Nine new NMPs to give fresh ideas on ageing, heritage, economic restructuring

August 12, 2014, 10:50 pm

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Disabled lawyer among 9 new NMPs
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 12 Aug 2014

LAWYER Chia Yong Yong, 52, will make history as the first wheelchair user to have a place in Parliament.

The president of SPD, formerly known as the Society for the Physically Disabled, is one of nine new Nominated MPs (NMPs) chosen to give fresh perspectives on the social and economic challenges Singapore will face in the coming years.

The others are Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Thomas Chua, 60; veteran unionist K. Karthikeyan, 55; social entrepreneur Kuik Shiao-Yin, 36; Board of Architects Singapore president Rita Soh, 55; doctor and former national sailor Benedict Tan, 47; labour economist Randolph Tan, 50; veteran historian Tan Tai Yong, 51; and banker Ismail Hussein, 51, who is a director of the Association of Muslim Professionals.

They were selected by a parliamentary committee chaired by Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob. It included two ministers and five other MPs, including Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, a member of the committee, said the panel looked for new NMPs who could add to discussions on issues Singapore faces.

These include ageing, economic restructuring and productivity, sporting excellence, a better living environment, retaining Singapore's heritage and appreciating its history, challenges of working mothers, youth aspirations, and entrepreneurism, said Dr Ng, who is the Leader of the House.

The youngest among the nine is Ms Kuik, who is expecting her first child.

The nominees will be appointed by President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the Istana on Aug 26. That is when their 21/2-year term will begin.

They will take their oath when Parliament next sits on Sept 8.

The final nine NMPs-to-be were chosen out of 36 candidates whose names were submitted earlier this year by members of the public or functional groups.

All 36 were considered by the selection committee in its assessment of suitable candidates for appointment as NMPs, said the Clerk of Parliament yesterday.

Unsuccessful candidates included blogger Roy Ngerng, as well as Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan and businessman R. Dhinakaran, both of whom were outgoing NMPs seeking a second term. Their terms expired last Friday.

The NMP scheme began in 1990 to provide more alternative voices in Parliament.

Madam Halimah said the panel looked for candidates who could use their specialised knowledge to add to the depth and breadth of debates in Parliament.

Also taken into account was "the candidates' ability to contribute alternative ideas and fresh perspectives", she said, "as this will help Singapore navigate challenges in the years ahead".

NMPs want to discuss social shifts in Singapore
Many of them to draw on personal experiences in championing causes
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 12 Aug 2014

SHIFTING social norms are among the concerns that some of the nine incoming Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) want to discuss in the House.

The new batch, announced yesterday, start their term on Aug 26 but have already cast their eye on several broad social trends.

Said social entrepreneur Kuik Shiao-Yin, 36: "I'm very concerned about how we maintain racial and religious harmony in Singapore and guard against extremism of all sorts. That has been an issue over the years."

Tensions between the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender camp and religious groups have made recent headlines. The annual Pink Dot picnic drew a record 26,000 in June and a Wear White campaign championing "pro-family" values was set up in response.

Reflecting on this, Ms Kuik, the youngest of the new NMPs, said: "How do you encourage a culture of moderate and fair-minded public dialogue that gives everyone a space in society?"

A fellow nominee, National University of Singapore (NUS) vice-provost of student life, Professor Tan Tai Yong, 51, noted that different Singaporeans have different views on social norms.

"It's an interesting time to reflect on some of these issues and on where the country is heading," said the historian, who has been teaching at the NUS since 1992.

The NMPs were chosen for their ability to add to discussions on Singapore's issues and provide alternative voices, said Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, who chaired the selection panel.

The new line-up, unlike the previous two, does not include any representative for the arts or environmental groups.

Among the nine nominees, many will draw on personal experiences in championing causes in Parliament.

Ms Kuik, who is expecting her first child in two months, said one issue she will be thinking about is how young women balance work and having children.

Corporate lawyer Chia Yong Yong, 52, who has peroneal muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, is keen to champion issues concerning people with disabilities, such as inclusion. "My colleagues and I have worked with persons with disabilities for years. We feel we're able to have better empathy and understanding of issues on the ground," said the president of SPD, formerly the Society for the Physically Disabled.

Others will use their experiences to raise issues pertinent to their fields. Prof Tan, for instance, is keen on Singapore's heritage.

And income inequality is close to the heart of Mr K. Karthikeyan, 55, who formed the Singapore Petrochemical Complex Employees' Union in 1986 and has been a union leader since. "I don't think we should have low wages any more. The rich-poor divide affects Singapore socially. If people think they are going to stay poor, they think, 'Why do I bother working if my pay is so low and the rich are so far above me?'"

The progressive wage model, which boosts low incomes according to workers' skills, is something he would like to see implemented in more sectors, said Mr Karthikeyan, whose nomination was welcomed by the NTUC, of which he is vice-president.

Banking executive and Association of Muslim Professionals director Ismail Hussein said that while he represents the Malay-Muslim community, he would cover a range of issues and focus on areas that matter to all Singaporeans.

Sembawang GRC MP Ellen Lee, who was on the NMP selection panel, said the nine are a diverse group. She said of their 21/2-year term, which may end earlier if a general election is called: "It's not the length of the tenure, but what they do with the time that counts."

'Spotlight on more causes' with all-new slate of NMPs
Observers point out that heritage and disability issues now have champions
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 13 Aug 2014

THE choice of the all-new slate of Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) may reflect a desire to give more communities and causes a chance to be in the spotlight, political watchers and MPs said yesterday.

This is because issues concerning heritage and people with disabilities, for instance, may not have previously had sufficient airtime in the House, said some.

But they now have champions, respectively, in historian Tan Tai Yong and lawyer Chia Yong Yong, who has peroneal muscular dystrophy.

Economic restructuring is another big item of continued importance to Singapore, said the analysts, pointing to the selection of a labour economist, veteran unionist and business association chief.

The new batch of NMPs, whose term begins on Aug 26, was announced on Monday. They were selected, in part, for their ability to add to parliamentary debates on certain issues.

These include ageing, economic restructuring and productivity, sporting excellence, a better living environment, heritage, working mothers' challenges, youth aspirations and entrepreneurism.

But unlike the previous group of NMPs - whose terms ended on Aug 8 - the incoming group does not have representatives who focus on the arts and environmental concerns.

Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Zaqy Mohamad was of the view that rotating the groups that previously had NMPs representing their interests "gives different communities a chance to air their views, and puts new areas in the spotlight".

But arts community members, who have had a representative since 2009, said yesterday that they were disappointed by the exclusion this time, and are now mulling over forming an advocacy group.

Former NMP Audrey Wong, who served from 2009 to 2011 and represented the arts, said: "Maybe it means that Parliament feels the arts, in a way, has had its chance, and wants to be fair and give more communities a chance to speak up."

Ms Chia Yong Yong, the first NMP who is a wheelchair user, is a case in point. She is keen to champion issues concerning people with disabilities.

And areas like heritage have also been recent popular talking points.

Said Ms Wong: "There has been a groundswell of public awareness about the need to look after our heritage and manage it in a more sustainable way."

The selection of Professor Tan Tai Yong, a historian who is keen on Singapore's heritage, could be a reaction to this growing interest and a signal that these issues should be addressed, said law don Eugene Tan, who served as NMP from 2012.

He was one of two from the previous batch who sought reappointment but were unsuccessful. The other was businessman R. Dhinakaran.

Sociologist and former NMP Paulin Straughan also felt that the inclusion of a history and heritage expert was timely: "You need to know what happened in the 49 years leading to the 50th year of independence Singapore is celebrating next year."

But other issues, like economic restructuring, remain important enough for NMPs who are experts on the topic to be chosen. There has been an NMP representing the labour unions, and another representing business association, in each Parliament session.

This time was no exception, with National Trades Union Congress vice-president K. Karthikeyan, as well as Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Thomas Chua having been selected.

Incoming NMP and labour economist Randolph Tan said Singapore's current economic restructuring is "the primary concern at this point".

"The future of our society will depend on the way our economy develops," he added.

He, Dr Straughan and Ms Wong said that businesses and labour were crucial to this economic process, and so it made sense to continue to include such representatives on the NMP slate. This is because manpower is a crucial part of economic restructuring. Businesses' concerns also deeply affect Singapore and deserve a voice in the House, they added.

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Growth in a decade of shocks

August 12, 2014, 11:25 pm

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10 years ago today, Mr Lee Hsien Loong became the third Prime Minister of Singapore. An economist looks at Singapore's growth trajectory in the last decade.
By Tan Kong Yam, Published The Straits Times, 12 Aug 2014

THE Singapore economy has performed well over the past 10 years. Over the 2004-2013 period, annual gross domestic product growth has averaged 6.3 per cent.

GDP per capita more than doubled from US$27,403 in 2004 (ranked 31st globally) to US$55,183 (S$69,091) last year (ranked 9th globally), while the inflation rate has been subdued, averaging 2.7 per cent a year.

Meanwhile, the Singapore dollar has strengthened against the United States dollar by 34 per cent. Singapore's foreign reserves have ballooned from US$98 billion in January 2004 to US$273 billion by December 2013.

One way to characterise the Singapore economy since the late 1990s is to think of it as a complex system experiencing unprecedentedly large and frequent external shocks. These include the Asian financial crisis in 1998, followed closely by the technology bubble bust in 2001, the Sars crisis in 2003 and the 2009 global financial crisis. In other words, there were four serious crises over a period of only 10 to 15 years. This compares with only one recession (in 1985) over the 33-year period 1965 to 1997. Viewed from this perspective, the credible economic performance in the recent decade is even more impressive.

In retrospect, it is clear this growth involved an over-expansion in foreign labour that helped to sustain some firms whose cost structure might not have been appropriate for long-term national competitiveness. But without the benefit of hindsight, one can hardly blame the "harvest while you can" strategy.

Declining wage share

THE wage shares of GDP fell from 45 per cent in 2001 to 39 per cent in 2007. The steep decline reflected the substantial inflow of foreign workers, which weakened the bargaining power of domestic and foreign labour, and allowed rapid economic growth to increase company profits instead. Some of the gains could also have gone to the public sector as a result of higher service charges.

Consequently, foreign employment growth rate rose from a negative 6.3 per cent in 2002 to 8 per cent in 2005 to 19 per cent in 2007. These policies have been favourable to foreigners as well as local employers and companies, all at the expense of the local residents, whose economic, social and physical space has been circumscribed.

Over the 2002-2011 period, unit labour costs in the manufacturing sector declined by an annual average rate of 3.2 per cent, leading to substantial improvement in international competitiveness at the expense of labour returns. Wage growth was significantly below even the modest growth in productivity.

Over 2001-2007, income inequality in Singapore worsened, with real median income of the highest 10 per cent rising faster than the 50th percentile as well as the lowest 10 per cent.

The intense pressure of globalisation, relocation of factories to China and Asean as well as technological progress have exerted strong downward pressure on wages of the unskilled and semi-skilled workers, while the international arbitrage pressure on the highly skilled workers at the top has pulled up wages at the top end.

This is not unique to Singapore. Data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development indicate that the same phenomenon was observed in the US, Canada, Britain, Germany and Australia, but was much less acute in the Nordic countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

For comparable Asian countries like South Korea, the rise in income inequality was equally substantial despite Seoul's totally closed foreign labour policy. This indicates that the forces of globalisation and relocation of factories were probably more significant than the liberal foreign labour policy in affecting income inequality in Singapore during this period.

Real median income of the lowest 10 per cent declined by 9 per cent over 2001-2007. Most incomes remained flat in real terms. Only the highest income group - those earning more than 95 per cent of the total workforce - rose significantly. They enjoyed an 18.6 per cent average wage rise.

As a result, the difference in wages between the highest and lowest wage earners increased to the point where the ratio was higher than that of most other countries of comparable income level.

Adjusting for the various public policy subsidies and transfers would likely reduce the disparity, but the trend would remain.

Redressing the balance

SINCE 2010, the balance has been gradually redressed. The unit labour cost in the manufacturing sector increased by 3.3 per cent in 2012, 2.8 per cent in 2013 and another one per cent in the first quarter of 2014 over the preceding quarter. With government policies now shifting towards the protection of the local population, employers are now crying foul.

The restructuring process and productivity drive for the period 2011-2020 involved an effort to shift the power balance from employers to employees, especially Singapore residents. Citizens used their voting power in the General Election in 2011 to tilt public and employment policies in their favour, against non-voting foreigners and the limited voting power of employer groups.

In 2010, the Economic Strategies Committee stipulated that the official target was for productivity to increase by 2 per cent to 3 per cent per year over the 10 years from 2011 to 2020 to ensure sustainable and quality growth.

New indicators needed?

BUT while there are increasing signs of stress in the economy as the new model takes root, it might be useful to examine more fundamental forces driving the economy. Important measures of the fundamental health of the economy include unit labour costs and the unit business cost of manufacturing, which can be adjusted for real exchange rate effect. They are useful leading indicators, like chest pain or clogged arteries in predicting an impending heart attack. Currently, their alarms do not appear to be too loud.

But these indicators were developed some time ago and there have been major structural shifts in the economy since then. In particular, the overall unit labour cost in manufacturing masks serious differences among firms, often distorted by large swings in output from pharmaceutical and the electronics industries.

It would also be more appropriate to examine the unit labour cost for small and medium-sized enterprises more closely at the various industry levels to see whether some economic arteries could be clogged. Internal studies may have been done on these issues, but they have not been published.

International Enterprise Singapore, the statutory board that facilitates the overseas growth of Singapore-based companies and promotes international trade, has monthly detailed trade data disaggregated up to 10-digit levels. This enables us to trace the export of very specific products to various markets across the world. By mapping with industry survey information at the company level, it is possible to trace the export of many products to various markets by the size of the company.

It is even possible to examine the effect of the foreign proportion of the labour force and its evolution and effect on output and export competitiveness of various detailed industry over the past several years. If the complaints of business represent genuine pain, this may be reflected in such data.

Such complaints, if genuine and not addressed in a timely fashion, could have serious economic and political consequences.

Long-term issues

THERE is substantial disagreement about the pace and nature of the current economic changes.

This is because at the fundamental level, this restructuring is not a purely economic exercise, but a highly political process that involves a significant redistribution of wealth among various groups in our society.

In 1984, as a young economist in the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), I had the privilege of working for the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, who was then the chairman of MAS. Amid the sustained prosperity over the previous 20 years, Singapore enjoyed full employment, strong wage increases and job-hopping. There were even anecdotes of workers using their retrenchment benefits to go on holiday.

While eating leftover bean sprouts warmed up from the previous day, Dr Goh expressed his concern. I mumbled something like sustained prosperity leads to calcification, complacency, a weakening of the immune system and inevitable collective blind spots and hubris. He nodded his head, and, after surveying a pile of containers along the Tanjong Pagar port terminal through the window, he suddenly turned around. With his formidably penetrating eyes gazing at me, he blurted out: "Kong Yam, maybe we should engineer periodic recessions to strengthen our immune system."

He was definitely not joking.

Since 1998, we have not needed to engineer such periodic recessions. The global economy and increasing volatility and shocks have seen to that.

The Singapore economy might be small but it is not an easy task to steer it on a steady course. I had some modest experience during the period 1999-2002, when I was chief economist, and during an earlier period when I worked as an assistant to Dr Goh.

While we should strive hard to avoid recessions and suffering, Dr Goh's wisdom implies that some unanticipated shocks and periodic uncertainly is not necessarily bad. Provided they are not overwhelming, they sharpen our individual and collective senses, strengthen the immune system, get the adrenaline flowing and prevent accumulation of vested interests.

In our 50-year journey as an independent nation, we have always risen up and overcome new challenges, thanks to a resilient people, strong, nimble leadership and robust institutions.

Some Singaporeans and foreign analysts have expressed concern about the long-term sustainability of our tiny island nation.

But as the fate of dinosaurs about 65 million years ago illustrates, it is not necessarily the large and powerful that survive. Today's humble sparrow - scientists believe birds to be descendants of dinosaurs - thrives.

The nimble and adaptable can do very well indeed.

The writer is an economist with the Nanyang Technological University and co-director of the Asia Competitiveness Institute in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

Related
Lee Hsien Loong's 10 years as PM
A roller coaster decade
Ten years, over 100 trips and millions of miles

Lee Hsien Loong's 10 years as PM

August 13, 2014, 12:12 am

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10 YEARS AT THE HELM: LEE HSIEN LOONG
A roller coaster decade
Mr Lee Hsien Loong became prime minister 10 years ago today. How has his time in office shaped the lives of Singaporeans?
By Chua Mui Hoong Opinion Editor, The Straits Times, 12 Aug 2014

MR LEE Hsien Loong's first decade as prime minister can be summed up in one word: Challenging.

It has been a roller coaster of a ride for Mr Lee, who became independent Singapore's third prime minister on Aug 12, 2004.

For one thing, there has been greater political contestation. Singapore saw two general elections in 2006 and 2011, and two by-elections, in Hougang (May 2012) and Punggol East (January last year).

The presidential election of 2005 saw incumbent S R Nathan, the sole candidate, returned unopposed.

But in 2011, a four-cornered fight between candidates surnamed Tan saw Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam triumph with just 7,382 more votes, or 0.3 per cent, over closest rival Tan Cheng Bock.

It was a decade of peaks and troughs. Just out of the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome crisis, the economy went on to record robust growth of over 7.5 per cent a year until 2007, only to face the sharpest recession since independence during the global financial crisis. Growth plunged sharply to 1.8 per cent in 2008 and shrank 0.6 per cent in 2009.

The Government responded with a whopping $20.5 billion Resilience Package for Budget 2009 to guarantee bank deposits, and to fund the Jobs Credit wage subsidy. It did the unprecedented, getting then President Nathan's assent to dip into the reserves to fund the package. Crisis was averted. A year later, the economy rebounded, growing 15.2 per cent.

Leading Singapore relatively unscathed through the global financial crisis was cited by several observers as among Mr Lee's top achievements in the decade.

Annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth averaged 6.3 per cent from 2004 to last year, according to economist Tan Kong Yam in an essay in The Straits Times Opinion pages today. On a per person basis, GDP went up from $46,320 to $69,050 from 2004 to last year.

Vibrant, but mind the gap

BEFORE he became prime minister, Mr Lee gave The Straits Times an interview where he spoke about making Singapore a "dynamic economy" and building a vibrant, cohesive society.

Is Singapore today a dynamic economy? Former Nominated MP Zulkifli Baharudin thinks so. "PM Lee has made Singapore one of the most compelling global cities in the world. Like his father (former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew), he has permanently changed the course of Singapore. This is an extraordinary achievement especially for a country that was never meant to be."

Singapore has opened two integrated resorts, played host to the Formula One race and Youth Olympic Games, and created the dazzling Gardens by the Bay. An Economist Intelligence Unit survey in 2012 put Singapore sixth best globally in its "Where to be Born" index, and top in Asia.

But that global buzz also comes at a price - cohesiveness.

Mr Lee presided over a Singapore of rising income inequality. The Gini coefficient was 0.460 in 2004 and went up to a high of 0.482 in 2007. The Gini index is a number tracking income inequality from 0 to 1, with 0 representing perfect equality.

One of the signal achievements of Mr Lee's Government is the move to bridge inequality by raising the tranche of subsidies for the lower- and middle-income group in all areas: from an income supplement for low-wage workers to grants for housing to subsidies in health care and childcare.

Whereas subsidies were mainly targeted at the low-income before 2004, subsidies these days are aplenty for households with median incomes and higher. Long- term care subsidies are given to those with per capita household income of $3,100 a month - or up to the 70th percentile.

There is also more risk-pooling in health care. In 2004, the old MediShield health insurance scheme did not cover babies with birth defects. And once you reached 80 years of age, or hit claim limits of $30,000 a year and $120,000 for life, you were on your own.

This year, the new MediShield Life promises universal coverage for life with no claim limits. In one stroke, high hospitalisation costs are done away with as a major source of angst for Singaporeans. Mr Lee has also done much for the older generation, notably in the $8 billion Pioneer Generation Package of health-care subsidies.

By last year, the Gini coefficient was back down, to 0.463. After government transfers and assistance, it was 0.412.

Taken together, the social policies rolled out under Mr Lee, ably assisted by Deputy PM Tharman Shanmugaratnam, are reshaping the social climate in which Singaporeans live. The momentum of change increased after the 2011 General Election. But the shift towards higher social spending started way before that. Workfare, for example, began in 2005 and was institutionalised in 2007.

There is a major reordering of the social compact. The Government is not just taking care of the economy and leaving families to fend for themselves in the marketplace. It will help families and individuals fend off the excesses of the marketplace. Trouble is, many Singaporeans do not see it that way, as they grapple with rising housing costs and feel the heat of competition for jobs.

Angst over crowding

INSTEAD, anxieties on overcrowding abound. Over the past decade, the population went up too fast, before transport and housing infrastructure could cope.

The population in 2004 was 4,166,700. Last year, it was 5,399,200. That is a growth of 29.58 per cent over 10 years, or more than 1.2 million people - almost all foreigners, given Singapore's declining birth rate.

Housing supply failed to keep pace with population growth. Instead, traumatised by the huge surplus of 17,500 unsold new HDB flats in 2002, the Government slowed its building programme mid-decade. From an average of about 30,000 units a year, it built just 2,733, 5,063 and 3,154 units from 2006 to 2008, respectively.

Some observers consider this the greatest policy failure of the last decade. How did a government that prides itself on keeping close tabs on numbers allow an influx of foreigners beyond the housing and transport infrastructure's capacity to cope?

Individual ministers might have been more focused on meeting the aims of their own ministries, but the Government as a whole would be expected to oversee this collective effort. Mr Lee himself did not shirk this responsibility. In the heat of GE 2011, he surprised many when he apologised to the people of Singapore for the mistakes made, in an election rally at Boat Quay.

That public mea culpa and events after GE 2011 raised widespread expectations of political change. Days after the elections, former PMs Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, along with other ministers, retired from the Cabinet, to give PM Lee a clean slate to govern. A review later slashed ministerial salaries.

Change, but slowly

ON THE political front, Mr Lee has made a series of nips and tucks that appear minor, but which add up to something larger.

Take one example: Speakers' Corner, set up in 2000 as a free speech venue, was liberalised on his watch. He opened it up in 2004 to exhibitions and performances, not just speeches. In 2008, public protests were allowed. These are small changes. But Singaporeans took full advantage of the relaxed rules. Today, attending a protest at Hong Lim Park - against the White Paper on Population, for example - has become pretty commonplace.

But it is in what he stopped doing that Mr Lee has made the greatest political impact. He sought to be seen to be fair when he called for polls, reducing the surprise element in timing them. Nor were there wholesale changes to electoral boundaries. He stopped using estate upgrading as electoral carrots.

In GE 2011, opposition candidates' views, not their personal character, were attacked. In choosing fair election campaigns, and in refraining from browbeating opposition candidates, Mr Lee made it less risky for people to enter the opposition fray.

And they did. In 2006, 47 seats were contested. Two opposition MPs won. In 2011, 82 out of 87 seats were contested. The opposition won six.

But Mr Lee stopped short of fundamental reforms to the electoral system that some sought, ignoring calls for an independent election commission, for example.

His world view of politics for Singapore remains embedded in that of his predecessors: that of a Singapore governed by a dominant People's Action Party as stewards of the country's long- term interests. But it is not one that all Singaporeans share. Some hoping to see more fundamental political change under Mr Lee are disappointed.

Former Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong, for one, had expected Mr Lee to usher in an era of political change after GE 2011. "But three years later, it's become clear, from incidents like the Population White Paper and the new (Media Development Authority) licensing regime, that the top- down/command-and-control approach remains very much alive in the PAP," he says.

Some say one of Mr Lee's strengths is his ability to listen to different views. But that has led to a view that he has tried to accommodate competing views to the point of the Government seeming populist at times.

He has a friendly and approachable image online and off, and is arguably the PAP's biggest political asset. At public events, he is often mobbed by those wanting to meet him, and take pictures or, these days, selfies with him.

But personal popularity has not translated into a long coat-tails effect for his party: The PAP's vote share fell from 66.6 per cent in 2006 to 60.1 per cent in 2011.

What is one to make overall of Mr Lee's roller-coaster decade?

One can take the optimistic view and say Singapore has weathered crises remarkably well and remained intact as a society, despite the train breakdowns, the Little India riot of last December, a bus drivers' strike, and the sex and corruption scandals. Critics might say there are signs of a ship that is cruising, or even adrift, tossed about by the global winds of change.

I would say that the truth as usual lies in between.

Singapore has done well on the economic front. There is a palpable buzz about the country.

On the social front, the incremental approach, where every small change adds up, has ushered in a Big Bang shift in social policy.

But whether the feel-the-way-forward approach is enough at a time when Singapore is undergoing rapid change remains to be seen. There is every risk that just as the last decade saw a gap widen in income equality, the next decade will see a rift widen in expectations in the political arena.

Additional reporting by Tham Yuen-C and Charissa Yong

2004-2014: MILESTONES

2004

Aug 12: Mr Lee Hsien Loong, at age 52 and after 20 years of service in politics, is sworn in as Singapore's third prime minister, succeeding Mr Goh Chok Tong.

2005

Jan: The ComCare Fund is set up to provide financial assistance to needy families.

April 18: After a year-long debate, the Government decides Singapore will have casinos.

2006

Feb: Workfare Bonus is introduced to top up the pay of lower-wage workers, recognising that growth no longer delivers the same opportunities to all. It becomes permanent in 2007.

May 6: At PM Lee's first general election at the helm, the PAP is returned to power with 66.6 per cent of valid votes.

2007

Aug: Reforms to the Central Provident Fund scheme are announced, including mandatory annuities to cover old age, a later drawdown age of the Minimum Sum, and higher interest rates.


2008

Feb 27: Terror suspect Mas Selamat Kastari escapes, sparking a review of the Internal Security Department's operations.


2009

Jan: The Government dips into reserves to help finance a $20.5 billion stimulus package for Singapore to ride out the global financial crisis.

May 27: PM Lee raises the minimum number of opposition MPs from three to nine through the Non-Constituency MP scheme, trims the sizes of Group Representation Constituencies.


2010

Feb: The productivity push starts, with $2.5 billion set aside for continuing education and training and $2 billion for the National Productivity Fund.

April: Property cooling measures are introduced as property prices hit new heights.

May 24: PM Lee and his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak agree to move the Malayan Railway station in Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands, breaking a 20-year impasse on the issue.


2011

May 7: The watershed general election is held. PAP wins with 60.1 per cent of the vote share, but it sees the loss of Aljunied GRC to the Workers' Party (WP).


2012

Sept: The first phase of the Government's $1.1 billion plan to boost bus services is rolled out.

Nov: Parliament passes legislative changes to remove the mandatory death penalty for certain instances of murder and drug trafficking.

Nov 26: Singapore's 26-year strike-free record is broken as 171 SMRT bus drivers from China go on strike to protest against poor pay and living conditions.

Dec: Speaker of Parliament Michael Palmer resigns over an extramarital affair. It triggers a by-election in Punggol East in January, which WP candidate Lee Li Lian wins with 54.5 per cent of valid votes. This follows the WP's win in the Hougang by-election in May 2012.


2013

Jan: A White Paper on Population sets out plans to accommodate up to 6.9 million people here by 2030, drawing backlash.

June: Websites that regularly report Singapore news and have significant reach are asked to put up a performance bond of $50,000 and be licensed under new licensing rules.

Aug: PM Lee announces plans for universal health insurance MediShield Life.

Dec 8: A riot breaks out in Little India.


2014

Feb: An $8 billion Pioneer Generation Package is launched to provide health-care subsidies for Singapore's pioneers.

Search for successor remains biggest challenge
By Tham Yuen-C, The Straits Times, 12 Aug 2014

IT HAS been a priority for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong right from the start - the search for Singapore's next prime minister.

Ten years into his premiership, it remains his biggest challenge, say political observers. "That seems to be a particularly pressing issue for the Cabinet and for PM Lee," says National University of Singapore (NUS) political scientist Reuben Wong. "Right now, we don't have a clear candidate."

With the other two prime ministers before Mr Lee, potential successors emerged earlier in their tenure, he adds. When Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew passed the baton to Mr Goh Chok Tong, the third leader, PM Lee, was already in the wings.

There is, however, a team of younger ministers in place, the nucleus of Singapore's fourth-generation leadership. And PM Lee has since the 2011 General Election been appointing them to key positions in his Cabinet. Education Minister Heng Swee Keat, 53, for example, has been given two of the biggest political jobs of recent years - organising the Our Singapore Conversation and chairing the committee coordinating the marking of Singapore's 50th year of independence next year.

In August last year, when PM Lee promoted another of these younger ministers, Mr Chan Chun Sing, 45, and announced other leadership changes, he was asked if he was closer to identifying his successor. He said it was not his call to make but for "the younger ministers in the team to work out among themselves whom they will support as their leader".

Political watchers say this situation is unusual in Singapore's context. Since the 1960s, the People's Action Party has, through a policy of self-renewal involving careful selection and elevation of ministers, ensured smooth and predictable political succession. That is "one of the country's greatest strengths", says former Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong.

But with Singapore having entered a new era of greater political contestation, questions have been raised about the viability of the PAP's method of inducting talent.

For Mr Siew, the system works when the party is able to draw in the right people, but he notes that there is a "significant weakness in the PAP's ability to recruit".

For years, it has "skewed towards" the military, the civil service, government-linked companies and unions in recruiting candidates, leading to a lack of diversity among its ranks, he says.

The PAP's longstanding method of anointing leaders - recruiting those of a high calibre, putting them through the paces as ministers - may also no longer work with an electorate that has greater expectations of politicians.

NUS sociologist Tan Ern Ser says: "It is no longer merely about being sharp and smart, but also someone who comes across as sincere, wise and authentic, able to connect with people, command their respect, has charisma, and who sees politics as a calling to serve the people."

Age is another factor making this task an urgent one. PM Lee has said he plans to hand over the reins by 2020. By then, the two deputy PMs, Mr Teo Chee Hean and Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, will be 66 and 63 respectively. "If they become the next prime minister, will that mean Singapore's fourth prime minister will be at the helm for only one term?" asks Associate Professor Wong.

PM Lee has also indicated his wish to reverse the age trend of Singapore prime ministers - Mr Lee Kuan Yew became PM at 35, Mr Goh at 49, and PM Lee at 52 - by getting a younger successor. If this were a firm criterion, even the two ministers touted as possible successors, Mr Heng, 53, and Mr Chan, 45, may be a tad old.

So is the next prime minister even in the Cabinet now?

Strategy consultant Devadas Krishnadas says: "(PM Lee) has a technically capable collection of candidates in his first and second ranks but are they made of the right political stuff? This is a hard question but the long-term fate of his party depends on the answer."

Post by Lee Hsien Loong.

PM says thanks to Singaporeans as he marks 10th year in office
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 13 Aug 2014

AS HE celebrated 10 years in office yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong thanked Singaporeans who have engaged him, saying their views and insights showed him what he was doing right and where he needed to do better.

He was sworn in as Prime Minister 10 years ago on Aug 12, 2004, after 20 years in politics.

"I learn much from the people I meet, those who write to me, and those following me on social media. Your views and insights have shown me what we are doing well, and where we need to do better," wrote Mr Lee, 62, on Facebook.

"Your support and engagement means a lot to me," said Mr Lee, adding that he was grateful for the chance to serve the country.

He also thanked volunteers, grassroots leaders and supporters for giving their time and energy generously: "You make it much easier for me and the Government to do things for Singaporeans."

He promised to continue to do his best for Singapore.

Mr Lee also thanked Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who was his immediate predecessor and Singapore's second prime minister.

"(Mr Goh) handed over to me a ship in good shape, and has continued to help me guide it safely, through fair winds and stormy seas," said Mr Lee.

He has had an eventful decade at the helm, with Singapore experiencing a difficult recession during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis and greater political contestation at the polls.

Under Mr Lee's charge, a wide range of social policies was rolled out, such as the ComCare Fund to assist needy families financially, the Workfare Bonus to top up the pay of lower-wage workers and the $8 billion Pioneer Generation Package to help pioneers with health-care bills.

Mr Goh himself had earlier yesterday taken to social media to wish Mr Lee well, and to congratulate him for "steering Singapore through choppy waters".

Added Mr Goh: "But the tougher stretch lies ahead. Keep your eyes on the sea of challenges. And harbour the interests of all on board in your heart.

"You have a tough job. We don't envy you. But we are behind you. All the best, mate."

Over 12,000 netizens "liked" Mr Lee's Facebook post, and hundreds also thanked him for his contributions to Singapore.

WE ASKED political watchers how they would characterise Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's 10 years at the helm, in a word or a phrase. Here is what they said:
The Straits Times, 12 Aug 2014


HANDLING NEW SITUATIONS

"Steering the ship of state through uncharted, hazardous waters."

- Sociologist Tan Ern Ser from the National University of Singapore


MANAGING CHANGES

"Challenging. I think the world has possibly changed as much in the last 10 years as it did in the 25 years when Mr Lee Kuan Yew was prime minister of an independent Singapore.

A number of the changes in the last 10 years had the effect of weakening the Government's control over Singapore, such as globalisation and the rise of the Internet and social media, which made PM's job that much harder."

- Corporate counsel and former Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong


WELL-MEANING, BUT...

"Well-intentioned. A lot of what he's done and is doing is very far-sighted, but on the negative side it is also rather technocratic and very development-centred. It makes one feel that the ends of development justify everything else.

- Political scientist Reuben Wong from the National University of Singapore


INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP

"A deeply challenging decade that's given the occasion for us to see some adaptive, innovative and responsive leadership, although some feel it has not been responsive enough."

- Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Gillian Koh

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Ten years, over 100 trips and millions of miles

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Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has helped to strengthen ties between Singapore and the world.
By Tommy Koh, Published The Straits Times, 13 Aug 2014

SINGAPORE has had three prime ministers. As the leaders of a small state in a big world, they had to be equally good at governing Singapore internally and managing Singapore's relations externally.

Mr Lee Hsien Loong has been the Prime Minister of Singapore for 10 years. He has been a good steward of Singapore's national interests.

He has adhered to Mr Lee Kuan Yew's founding principles and consolidated Mr Goh Chok Tong's legacy. The last decade has seen Singapore safe in a troubled world. Its standing has even been enhanced.

Malaysia and Indonesia

PRIME Minister Lee's most important foreign policy achievement is in our relations with Malaysia.

He and the Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, enjoy a warm and collegial relationship. They have resolved the long-standing dispute over Malaysian railway land. This has unlocked the door to new areas of cooperation, such as a rail link between Singapore and Johor Baru, joint investments by Temasek and Khazanah in Iskandar Malaysia and Singapore, and the construction of a high-speed railway between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Although there are still some unresolved problems between the two countries, the overall relationship is good. Malaysia is Singapore's largest trading partner. Singapore is Malaysia's largest foreign investor. Singapore is also Malaysia's largest source of tourists.

PM Lee also has a good relationship with Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. When Indonesia was hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, Singapore responded immediately. A large contingent of Bahasa-speaking personnel from the Singapore Armed Forces was the first to arrive in Aceh and Meulaboh to help. In 2005, following the terrorist attack on Bali, PM Lee met President Yudhoyono in Bali, to extend Singapore's support for Indonesia's anti-terrorism efforts.

Dr Yudhoyono has been a good president of Indonesia and a good friend of Singapore. The stability that he has brought to Indonesia has allowed the region to prosper. It has also helped to enhance ASEAN's credibility.

South-east Asia and ASEAN

IN THE last decade under PM Lee, Singapore has also devoted time and energy to cultivate our neighbours in South-east Asia.

In particular, he has worked hard to keep our relationship with Brunei special. One new platform is the Young Leaders Programme, through which our young leaders engage Brunei's young leaders.

Proposed by PM Lee in 2012, the initiative is led by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah.

As Prime Minister, Mr Lee has also raised relations with Vietnam to that of a "strategic partnership". Singapore is a major trading partner of Vietnam and its third largest investor. Under PM Lee's watch we have also established four Vietnam-Singapore industrial parks.

Singapore has also tried to be helpful to Myanmar. When Myanmar was hit by Cyclone Nargis in 2008, Singapore's then-Foreign Minister George Yeo co-chaired the ASEAN-United Nations International Pledging Conference in Yangon.

Singapore hosted the ASEAN Summit in November 2007. It was at this summit that the 10 nations signed the ASEAN Charter, which came into force in 2008. PM Lee has also worked hard to maintain ASEAN's unity and neutrality in dealing with the great powers.

US, China, India and others

SINGAPORE'S foreign policy aims to maintain good relations with major powers like the United States, China, India and Japan. Singapore also seeks to have good relations with middle powers like South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Turkey.

Singapore is not an ally of the US but it is a strategic partner. The two countries have very substantive relations in business and trade, defence and security, and culture and education. The 10-year-old US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has also been highly successful.

Singapore's relationship with China is warm, substantive and multi-dimensional. Singapore has two iconic projects in China, namely, the Suzhou Industrial Park and the Tianjin Eco-City. The two nations also signed a free trade agreement in 2008. The Singapore Government has established bilateral councils with seven of China's provinces.

Singapore and India signed the landmark Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement in 2005. Economic ties between the two countries are very substantial, with bilateral trade having reached US$21 billion (S$26 billion). Close to a million Indian tourists visited Singapore last year. Apart from economics, the two countries also cooperate in culture, education, law and defence.

PM Lee has visited Japan many times. The Japan-Singapore Economic Agreement for a New Age Partnership signed in January 2002 was a milestone in our economic relations.

Europe

PRIME Minister Lee was educated at Cambridge University in England and at Harvard University in the US. He therefore has an affinity with both Europe and America.

Europe is important to Singapore for economic, political and cultural reasons. Economically, the European Union is one of Singapore's top three trading partners. Singapore and the EU have concluded an FTA and a partnership and cooperation agreement which are currently pending ratification by the member states and the European Parliament.

Taken together, the countries of the EU are also Singapore's largest investors. Apart from the EU, Singapore also has very substantive relations with Switzerland and Norway. In fact, Singapore's first FTA was with the European Free Trade Association, consisting of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Latin America

LATIN America is a continent with tremendous potential. In 2008, PM Lee visited Peru to attend the Apec (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Economic Leaders Meeting.

He also went to Brazil, where he witnessed the signing of three agreements. One of Singapore's leading companies, Keppel, has a successful shipyard in Brazil. The Prime Minister also visited Chile, where he witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on education exchange cooperation.

It may be useful to recall that the Trans-Pacific Partnership began life as a quadrilateral FTA, consisting of Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore. Of the Latin American countries, the members of the Pacific Alliance, consisting of Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile, have the most open economies and most interest in linking up with Asia.

The Middle East

SINGAPORE'S ties with the Middle East go back hundreds of years. In June 2005, Singapore took the initiative to reconnect the two regions by convening the first Asia-Middle East Dialogue.

PM Lee made his first visit to the Middle East in 2006. While he was in Saudi Arabia, it was announced that an FTA would be negotiated between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Singapore. The agreement has since been concluded and is in force. Singapore and Oman have established a long-term strategic relationship. Singapore is also a long-standing friend of Egypt.

UN and the world

SINGAPORE has always played an active role in the United Nations and other international organisations, such as the World Trade Organisation, the International Maritime Organisation, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the World Intellectual Property Organisation, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

At the UN, Singapore chairs the Forum of Small States and the Global Governance Group (3G). Probably for this reason, and also because of Singapore's status as a financial hub and Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam's leadership role in the International Monetary Fund, Singapore has been invited on many occasions to attend the Group of 20 (G-20) summit.

During the past 10 years, PM Lee has worked tirelessly to promote Singapore's national interests abroad. He has travelled millions of miles, in over 100 trips, to reinforce our old friendships, to make new friends and to harness new opportunities. In his foreign trips, he has sought to engage political leaders, intellectuals, business and the media. He has put across the views of Singapore, ASEAN and Asia, often reminding the audience of the importance of South-east Asia. Like those of his two predecessors, PM Lee has been a voice of reason in our sometimes irrational world.

The writer is Ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a senior fellow of the MFA Diplomatic Academy.

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Training centre for pre-school teachers

August 13, 2014, 8:37 pm

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It provides structured training and guidance from mentor supervisors
By Janice Tai, The Straits Times, 13 Aug 2014

TRAINEE pre-school teachers now have a dedicated centre where they can get hands-on experience.

Philanthropic organisation Lien Foundation is putting $660,000 into the centre - Singapore's first - over the next three years. There, "mentor supervisors" focus on guiding the teachers when they come up with lesson plans or manage the children, for instance. Such training is a critical part of attracting and retaining teachers in the manpower-starved pre-school sector, particularly as the Government aims to add 20,000 more childcare places to the current 85,000 by 2017.

There are now around 12,000 pre-school professionals, and 2,000 more will be needed by then. Yet, about one in five teachers leave each year, and only about half of the early childhood polytechnic graduates even join the workforce.

To improve the situation, many pre-schools are adjusting salaries and opening up new career tracks for teachers to become principals, centre supervisors, specialist educators and mentors.

Lien Foundation, which has long advocated for greater emphasis on early childhood education here, chose St James' Church Kindergarten at Harding Road for the new training centre because it has Singapore's largest pre-school enrolment at 1,200.

The centre can take in up to 300 trainee teachers each year.

Currently, trainees have to do at least 200 hours of practical experience, but often do not get the attention they need at busy childcare centres. With the new centre, they go through a structured programme similar to the system for training primary and secondary school teachers, and have the full attention of mentor supervisors who are either with them in class or meet them afterwards for discussions.

Since the centre opened in April, 15 trainees from NTUC's early childhood training arm Seed institute, Ngee Ann and Singapore polytechnics have gone through the programme.

One of them, Ms Siti Suhailah, 22, said: "I had lots of eye-opening experiences... I really appreciate the undivided attention I received. The host teachers and mentors would always find time to answer any queries I had and the experience has definitely rekindled my passion for the industry."

Centre offers better mentorship for pre-school trainee teachers
Its training programme addresses issue of limited mentoring during attachments

By Siau Ming En, TODAY, 13 Aug 2014

From developing classroom management skills to delivering lesson plans, a new pre-school practicum centre, jointly set up by the Lien Foundation and St James’ Church Kindergarten (SJCK), plans to help pre-school trainee teachers develop skills to better prepare them for the workforce.

Housed at SJCK’s Harding Road campus, it offers a training programme for trainee teachers who have to fulfil the attachment component of their diploma, degree or master’s courses, providing close guidance by full-time mentors. It is currently open to trainees from the SEED Institute, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic.

While trainee teachers spend up to 31 per cent of their total course time on attachments at pre-schools, the Lien Foundation said many of them receive limited mentoring during their attachments.

Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, SJCK senior principal Jacqueline Chung noted that some complete their attachment with a poor impression of teaching in the pre-school sector.

“(This) led some of them to say, well forget about it, this is not the field I want to go into … So we felt very strongly that having a positive practicum experience at the time you’re being trained is very important,” she said.

Institutions typically require trainee teachers to complete reports that include reflections and classroom observations for the attachment, although this may vary among pre-schools.

The training programme hopes to add to this by providing, among other things, coaching, feedback on lesson plans and guided discussions, led by mentor supervisors who do not perform teaching duties and concentrate solely on guiding trainees.

Ms Siti Suhailah Salaeh, one of the 15 trainees who underwent the programme when it began in April, said that with attachments in other pre-schools, it can be difficult for trainees to speak to the teacher they are attached to as they are busy with teaching and other duties. Under the programme at SJCK, however, she was free to approach her mentors whenever she needed help.

The programme comes amid efforts to improve training in the early childhood sector with the aim of raising the quality of pre-school education. Last November, a Continuing Professional Development Masterplan was launched to provide professional development opportunities for pre-school educators.

Asked about the programme, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said it provides guidelines to training providers on the practicum content of early childhood courses, of which about 80 per cent consists of hands-on experience.

“ECDA and (the Ministry of Education) are looking into how practicum programmes for early childhood courses can be further enhanced as part of the ongoing Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE),” a spokesperson said.

The new centre will have the capacity to train up to 300 pre-school trainee teachers each year. The Lien Foundation is supporting the programme with S$660,000 over the next three years, most of which will go towards covering manpower costs.

New road noise barriers to be installed at Anak Bukit flyover

August 13, 2014, 8:56 pm

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Bukit Timah to have first road with noise barriers
Permanent walls at Anak Bukit Flyover by October; two more planned
By Hoe Pei Shan and Marissa Lee, The Straits Times, 13 Aug 2014

THE Anak Bukit Flyover in Bukit Timah will be the first road in Singapore to get permanent noise barriers.

Construction of the barriers - measuring 6m in height and 225m in length - began yesterday and will be completed in October, bringing some relief to nearby residents who have complained about noise pollution.

Post by Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday that this is part of a trial to assess the effectiveness of such barriers in reducing traffic noise.

It will also finish installing similar structures along the West Coast Highway near Block 44, Telok Blangah Drive, by the middle of next year.

The new flyover being built along Braddell Road near Block 138, Bishan Street 12, will also get the barriers some time in 2016.

These three locations were selected based on their high traffic volumes and noise levels, explained the LTA yesterday.

The barriers will cost about $3.8 million in total, a spokesman added.

Jurong GRC MP Halimah Yacob had raised the issue of noise in the Anak Bukit Flyover's vicinity as early as 2012, when residents voiced concerns over the widening of the road - part of the recent expansion of the Pan-Island Expressway.

"As the carriageways will come closer to the adjacent (condominium) Sherwood Towers... I asked the LTA whether they could put up noise barriers," Madam Halimah told The Straits Times.

"I was really very glad when they accepted the idea... given our very compact environment where living spaces jostle side by side with busy roads, I would think that this would be a necessary feature to mitigate noise and provide a better living environment."

The barriers are made of a combination of transparent and absorptive panels. The latter are lined internally with rock wool, a material commonly used to absorb sound.

Sherwood Towers residents whom The Straits Time spoke to yesterday said noise had been a long-time problem, and that it often gets "quite noisy" at night.

Mr Liu San, a 49-year-old chef at a restaurant in Bukit Timah Plaza beside the condominium, has been living at Sherwood Towers for more than 20 years.

"If they really help to reduce the noise, that will be good," he said of the barriers. "I've seen similar sound walls in European countries."

Others said they were fed up waiting for a solution, while some were resigned to having to live with noise, even after the barriers come up.

Retiree Chan Heng Wah, 72, who has lived in the area for four years, said: "We are surrounded by traffic on all four sides. There is no way to block all the noise."

The LTA said it would monitor how well the barriers work before considering a "targeted islandwide implementation programme".

Volunteers get Hokkien lessons to better help the elderly

August 14, 2014, 9:12 pm

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By Cheryl Faith Wee, The Straits Times, 14 Aug 2014

GRASSROOTS leaders and volunteers from Nee Soon GRC are learning Hokkien in an effort to improve communication with elderly residents.

A group of about 30 attended the first of 10 weekly basic conversational classes last night at Nee Soon South Community Club.

Ms Lee Bee Wah, an MP for Nee Soon GRC, decided to set up the lessons after noticing how volunteers had difficulties explaining government schemes - such as the Pioneer Generation Package - to elderly residents who can speak only Hokkien.

Ms Lee said: "The majority of residents here communicate in Mandarin and Hokkien.

"A lot of government policies and packages are very good - provided residents can understand what they are about. Our immediate need is to explain the Pioneer Generation Package to them, then MediShield Life, followed by other schemes."

Participants yesterday mainly included people in their 40s to 60s, from a range of ethnic backgrounds.

One of them was Ms Manuel Stella Consearo, a 63-year-old security officer who helps to give out food and drinks in the neighbourhood once a month.

She said: "Now I can speak only broken Hokkien to them and it is disappointing when they cannot understand me. Hopefully, they will be able to after these classes."

Ramp up learning of national language

August 14, 2014, 9:52 pm

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WHAT Mr Teo Kok Seah wrote struck a chord with me ("Understand anthem to appreciate profound meaning"; last Saturday).

While we hold the National Anthem dear to our hearts, how many of us know exactly what we are singing?

I was watching an international game show on TV recently and was embarrassed when two foreign participants on a scavenger hunt of sorts in Singapore found it hard to find 10 people who could sing Majulah Singapura.

It is timely to reflect on our lack of proficiency in Bahasa Melayu, our national language.

Much has been said about the importance of the language for political, economic and social reasons, given that we are a nation located in the heart of a Malay-speaking region ("Big Idea No. 5: Speak the national language"; June 14).

Much can be done to ramp up the teaching and learning of Bahasa Melayu.

The Ministry of Education could consider introducing a non-examinable basic conversational Malay programme into the primary school curriculum.

Also, MediaCorp could incorporate English subtitles into more of its Malay programmes, while The Straits Times could introduce a "Learn Malay" column in its Life! section, like what it did years ago to promote the learning of Mandarin.

The People's Association could work with the National Trades Union Congress, Singapore National Employers Federation and the various chambers of commerce to bring Malay-language courses to the workplace.

Even the Singapore Armed Forces and Singapore Civil Defence Force could teach more of their national servicemen the language, given their interactions with their counterparts from Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

For a nation that prides itself on achieving progress, it has been an uncharacteristically slow learning journey for Bahasa Melayu, but it is still not too late to ramp up Singaporeans' knowledge of the language if we set our hearts and minds to it. Majulah Singapura!

Edwin Pang
ST Forum, 15 Aug 2014

Understand anthem to appreciate profound meaning

SINGAPORE'S birthday celebrations present an opportune moment for us to really learn and understand the lyrics of our National Anthem.

School children all over the island sing the anthem daily, but we can hardly conceal the fact that a significant proportion of Singaporeans do not understand the lyrics.

For instance, how many adults and children really understand the meanings of "rakyat" (people), "bahagia" (happiness) and "bejaya" (success)?

Merely mouthing the lyrics is akin to going through the motions.

In order to fully appreciate the beauty and profound meaning behind our National Anthem, we have to learn the rudiments of Bahasa Melayu, our national language, as advocated recently by Professor Kishore Mahbubani ("Big Idea No. 5: Speak the national language"; June 14).

To this end, national broadcasters should insert English, Chinese and Tamil subtitles when televising the National Anthem on TV daily.

Teo Kok Seah
ST Forum, 9 Aug 2014

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Queenstown rolls out heritage plan

August 14, 2014, 10:46 pm

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5-year blueprint includes $2m museum to connect the present with the past
By Melody Zaccheus, The Straits Times, 14 Aug 2014

QUEENSTOWN has unveiled a five-year plan to protect its heritage, becoming the first estate here to clearly outline its preservation efforts.

The plan will seek to not only conserve sites in Singapore's first satellite estate, but also connect the present with the past with a $2 million museum by 2020 and a festival once every two years.

A highlight of its ambition is a network of galleries, heritage corners and markers to be rolled out across various parts of Queenstown by next year.

The blueprint by civic group My Community and Queenstown Citizens Consultative Committee maps out tangible goals even as different pockets of the 61-year- old estate undergo development.

My Community founder Kwek Li Yong, who has been championing the estate's heritage, said: "It incorporates feedback from residents on what they feel is important to conserve. Rather than just ride the wave of nostalgia, we worked out concrete plans for the neighbourhood."

These include the construction of 11 galleries displaying residents' old photographs across void decks, walkways and public institutions, and the installation of 38 site markers highlighting historic places and buildings.

The six Queenstown neighbourhoods will also have areas carved out to pay homage to the precincts' rich history. These heritage corners will feature interactive spaces with photographs, artefacts, 3D displays and stories from residents. These will brighten up the half a dozen neighbourhoods including Commonwealth, Tanglin Halt, Princess, Duchess, Mei Ling and Queen's Close.

Each area is distinct, said Mr Kwek. "There's the industrial heritage of Tanglin Halt, the Hakka tombstones of Commonwealth, the military camps of Princess estate, the old town centre of Duchess estate and the Malayan Railway which used to run through Queen's Close," he said. He also gave the example of Block 145, Mei Ling Street which will have a kampung-themed exhibition that pays tribute to its early years as the site of Boh Beh Kang village.

Speaking at the blueprint's launch yesterday, Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Chia Shi-Lu said the aim is for Queenstown to become a centre for community heritage which people can visit to "relive their memories... and understand how different social institutions have evolved".

It is also part of the estate's bid for the National Heritage Board's Heritage Town Award 2014.

Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing, who was guest of honour at the launch, said balancing redevelopment and heritage will continue to be a top priority. "If we can do this well in Queenstown, it will be a testimony to how we can do things on a larger scale in Singapore, balancing conservation and development at the same time."

Cheers for Mr Lee Kuan Yew at National Day dinner

August 14, 2014, 11:00 pm

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By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 14 Aug 2014

FORMER prime minister Lee Kuan Yew last night continued his unbroken record of attending every single National Day dinner in his Tanjong Pagar constituency.

On arriving for the Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru dinner at the Tanjong Pagar Community Club, Mr Lee, 90, was cheered loudly by some 900 residents, grassroots leaders and clan association representatives. He then rose to sing the national anthem and recite the national pledge with the audience.

In brief remarks, he wished them a happy National Day. "Every year we are gathered here. In the past 20 years, there has not been one year we have made negative progress and that is something special. It is due to the work of our people. I'm confident we will continue to make progress."

Referring to upgrading projects for Tanjong Pagar, he added: "Without progress, higher GDP every year, we will not be able to do this. It is because we have the (necessary resources) that we can proceed with all these obligations to our people."

The audience then made a toast to Singapore - and to Mr Lee, who turns 91 on Sept 16.

Assurance for the middle aged, middle income
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 14 Aug 2014

MIDDLE-AGED and middle-income Singaporeans need not feel burdened when it comes to taking care of seniors, and will themselves have room to seize opportunities and succeed, Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing said yesterday.

He explained that recent measures such as the $8 billion Pioneer Generation Package to keep health-care bills for pioneers affordable, and the MediShield Life medical insurance scheme, provided a sense of assurance for older Singaporeans that their needs would be looked after. By the same token, there will be opportunities for younger and middle-aged Singaporeans, including for continued education and an environment in which they can succeed, Mr Chan added.

This environment will be stable yet competitive, where job opportunities can be created, he said at a National Day dinner in Tanjong Pagar, where he is an MP. "We will make sure our middle-income (Singaporeans) continue to keep pace with the demands of life in Singapore," he said, as he reiterated the Government's commitment to take care of all Singaporeans.

His comments, delivered in Malay, Mandarin and English, come ahead of Sunday's National Day Rally, when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is expected to speak on retirement adequacy, creating more opportunities for Singaporeans to pursue their dreams and improving the living environment in Singapore.

Mr Chan said Singaporeans who are going to be tomorrow's seniors will be given Central Provident Fund and Medisave top-ups to help them save enough for their future retirement. Housing Board grants to help them own their own homes as an "insurance against the needs of old age" will also continue. Strong family and social networks for support will also be put in place, he added.

"Every generation will do our best to take care of seniors", particularly those who are weak and vulnerable, said Mr Chan.

At the same time, current policies must be sustainable so as not to saddle future generations with hefty bills, he added.

"We want them to scale the mountains of the world, not to be burdened by the debts of the older generation. This is why we want to leave behind healthy reserves for our younger generation," he said.

At last night's dinner, Mr Chan and fellow Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Indranee Rajah, who is also Senior Minister of State (Law and Education), also highlighted some of the constituency's ongoing upgrading projects, such as new lifts and linkways.

New flats in the area will also create opportunities for younger Singaporeans looking to set up home, to return to the area to be closer to their families.

From humble beginnings to President's Scholar

August 14, 2014, 11:05 pm

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19-year-old grew up with little, but now hopes to help people as a doctor
By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 14 Aug 2014

WHEN he was in school three years ago, Mr Arturo Neo was called into his teacher's office. But he was not scolded for doing something wrong - instead, he was offered cash and kind words.

His Hwa Chong Institution teacher, Mr Joseph Sim, knew that the teen - the youngest of three children in a single-parent family - was struggling financially, and wanted to help with the expenses of an upcoming overseas school trip with his own money.

Mr Neo refused the gift of about US$300 (S$375) at first, but Mr Sim told him: "I'm helping you now, so you can come back and help us next time."

The incident touched Mr Neo, who was also an Education Ministry bursary recipient. It was just one of the many times he had been offered a helping hand, he said.

Now Mr Neo will finally get the chance to pay the debt forward.

The 19-year-old was one of five young Singaporeans who were awarded the prestigious President's Scholarships this year at a ceremony at the Istana yesterday.

The scholarship recipients were picked by the Public Service Commission for their outstanding academic and co-curricular achievements, character and leadership potential. They are the latest in a long line of President's Scholars, going back to 1966.

Mr Neo, who will read Medicine at the National University of Singapore, said the scholarship will allow him to "make a positive impact on people's lives".

"As a doctor, you get to help people in a personal way by relieving emotional and physical pain," he said.

Growing up, Mr Neo was no stranger to adversity. His parents divorced when he was two, and he grew up in a three-room flat in Yishun with two elder siblings.

Mr Neo's mother, Madam Ng Mui Soo, 51, supported the family on her monthly income of $1,500 as a childcare teacher.

The experience taught Mr Neo to be independent and live simply, he said, adding: "I didn't want my mother to worry about my studies."

She did not have to.

Like his fellow scholarship recipients, Mr Neo juggled both community involvement projects and his studies, and managed stellar grades.

The other recipients are: Mr Brendan Dean Zhi Min, 20; Mr Tommy Koh Kit Shaun, 19; Miss Lee Zi Xin, 19; and Mr Eugene Lim Zhi Wei, 19.

Miss Lee wants to study behavioural economics and work for either the Ministry of Trade and Industry or the Ministry of Social and Family Development when she returns.

At the ceremony yesterday, President Tony Tan Keng Yam congratulated the recipients and told them to exercise "integrity, courage and commitment".

"As public servants, you must engage the public constructively... hear the voices of our citizens and keep an open mind to the increasingly diverse views that Singaporeans hold," he said.

The other recipients

BRENDAN DEAN ZHI MIN, 20

HE WAS the president of the NUS High School students' council and valedictorian of his class of 2013.

He finished in first place at the National Public Speaking Competition last year.

Mr Dean will be reading biological sciences at Harvard University in the United States.


TOMMY KOH KIT SHAUN, 19

HE WAS vice-chairman of the Raffles Institution debate club and secretary of resources on the school's students' council.

Mr Koh also spearheaded a public speaking workshop for the elderly in 2012. Mr Koh, who holds a private pilot's licence with the Singapore Youth Flying Club, will be reading either political science or psychology at Johns Hopkins University in the United States.


LEE ZI XIN, 19

SHE received a Raffles diploma for character and leadership last year, and was also secretary of finance on the school's students' council.

Miss Lee, who is fluent in Malay and is a competitive table-tennis player, will be reading economics at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.


EUGENE LIM ZHI WEI, 19

HE WAS president of Raffles Institution's Interact Club, which organises community service projects. He has also headed several fund-raising drives for the Singapore Red Cross and the Unaccompanied Children's Association in Cambodia. In 2012, he volunteered weekly as a tutor for underprivileged children at the Henderson Care Centre.

Mr Lim will be reading global affairs at Yale University in the United States.

Big rise in online scams raises overall crime figures

August 15, 2014, 3:29 am

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But housebreaking and loan-shark harassment cases see significant drop
By Joyce Lim and Hoe Pei Shan, The Straits Times, 14 Aug 2014

OVERALL crime for the first half of the yearrose for the first time since 2010, fuelled by an alarming upsurge in online scams - from cyber extortion to cases of cheating involving the purchase of goods on the Internet.

Cases of rape also went up by half, with the police putting this down to more girls under 14 having consensual sex with youth offenders. Regardless of whether there is consent, such acts are deemed statutory rape.

There was a total of around 15,200 crimes recorded from January to June, a jump of 1.4 per cent from the same period last year.

The increase came despite sizeable drops in other types of crime.

Housebreaking and related crimes hit a 10-year low, with cases falling by more than a third. A clampdown saw loan-sharking and related harassment cases fall by 31.6 per cent, from 4,729 cases to 3,235, and more will be done to bring this down further.

The National Crime Prevention Council is planning a follow-up education campaign to deter people from going to illegal moneylenders, after the first launched in late 2012 proved a success.

Police are also working with banks on a pilot scheme which will see anyone convicted of being involved with unlicensed moneylending barred from using ATM and Internet banking facilities.

Police yesterday highlighted the four key areas they want to tackle this year: cheating involving e-commerce, cyber extortion, serious hurt, which went up by 5.3 per cent, and rape.

Online cheating rocketed by more than four times to 504 cases - up from just 96 in the same period last year. This included a huge jump of 20 times in cases of people being duped into making multiple payments for Internet purchases. Around 300 cases involving $237,000 were reported for the first six months, up from 13 cases involving $28,000 in the same period last year. The scam typically involves buyers of smartphones and tablets being asked for more payments to solve delivery issues.

Cases of love scams, in which victims are persuaded to transfer money to foreigners they fell for online, rose from 22 in the first half of last year to 82. Over $3 million was cheated this time compared with $1.7 million before.

Men were the prime target for cyber extortion; women coax them into performing indecent acts on a Web cam, then threaten to post photos or videos online. This rose from 38 cases to 132.

Because many of these online cases involve crooks overseas, Assistant Commissioner of Police Melvin Yong, who leads its Public Affairs Department, said prevention through education was the best cure. "The challenge is to find a way to quickly spread information and alerts on scams so that we can prevent the next victim from falling prey. The best vaccine against online scams is to immunise our community through public awareness."

Mr Eugene Teo, senior manager of security response at IT security firm Symantec Singapore, said that more consumers have jumped on the online bandwagon while neglecting cyber security, making them attractive prey.

The main types of online scams here
The Straits Times, 14 Aug 2014

MULTIPLE PAYMENT ONLINE PURCHASE SCAM

Criminals posing as sellers of electronic gadgets such as smartphones cheat victims by failing to deliver the goods purchased. They then ask for further payments on the pretext that delivery orders had been mixed up. Victims typically accede to the request for further payment but end up not receiving the items.

The payments by victims are also quickly transferred out of local bank accounts to overseas bank accounts which makes the tracing and return of funds much more difficult.

INTERNET PURCHASE SCAM

Similar to the multiple online purchase scam, but without the requests for additional payments.

PAYPAL E-MAIL SCAM

Online sellers are cheated after receiving fake "Paypal" payment notification e-mails from scammers posing as buyers.

In these cases, scammers claiming to be from overseas place orders with an online seller. The scammers select "Paypal" as the payment option and send fictitious e-mails, supposedly from "Paypal", to notify the victims that payment has been made. This prompts the seller to send the items ordered to addresses overseas.

In addition, the scammers may send further e-mails supposedly from "Paypal" requesting "administrative" payments to be made via local bank account transfers or remitted to overseas accounts.

There were variations in some cases, where victims received fictitious e-mails from "Citibank" instead of "Paypal". The victims end up without payment for the items sent out.

INTERNET LOVE SCAM

This involves suspects who mostly claim to be from Britain, targeting women searching for love online through dating or social networks.

Once the suspect befriends the victim, he claims that he is coming to Singapore to ask for the victim's hand in marriage.

On the supposed day of arrival, the suspect calls the victim and claims he has been detained by Customs for carrying excess cash. The victim is asked to transfer money to secure his release.

In another variation, the suspect claims to be sending a parcel containing valuable items such as branded bags and watches. The suspect then asks the victim to transfer money to clear penalty charges imposed on the items. Very often, victims are asked to make several payments.

CYBER EXTORTION

These typically involve female suspects attempting to extort money by threatening to post compromising photos or videos of victims, mostly males, following an online cybersex session during which victims are coaxed into undressing and performing indecent acts in front of a webcam. It is all recorded on video and the males are blackmailed thereafter. In most cases, the suspects are believed to be based overseas.

She met him online, sent him money, then never heard from him again
By Joyce Lim and Hoe Pei Shan, The Straits Times, 14 Aug 2014

HIS good looks on his online profile persuaded her into accepting his friend request on Facebook last November. After a month of chatting online, Amy's newfound "British" friend wanted to send her gifts for Christmas.

"He showed me photographs of the gifts, which included an Apple iPad, a MacBook Pro and branded perfumes. They were mostly expensive things," said Amy (not her real name).

But the man also said he needed £2,000 (S$4,200) to help pay for the delivery company's administration fees. He was rushing to attend a seminar in Paris and did not have enough cash with him.

Amy, 25, who works in the hotel industry, later remitted $1,000 to the delivery company.

Her presents never arrived and she did not hear from the man, who called himself William Dominic Rachel, again.

Amy is one of a growing number of women to fall victim to online love scams.

From January to June this year, there were 82 such cases, involving $3.1 million.

In the same period last year, there were only 22 such cases.

Police said such scams are mostly targeted at women searching for love online through dating or social networks.

Amy told The Straits Times she had tried to verify the man's identity before she was cheated.

"I found the website of the company he said he was working for. I saw a photo of him giving a talk in a seminar. And so I believed him," she said.

What Amy did not know was that William Dominic Rachel could have lifted the photo from the company's page and crafted a fake Facebook profile for himself.

Apart from such love scams, other Internet crimes on the rise include the "multiple payment online purchase scam" and "PayPal e-mail scam".

In their effort to combat cybercrimes, police have expanded their outreach efforts to digital advertorials, articles and even videos. These are posted on various online networks such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other popular websites.

A recent video put up by the Punggol Neighbourhood Police Centre features a man who exposes his private parts online to someone he believes is a woman. But the person on the other side of the connection was revealed to be a man, who wanted to blackmail the victim.

Police have also created a microsite to educate the public on various types of scams.

Co-chairman of the Cyber Security Awareness Alliance in Singapore, Ms Shirley Wong, is not surprised that criminals are moving online, especially given the prevalence of social media users.

"It's easy to hide behind online personas, and harder to trace. People have to be more wary and alert of online offers, and be more suspicious especially when conducting transactions or procuring services online," she said.

The police said the public should do business with online companies that have an online track record, and not be lured by discounts. They should never give their bank account information, credit card numbers and personal details to anyone who they do not know or have not checked out.

And while it is good to check out online reviews of an online seller, the lack of complaints is no guarantee, given the rate at which fraudsters can set up new identities.

Jump in rape cases involving girls under 14
Experts point to changing attitudes on sex and parents' awareness of law
By Hoe Pei Shan, The Straits Times, 14 Aug 2014

CHANGING attitudes towards sex and increasing parental awareness of statutory rape laws could be reasons the number of rape cases in Singapore has jumped by almost half, say experts.

Police revealed yesterday that 91 rape cases were reported in the first six months of this year - 30 more than the 61 over the same period last year. There were 120 reported rape cases in the whole of last year, marking a gradual slide over recent years, until now.

Of the 91 newer cases, 40 involved girls under the age of 14. From January to June last year, there were just 23 such reports.

It is illegal to have sex with a person under the age of 16, even if it is consensual. If the minor is a girl below 14, the offence is considered statutory rape, with a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine or caning.

According to the police's report yesterday, the rise in reported rape cases is largely attributed to an increase in the number of statutory rape cases involving female minors under 14 years of age who had consensual sex.

Most of the culprits were youth offenders and known to the victims, added the report. It also highlighted the important role schools, parents and the community have in educating young people against underage sex.

The increase in rape figures is not surprising, given the growing promiscuity among young people here, said Singapore Children's Society's senior director of youth services, Dr Carol Balhetchet.

"Anecdotally we have seen a rise in more consensual sex among teenagers. They don't see it as such a big deal," said the clinical psychologist. "But a lot more parents are aware this is a crime and more are also going to the police to make reports."

The mother of three said the statistics were worrying as "they reflect on the laissez-faire attitudes today with regard to something I feel is very important to the future lives of our young".

"Having casual sexual relationships can lead to sexually transmitted diseases, getting pregnant, abortions... The most important thing parents can do is to have open conversations and good relationships with their children, so they can share their concerns and values."

The Ministry of Education (MOE), when queried, said abstinence is promoted as the best protection for teenagers in schools.

An MOE spokesman told The Straits Times that students are also taught the possible consequences of sexual activity, for instance, that premarital and casual sex have undesirable risks. They are also given information on the law, said the spokesman.

How much of the increase in rape cases is due to growing frequency of rape or more people willing to go to the police is hard to verify, said Ms Jolene Tan, the programmes and communications senior manager of Aware.

The gender equality advocacy group runs a drop-in centre for female victims of sexual assault.

"Our experience at the centre is consistent with the global trend - that rape and other sexual offences are significantly under- reported," said Ms Tan. "This means there is plenty of scope for the figures to increase through increased reporting alone."

She also said that there should be a clear distinction made between consensual cases involving sexual exploration between peers who are very close in age, and cases where there is no consent.

"We must shift the focus away from judging people's choices about their bodies, and instead encourage everyone involved in sexual activity to take proactive steps to ensure they have consent from their partners."

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Home Team Mid-Year Statistics: Online cheating on the rise

Types of Scams

Feedback about ageing wanted for action plan

August 15, 2014, 6:37 am

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By Cheryl Faith Wee, The Straits Times, 14 Aug 2014

People are getting more tech-savvy so studio apartments for the elderly should in the future have video conferencing technology. Similarly, buddy systems could employ WhatsApp to stay in touch with seniors.

There were no lack of ideas Thursday evening at the first of 14 public focus groups to be organised by the Ministerial Committee on Ageing to gather feedback for its action plan for successful ageing. About 60 people, from their 40s to their 80s, were present.

Post by Ministry of Health.

Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor told the media: "The emphasis is really about turning the conversation about ageing to a more positive one. Ageing is not just about growing old and frail, gloom and doom. Even though there are challenges, there are also opportunities."

Dr Khor also said technology would be of great help in making sure the elderly are not isolated.

The next few sessions will focus on topics such as senior-friendly homes and transport. The public can sign up for them online at www.successful-ageing.gov.sg.

Thursday's discussion was held at the Social Service Institute at TripleOne Somerset.

Participants were divided into small groups to talk about issues related to health and wellness, lifelong learning, aged care and infrastructure.

Mr Low Kim Suan, 66, a financial consultant, came to see how he could help.

He said: "I am thinking not just for myself, but for the elderly of the future. As a person of this age, I have gone through many things which have affected me. I want to be able to contribute so I signed up because this allows me to speak what I have in mind."

Mental health recovery is possible with treatment

August 15, 2014, 10:07 pm

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By Tan Li Li, Executive Director, Singapore Association for Mental Health, TODAY Voices, 15 Aug 2014

Like many people, we are saddened by the apparent suicide of talented actor and comedian Robin Williams, which was reportedly linked to his long struggle with severe depression.

Worldwide and in Singapore, statistics point towards a worrying growth trend in the number of people with depression.

Many of them feel “alone and afraid”, as Mr Williams felt, he admitted in an interview with The Guardian newspaper in 2010.

Also, they often report feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, loss of interest in daily activities, changes in sleep patterns, self-loathing and other maladaptive behaviour patterns.

In such instances, seeking professional help early is imperative, particularly when the person has a preoccupation with killing or harming himself.

Frequently, people with severe depression are unwilling or unable to seek help themselves. It is thus important that those closest to them take necessary steps to obtain professional help on their behalf.

The Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) offers a range of services for people with various levels of depressive disorders and other mental health issues.

These include professional counselling, residential homes and aftercare services, day-care centres, support groups and a mobile support team. The SAMH operates a toll-free helpline (1800-283-7019).

People with depression are more vulnerable to hurting themselves physically or through alcohol and drug abuse in attempting to escape from their fears and problems. It is a sobering fact that depression can strike anyone at any stage of life.

The good news is that recovery is possible with proper treatment. Over the years, the SAMH has seen many cases of people recovering fully from their illness and returning to lead normal lives. It gives us hope that even in our increasingly stressful society, we can aim to achieve our vision of “mental wellness for all”.

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The day I wanted my father to die

August 15, 2014, 10:08 pm

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It is abhorrent to contemplate the death of one's parents, yet we have to do that, at some point. Talking about end-of-life issues is an essential part of preparing for that eventuality.
By Chong Siow Ann, Published The Straits Times, 15 Aug 2014

SHORTLY after World War II ended, my father joined the multitudes of Chinese in the exodus from their country of birth to seek a better life for themselves and to enable those they left behind to have a better life. His passage to Singapore was arranged by an uncle who was the principal of a Chinese school here and wanted his help in running it.

Possessing the equivalent of a high school education, he was put to work almost immediately by the uncle, initially doing a bit of teaching and subsequently doing the accounts and keeping the books. He stayed in that school until he retired. In that time, he married and fathered five children.

One day every month, he would send money to his mother and siblings in China. With his modest salary, and the responsibility of looking after two families, my father was necessarily frugal. But he allowed himself a single indulgence - cigarettes.

Reserved by nature, he was also restrained in his expression of any overt emotion. His love was shown rather than verbalised. When any of the children fell ill, he would keep a bedside vigil through the night: sponging down a fever, soothing us.

In my first year of secondary school, he would turn up every evening at my school. He would commandeer my school bag and slip the strap on his shoulder, and we would make our way to the bus stop. Trudging alongside him and resentful with embarrassment, I would keep my eyes down - to avoid whatever derision and sniggers I imagined might come from my schoolmates - and shove my fists in my pockets to prevent him from taking my hand.

When he was in his 60s, he developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, probably from his years of smoking. The illness worsened, robbing him of his vitality, strength and eventually his independence. When I graduated from medical school, he could not make it to the convocation ceremony.

There were the weary and soul-sapping rounds of medical consultations and hospitalisations which became more and more frequent, each time leaving him even more debilitated. The slightest exertion would leave him winded and at times gasping for breath. It was painful, terrible and frightening to see.

Hidden thought

ON THE eve of Chinese New Year in 1995, my father was again admitted to hospital. Over the next few hours, his condition declined so precipitously that he had to be intubated and moved to the intensive care unit to be supported by a ventilator. Though sedated, he was still conscious but could not talk because of the breathing tube down his windpipe. His arms were restrained to prevent the intravenous lines from being dislodged. He had a feeding tube inserted through his nostril and a catheter draining urine from his bladder.

We kept a vigil outside the ICU, taking turns on and off to see him. On the afternoon of the third day, I was by his bedside and had his hand in mine. I could not find any words to say to him. He looked at me, moved his head, winced and tried to say something.

It was then that I wanted him to die. That thought must have been lying in my subconscious for some time like a hidden assassin waiting to strike.

Over the course of the next few days, I pleaded with him in my mind to let go and not fight any more.

In a piece in The New York Times on May 9, Japanese writer Minae Mizumura wrote of her exhaustion in looking after her ailing mother who had dementia. "Day after day, I sat by her bedside, exhausted," she wrote.

"'Mum, when are you ever going to die?'"

"To wish for the death of one's mother is universally taboo. Yet technological advances that extend life have driven us to the point where we do just that," she continued.

"To admit that one wishes one's mother would die; to forgive oneself for the wish; and to go on trying as best one can to make her happy to her dying day - is this not a true expression of love? For how can anyone riddled with guilt, thinking the unthinkable, find the courage to continue down a seemingly endless road?"

In the subsequent online discussion, many readers admitted having expressed similar thoughts. But there were also differing views. One found the article "selfish and mean", another decried "the lack of love towards one's own mother" and that it was "emblematic of modern culture which is so fascinated by convenience".

Over the next few days, with his lungs getting stiffer and the ventilator already at a high setting (which could burst holes in his lungs at any time), my father's kidneys failed, and he started bleeding from multiple sites and his blood pressure plummeted. Still the doctors persisted. They propped up his blood pressure with drugs and transfused packs of blood products which did not staunch the bleeding. The senior physician took me aside and said that they could give more blood products.

He was a kindly man who clearly did not want to say what both of us had known for some time. Nor did he say what he doubtlessly had thought would be the right thing to do. I went out and huddled with the rest of my family. Then I went back and told the physician to stop. Later that day, my father died.

End-of-life issues

I DID not think it was a lack of love that I wanted my father to die. It was quite the contrary. It was unbearable for me (and for my mother and siblings) to see him suffer - if anything, that was the selfish part of wanting to stop that pain inside me. I feel many things about my father's death but not guilt. I like to think that my father knew all those heroic efforts were staving off death only briefly and at a terrible cost of suffering to him.

But at the end of the day, I really do not know. I did not have that conversation about what is now called "end-of-life" issues when he was still mentally capable. I had thought of broaching it during his previous hospitalisations, but baulked each time. Imbued with that sense of filial piety, it seemed particularly abhorrent to even contemplate the death of one's parents.

Talking about end-of-life issues in the abstract is different from having to initiate that difficult discussion with someone you care deeply for, with all the attendant fears of causing distress, offence and misunderstanding. When people ask me how best to have this delicate discussion, I'm afraid I don't have any good advice.

However, I do tell them that I have signed my Advance Medical Directive - that legal document specifying that should I become terminally ill and unconscious, I would not want any medical treatment to prolong my already ebbing life.

That is at least something I can do for myself and to spare my family the anguish of making wrenching decisions.

It will also avoid any protracted and unnecessary medical treatment that could be financially ruinous for them.

"Death hath a thousand doors to let out life: I shall find one," wrote the English dramatist Philip Massinger.

The path that leads to our death might be beyond our control, but we might be able to choose to avoid a futile, messy and violent end.

The writer is vice-chairman on the medical board (research) at the Institute of Mental Health.

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Muslim groups to develop curriculum on global affairs

August 15, 2014, 10:09 pm

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Move will standardise way youth are taught Islamic values of peace, harmony
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 15 Aug 2014

YOUNG Muslims have asked about calls for jihad by the Sunni extremist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and how they should respond to them, a Malay-Muslim organisation's leader recounted yesterday.

"We have students who also ask about Muslims who are oppressed in certain states and how they should help," said Mr Mohamed Nassir Abdul Sukkur, director of Simply Islam, a centre for Islamic studies.

"I told them these calls for jihad were not valid for a multitude of reasons, but questions like this are why we need to develop a curriculum to guide teachers and students on how to reinforce the basic teachings of Islam," he said.

Mr Mohamed Nassir's disclosure is an example of why five Malay-Muslim groups have decided to jointly develop a plan to educate young people about global current affairs in accordance with Islamic teachings.

The planned curriculum will focus on teaching "values of peace and harmony" to children and should be ready next year, Dr Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar, president of the Jamiyah welfare group, said.

"We are fortunate to live in a country where peace and harmony... flourish. We should be vigilant at all times to keep this atmosphere of trust, peace and harmony," he added.

The curriculum's details have yet to be finalised. But it will be drawn up by a steering committee comprising leaders from welfare organisations Jamiyah, Muhammadiyah and the Indian Muslim Social Service Association, as well as two private Islamic education groups - Andalus Corporation and Simply Islam.

The curriculum is meant for Islamic classes that are usually conducted by mosques and private Islamic education providers on weekends around the island. Having the curriculum should enhance and standardise the way Islamic values of peaceful coexistence and non-violence are taught in private Islamic schools, Mr Mohamed Nassir said.

Mr Razak Lazim, senior director of madrasahs at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), said the curriculum will also complement the way that mosques teach these values.

At a meeting at Jamiyah's headquarters in Geylang yesterday, where the need for a curriculum was discussed, Muslim community leaders also expressed their concern about Muslim youth here being influenced by social media.

They are "exposed to all kinds of messages" on social media, including misinterpretations of Islamic values, said Mr Mohamed Yunos Mohamed Shariff, who is a vice-president of Jamiyah. That is why developing a curriculum is important, especially for young Muslims who do not regularly attend structured Islamic classes.

If the community does not act to educate these young people, he said that "they might be misled by what they learn from their guru, 'Sheikh (Arabic for esteemed scholar) Google' and other online search engines". They will not have anyone to refer to when asking how to interpret Islamic values. That is what we are afraid of."

The promise of Jokowi's presidency

August 15, 2014, 10:09 pm

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By Luhut B. Pandjaitan, Published The Straits Times, 15 Aug 2014

DESPITE winning this year's election, Mr Joko "Jokowi" Widodo must await the final and binding decision of Indonesia's Constitutional Court. Still, it is only a matter of time before he is sworn in as the nation's seventh president, most likely at the end of October.

Unlike his main rival, a former military man, Mr Joko cut his political teeth in post-Suharto Indonesia and is a product of the Reformasi generation. He comes from the ranks of problem-solving small city leaders rather than a national political organisation. He made his mark with his impressive capacity for getting things done peacefully. He stands out because he rose to national power through merit rather than the family, military or business connections that have helped Indonesian politicians in the past.

Under such a leader, one who has broken the mould, politics will not be business as usual. Mr Joko has not become president simply to enjoy the trappings of power for a few years. He is determined to make a difference and has the capacity to achieve much.

What are the implications of his rule for the nation and the region?

Mr Joko will take over from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono a politically stable nation, a growing economy and a young, rapidly changing society. Major political threats such as terrorism, ethnic violence in Maluku and the Aceh separatist insurgency have been contained or resolved. Internationally, Indonesia commands respect and is once again exerting constructive leadership in ASEAN.

This means that Mr Joko can focus on domestic, mainly economic, challenges. He will inherit from the Yudhoyono administration many long-term plans, most of them well-crafted. He is aware of the long list of things that need fixing in the economy. But he also needs to focus on a few key issues. Some areas where he can make a big difference include infrastructure, fiscal policy, corruption and education.

In infrastructure, his genius for trouble-shooting could turn a long list of planned projects into reality. In his two years as Jakarta Governor, he demonstrated a remarkable ability to identify and clear bottlenecks. Take the underground mass transit project, which is now moving ahead after years of delays under three previous governors. Indonesians can expect similar progress with many road and power projects that have been stuck in bureaucratic logjams for more than a decade.

In implementing government policies, Mr Joko showed courage by moving ahead with unpopular policy actions necessary for long-term progress. He resolved the case of street traders who aggravated the traffic gridlock in Jakarta by occupying roads. He persuaded people to accept uncomfortable changes and implemented key policies without triggering a political backlash.

Expect him to do likewise in areas such as removing fuel subsidies. This will not be popular, but Mr Joko understands the futility of persisting with a failed policy. He will deploy the resources released through this reform to build infrastructure and provide direct welfare benefits for the poor.

If most of his programmes are implemented well, I am sure Indonesia will achieve economic growth of 6.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent before the end of his term in 2019.

During television debates ahead of the election, Mr Joko showed a clear grasp of national interests and an ability to defend and promote them despite his limited diplomatic experience. His foreign policy will be based on the need to create a stable environment to promote economic growth despite growing regional turbulence. In essence, Indonesia will take the following pragmatic approaches:

First, as an archipelagic state, it will pay greater attention to resolving border issues.

Second, using its "middle power" diplomacy, Indonesia will seek to become a regional power that gives priority to issues directly related to the interests of the nation and its people.

Third, it will seek to consolidate its ASEAN leadership, while strengthening ASEAN cooperation and the regional security architecture.

Fourth, Indonesia can be expected to build up its foreign affairs ministry so that it can support economic diplomacy within the framework of the global economy.

The next five years might not be easy as Mr Joko tackles domestic challenges. But with time and perseverance, Indonesia will become stronger internally as infrastructure constraints are eased and fiscal and other policies are sharpened.

A strong and rapidly growing Indonesia that pursues its interests rationally and pragmatically will be good for the region. Indonesia also values a cohesive and vibrant ASEAN. Indeed, for the past 50 years, Indonesia has been a force for good in South-east Asia, exerting a light touch to help steady regional dynamics.

Under Mr Joko, that same pragmatic and fraternal leadership will be strengthened, with substantial benefits for all of Indonesia's friends in ASEAN and beyond.

The writer, who was a four-star Indonesian general, an ambassador to Singapore and a trade/industrial minister, is now a senior adviser to Mr Joko Widodo.

Asia's reform trinity?

August 15, 2014, 10:14 pm

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By Kishore Mahbubani, Published The Straits Times, 15 Aug 2014

ASIA is poised to enter a historical sweet spot, with three of its most populous countries - China, India, and Indonesia - led by strong, dynamic, and reform-minded leaders. In fact, China's Xi Jinping, India's Narendra Modi, and Indonesia's Joko "Jokowi" Widodo could end up ranked among their countries' greatest modern leaders.

In China, Mao Zedong united the country in 1949, while Deng Xiaoping was responsible for engineering its unprecedented economic rise. For Mr Xi to join their ranks, he must create a modern, rules-based state. That requires, first and foremost, slaying the massive dragon of corruption.

Over the years, corruption has become endemic in China, with regional party leaders and bosses in state-owned enterprises wielding their vast privileges and authority to accumulate personal wealth. This has severely undermined the Chinese Communist Party's legitimacy, while hampering the kind of market-based competition that China's economy needs to propel the country to high-income status.

So far, Mr Xi seems to be up to the challenge. He has been boldly pursuing major figures who were previously considered "untouchable", such as General Xu Caihou, a former vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Mr Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee, China's highest government body. But the long-term fight against corruption cannot depend on Mr Xi alone. It will succeed only if strong institutions are created to protect and nurture the rule of law long after Mr Xi is out of power.

If Mr Xi chooses to establish such institutions, he has a strong legal tradition upon which to call. As former US ambassador to China Gary Locke reported in a speech early this year, the concept of equality before the law has deep historical roots. Indeed, in the fourth century BC, the statesman and reformer Shang Yang famously asserted that "when the prince violates the law, the crime he commits is the same as that of the common people".

Building on this tradition, Mr Xi can create strong institutions that will stand the test of time. If he does - recognising that, to be credible, the rule of law must apply even to the party's most influential figures - he will become modern China's third-strongest leader.

In India, Mahatma Gandhi rejuvenated the country's soul, which had been battered by colonialism, and Jawaharlal Nehru established its democratic political culture. Mr Modi now must lay the foundations for India's emergence as a global economic power.

Replicating the 10 per cent annual growth rates achieved in Gujarat under Mr Modi's leadership from 2004 to 2012 would obviously be a boon to India's development prospects and global standing. But achieving such high growth rates in a sustainable way will demand far-reaching, sometimes painful, reforms such as the removal of wasteful subsidies, especially for fuel, in order to free up resources for, say, increased health-care expenditure. Other imperatives include shrinking the budget deficit, removing internal barriers to trade, and encouraging private investment.

To win the support needed to implement these reforms without undermining political stability or social cohesion, Mr Modi must demonstrate that he is an inclusive leader capable of cooperating with Indians outside of his Hindu nationalist base - including the country's 150 million-plus Muslims. If he succeeds, he, like Mr Xi, will become his country's next iconic leader.

In Indonesia's case, the two most influential leaders so far have been Sukarno, who used powerful rhetoric to foster a sense of national unity in one of the world's most diverse countries, and Suharto, who overthrew Sukarno and created a strong economic base that lifted millions out of poverty. Mr Joko must now lay the institutional foundations for good governance.

Mr Joko has risen from humble beginnings to the apex of power without compromising his image as a "man of the people" or his reputation for pragmatism and honesty. Mr Joko has a long track record of good governance, having implemented effective policies during his stint as mayor of Surakarta (such as refurbishing markets, relocating slum dwellers, and cutting bureaucratic red tape), and as governor of Jakarta (where he broadened access to health care and education).

But replicating this success at the national level will be no easy feat. Mr Joko, who takes office in October, must implement policies that address rising inequality, unsustainable fuel subsidies, entrenched corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and restrictive labour laws - all while rebuilding trust in Indonesian institutions.

The challenges facing Mr Joko are compounded by the fact that his ruling coalition holds only about one-third of the seats in Indonesia's Parliament, with the rest loyal to the coalition of his rival in the presidential election, Mr Prabowo Subianto. So, in introducing a new style of governance, exemplified by merit-based Cabinet appointments, Mr Joko must be careful not to alienate the political and business elites who have long benefited from their tight grip on power.

In short, if Mr Joko is to form a national consensus on the institutions that Indonesia needs, he will have to reach across this political divide. To this end, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto's cross-party "Pact for Mexico" could serve as a useful model.

Promisingly, Mr Joko has a reputation for independence from partisan and religious politics, and a talent for communicating with the people. And, as a political outsider, he is in a unique position to direct Indonesia towards a more prosperous, united future - and vault himself into the country's pantheon of great leaders.

China, India and Indonesia are all well-positioned to take important steps forward. A commitment by Mr Xi, Mr Modi and Mr Joko to do what is needed would bring rapid, far-reaching progress to their respective countries, Asia, and the global order.

PROJECT SYNDICATE

The writer is dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS, and the author of The Great Convergence: Asia, The West, And The Logic Of One World.

SAF launches World-Class Urban Live Firing Facility

August 15, 2014, 10:21 pm

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More live firing to boost SAF soldiers' urban combat skills
By Jermyn Chow, The Straits Times, 15 Aug 2014

FOOT soldiers will get 50 to 60 per cent more hands-on experience with firing live rounds during combat training, as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) increasingly equips soldiers with the skills to fight in urban areas.

Chief Infantry Officer Chiang Hock Woon said yesterday that with modern battles more likely to be fought in such places, soldiers need to face realistic conditions that require them to be adept at firing live rounds in close-quarters combat.

Speaking at the launch of a new urban live-firing area in Lim Chu Kang, Brigadier-General Chiang said: "You can do a lot of training but live firing is the most important part because that is as realistic as it can get before you submit and subject the soldiers to an operation."

Dubbed the Murai Urban Live-Firing Facility (MULFAC), the mock urban combat zone will put soldiers through their paces at firing live rounds in enclosed rooms housed within five single- and double-storey buildings.

Some 120 soldiers in an infantry company, for instance, will be able to mount an attack on buildings and learn how to discern between friendly and hostile targets before taking them down.

Previous urban firing ranges could involve only up to a seven-man team in a shoot-out.

The size of about two to three football fields, MULFAC will also feature a "grenade house".

Due to be completed by the end of this year, the first-of-its-kind facility will give soldiers more opportunities to lob live grenades to get a keener sense of the impact of the blast.

For instance, national servicemen in an infantry unit will now get to do this up to five times during their full-time national service and reservist stints.

Previously, they were able to throw live grenades only once or twice.

Soldiers will get to know what they did right or wrong in their battle manoeuvres in a post-mortem by playing back footage or images captured by 30 cameras in the buildings.

The army has been running tests on the urban live-firing area since it was completed last October by putting soldiers through numerous training drills.

As part of their drills, soldiers learn how to avoid being caught in crossfire, said BG Chiang, who is also the commander of the 9th Division.

"Friendly fire" situations have been a growing concern among militaries, with five American soldiers reportedly killed by coalition forces in June, making it one of the deadliest friendly-fire incidents in the nearly 13-year United States-led war in Afghanistan.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who witnessed a mock live-fire battle in the training area yesterday, said soldiers must be "instinctively trained" to have the confidence to survive in the heat of an urban battle.

He said: "This kind of facility gives them the kind of repetitive training so that it is not a new environment (to soldiers)."

Guardsman Dinesh Rajendran, 24, who trained in the older urban operation ranges, said he experienced more realistic combat training in the new one. "It was more action-packed," he said. "The blast was louder and the effects felt more real."

Post by cyberpioneer.

SAF set for first volunteer corps in March
About 100 to 150 members expected, including women, PRs, new citizens
By Lee Jian Xuan, The Straits Times, 15 Aug 2014

THE Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will take in its first volunteer corps next March, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday.

It is expected to be made up of about 100 to 150 people, including women, first-generation permanent residents and new citizens.

But Dr Ng insisted that the ministry is "not aiming for mass numbers", and added: "I am confident that these members will provide sterling service, like many here, in due course."

He was speaking at a dinner event at the Marina Mandarin hotel to honour about 300 volunteers who serve on the Ministry of Defence's (MINDEF) 41 boards, panels and committees.

The volunteer corps will take part in a four-week basic military course, and serve up to two weeks a year for a minimum of three years.

The volunteer corps was one of 30 recommendations made by the Committee to Strengthen National Service (CSNS) which were accepted earlier this year.

Dr Ng said: "Volunteers help us in areas where MINDEF and the SAF lack expertise or where we may not be in the best position to perform the task... and they help us maintain support for NS."

He noted how many of these experts, who come from the public and private sectors, play a "significant role" by contributing medical, safety, financial and legal knowledge.

One such volunteer is Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, head and senior consultant of general surgery at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, who has been serving on the SAF Emergency Medicine Specialist Advisory Board since 2011.

"He gives us professional advice and checks that we have adopted the best medical practices," said Dr Ng.

Dr Mak told reporters that a key measure that the board has worked on is allowing civilian ambulances to enter deeper into certain parts of training areas to extract casualties.

"We wanted to shorten the process by which injured servicemen can get medical attention," said Dr Mak, adding that parts of the system will be implemented over the next few years.

Other volunteers recognised include civil servant Mulyadi Ahmad, 38, who served in a CSNS working group to gather feedback on benefits for national servicemen.

"We spent many nights at meetings and town-hall sessions, met many groups and visited NS units... we saw the need for NS and we wanted to help improve it," he said.

Thanking the volunteers, Dr Ng said: "You act as catalysts for the system. Without you, our reactions would not be as vibrant or vigorous."

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Fact Sheet: Murai Urban Live Firing Facility (MULFAC)
Honouring the Spirit of Volunteerism
MINDEF recognises contributions of volunteers

Building A Nation: Tomorrow

August 15, 2014, 10:51 pm

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Where people take precedence
What kind of S'pore do we want and what will it look like in the future? MINT KANG reports on a roundtable discussion on these issues
The Business Times, 12 Aug 2014

WHAT will Singapore look like in the year 2065?

After half a century of development, we live in a modern, bustling metropolis with almost 50 per cent green cover, sparkling waterways and skyscrapers, barely recognisable from the Third World slum of the 1960s. The last five decades have changed Singapore profoundly: will the next five be equally or even more transformative'

Quite possibly, said Liu Thai Ker, who earned the sobriquet of Singapore's urban architect for his work on urbanising the city in the decades after independence, and city planners can never look too far ahead.

"These are the urgent questions we need to answer: how long will SG remain a country? How can population growth be limited? Is planning 100-200 years ahead excessive? What if we run out of land'" he said. And according to him, the Republic should plan for a population of 10 million in the long term if it is to remain sustainable as a country.

Dr Liu, who is today chairman of the Centre for Liveable Cities, was delivering the keynote address at a July 31 roundtable on Singapore's future development, "Building A Nation: Tomorrow, Challenges and Possibilities for a Liveable Singapore". The roundtable, which was organised by The Business Times in collaboration with the Singapore Institute of Building Limited and supported by Hitachi, featured leaders from the public and private sectors whose work is intimately aligned with the development of Singapore. They discussed issues such as the trade-off between growth and quality of living, the use of technology and how to engage society in the discussion of Singapore's future.

Striking a balance

What kind of Singapore do we want in the future? Inevitably, growth and development will drive a need for more infrastructure here. But this has to be balanced with a sustainable environment and quality of life.

At the roundtable, the panellists held mixed opinions on the trade-offs involved. Chia Ngiang Hong, group general manager of City Developments Limited, was firm that infrastructure for green living and a green environment cannot be neglected, because such things encourage the community to embrace sustainable practices. "We want Singaporeans to take ownership of the environment they are living in," he said.

Some speakers felt that trade-offs could be ameliorated with careful planning and community engagement. Hwang Yu-Ning, the Urban Redevelopment Authority's group director for physical planning, said that she and her fellow policy-makers favour a long-term approach as this gives them a window of additional time to make adjustments if necessary. They also put infrastructure to multiple uses where possible, such as the Marina Barrage: a public utility that is also a recreational space and the site for the National Day Parade.

"We have to look for opportunities where our infrastructure can double up in such a manner," said Ms Hwang. "It's such ideas that will take us forward."

On the other hand, other speakers felt that trade-offs should not even be necessary.

"Have you ever heard of a world-class trade-off? I'm not sure such a thing exists," said Tai Lee Siang, the group managing director of design and engineering firm Ong & Ong. "Quality of life is a moving target ... I think we should still be relentless in our pursuit of infrastructure."

Pang Yee Ean, CEO of Surbana International Consultants, hypothesised that the nature of Singapore's infrastructure might change drastically over time, but he was emphatic that the mindset behind that infrastructure should not change. "We should not lose our pragmatism as we develop," he said.

The last word on infrastructure, however, came from Dr Liu, who cautioned planners and architects alike not to forget something fundamental: infrastructure once built is remarkably difficult to remove. "Be careful with what you build. Roads and houses are mercilessly permanent," he said.

Making Singapore a 'smart city'

Over the years, Singapore has invested in technology to improve various aspects of city life and make the urban environment run more smoothly. But one element cannot be neglected, said the panellists, and that is people.

"Our priority should be people," said Mao Whey Ying, the president of Jurong International. Formerly the consultancy arm of JTC Corporation, Jurong International was privatised in the previous decade along with several other JTC business units, including the subsidiaries that became Jurong Port and Ascendas. "Using technology should not cause people to incur more costs and spend more time worrying about the technology ... the use of technology should depend on usability, affordability and constraints of use."

Agreeing, Mr Pang suggested that the next level of a "smart city" should be community based, revolving around areas such as healthcare and care for the elderly.

Other speakers observed that Singapore already utilises technology to help balance trade-offs in urban planning, ranging from monitoring public transport use to simulating microclimate conditions in building design. Private companies such as Hitachi, the roundtable discussion's supporting partner, have also introduced smart technology in areas such as security, working in collaboration with government bodies such as the Ministry of Home Affairs.

However, the speakers also agreed that more attention should be paid to the softer aspect - the uses that connect people to concepts such as sustainability.

"You can't eliminate air conditioning, but why is it taking us so long to implement a meter that tells you how much you will spend when you turn the air conditioner on'" Mr Tai cited as an example of how technology could be better utilised.

Whatever the technology, the key to successfully using it is to make it consumer centric, said Mr Chia: "At the end of the day, the user must take the technology as part of their life."

Giving citizens a say in the city

A city is for and about its people, as Dr Liu observed in his keynote address, where he said that everything about planning begins with the population. Today, Singapore's people are educated, informed and increasingly vocal; how can we benefit from that'

The key thing, said the panellists, is to listen to the various voices, decipher them, and try to make use of as many viewpoints as possible to improve the quality of life here.

"A city is meant for the people living in it, so ... it makes sense to hear what people want to say about their living environment," said Chew Hock Yong, chief executive of the Land Transport Authority. Pointing out that people's views will differ depending on the city's stage of development, he added: "I don't see these voices as hurdles or noises, but people telling the planners what they want their city to be, how they want their environment to be."

Meanwhile, planners also need to find ways of using infrastructure to help people overcome their differences, said Mr Pang. "In the days of racial disharmony, the design of the HDB flats played a big part in building society," he explained, pointing to features such as common corridors and void decks as meeting places where people had the opportunity to see and talk to their neighbours. "So the question is, how we can go on doing that, having common spaces that people walk through and interact with others'"

Taking a slightly more cynical view, however, Mr Tai said that some members of the community, especially younger people, lack the maturity to engage with planners in a constructive manner. He suggested that planners should take some extra time to educate these groups and help them formulate clearer, more contributive opinions.

Learning from other cities

Singapore's political will and strong administrative system have driven its success in urbanisation and city-building over the last half-century. But no city stands alone, and Singapore still needs to work with other cities to share and develop urban solutions for the coming decades.

Top on the list of priorities is a win-win approach, said panellists: Singapore has to share solutions with other countries and collaborate wherever possible, always looking for the mutually beneficial path. "We need to respect our neighbouring countries in order to continue to collaborate with them and others," said Ms Mao.

Singapore also needs to internalise the solutions it learns from other cities and adapt them to local conditions, said Ms Hwang; there is no one-size-fits-all solution for urban planning. In the same vein, Mr Tai observed that other countries often comment that Singapore's solutions are practical, not necessarily expensive and easy for developing countries to adopt. "That's a great compliment," he remarked.

Singapore must also make an effort to be seen as a supporter of concepts such as sustainability and quality of living even if, as a small country, it cannot make a major physical difference. And planners, whatever the source of their solutions, need to maintain their own connection with the land, the people and the environment - the scientist's mind and the artist's eye, as Dr Liu described it in his keynote address.

"The job of a planner is to assemble the city like a huge machine for living ... but at the same time you must make the machine look beautiful, so you have to have a romance with the land, you have to respect the land," he said.

Ultimately, the panellists reiterated, all planning and projections go back to the same thing: people. "When we build cities for people, we always think that the people living in the cities will be people like ourselves ... but we need to think of people who are not us," said Ms Mao.

This is the final part of the Building a Nation series brought to you by Hitachi in collaboration with Singapore Institute of Building Limited, and with resource assistance from Centre For Liveable Cities Singapore

Roundtable panellists:

Mao Whey Ying, President of Jurong International

Pang Yee Ean, CEO of Surbana International Consultants Pte. Ltd

Hwang Yu-Ning, Group Director for Physical Planning, Urban Redevelopment Authority

Chew Hock Yong, Chief Executive of Land Transport Authority of Singapore

Chia Ngiang Hong, Group General Manager, City Developments Ltd

Tai Lee Siang, Group Managing Director, Ong & Ong

Moderator:

Associate Professor Chiew Sing Ping, head of the structures and mechanics division in the Nanyang Technological University's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a member of the Professional Engineers Board ofSingapore

The 10 million population question
By Tai Lee Siang, The Business Times, 12 Aug 2014

WITH a population of 10 million over 700 plus square kilometres, Singapore will probably become the most densely populated country in the world. I am not sure if this is the kind of title that Singapore will like to have. This bags the big question: Are density and liveability diabolically opposite? Going by the definition that more space equals premium quality, it is challenging to imagine a better quality of life with decreasing space. From such deduction, it seems that Singapore is entering into an era of extreme challenges and a one-way risky road with no return.

Before we drive the nail into the seemingly foregone conclusion, I will like to suggest that we rethink a few paradigms. Firstly, the assumption that more people means a stronger economy will probably warrant a rethink. Traditional economy tends to be a pyramid structure where creativity, wealth and strength are narrowly centred at the top of the population. Assuming that we can level up education, innovation and productivity of the population, the assumption that a 10 million population equals a competitive economy may be questionable.

Nevertheless, assuming that 10 million is the right number, the next question to ask is how can an infrastructure be developed in a responsible manner to house them. The more basic issue to examine is the space actually required for each person to live, work and play comfortably.

Modern cities are planned based on the silo approach where specific land-use is given to different activities.

During the industrial revolution, pollution resulted from overdeveloped industries that gradually destroyed the quality of living in the cities. This was the beginning of garden city ideals where functions are separated to ensure no environmental contamination. The irony of separating or zoning is that it led to greater commuting and duplication.

Picture this: people live in nice environments that are separated by miles from their places of work and a large number of people need to migrate daily across cities resulting in massive traffic jams. Food services need to be duplicated in places of live, work and play. The result is actually cities that are inefficient compared with the past traditional towns where people just lived, worked and played all in one location. There was little separation between these activities in the past. Today, we call it efficiency but in truth it is not. We fear blurring of lines and lack of clarity of use but we have paid for this with a price that we don't know how to reverse.

I am a firm believer that the IT revolution can change all that. What we used to fear can be overturned by appropriate use of technology. Furthermore, we can correct some wrong that we could not do with modern planning. For example, I was told the Italian tradition of taking long business lunch breaks is to allow families to have lunch together. This is only possible if living, working and playing are co-located. Through this, family bonds are stronger and people are happy to work longer hours.

Another example is the use of technology to allow working from home. I have visited a Dutch institution where office space is reduced by 20 per cent and productivity went up because people can better manage their time in office through IT. I am of the opinion that city planning now needs to be reviewed in tandem with technology, social development and creative economic growth. Traditional urban planning must be challenged to "compress" space usage through the relaxed lens of co-usage and not silo of usage. Instead of fearing "contamination" of use, we should think of social benefits and productivity gained from happiness - some things just cannot be easily measured by KPIs alone.

Until we are willing and able to rethink fundamentals and paradigms, housing a 10 million population will always be a challenge and an uncomfortable one. If we keep to the existing paradigm in trying to solve the problem of housing 10 million, we are not going to achieve a ground-breaking solution. I am afraid we are like frogs swimming comfortably in the gradually boiling water and not able to recognise the pitfalls of traditional mindset. By the time we do, we inherit something that is already irreversible and cast in stone.

The writer is the group managing director of Ong & Ong and an architecture iconoclast who sits on several boards and councils on architecture, design and sustainability

Related
Building A Nation: The Early Years - A three-decade transformation
Building A Nation: Today - Innovative solutions for a variety of needs