian militant groups or engaging in "antisemitic" activities, others have been targeted for minor legal infractions, like speeding tickets or other traffic violations. Some of the revocations appear to be administrative mistakes. Reportedly, one student, Suguru Onda, a computer science doctoral candidate at Brigham Young University, had their revoked student visa reinstated without explanation shortly after their immigration attorney filed suit. The attorney, Adam Crayk, said the government is using AI to screen visa holders without human verification, leading to errors. Last week, a judge in Georgia issued a temporary restraining order in the case of around 100 international students whose visas were revoked, and directed the government to reinstate the students' legal status. The ruling only applies to a fraction of students at risk of deportation, however, and could be challenged down the line. Yue noted that international students contributed to many recent technical breakthroughs in AI. Ashish Vaswani, who moved to the U.S. to study computer science in the early 2000s, is one of the co-creators of the transformer, the seminal AI model architecture that underpins chatbots like ChatGPT. One of the co-founders of OpenAI, Wojciech Zaremba, earned his doctorate in AI from NYU on a student visa. A recent analysis by the nonprofit educational association NAFSA found that international students at U.S. colleges and universities contributed $43.8 billion to the domestic economy during the 2023-2024 academic year and supported more than 378,000 jobs. Yue says that he's had "multiple conversations" with senior AI researchers who are worried about staying in the United States. "This includes professors at top universities and researchers at companies such as OpenAI, Google, and so on," he added. "The cumulative effect of the government's actions is making the U.S. a significantly less appealing destination for many talented researchers." Sign in to access your portfolio
