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CPF Panel set up to study four key areas

September 12, 2014, 1:45 am
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It will look at making system more flexible, to meet needs of more people
By Rachel Au-yong And Janice Heng, The Straits Times, 11 Sep 2014

A 13-MEMBER advisory panel has been set up by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to study possible improvements to the Central Provident Fund (CPF).

Led by National University of Singapore president Tan Chorh Chuan, it was first mentioned at Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally last month.

It includes members from academia, the financial sector and community organisations, to present a broad spectrum of views, the MOM said yesterday.

"The Government has been studying further enhancements to some key aspects of the CPF system to make it more flexible to meet the needs of more Singaporeans and provide additional options in retirement," it said.

The panel will study four main areas. One is how the Minimum Sum should be adjusted beyond next year so members can receive monthly retirement payouts for life. The Minimum Sum is now $155,000 but will rise to $161,000 for those turning 55 next July.

After that, there will be no more major increases in the required amount, said PM Lee, although the sum will have to be raised from time to time.

A second area is how to enable bigger lump-sum withdrawals upon retirement. The circumstances for doing so will also be looked at while taking into account whether different groups would have enough to tide over retirement.

The panel will also study how to give an option to those who want lower payouts first and then have the payouts rise with time given cost increases.

It will also consider how to provide more flexibility for those who want higher returns through private investment plans while balancing the higher investment risks involved, as well as for those who want to invest in private annuities as an alternative to the CPF Life annuity plan.

The panel's scope was applauded by Singapore Management University economist Hoon Hian Teck. "I thought they are quite bold to address the key issues that have cropped up in the last several months," he said, citing demands such as higher returns.

Retirement adequacy has been the focus in recent months, with the CPF scheme coming under much debate, and the new MediShield Life being introduced.

One of the panellists, Mr Christopher Tan, chief executive officer of financial advisory firm Providend, is keen to use his area of expertise when the panel convenes for the first time later this month.

"The CPF is the cornerstone of retirement planning in Singapore - it's a government scheme you have to learn to make use of." He would like to discuss how the CPF Board or Government could provide counselling services for private pension plans to the layman.

Fellow panellist Tan Bee Wan, executive chairman of consulting firm Integrative Learning Corporation, said that while the panel will deal primarily with financial aspects, retirement is more than that.

"It's not about the quantitative value, but ageing with peace of mind. Money is a small part of the equation. The rest is how you are going to spend your money, who you are going to spend it with, and what is of value to you."

The panel can inform people only about their choices, not make them, she added.

Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Zainudin Nordin, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower, said it has its work cut out as there are demands to be balanced. "I am confident they will come up with as many good ideas as possible."

The panel will give its recommendations next year. A full report is expected a year from now. The public can e-mail their views to cpf_panel@mom.gov.sg



The 4 main areas
- What adjustments to the Minimum Sum beyond 2015
- How to enable lump-sum withdrawals
- An option for CPF payouts that rise with living costs for those wanting it
- Flexibility to choose higher returns through private investment plans; or alternative annuity plans




Minimum Sum among 4 key areas CPF panel to study
Observers ask if scope is too narrow as it does not cover retirement adequacy
By Neo Chai Chin, TODAY, 11 Sep 2014

The 13 members tasked with studying issues related to the Central Provident Fund (CPF), outlined by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the National Day Rally, had their scope of work defined yesterday.

But some observers have questioned if their area of study is too narrow, with the task of examining retirement adequacy provided by CPF funds not within the advisory panel’s terms of reference.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) yesterday laid out the four areas the panel would study: How the CPF Minimum Sum should be adjusted beyond next year to meet the objective of delivering a basic monthly retirement payout for life, how to enable CPF members to withdraw more as a lump sum upon retirement and the circumstances for doing so, how to allow CPF members to receive lower payouts initially with increases in time, as well as how to provide more flexibility for those who wish to take on higher risks and seek higher returns through private investment plans and who wish to invest in private annuities instead of CPF LIFE.

The panel will be headed by Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, president of the National University of Singapore. Its members include financial and actuarial experts, as well as community leaders and those engaged in issues faced by women and the elderly. They are expected to complete their study within a year and will provide initial recommendations by early next year.

Two economists approached by TODAY felt the areas of study defined for the panel were narrow. The terms of reference could have been broader to consider if changes should be made to the current official withdrawal age of 55, for instance, said Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy economist Hui Weng Tat. They could also have covered changes in the CPF system that would ensure retirement adequacy for the large majority of CPF members.

Within the scope of the terms of reference, Associate Professor Hui said the Minimum Sum’s objective to deliver a basic monthly payout for life should ideally mean lifelong payouts that are inflation-indexed. This would involve the provision of special inflation-indexed bonds by the Government for CPF LIFE funds, he added.

He also suggested that greater flexibility could be given to CPF members who have more than the Minimum Sum to place their extra retirement savings in CPF LIFE to receive higher payouts.

NUS economics lecturer Chan Kok Hoe said the CPF’s adequacy as a retirement vehicle depends mainly on two factors: How much funds people are able to accumulate for retirement and what returns they can obtain relative to inflation.

The terms of reference do not include looking into the first factor, which would involve the allocation of funds between housing and retirement as well as overall CPF contribution rates, he said. On the second factor, the panel is tasked to study how to adjust CPF payouts to increase nominally over time, but not to examine whether CPF funds should be invested in special inflation-indexed government securities, he said.

But Ang Mo Kio Member of Parliament Inderjit Singh felt the terms of reference enable the panel to cover “quite a bit of ground”. Its scope of work cannot be so broad that the study would take a long time, but cannot be “so narrow that you’re guiding them and fail to look at something that may be beyond what we currently know”, he said. He added that the CPF system is a sound one that needs fine-tuning, but not an overhaul.

Asked if the panel could touch on areas such as CPF interest rates, the MOM said: “The panel’s key task is to study possible enhancements stated in the terms of reference and provide its recommendations.”

Commenting on his appointment as chairman of the panel yesterday, Prof Tan said his team had been assigned an important responsibility. “We recognise that CPF members have varied needs and we hope the panel’s work will provide useful insights to help the Government make further improvements to the CPF system to provide greater peace of mind and more options in retirement,” he said.

Panel members whose affiliations would ostensibly give voice to the concerns of women and the elderly include NTUC Women’s Development Secretariat director Sylvia Choo, Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations president Malathi Das and executive chairman Dr Tan Bee Wan of Integrative Learning Corporation and ACE (Active, Contributive and Engaged) Seniors. Ms Das, a lawyer, said she hopes the needs of ageing women and broken families could be considered when the panel looks into the issue of “enhancing post-retirement independence, which is what CPF is striving for”.





New CPF panel 'to reflect diverse views'
Members span broad spectrum, include experts, grassroots representatives
By Janice Heng And Rachel Au-Yong

THE varied composition of the new Central Provident Fund (CPF) Advisory Panel should help it reflect diverse views, including those of different groups on the ground, panel members and observers said.

The 13-member panel, appointed yesterday, includes academics and financial industry experts.

It also has representatives from unions, the grassroots and the social sector, who can convey the views of ordinary Singaporeans.

"I've come across many people with a lot of feedback, and more so in the last few months," said panel member Ng Cher Yan, chairman of the Braddell Heights Citizens Consultative Committee.

One resident, for instance, wanted higher interest on his CPF savings. This topic is related to one of the four areas the panel has been tasked with studying: How to let members seek higher returns through private investment plans.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong first mentioned the panel in his National Day Rally speech last month, saying it would study such "very complicated" potential changes to the CPF system.

Member of Parliament Zainudin Nordin, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower, welcomed the panel's "good representation across a broad spectrum". He said each member brings "specific know-how and knowledge" from their respective backgrounds.

For panel member Saktiandi Supaat, his background in finance is not the only relevant one.

Besides heading Maybank Singapore's forex research team in global markets, he is active in grassroots organisations and the Association of Muslim Professionals, allowing him to approach CPF issues from a community angle. For instance, some Muslims may want to withdraw CPF savings to go on a haj, or pilgrimage, he said.

Cutting across community lines is the workers' perspective, which National Trades Union Congress Women's Development Secretariat director Sylvia Choo intends to provide.

The labour movement will hold focus groups and dialogues to get workers' views, said Ms Choo.

Women are another group whose concerns will be reflected. Panel member Malathi Das plans to draw on her expertise as a commercial litigation lawyer and her role as president of the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations.

"I hope to be able to bring up some of the issues I have encountered that face ageing women and families who break up and the impact that this has on the family financially," she said.

But beyond representing the views of different groups, the panel should also consider older cohorts separately, said Singapore Management University economist Hoon Hian Teck, who is not a panel member. Those in their 40s and 50s now might have low CPF savings because their salaries grew from a low base. But this is due to historical circumstances, and should not affect the panel's task of how to improve the CPF system for the decades ahead, he said.



Who's on the panel
- Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, president of the National University of Singapore. He will chair the CPF Advisory Panel
- Professor Joseph Cherian, practice professor of finance, NUS Business School
- Ms Sylvia Choo, director of NTUC Women's Development Secretariat
- Ms Malathi Das, president of the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations and a commercial litigation lawyer
- Mrs Hauw Soo Hoon, operating partner at venture capital firm iGlobe Partners
- Professor Benedict Koh, professor of finance (education) and associate dean, Lee Kong Chian School of Business at SMU
- Mr Terry Lee, president of the Singapore Insurance Employees' Union and former Nominated MP
- Mr Muhammad Faizal Othman, vice-chairman of the Taman Jurong Citizens' Consultative Committee, and a financial adviser
- Mr Ng Cher Yan, chairman of the Braddell Heights Citizens' Consultative Committee, and an accountant
- Mr Colin Pakshong, an independent actuarial consultant
- Mr Saktiandi Supaat, head of FX Research, Global Markets, at Maybank
- Dr Tan Bee Wan, executive chairman of Integrative Learning Corporation and social enterprise Ace Seniors
- Mr Christopher Tan, chief executive officer of financial advisory firm Providend

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Trial to let NSmen train for IPPT closer to home

September 12, 2014, 2:16 am
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By Jermyn Chow, The Straits Times, 11 Sep 2014

UNFIT citizen soldiers will no longer have to trek to far-flung corners of the island to train for their Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT).

The solution is coming soon - to a park near them.

The Straits Times has learnt that from next week, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will bring fitness classes closer to the homes and workplaces of operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen).

As part of a four-month trial, training sessions will be held in the evenings at the Promontory @ Marina Bay, the Co-curricular Activity Branch in Bukit Timah, Bishan Park, Jurong Central Park and Punggol Park.

Earlier, the possibility of holding such sessions at commercial gyms had also been broached, but this has yet to be confirmed.

Currently, NSmen go for these IPPT Preparatory Training (IPT) classes at four army camps in areas such as Kranji and Bedok.

Confirming the new move, the Defence Ministry said NSmen will be able to sign up for and attend the sessions at the new venues from Thursday next week.

Juggling work, family and fitness obligations can be "very challenging", said Colonel Chua Boon Keat, who heads the National Service Affairs Department.

He told The Straits Times: "If (IPT) is closer to the home or workplace... you come and do your fitness, keep fit, spend very little time travelling back home and spend time with the family."

The IPT is a voluntary programme that puts those who fail their IPPT through 10 training sessions spread over nine months.

As part of the trial, the SAF has also introduced midday IPT sessions on weekdays which, for now, will be available only at the existing conditioning centres.

The new moves aim to give unfit NSmen the flexibility of picking from 20 time slots a week to train for their IPPT, up from 12.

Since the beginning of this month, the Defence Ministry has introduced other changes to make the IPT and remedial training more flexible and efficient.

One allows NSmen to choose their fitness regime from five different workouts including ball games, and possibly kick-boxing and mixed martial arts.

The duration of these sessions has been almost halved to 1hr 15min, while soldiers get to be coached in 30-man sessions instead of 50. Previously announced changes aimed at making the IPPT less painful for NSmen include a simpler three-station fitness test from next April.

NSman Yau Chee Ming, an engineer who shuttles between his job in Jurong Port Road and Clementi Road's Maju Camp for IPT sessions, said the new venues will save him 15 minutes per trip.

He plans to sign up for sessions in Jurong Central Park, which is the closest location to his home in Bukit Panjang. The 36-year-old said: "Work is already so hectic. If I can make fitness training less troublesome, I will be happier and motivated to train."





IPPT complaints heard, now it's up to NSmen
By Jermyn Chow, The Straits Times, 11 Sep 2014

THE complaints of operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) have been heard.

Over the past four months, the SAF has taken strides towards addressing pet peeves about its physical training programme.

Training will become a lot more flexible so NSmen do not have to wreck their schedules to keep fit as they juggle their jobs, and family and NS commitments.

NSmen will also be empowered to take ownership of their health and fitness and have more leeway to decide how they want to keep fit.

The new philosophy is not to knock the stuffing out of NSmen but to create a feel-good factor by making things a little easier and more convenient.

The first of the radical changes was unveiled in May. It gives NSmen twice the timeframe to pass their Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) or clear remedial training.

In July, they were told that, from next April, they will take a simpler IPPT with just three stations, instead of the current five-component test.

Now, they have been given more say in where to train for the fitness test, with the IPPT Preparatory Training programme brought to more venues that are closer to where they work and live.

During the extra coaching sessions, NSmen will even get to choose from five different exercise options, including ball games and possibly even kick-boxing.

But the bigger question is whether NSmen will buy into this feel-good factor and respond by lacing up and pounding the pavement.

Colonel Ng Ying Thong, the army's assistant chief of general staff for training, thinks so.

He said that when someone gets to choose what to do, he will "put in maximum effort to do it".

It is, however, not surprising that there are some, especially older soldiers who have endured tough sessions and instructors, who think that the SAF is lowering the bar to pander to its soldiers' sedentary lifestyles and expanding waistlines.

These critics point out that the changes are a step down a slippery slope towards an ill-disciplined military.

But if the road to a fitter army has been fraught with obstacles that have tripped soldiers up, preventing them from achieving their personal bests and demoralising them, then why not remove those hurdles?

After all, a commander who leads an army that is only half-fit and unmotivated hardly inspires confidence.

This is worse for a conscript military like the SAF, in which citizen soldiers form four-fifths of its total fighting strength.

But this group also makes up the bulk of IPPT failures.

The 2010 figures from the Ministry of Defence - the most recent available - showed that the test is failed by half of the 116,000 NSmen who take it every year.

Revamping the SAF's physical training system with the aim of toughening up soldiers is, therefore, doing right by Singaporeans, who expect a motivated and fighting-fit military to defend the nation.

But the armed forces can do only that much.

Maybe it is time for NSmen not to throw their hands up in despair, but to take greater responsibility for their fitness to improve their combat-readiness.

After all, their complaints have been heard.





'More efficient' IPT a hit among some NSmen
Even some who don't need training may sign up for it; new locations also big help
By Jermyn Chow, The Straits Times, 12 Sep 2014

SOME operationally-ready national servicemen like the latest changes to extra coaching classes for the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) so much they may sign up for the training sessions even if they do not need them.

The revised IPPT Preparatory Training (IPT) programme offers shorter but more intensive workouts that focus better on individual weaknesses and made a difference in their physical fitness, said the citizen soldiers.

"With the more intensive routines, I can be gasping for air, but I feel my stamina is a lot better and my running has improved," said undergraduate Abdullah Zaidani, 23, who hopes the training will help him pass the 2.4km run this time.

Auditor Kenneth Lim, who has attended previous IPTs, said the more intensive revamped training programme is also "more efficient". The 31-year-old said: "You don't waste any time. Just book in, do a solid workout and go home."

Introduced in 2006, IPT is a voluntary fitness programme for NSmen who fail their IPPT. Before it was available, those who failed the IPPT would have to attend tougher remedial training in camp.

Remedial training is still offered but NSmen can also opt for the IPT's 10 training sessions spread over 12 months. Even those who pass the annual fitness test can sign up for IPT classes to keep fit.

Sessions are free but must be booked in advance on at least the same day.

Among the changes, which kicked in last week, NSmen can choose from five workouts, including metabolic circuit training, aerobics and football. The two-hour fitness sessions have been shortened to 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Civil servant Matthew Ong, who completed the IPT programme earlier this year, is thinking of signing up for more.

"It's a good and effective way to keep fit... you do focused, intensive drills, you have fitness instructors to guide you... it's like going to the gym," said the 26-year-old.

NSmen can also get fit in more convenient locations downtown and in residential areas, instead of only at army camps.

A four-month trial starting next Thursday will offer the new-look IPT after office hours at five locations: the Promontory @ Marina Bay, the Co-curricular Activity Branch in Bukit Timah, Bishan Park, Jurong Central Park and Punggol Park.

Engineer Robert Ou, who used to drive from his workplace in Orchard Road to his training session at Maju Camp in Clementi, and then home to Punggol, said he would most likely sign up for his next IPT class at Punggol Park.

This will cut his travel time by up to 30 minutes. "It becomes so much more convenient and less of a chore, making the experience a lot better."

The number of people who opt for the IPT programme has risen to 33,000 from fewer than 10,000 in 2010.

Colonel Chua Boon Keat, who heads the SAF's National Service Affairs Department, said the changes to IPT are aimed at getting NSmen to take greater responsibility for their fitness.

"We want them to stay healthy... we don't want them to give up and totally not come (for IPT) just because of the inconvenience they are facing."


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Problem gamblers can seek help via webchat

September 13, 2014, 3:20 am
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Online counselling service is useful in reaching out to the tech-savvy, experts say
By Priscilla Goy, The Straits Times, 12 Sep 2104

AN ONLINE counselling service for gamblers is being tested by the authorities as lawmakers mull over the proposed Bill to curb online gambling.

Visitors to www.nams.sg can communicate round the clock with paracounsellors, who are able to provide a listening ear or support but are not certified counsellors, via a live webchat.

Experts say it is useful in reaching tech-savvy gamblers who may not be so keen to be helped in person.

The webchat has been set up by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and National Addictions Management Service (NAMS). A spokesman for the NCPG told The Straits Times it is being developed to"expand the accessibility and availability of help services for problem gambling", adding that it is in the "final phase of pilot testing to determine the feasibility and public demand".

The chat service complements the council's existing 24-hour helpline (1800-666-8668) set up in 2009. Both allow the user to remain anonymous.

More details will be given over the next few months.

Earlier this week, a proposed law targeting online gambling was tabled in Parliament.

The Remote Gambling Bill, which could become law when it is next read in Parliament, aims to restrict online gambling through three main measures: blocking access to gambling websites, blocking money transfers to and from them, and banning advertisements which promote online gambling.

The move is prompted by a rise in remote gambling through the Internet and mobile apps. A Home Affairs Ministry survey of 1,000 Internet users last year found that almost three in 10 had gambled remotely at least once in the past 12 months.

Addictions specialist Munidasa Winslow said some people absolutely refuse "to get help face to face... The webchat will appeal to the young, especially those who are used to texting their friends and chatting online". This includes young gamblers who prefer going to casinos "for the bright lights or to show off to their friends".

But he pointed out that older gamblers, even those who gamble online, may prefer using the phone helpline to typing in a webchat.

While the webchat may help reach more problem gamblers, face-to-face counselling is still more effective, experts said.

Ms Deborah Queck, executive director of Blessed Grace Social Services which runs a gamblers recovery centre, said: "Face-to-face counselling gives staff the opportunity to have follow-up sessions, meet up with a gambling addict's family and get them to help support him...

"But very few problem gamblers seek help, and the webchat would be good as their first entry point to getting support. They could also be referred to gambling support groups from there."


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End of the road for Tampines Bike Park

September 13, 2014, 3:31 am
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Riders, coaches sad to lose park, which has S'pore's only BMX track
By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 12 Sep 2104

MARBLES, Raptor, Tree Hugger - these are pet names of parts of the Tampines Bike Park that cyclists have grown to love.

But, by Monday, they will be just memories.

After more than a decade, the much-loved park will close to make way for the new Tampines North housing estate.

"It's a real loss," said Tampines resident Azman Omar, 45. "All of us are sad to see it go."

The avid cyclist has been a regular rider there since 1999, when it was an unofficial bike park consisting of 60ha of open space with a rough dirt track which cyclists maintained in their free time.

"Because of this place, I've not moved out of Tampines since 1994. I told my wife, I don't want to go anywhere, this is my playground," said Mr Azman, who works in logistics.

The Tampines Avenue 9 park has the only BMX track in Singapore and a 13km-long mountain bike trail.

Managed by Sport Singapore (SportSG), it is used by about 2,600 riders a month - a healthy number for a park of this size, according to the Singapore Cycling Federation (SCF).

Its BMX track was built specially for the Youth Olympic Games in 2010, when it was officially opened, and is the only one in South-east Asia certified by the International Cycling Union.

The park was supposed to close last year. The Government agreed to postpone the closure so that SportSG could find a new venue.

When The Straits Times visited on Wednesday morning, there was a sign put up by SportSG announcing the impending closure.

Coaches told The Straits Times they have already stopped holding cycling classes there.

"Tampines was great, it was very accessible and you could teach all levels of riders," said mountain bike skills instructor Wilson Low, 31. But while he holds his classes at three other mountain bike trails, BMX riders will have nowhere to go.

"The future of BMX depends largely on whether a new track is built," said Mr Kenneth Wee, 43, founder of Singapore Bike School. "The closest BMX track to us is in Malacca."

SportSG issued a tender to design and build a new BMX track in June but withdrew it soon after, without explanation.

SCF's vice-president for BMX Abdul Rahman Ibrahim said he had contacted SportSG three times since then, but has not received an answer. "It's very frustrating. Without a BMX track we cannot take the sport forward."

SportSG told The Straits Times it has been working with various agencies to find a possible site for a new BMX track. "We will give an update in due course," said the spokesman, who declined to comment on the tender's cancellation.

Meanwhile, Tampines MP and SCF patron Irene Ng said her GRC is organising a bike carnival tomorrow to mark the park's last hurrah. "We encourage those who haven't done so to come and enjoy (the park) one last time," she said. The carnival will host game booths, cycling clinics and the venue's last race.

Ms Ng added: "I expect a lot of photo-taking to capture the final days of the (venue) and to preserve memories of Singapore's first world-class bike park."


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Singapore youth not confident about financial future: Survey

September 13, 2014, 3:43 am
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Majority of 1,000 surveyed lack deeper understanding of financial planning
By Rachael Boon, The Straits Times, 12 Sep 2014

YOUNG and carefree? Hardly.

Singapore's young people fret over the future and are overwhelmingly pessimistic about their financial position, a new survey has found.

No fewer than 87 per cent of respondents feel financially unprepared for the challenges ahead, the NTUC Income survey found.

And almost as many - 79 per cent - are not even confident of their current financial situation.



More than 1,000 final-year polytechnic students, university undergraduates and workers between the ages of 18 and 29 were polled in the survey, which was conducted by Nielsen.

The poll found that young people have some financial awareness, but lacked a deeper understanding of proper financial planning.

Asked how much cash should be set aside for emergencies, 80 per cent responded that they need at least three months of their income for emergencies.

At a panel discussion on financial awareness, held yesterday at The Arts House, Ms Deniece Oei, NTUC Income's financial associate, said this falls well short of what financial planners recommend. She said: "I don't think three months is enough. Many people think that if they stop working, it's okay to have a three-month buffer.

"But what if it takes slightly longer than that to secure your next dream job? If you're able to set aside six to 12 months of emergency funds, it will give you a better buffer."

The survey also found that the average expected retirement age is 57, and that the respondents expect to be retired for 23 years.

On average, they believe a shade over $1 million - $1,005,890 - is needed for retirement expenses. However, the survey found that the mean projected savings by the time of retirement is $382,872 - a shortfall of more than $675,000 and only a third of what the young think they need.

They have also not hedged their assets against the wealth-eroding effects of inflation, with 68 per cent saying they have not taken measures to do so.

Barriers to financial planning include thinking that they need more savings before they can start investing or planning, with 49 per cent saying so, and 25 per cent of respondents not knowing where or how to start.

Mr Luca Griseri, Nielsen's head of financial services in Singapore and Malaysia, said: "What was the most surprising was the amount of the shortfall, it's just such a big gap. They also told us what they want to do, but don't know how to start."

He was also surprised by the pessimism youth had about the future, because "young people are normally positive, and people in South-east Asia are the most confident, and we track confidence too".

The lack of confidence is worrying, and Mr Griseri said "we certainly need to do something to help them help themselves".

Mr Marcus Chew, vice-president for strategic marketing at NTUC Income, also pointed out a gap in the school curriculum for financial literacy.

To fill that gap, the insurer has since May been conducting a programme called Cents and Sensibility.

NTUC Income also launched a new campaign to raise financial awareness among youth, called Future Made Different, which has its own website.

Besides a series of television and print commercials, the campaign also includes what is called a Future Starter venture fund.

The fund will grant $100,000 in cash to one person or team under the age of 35 to kick-start a winning business idea. The person or team will have to go through rounds of selection, and will be mentored by industry professionals on the ins and outs of setting up a business or social enterprise.

The winner will be picked by a panel of industry leaders including Ms Elim Chew, founder of fashion retailer 77th Street, and Mr Michael Ma, chief executive of restaurant and club operator IndoChine Group.

Ms Chew welcomed the new fund, saying if she had had $100,000 to start her business journey, things would have moved a lot faster. She began as a hairstylist, taking over a shop, with only $1,000 for chairs, a pair of scissors and a comb. She later started 77th Street, where she and her sister put in $15,000 each.

"If I had $100,000 as a start-up, I would have jumped ahead in terms of time, because time is money," said Ms Chew. "It's never enough but it's a good start for anyone with a dream, to take that action for $100,000."


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Hotel guests always right? Not when they are abusive

September 13, 2014, 3:54 am
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Hotels join other service sectors in protecting staff
By Melissa Lin, The Straits Times, 12 Sep 2014

HOTELS are increasingly moving away from the idea that the customer is always right and standing by their staff when facing abusive customers.

They join other sectors, such as health care and retail, which have also taken measures to protect their staff from potential abuse.

"These days, the customer is not king any more," said Mr Patrick Fiat, general manager of Royal Plaza on Scotts. "The service industry does not accept aggressive and unreasonable behaviour from guests."

He cited an example of a guest whose children were screaming and rolling around on the floor at the hotel's buffet restaurant. When staff approached the man and requested that he attend to his children, he hurled vulgarities at them and left without paying for the meal.

"We stand firmly against such behaviour from guests," said Mr Fiat. "If a guest does not show respect for our associates, we will make it known that our associates should not and will not be abused."

The chief executive of Far East Hospitality, Mr Arthur Kiong, said there is a "gradual move" away from giving in to abusive customers' demands to taking a "careful and considered" approach in making sure the root of their complaints is addressed. Solutions have to help not just the customer, but the staff as well, he added.

The veteran industry players attribute the shift in mindset to the rise of social media and changing attitudes towards what is "acceptable" customer behaviour.

The younger generation is better educated, more vocal and wants a work environment where employees are respected and valued as individuals, said Mr Fiat. "They want to participate in decision-making and understand why they are doing the things the management tells them to do."

One way organisations can manage this new generation of service staff is to turn them into experts in the service or product they offer, thus lifting their status on a par with their customers, said hotelier Jennie Chua.

The judging panel for next year's Singapore Service Excellence Medallion will be looking out for organisations with such "empowering" service cultures, added Ms Chua, who is also the deputy chair of the 15-member panel.

Nominations for the third edition of the biennial award close today.

"Empowerment is by giving proper training," said Ms Chua, former general manager of Raffles Hotel. "If you don't know what you're selling, you can smile, have the best attitude, but the customer will still not regard you as a partner in the relationship."

In recent years, other sectors have made their stand against abusive customers clearer.

In health care, Changi General Hospital and the National University Hospital have signs around their facilities reminding patients to treat staff with respect.

Retailers such as telco StarHub and bathroom product retailer Sim Siang Choon have similar signs at their outlets.

"It's a pre-emptive measure, it's not that we have rude customers," said Sim Siang Choon's assistant director, Mr Gary Sim, 32. The signs were put up at its cashier counters about two years ago.

SBS Transit launched a "Stop Bus Captain Assaults" campaign in 2007 after a spike in attacks on its drivers. Signs that say "No assault on bus captain" were put up in buses, while posters were put up at all its bus terminals and interchanges. They read: "Our bus captains have the right to work in a safe environment like everyone else."


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Madhya Pradesh seeks Singapore expertise

September 13, 2014, 5:22 am
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Indian state plans vocational training hub, industrial towns
By Nirmala Ganapathy India Correspondent In Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), The Straits Times, 12 Sep 2014

THE Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mr Shivraj Singh Chouhan, sought Singapore's help to set up a vocational training centre and develop industrial townships during a meeting with Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday.

Mr Goh is the first top leader from Singapore to visit the state, the last stop of his five- day trip to India.

Mr Chouhan said Madhya Pradesh could benefit from Singapore's expertise in areas such as urban management, vocational training and tourism, including creating a resort similar to Sentosa.

"We will try to see how we can help," Mr Goh told the three-term chief minister, who is from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, "but let's take it step by step."

Officials from Madhya Pradesh will travel to Singapore to work out areas where cooperation is possible.

India's central state, which has a population of 75 million, was once known as a Bimaru state, an acronym for the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The name was also a play on "bimar", which means sick in Hindi. The states had lagged behind the rest of India in development and had high poverty levels.

Today, Madhya Pradesh is one of India's fastest-growing states, enjoying double-digit growth mainly due to fast-paced agriculture growth.

While it is seen as an emerging state for investments, industrial activity is still low.

Mr Chouhan is working to attract foreign investors to the state, besides pushing the manufacturing sector and creating jobs.

An investors' meeting is planned for next month with Singapore as one of the partner countries.

"Madhya Pradesh was an unknown state four to five years ago outside of India. Today there is progress... and opportunities," he said in his presentation on the state to the Singapore delegation.

Mr Goh's trip was aimed primarily at touching base with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took office following a landslide election victory in May.

Mr Goh met Mr Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday to, among other things, explore new areas of cooperation for both countries.

Earlier, in Hyderabad, he had separate meetings with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao of Telangana, India's newest and 29th state.

Said Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee: "We need to get a feel of the direction India is heading… We hope it plays a significant role in Asia. There are lots of opportunities for cooperation and economic development that will be fruitful for both Singapore and India."





Modi can spur India's growth: ESM Goh
Suggestion for India to join ASEAN's economic group to tap larger market
By Nirmala Ganapathy India Correspondent In New Delhi, The Straits Times, 11 Sep 2014

VISITING Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday suggested that India, under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, could add another 3 percentage points to its growth in the next two to three years.

Mr Goh said one way the government of Mr Modi, with its focus on manufacturing, could do this is by joining ASEAN's Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

"With the intention to turn India into a manufacturing centre for the world, he (Modi) could add more than 3 per cent to India's growth," Mr Goh, in India on a five-day visit, said in remarks to Singapore and Indian media.

"He can turn growth into something nearer to 7 to 8 per cent. That's possible in my view, not immediately but over the next two to three years."

India has seen sluggish growth in recent years. This fell to 5 per cent last year, the worst economic performance in over a decade.

But there have been some positive signs for the government, which took power in May - growth rose 5.7 per cent in the quarter ending in June.

Still, many challenges remain as it tries to push manufacturing, create jobs and attract foreign investments.

In their 45-minute meeting, Mr Goh and Mr Modi discussed how India could move to become a manufacturing hub and also ways Singapore could help it in implementing ideas such as creating "smart cities".

"I suggested to the Prime Minister that India can play a part in RCEP, which is ASEAN plus six members. India should study how it can use this as a way of forging a larger regional market," Mr Goh said, adding that it would send "powerful signals to potential investors outside".

He also said that apart from the ASEAN grouping, the big economies of India and China were needed to lift Asia.

Singapore, he said, is ready to help with India's plan to build 100 smart cities. Singapore would look at helping to build two to three new cities, including the new capital city of southern Andhra Pradesh state, he added.

The two leaders have known each other since Mr Modi was chief minister of Gujarat.

Mr Goh told Mr Modi how he could feel the earth move due to the frenetic pace set by the new government, sending the Prime Minister into peals of laughter.

"He (Modi) can get things done," said Mr Goh.


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Guangdong signals support for Knowledge City

September 13, 2014, 5:56 am
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By Rachel Chang In Guangzhou, The Straits Times, 12 Sep 2014

THE party secretary of Guangdong province, Mr Hu Chunhua, gave a ringing endorsement of the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (GKC) yesterday and revealed that the province lobbied Beijing to locate a specialised intellectual property (IP) court in the GKC to give it a boost.

The court, one of three pilot courts that the central government said last week it would be setting up, will add to the IP protection framework that the GKC is working towards.

This is part of its goal of nurturing high-end, knowledge-intensive industries, something Mr Hu described as the main challenge facing Guangdong.

The private sector-led, government-backed project broke ground in 2010.

"Although we have achieved a lot economically, our industries are still in low or mid-end manufacturing. We hope that the GKC can push us to the high end," he told Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday in a 30-minute meeting that preceded dinner.

Mr Hu's endorsement came three months after Mr Wan Qingliang was sacked as party secretary of Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong, for corruption.

Mr Hu, widely seen as one of China's next top leaders, was the first Chinese politician to meet Mr Lee, who is on a week-long visit to southern China.

It is Mr Lee's first visit to Guangdong since 2006.

He will also meet Executive Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli in Guangxi, and Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun Ying.

During their warm and informal meeting, Mr Lee told Mr Hu that economic transformation is a task with no end and one that Singapore is still grappling with.

"We faced some very difficult problems, training the people, but also getting the companies to transform the way they operate, and getting old companies, some of them which are no longer competitive, replaced by new investments," he said.

Today, Mr Lee will visit the GKC for the first time before taking a train to Shenzhen, the pioneer site of China's economic opening up.

Mr Hu said Guangdong can learn how the Singapore Government plays a major role in bringing about economic transformation, while also letting market forces reign.

Referring to China's current attempt to reform state-owned enterprises, Mr Hu said China "also wants to make full use of the market and make full use of the government, but how to balance the two, that will require wisdom".

They also discussed how social governance is more challenging in the age of social media.

"You have to respond almost instantly, and we can't afford to do that because we're afraid if we say the wrong thing, we won't be able to take it back," said Mr Lee.

"In the old days, our approach was 'don't make too many speeches'. You talk every day, people stop listening... But today, if you're not there, present in the social media space, people forget that you exist."

Chinese officials face great pressure on this front too, said Mr Hu.

Besides having no tradition of interaction with the media, they are also finding that the public has "very high expectations".

"People always want solutions to their problems quickly. But these questions are not so easy to solve," he said.





PM Lee outlines parameters for third govt-to-govt joint venture with China
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 12 Sep 2014

FOR its third government-to-government bilateral venture in China, Singapore wants to conceive of a project that fits in with China's priorities, will be fully supported by the local authorities and is commercially viable, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

He sketched these parameters in his first comments on the prospective project, to be located in western China, in an interview with Guangdong newspaper Nanfang Daily.


Noting that Singapore and China's bilateral cooperation is "progressing at all levels and on multiple fronts", he said that both governments had to set the framework for good relations and foster free trade and investments to bring relations to the next level.

Singapore and China are currently exploring where and in what form this third joint venture - coming after the Suzhou Industrial Park, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, and the Tianjin Eco-City - will take.

The Chinese government had asked Singapore to start a new project in its western region and, while talks are still in the early stages, Singapore leaders have made clear their desire that the project breaks new ground in China, like the first two.

In the Nanfang Daily interview, Mr Lee emphasised that Singapore, with its small size and differing strategic context and history, does not presume to be a model for China to learn from.

But Chinese officials have found Singapore an interesting case study, with almost 50,000 visiting for training in the past 20 years, he noted.

"They are interested in our practical mindset, the way we work across multiple agencies, and how we work with the population.

"They tell us that they have found our experiences useful, and shared with us that what they saw here has inspired several experiments in China," he said.

Over time, Singapore has noticed that the focus of Chinese officials has also shifted from economic development to social governance issues like housing, education, social harmony and the rule of law, he added.

Singapore is also eager to learn from China, he said.

"I am particularly impressed by how Chinese at all levels, in and out of government, have a powerful drive to improve, and how China continues to nurture a great thirst for knowledge in dealing with its challenges."

Mr Lee described Guangdong, which he last visited in 2006, as "a gateway to China", a status it has enjoyed for centuries.

Guangzhou and Shenzhen were open, vibrant and rapidly changing, he said, adding: "I am looking forward to seeing the cities for myself and feeling the vibes."

Yesterday, Mr Lee had dinner with Guangdong party secre-tary Hu Chunhua, who is widely seen as one of China's next top leaders.

Guangdong has deep economic and cultural links with Singapore.

Last year, it accounted for nearly a quarter of Singapore's total $115.2 billion in trade with China.

Singapore has a major bilateral project sited in Guangzhou, the private sector-led, government- backed Guangzhou Knowledge City (GKC).

One of the areas it is working on, Mr Lee noted, is the development of an intellectual property (IP) protection framework.

The GKC is likely to host one of the first specialised IP courts to be set up in China.

Two others, the Chinese government said last week, will be established in Beijing and Shanghai.





S'pore 'welcomes China's effort to systematically develop ties with ASEAN'
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 12 Sep 2014

SINGAPORE welcomes China's efforts to systematically develop its relationship with ASEAN countries at multiple levels, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

This includes Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposal of a "21st-Century Maritime Silk Road", which would link several ASEAN countries and China through the South China Sea.

Asked about the proposal in an interview with the Nanfang Daily, Mr Lee said "this strategic concept of improving connectivity and creating an economy belt will benefit our region".

He made clear that ASEAN "hopes to be friends with and work with all countries".

"Hence, as ASEAN enhances its ties with China, it is also increasing cooperation with other countries and regions, such as the United States, the European Union and Japan," he said.

"This is how ASEAN can play a useful role, in fostering regional cooperation and economic integration in our region and beyond."

In the interview conducted before his week-long trip to southern China starting yesterday, he was asked about talk that the creation of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone could affect Singapore's position as the region's financial hub.

The zone was established last year to pilot financial reforms such as unrestricted foreign currency exchange and simplified procedures for foreigners setting up companies in China.

Dismissing such a view, Mr Lee said Singapore sees the liberalisation and development of China's financial industry as an opportunity, not a threat. "Financial institutions in Singapore do a lot of business with other leading financial centres like New York and London," he said.

"So as China's financial sector matures and opens up, it will create more opportunities to deepen ties with Singapore. It will be mutually beneficial and will offer new opportunities to our financial institutions and beyond."





PM Lee shares social media lessons with China officials
By Joy Fang, TODAY, 12 Sep 2014

Unlike in the past, when ministers were more circumspect in their speeches to the public, government officials now have to be ready to address issues every other day and through informal ways, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

Mr Lee made these remarks during a candid conversation with Guangdong Party Secretary Hu Chunhua, when he visited him at the Guangdong Government House as part of his official visit to China.

“In the old days, our approach was don’t make too many speeches. Once in a long time, think carefully, prepare well, say something important, people will listen to you,” he said.

Today, one has to engage the public via social media fairly often, “or people will forget you exist”.

“I have to post nearly every day, sometimes serious events, sometimes just photographs, sometimes just a friendly message, just to let people know that you’re still there and there’s something interesting to watch,” Mr Lee said.

The rise of social media has changed the way societies interact with the state and while this is challenging, the Government has to adapt.

“The Government finds it not so easy as you have to respond in an almost instantaneous way and we can’t afford to do that because we’re afraid if we say the wrong thing, we won’t be able to take it back,” Mr Lee said, with a laugh.

Mr Hu, a member of the 18th Politburo of the Communist Party of China and a protege of former President Hu Jintao, who is considered a rising star in Chinese politics, agreed. Chinese officials, too, are facing added pressure.

In the past, officials did not have much experience interacting with the public, he noted.

Hu added that the public now has very high expectations and wants questions answered quickly, but some questions cannot be answered immediately as the Government would need time to analyse the issues to resolve them. “So it will be a long way for us to adapt to this manner of greeting,” he said in Mandarin.

During their 20-minute meeting — for which reporters were present throughout — Mr Lee and Mr Hu also spoke about the economy, with Mr Lee commenting that despite economic restructuring not being an easy task, it has to be done consistently. Singapore, for one, had been too anxious with regard to its restructuring exercise 30 years ago. “We raised wages and the companies adjusted to it, but we did it too drastically and we faced a severe economic downturn,” he said.

Even now, the Government is still grappling with how to upgrade the Republic’s economy, especially when it comes to educating the public and making sure that old companies that are no longer competitive survive the restructuring,

The two exchanged warm words about Singapore’s bilateral relations with Guangdong, particularly the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (SSGKC), a joint venture company established by Singbridge — a unit of Temasek Holdings — and the Guangzhou Development District. The SSGKC aims to become a vibrant and sustainable hub that is attractive to skilled manpower and knowledge-based industries. Industries to be developed in the park include biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, information and communications technology and clean technology.

Since its groundbreaking ceremony in 2010, 70 Memoranda of Understanding on investment projects have been signed with international companies. Among them is ST Kinetics, which, together with its partners, plans to drive the development of the electric vehicles industry in SSGKC by establishing a headquarters for their electric vehicles cluster, as well as a research and development (R&D) and testing centre. Companies such as ABB (China), Philips (China) Investment, Ralos New Energies AG and Schweizer Energy plan to conduct testing, product R&D and develop solutions relating to renewable energy and green buildings there.

Mr Hu said the project is progressing smoothly. He hopes it will serve as a role model for high-end industries to carry out development there. “Despite our achievements over the past few years, we realise that most of our industries in Guangdong are still the middle and low-end industries,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Mr Lee paid a visit to the Guangdong Provincial Museum, where he viewed exhibits which displayed the province’s rich historical culture. During his visit, Mr Lee will stop at Shenzhen, Guilin, Nanning and Hong Kong. In Nanning, he will deliver a keynote address at the joint opening ceremony of the China-ASEAN EXPO and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit. His trip ends on Sept 18.






PM: S'pore-Guangzhou venture raises bar for govt-to-govt projects
By Rachel Chang In Guangzhou, The Straits Times, 13 Sep 2014

THE successful progress of the private sector-led Guangzhou Knowledge City (GKC) has raised the bar for future government- to-government projects, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.

Mr Lee, who visited the 123 sq km site for the first time yesterday, told reporters that the way both governments took a backseat - "supporting the project with training, with advice, with guidance" - has worked and that he is happy with the results.

Since both governments have limited resources, and the private sector has the resources and interest to do more, this is a good approach forward for Singapore.

But in a lunch meeting following the visit, the drawbacks of such an approach were conveyed to Mr Lee by Guangzhou Mayor Chen Jianhua, who asked that the GKC be put on the Sino-Singapore national bilateral agenda.

As a private sector-led project, the GKC is not on the permanent agenda of the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, the highest platform for Sino-Singapore bilateral exchange.

This is unlike the Suzhou Industrial Park and the Tianjin Eco-City, Singapore's two government-to-government joint ventures with China, where investors can now raise yuan funding directly from Singapore.

This, Mr Chen said, cuts their financing costs to less than half those of GKC investors and puts the GKC at a "different starting point". Companies raising capital in the mainland typically face interest rates of 7 to 8 per cent. This falls to 2 to 3 per cent if they can borrow capital offshore.

Mr Chen said this was not a big issue in the past as investments in the GKC, which broke ground in 2010, involved only about 20 billion yuan (S$4 billion). But from now on, as the project gains momentum, the investments under discussion reach up to hundreds of billions of yuan, he said.

"So, the capital costs will be a deciding factor for the results and prospects of this project, and also the development speed," he said.

Officials said that the recent announcement of a third government-to-government project in China's western region also intensified the issue for Guangdong provincial authorities, which thought that the GKC's private sector-led model was now the norm for Sino-Singapore projects.

The idea was proposed by Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli last year. Singapore officials are now exploring several cities as the site and also in what form the project will take. Singapore's criteria are that it must be ground- breaking, commercially viable and supported by local authorities.

Mr Lee told Mr Chen that "as far as the (GKC) model is concerned, we should maintain it as a model that's led by the private sector and supported by two governments". He said he understood from the Chinese central government that the financial liberalisation in the two flagship projects was not a "special privilege" but a "pilot arrangement". "When the pilot is expanded, GKC should be at the head of the line."

GKC chief executive Chin Phei Chen told The Straits Times later that "while the project is private sector-led, government support to create the conditions for attracting investment and knowledge-intensive industries is critical for its success". The GKC is a 50-50 joint venture between Temasek-owned Singbridge International and the Guangzhou Development District Administrative Committee. Singbridge chairman and former deputy prime minister Wong Kan Seng is also on the trip.


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Regional relief coordination centre opens in Changi

September 14, 2014, 5:27 am
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It aims to help ASEAN militaries respond to disasters more quickly
By Jermyn Chow, The Straits Times, 13 Sep 2014

A NEW disaster relief centre in Singapore has begun operations, with the aim of enabling militaries in the region to get to where they are needed quickly when disaster strikes.

The Changi-based outfit acts as a single contact point which can activate a response team to reach ground zero within 48 hours of a natural crisis.

It will also provide militaries and civilian aid agencies with timely and accurate information, ensuring aid is delivered soonest.

"Militaries have unique capabilities such as strategic airlift and are on 24/7 operational footings, able to rapidly mobilise and deploy," said Second Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing yesterday.

The facility, called the Changi Regional Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre, aims to cut out duplication and red tape during relief efforts in South-east Asia.

"It hopes to do this by providing partner militaries with a comprehensive situational picture before, during and after a disaster that highlights, among other things, both the needs as well as the pledges," Mr Chan told more than 100 delegates at the end of a two-day conference on disaster relief.

The facility, which is based in the Changi Command and Control Centre, was mooted by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen in April at the ASEAN-United States Defence Ministers' meeting in Hawaii.

Sharper military responses during emergencies are important, especially in a part of the world which has been prone to natural disasters - as could be seen in the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 and Super Typhoon Haiyan last year, among others.

The crucial task in the immediate aftermath of a disaster is to stabilise the country and save lives - a job which the new centre can enhance, said Singapore Armed Forces' joint operations director Desmond Tan.

"What we want to do is to set up a permanent structure that will allow the militaries to have a single point of contact, a focal point... so we can reach the disaster area faster and more effectively," said Brigadier-General Tan. Previously, military coordination has been "ad hoc", he added.

But the centre will respect the decisions of each country, he stressed. "It doesn't command or decide what nations should provide for the affected nation... It's still the prerogative of the affected country," BG Tan said.

The centre will be manned by only SAF officers for now. Their regional counterparts are expected to join next year when it goes fully operational. The Philippines, for instance, is looking to station a liaison officer at the centre.

The commander of the Philippine Army's infantry division, Major-General Jet B. Velarmino, who led relief operations in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan, welcomes the centre.

He said having a central military-led agency will result in better communication among militaries and civilian agencies.

"Instead of talking to different militaries, it can talk to one outfit... It makes things a lot easier," he said.


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Two more banks appointed to manage Child Development Accounts

September 14, 2014, 5:33 am
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Channel NewsAsia, 12 Sep 2014

DBS Bank and United Overseas Bank (UOB) have been appointed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) as managing agents (MAs) of the Child Development Accounts (CDA) under the Baby Bonus Scheme.

In a media release on Friday (Sep 12), MSF said both banks will start providing CDA services from the second quarter of 2015. Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) and Standard Chartered Bank are the two current MAs, but the latter will continue to manage existing CDAs only until end-2018.

The ministry said for parents whose kids turn 12 by end 2018, they need not switch their CDA accounts to another bank. "The unused balance in your child's CDA will be transferred to his or her Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) in the year your child turns 13 years of age."

It added that for parents who do need to transfer to a new MA, they can do so via a new Baby Bonus Online system before end 2018.

As to why StanChart will no longer be one of the MAs, it said: "MSF conducted an open tender for the appointment of new managing agents. We evaluated various aspects of each bank’s proposal, before deciding to award the managing agent contract to DBS, OCBC and UOB."

DBS released a statement saying it is "honoured" to be appointed as an MA. "We will be working closely with MSF to reward parents for investing in their children’s development and to encourage greater savings,” said its Managing Director and Head of Consumer Banking Group for Singapore, Mr Jeremy Soo.

UOB called its appointment a "privilege". Mr Dennis Khoo, UOB Group Head of Personal Financial Services in Singapore said the bank its committed to putting together a "comprehensive and attractive package" for the UOB Children Development Account.

NEW BABY BONUS ONLINE SYSTEM

The Baby Bonus Online system will be introduced in the second quarter of next year.

"With the online system, parents will no longer need to fill up hard copy forms and make a trip to the bank to open CDAs. Parents-to-be can join the scheme as early as two months before the estimated delivery date of their child," said MSF. More details of the online system will be revealed next year.

Parents can also expect to receive the cash gifts and have their CDAs set up within a shorter time of seven to 10 working days of the child’s birth registration.

The Government matching will be received within a shorter time of two weeks after making deposits. Parents can also review their choice of MA and make changes online at their convenience, according to the press release.


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Slip in user ratings for Singapore transport

September 14, 2014, 5:54 am
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Rising expectations among reasons for poorer showing, say experts
By Cheryl Faith Wee, The Straits Times, 13 Sep 2014

WHETHER it is trains, taxis or plane trips, transport standards here have slipped in the eyes of commuters and travellers, who have rated them lower nearly across the board over last year.

Taking the biggest hit as a single category was Changi Airport, which saw customer satisfaction drop by 11.8 per cent.

National carrier Singapore Airlines also saw a dip of 5.7 per cent over last year. Fierce competition among international players and higher expectations from travellers were the main reasons for the lower scores by local aviation players, said experts.

The airport, considered a mode of transport as it is an aviation hub, scored 75.4 out of a possible 100 points. This was based on a survey of eight transport and logistics categories by the Institute of Service Excellence (ISES) at Singapore Management University.

To come up with the customer satisfaction index for this sector, the institute, which released its results yesterday, examined customers' expectations, their experience, and value for money.

Feedback was gathered from 7,250 locals, tourists and transit passengers from Aprilto June.

Mr Jochen Wirtz, a marketing professor at the National University of Singapore whose research interests include customer satisfaction measurement, said the poorer showing could be because industry standards are moving up, and regional airports have upgraded in the past four years. "People's expectations are changing - what was great 10 years ago has become the standard today. Others are catching up," he added.

Nonetheless, Changi Airport was the top scorer out of all the categories, and SIA, with its 74.9 score, maintained top spot among the airlines.

Other airlines surveyed include Emirates, (73 points), Qantas (71.7 points), and SilkAir (71.4 points).

ISES director Caroline Lim said: "With the intensity of competition between airlines, it is very easy for them to emulate one another in areas (such as) entertainment systems (and) food and beverage."

Changi Airport and SIA also fared better than MRT trains and public buses, which have, for the past year or so, been hit with complaints of overcrowding and long waiting times during peak hours. The same goes for taxis, which customers say are scarce during peak hours and rainy weather.

The MRT system scored 59.7 points this year, down from 64.1 points. Public buses also dropped about two points to score 58.5, and taxi services dipped about four points to 63.2.

According to Mr Wirtz, having one thing go wrong could colour the commuter's entire experience.

"There is the halo effect. When important aspects of a service are bad, they colour the judgment of all the other aspects," he said.

Budget airlines showed a slight improvement of 1.2 per cent over last year to 68.3 points, while local postal services provided by Singapore Post showed a significant improvement, jumping 5.7 per cent over last year to 71.2 points.





Situation likely to worsen before it gets better
By Karamjit Kaur, The Straits Times, 13 Sep 2014

CHANGI Airport has done well to grow passenger traffic amid tough competition from rival airports, but travellers, it seems, are a less happy lot these days.

So says a recent survey by the Institute of Service Excellence at the Singapore Management University, which polled about 1,000 travellers over three months from April.

Of the more than 30 firms spanning the education, logistics and transport sectors - including bus, taxi and MRT operators - that were ranked in the annual survey, Changi Airport saw the second biggest year-on-year drop of almost 12 per cent in customer satisfaction levels.

This is despite the fact that the airport did better than other transport firms, including Singapore Airlines, in this year's rankings.

Respondents were not asked to list bugbears. But anecdotally, it appears travellers and visitors are finding the airport more crowded these days. This has had a direct impact on service levels - for example, longer waits for taxis and passport checks during peak hours.

The good news is that the situation should improve eventually.

Changi has announced expansion plans to cope with growing traffic which hit 53.7 million passengers last year - more than 80 per cent of the current capacity.

The airport has embarked on a project to expand Terminal 1 and is building a new facility, T4. This will boost Changi's total handling capacity from 66 million passengers a year now to 85 million.

But the bad news is that between now and 2017 when T4 is expected to open, the situation is likely to worsen as traffic grows.

The story is no different for the public transport system. Faced with delays and overcrowding, commuters gave bus and train operators lower service rankings. And while measures have been announced to improve the travel experience, it will take some time for the benefits to be realised.

Since 2011, operators SMRT and SBS Transit have injected more than 2,000 train trips a week but the majority of trips added to the North-South and East- West lines are outside peak hours. This is because of an old signalling system which can run trains no closer than two minutes apart.

A $195 million overhaul of the system is in progress but it will be completed only in 2016 for the North-South Line and 2018 for the East-West Line.

The Government embarked on a $1.1 billion Bus Service Enhancement Programme in 2012 to fund new buses and improve service.

In the meantime, plans are being finalised for a new bus contracting model to be rolled out in phases from 2016. This will see the Government take on the substantial investment of owning the assets, that is, the buses and depots, while transport firms will bid to operate parcels of routes.

The aim is to remove some of the commercial risks that can come in the way of operators improving service levels.

With growing customer expectations, Changi Airport, bus and train operators and other service providers must continue to up their game and invest in new initiatives, products and technology.

Fail to do so and rankings will be hit again when the same survey is done next year. Indeed, this is almost a given in view of the time lag from now until the time the improvements are completed.


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Bridging the retirement gap

September 14, 2014, 6:04 am
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By Mark Whatley, Published TODAY, 12 Sep 2014

Retirement adequacy and the need to plan for retirement continue to be top of mind for many Singaporeans. Retirement-related issues formed a key part of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech — in particular, plans to help lower-income Singaporeans and making the Central Provident Fund (CPF) system more flexible. Enhancements to the CPF system will be considered by the CPF Advisory Panel, which was announced on Wednesday by the Ministry of Manpower.

While the question of whether one has saved enough money for retirement may seem a simple question, the fact that retirement is often many years away makes it more difficult.

Trying to answer it generates a number of other questions: Will I have met the CPF Minimum Sum and will that be enough to meet my needs? How will healthcare and living expenses change by the time I retire and how will they continue to rise after retirement?

Global professional services firm Towers Watson, for which I work, explored these issues through a pulse survey of more than 100 human resources professionals in February, revealing insights into how Singaporeans are thinking about and planning for retirement.

WHEN WILL I RETIRE?

With Singaporeans living longer than before, a later retirement age is necessary to ensure that the balance between working years and retirement years is sustainable financially. Department of Statistics figures for 2012 showed that a Singaporean male who had already reached 65 would be expected to live to age 83.5, while a Singaporean female could expect to live to age 86.9. Those working now will therefore need their retirement funds to last for approximately 20 years on average — and even longer as longevity continues to increase. Putting this into context, if you expect to spend S$3,500 per month in retirement, you would need a savings of S$840,000 (ignoring any potential interest earned) to last for 20 years.

In light of increasing longevity, and the ageing of the Singapore population as a whole, re-employment legislation— requiring employers to re-employ all workers who are medically fit and have at least satisfactory performance up to age 65 — has been in place for over two years. Our survey indicates that re-employment takes place in 95 per cent of cases, with renewable one-year contracts most commonly agreed upon along with the same job scope, salary and benefits. Given the success and necessity of the scheme, discussions are under way to push the age limit from 65 out to 67.

Against this backdrop, our survey found that 5 per cent of baby-boomer respondents (those aged 50 and over) expect to retire after age 70 and 35 per cent expect to retire between ages 65 and 70. In contrast, 19 per cent of Gen Y respondents (those aged below 35) expect to retire after age 70 and 17 per cent expect to retire between ages 65 and 70. While this appears to indicate an acceptance among younger Singaporeans that the retirement age will continue to increase, 42 per cent of Gen Y respondents still expect to retire before age 60. The realities of saving a fund big enough to sustain such a long retirement are likely to make this more of a dream than a reality — but time is on their side if they start saving now.

AM I SAVING ENOUGH?

The majority of people realise they need to do more to ensure a comfortable retirement, with 60 per cent of respondents admitting to not saving enough and 11 per cent not preparing at all. Healthcare needs are the primary concern of almost half of respondents. While everyone aspires to a healthy retirement, and MediShield Life will help alleviate concerns about the availability of cover, it is important to plan adequately for healthcare costs in old age.

The impact of inflation on future living costs also needs to be considered. Even if inflation remains stable at 2.5 per cent per annum, goods would cost over 60 per cent more in 20 years than they do now — a factor that too many people fail to take into account. If you wanted your S$3,500 per month income to increase with inflation (at 2.5 per cent per annum) over a 20-year retirement timeframe, the fund you would need at retirement increases from S$840,000 to around S$1.1 million.

As Singaporeans are living longer and are having children later in life, it is very possible that people may reach retirement age with both younger and older generations dependent on them. This needs to be taken into account in planning.

HOW SHOULD I SAVE?

When it comes to their primary source of retirement income, Singaporeans are looking to a number of different options. About 34 per cent of our survey respondents will rely primarily on the CPF savings, 18 per cent on their life insurance plans and 12 per cent on investment properties, but an alarming 20 per cent indicated their savings in banks as their main source of retirement funds. While putting money in a bank is safe, inflation will erode the real value of bank savings over time, particular as interest rates lag behind inflation.

An emerging option is drawing down on the value of one’s property — whether through downsizing, renting out a room or equity release. The recently announced changes to the lease buyback scheme should also help generate more interest in this option.

One form of retirement savings that provides tax efficiencies is the Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS). Our survey showed that 20 per cent of respondents were expecting to use SRS savings to some extent to enhance their retirement income.

However, based on Ministry of Finance data, SRS penetration has been surprisingly low to date. Given its potential, more people should consider this alternative in their wider retirement planning.

As the Singapore population ages, retirement planning becomes more and more important. Thinking about when you might retire, how long you might live and what kind of income you might need is the starting point. Then you need to think about what you might get from your current planned savings — both from the CPF or from other sources. From there, you can derive what gap you might need to bridge when you reach retirement.

One thing is clear: The sooner you start, the better. Pledging to save a proportion of your future salary increases can be a relatively painless way to start.


Mark Whatley is a senior consulting actuary with Towers Watson, specialising in advising employers on retirement and other employee benefits. He has been based in Singapore for eight years.


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S'pore matches Causeway tolls

September 14, 2014, 6:49 am
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By Christopher Tan, The Straits Times, 13 Sep 2014

DRIVING to Malaysia via the Causeway will cost substantially more from Oct 1 as Singapore raises toll rates to match Malaysia's fee hike.

The Land Transport Authority announced the new rates yesterday - just days after Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo told Parliament on Tuesday that Singapore would match Malaysia's increase "in due course".



Charges will apply for vehicles entering Singapore via the Causeway as well, up from no charge today. The two-way toll for a car will amount to $6.50 - more than five times the $1.20 charged today. The new rate is on a par with the toll at the Second Link, which remains unchanged at $6.40 for a round trip by car on Singapore's side. The Malaysia toll at the Second Link is RM7.50 (S$3).

The charges for all other vehicles except motorcycles - which will continue to have toll-free use of the Causeway - will also increase by around five times the previous rates.

Light vehicles will be charged $9.80, up from $1.90, and heavy vehicles, $13, up from $2.60. Taxis will be charged $3.30, up from 60 cents, while the toll for buses will be $5.30, up from $1.

With the higher fees Malaysia introduced on Aug 1, the toll for cars going to Johor Baru and back will be around $13 via the Causeway. This is expected to put off some but not all travellers.

Mr Chris Quek, 53, who runs driving-holiday company Wheels For Fun, said: "I don't think it will affect those who drive up country... perhaps only those who go to JB to buy petrol."

Since the toll hike on the Malaysian side, he said he has noticed that "traffic had lightened a little" on the Causeway.

Singapore businessman Fran William, 35, who goes to Johor Baru every fortnight, said he will cut down on his trips. "Maybe I'll go once every month or three weeks," he said. "I go there mostly to buy groceries."

Businesses in Johor Baru also expect a slowdown.

Mr Chook Jack Seng, 41, of Malaysian pharmacy chain My Pharmacy, said the increase is likely to dampen sales.

Many Singaporeans go to Johor Baru for medicines and health supplements as the price difference is substantial.

Mr Chook said the August hike had hit business, though he could not give an exact figure.

"We've not assessed the impact across our stores - we have 15 outlets in JB," he said. "But I think the bigger impact will be on transportation companies... especially those moving goods."

But Singapore vegetable wholesaler Yeo Thong Huat, 60, said the hike is unlikely to translate to any tangible increase in vegetable prices. He said this was because when divided by the load per lorry, it is negligible.

Each big lorry can carry up to 20 tonnes of vegetables.




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





Johor seeks hourly train shuttle to S'pore
State official says frequent service can help commuters hit by Causeway toll hikes
By Shannon Teoh Malaysia Correspondent In Kuala Lumpur, The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014

Johor has called on rail operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad to increase its service frequency across the Causeway to hourly trips as an alternative for commuters faced with surging toll fares.

Johor Tourism, Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Tee Siew Kiong said yesterday that a more regular train service would give those who drive daily to work an opportunity to switch to public transport.

"This could also have a positive impact on traffic congestion at the Causeway as there will be fewer cars," he said at a press conference, according to The Star newspaper.

Singapore's Land Transport Authority announced last Friday that it would match the Malaysian levy on the bridge, bringing the cost of a round trip for a car on the 1km road to about $13 from Oct 1.

The news caused concern across the border, with businessmen and politicians bracing themselves for a blow to the economy, as it meant a more than tenfold increase in two months for commuters after Malaysia first introduced a fee of RM16.50 (S$6.50) for cars on Aug 1.

A train ride from transport hub Johor Baru Sentral to Woodlands costs RM5 per adult.

Better public transport service would be welcome news for businessmen, including Mr Teh Kee Sin, president of the Small-Medium Enterprises Association of Malaysia and head of its South Johor chapter.

"Without viable alternatives, people who use the Causeway will be forced to adapt. But we will never forget these decisions by both governments," he told The Sunday Times.

He added that business owners could raise prices by up to 20 per cent as the long-term impact of the toll hikes makes its way along the supply chain.

The latest toll increase comes on the back of Singapore's decision to raise the Vehicle Entry Permit fee from $20 to $35 per day, from Aug 1. The Goods Vehicle Permit fee for foreign-registered vehicles also increased from $10 to $40 per month.

The implications of the toll increases could sound the death knell for the ambitious Iskandar economic zone, said Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong.

"With this tit-for-tat move, it is as though a wall has been erected on the Causeway to separate the two neighbours," the Democratic Action Party Johor chief said in a statement yesterday.

"Iskandar, which is heavily relying on its proximity to Singapore investments, is as good as gone."

Even leaders from the ruling Umno party agreed.

Pulai MP Nur Jazlan Mohamed told The Sunday Times: "Both governments have to decide if they want Iskandar or not because instead of promoting it, they are imposing a de facto tax."

While Singapore said it is merely adhering to a policy of matching its neighbour's levy, Malaysia insists its collection is not a Causeway toll, but to pay for the Eastern Dispersal Link, which is an elevated highway that connects the Johor Baru immigration complex to the North- South Expressway.


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Big Idea No. 8: Nurturing the art of compromise

September 14, 2014, 6:55 am
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Stresses from globalisation and political transition make it essential for Singaporeans to build consensus.
By Kishore Mahbubani, Published The Straits Times, 13 Sep 2014

BIG IDEA No. 8 is a difficult one: Develop the art of compromise.

Let me begin with a bold prediction about the future: As a society, Singapore will face a whole new lot of stresses and strains. There will be more fissures within Singapore society.

Some have already emerged. Hence, if we want to ensure that Singapore thrives and prospers over the next 50 years - as I do, which is why I am writing this series of articles on Big Ideas to guide Singapore into the future - we will have to develop within Singapore society the rare and difficult art of finding compromise between radically opposing positions.

There will be at least three major sources of stress for Singapore society.

The first will be the natural inflow of global stresses and strains. Our world is now experiencing greater political and economic shifts of power than it ever has in history. You may want to read my book The Great Convergence to understand the scale and speed of these global changes.

Sources of stress

SINCE Singapore is one of the most open and globalised societies, it will be perfectly natural for these global stresses to flow into Singapore.

A few concrete examples will help to explain this.

Some time in the next decade, China will surpass the United States and have the world's largest economy. This will be the first time in 200 years that a non-Western power will be No. 1 in economic terms.

It would be perfectly natural for such economic shifts of power to be accompanied by geopolitical competition and conflict. And if relations become difficult between the US and China, where should Singapore stand? How will our multi-ethnic society react to this stress?

Similarly, many Singaporeans, not just Muslim Singaporeans, felt the same global outrage over the unnecessary killings of civilians in Gaza. They wanted the Government to express this outrage loudly and clearly.

Yet, Singapore also has a vital national interest in maintaining good ties with Israel, as do China and India. So how should the Government react to these conflicting pressures within Singapore society?

If, perchance, relations deteriorate between China and India as they have between China and Japan, where does Singapore society stand? In short, prepare for global stresses and strains to invade Singapore.

The second source of stress arises from the fact that Singapore society is becoming more complex - not least because we are one of the most open cities in bringing talent and ideas from the rest of the world.

Economically, this was necessary: One of the main reasons Singapore has prospered and developed rapidly in the last 50 years is that we are plugged into global networks of trade, technologies, ideas and talent.

Quite naturally, this openness has also made Singapore society more complex. For instance, we now have a large and outspoken community that feels strongly about equal rights and acceptance for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people.

This community has to live cheek by jowl with the more conservative sections of Singapore society. Inevitably, there will be stresses.

Anyone who doubts this should study the unfortunate saga of the National Library which was caught between two distinct opposing points of view. Should the book shelves of the National Library reflect the traditional views of the conservative older Singaporeans, or the new views of the globally connected and the more open and cosmopolitan younger Singaporeans?

As Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) senior research fellow Mathew Mathews pointed out in a recent commentary in these pages, an IPS survey showed clearly that the views of Singaporeans on many social issues are changing significantly.

A smaller percentage of each cohort of Singaporeans thought that pre-marital sex, homosexual sex, and pre-marital cohabitation were always or almost always wrong.

For example, only 28 per cent of youth thought that cohabitation was always or almost always wrong, compared with 53 per cent of the middle-aged and 63 per cent of seniors.

Thus, it is misleading to talk about a single set of "community norms". Who should arbitrate between the differing views of older and younger Singaporeans?

The third source of stress will be a natural result of the political evolution of Singapore. Clearly, we are moving away from a political environment dominated by a single strong voice to a complex political environment where there are many voices.

This is a perfectly natural result of Singapore developing a large middle-class population that wants to have a greater say in national decision-making procedures.

Political transition

FOR many years, Singapore was linked to the "four tigers" of Asia, namely South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Significantly, all the three other "tigers" have had to struggle with political transitions from a single dominant party or authority to societies with more complex political environments. All three, in different ways, have had difficulties making these transitions.

In South Korea, the political transitions were so difficult that two former presidents, Chun Doo Hwan and Roh Tae Woo, went to jail; another, Roh Moo Hyun, committed suicide.

In Taiwan, the pro-independence antics of Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian almost sparked a major international crisis.

In Hong Kong, we are seeing a remarkable degree of political polarisation that will make it difficult to select a new chief executive who will enjoy broad support.

Mr Li Ka-shing, one of Hong Kong's most prominent citizens, recently appealed for compromise in Hong Kong, saying: "A spirit of tolerance attuning our differences showcases the strength and capacity of our shared civil society. Should we fail to nail the perfect synthesis between ideals and practicalities, we must still move forward together."

Bear in mind that there have been large-scale demonstrations in Seoul, Taipei and Hong Kong. Singapore has had a few protests at Hong Lim Park, each with attendees numbering in the thousands.

Will more widespread protest spread beyond Hong Lim Park in Singapore? We need to reflect on this possibility.

In short, there will be no shortage of stresses and strains coming our way.The big question we have to answer is this: How do we manage these stresses?

In the past, it was clear that we delegated a lot of authority to the Government to manage these stresses and strains and come up with wise answers. Those days are gone. We as citizens of Singapore have to learn the difficult art of dealing with many different voices pulling in opposing directions, and try to find a way of keeping the central consensus strong and cohesive.

This question of whether Singapore needs more contestation or consensus was the subject of a debate at the annual IPS Singapore Perspectives Conference in January. The proceedings of this debate will be published in a volume by IPS soon. It was a tough and highly contested debate.

The topic of the debate was "This conference resolves that consensus rather than contest will secure Singapore's future." IPS asked me to support this motion and Professor Chua Beng Huat, my colleague from the National University of Singapore sociology department, to oppose this motion. The debate took interesting twists and turns as IPS got the audience to vote at each turn of the debate.

Before the debate began, IPS called for a vote. Both Beng Huat and I expected the civil society audience at this event to vote overwhelmingly in favour of contest over consensus. Surprisingly, they voted 274-187 in favour of consensus. After one round of debate, another vote was called. Beng Huat managed to swing the crowd, which then voted 331 to 210 in favour of contestation. This led to even more vigorous debate, which resulted in the audience shifting back to its original position and voting 316 to 232 in favour of consensus. Both Beng Huat and I were surprised by these great swings in opinion.

These swings made me wonder if there is a high degree of uncertainty in Singapore society over which direction Singapore should take in the next phase of its social and political evolution. Many acknowledge and are aware that political contestation is going to rise in Singapore. This trend is unstoppable as it is the normal global and regional trend. Singapore is just becoming a "normal" society, after decades of having what some people considered abnormal politics, with one dominant party winning landslide elections.

At the same time, we remain an exceptionally vulnerable society. As Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong once said: "Once you think you are in a cruise ship and you are on a holiday and everything must go swimmingly well and will be attended to for you, I think you are in trouble."

When he was asked what he thought was a more appropriate metaphor, he said, "I think we have upgraded our sampan. It's Sampan 2.0."

Anyone who has been on a sampan will know that if people fight on a sampan, it will topple over. Yet, we will never ever get back the high degree of political unanimity that we enjoyed for so many decades. More fissures will emerge.

To manage these emerging fissures, we will have to develop a new political culture in Singapore: a political culture based on compromise and consensus. I believe it can be done.

It will require a lot of patience and painful cajoling to persuade Singaporeans to compromise between their many conflicting positions. And it will take at least a decade or two before this new political culture is entrenched in Singapore.

So shall we start working on it right away, and make it a key national goal for the next 50 years?

The writer is dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. He was named one of the top 50 world thinkers this year by Prospect magazine, a British publication.



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Shattering myths about scholars, smarts and respect

September 14, 2014, 8:47 pm
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By Zuraidah Ibrahim Deputy Editor, The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014

Last week in Parliament, MPs spent hours dissecting what it means to become a society that is less obsessed with the paper chase and more concerned with lifelong learning.

Education Minister Heng Swee Keat tried valiantly to disabuse us of what he described as three "limiting beliefs" that could prevent people from fulfilling their potential.

One was the assumption that paper qualifications are the be-all and end-all. All the degrees in the world might not get you a job, he said, if there are no jobs to be had. And, most jobs actually require a variety of skills, not just that one piece of paper.

Another limiting belief, perhaps in overreaction to the old obsession with credentials, is that qualifications do not matter at all.

The third is when people believe that they will lose out when others earn qualifications, overlooking the fact that the whole team can benefit when its members develop better skills.

The Applied Study in Polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education Review, or ASPIRE, report emphasises the value of getting the right qualification, be it a degree or a diploma or whatever else. Pick up knowledge and skills that enhance your value as a worker and as a human being.

Nobody would disagree that this would be a proper and productive conclusion. However, people doubt whether society has already arrived at this better place.

And until they are confident that the environment around them has changed, they cannot be blamed for continuing in the old mode. After all, where jobs are concerned, it is not a great idea to be too far ahead of the curve - you want to be valued by today's employers, not those in some hypothetical future.

To make that leap of faith, one can see at least three mindsets in society at large that need to be broken.

Mindset #1: Scholar equals smart

It may be less pronounced than when my peers and I started out in the working world, but it remains an awkward truth. The divide between overseas scholarship holders and those who obtained local degrees persists. Defenders of the scholarship system insist that if scholars fly, it is because their A-level results and the hoops they went through to win scholarships turn out to be accurate predictors of their workplace contributions; non-scholars' allegations of unfairness are just masking the fact that they are genuinely not as able.

Certainly, some of the strengths that won them their scholarships, combined with the exposure and confidence imbued by a good overseas education, do translate into superior workplace performance. But it would be disingenuous to ignore systemic reasons why scholars are unfairly favoured when they start work.

It is only human for bosses to fall prey to a confirmation bias. Having decided to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in an individual and committed to a firm contract of four to six years, it is natural for employers to give the returning scholar more opportunities. It would take an extremely honest organisation to admit, actually he is no better than the guy who just showed up from a local university.

Of course, employers have tried to make the system more open and less determined by examination results. The Administrative Service, for example, is no longer the monopoly of returning overseas scholars that it once was.

Employers could do more to accommodate those who did not get scholarships but developed themselves in the course of higher education.

The reality, though, is that there is a limit to how much opportunities can be equalised as long as organisations use the scholarship system to compete with one another for the same bright young talents.

If they get too ruthless with their returning scholars, it will affect their ability to recruit the next generation of scholars. The top A-level students have no shortage of opportunities and, often, multiple scholarship offers. They can afford to be fussy and to scrutinise what exactly they are getting into when they sign that six-year bond.

An organisation where most returning scholars are being treated like the elite that their schools have taught them to believe they are will obviously be more attractive than one where scholars are routinely overtaken by local graduates.

Thus, just as with employees, it is unlikely that individual organisations' mindsets will shift as long as wider employment practices are hooked on scholarships as a shortcut to finding talent.

Mindset #2: Some smarts matter more than others

This mindset is related to the first: If someone has excelled in formal education, he must be intelligent - in every way and in all situations. He can take on any challenge thrown at him. While this may be true of that rare, truly gifted individual, it is hardly the case for most people.

People have different strengths, which are suited to different challenges. Yet, we tend to be narrow-minded in our view of intelligence and talent. We have been told to prize talent that can be accounted for through traditional qualifications, as well as through money and status.

Fans of television's Japan Hour would know how the hunt for the best green tea ice-cream can take multiple episodes to be completed. I am always struck by how one of the world's most technologically advanced societies can also embrace and retain their traditional crafts. But whether it is tradition or technology, their spirit is captured in the word shokunin - which means craftsman or artisan, but actually connotes a deeper meaning about the joy in doing something to the best of your ability.

Valuing different intelligences will not just make people feel better; it will help Singapore create wealth for all.

Mindset #3: Stinginess with respect

This leads me to the mindset that may be the most unhealthy of all: A judgmental attitude that looks up to certain professions and looks down on others. Respect is what we crave, say human psychologists and behavioural economists. Economists like Richard Layard, for example, have long argued that it is not income alone that makes people happy, but also a sense of belonging. People need to know that they matter to others.

Last year, when we interviewed Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, I noticed that the room had several interesting paintings, which we discovered later were the work of prisoners. His choice of decor reflected his belief that Singapore needs to recognise different strengths. We need to treat one another better, he said.

Unfortunately, those who have not done so well in school are "very aware of what they didn't achieve, but not enough of them have discovered their strengths".

And, at the other extreme, are those who are fully aware of their strengths, but are not "sufficiently aware of their weaknesses, and not sufficiently aware of the strengths of others".

He posed a rhetorical question that I think goes to the heart of the current debate - how we value fellow Singaporeans: "Do you view them as equals?"

Shifting mindsets is a collective responsibility. It starts with others - from the establishment and employers to other organisations. But it involves each of us.


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Make your start-up dream a reality

September 14, 2014, 9:12 pm
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To do so, understand your market and determine the funds needed to succeed
By Melissa Tan, The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014

Figure out seed funds, cash-flow matters

The dream of starting a business is appealing to more people, enticed by hopes of making it big and being their own boss.

The fact, however, is many intended start-ups do not get off the ground.

Coming up with an idea for a viable business is difficult enough and the plan may not be as profitable as initially thought. The founders may also run out of cash.

Such obstacles may be difficult to surmount, especially for first-time entrepreneurs who may have less industry experience, experts note.

"Doing a start-up is brutal. Most start-ups fail," says Mr Johnson Chen, managing partner at start-up incubator Clearbridge Accelerator.

Still, the number of start-ups here has mushroomed in recent years, going by official statistics.

The number of active start-ups has grown by more than 80 per cent from 23,000 in 2004 to 42,000 last year, notes Mr Edwin Chow, executive director for the innovation and start-ups group at Spring Singapore.

Those start-ups employed 306,000 workers or 9 per cent of the workforce in Singapore last year, he says.

The number of high-tech start-ups has also nearly doubled within a decade, from 4,600 in 2003 to 8,500 last year.

"Unsurprisingly, the number of high-profile M&A (merger and acquisition) activities relating to start-ups in Singapore has also increased in tandem," Mr Chow says.

"Slowly but surely, investors in the start-up scene are recognising the value of Singapore-based start-ups."

Still, aspiring entrepreneurs may run into this problem: Even if you do have a business idea, how do you know if it's good enough? And how can you make sure you won't run out of funds?

The Sunday Times asks experts for their tips.

Keep talking to customers

One good way to understand a market is to continually consult customers, which could lead to start-ups changing their business direction for the better, experts say.

Says Mr Chen: "We see too often that entrepreneurs have good ideas and technologies, but do not spend enough time to understand the customers' needs, pain points and payment appetite."

He says: "Developing a good business idea is a continually iterative process - the more you do it, the better it gets. New business and opportunities are created by understanding customer needs - so if things are not working out, again, talk to customers to understand them."

Gun for a profitable market that can grow

Entrepreneurs should calculate how large the market for their business is likely to be. The market should also be profitable and scalable - that is, it can grow to a larger scale.

"When the customers' lifetime value outweighs the cost to acquire them, the customer segment is said to be a profitable one," says Mr Leslie Loh, managing director of venture capital firm Red Dot Ventures.

"To determine a customer's profitability, entrepreneurs should carefully analyse the customer segment - know what customers are willing to pay for, at what price, and for how long. This should equate to a lifetime value that is greater than the cost to acquire those same customers."

As for whether the market is scalable, Mr Loh says entrepreneurs should calculate the size of the market they can tap and look at predicted trends. "A large enough serviceable market is one that is estimated to be worth $1 billion in potential revenue and growing. Given this, know your customer segment, be specific in your analysis, and use conservative assumptions."

Mr Lim Der Shing, an angel investor and director at financial planning site DrWealth.com, says: "If your idea is able to replace or do a better job than existing solutions and the market is sizeable, then the idea is worth pursuing."

In Singapore, a rule of thumb for a digital-based start-up is that the market size ought to be at least $30 million, he says.

Make sure you stand out

Start-ups tend to be under-staffed and under-financed, which makes it all the more important for their offering to be differentiated from their rivals', Mr Loh says.

"To survive against the market incumbent, a start-up must correctly solve a significant problem, deliver a unique value proposition, and exploit core capabilities that are difficult for competitors to substitute or replicate."

Estimate cash needs with financial models

Mr Lim says for tech start-ups, making a prototype of their product could cost $50,000 to $150,000, which usually comes from the founder's savings. That counts as "pre-seed" funding.

External funding will come in only at a "seed" round when the start-up is raising anything from $300,000 to $1 million. This money usually comes from angel investors, incubators or early-stage venture capitalists, he says.

Experts say one good way to estimate how much funds a start-up needs is to use financial models.

"A disciplined way of looking at the economics of your business idea would be to build a financial model," says Mr Lim Chu Chong, head of small and medium-sized enterprise banking at DBS. "What is the itemised cost versus the revenue earned delivering the product or service? At what scale does this business turn profitable? Given the size of the target market, can the business scale to the size that it needs?"

A financial model will also help to estimate the amount of funds the business will need, he sa "When you have worked out the assumptions and financial model, you can estimate the amount of capital required to get the business started, and the amount of cash to burn until the business turns cash-flow positive. That is the ideal amount of cash required to fund the business."

Mr Loh says in the "pre-seed" round of funding, the investment size is generally $50,000 to $250,000 and is enough for the start-up to last 12 to 18 months.

In the "seed" investment stage, $500,000 to $1 million will give start-ups 12 to 18 more months to show that their product appeals to customers.

Keep accounts separate

Experts sa y start-up founders should keep their personal bank accounts separate from their business accounts. This will come in useful when the start-up seeks external funding, especially from banks.

However, Mr Loh sahe early stages "because of the relatively risky business model".

Mr Eric Ong, head of emerging business at OCBC Bank, sa-flow projections, and this gets more important as a company grows bigger".

"Young businesses generally find it more challenging to obtain loans during their start-up years as their level of operations and business activity may be too low, or they lack the necessary financial records or collaterals to obtain external funding."

Start-ups should, therefore, "start to build their credit history early" by separating business expenses from personal transactions, he adds.

Says Mr Ong: "This allows them to build a track record of operating cash flow that banks look at when evaluating financing requests. Setting up a separate financial record for the business also gives the business owner a clear view of where the funds are going and coming from."





Surveillance tech firm keeps an eye on users' needs
By Melissa Tan, The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014

For Dr Neo Shi Yong, 34, the idea to set up video analytics start-up Kai Square struck during his postgraduate studies.

The firm's technology was recently launched as a business intelligence service by SingTel, which has a 39.15 per cent stake in Kai Square via its venture capital unit Innov8.

The technology helps retailers, for instance, analyse video surveillance of their shops.

Dr Neo, Kai Square's chief executive, said he and business partner Goh Hai Kiat were studying at the National University of Singapore when they started their business in 2006. At that time, it provided mainly consultancy services in video data management and surveillance.

The business model changed as the pair worked with more customers. "Through interactions with users, we noticed that there was a growing need to make sense of surveillance data that was being recorded," he said.

Raising funds was a challenge at first. "We needed to... come up with an attractive yet realistic business model to gain the attention of potential investors. We did a market survey and provided statistics."

The founders also sought advice from experts to refine their plan.

Dr Neo, who told The Sunday Times that he personally invested about $100,000 in the business, said starting a business was more than just about making a financial investment.

"It is a joy to see your money grow as a result of you working hard to make it grow," he said.

The biggest disadvantage, he added, was the "lack of risk diversification" as his investment was also his job.





Customer's lament sparks tracking idea
By Melissa Tan, The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014

The idea to create a system that allows ships to monitor their fuel usage came to Mr Chia Yoong Hui while he was trying to sell someone something else entirely.

"I met a ship owner back in 2008 - when fuel prices were the highest in history - who was telling me that there was no way to monitor fuel consumption."

Mr Chia was trying to sell the owner accounting software, but the lament caught his attention.

That led him to team up with a "former navy buddy", Mr Sia Teck Chong, to create a system to solve the problem. They put in $100,000 and sought external funds from venture capitalists.

"From my past experience in the navy, I felt that there should be an automated way of managing all this," recounted the 46-year-old, who is now chief executive of Ascenz.

Mr Chia spent seven years in the navy after graduating from school and has a background in business software.

"With the world still very much reliant on sea freight to ship our products and with the backdrop of ever-rising fuel costs, we felt that it was a good segment to be in," he said.

Getting funding was easier after Ascenz won business awards such as the National Infocomm Award and Emerging Enterprise Award.

He said: "With the publicity from those awards, we have investors approaching us to provide funding. Of course, we have to prove to them that our business is viable and scalable."





Discovery generates buzz in scientific community
By Melissa Tan, The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014

Dr Gideon Ho's medical imaging start-up HistoIndex has come a long way over the past four years.

Having sprung from a "eureka" moment in a cafe, it is now "working out nicely to be my best investment", he told The Sunday Times.

Dr Ho, 41, chief executive of HistoIndex, recounted that his bright idea came while he was chatting with his now co-founder, Dr Dean Tai, over a coffee break in Biopolis.

They had been talking about "the results we got from the imaging of an animal liver tissue sample in our lab".

Then, they realised, they had discovered an imaging technology that could be used to diagnose all sorts of diseases, including cancer.

To make sure that their idea could work, they tested it on "thousands of human liver tissue samples" in clinical trials in Singapore and overseas.

It did work, and brilliantly. "Our most recent clinical results, published in the world's leading Journal of Hepatology, showed that we are consistently more accurate than the current gold standard of diagnosis," Dr Ho said, adding that it generated strong buzz in the scientific and clinical community.

However, getting there was not easy, especially when it came to raising funds.

One issue was the long time needed for a medical technology company to break even and then generate profits, Dr Ho said.

Noting that he has invested a "few hundred thousand" dollars into the business, he said that he has not realised returns from that investment yet.

In comparison, Dr Ho said that he has made 10 to 15 per cent a year through stock investments and "single-digit" returns on property over a three- to five-year period.

"However, returns on investment can never be the sole motivation for starting a technology company."





Start-ups risk 'going astray' in two scenarios
'Grantepreneurship' and 'predatory incubation' should be avoided: observers
By Jacquelyn Cheok, The Business Times, 15 Sep 2014

Paying it forward - a culture in which veteran entrepreneurs who were once beneficiaries of support and mentorship themselves readily lend support and mentorship to their younger peers - is still in its infancy in the start-up ecosystem here.

And this lack of guidance by experienced mentors, say observers, could lead to two scenarios where young, inexperienced start-ups "go astray".

The first scenario, "grantepreneurship", refers to start-ups wanting to start their businesses only after they manage to snag government grants, or exploiting such grants due to their sheer availability.

The second phenomenon, "predatory incubation", is where investors or mentors demand "sweat equity" (equity in exchange for time and energy invested in a start-up) even before helping them - and entrepreneurs struggle to have to give up a large portion of their business even before starting.

"Grantepreneurship" is not unique to Singapore, and is in fact a function of any government intervention, said Hugh Mason, CEO of start-up accelerator JFDI.Asia. "It's a result of the government wanting to elevate the start-up ecosystem - a complex environment - in a very short time.

"So we have various government agencies wanting to help as many start-ups as possible; and start-ups, on the other hand, sparingly applying for grants - with some even seeing it as helping public servants spend government money and fulfil KPIs (key project indicators)."

James Chan, founder- CEO of tech incubator Silicon Straits, said that it is not possible to effectively promote an entrepreneurial culture by throwing money at the problem just before entrepreneurs start a venture.

"Passion, character and integrity can be inculcated only from a young age - first by the parents and then possibly by the education system," he said.

Vinnie Lauria, founding partner of Golden Gate Ventures, nonetheless believes the various government initiatives and grants have created a vibrant start-up ecosystem and will be beneficial in the long term.

"Maybe these (initiatives and grants) have propped up a few more entrepreneurs for longer than the private market would have, but I think it's a necessary drawback for the greater positive happening in the market," he said.

Government initiatives also have checks and balances in place to prevent the abuse of grants, Mr Lauria added. Start-ups applying for iJam's Tier 2 funding of up to S$100,000, for instance, must have secured a matching amount of funds from private investors first.

iJam - short for IDM (Interactive Digital Media) Jump-start and Mentor - is a programme under Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) that provides financial and incubation support to start-ups with breakthrough ideas.

"Predatory incubation" is also not an ideal outcome.

"For instance, an investor values a start-up for S$200,000. He invests S$10,000 and helps the start-up get S$50,000 in government grants. Normally, he would get only 5 per cent of the company but a deal is struck such that the investor gets S$60,000 worth of equity or 30 per cent. The investor is basically leveraging the government grants to get additional equity out of the start-up," explained Ko Tze-Shen, co-founder of Angels Gate Advisory (AGA).

In response, Alex Lin, head of Infocomm Investments (the investment arm of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore), said: "There is a knowledge gap that exists between entrepreneurs and investors. In reality, the success rate of start-ups is relatively low at about 5 per cent, based on JFDI's data. So investors have a very low chance of exercising their equity options. To mitigate this risk, they ask for a higher equity option to compensate them for their investment, time and energy spent on coaching the start-ups."

Silicon Straits' Mr Chan agrees it is common, and reasonable for mentors to ask for "sweat equity" as long as both parties are agreeable.

"I don't think there's a need to be excessively concerned about 'poor entrepreneurs' being conned of their equity. If they feel cheated, it's usually in hindsight, and there's no better teacher than real-world experience to motivate them to do better," Mr Chan said.

A pay-it-forward culture will help young start-ups avoid such pitfalls, said observers. And hoping to cultivate this and foster a Silicon Valley-like ecosystem of support is AGA, the two-year-old homegrown incubator. Said Mr Ko: "Our hope is to promote a culture where entrepreneurs become entrepreneurs because of their passion and love for their business - not because they are able to subsidise the risks with a grant."

AGA provides free advisory services and free incubation space (of up to three tables) to start-ups, and does not ask for equity in exchange for government grants even though it is an iJam-appointed incubator with access to such grants.

"If we contribute and invest time and energy freely in start-ups, when they grow and become profitable, they too will contribute and invest time and energy (freely) in the next generation of start-ups," said Christopher Quek, AGA director and resident mentor.

The incubator - backed by investment firm Khattar Holdings - has mentored over 50 start-ups, among them educational gaming platform KungfuMath.sg, mobile search engine Loco, and food data analytics firm Taste Genome.


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Heeding the call to ease suffering of dying kids

September 15, 2014, 12:22 am
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Dr Chong Poh Heng was inspired by five-year-old with cancer to specialise in looking after children with life-threatening illnesses
By Chang Ai-Lien, Senior Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014


Q: How did you get into paediatric palliative care?

I was initially a general practitioner, and a few of my young patients developed incurable diseases such as cancer.

I began doing house visits to support these unfortunate families and soon realised I needed specific knowledge and skills, and more importantly, saw a gap in the health-care system.

I started doing volunteer work with a hospital paediatric palliative care service to see if I was able to support dying children.

But I was still undecided because doing the requisite training would mean giving up my practice, bringing home a much-reduced income and returning to training as a registrar.

Then, one day, during a consultation with a hospital patient, I chanced upon a young boy I used to treat as a GP. The five-year-old had cancer which no longer responded to treatment, and was in terrible pain.

When I sat down and played with him, he stopped crying and gave me two stickers. One said "the best", and the other said "you are the one".

It seemed to be a message to me.

That was the turning point, and I decided to commence advanced training in the speciality.


Q: You conceived and set up Star Pals (Paediatric Advanced Life Support) for children living with life-threatening conditions in 2012. What does it do?

At Star Pals, We don't just care for the patient, we care for the carers. A big part of our work is helping families make difficult medical decisions, helping them confront the hard facts and letting them have their say.

For overall well-being, there are also volunteers who can go to their homes to give them some respite, say, if they need to tend to their own medical problems, attend to their other children or simply take a nap. When somebody is well rested, he can take better care of the patient. After all, he is getting a break from what is essentially a 24/7 job for the rest of the child's life.

Our care is tailored to each family. My philosophy is that no child should die suffering, and no parent should feel helpless about it.


Q: You also arrange special activities for patients and their families?

Yes. Whatever the outcome, these families and particularly the kids deserve to live as normally as pos-sible. As our patients are often very ill or have special needs, it takes a whole village, with various medical staff and many different volunteers all roped in.

For example, we operate a ro-ving portrait-making team where volunteers give makeovers to the entire family and take professional shots at home, as some of the kids are too ill to leave the house.

We also organise a family camp every year specially for siblings and parents to bond, and to foster networking among families, so people know that they are not alone. There are even spa days arranged for worn-out mothers to rejuvenate themselves.

With a small team like ours, we would never be able to pull this off without the help of volunteers. They do everything, including buying special wheelchairs, sponsoring birthday cakes and paying for funerals.


Q:What are some of the misconceptions about paediatric palliative care?

It is a myth that palliative care means end-of-life care. There is always something to aim for, and we are there to fight for our patients to get the best care possible.

For instance, we may treat a cancer patient's urinary tract infection so that he is well enough to go for his next round of chemotherapy.

So, our care really happens alongside primary treatment of the disease, rather than only after all else fails.

Unfortunately, we still need to do much more to create awareness and get the message across. Roughly one in five of the people we approach still say "no" to our help.

Some doctors also hesitate to tell their patients about us, for fear that the family think they are being abandoned, or that there is no hope.


Q:How many patients could benefit from Star Pals?

I believe there are about 2,000 patients here aged 19 and below who are living with complex medical conditions that are life limiting, some of whom often get admitted into and struggle in intensive care wards for weeks or even months.

About 250 children die in Singapore every year, and out of these, we can support about half of them. We are currently looking after only about 50 patients at any one time. I often wonder about the rest of them, those who are unseen and unheard, how they and their families are coping.


Q: Can you elaborate on your other research?

We are collecting data to show that paediatric palliative care makes a difference to people's lives. Although it is very challenging to prove it in dollars and cents, we are comparing the costs of palliative care versus money spent going in and out of hospital.

We also aim to show how palliative care improves the quality of life of our young patients and how it reduces the burden of caregivers. A future project will collect narratives of our clients' experiences, to optimise the care we provide and ensure that it continues to stay truly patient-centred.


Q:How do you cope when your young patients die?

That is when I turn to hobbies to unwind and keep myself going. I tend to my little garden, nurturing other life forms. Listening to music is very therapeutic. Operatic arias are evocative and cathartic at the same time. They often trigger a meltdown, particularly when I am alone in my car. Then, I pick myself up and go on.

I have looked after more than 120 patients in this service so far.

Every time I lose one, I lose a part of myself. But what has kept me going is seeing that families do not have to go through this tragic and challenging situation on their own, and knowing that I have been able to send yet another special child to a good place, smoothly and with lots of love.





Brains behind palliative service for the young
By Chang Ai-Lien, The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014

Dr Chong Poh Heng, 48, is the brains behind Star Pals, a community paediatric palliative care service that he runs. It began receiving patients in 2012.

He is also deputy medical director of HCA Hospice Care, which provides comfort and support to adult patients with life-limiting illnesses. A palliative medicine specialist, he is a visiting consultant at both KK Women's and Children's Hospital and the National University Hospital.

He is doing his PhD in palliative care at the International Observatory on End of Life Care, Lancaster University, in Britain. His research on the holistic care of children with life-limiting conditions includes surveying doctors here on their views about paediatric palliative care, and mapping out a service directory for such specialised care in the Asia-Pacific region.

His wife, Ms Chee Thong Gan, 48, is an administrator in a tertiary health-care institution, and they have three children - Heather, 19, Brendan, 17, and Frances, 13.





Helping family through their difficult time
By Chang Ai-Lien, The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014

It took less than two years for a tumour in 17-year-old Loh Min Yi's brain to transform her from a straight-A student and active outdoor enthusiast who loved kayaking and trekking into someone who was immobile and unable to talk or eat.

The first sign that things were not right came in July 2012, when Min Yi, then an Anderson Junior College student, suffered severe headaches and vomiting while preparing for her examinations.

Her doctor initially dismissed it as stomach flu coupled with exam stress. But a month later, she developed double vision, and her parents took her to hospital.

There, they got the shock of their lives.

"The doctor said she had a brain tumour that was causing swelling that was not only affecting her vision, but threatening her life," said her father, Mr William Loh, 58.

"We had only 10 minutes to decide whether to go ahead with surgery or not. It was the most difficult decision of my life."

They said yes, and surgeons went in to drain the swelling. But they were unable to reach the tumour itself, which was smack in the middle of the brain, and so Min Yi started radiation and chemotherapy.

She did well for about a year, but by September last year, she was limping, and scans revealed a new growth at her brain stem, which was affecting her nerves.

Two months later, she was unable to return to school at Nanyang Polytechnic, and soon, her entire right side was affected - she could not write, and was dragging her right leg.

In December, Min Yi's oncologist introduced the family to Dr Chong Poh Heng, Star Pals' (Paediatric Advanced Life Support) programme director, to arrange for palliative care to help make her as comfortable as possible, and to lend a hand to her parents and siblings.

But her parents strongly resisted palliative care at first because they felt it meant they had accepted their daughter was going to die.

By then, Mr Loh had taken a break from his work as general manager of an exhibition service company to spend more time with his daughter. His wife Irene Ong, 55, a housewife, spent her waking hours by Min Yi's side.

Madam Ong said: "At the time, palliative care meant 'the end' to me. I was really resisting it.

"I thought the longer I did so, the longer Min Yi would live."

But a couple of visits from Dr Chong and palliative care nurse Lily Li changed their minds.

"They were available 24 hours a day, and whenever I panicked, I could call to ask for advice," said Madam Ong.

"For any little thing, like why she was not drinking or eating properly - we could get advice and reassurance."

Star Pals also loaned them items such as a commode and wheelchair, and brought in a physiotherapist and social worker.

The physiotherapist not only gave Min Yi exercises, but also taught Madam Ong how to move her daughter in the proper manner without having to resort to brute strength, making the effort as comfortable as possible for them both.

Mr Loh said: "Whenever Dr Chong showed up, he had something to tell us. He was always looking ahead to what would happen next in her illness, what we should expect and how to prepare for it. Because of this, he was always the harbinger of bad news.

"But in the long run, we were prepared for the end mentally."

Bright spots also included music therapy sessions every two weeks, where the whole family, including Min Yi's brother Loh Wei Jit, 22, and sister Loh Jin Yi, 16, would join in and sing together.

"Nothing could make Min Yi move her right arm. But she would use it to bang the drum," recalled Madam Ong.

"It was a real stress reliever, and bonded us even more strongly as a family. The music therapy was one of the most wonderful times we spent with Min Yi, and we have beautiful memories."

Then, there was the family portrait organised by Star Pals, with volunteers who styled their hair, did their make-up and shot the photographs at Lower Pierce Reservoir near the Lohs' house.

Mr Loh said: "The patience and passion that the four volunteers showed was wonderful."

Three days later, a surprise package showed up on their doorstep - a framed photograph of the family that is a cherished memento of their time spent with Min Yi.

On May 31, the weekend before Min Yi's 19th birthday, her former schoolmates from CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School threw her a party, complete with balloons, flowers and cake.

"We would not have celebrated if not for Dr Chong," said Mr Loh, recalling how the doctor, knowing that Min Yi's time was limited, pressed them to have the celebration early.

When Min Yi died in the early hours of June 2, Dr Chong and his team were there to give comfort and support.

In the end, their experience with Star Pals turned out to be invaluable, said Mr Loh.

"We really benefited from the journey. We are just so grateful for the services, and I want to let people know that there is a lot of help available out there."





Caring for very sick kids
By Chang Ai-Lien, The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014

Star Pals (Paediatric Advanced Life Support) is a service that improves the quality of life of those aged 19 and below who are critically ill or have life-threatening diseases ranging from genetic, congenital, metabolic or neuromuscular conditions to childhood cancers.

Its team of doctors, nurses, counsellors and social workers provides family-centred, customised treatment and support for the children and their families.

They work alongside each child's primary health-care team to prevent, reduce and soothe symptoms through regular home visits and a 24-hour on-call helpline; and provide support in making complex medical decisions, as well as counselling patients and their families, and giving end of life care and bereavement support.

Staff and volunteers arrange sponsored outings, camps and art and music therapy, and even photography sessions for the patients and their loved ones, while "Medi Minders" are always on hand to take over and offer caregivers a few hours of respite.

Star Pals is a service by HCA Hospice Care, Singapore's largest home hospice provider.

For more information, visit www.starpals.sg or e-mail starpals@ hcahospicecare.org.sg with your queries.


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New push to explain benefits for pioneers

September 15, 2014, 12:45 am
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Pioneer Generation Office will coordinate, train 'PG ambassadors'
By Walter Sim And Toh Yong Chuan, The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014

Older Singaporeans with questions about their Pioneer Generation Package benefits can soon turn to the "PG ambassadors" - a group of volunteers who will specialise in explaining the details of the scheme.

The volunteers will be trained and coordinated by civil servants in the Pioneer Generation Office, a new government unit formed as part of a wider effort to help the public understand the package.

The unit, which is funded by the Ministry of Finance but housed under the People's Association (PA), was revealed yesterday by PA deputy chairman Lim Swee Say on the sidelines of the annual PA grassroots seminar.

The pioneer package offers perks such as subsidies for out-patient care and MediShield Life premiums to Singaporeans 65 or older this year who were citizens before 1987.

But some of these pioneers may not understand what they are entitled to under the $8 billion scheme. The office aims to field specific questions from individuals about the package.

"Somebody may be suffering from a certain chronic disease, may be on a certain kind of medication, may have certain needs, so therefore they have very specific questions," said Mr Lim.

Grassroots leaders can refer such residents to the PG ambassadors, he added.

The Government has also been trying to spread the word about the package in other ways, such as by educating health-care staff and grassroots leaders, and mounting an advertising campaign.

A survey of 1,500 Singaporeans in March found that three in 10 do not know about the package. Among those who do, four in 10 are not sure of the benefits.

Mr Lim, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, did not rule out having similar outreach systems in future.

The new unit comes amid renewed efforts by the PA to explain policies more simply to the public, while also collecting feedback to pass on to government bodies.

The PA, an umbrella body of grassroots organisations, yesterday reiterated its focus on acting as an effective conduit between the people and the Government.

This includes representing the "silent majority", who may have ideas on improving government schemes but do not know how to provide feedback, said Mr Lim.

Dr Djoni Huang, 42, assistant treasurer of the Woodlands Citizens' Consultative Committee, said training grassroots leaders like himself to explain policies to the public can help minimise a sense of information overload.







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Sacrificing now for a better tomorrow

September 15, 2014, 1:01 am
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By Lee Wei Ling, Published The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014

I had stopped reading the newspapers for some weeks as there seemed to be nothing but bad news. But the photograph of the gothic-looking Jurong Rock Caverns on the front page of The Straits Times on Sept 3 caught my attention. The underground space would free up 60ha of space above ground - the equivalent of about 80 football fields.

The cavern took six years of planning and over eight years of construction at a cost of $950 million. It can store up to 1.47 million cubic metres of liquid hydrocarbons, which can fill more than 500 Olympic-sized pools.

Such a huge project requires foresight, vision and staying power to bring to fruition, and this is not the first time Singapore has completed such projects.

The best example of such massive infrastructure projects from our past is the Jurong Industrial Estate. In the 1960s, the received wisdom was that multinational corporations (MNCs) were exploiters of cheap land, labour and raw mate-rials. Third World leaders generally believed this theory of neo-colonial exploitation. Singapore leaders Dr Goh Keng Swee and Mr Lee Kuan Yew were not impressed.

Singapore had no natural resources for MNCs to exploit. All it had were hardworking people, basic infrastructure and a Government determined to deliver. If MNCs could give workers jobs and impart know-how to Singaporeans, why shouldn't we welcome them?

Dr Goh and Mr Lee thus decided to start the Jurong Industrial Estate. The estate - Singapore's largest infrastructure development - covered over 3,600ha with roads, sewers, drainage, power, gas and water all laid out. Other massive infrastructure projects include Jurong Island. The artificial island was conceived in the 1980s to support Singapore's growth as a petrochemical hub.

It was created by shooting tonnes of sand in a rainbow arc into the sea to fill up the water channels separating the seven southern islands. It was a bold and innovative way to increase our land size and attract investments to create good jobs.

The costly clean-up of the Singapore and Kallang rivers is yet another example. If Mr Lee had not pushed this project through despite the hefty price - thousands of businesses along the rivers were moved - waterways, like Jakarta's Ciliwung River or Manila's Pasig River, would be flowing sluggishly through downtown Singapore.

Mr Lee later imagined a Venice-like site in the reclaimed Marina Bay area. So Gardens by the Bay was born at a cost of $1.05 billion. Now, the combination of Marina Bay Sands, the Marina Barrage and the Gardens presents a magnificent sight.

The Housing and Development Board was established in 1960. It was headed by a man with sharp business sense, Mr Lim Kim San.

A British colonial report on housing had noted that the Singapore of the 1940s and 1950s had "one of the world's worst slums - a disgrace to a civilised community".

That was soon history. By any measure, Singapore's achievement in public housing was remarkable.

Singapore is a small country. We have done well so far, reaching First World status in record time. This is not the usual trajectory of small countries with no resources.

We got here because successive governments were led by people with gumption and foresight. Equally, if not more importantly, the people were prepared to gel together as one and accept short-term hardships in exchange for long-term hope.

I sense that the ground has shifted in recent years. We have become more demanding of immediate satisfaction and less willing to persevere when there are difficulties. Our country will be in trouble if our expectations can only be met at a price we are unwilling to pay.

We must emulate our pioneer generation: Work hard, be willing to sacrifice for a better future and accept necessary trade-offs. The Government must be able to persuade our citizens why we must adopt a particular difficult course.

Only an exceptional people led by exceptional leadership could have built Jurong Industrial Estate, Jurong Island, the Jurong Rock Caverns and, in time to come, the Jurong Lake Gardens. If Singapore is to continue to survive and thrive, both its Government and people must remain exceptional.

The writer is director of the National Neuroscience Institute.


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HDB building high-rise mechanised carparks in trial

September 15, 2014, 8:07 pm
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By Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 15 Sep 2014

RESIDENTS of Bukit Panjang, Changi and Yishun will get some relief from parking woes next year.

The Housing Board has started building high-rise mechanised carparks as high as 15 storeys in these estates, as part of a trial to see if a mechanised parking system (MPS) suits HDB estates.



"The MPS is not new in Singapore: several private condos and hotels have it. But it will be new in an HDB town," wrote National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan in his blog yesterday.

He was in Bukit Panjang yesterday to launch the construction of a 15-storey mechanised carpark in Bangkit Road.

Costing about $18 million to build, the mechanised carparks at these estates will add 219 parking spaces, up from 717 currently. The cost excludes maintenance.

These mature estates were picked because they lack parking spaces as well as space for new multi-storey carparks.

To park using the mechanised system, a motorist drives his car into a car lift and parks in it.

He then keys in a PIN number and the system will automatically find a parking spot for the car. The driver keys in the same PIN number to retrieve his car.

Carpark charges will remain unchanged during the trial, said the HDB. Residents currently pay $65 a month to park their cars at unsheltered HDB carparks and $90 per month at sheltered ones. Visitors pay $1 an hour.

Dr Teo Ho Pin, the MP for Bukit Panjang, said the system will relieve the shortage of parking spaces during weekends. "The additional 60 (parking spaces) will provide more (parking) facilities for residents and visitors," said Dr Teo, who is also mayor of the North West District.

Office administrator Catherine Ng, 48, said the system will save drivers from having to hunt for parking spaces. "It will also help drivers like me who cannot park properly," she said with a laugh.

Shopkeepers were also happy at the prospect of more parking spaces. "It may bring more shoppers," said owner Lau Chye Tong of Choan Huat Trading, a shop supplying prayer items.

But a few residents were hesitant about using the new system.

"What if the waiting time is too long or if the car is damaged?" asked 37-year-old Ram Bijay. A 38-year-old salesman, who gave his name only as Mr Tan, said he will use it only if there are no regular parking spots available.

Mr Henry Tng, business development manager of Japanese construction and engineering firm Sato Kogyo, which is building the Bukit Panjang MPS, said his company has been building such parking systems in Japan for more than 20 years. "It is reliable. We are not only building it but also maintaining it."

The HDB said the systems will have hotlines manned around the clock and back-up generators in case of power failures.

It added: "If cars are damaged by the system due to mechanical failure, there will be insurance coverage by the contractor as the system provider."


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