Living the pioneering spirit: Heng Swee Keat

March 8, 2015, 10:22 pm

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From 'study book' or du shu to learning with joy for life
This is an edited excerpt of a speech by Education Minister Heng Swee Keat in Parliament yesterday.
The Straits Times, 7 Mar 2015

IN 1965, education meant du shu or "study book". Our pioneers had a sense of where they wanted to be in the future, where they were, and worked hard to bridge that gap. The big gap then was basic literacy and numeracy skills - so "study book" made sense as they learnt the three "Rs" - or reading, writing, arithmetic.

Many became literate and numerate. We then built on this education system. At critical points, we made important choices to adapt and change. Educators, parents, students responded with spirit, and each wave allowed us to make further progress with purpose. But there were also inadvertent negatives. In our mind, "study book" became increasingly about exams, grades and qualifications.

A strength - in focusing on academic grades - can be overdone and become a weakness, as we leave little time to develop other attributes that are necessary for success and fulfilment.

Students tell me of the stress they faced because of the high expectations placed on them. The chase for better grades fuelled a tuition industry. It created a vertical stacking of qualifications, as well as the tiering of schools in the minds of parents based mainly on academic results - a hierarchy of grades.

We are not unique in this. The same "study book" culture that enabled the three East Asian dragons - South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan - to make great strides is also generating the same, if not even greater, pressure in their societies.

Like our pioneers before us, we have to ask anew: Where do we want to be in the future, where are we today, and how do we make the leap?

The future will be more uncertain, volatile as the global economy and political order change in unpredictable ways. An ageing population will create challenges that we cannot totally foresee. A younger generation that is digitally connected can either be more united or more divided.

The nature of jobs will also change. Many existing jobs will disappear. Smart machines and lower- cost workers elsewhere will take these jobs. We have to change jobs, maybe several times over our lifetime. But jobs that need uniquely human qualities cannot be displaced by machines, and will become more valuable.

Traits like creativity, inventiveness, adaptability, socio-emotional skills, and cultural and global awareness will give Singaporeans an edge. Some of us will create jobs for others as entrepreneurs. And if our economy grows well, more jobs will be created. All these present new and multiple pathways for success.

At a crossroads

WE ARE at a crossroads. We have two options.

We could continue with the "study book" path, with a narrow focus on grades and exams, and descend into a spiralling paper chase and expanding tuition industry, as many of you have warned. Employers choose not to invest in employees, relying wholly on academic qualifications to determine who gets the job. Educators drill and test, and see their duty as helping students obtain the best exam grades possible. Parents obsess over grades and spend ever-increasing amounts of resources to give their child an edge over other children. And students chase the next point, and spend most of their time going for more tuition and enrichment in very narrow areas.

Stress levels in society climb, and the system churns out students who excel in exams, but are ill-equipped to take on jobs of the future, nor find fulfilment in what they do. And unemployment or under-employment becomes pervasive.

Or we can have another outcome.

We can act with boldness and resolve to embark on a major transformation. We will need collective will and action by employers, teachers, parents and students and society at large.

Where employers look beyond academic qualifications in hiring and promoting the best person for the job, where bosses support employees in skills upgrading, where educators focus on holistic education, building a strong foundation of values and the capacity to learn, where our institutions of higher learning play a leading role strengthening the nexus between learning and work, learning and life, where parents recognise every child's unique strengths, and do their part to build their children's character, where students flourish through a range of academic and co-curricular activities, take different pathways to success and grow up to be well-rounded.

The economy stays resilient and flexible, with high levels of employment, and many opportunities. High skills, high productivity, high wages. And our society and our people continue to be caring, harmonious, gracious, cohesive. And we do not see education as a race among our children.

Charting this new territory will require us to once again be pioneers.

We developed new ways of learning in our schools, made every school a good school, expanded applied pathways in tertiary education and, in this Budget, outlined a series of SkillsFuture initiatives that built on ASPIRE's (Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review) recommendations. All these changes have laid the groundwork for a transformation that creates a better future for Singapore, anchored in deep skills and strong values. But this future will belong to us only if we, as a people, shift our mindsets about education.

This is not about "study book" or du shu.

It is about learning in every domain, any time, anywhere for a purposeful, fulfilling life. In other words, we need to live the pioneering spirit, beyond learning for grades, to learning for mastery, beyond learning in school, to learning throughout life, beyond learning for work, to learning for life.

Learning for mastery

THE first major shift is to go beyond learning for grades, to learning for mastery.

When I was in the Police Academy 30 years ago, more than 30 years ago actually, one of my pioneer instructors was Mr John Chang. He did not have high academic qualifications, but he was, in my mind, one of the best instructors - he knew the law, he knew how to deal with tense situations, he knew how to teach.

He explained to me that after handling each case, he would reflect on how he could have done better. He would imagine in his mind scenarios - how should he have reacted if the criminals that he was dealing with had been more violent, if they were armed with a firearm, or if the victims were less cooperative, and so on and so forth.

He studied on his own, he attended classes, he asked his peers, he asked his seniors. Everybody he could get, he would ask. John was one of the few police officers who started as a constable, got many promotions and went all the way and retired as an assistant superintendent of police. Quite a feat in those days.

I learnt a lot from John as a very young officer about what it means to be an effective learner, and how one achieves mastery.

He was self-directed: No one told him how to learn, but he did so on his own. He was reflective: He thought through his own experiences and learnt from both mistakes and successes. He learnt in bite-sized modules, picking up what he needed, when he needed. He kept an open mind and learnt from everyone, everywhere, at any time. He was disciplined: Learning was not left to chance, but built into his everyday routine. And he was passionate: He cared deeply about what he does.

We should aim to be a nation where Singaporeans develop mastery in every field, Singaporeans who are resourceful, inventive and break new ground. This will take a collective effort across our schools, institutes of higher learning (IHLs) and industry.

- Learning with interest and joy: An important aspect of learning for mastery is to match our students' strengths and interests to opportunities in our schools and IHLs, in careers and enterprises. A recent innovation in our schools is the Applied Learning Programmes or ALPs, in fact in almost all our secondary schools, and this is part of our Every School A Good School movement.

In fun and creative ways, our students apply various domains of knowledge to solve complex, real- life problems in their field of interest. Hillgrove Secondary has an ALP on flight and aerospace. Students learn fundamental aerospace theories, and apply maths, science, design and technology by building and flying their own model planes. Students go on to take advanced elective modules in aerospace, where they fly in flight simulators and learn how planes defy gravity.

Rayner Lee really enjoyed learning at Hillgrove and in fact he's now doing aerospace technology at Nanyang Polytechnic and he says: "I chose Hillgrove because of the Youth Flying Club CCA. I wanted to be a pilot. My parents and school teachers encouraged me to take up the Private Pilot Licence (PPL). Now that I have my licence, I hope to join the RSAF (Republic of Singapore Air Force) as a pilot."

Well, I hope Rayner flies high.

- Mastery in whichever field: Different ALPs open up different possibilities for students to put knowledge into action and bring learning to life. Learning becomes relevant and engaging for every student, in every school.

We are not channelling students to specialise early. In fact, deep skills acquired in one field can be transferred to another.

Ngee Ann Polytechnic uses the technical know-how in building unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs to build unmanned underwater vehicles or UUVs to clean ship hulls - so transferring the skills from air to sea.

A team in ITE working with the Singapore Zoo applied medical technology to design an incubator, and succeeded in increasing the hatching rate of reptile eggs from 25 per cent to 75 per cent.

With more choices, we need good education and career guidance or ECG. There are many domains and fields that students could explore and develop deep skills in - whether it's in design, business, arts, music or sports. By exposing students to possibilities, we empower them to make better choices and choose suitable pathways. ECG curriculum in schools, ITE and polytechnics will be enhanced and, by 2017, we'll have a professional core of ECG counsellors and an online ECG portal that shows many exciting opportunities - enriched by our SkillsFuture initiatives.

Learning throughout life

THE second major shift that we need to make together deeper is to go beyond learning in school, to learning throughout life.

Fifty years ago, Seletar was better known for the smell of pig farms. And 50 years on, I visited Seletar to witness the delivery of our first Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 jet engine - made-in-Singapore for a Singaporean company, Scoot. A world of difference.

Ravinder is a team leader with 24 years of aerospace experience. You would have thought that he knows everything, but he told me: "To me, every day is a learning process." And this gentleman was serious when he said that.

It turned out that his son was also interested in aerospace engineering. So Ravinder decided that he, too, should return to school to pick up new skills and more skills, so that he can mentor his son, and pass on his skills to the next generation. He enrolled in Temasek Polytechnic's Diploma in Aerospace Engineering and is now six months into his course. Now, all that, while working hard at Rolls-Royce mentoring his young colleagues, like Cheria and Siti.

Now, Cheria is technically Ravinder's "schoolmate" in TP, as she is also pursuing a Diploma in Aerospace Engineering. But she is one-third his age - about. As an intern, she is learning at the workplace, even as Ravinder is learning at TP.

Siti, an ITE student in aerospace technology, was also part of the team. While working at a bookshop at Changi Airport, she saw the aeroplanes taking off and it piqued her interest. She started to wonder how do planes fly. So, today, she is a Rolls-Royce ITE scholar, thrilled to be building an impressive and complex engine with some 30,000 parts and learning all that as an intern. So you see it's not just about learning technical skills.

Ravinder, Cheria and Siti are at different stages of life but all actively learning to be better, to succeed both at work, and in life.

Self-directed learning

AS WE resolve to learn for mastery and learn throughout life, we need to rethink a few issues about learning and the significance of the changes.

The OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) did a recent survey of adult skills. Workers in Japan ranked highly in their skills, but ranked badly in terms of how well these skills are utilised on the job. At the opposite end, workers in the US ranked poorly in skills, but ranked among the top in using skills on the job - so whatever skills they have, they use to the fullest.

Besides the multiple pathways in our institutions of higher learning, you can now create your own learning pathways - build a portfolio of skills, just in time, tailored to your own needs, at your own pace. You can stack modules towards a qualification, or just choose relevant modules. It empowers each of us to take charge, direct our own learning, and build our own unique skills map.

This self-directed, independent learning must start young. Our teachers must not spoon-feed our students and give them model answers.

In life, there are no model answers. I once had a parent who wrote to me to argue for an extra mark for her child's term test in school. Rather than seek an extra mark in tests, let us nurture our children to make their mark in society.

We have to encourage our children to be independent, self-directed learners, skilful at figuring out their own way.

Professor Tan Tai Yong made an important point that we must not over-protect our children, so that they can develop adaptive resilience and learn to deal with uncertainties in life. But if we intervene when a child did not get the extra mark, how does he or she develop that resilience?

So let us start early in our schools and make our children self-directed, independent learners. Let us all take a collective pause and see whether the way that we are bringing up our children in school, at home, is helping them to develop that independence, that self-directed learning, that resourcefulness and initiative, or whether we are spoon-feeding them, that they are going to lose that; that when the crutch is taken away, they cannot go out and create and invent and build new things.

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Transformed Rochor Canal a hit with residents

March 8, 2015, 11:40 pm

≫ Next: Work starts on Yusof Ishak Mosque

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Waterway now a gathering spot - a far cry from its smelly, dirty past
By Samantha Boh, The Straits Times, 7 Mar 2015

WALKING down the new granite paths lining Rochor Canal as rays of sunshine reflected off the waterbody, it was hard to picture what used to be a smelly drain avoided by residents.

Instead of an ignored canal filled with rubbish, the revitalised waterway is lined with glass-sheltered pergolas for shade.

Rain gardens which not only beautify the area but also act as a filter for rainwater run-off enhance the facade.

"I now make it a point to stroll along the beautiful canal every day," said retiree Lim Ah Wah, 79, who lives in Rochor estate.

The revitalised Rochor Canal, which will be officially opened tomorrow, is the first official waterway improvement project to be done in the downtown area.

A key enhancement is an urban promenade, which runs from Jalan Besar to Crawford Street - a 1.1km stretch - and which will also link residents to the surrounding enclaves of Bugis, Kampong Glam and Bencoolen.

A community plaza which can hold up to 330 people and can be used for events has also been added, as well as features such as lookout decks and pedestrian bridges.

The section of the canal has also been widened and deepened to improve its drainage capacity.

At a media preview of the canal, Mr Tan Nguan Sen, national water agency PUB's chief sustainability officer, said the project has transformed the landscape to bring more bustle and excitement to the area. It makes surrounding landmarks more accessible, and allows residents and visitors to walk, jog or cycle from Jalan Besar to Crawford Street.

"But while enjoying all these benefits, we hope the public will also play its part to keep the river clean and free of litter," he said.

Mr Tan explained that this is especially important as the Rochor Canal is one of five waterways that flow into the Marina Reservoir and said the PUB will work to keep the waterway clean.

The project took more than three years to complete and cost $48 million. It was done under PUB's Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) programme.

Residents living in the area said they were happy with the improvements. Mr John Yeo, 52, who works in advertising, said he remembered the canal being smelly and full of litter when he first moved in 30 years ago, but now enjoys strolling along it and interacting with his neighbours.

"More residents now gather along its banks to enjoy the clean waters and the cool breeze," he said.

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Work starts on Yusof Ishak Mosque

March 8, 2015, 11:50 pm

≫ Next: ACRES sets up unit to probe animal abuse

≪ Previous: Transformed Rochor Canal a hit with residents

By Janice Heng, The Sunday Times, 8 Mar 2015

Construction has begun on the new Yusof Ishak Mosque in Woodlands, which will be able to accommodate up to 4,500 worshippers when ready by the end of next year.

"This is a mosque they've been waiting for a very long time because of the capacity that's needed," said Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, at the ground-breaking ceremony yesterday.

Post by Lee Hsien Loong.

The only other mosque in the area is An-Nur Mosque in Admiralty Road. Located at Woodlands Drive 17, the new mosque is named after Singapore's first president.

In a Facebook post last night, Dr Yaacob said: "This is one of the ways in which we are honouring our first president, for his distinguished contributions to Singapore especially his role in promoting harmonious relations in our multi-racial nation."

The mosque's design puts a modern twist on elements of traditional Malay architecture, such as eaves, a verandah and decorative ventilation panels. Costing $17.56 million to build, it is funded by the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund. Separately, the Mosque Building Committee aims to raise $2.5 million for interior fittings and furnishing. So far, $1.8 million has been raised.

Mr Yusof's widow Puan Noor Aishah, who was also at the ground-breaking ceremony, said in Malay: "I thank the community for all their support."

The mosque will reach out to other communities and build ties with its neighbours, such as an upcoming community hospital, said Dr Yaacob. "For example, we can do health screening together with the hospital here."

The new mosque is a short walk from the home of Mr Rohaizad Haji Juri, 34, who said: "I'm very excited to see what it has to offer.

"I'd like to see it integrate the various communities."

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ACRES sets up unit to probe animal abuse

March 9, 2015, 12:14 am

≫ Next: Same standards for everyone, says AGC of caning

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Rescue group's new unit will gather proof, prepare case brief to prosecute offenders
By Samantha Boh, The Sunday Times, 8 Mar 2015

In many cases of animal abuse, it is the lack of incriminating evidence that proves the stumbling block when prosecuting suspects.

To overcome that, wildlife rescue group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) has set up an animal crime investigation unit, which will be dedicated to investigating animal cruelty and wildlife crime, collating the necessary evidence and preparing the case brief for prosecution in court.

The unit was launched yesterday at a public forum on animal protection policies held at Chong Pang Community Club. It was attended by more than 200 people, including secondary school students, animal welfare groups and members of the public.

"It is a constant theme at our forums. People will say we investigated a lot of cases but few are prosecuted," said ACRES chief executive Louis Ng.

"We want to increase the rate to make sure we send out a very deterrent message that we take animal crime, wildlife crime, very seriously and we want to make sure the penalties that we have in legislation are meted out as well."

The unit comprises four full-time staff members who have qualifications in areas such as law, environmental management, life sciences and criminal investigation. It will be headed by Ms Noelle Seet, a lawyer with more than 11 years of litigation experience.

During the forum, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam fielded questions from the audience on topics such as the culling of stray dogs and agreed there is a need to be more specific as to what defines animal abuse.

He also said that a pilot programme that lets Housing Board flat owners in Chong Pang keep cats in their homes has been successful in identifying and registering owners.

"Responsible cat ownership can be promoted and we can extend to other parts of (Nee Soon) GRC, not necessarily every constituency at the same time, but where there is a need and where it is possible to achieve it," said Mr Shanmugam, who is also an MP for the GRC.

The programme will be rolled out at the other constituencies over the next couple of years.

Cat Welfare Society president Thenuga Vijakumar was happy with the news and noted that the programme encourages responsibility.

Separately, the Wildlife Reserves Singapore and the South-east Asian arm of wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic jointly launched a year-long "You Buy, They Die" campaign yesterday to fight wildlife crime.

It aims to educate the public on the seriousness of wildlife crime and how their buying decisions can help support the conservation of endangered wildlife.

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Same standards for everyone, says AGC of caning

March 9, 2015, 12:31 am

≫ Next: CPF withdrawal at age 55: A matter of interest

≪ Previous: ACRES sets up unit to probe animal abuse

By Janice Heng, The Sunday Times, 8 Mar 2015

The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has responded to criticism over the caning sentence meted out to the two German men who vandalised a train after sneaking into the SMRT Bishan depot.

Stressing that Singapore's laws against vandalism are well known, an AGC spokesman said the same standards are applied to everyone.

The spokesman also highlighted the seriousness of the crimes, adding: "They came to a foreign country, repeatedly trespassed into security sensitive areas and deliberately flouted our laws."

Last Thursday, Andreas Von Knorre, 22, and Elton Hinz, 21, were sentenced to nine months in jail and three strokes of the cane after pleading guilty.

Three times in November, the duo sneaked into the depot through a drain.

On their last intrusion on Nov 8, they posed for a picture and spray-painted the left side of a train carriage with graffiti measuring 10m by 1.8m.

SMRT had to spend $6,500 on cleaning the train and another $7,150 to supervise the operation. The affected train was taken off service for nine days, affecting more than 200,000 commuter trips.

The sentencing was carried by news sites around the world, with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle even putting up an article describing how caning takes place and the physical and mental scars it leaves.

A spokesman for the German embassy here said its government "is opposed to corporal punishment anywhere in the world, including in Singapore".

International organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) described caning as a form of torture, adding that Singapore's decision to use it as a punishment is "indicative of a blatant disregard for international human rights standards".

But the AGC, in its response to the embassy spokesman and HRW, rejected this. "Caning is not torture," its spokesman said. "It is carried out in Singapore under strict standards, monitored at all times by a doctor.

"The accused persons in this case were vandals who broke the law for their own self-aggrandisement, without consideration of the social costs and the disruptions that their acts would cause to others...

"In taking action against them, we are holding them to the same standards as all others, a fundamental principle of justice which we have always abided by."

Most netizens who posted comments on news sites, such as those in Britain and Australia, praised Singapore for its strong stance against vandalism, with several urging their own governments to do the same.

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CPF withdrawal at age 55: A matter of interest

March 9, 2015, 1:20 am

≫ Next: Five gender gaps S'pore women still face in 2015

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'Unbeatable' interest rate offered by CPF, threat of deflation make leaving savings in account prudent
By Goh Eng Yeow, Senior Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 8 Mar 2015

Nowadays when anyone asks about my age, I would reply half in jest that I would be old enough to start withdrawing from my Central Provident Fund (CPF) - the national savings scheme - next year.

Hitting 55 - the age at which a person can take out the portion of his CPF savings that is not set aside for retirement needs - doesn't seem like such a big deal to me. Except for a receding hairline and the need to start wearing reading glasses, I still look and feel pretty much like I have always been.

Still, crossing 55 is an important milestone for many people. Survey after survey done by financial institutions such as DBS Bank show that Singaporeans aspire to stop working after they hit 55, if they can afford it.

On average, there are about 60,000 CPF members who turn 55 every year, and they need to make some very important decisions on the savings squirrelled away in their CPF accounts.

For one thing, my cohort will be the first to be affected by the recommendations of the CPF review panel. This will give us the option to lock away a basic sum of $80,500, a full sum of $161,000, or an enhanced sum of $241,500 for our retirement needs.

We can withdraw any amount above the basic sum if we own a property which we have used our CPF money to pay for. But even if we fail to make that benchmark, we can still take $5,000 out of our CPF account.

As such, one key decision we have to make at 55 is whether to take out any remaining CPF balance after fulfilling the basic retirement sum requirement.

Based on the breakdown given by the Government, just over half of us - or around 33,000 people - will have more than the basic sum in our CPF account.

Some will want to take the excess CPF savings out at the earliest time possible as they are worried they may not be able to do so later on if, say, there is a change in government policy on CPF withdrawals. Others may want to use the funds to finance their children's tertiary education, or invest in a business.

But my gut feel is that many of us will be happy to leave our CPF money where it is. This is because it is impossible to find another investment whose returns match those offered by the CPF year after year without incurring significant risks.

From next January, CPF members aged 55 and above will earn 6 per cent interest on the first $30,000 of their CPF funds, 5 per cent on the next $30,000 and 4 per cent on the rest of their retirement savings.

That beats by a big margin the best quote of 1.4 per cent which I have been able to get from the bank on my 12-month fixed deposit. But a bank may go bust even if the possibility is remote, and in such a situation, a saver will find that only the first $50,000 of his deposit is guaranteed.

As such, one other big attraction of the CPF is that the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by one of the few remaining triple-A rated governments in the world. That is something savers all over the world would kill to have.

For an example, just watch the recent stampede by millions of British pensioners to snap up the three-year bond offered by their government which pays about 4 per cent interest. Yet, the amount they could buy was capped at a mere £10,000 (S$21,000).

There is a further consideration - the threat of deflation hovering over the global economy and the dampening effect this has on commercial interest rates.

When I was an undergraduate in England 35 years ago, the big challenge was double-digit inflation which eroded the value of money as prices of food and other essentials rose sharply.

Now, in the latter part of my working career, I have to grapple with a mere 0.05 per cent interest on my POSB savings account and the unusual prospect that, excluding housing, my money can buy more - whether it is clothing, laptops, air tickets or even petrol until the recent hike in excise duties.

It is a curious phenomenon also occurring elsewhere in developed economies such as the United States. This has led to worries that people may start hoarding cash and delay purchases, causing prices to drop further.

The upshot is negative real interest rates in countries such as Switzerland and Germany where investors actually pay the government to look after their money when they buy the bonds issued by it.

In 2013, there were about 12,000 people, or 20 per cent of the CPF cohort who turned 55, who did not withdraw their balances above the then so-called minimum sum of $148,000 that had to be placed in their retirement accounts.

I believe these must be the savvy savers who concluded that it would be much tougher to get the same returns as those offered by CPF, if they had tried to invest on their own.

The irony is that they were also likely to be people with other sources of finances, meaning they did not have to rely as much on their CPF monies for their retirement expenses. In my cohort, there will be similarly-minded people who will max out their CPF retirement savings at the enhanced level of $241,500.

One part of the retirement equation is not addressed in this column - whether we should put our retirement savings into the annuity scheme known as CPF Life Standard, or continue to leave the bulk of it in cash under CPF Life Basic when we turn 65. But that is another story for another day.

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Five gender gaps S'pore women still face in 2015

March 9, 2015, 1:21 am

≫ Next: Money worries remain for older women

≪ Previous: CPF withdrawal at age 55: A matter of interest

By Trina Liang-Lin, Published The Sunday Times, 8 Mar 2015

Equality is represented twice on the Singapore flag. First, in the colour red, symbolising the equality and universal brotherhood of man. The second, as one of the five stars standing for ideals that also include democracy, peace, progress and justice. Though the definition of equality is complex, it encompasses gender equality - the equal rights of both men and women.

The transformation of Singapore in the last 50 years has occurred on two distinct and equally important planks - physical landscape and people. Without the transformation of Singapore's people - both men and women - entering the workforce, the physical landscape would not have been so remarkably transformed.

So the equality of Singaporean women - their equal access to education, jobs, equal pay, health care and protection from violence - was, and continues to be, vital to Singapore's economic progress.

According to Singapore's labour force statistics last year, the employment rate for women is at one of its highest levels - 76 per cent for the prime working ages of 25 to 54.

Many who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s can still recall how most mothers stayed at home, but occasionally worked by helping to look after the family shop for no pay.

Today, the Singapore woman is often viewed as a finished product equal to her male counterpart. Women doctors, lawyers, bankers, entrepreneurs, office workers and legislators abound.

The Singapore woman is cosmopolitan, her destiny shaped not just by local culture but influenced also by an ever permeating global culture, augmented by Singapore's open economy.

And yet, there still exist gender gaps.

First, some women are still not equally paid as their male counterparts for the same job. In the 2014 Labour Force Statistics, women earn less than men in all occupational categories except clerical and support. In most categories, this differential is more than 10 per cent.

Second, although a roughly equal number of women enter tertiary institutions as men, there is a fall-off of employed women in their 30s because of child-rearing and caregiving.

Could a mindset shift of men taking on more household duties help?

For Asian households, this could be a difficult ask. But this is no ground-breaking idea. Some 25 years ago, then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew said: "It is not possible to have a man continue to treat his marriage as if a wife's role is the same as that in his mother's generation... Wives cannot alone carry the burdens of managing the home and bringing up the children."

Even as more Singaporean women become wage earners, and breadwinners in some cases, our Asian values-based society has to evolve and become more accepting of modern life choices - that men can stay at home and be the primary caregivers of families.

Third, women are still under-represented at senior management levels.

To some extent this is due to point two, which results in the dwindling of the available pool of female candidates for higher positions. Companies and bosses must, therefore, be open-minded, consultative and creative in considering alternative work plans specifically targeted at female work-life balance.

At the highest corporate level - board seats - progress has been dismal. The topic of gender quotas continues to be divisive. Most women still prefer to be elevated for merit-based reasons. However, the lack of progress bears re-evaluating this organic strategy.

According to BoardAgender, in Singapore in 2013, only 8.3 per cent of SGX-listed companies have women on their boards. We are still behind our regional peers and at about half the percentages of the European Union, United States and Australia.

Fourth, gender equality should also extend to women who come to work here. The at-times awkward and unspoken truth is that for many working women, having a maid is imperative in allowing them to go to work and earn a living. Domestic helpers should be duly recognised, not just within the family - such as through better working and sleeping conditions - but by society, with stronger legal rights in the case of exploitation for overwork, unpaid wages or physical and mental abuse.

Fifth, according to Central Provident Fund statistics, older Singapore women do not accumulate as much in CPF savings as older men. In 2013, the median CPF savings for women aged 51 to 54 was about $90,000, and for males, $130,000.

Bear in mind also that almost a quarter of women would have left the labour force in their prime working age primarily for caregiving reasons, further affecting CPF savings.

Anecdotally, many women have less control over their own or their family's finances than men.

With Singapore women living longer than men, financial education over a woman's lifespan, particularly in her golden years, will become more crucial.

As we celebrate International Women's Day and as Singapore turns 50, my hope is that women here will continue to fight for their equality and will not be afraid to ask and confront tough gender questions and environments. For only with gender equality, will the other Singapore ideals - democracy, peace, progress and justice - be fully realised.

The writer is president of the Singapore Committee for UN Women and past president of the Financial Women's Association.

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Money worries remain for older women

March 9, 2015, 2:22 am

≫ Next: Call to give maids more privacy, time with loved ones

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Their wages are up, but they are living longer and still earn much less than men
By Radha Basu, Senior Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 8 Mar 2015

Older women continue to dominate in lower-income jobs, according to recently released figures from the Ministry of Manpower.

More than seven in 10 of nearly 100,000 women aged 60 and above who worked last year earned less than $2,000 per month, the Labour Force Survey showed.

And while the gender wage gap in Singapore is roughly the same as that in New York or London - with women earning nearly 88 per cent of the median pay of men overall - the difference widens with age.

Being lesser educated, women over 60 who worked full-time earned a median income of $1,623 last year, well below the $3,500 monthly wage for all women and the $2,158 for older men.

Their real incomes however have risen faster than that of older men. Five years earlier, older women earned a median income of just $1,040.

"This shows that despite recent improvements in wages, too many older women here are still earning too little," pointed out gender consultant Theresa Devasahayam who has just completed a 180-page report on the challenges of older women. It was commissioned by the International Longevity Centre Singapore, a part of the Tsao Foundation.

Older women were most likely still working or returning to work mainly because they needed the money. "They may not have saved enough and so may still need to work," she said.

Buoyed possibly by a tight labour market, the number of women aged 60 and above who work as cleaners rose by 70 per cent to 34,100 last year, from 19,800 just five years earlier.

Tsao Foundation chairman Mary Ann Tsao acknowledged that younger women are better placed to prepare financially for old age. But older ones are still a concern. "It's really not enough to say the wage or savings gap has narrowed, as women actually need to have more resources than men as they live longer," said Dr Tsao.

Women also progressively outnumber men as they age. By their 80s, there are twice as many women as men. They are also more likely than men to be single, widowed or divorced.

Experts say women's lower earnings directly and adversely affect their retirement adequacy, since Singapore operates an earnings-based pension system.

As of December 2013, women over 60 had an average of around $40,000 in their CPF accounts compared to nearly $60,000 for men the same age.

There has of course been a push by the Government in recent years to shore up wages, employment rates and retirement savings of older workers through a slew of schemes.

These include Workfare (an income supplement for low-wage workers), higher CPF contribution rates for older workers, and incentives for companies that hire them.

Wages too have risen, as has welfare. The recently announced Silver Support Scheme will help boost the income of needy older citizens further, even if they don't work.

But there are four groups of older women who face a vulnerable financial future, say experts The Sunday Times spoke to. They include those who are single, housewives, part-time workers, and caregivers who quit work to look after loved ones in fast-ageing Singapore.

Although more women than ever are working, there are still more than half a million aged 25 and above who do not work, and most cite housework, childcare or caregiving as the main reason.

Last weekend, the women's wing of the People's Action Party called on husbands and adult working children to make regular voluntary top-ups to the CPF accounts of stay-at-home mothers. Similar calls were made by Aware and the Tsao Foundation a decade ago.

Institute of Policy Studies research fellow Christopher Gee, who studies ageing and retirement adequacy issues, has suggested a scheme where a working spouse can make regular, automatic contributions to the CPF accounts of non-working spouses.

"This would help in the more rapid accumulation of CPF savings, given the additional interest on balances below $60,000 in the CPF," he said.

Another way to improve the retirement adequacy of older widowed women with meagre CPF savings is to add a spousal survivorship benefit to CPF Life, says Mr Gee, referring to the national annuity scheme that allows retirees to receive a monthly income for life.

This way, a widow can continue receiving payouts to support her retirement even after her husband dies. "Payouts can be calculated on the basis of expected longevity of the surviving spouse, which in most cases will be assumed to be the woman," he said.

Women who stop working to care for sick family members are another concern. Many of them are single and compromise their own financial security. The stress of looking after a loved one can also take a toll on their health. "We must count the opportunity cost to these women, " said Dr Tsao.

She said that the Government could consider giving "caregiver credits" to help reduce fees when caregivers need to pay for their own care services in future.

Workplaces should expand flexiwork and job-sharing schemes to help women tend to their caregiving duties even as they work.

Part-time workers who drift in and out of the workforce are another group to watch out for, pointed out Ms Teo Mee Hong, executive director of Wings, a voluntary organisation that helps women age well. She has spoken to low-wage women who work part-time because there are not enough full-time jobs available for them.

Of late, she has noticed another phenomenon. In the tight labour market, some women say they can earn more on an hourly basis doing two or more part-time jobs than from a full-time job.

But some may work for employers who do not pay enough CPF, Ms Teo said, adding: "In such cases, and in the long run, it's the workers who would lose out."

Employers must also play their part in ensuring older workers who stay on or return to the workforce earn a decent wage. Those who do not have degrees but have risen through the ranks to managerial positions are a concern, said human resource consultant Helen Lim, who helps older workers stay employed. "Right now there are many who don't get jobs even though they're willing to take pay cuts," she said.

Economist Linda Lim says raising wages is one key way to boost productivity in lower-skilled jobs.

"This will incentivise employers to devise more efficient processes and employ fewer workers but at higher wages," said Prof Lim, a Singaporean who teaches business strategy at the University of Michigan in the United States.

It will also motivate workers better and reduce labour turnover - a major cause of low productivity.

"This is what companies like Wal-Mart are doing in the US - raising wages well above minimum wage," she said.

Housewives urged to seek CPF top-up
Tell your husband about 6% interest and get him to top up account, MP tells them
By Charissa Yong, The Sunday Times, 8 Mar 2015

In the 150-strong crowd at a public forum held in Nee Soon yesterday to discuss this year's Budget, one woman stood out.

She was the lone housewife, among about 30 in the audience, who raised her hand when Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah did a poll of non-working women whose husbands topped up their Central Provident Fund (CPF) accounts.

Concerned by the low CPF balances of these women, Ms Lee encouraged the other housewives to ask for CPF top-ups from their husbands, so as to make full use of the higher interest rates announced in the Budget statement last month.

From next year, those aged 55 and above can earn an extra 1 percentage point of interest for the first $30,000 in their combined CPF balances. That means monies in a person's Special, Retirement or Medisave account can attract interest rates of up to 6 per cent.

"Tonight you can go back, discuss with your husband and tell him that for the first $30,000 in your CPF account, you will get 6 per cent interest. Discuss that maybe it's better to put money into your CPF account," said Ms Lee.

She noted that banks' interest rates are less than 1 per cent.

Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam, also a Nee Soon GRC MP, echoed the call to add to the CPF accounts of non-working family members. "If you don't have enough, at least the family can contribute. The Government is giving you 6 per cent," he told reporters.

The argument seemed to convince participants at yesterday's forum, organised by the grassroots Women's Executive Committees in Nee Soon GRC and held at Nee Soon South Community Club to mark International Women's Day.

Said Ms Jeya Gowrie, 48: "I think husbands should put the money in (our CPF). We make all these sacrifices for our families."

She stopped working as a full-time lawyer 10 years ago to care for her three children, now aged between 11 and 17, and has found it hard to get even part-time jobs since. She has $30,000 in her CPF account from four years of full-time work, but will talk to her husband about top-ups, she said.

Ms Lee later told reporters that after the talk, some women approached her to ask how their husbands can top up their accounts.

"I'm sure some of them will top up if they know they'll get a 6 per cent interest rate," she said.

Another question aired at the forum was by administrative assistant Tan Yu Na, 30, who wanted to know what benefits stay-at-home mothers received from the Budget.

In response, Mr Shanmugam brought up the $500 in SkillsFuture Credits each Singaporean aged 25 and above will get to pay for courses. SkillsFuture has also been lauded by women MPs, who see the scheme as helping women return to the workforce after leaving to take care of their families.

In a separate statement yesterday, the People's Action Party Women's Wing said it will commit resources to publicise SkillsFuture.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu, who chairs the group, said the scheme "will empower women and enable them to realise their potential in the multiple roles that they play in the family and the society".

She has to care for hubby full-time
By Radha Basu, The Sunday Times, 8 Mar 2015

Like many women of her generation, Madam Lee Hong Boy, 64, raised two daughters while working in a succession of packing and cleaning jobs in factories, supermarkets and fast-food restaurants.

She stopped working at 55 to look after her grand-daughter.

Her husband Wong Fee, 78, worked in his family's small welding business for about $700 a month until March last year, when he collapsed at work. He has had two operations and needs full-time care now, so his wife cannot work.

When The Sunday Times visited their two-room rental flat last week, the couple were tucking into a simple meal of porridge, soy sauce and fish balls. A charity provides free meals near their block, but Madam Lee prefers to cook herself.

According to the latest labour force data, there are nearly 42,000 women who say they cannot work mainly because they need to look after old and sick loved ones. Another 137,000 say they are too old or sick to work themselves.

The couple get monthly payouts from the Central Provident Fund and Madam Lee has some savings, but without her husband's income, she is reliant on aid from charities and the $300 she receives from her daughter every month.

"I don't want to use up my savings yet, since we don't even own a flat," said Madam Lee. She knows she can apply to the state for more aid - and is eagerly awaiting the Silver Support bonus.

Above all, she worries about her husband. "He is so thin now," she said. "I try not to think about the future."

Years of toil, but little in CPF
By Radha Basu, The Sunday Times, 8 Mar 2015

Despite having worked for more than 40 years, housewife Ng Siew Huay, 62, has only around $12,500 in the retirement account of her Central Provident Fund.

Her 64-year-old husband works in a low-paying job in the construction industry.

Born in a very different Singapore, Madam Ng speaks only Hokkien. She says she did not go to school, staying home instead to help her mother look after five younger brothers.

In her 20s, she got a job packing earphones in an electronics factory in Ang Mo Kio. It paid her $500, including CPF contributions - a good wage for the 1970s. But the factory folded in the early 1980s and moved to Malaysia.

For the next 10 years, she worked as a daily-rated factory worker packing preserved fruit.

The pay - $1 for every 100 packets packed - was pitiful. She earned a maximum of $10 a day and got no CPF. She resigned in the mid-1990s and has drifted in and out of the workforce as a part-time cleaner since then.

More than 33,000 women who are in their 60s or older work part-time. Some do so by choice; others because they cannot find full-time jobs.

Madam Ng's part-time jobs have brought in between $350 and $650 a month.

But her retirement savings are compromised as some past employers preferred to pay her cash instead of putting money in her CPF account.

And she is already feeling the pinch of medical costs.

She says that long years of physical labour have hurt her back. Her husband won't pay for her physiotherapy sessions and she stopped going recently when she could not pay for them herself.

Good cv, but no one is hiring
By Radha Basu, The Sunday Times, 8 Mar 2015

Low-income older women may not be the only ones facing an uncertain financial future.

Those who used to earn well above the median wage, like Ms Madeleine Neo, 52, have their own worries too.

The single woman did not go to university but rose through the ranks to earn $7,500 a month in her last job as an office manager.

But having grown tired of the 41/2-hour daily commute from her Bedok home to Pulau Bukom and back, she quit in January last year.

She has since sent out nearly 100 job applications, even for jobs that pay half of what she earned before, only to be told she is "over qualified".

She still owes the Housing Board about $100,000 for her five-room flat and is trying not to downgrade as she shares it with three less-educated older sisters who work in low-paying, part-time jobs.

Although her last-drawn pay was relatively high, she does not have much savings as she has been looking after her parents and siblings for most of her working life. Most of her CPF savings went towards the flat, she says.

She feels employers' attitudes have not changed despite many paying lip service to hiring older workers.

"Sometimes I get calls asking my age as I have not put it in my CV," she says. "And when I say how old I am, I just never hear from them again."

She says she has experience, a proven track record and a lot to contribute to the workforce.

"Fifty-two is not old at all in a country where women live so long. I just need someone to give me a chance," she said.

Cleaner now works fewer hours for the same pay
By Radha Basu, The Sunday Times, 8 Mar 2015

Five years ago, office cleaner Maimun Omar, 58, worked 12 hours a day in two jobs - at Changi and HarbourFront - to earn $1,400 every month. These days the divorced mother of three grown-up children gets the same pay at a different company working a regular eight-hour shift near her Bukit Merah home.

The tightening of the foreign worker tap and the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), which helps low-wage workers get higher pay through training and productivity gains, has helped workers like Madam Maimun. The PWM stipulates a basic minimum wage of $1,000 for local cleaners.

But while she is earning more than ever before, things are more expensive too, she said. "I hope as as costs rise, our pay rises too - or we won't save enough."

Five gender gaps S'pore women still face in 2015

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Call to give maids more privacy, time with loved ones

March 9, 2015, 11:52 pm

≫ Next: Home support vital for Singapore’s SEA Games

≪ Previous: Money worries remain for older women

Migrant workers study finds one in 5 shows signs of psychological distress
By Amelia Tan, The Straits Times, 9 Mar 2015

A MIGRANT workers group has urged employers to give their maids more privacy and allow them to communicate regularly with friends and family.

These factors are crucial in keeping maids happy, said the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), whose study found that about one in five maids here showed signs of psychological problems.

Released yesterday, the study had asked around 670 maids about their living and employment conditions, as well as their mental well-being.

About 27 per cent of respondents said their employers have entered and searched their rooms or checked their phones, while 73 per cent were restricted from communicating with their friends and family members.

The maids were selected randomly and completed a questionnaire administered by HOME volunteers. The study was led by psychologist Anja Wessels.

Mr Jolovan Wham, executive director of HOME, said: "Employers should be mindful of their domestic workers' privacy and allow them to form a strong support network. This will ensure that the workers are respected and get the support they need."

The study also included questions from the Brief Symptom Inventory, a test which ascertains mental health issues.

The results showed that about 24 per cent showed signs of psychological problems such as depression, anxiety and hostility.

However, these problems can be eased if maids in distress are encouraged to reach out to friends and family members and migrant workers groups, said the report.

The study also found that the maids tend to work long hours, on average 13 hours, and four in 10 did not have a weekly day off.

Most maid employers kept the workers' passports (67 per cent) and employment contracts (60 per cent).

Employers interviewed said treating domestic workers like family members will help them adjust to life in Singapore better.

"My maid goes out with my family on weekends. I also check in on her regularly to find out how she is doing," said human resource director Patricia Yeo, 38.

Domestic workers said they appreciate employers who show concern for them.

"Some domestic workers may be afraid to share their problems," said Indonesian maid Sri Wahyuni, 33. "It helps if employers ask us how we are doing."

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Home support vital for Singapore’s SEA Games

March 9, 2015, 11:53 pm

≫ Next: Share resources and abilities for a harmonious society, urges ESM Goh

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By Nicholas Fang, Published TODAY, 9 Mar 2015

On Saturday night, a street party on Orchard Road brought sports and sportsmen right into the heart of Singapore. The One Team Singapore rally was organised to showcase some of the activities that will be carried out to raise awareness of the 28th SEA Games, which Singapore is hosting in June.

These include the Torch Up! community art initiative, which will see 30 art installations being created with help from various local community groups that will celebrate and share the SEA Games spirit with different segments of society.

The rally brought together thousands of Singaporeans, who turned out in red to show support for Team Singapore, and also involved national athletes in various activities and performances.

In the build-up to the Games, which kicks off in less than three months, generating more buzz, excitement and enthusiasm from the broader public will be a critical element of the host nation’s preparations.

Our nation has not hosted the Games since 1993. For the past 22 years, we have been enjoying the hospitality of our neighbours. Hosting the Games this year also has the added significance of it taking place during the Republic’s jubilee celebrations.

I had the opportunity to compete in four of the Games myself and appreciate the immensity of the operation to host thousands of athletes and the supporting entourages at the biennial event.

But host nations also enjoy an added edge — the much-vaunted home ground advantage, where local athletes compete in familiar venues and, of course, the majority of spectators and supporters are on their side.

This is where the organisers of this year’s event will have to focus on in the few months ahead — rallying and mobilising a Singaporean population that has traditionally not been the most enthusiastic when it comes to attending sporting events.

There will be 36 sports on offer in venues spread across the island. And once athlete selection is finalised next month, the Singapore contingent could potentially be the largest in recent memory. This is understandable for the host nation, but it will only be a true advantage if we can feel the power and passion of a whole nation worth of supporters.

When national shuttler Fu Mingtian contested the women’s badminton final at the 2011 SEA Games in Jakarta, much was written about her grit and determination in overcoming not only her Indonesian opponent, but the vociferous and intimidating home crowd that screamed and roared, and used deafening horns and clappers to rattle the Singaporean player.

She overcame all of these and a tough opponent to secure Singapore’s first gold in the women’s individual event at the SEA Games.

Even in victory, Fu was heckled by the Indonesian supporters who sang their own national anthem over the Majulah Singapura during the medal ceremony.

I think Team Singapore supporters can and will show better sportsmanship and graciousness, whether in victory or defeat. But that does not mean we cannot make sure our athletes know we are behind them every step of the way, no matter what the outcome.

Fu said of her experience in 2011: “The Indonesian supporters are very intimidating, but I did not let such external factors affect me. Thankfully, I also had the support of Singaporeans here who were cheering me on,” she said, referring to a small but vocal group of Singapore fans who were in Jakarta.

SELECTING THE BEST TEAM SINGAPORE

As we aim to establish ourselves as a true sporting nation, a passionate and educated fan base will be a crucial element, especially as more sporting events are brought to our shores.

The flipside of efforts to grow local support and attention for sports is that our athletes must be prepared to handle increased focus on them.

It is heartening to hear that some of them are up to the challenge. Amanda Lim, three-time SEA Games gold medallist in the blue-riband 50m freestyle event, said in a recent interview on The 5 Show that she does not see more attention as equating to more pressure.

“I know some people do and they feel more stress when they see more supporters in the stands. But for me, I am lifted up by such support and knowing that my friends and family are in the stands watching me,” said the lanky swimmer.

This will be her first home SEA Games, given that she was born the same year that Singapore previously hosted the event. But she has the benefit of having featured in the 2009 Asian Youth Games and 2010 Youth Olympic Games, both of which were held in Singapore.

While athletes put the finishing touches on their preparations to bring their performances to a peak come June, the local sporting authorities will also be busy in the weeks ahead. Besides the fine-tuning of the infrastructure and hardware at the competition venues, including the world-class Sports Hub, there is also the matter of finalising the selection of Team Singapore.

The onus is on the national sports associations, the Singapore National Olympic Council and Sport Singapore to ensure that the best Team Singapore is selected, in a fair manner that is open and transparent to all stakeholders involved.

Only then can we focus on delivering the best performance when the SEA Games comes round in June, after more than two decades.

The writer is a Chef de Mission for the Singapore contingent at the 28th South-east Asian Games taking place from June 5-16, 2015, in Singapore.

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Share resources and abilities for a harmonious society, urges ESM Goh

March 9, 2015, 11:55 pm

≫ Next: We don't shape Budgets to win elections: Tharman

≪ Previous: Home support vital for Singapore’s SEA Games

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong was speaking on Sunday (Mar 8) as 24 youth leaders completed the NextGen Leadership Programme to learn how to carry out community service more effectively.
By Alice Chia, Channel NewsAsia, 8 Mar 2015

The strong should share their resources and abilities for a harmonious society, otherwise, problems caused by income inequality will surface, said Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong as he urged youths to help the needy.

Mr Goh was speaking on Sunday (Mar 8) as 24 youth leaders completed the NextGen Leadership Programme to learn how to carry out community service more effectively. The programme was launched six years ago by Mr Goh when he was the Senior Minister.

At Sunday's event, Mr Goh shared the motivation behind the programme. He looked back on how his father died when he was in Primary Four, and that he was brought up in an extended family. He received bursaries in his schooling days, which helped with expenses.

"I cycled to school so I didn't have to pay for bus fare - about 10km one way, so 20km every day for some years," he said. "And in those days, we didn't have to wear long pants. So I wore short pants, and my mother used to make my short pants very long, up to the knee level.

"So I complained to her. I said, 'Why do you make such ugly, long, short pants for me?' And her reply was, 'You are growing so fast, so I have got to make a pair of shorts for you that can last two years.' Those were the days when you lived within the budget that you had."

Mr Goh likened the Government to the head of an extended family, who gathers all the resources in the country and uses them to benefit everyone.

Citing the recent Budget, he said more is given to those in the lower-income group. Those in the middle-income bracket also got some help, with the funds coming from the top 20 per cent of earners.

Said Mr Goh: "Where will the funds come from? It comes from those at the top 20 per cent. For those at the top 20 per cent, for every dollar that they pay in tax, they get less than a dollar back in benefits.

"You think that's a bad deal for them, but in fact that's not a bad deal. In a society, unless the strong and the able share resources and their ability with the others, we will not have a harmonious society. Problems in income inequality will surface. By sharing, the better-off ones enjoy the benefit of living in a harmonious, peaceful, secure society."

Mr Goh urged the youth leaders to help others succeed too.

The training under the NextGen Leadership Programme 2015 was done over nine months and included making friends with the elderly and helping them clean their homes.

Participants aged 19 to 35 were equipped with interpersonal and leadership skills through camps, training sessions and attachments to divisions in Marine Parade GRC and Mountbatten SMC.

This helped them better understand local ground issues to co-create and implement projects that meet community needs. It also allowed the youths, including students and working professionals, to establish partnerships with grassroots leaders and community partners.

The programme aims to nurture youths into community leaders. So far 129 youth community leaders have been trained.

The qualifying age for the latest cohort was raised to between 19 and 35, from the previous age bracket of 16 to 25.

Said Marine Parade Leadership Foundation Chairman Seah Kian Peng: "The board did a review and we felt that we wanted to enlarge the age group. Basically we felt that it was also good to include more people in the programme. With it, I think you add more diversity, you get a richness in experience, and as a group, I think everyone benefits."

Participants said they drew from each other's strengths.

"I learnt more about how to become more confident and expand my skills, expand my own knowledge and own skills and so that I can be a better person," said 19-year-old Wan Nurhidayah, a student at the Republic Polytechnic.

Leonard Ho, a self-employed 29-year-old, said: "I see passion in them so it helped to make me drive on, motivate myself, to continue, and of course we exchange pointers. For example, I'll share my working experience with them."

Subsequently, the young leaders will be working on a project to showcase the culture and heritage of residents in the Marine Parade and Mountbatten area. They also hope to maintain the relationships they've built with grassroots leaders and community partners, so they can continue to develop and implement projects that will benefit the community.

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We don't shape Budgets to win elections: Tharman

March 10, 2015, 12:16 am

≫ Next: Parliament Highlights - 9 Mar 2015

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Budgets drawn up in the interest of nation's future, DPM says at forum
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh and Amelia Tan, The Straits Times, 9 Mar 2015

THE national Budget is about putting the country's interests first, rather than trying to please everyone, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam yesterday.

"We don't shape Budgets to win elections. We shape Budgets that are in the interest of Singapore's future, and we've got to find the right balance," he said.

He was speaking to about 400 young people at a forum on the Budget organised by the People's Association Youth Movement and moderated by Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Janil Puthucheary.

Mr Tharman was responding to a question from Dunman High School student Gwyneth Lee, 18, who asked about the hike in petrol duties introduced in last month's Budget, and how the Government would deal with any dissatisfaction stemming from Budget measures ahead of the next elections.

He said: "I think Singaporeans should be very worried if every year's Budget was all sweetness and light. Because then you'd be worried about what this Government is about, if it's only wanting to do popular things... So we do what is right."

Citing some European nations that overspent and are now in the grip of austerity measures, Mr Tharman said: "They overdid it in the earlier years, year after year, election after election, promising people all the good things. Eventually you come to the limit, and you have to cut back, and the cutbacks hurt the young and the poor."

The higher petrol duty, he added, would help Singapore confront the problem of road congestion and reduce carbon emissions.

In the meantime, the Government will offset some of the pain with a one-year road tax rebate.

Mr Tharman also put to rest worries that government help would weaken the role of the family or the individual. "It's not that government and community help has to be at the expense of them exercising their own effort."

He added, from his years of experience interacting with people on the ground: "One of the heartwarming things about Singaporeans is they will often rise to help themselves more when they receive help from you."

He also said that when the Government lends a hand, it is with an eye to strengthening the values that underpin society here, namely work and family support.

"If we get generous too quickly, we find it erodes the values that are important to us," he said.

The new SkillsFuture programme, which will help Singaporeans master skills in adult life, was also a hot topic among the forum participants. They included Hwa Chong Institution graduate Clarence Cheong, 19, who asked about the scheme's rationale.

Mr Tharman said it was important not to "frontload" too much learning as this favours "those who have a head start".

"If we stretch learning out throughout life, I think it's better also for social mobility," he said.

He repeated this point last night at a Chinese New Year dinner in Eunos, where he was guest of honour among 1,200 residents.

Speaking on stage at the dinner, he stressed the importance of developing every Singaporean's potential throughout his life. "You will never know your potential when you are young. You may think you got good grades, you got bad grades," he said. "That is not your potential. You potential will appear only during life."

↧

Parliament Highlights - 9 Mar 2015

March 10, 2015, 8:53 am

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Committee of Supply Debate: Ministry of Manpower

Squeeze to get tighter as workforce shrinks
Firms must leverage technology, do more with fewer workers: Tan Chuan-Jin
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

AS THIS decade comes to a close in 2019, the number of locals entering the workforce each year will shrink by up to 80 per cent to around 20,000 - a decline that will significantly tighten the squeeze in the Singapore labour market.

This picture, however, is just part of the struggle businesses will face.

The other is fast-changing technology that "will change the way we work, the way we communicate and the way we do business", Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said yesterday.

Together, the two forces will compel companies to learn to do more with fewer workers and leverage new technology, if they want to be successful, he added.

"If businesses do not become more manpower-lean, if they do not become more productive, they will have great difficulties in finding manpower - be they local or foreign - to run their operations," he warned.

Mr Tan painted this daunting picture for companies during yesterday's debate on the Manpower Ministry's annual budget.

Workers, too, must upgrade their skills so that they can stay relevant and seize opportunities in the new economy, he said.

This is why the time has come for the Government to encourage Singaporeans to master skills relevant to their work or pick up new ones under the SkillsFuture programme, he said, referring to the new initiative that will give grants and study awards as well as provide on-the-job training.

The plunge in local employment growth in a few years' time is due to baby boomers gradually leaving the workforce and smaller cohorts entering the workforce.

Mr Tan sees the number plunging from 95,000 last year to just 20,000 a year.

He made clear that the Government will keep the foreign workforce growth at its current pace. Last year, it grew by 26,000, down from 80,000 in 2011.

On technology, he pinpointed DBS Bank's use of a supercomputer named IBM Watson to crunch data and churn out around 700 to 800 reports for clients each quarter, an unthinkable speed before.

He urged other businesses to similarly embrace technology to keep ahead of the curve.

Mr Tan also outlined how the Government is helping workers keep abreast of these changes.

Courses offered under SkillsFuture, for instance, will be diverse and of high quality, he said.

The five-hour debate drew questions from 28 MPs and among the main issues they raised were the Central Provident Fund system, help to boost the pay of low-wage earners and ways to coax companies to re-employ older workers.

Mr Heng Chee How (Whampoa), Ms Jessica Tan (East Coast GRC) and Mr Sam Tan (Radin Mas) want the Government to do more for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs).

This group has been facing the pressures of economic restructuring, with the older ones struggling to get a new job at the same pay.

Replying, Mr Tan pointed to the higher subsidies in this year's Budget for older PMETs, and grants for companies to groom Singaporeans for leadership roles.

"We want to work towards creating even better jobs, higher incomes, and a more secure retirement for all Singaporeans," said Mr Tan.

CPF members won't have to pick annuity plan at 55
By Toh Yong Chuan, Manpower Correspondent, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

FROM next year, Central Provident Fund (CPF) members do not have to make a decision at age 55 on which of two CPF Life annuity plans they want.

They can delay it until the time when they want to start receiving the monthly payouts - which is from age 65.

In addition, they can start getting their payouts any time between age 65 and 70, without having to wait until the date of their birthday.

These were among the changes to the CPF payouts that Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin announced in Parliament yesterday.

The changes are part of a broader review of the system by a panel, whose recommendations on CPF withdrawals were accepted by the Government last month. Its recommendations on CPF returns are expected in the middle of this year.

Mr Tan also said that from the later half of this year, members will get one-to-one financial counselling at CPF to help them plan for their retirement.

He noted that the CPF is "an important pillar in the overall retirement support framework for the majority of Singaporeans who work and contribute to their CPF accounts".

The other three pillars are home ownership, providing affordable health care and government help for vulnerable seniors.

Mr Tan, however, turned down suggestions from MPs Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) and Lee Li Lian (Punggol East) to let CPF members use their Retirement Account savings for mortgages after they turn 55. But, he said, the CPF Board will highlight to members turning 55 that they can choose not to transfer their Ordinary Account savings to the Retirement Account so that they can continue to service their mortgages.

Such a move will eat into their retirement nest egg, he warned. "Members should bear in mind that further expenditure and use of these monies will deplete their CPF savings for retirement."

Mr Tan also rejected calls to raise the CPF rates for workers older than 55, saying that hiking their rates too fast will hurt their chances of being employed.

Last month, the Government announced that CPF rates for workers aged above 50 to 55 will go up by 2 percentage points from next January. Those older than 55 will get smaller hikes.

In his hour-long speech, Mr Tan also refuted the idea that letting CPF members top up their retirement savings up to $241,500 benefits only the wealthy.

About one in three members who turned 55 in 2013 have more than $161,000 in their CPF savings and will benefit from the top up. About half will be able to do so by 2020.

'Younger workers can save enough to retire'
They must keep working, buy HDB flat within their means, says minister
By Toh Yong Chuan, Manpower Correspondent, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

YOUNGER workers do not have to worry about not saving enough for their retirement, as long as they keep working and buy Housing Board flats within their means, said Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin yesterday.

To illustrate the point, the minister used a hypothetical case of a polytechnic graduate with a monthly starting pay of $2,200.

He would save enough in his Central Provident Fund (CPF) accounts to receive a monthly payout of about 60 per cent to 70 per cent of his last drawn pay from age 65 for the rest of his life, according to projections by the Manpower Ministry (MOM) to dispel worries young people have about retirement savings.

This is even assuming that his monthly salary never rises from $2,200 and that he works only 32 instead of 40 years between age 25 and 65. In MOM's projection, the $2,200 monthly pay is also lower than the median monthly starting pay of $2,400 for polytechnic graduates. The calculations assume that the person buys a four-room HDB Build-to-Order flat with a spouse and they have paid off the mortgage by age 50 with CPF savings.

At age 25, he will start saving about $130 each month in his CPF Special Account (SA). The monthly SA contribution gradually rises to $250 for the 50-to-55 age band, and falls to $50 for age 60 to 65.

Despite the fluctuations, the 25-year-old would still accumulate about $165,000 in his SA by age 65 because CPF interest rates are compounded, said Mr Tan.

Without the compounding interest, he would save only about $55,000 if he stashed away the cash in a biscuit tin. "This is not magic, it is just basic mathematics," said Mr Tan. He noted that the projection was conservative and did not factor in wage growth and CPF Ordinary Account balances. "And if you add those, clearly, he would have even more."

"The retirement picture for younger Singaporeans is relatively healthy," he said. "Most Singaporeans who work regularly, and make prudent housing options, should have no worries building up a comfortable retirement nest egg within the CPF system."

The polytechnic graduate scenario was one of two examples he cited in Parliament yesterday.

The other concerned a hypothetical example of a breadwinner who earns $3,500 each month and turns 55 next year. This was to illustrate the decisions he has to make at 55 on how much to set aside for retirement, and then at age 65 on whether to make a lumpsum withdrawal or defer it to get higher permanent payouts later.

The minister acknowledged that having more options could make the CPF system more complex. "We can't run away from that," said Mr Tan.

But he pledged that the MOM and CPF Board would ramp up their public education drive: "We will scale up and intensify our efforts to first raise awareness and understanding of the CPF system and the new changes."

Auto family CPF top-ups would be 'intrusive'
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

WOMEN who do not work and have little retirement savings are supported by the Government in two ways, said Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin yesterday.

First, these housewives and retirees are encouraged to start working again if they can do so.

Second, their family members have been given more incentives to top up their Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings, said Mr Tan during yesterday's debate on the Manpower Ministry's budget.

But Mr Tan rejected a suggestion from Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) to make such CPF transfers from family members automatic, as "it would be intrusive for the Government to intervene".

"These are very personal decisions, and we believe at this stage, it is best left to couples to decide," he said in Parliament.

Mr Tan was responding to recent calls for more to be done to help non-working women have enough to live on in their old age.

Such women may not have much CPF savings because they stopped working after their children were born, or earned low wages while they were working, or were unable to work due to medical reasons.

To help them, the Government encourages them to rejoin the workforce so they can build up their own nest eggs.

This is done through schemes like WorkPro, which funds companies so that they can help older workers and mothers get back to work.

Even before WorkPro, which began in April 2013, more women were already participating in the labour force, and the difference in average CPF balances between men and women has been narrowing, he noted.

At the same time, "family remains an important pillar of support for women", he added, highlighting recent changes that encourage CPF members to transfer funds to their spouses' accounts.

From next year, those aged 55 and above can earn an extra 1 percentage point of interest for the first $30,000 in their combined CPF balances.

That means monies in a person's Special, Retirement or Medisave account can attract interest rates of up to 6 per cent.

But "the Government and the CPF system alone will not be able to solve all problems", he said, calling on families to step in and assist vulnerable groups.

"I urge all Singaporeans to consider how to maximise the CPF system to boos

Accreditation criteria update for training course providers
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

THE criteria for training course providers seeking government accreditation will be updated, in a move to ensure training remains rigorous and relevant.

Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, however, did not give details yesterday when he made the announcement.

But he stressed that the quality of training needs to remain high, otherwise the push to deepen the skills of Singapore's workers under the new SkillsFuture drive will be a waste of time, he told the House.

The various SkillsFuture programmes will also be implemented in stages, to give the training industry time to adapt to demand, he added.

"We need to avoid a case where training institutions face a sudden surge in demand and resort to offering substandard programmes or expanding class sizes and compromising on quality.

"This will lead to wastage of both individuals' time and public monies," said Mr Tan.

Employers, individuals and training providers all have a role to play for the SkillsFuture initiatives to be effective, he stressed during the debate on his ministry's budget.

"In this tight labour market, employers have to shift away from this 'plug and play' mindset to one which proactively develops every one of their workers," he said.

"If you do not develop those pathways, if you do not develop a fair remuneration scheme, Skills- Future, for all its rhetoric, cannot take off."

Bosses, along with trade associations, training institutions and unions, will have their say in the development of Sectoral Manpower Plans for key sectors. These will lay out the skills needed for the future and the education and career pathways for each sector.

Mr Tan also reiterated the objective of the new SkillsFuture Credit - the $500 training grant to be given to all Singaporeans aged 25 and older.

"Let me be very clear that the credits are meant to support training initiated by individuals, not to fund training which employers send them for," he said, responding to Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang GRC) on whether employers could ask workers to pay for part of the course fees of work-related training.

Some MPs want a wider range of courses to be eligible for SkillsFuture Credit. Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio GRC) suggested courses like a Class 3 driving licence that may be useful for property agents or those who want to be deliverymen. Currently, the credits are only for government- supported courses, from aerospace and information technology to languages and culinary skills.

Non-Constituency MP Lina Chiam said some may abuse the SkillsFuture subsidies by, say, disguising personal enrichment courses like swimming lessons as staff training.

Mr Tan warned that his ministry will blacklist these abusers.

The audit and feedback trail is important in weeding out such companies, he added.

But a balance has to be struck between regulation and flexibility.

A zero-abuse system may end up being "very laborious and difficult to administer".

"But if you've one that's too lax, you will have people taking advantage of it."

Displaced mid-career PMETs to get more help
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

MORE job matching and training for mid-career professionals are in the works, as the Government moves to help those who may have been caught out by the changing economy.

Those looking to switch their jobs mid-career will get more help through a programme that will match job seekers with small and medium-sized firms, said Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin.

Mr Tan said professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) are generally doing well. Unemployment for these Singaporeans is low at 2.9 per cent and salaries have risen about 2 per cent a year over the past five years after taking inflation into account.

Although displaced PMETs are not a large group, "the pressures of a rapidly changing economy have caused some, especially mature PMETs, to feel anxious about their job security", said Mr Tan.

For those retrenched or looking to switch careers, the Government will introduce a place-and- train programme called P-Max that will work towards matching 3,000 PMETs with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It builds on the Max Talent Programme which has placed 1,000 workers in SMEs since 2012. Over eight in 10 of them stay in the job for six months, said Mr Tan.

The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) will also work with private placement firms to identify more job opportunities for PMETs, he said.

By 2030, some two in three Singaporeans in the workforce are expected to be PMETs.

Several MPs, including Mr Heng Chee How (Whampoa) and Ms Jessica Tan (East Coast GRC), raised concerns about the difficulties older PMETs face when wanting to go for training. Mr Sam Tan (Radin Mas) said the opportunity cost is higher for them as they have substantial personal commitments: "Some of those who have been retrenched are afraid of investing time and money on a full-time course as their topmost priority is to find a job quickly."

The minister acknowledged that some PMETs may face challenges in finding the time to upgrade themselves. But he said that is why the new approach to have bite-size modules will help them.

Subsidies have also been enhanced for older workers. All Singaporeans aged 40 and above will need to fork out at most 10 per cent of training costs for courses funded by the Education Ministry and the WDA.

Stiffer penalties for contractors who flout worksite safety rules
They also face ban on hiring new foreign workers
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

CONTRACTORS who flout safety rules will be barred from hiring any new foreign workers under a new stiffer demerit point system.

This ban will be imposed on the company when it accumulates a specified number of points.

Currently, the punishment is confined to specific worksites.

Other changes include errant companies having to carry the demerit points for 18 months, instead of 12 months now.

The penalties will also kick in earlier, and more demerit points will be given to serious offences.

Announcing this in Parliament yesterday, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower Hawazi Daipi said: "We hope the enhanced (system) will help drive companies to put in greater coherent effort to address systemic safety lapses."

These four changes to the scheme came after workplace deaths for the construction sector remained stubbornly high in recent years, despite efforts to bring it down.

The construction industry accounted for 27 of 60 workplace fatalities last year, and 33 of 73 fatalities the year before.

This was despite measures, such as the requirement from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for developers to identify risks and hazards at worksites before a tender is awarded.

The Workplace Safety and Health Council also made 1,600 visits to worksites to conduct safety compliance audits last year, double the 800 visits in 2013.

Overall, though, workplace deaths across all industries fell to a record low of 60 last year, said Mr Hawazi.

As a result, the MOM met its target of 1.8 workplace fatalities per 100,000 workers four years ahead of schedule.

But the number of non-fatal injury cases at workplaces has gone up over the last three years, from 10,060 in 2011 to about 13,000 last year.

Said Mr Hawazi: "We need to continue to press on and do more in order to achieve sustainable improvements in our workplace safety and health performance."

Yesterday, he also announced that the Government will enhance the regulatory framework for Major Hazard Installations (MHI), such as oil refineries.

This is following recommendations by an inter-agency task force set up to review the framework. Asked by Nominated MP K. Karthikeyan about the Government's efforts in this area, Mr Hawazi said that several recommendations would be adopted, including the setting up of a National MHI Regulatory Office to work with MHIs on safety, health and environment matters.

Mr Hawazi was also asked by Mr Patrick Tay (Nee Soon GRC) about compensation limits for workers who die from workplace incidents or are permanently incapacitated.

He said the MOM will be reviewing the limits to bring them in line with the rise in nominal median wages.

The limits were last revised in 2012.

To address the increase in industrial accident medical bills, MOM will also be raising the cap for medical expenses claims to ensure that the Work Injury Compensation Act continues to fully cover more than 95 per cent of claims where hospitalisation is required, said Mr Hawazi. Currently, coverage is capped at $30,000 per accident or for a period of one year from the accident, whichever is reached first.

The Act imposes a duty on employers to compensate their employees who are injured as a result of work.

As such, Mr Hawazi said, it does not cover freelancers who are considered their own employers.

"We encourage self-employed persons to take responsibility for their own well-being and purchase adequate insurance to ensure some financial certainty in the event that they are injured while at work," he added.

More incentive for process firms to hire skilled foreign workers
By Amelia Tan, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

FIRMS in the petrochemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors will have more incentive to train and retain their skilled foreign workers.

The Government will introduce new ways for firms in the process sector, which employs about 30,000 foreign workers mostly from India and Bangladesh, to get a special skilled worker status for their workers, called R1.

Firms with workers under the R1 criteria pay lower levies, as the scheme is meant to encourage firms to hire skilled workers, said Manpower Minister Tan Chuan- Jin yesterday.

Currently, firms can get the R1 status for workers if they have skills qualifications such as a high school diploma or a Nitec certificate from the Institute of Technical Education.

But by 2017, the worker must earn at least $1,200 a month, up from the current average pay of $800 to $1,000 - on top of the qualifications criteria - for firms to get the R1 status.

At the same time, firms with workers who have at least two years of experience and earn $1,200 can also apply for the R1 status, said Mr Tan.

"In fact, the enhanced criteria will be a more reliable way of identifying workers who are genuinely skilled and productive," said Mr Tan, who added that the initial changes will take two years to allow companies to adjust.

From 2019, the Government will tighten the criteria for companies to get the R1 status by raising the salary and experience level to three years for workers eligible for the status.

The workers must also undergo Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications programmes to properly certify their skills before they can qualify for the R1 status.

Currently, firms need to pay only $300 in basic tier levies for R1 workers, and this will remain the case until next year.

But firms will have to pay $500 in levies for the lower-skilled R2 workers, up from the current $450.

Mr Charles Quek, president of the Association of Process Industry, said that process firms will be motivated to train their foreign workers.

"To justify the higher pay, firms will have to invest in training workers and machinery," he added.

Mr Tan said the Manpower Ministry will also make it easier for sector firms to employ experienced foreign workers.

Currently, firms that want to hire foreign workers who are already working here have to get the workers to leave Singapore first. This is because foreign workers cannot be in Singapore while their work permits are issued.

But from June 2017, experienced workers can remain in Singapore while their new work passes are being issued.

Mr Tan also announced that foreign workers in the construction, process and marine sectors will be allowed to take on additional duties as drivers. This will help companies reduce the cost of hiring additional drivers.

Fewer complaints of bosses hiring foreigners over locals
By Walter Sim, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

THERE were fewer complaints about employers hiring foreigners over locals last year than a year ago, said Senior Minister of State for Manpower Amy Khor yesterday.

Even so, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) remains focused on wiping out the scourge, she said during an update in Parliament on measures like the Jobs Bank and Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) that aim to ensure fair employment for locals.

The number of complaints dropped to 230 last year from 310 in 2013, Dr Khor said. Of the 230 complaints, about 40 per cent were unsubstantiated, she added.

"We have pursued every single one of these cases to establish if they adopted discriminatory practices. When we find proof, MOM will not hesitate to take action."

Action ranges from advising firms on how to plug human resource gaps to issuing warnings and having curbs on work pass privileges for more serious infringements.

For example, maritime firm Prime Gold International was banned from hiring foreign workers for two years after it was found to have retrenched 13 Singaporeans and replaced them with foreigners.

The locals were working as ship captains, officers, engineers and seamen.

The FCF allows the ministry to proactively identify and engage with employers who are found to have room for improvement in hiring practices, Dr Khor said.

It requires firms to first advertise on the national jobs bank for 14 days for locals to fill vacancies, before they are allowed to seek foreign professionals.

Dr Khor described a "positive start" for the Jobs Bank since its launch last July. As of Feb 1, some 16,000 employers and 76,000 individuals have registered.

On average, there are 68,000 live job vacancies, with more than 70 per cent targeted at professionals, managers and executives (PMEs), she said, adding that 20,000 of the jobs offer a monthly salary of at least $5,000.

Three MPs - Mr Patrick Tay (Nee Soon GRC), Non-Constituency MP Gerald Giam and Nominated MP Randolph Tan - suggested extending the FCF to firms wanting to apply for 'S' Pass holders.

Dr Khor said that the Government has not done so because it uses other tools, like levies, to spur firms to turn to locals for their vacancies - although MOM is monitoring the situation.

She asked MPs not to evaluate the Jobs Bank and the FCF "in isolation" because they are parts of a broader labour market ecosystem which has largely served Singaporeans well.

Panel to help low-wage workers in SMEs
It will also look at redesigning their jobs
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

A COMMITTEE tasked with improving the lot of low-wage workers will focus on the challenges facing such workers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as those doing casual work.

It will also look at redesigning and raising productivity in jobs held by many low-wage workers, such as in retail and logistics, and encourage companies to look at quality rather than price when they source for contracts.

This focus of the Tripartite Committee on Low-wage Workers and Inclusive Growth (TriCom) in its new two-year term was announced by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower Hawazi Daipi in Parliament.

"While there are ongoing broader efforts to raise productivity, the TriCom aims to provide specific recommendations on how we can do so for jobs commonly undertaken by low-wage workers," he said. "This can yield tangible and meaningful benefits for all."

TriCom was formed in 2010 and consists of representatives from the unions, employers and the Government.

Speaking during the debate on his ministry's budget, Mr Hawazi said the Government will also continue to work with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) to reach out to vulnerable low- wage workers and raise awareness of the help they can get.

This includes workplace advice and job referral services provided by the U Care Centre at the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability in Jurong East.

The centre also regularly organises seminars to increase workers' awareness of their employment rights, and NTUC plans to increase access to its services in the heartland, he added.

The lot of low-wage workers has long been a concern of the labour movement, and yesterday, several MPs, including Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC), asked for an update on efforts to help such workers.

Mr Hawazi outlined several key steps the Government had taken since a ministerial committee was set up in 2005 to address the challenges low-wage workers face.

These include the Workfare Income Supplement to boost their pay, Workfare Training Support to encourage them to upgrade their skills, and WorkRight to ensure bosses comply with employment laws. "With the various policies and programmes we have in place, our low-wage workers today are better supported than they were 10 years ago," he said.

The Government also supported NTUC's efforts to develop a progressive wage model (PWM), to help workers negotiate pay rises as productivity improves and they undergo skills training.

The Government agreed to enforce the wage model in three sectors - cleaning, security and landscaping. The PWM for the first two sectors have been announced, with that for landscaping due to be released this year.

Non-Constituency MP Gerald Giam and Nominated MP K. Karthikeyan asked if the PWM could be extended to other areas. Mr Hawazi said unions had been working on negotiating PWMs with employers in sectors like hotels, food and beverage and retail.

But the Government, he added, has no plans to extend the mandatory progressive wage model beyond the initial three sectors yet.

"We should allow the market to determine a suitable trajectory of wages based on productivity improvements over time," he said.

A delicate task balancing interests of all groups
By Lydia Lim, Associate Opinion Editor, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

WAGE growth slowed last year as compared to the year before, and that has workers worried, said Nominated MP K. Karthikeyan, pointing out that many Singaporeans still earn low wages of under $1,000 a month.

They fear wages will stagnate and even deteriorate unless more is done to boost productivity.

Those in the manufacturing sector also fear losing their jobs as the industry hollows out.

Last year, eight manufacturing firms from the unionised sector relocated, Mr Karthikeyan said.

The unionist's speech was emblematic of a theme at yesterday's sitting: that of how Singapore can stay together as it strives to remake its economy and workforce.

Several MPs who spoke during scrutiny of the budgets for the trade and industry, manpower and finance ministries championed groups at risk of being left behind - low-wage workers, retrenched middle-aged professionals, managers, executives (PMEs) and small business owners.

To tackle low wages, Workers' Party Non-Constituency MP Gerald Giam called for a minimum wage in sectors other than cleaning, security and landscaping, where this is being effected through a combination of regulation and productivity measures.

Three MPs spoke up for older PMEs displaced by economic restructuring.

Said Ms Jessica Tan (East Coast GRC): "Many residents who are mid-career PMEs have come to seek assistance at meet-the-people sessions. They share the challenges they have putting in many job applications but not even getting a response or an opportunity for interview."

She and senior ministers of state Heng Chee How (Whampoa) and Sam Tan (Radin Mas) asked for more targeted help so that such workers can secure replacement jobs quickly, as most of them have families to support.

Among businesses, too, there are those that struggle to stay afloat. Nominated MP and Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Thomas Chua appealed for more help for small and medium-sized enterprises and their trade associations.

Mr Inderjit Singh (Ang Mo Kio GRC) said data on the top 1,000 SMEs showed that the hospitality and F&B sector contracted by as much 7.7 per cent in each of the past five years.

Assurances from the front bench came in the form of reminders about the abundance of schemes to help vulnerable workers and businesses re-skill, upgrade, compete and find their place in the sun.

Low-wage earners, for example, benefit from the Workfare Income Supplement, Progressive Wage Model and Inclusive Growth Programme. PMEs have the Max Talent place-and-train programme and Professional Conversion Programme, and those above age 40 enjoy 90 per cent subsidies on training course fees.

SMEs have the Capability and Innovation Voucher, Productivity and Innovation Credit and Capability Development Grant.

Yes, the transformation of the economy and workforce is a work-in-progress but "we are making steady progress towards our goals", said Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-jin.

He held out statistics such as the 129,000 jobs created last year, one of the lowest citizen unemployment rates in the world at 2.9 per cent, and real median income growth of 1.4 per cent.

"Between 2009 and 2014, real incomes have grown by 2.1 per cent each year at the median, and 1.5 per cent per annum at the 20th percentile. We have managed to... avoid the wage stagnation that many developed economies are facing," he said.

He and other office-holders stood firm on balancing the interests of the haves and have-nots, with Mr Tan saying that "our shared vision must be expansive enough to reflect these differing aspirations, and our society must be inclusive enough so everyone has a stake in our future".

In other words, Singapore must strike a fine balance between supporting the economically vulnerable and remaining attractive to the fit and entrepreneurial.

Senior Minister of State (Finance) Josephine Teo spelt it out when replying to a question on a planned hike in the top personal income tax rate. The main risk was not tax evasion by top earners, she said, but that "our economy loses its entrepreneurial dynamism".

"If that happens, it will be difficult to grow incomes not just for the top end but also the broad majority of our population. That is why our income tax regime must remain competitive overall, to reward work and encourage entrepreneurship," she said.

To Mr Giam's question on wealth inequality, she said wealth taxes remained an important part of the system. The Government scrapped estate duty and shifted to higher taxes on luxury investment property as the latter "cannot be tax-planned away easily" and "does not reduce incentives to work or engage in entrepreneurial activity".

While it is right that individual MPs speak up for the weak, those who make national policies have the harder task of balancing interests of all groups, including - perhaps especially - the middle class, so as to hold society together.

Retrenched at 54, he finds better-paying job
By Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

WHEN he found out he was about to lose his job assembling hard disks last November, Mr Dharmarajan Dharnaraj, 54, was afraid he would not be able to support his family of four.

"We don't have a lot of savings," said the sole breadwinner, who lives with his wife and daughter in a five-room flat in Bukit Batok. His son is studying law in India.

Frantic, he turned to the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA). It referred him to the Jobs Bank, where he quickly found another job - with a $500 pay rise over the $3,000 he was getting at his old firm.

"I was afraid I would lose out in the job hunt because of my age," he said. "Many companies will prefer hiring someone younger, and I can understand why."

But his worries were allayed when he received a job offer from metal recovery firm Remex Minerals Singapore in December.

His new employers told him to start work on Feb 2 as the company was in the midst of setting up operations here.

"At first, I didn't want to take a break because I couldn't afford to," said Mr Dharnaraj, who had been with his previous firm for six years. "But I could relax, knowing that I could still take care of my children."

He added: "I'm really happy I found a job so quickly after being retrenched. The WDA really came through for me."

Training adds $400 to cleaner's pay
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

CLEANING supervisor Kamaruddin Syed Ibrahim, 54, has over 30 years of experience in the cleaning industry under his belt.

But two years ago, the old hand turned student, heading back to school to learn more about how to clean more safely and efficiently.

He received a Workforce Skills Qualifications certificate in environmental cleaning and a $400 award for completing the course.

His employer, AG Maintenance, acknowledged his efforts to improve himself: Mr Kamaruddin now pockets $400 more each month, bringing his pay up to $1,600.

"This was my first time going for official training," he said in Malay. "For 30 years, I learnt everything on the job. But going for these classes is good.

"I'm happy my company gave me the chance. You can't get left behind. There's still so much to learn."

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower Hawazi Daipi cited him as an example of how government policies, when taken together, can lift low-wage workers in Singapore in a tangible way.

Mr Kamaruddin said the course taught him how to better clean hard-to-reach surfaces like ceilings, using specialised equipment. He also learnt more about maintaining his cleaning tools.

"I know what I'm doing, but you need (certificates) to let everyone else know that too," he said.

2,000 pizzas in two hours, with just four pairs of hands
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

IT USED to take eight pairs of hands eight hours to make 2,000 pizzas.

But now, after turning to automation two years back, local company Baker's Heaven can churn out 2,000 pizzas in two hours, with just four pairs of hands.

Its managing director Simon Tay said the new machines, which have automated about 80 per cent of the pastry production process, have whittled down production time and eased manpower needs.

"Our machines help us work faster, better and cleaner. It helps standardise our products, and we can do more in half the time," said Mr Tay, 55.

"And, most important, it's good for my workers. They don't have to come back for overtime any more."

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower Hawazi Daipi yesterday held Baker's Heaven up as a company that turned to innovation and delivered results.

He was speaking about ways to boost productivity in sectors where low-wage workers are common, like in food and beverage.

Mr Tay said that with the company's higher productivity, he has also raised his workers' pay. Those who used to earn about $1,500 a month now make at least $150 more. And the raises are well-deserved.

"They put in a lot of effort to learn, so I'm happy to reward them. About 10 of my workers are seniors, so it's hard for them to adapt," he said. "But they do, and it's done the company a lot of good."

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'Younger workers can save enough to retire'
They must keep working, buy HDB flat within their means, says minister
By Toh Yong Chuan, Manpower Correspondent, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

To illustrate the point, the minister used a hypothetical case of a polytechnic graduate with a monthly starting pay of $2,200.

Despite the fluctuations, the 25-year-old would still accumulate about $165,000 in his SA by age 65 because CPF interest rates are compounded, said Mr Tan.

"The retirement picture for younger Singaporeans is relatively healthy," he said. "Most Singaporeans who work regularly, and make prudent housing options, should have no worries building up a comfortable retirement nest egg within the CPF system."

The polytechnic graduate scenario was one of two examples he cited in Parliament yesterday.

The other concerned a hypothetical example of a breadwinner who earns $3,500 each month and turns 55 next year. This was to illustrate the decisions he has to make at 55 on how much to set aside for retirement, and then at age 65 on whether to make a lumpsum withdrawal or defer it to get higher permanent payouts later.

The minister acknowledged that having more options could make the CPF system more complex. "We can't run away from that," said Mr Tan.

But he pledged that the MOM and CPF Board would ramp up their public education drive: "We will scale up and intensify our efforts to first raise awareness and understanding of the CPF system and the new changes."

Post by Lee Hsien Loong.

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Memorial to victims of Konfrontasi unveiled

March 11, 2015, 12:46 am

≫ Next: AHPETC projects pulled because of bust budgets - 'unfair' to blame CCCs, says MND

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Dark chapter of history remembered at site across from MacDonald House
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

FIFTY years ago yesterday, Ms Janet Wong was a 20-year-old trainee teacher at Balestier Mixed School when her sister called to say that their mother had been injured in a bomb blast.

By the time she reached Singapore General Hospital, her mother, Madam Elizabeth Suzie Choo, had died from her injuries.

Post by cyberpioneer.

Madam Choo, a secretary, was among the three dead and 33 injured in the worst bomb attack in post-war Singapore when a bomb planted by two Indonesian saboteurs exploded at MacDonald House in Orchard Road.

Till this day, it pains her that she and her mother parted after an argument, Ms Wong said yesterday. "I had a little tiff with her the night before, and I wanted to make peace with her in the morning," she said, her voice quivering. "But it didn't come true."

Ms Wong found solace in another form yesterday evening, on the 50th anniversary of the attack, when she joined 200 other family members of victims, veterans and guests at the unveiling of a memorial to the victims of Konfrontasi at Dhoby Ghaut Green, across from MacDonald House.

The attack on March 10, 1965, was the darkest day of Konfrontasi, or Confrontation, when Indonesia waged an undeclared war to oppose the formation of Malaysia. Singapore was part of the new nation briefly, from 1963 to 1965. "It was a dark and painful chapter in our history, during which many lives were hurt, damaged and lost. Although it happened five decades ago, we as Singaporeans must never forget this part of our nation's history," said Brigadier-General (NS) Winston Toh, president of the Singapore Armed Forces Veterans League (SAFVL), which organised the memorial service.

"Those turbulent times demonstrated the high price of not having a strong defence, and not being able to protect our nation's sovereignty and security."

Religious leaders from the Inter-Religious Organisation also gathered to hold a prayer at the memorial, where a wreath was laid for victims of Konfrontasi, which included servicemen.

Also at the ceremony was Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong, who said: "Words cannot repay the debt we owe to these individuals, and to their fellow comrades who had laid down their lives.

"But with our actions, we will keep faith with them and with all that they stand for."

Mr Wong said Singapore today enjoys good relations with its neighbours, but the situation was vastly different in the 1960s.

"It is important to never take our place in the world for granted. Our destiny will be determined by how we respond as a people through good times and bad times, through crisis and prosperity," he said.

Singaporeans were reminded of this episode in history last year, when Indonesia named a frigate, KRI Usman Harun, after the two bombers, who were executed in 1968. Singapore has barred the ship from calling here.

The memorial was built after the SAFVL petitioned Mr Wong last year to find suitable ways to remember the victims of Konfrontasi and educate younger generations about this chapter.

Mr Wong said the memorial "will be a lasting reminder of the victims of Konfrontasi, and those who risked their lives defending our country".

Post by Ng Eng Hen - Defence Minister.

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AHPETC projects pulled because of bust budgets - 'unfair' to blame CCCs, says MND

March 11, 2015, 8:31 pm

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Channel NewsAsia, 11 Mar 2015

Some projects to upgrade neighbourhood facilities in the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) had to be cut as costs exceeded the approved budget, and not because the ward was run by the Opposition - a "mischievous distortion", said Minister of State for National Development Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman on Wednesday (Mar 11).

However, Workers' Party MP Pritam Singh "rejected" the accusation, and instead called for a more open forum where project funding can be discussed without political bias.

Dr Maliki had said it was "unfair" of Mr Singh to blame Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs) for the time it took to work with the town council on neighbourhood projects.

"The Ministry of National Development has been fair to AHPETC and has treated AHPETC no differently from other town councils," said Dr Maliki at the 2015 Committee of Supply Debate.

He also noted that the Opposition-run town council has been given its "fair share" of housing upgrading projects.

The AHPETC was given six Home Improvement Programme (HIP) and three Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) projects in Financial Year 2012 and 2013. This was comparable to the number of projects received by other town councils.

Meanwhile, Dr Maliki said: "When it comes to exerting its autonomy even against prevailing HDB policies, it is the AHPETC that has been especially aggressive and often with total disregard to such national policies."

He took issue with how the town council had "unilaterally cut the works" at Serangoon North Avenue 1 and 2, after various NRP projects had been handed over for implementation.

Dr Maliki said: "As a result, residents will no longer get shelters over the basketball court at the Family Park and the Community Plaza, which were committed earlier. The local grassroots informed HDB that residents had the impression that the items were cut by HDB because AHPETC was run by the Opposition.

"Again this is a mischievous distortion. These items were cut because the TC’s costs are higher and exceeded the approved budget."

But the chairman of AHPETC, Ms Sylvia Lim, disputed this claim. She said: "The decision to omit a particular item that was mentioned was actually done quite early in the process - nothing to do with overspending as such, but it may have been linked to the tender prices that we received.

"And I would like to highlight also that for this particular NRP in Serangoon, the consultants were actually appointed before we took over really. So the architects and other consultants were actually in a sense passed over from the previous town council management to work with us.

"The project management fees which our managing agent is charging for that project is 3.5 per cent, which is within the market norm, so I do not really know what is being meant.

"In any case, I thought I would just mention this for now and after I read fully what was being said, I will reserve the right to give more information to the public on this."

Dr Maliki said: "The point I was making was that it was unilaterally cut because the working committee, as I understand it, was not consulted. I think in the nature of the NRP, there was a working committee that was formed, and we hope that the process is one in which the decision to cut whichever projects because of cost issues could have been better managed and handled with consultation with the working committee."

Dr Maliki also pointed out how the town council had allocated more of its upgrading projects to its Hougang constituency, though this decision was explained by the Workers' Party.

Dr Maliki said: "MND gave AHPETC full flexibility to nominate and prioritise the eligible HIP and NRP projects assigned to it. AHPETC has used this flexibility to give the bulk of the projects to Hougang SMC, although Aljunied GRC has more eligible projects. Nonetheless, that is of course a call the MPs are entitled to make."

Mr Singh noted: "The latest nominations for HIP and NRP are quite instructive. For NRP, one precinct in Hougang has been nominated by the town council, four for Aljunied. Two precincts in Hougang for HIP have been nominated by the town council, 16 for Aljunied.

"There is a reason why in earlier years, more Hougang precincts were nominated for HIP and NRP also. That is because Hougang was not given any main upgrading or interim upgrading projects prior to 2011."

Dr Maliki also responded to Mr Singh's calls for the nomination system under the Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) to be improved in opposition wards.

The scheme provides funding for improvement projects initiated by the community, like sheltered walkways and fitness corners, with funds disbursed through the CCCs.

Mr Singh noted that after the town council had submitted its proposals in August 2013, the CCC had replied with a much shortened list of projects it supported two months later. But he noted there had been no substantive update 16 months after.

Dr Maliki said: "AHPETC’s proposals actually accounted for 12 out of the 17 projects selected. And the CCCs have to raise funds for these AHPETC’s proposed projects. The CCCs would need a bit more time to implement the projects."

In 2013, AHPETC had proposed 90 CIPC and 52 CCC projects following consultations with residents. However, as the CIPC budget had been exceeded for the year, the CCCs had to prioritise 17 projects, which could be funded within the allocated budget, said Dr Maliki.

Said Dr Maliki: "I don’t know why Mr Singh would now turn around, blame the CCCs for tardiness, and unfairly paint them in such a negative light in the eyes of the public, when the CCCs took the time and trouble to seek, go through, gave significant consideration to the TC’s proposals and were prepared to support many of them?

"I think the grassroots and the local community leaders are fully prepared to work with the TC to serve residents better. But it takes two hands to clap."

In response, Mr Singh called for a forum at which CIPC nominations can be discussed constructively, without any fear of decisions being made on the basis of political allegiance.

The current situation is "unfair to the residents", he argued.

DESMOND LEE ON CALLS FOR TRIBUNAL TO DEAL WITH DISPUTES BETWEEN HDB, TOWN COUNCIL AND RESIDENTS

Separately, Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee also responded to Ms Lim's call to set up a tribunal to act as a neutral party in dealing with disputes between the HDB, town council and residents.

But Mr Lee noted that currently, there are various avenues of recourse, and town councils must also be prepared to accept the decisions and abide by the rules that govern all town councils.

One example of non-compliance that Mr Lee cited was how AHPETC has been letting out public spaces at Hougang Central Hub and Kovan City to retailers for profit.

Mr Lee said: "This contravenes HDB's guidelines, which allow but control the frequency of such promotional activities to mitigate the impact on the business of shopkeepers, who also pay the TC S&CC.

"A number of shopkeepers are unhappy about this. HDB has therefore written several times to remind the TC of the guidelines, to no avail. The TC had simply ignored HDB."

Ms Lim responded: "Our town council, I'm sure every town council, would like to abide by the circulars issued by Government departments. But when we find that some of the circulars perhaps, we find to be inconsistent with certain laws, I think there should be some avenues for us to resolve it.

"I think MOS would agree the circular does not have the force of law anyway. So these things would have to be clarified and hopefully by a tribunal that is neutral."

Mr Lee noted: "This example, one of two examples I gave earlier, was in the context of emphasising the need for all parties to abide by certain set of rules, procedures, guidelines and framework.

"We are not here to debate the merit of the guidelines, suffice to say there were guidelines in place, which all town councils abide by, for which there has been no compliance in this particular regard by AHPETC.

"I accept the member has referred this matter to the courts, in the context of the NEA case - not specifically on HDB guidelines, because that was not the basis for the enforcement action. Notwithstanding that court case, which is still pending, compliance with the guidelines which all town councils abide by has not been forthcoming by the TC, even though the matter has been adjudicated at first instance.

"So I think the key is a framework in which all parties can come to agreement but ultimately agreeing to follow the policies and guidelines that have been set."

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Early childhood courses: Polys get more leeway

March 11, 2015, 10:17 pm

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Cap eased on intakes under discretionary admissions exercise
By Amelia Teng, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

POLYTECHNICS have been given greater flexibility to accept more students with a passion for teaching young children, amid efforts to retain pre-school teachers.

From this year, Temasek Polytechnic and Ngee Ann Polytechnic can admit up to half of their intakes for early childhood courses using criteria other than exam results. This is up from a cap of 30 per cent for other courses.

The change applies to three full-time diploma courses: Ngee Ann Polytechnic's child psychology and early education, and early childhood education, and Temasek Polytechnic's early childhood studies.

Under the discretionary admissions exercise, students are chosen based on their abilities and interest in the course, rather than just their O-level results. So in some cases, they can secure places in polytechnic courses even before receiving their results, or even if their results do not meet the cut-off points for these courses.

But selected applicants will still have to meet minimum course requirements and score no more than 26 points for English and four other subjects - a requirement to enter a polytechnic. If more high-performing students apply for a certain course, its cut-off point is likely to be lower, indicating better performance.

Besides submitting a written application each, they have to go for interviews and are evaluated based on things such as co-curricular records and testimonials from teachers.

Mr Ang Teck Hua, director of the Centre for Child Study at Temasek Polytechnic, said that experiences such as helping out at pre-schools and orphanages, or organising children's camps as part of community service will be taken into account.

More than 2,000 students were offered a place at the polytechnics through the discretionary admissions exercise last year. It runs until April, when the polytechnic term starts.

A Ministry of Education spokesman said that the change allows the polytechnics to "better select those who are keen to join the early childhood sector, by assessing candidates based on strengths and aptitudes specific to the sector".

She added that it is in line with the Early Childhood Development Agency's efforts to "attract and retain passionate early childhood professionals for the sector".

In recent years, the Government has been trying to attract and retain pre-school teachers with incentives such as better pay and training. Singapore has 14,000 pre-school educators, and hopes to hire about 1,500 more by 2017.

So far this year, 43 students have used discretionary means to secure places in Temasek Polytechnic's early childhood studies course, which has space for a cohort of 125.

Mr Ang said: "A teacher's heart is what makes a good preschool teacher and that, to me, is more important than having distinctions."

Some students who come in via the discretionary route in previous batches also did better than their peers when they graduated, he said.

Glynis Koo, 17, who clinched a spot through discretionary admissions to pursue early childhood studies at Temasek Polytechnic, said: "It has been my dream for some time to be a preschool teacher. To see the children progress in little tasks, such as learning to talk, is very rewarding."

↧

The ethics of collective responsibility

March 12, 2015, 12:17 am

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By Sanjay Perera, Published The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2015

THERE is consensus that certain aspects of Singapore's Budget indicate a leftward shift politically.

This hinges on the announcement of several things such as a SkillsFuture plan that facilitates workers upgrading their skills, and a Silver Support Scheme which provides cash payouts to Singapore's poorest elderly.

Another key announcement is a plan to reduce income inequality further by increasing taxes on the richest people from 20 per cent to 22 per cent from 2017. (This falls short of what could be the case, for such taxes on the wealthy could almost reach 50 per cent as it is elsewhere. But that's just a personal view, and may be asking for too much, too soon.)

The Budget announcements are much needed, but they do not make Singapore a centre-left state. If anything, it brings the country from centre-right closer towards the centre.

But we should take note of the emphasis by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam that the Budget not only tempers social inequality and also tries to lessen the rich-poor gap, but focuses on social mobility in providing assistance for people to further their potential and earning power. Thus, to frame the Budget as one that should be noted primarily for which political direction it is leaning, is to miss the significance of the announcements.

The introduction of a social safety net which comes in the form of a basic income for some of the poorest in our society marks a morphing from state pragmatism to one that embraces a more ethical dimension into economic planning. Similarly, the SkillsFuture initiative signifies a much needed development from an academic results-oriented meritocracy to the recognition of skills and actual abilities and the need to nurture these.

The Budget announcements should be correctly seen as they have been framed by the Finance Minister: as a shift towards a collective national responsibility for each and every citizen. A change towards a responsible collective mindset for Singapore is crucial. It is not a shift away from self-reliance, but is an acknowledgement that some of us need more help than others and that we should be accountable to one another through socio-economic responsibility. It is in this context that Nominated MP Chia Yong Yong's remarks on Central Provident Fund withdrawals should be understood. Her courageous viewpoint against growing calls for greater flexibility in the withdrawal of the CPF is hardly populist and it has earned her online vilification and misunderstanding. But the point she raised is germane as to how much state intervention is desired by citizens and what personal and overall societal responsibility means.

Strong state intervention in social matters is unlikely in the near future as post-Independence Singapore does not have a far-left tradition. While some may want spending to approximate that of free-spending socialist governments elsewhere, the reality is that Singapore has a constitutional requirement to maintain a balanced budget over a five-year term of government.

It is heartening to see that within the constraints set by prudent fiscal rules, the need for more social spending is increasingly framed as the "right" thing to do, and not as an expedient or economically productive thing to do. For example, appeals to the rich to give more to charity and to allow themselves to be taxed more, are made from an ethical viewpoint where each of us is encouraged to take collective responsibility for the whole. The focus is less on what each person can get out of the system, and more on what each can contribute for the betterment of the commonweal.

Collective responsibility cuts both ways. It may entail higher taxes on the wealthy. But it would also put the onus on the rest of us to be responsible in spending, and to ensure that enhanced social spending should be complemented by ensuring, for instance, that CPF withdrawals are used for what they are intended for: retirement funding, not a cash bonus for discretionary expenses.

If we expect a heightened sense of responsibility from the wealthy in being willing to pay higher taxes in future, we must be willing to balance this by maintaining a sense of self-reliance and responsible consumption for ourselves. If this can be realised, then we do not need to wonder how far left we have traversed but look to strengthening as much as possible shared social responsibility as a national vision. This would be the right path for Singapore as it continues its journey into the 21st century.

The writer worked in the Singapore navy and media, taught at tertiary institutions and is the editor of Philosophers for Change, an online journal dealing with alternative socioeconomic paradigms.

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Citizen Archivist Project: Help to 'tag' a piece of Singapore's history

March 12, 2015, 2:37 am

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Treasure trove of photos, documents waiting to be archived for online portal
By Irene Tham, Technology Correspondent, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

WANTED: History enthusiasts to caption old photographs and transcribe handwritten manuscripts with a piece of Singapore history.

They are invited to contribute to an upcoming portal with about 3,000 unidentified photographs dating back to the late 1800s, and 3,000 pages of Straits Settlement records, including letters from the time of Sir Stamford Raffles' administration.

These historical treasures, from the collections of the Government and individuals, are waiting to be "tagged" on the portal The Citizen Archivist Project at www.nas.gov.sg/citizenarchivist.

The portal will be launched this weekend, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information, told Parliament yesterday during the debate on his ministry's budget.

Without tagging - such as by photo captioning and digital transcription - they will not appear during an online search.

What is on the portal is just part of more than 140,000 photos and about one million pages of Straits Settlements records that cannot be searched today.

"The key challenge is that they were written in elaborate cursive penmanship which is not machine-readable," said Dr Yaacob, noting that tapping the public's knowledge could make these documents more accessible.

Also, it is an initiative young people would enjoy, he said, in replying to Mr Arthur Fong (West Coast GRC) who had asked how the Government could get youth interested in Singapore's history.

When contacted, Mr Eric Chin, director of the National Archives of Singapore, said the aim of the project is to get as many people interested in history as possible, and to "provide meaningful contributions to uncover a piece of Singapore's history".

Mr Chin hopes to find, for instance, the actual written regulations for five-foot-ways. These are the footpaths linking rows of shophouses, much like the common corridors in HDB blocks.

Post by Lee Hsien Loong.

To contribute, people have to log into the portal by using their Facebook, Google or National Library Board accounts. Their contributions will be saved in their own user profiles, which will be created automatically when they log in.

Transcript contributions work in the same way they do on Wikipedia; the text is uploaded immediately on the portal.

The National Archives, however, will take up to three days to review photo caption contributions. Approved captions will be uploaded on its website, www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline.

In his speech, Dr Yaacob also said the National Archives building on Canning Rise will be renovated from this year.

It will include a gallery to showcase - for the first time - original constitutional documents. An example he gave was the envelope on which Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Tunku Abdul Rahman penned the terms of Singapore's merger with Malaysia, as well as the proclamations of merger and separation.

Also, the building housing Memories at the Old Ford Factory - where the British surrendered to the Japanese in 1942 during World War II - will be closed from early next year for a major revamp that will include more interactive content.

The building in Upper Bukit Timah will re-open in early 2017 to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the fall of Singapore.

↧

Parliament Highlights - 10 Mar 2015

March 12, 2015, 3:02 am

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Committee of Supply Debate: Ministry of National Development

Hot market tamed, housing more affordable, says Khaw Boon Wan
S'poreans can get flat 'within budget'; plans afoot to help different segments
By Janice Heng, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

PUBLIC flats have become more affordable in recent years, with many Singaporeans able to buy a home within their budget, said Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan.

To ensure that this remains the case for future generations, Mr Khaw said that the Government remains committed to quality housing that is within the reach of most Singaporeans.

"Every generation will be able to afford their own HDB homes. This is our promise," he said in the parliamentary debate on his ministry's budget yesterday.

Stressing the importance of home ownership, Mr Khaw said his ministry has achieved results in taming the red hot housing market. This was a hot topic in the 2011 General Election.

Resale housing prices have risen by about 37 per cent since their low in 2009, while new flat prices rose by just 15 per cent without grants. With grants, new flat prices rose by just 6 per cent.

"Measured against the (median) household income increase of 38 per cent, we can see that public housing affordability has substantially improved since 2011," he said.

As for whether cooling measures will be lifted, Mr Khaw said that the property market is in transition and that the Government "should not overkill".

Mr Khaw also cited a recent Housing Board survey which showed that people were willing to pay up to $300,000 for a new three-room flat, and between $300,000 and $500,000 for a four- or five-roomer.

In comparison, 90 per cent of new three-roomers last year were sold at below $250,000.

For new four-roomers, 81 per cent were sold below $350,000, and 89 per cent of new five-roomers were sold below $450,000.

"These are actual transactions. They paint a comforting picture of young Singaporeans being able to get their first BTO (Build- To-Order) flat, well within their expected budget," said Mr Khaw.

Home ownership has also been possible for the lower-income group, added Mr Khaw.

From March 2012 to July last year, 1,491 families with household incomes below $1,000 had booked two-room or larger BTO flats.

Yesterday, 24 MPs rose to ask about issues such as the affordability of housing. Ms Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) was one of three MPs calling for the $10,000 income cap to be raised, while Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) and Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) wanted flats with shorter leases for the needy.

Mr Khaw outlined plans to help different segments, from singles to public rental tenants.

Starting from May, half of all new two-room flats in non-mature estates will be set aside for singles, up from 30 per cent now.

The Government will look for ways to help non-first-timers who want resale flats near their parents, as well as public rental tenants who aim to own a home.

It is also prepared to raise the $10,000 income ceiling for public flats, as incomes rise, he said.

Khaw seeks 'soft landing' for housing market
MPs ask for ABSD adjustment for S'poreans to curb risky foreign property buys and excessive price corrections
By Lee Meixian, The Business Times, 11 Mar 2015

NATIONAL Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan is aiming for a "soft landing" for the housing market as "a market crash benefits no one", he said at Tuesday's Committee of Supply debate.

This was in reply to questions in parliament on the impact of government policies on the property market. The government was asked whether it would consider adjusting the Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) for Singaporean buyers when it is ready to unwind the cooling measures.

West Coast GRC Member of Parliament Foo Mee Har also asked at which point property cooling measures would be eased, in order to cushion any excessive price corrections.

While Mr Khaw did not directly answer the questions on the ABSD and the timing of policy changes, he agreed that the government "should not go into overdrive, and unwittingly undermine the retirement plan of our seniors who look to their housing assets for monetisation".

Earlier, Ms Foo had cautioned of the need to ensure that the "well intended" cooling measures are not overdone. "Given the huge new housing supply yet to hit the market and the impending rise of interest rates, we must be cautious that this downward price trend does not inadvertently get into a momentum and reach an unintended pace.

"Some industry players have told me that this is easier said than done. Their concern is that once a downward momentum begins, the downward pressure on prices may not be so easy to control, as we have seen in previous property cycles."

Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) said that while the ABSD started out as an initiative to discourage unnecessary ownership of multiple properties, it has led to Singaporeans "who have spare cash" investing in riskier foreign properties.

"Coupled with low initial downpayments, and fewer restrictions in foreign property, Singaporeans are enticed to look abroad. This not only does little benefit to our economy, but puts our people at risk.

"I feel we should keep the Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) to encourage prudence in finance spending, but remove the ABSD for Singaporeans so they can invest in properties in Singapore."

MPs also noted that the cooled property market has made it difficult for retirees looking to sell their flats to right-size in order to fund their retirement. Those attempting to sell off their existing flat or private property within the six-month grace period before buying a resale flat are also struggling.

Since January 2013, Singapore citizens who already own a home have to pay an ABSD of 7 per cent on the purchase of a second residential property; this percentage climbs to 10 per cent on the third and subsequent property. This is seen as a measure to slow property investment and speculation.

Under the TDSR framework, borrowers' total monthly debt repayments (including car loans and credit cards) cannot exceed 60 per cent of their gross monthly income. This is a permanent measure to encourage financial prudence.

In his speech, Mr Khaw said: "Indeed, we should not overkill. The property market is in transition and it is a time that calls for vigilance and nimbleness. We will be careful."

He went on to share data to show how his ministry's efforts in taming the housing market has yielded results. HDB resale prices have risen from their previous trough in 2005. From 2005 to 2014, resale flat prices have gone up 87 per cent, while household income has gone up by 72 per cent.

Although Singapore is not yet at the 2005 affordability level, at least the affordability gap has narrowed from the 2011-2013 property market boom.

He added too that "sobering news" about the "acute" housing situations in cities such as London and Hong Kong put Singapore's "more benign situation" into better perspective.

During Tuesday's Committee of Supply debate, Mr Khaw also thanked MPs for their ideas on how to adjust the Lease Buyback Scheme. The new Lease Buyback Scheme, which is extended to four-room flats, takes effect in April.

He also said that he would mull proposals to introduce shorter lease tenure in some build-to-order projects to cater to different groups with varying needs. He will also consider raising the S$10,000 HDB income ceiling, after noting that couples are marrying later and income levels are rising.

More new flats to be set aside for singles
By Yeo Sam Jo, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

SINGLES will soon have more chances at securing new homes.

Starting from May, half of the new two-room flats launched in non-mature estates will be set aside for them. This is up from the current 30 per cent.

This will provide greater assurance to singles and reduce their backlog of pent-up demand for flats, said Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan yesterday.

"While marriage and parenthood will remain at the core of our housing policy, I recognise that we are more diverse today as a society, with many Singaporeans remaining single," he said.

"Although most live comfortably with their extended families, many desire the privacy and stability of home ownership."

During the debate on the National Development Ministry's budget, Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Nee Soon GRC) noted that as many as 9,300 singles have been unsuccessful in their flat applications.

He asked if the ministry would consider increasing the flat quota or chances for singles.

Since July 2013, first-timer singles aged 35 and above and earning up to $5,000 a month have been allowed to buy two-room Build-to-Order (BTO) flats in non-mature estates. More than 18,000 singles have applied for flats so far, and half the number have been able to book one.

Two-room flats have proven popular and are often heavily oversubscribed among singles during BTO exercises.

In last November's exercise, for instance, close to 33 singles vied for every two-room flat launched in Sengkang.

About 5,000 such units were launched last year in response to the high demand, up from 2,600 in 2013. About 4,000 two-room flats will also be launched this year.

Mr Lim Sio Poh, 46, is one bachelor who successfully applied for a two-room BTO flat in Bukit Panjang last year.

The general worker in a recycling company has always lived with his parents in their four-room Yishun flat, but decided that he wanted his own place.

"It's a good opportunity - the flat is cheaper than resale flats and it's new. It's also a kind of investment for me," said Mr Lim.

After receiving about $28,000 in housing grants, his new flat cost him about $120,000. He plans to move into the Senja Road unit in the next two months.

Other singles are eyeing the resale market instead.

"I'd rather go for a resale flat that's three-room or bigger. There's more space and I can get the flat immediately," said property agent Alvin Ten, 34.

Post by Housing & Development Board.

MND looking into more flexible lease tenures for two-room flats
By Laura Elizabeth Philomin, TODAY, 10 Mar 2015

More flexible lease tenures and lease terms, which are currently only available under the Studio Apartment Scheme, could soon be offered for two-room flats.

National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said his ministry is looking into this idea, which several Members of Parliament have called for, to meet the needs of different groups.

Studio apartments have similar layouts and sizes to two-room flats but are cheaper because they come with shorter leases. This flat type was introduced in 1998 to provide options for seniors who wanted to right-size, as the Housing and Development Board (HDB) had stopped building two-room flats then.

Now that the HDB is building two-room flats again, Mr Khaw said they could consider the suggestion of shorter leases to “rationalise the studio apartment and two-room flat schemes”. “For example, if we have a new two-room flat scheme, offering varying lease tenure and lease terms, it may allow us to cater to different groups with varying needs, and in the process unify both schemes,” he added.

Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) had suggested such a move to give Singaporeans at different stages of life the option of owning a flat at lower prices.

Speaking during his ministry’s Committee of Supply debate today (March 10), Mr Khaw said: “MND and HDB are working on this, and will also gather inputs from the public.”

Property analysts TODAY spoke to suggested the Studio Apartment Scheme be scrapped, in exchange for greater lease flexibility for two-room flats.

The re-introduction of two-room Build-to-Order flats calls into question the necessity for studio apartments, said SLP International Property Consultants executive director of research and consultancy Nicholas Mak.

Elderly-friendly features in studio apartments, such as wider doorways and bathroom handrails, can be easily incorporated in new two–room flats, he added.

Mr Chris Koh, Director of Chris International, said some senior citizens are concerned about their fates if they outlive the current 30-year lease under the Studio Apartment Scheme, with others having the desire to leave the flat for their children.

“I would increase the lease to 60 years, giving these elderly people the assurance that they will still have their flat and allow the flat to also be passed down to the next generation,” suggested Mr Koh. “Because it is a 60-year lease, you can adjust the price (to) make it lower than that of a 99-year lease two-room flat.”

Century 21 chief executive Ku Swee Yong, however, pointed out that flexibility is provided under the Lease Buyback Scheme — elderly residents can choose lease tenures that best suit their needs and sell the rest back to HDB.

To cater to the group of seniors who are worried about the financial burden of buying a flat, he suggested: “Why not charge them a monthly lease for two-room units ... so it becomes a rental flat?”

Municipal Services Office ropes in more agencies
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

THE coordinating office for municipal issues will link up with three more government agencies, as well as two town councils, to improve management of problems on the ground.

From next month, the Municipal Services Office (MSO) will work with the Building Construction Authority (BCA), the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to handle issues associated with construction work and illegal parking.

This should accelerate the shift from an "agency-based approach to an issues-based one", said Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu, who heads the MSO, in Parliament yesterday.

"It's not an easy move. It means breaking down silos amongst agencies, working closely with one another, and arriving at a consensus on how to deal with feedback."

The MSO was set up last October to address what Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described as a lack of inter-agency coordination in municipal matters. He cited the example of a walkway in Bukit Gombak - the site of a now infamous discarded fishball stick - that was not cleaned due to a lack of clarity on which agency was responsible.

It currently works with eight agencies, including the Housing Board and the police. Collectively, they handle around 42,000 municipal cases every month.

But Ms Fu noted that government agencies are not the only bodies which handle municipal services.

The MSO's challenges involve getting agencies and town councils to acknowledge ownership of the cases referred to them, provide progress updates, and follow MSO-issued guidelines on how to resolve cases that involve multiple entities, she said.

Responding to MPs' suggestions for the office to coordinate with town councils - which maintain and clean common areas in HDB estates - Ms Fu said that the MSO has just started trials with Jurong and Holland-Bukit Panjang town councils earlier this month.

"If successful, we will invite all town councils to participate in the working arrangements with MSO, without weakening (their) autonomy and authority in service delivery and in setting their service standards," she said.

Ms Fu also announced that the National Parks Board (NParks) will become the central agency for public greenery maintenance from June.

Currently, different agencies handle greenery-related issues depending on who owns the land. As such, they end up engaging different contractors to maintain the greenery, even that in the same vicinity.

"This is not ideal. We can do better," said Ms Fu. As such, NParks will take over grass-cutting works from SLA, national water agency PUB and HDB.

$450m to boost construction productivity
By Janice Heng, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

A NEW three-year plan to boost the construction industry's productivity will focus on more prefabrication and further enhancing the skills of workers.

To support this Second Construction Productivity Roadmap, the Government is pumping in a fresh $450 million, said Senior Minister of State for National Development Lee Yi Shyan yesterday.

The new road map builds on the first in 2010, which focused on manpower, machinery and new building methods. The results from the first five-year plan, which ends this May, have been encouraging, said Mr Lee.

Site productivity - the floor area completed per man-day - has risen by 1.4 per cent each year since 2010.

"This is encouraging but we can certainly do more," he said.

Hence, the second road map will focus on building as many parts as possible in off-site factories.

These prefabricated parts - from walls to entire housing units - are then assembled on site, saving time and manpower on the ground.

Another aim is to build a skilled workforce. This is not just at the level of construction site workers, but further upstream at the design stage.

More funding will be provided for these efforts. The 2010 road map was accompanied by the first tranche of the Construction Productivity and Capability Fund, initially $250 million but later raised to $335 million.

The second tranche of $450 million, for June this year to May 2018, is expected to benefit about 7,000 firms.

The Building and Construction Authority said yesterday that about 70 per cent of the new sum will support technology adoption. From June, the funding limit for the Productivity Innovation Projects scheme will double to $10 million, for projects that improve productivity by at least 20 per cent.

The Workforce Training and Upgrading scheme will give subsidies of up to 90 per cent for locals in the industry. There will also be a new programme for Institute of Technical Education graduates and new diploma and postgraduate sponsorships.

Committee of Supply Debate: Prime Minister's Office

Better prospects for non-grads in civil service
Some will be hired under the same scheme as degree holders from Aug 1
By Charissa Yong and Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

FROM Aug 1, non-degree holders joining the civil service to perform management support roles will be hired under the same scheme as most university graduates.

The move will close the gap in career prospects between university graduates and non-graduates, who currently come under different schemes and have different starting salaries.

With the extension of the Management Executive Scheme to include them, non-degree holders will start at a lower grade, with lower pay, than graduates.

But they will have greater opportunities to advance, and when they reach a specified grade, they will be assessed for performance and potential in the same way as their graduate colleagues at the same level.

The change is the result of a Public Service Division (PSD) study, announced last August, on ways to merge its main graduate and non-graduate schemes, and give officers a chance to progress on the same career track.

In announcing the change yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said: "Both degree holders and non-degree holders will be recruited on, and progress along, the extended Management Executive Scheme."

He added: "All officers in the same grade will be assessed for performance and potential in the same way."

Mr Teo, the minister-in-charge of the civil service, was speaking during the debate on the budget of the Prime Minister's Office.

Last night, PSD said in a statement that 5,700 officers on the existing Management Support Scheme can apply to transfer to the new scheme.

Currently, degree holders are mostly employed under the Management Executive Scheme at a starting pay of up to $3,260 a month, according to the Careers@Gov website. Diploma holders and those with A-level, higher Nitec or Nitec qualifications join the Management Support Scheme. Their salary starts from between $1,230 and $1,850 a month.

The new extended scheme was prompted by the Government's aim to do more to support the aspirations of non-graduates, following a call from a committee reviewing the career prospects of polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education graduates.

Mr Teo said yesterday the civil service is committed to helping its officers acquire deeper skills for their jobs, in line with the upcoming SkillsFuture initiative.

He also said, in his reply to Mr Inderjit Singh (Ang Mo Kio GRC), that the civil service looks beyond academic qualifications when recruiting officers. It also considers such factors as character, commitment to public service and interpersonal skills.

PSD social media officer Kaye Zhao, 32, welcomed the new scheme that gives management support officers a chance to contribute more at work.

Mr Yeo Chun Fing, general secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees, said the change "gives hope to non-graduates, who in the past were perceived to be stuck on a different scheme".

"Now, if you're good, you'll have a fair chance to progress," he added.

Human resource analyst Martin Gabriel, of local firm HRmatters21, said the civil service is "actually playing catch-up" to the private sector, where academic qualifications are less important than work performance.

But the Government's move is important as it sets the tone for all bosses to do the same, he said.

Pay rise for lower wage civil servants
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

FROM next month, the monthly pay of about 2,200 lower-wage civil servants, such as operations support officers in schools, will go up by $60 to $80.

It will keep their wages competitive, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said, adding that the move is in line with similar increases they received recently.

These Division IV officers - who were typically earning between $1,270 and $1,535 a month last June - had their basic pay raised by $60 to $70 each year in the past three years.

This follows the recommendations of the National Wages Council, noted Mr Teo, who is the minister-in-charge of the civil service.

Taken together with the regular salary adjustments made by the civil service, these lower- wage earners had received pay rises of about $300 to $330 from 2012 to last year.

This amounts to a 25 per cent increase in their monthly wages, over and above their annual increments, he added during yesterday's debate on the new budget for the Prime Minister's Office.

Mr Teo was replying to Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio GRC), who had asked for an update on what was being done to improve the lot of lower-wage civil servants.

These officers are also offered more training opportunities.

For example, they are given cash under a Training Incentive Scheme to encourage them to upgrade their skills.

And starting from next month, their salary scales will be extended.

This means officers who have hit the ceiling in the existing salary scales can receive further pay increments when they upgrade themselves.

"We remain committed to improving the jobs and skills of our lower-wage civil servants," Mr Teo said, adding that the public service will continue to work closely with unions and make salary adjustments where necessary.

The Amalgamated Union of Public Employees yesterday cheered Mr Teo's announcements on the pay rise for lower-wage officers.

Said its general secretary Yeo Chun Fing: "The salaries of these civil servants are very low, so the built-in wage increases are quite significant for them.

"Every year, it enlarges their pay packet. They can then meet the rising cost of living."

Officer hopes to gain promotion by upgrading
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

MR LIM Teck Seng, 44, is a man with a mission.

The operations support officer at Beatty Secondary School is applying for a spot in a course on office skills at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

This would mean night classes after a long day of work for nine months. But the Division IV civil servant, whose highest qualification is from secondary school, thinks the effort will be worth it.

"If I can get this certification, plus a recommendation from my boss, I can eventually be promoted to Grade 1," he said. This is two grades higher than his current grade.

"So I'll do my best. But I must practise my typing as I type very slowly," said Mr Lim, who has worked at the school since 2005.

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service Teo Chee Hean said more training opportunities would be given to lower-wage civil servants to encourage them to upgrade their skills and progress in their careers.

Mr Lim, who has attended workshops on topics such as workplace skills, said his boss has been very supportive of him.

But improving his lot is up to him. "You must always be keen to learn and to help yourself. If not, whatever courses you go for will be in vain," he said.

Lower-wage officers will also get pay rises of $60 to $80 from next month, similar to the increments they have been receiving in the last three years.

Mr Lim, who makes about $1,500 a month, said he would spend the extra money on textbooks for his four children. "Every little bit more helps. The rest I'll save for rainy days."

Benchmark up but no change in ministers' pay
By Rachel Chang, Assistant Political Editor, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

THE salaries of ministers have not gone up in the last three years even though the benchmark they are linked to has risen by around 3 per cent each year, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean told Parliament yesterday.

The House had, in 2012, endorsed recommendations from an independent committee to link ministerial salaries to the median income - or the income at the midpoint - of the top 1,000 Singaporean earners, with a 40 per cent discount to reflect the ethos of political service.

Since then, this benchmark has risen in two out of three years, and dropped slightly in one year. Overall, it rose 3 per cent a year, said Mr Teo. "Because the changes in the benchmark have been moderate, we have not adjusted political salaries in these past three years," he added.

If it had been adjusted, a minister at the entry point of "MR4" grade, inclusive of bonuses, should get $1.2 million a year, but the Government has kept it at $1.1 million - the 2012 level, he noted.

The Prime Minister earns $2.2 million and the President earns $1.54 million.

The pay freeze applies as well to every office-holder, including ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries. MPs' allowances, too, have remained unchanged.

Mr Teo reminded the House that in the 2012 debate, the Workers' Party (WP) had agreed with the three key principles the committee used to derive political salaries.

They were that salaries must be competitive so that people of the right calibre are not deterred from entering politics; that the ethos of political service entails sacrifice and, hence, there should be a discount in the pay formula; and that there should be a "clean wage" with no hidden perks.

In particular, the WP's agreement that political salaries should be competitive "was a fundamental change from its past proposals", said Mr Teo. "This significant change helped the debate to arrive at areas of convergence."

He added yesterday that the WP's alternative formula of benchmarking ministerial salaries gave rise to a monthly starting salary of about $55,000, which is the same amount as the committee's recommendations.

The WP had proposed benchmarking the MPs' allowance to the starting pay of the "Superscale" grade in the civil service, and to make ministers' salaries a multiple of the MPs' allowance.

In 2012, Parliament also endorsed linking politicians' bonuses to the socio-economic progress of average and lower-income Singaporeans - rather than just the gross domestic product - and doing away with their pensions.

Mr Teo, who was replying to Mr Edwin Tong (Moulmein-Kallang GRC), said that since 2011, "the formula has remained stable and has worked well". "The Committee (to Review Ministerial Salaries) recommended that the salary framework be reviewed every five years. Given that things have been stable, we believe the framework remains valid, and we can continue to adjust salaries within this framework should there be a change in overall salary levels in the coming years."

Population on track for slower growth
There were 33,000 citizen births last year, up from 31,000 in 2013
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

SINGAPORE has maintained a calibrated approach to immigration, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu said yesterday.

Last year, 20,348 people were granted Singapore citizenship, and 29,854 became Permanent Residents (PRs), with the PR population remaining stable at 0.53 million, she added, giving an update on the latest population figures during the debate on the Prime Minister's Office budget.

There were also 33,000 citizen births, up from 31,000 in 2013; the birth rate rose to 1.25 from 1.19 the year before; and there were 24,000 marriages involving at least one citizen, the highest since 1997.

"Overall, our immigrants help to prevent our citizen population from shrinking," Ms Fu said.

The country's overall population growth rate of 1.3 per cent last year was the slowest in a decade, in line with proposals in the 2013 Population White Paper.

"We remain on track for slower and more sustainable population growth," said Ms Fu.

MPs Jessica Tan (East Coast GRC) and Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) spoke about the need for a sustainable population with a strong Singaporean core.

Ms Fu said last year's low population growth rate was the result of measures taken to moderate foreign workforce growth.

Supporting marriage and parenthood remains a priority. But the country also had to stay open to foreigners, as they plug gaps, offer ideas to kickstart new sectors, and bring skills that enrich the workforce, she added.

"The result is a more flexible and competitive workforce which is responsive to the shifting global business environment," she said.

Several MPs, including Mr Yeo Guat Kwang (Ang Mo Kio GRC) and Ms Ellen Lee (Sembawang GRC), wanted to know how Singapore could remain cohesive as the population becomes more diverse.

Ms Fu said newcomers had to "adapt to and respect our way of life". But Singaporeans had to play a role in reaching out to them too. "There are signs that we are making progress," she added.

Mr Faisal Manap (Aljunied GRC) asked how the Government plans to attract Malay talents to maintain the balance between the main races. Ms Fu said Singapore will continue to welcome immigrants of all ethnicities, including Malays, willing to contribute.

She added that integration efforts between citizens and newcomers will also be strengthened.

"We will continue to grow and strengthen the Singaporean core in the workforce," she said, adding that overseas Singaporeans are also part of this core. "We keep in touch with them, so that they maintain ties back home, and remain committed to Singapore's shared future."

Political exiles must meet terms to return
By Chong Zi Liang, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

THOSE who are in self-imposed exile overseas and wish to return to Singapore can do so, but have to meet certain conditions, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu told Parliament.

"For example, those who were involved, associated, with the violent Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) would have to sever ties with the CPM, renounce violence and be interviewed by the security agencies," she said.

"These conditions are not new or unreasonably onerous," Ms Fu added, noting that many former CPM members had accepted them and gone on to resettle in Singapore with their families.

Non-Constituency MP Lina Chiam said barriers should be lifted "to allow Singaporeans who have been away for more than 30 years, including political exiles and their families, to return home despite their different ideological positions".

"Their feelings for Singapore are intense and heartfelt, albeit ambivalent", even after a long time away, she said.

"This is also a way of bringing back talents to serve the country."

Replying, Ms Fu said some of those abroad had outstanding offences that they have to resolve: "They cannot be expected to be placed above the law."

Scaling up technology to take S'pore global
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

SINGAPORE'S smart nation vision will use technologies pioneered in other cities - but on an unprecedented, national scale.

This will make the country an "ideal test site" to push forward those technologies and become a global player, just as it did with water purification, said Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister-in-charge of the smart nation programme.

He told Workers' Party MP Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC), who sought an update on the smart nation initiative, that technologies like driverless cars were already in place in cities like San Francisco.

"But we can be the first nation where, because we are a single level of Government, because we can digitise literally every square metre of Singapore, because we can make every lamp-post an active, smart geo-tag pillar - we can do things on a scale... which is not so easily duplicated elsewhere."

Singapore will not become Silicon Valley, where ideas for new technologies spring up continually, "but we will be the ideal test site, a site to test your prototypes (and get) proof of concept".

"It's like what we did with water. We didn't invent reverse osmosis, but we upscaled it, we nationalised it and today Singaporean water companies have opportunities all over the world."

He urged Singaporeans to not just be consumers of technology, but creators: "We don't want our students to be addicted to games, we want our students to create those games that other people become addicted to."

The smart nation programme's priority is to create more opportunities and prepare Singaporeans for changes, he said. Singaporeans "cannot be Luddites rejecting technology advances". "We have to embrace it, we have to be at the forefront of this change," he said.

Credit cap: More time to fix debts
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

HEAVILY indebted individuals will get more time and help to get their debts under control before their credit is cut off under a new borrowing cap, Culture, Community and Youth Minister Lawrence Wong said yesterday. From June, borrowers cannot take on unsecured debt more than 12 months their income. But individuals over this limit will have more time to "manage their debt downwards" before their credit is cut off, said Mr Wong, a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) board member.

MAS has granted banks flexibility not to suspend credit for such individuals - who have until June 2019 to fix their situations. It is also reviewing the timeline for banks to implement the new borrowing cap. The results of this review will be announced in April, after MAS gets full data on the number of borrowers who will be affected by the new cap. It estimates that 4 to 5 per cent of borrowers are in this group. But the Credit Bureau will provide it with full data by the end of this month.

Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) had expressed concern that the June deadline would hit some indebted individuals too hard.

Mr Wong said borrowing limits did not apply to loans for medical, education or business purposes and that the "vast majority" of borrowers were unaffected by the new cap. He also reminded borrowers to update their income records with their banks to avoid any disruption to their credit limits.

Creating a more welcoming home for all Singaporeans
By Fiona Chan, Deputy Political Editor, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

HOW to persuade overseas Singaporeans to return was an issue raised yesterday by a number of MPs, such as Ms Jessica Tan (East Coast GRC), Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) and Non-Constituency MP Lina Chiam.

During the debate on the budget of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), which oversees the National Population and Talent Division, they talked about strengthening the Singapore core, including getting Singaporeans who ventured abroad to eventually come home.

This is not a new goal. But in the light of Singapore's ageing - and eventually shrinking - citizen population and workforce, it has become more pressing than ever.

In Parliament on Monday, Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin projected a sharp slowdown in local workforce growth, from 95,000 new workers last year to just 20,000 a year in 2019.

Bringing back even some of the 212,000 Singaporeans overseas, as of June last year - up from 207,000 in 2013 - is likely to make a tangible difference.

How, then, to accomplish this?

This is also not a new question. But this year, the Government's response is stronger than ever, going by what it detailed during the Committee of Supply (COS) debates in Parliament yesterday and last week.

For those who see Singapore as too expensive to live in, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said during the debate on his ministry's budget yesterday that falling home prices - engineered by government policies - have brought housing affordability back to 2009 levels.

At their peak in 2013, HDB resale flat prices were 49 per cent higher than 2009 levels.

But they are now just 37 per cent higher than in 2009, while median household incomes have risen a comparable 38 per cent in that time.

While homes are still less affordable than in 2005, at least prices and incomes are going in the right direction, for now.

There is also comfort for those who worry there are not enough jobs and opportunities for them in Singapore, or who are turned off by the infamous paper chase here.

The tight labour market is likely to result in continued strong hiring across most sectors. This is a far cry from many developed countries, where wages are stagnating and unemployment is high, Mr Tan said on Monday.

Minister in the PMO Grace Fu also assured overseas Singaporeans yesterday that they will be in demand here because of their "skill sets and global outlook".

And more is being done to level the playing field between the academically inclined and the less so, to make Singapore more inclusive and less obsessed with grades.

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the civil service will hire non-graduates on the same scheme that most graduates come under.

All officers in the same grade, regardless of whether they have degrees, will also be assessed in the same way.

These moves are likely to go some way towards making Singapore a more attractive home to live and work in - but only if they result in real, permanent changes.

Housing cycles need to be actively smoothened not just for a few years but over a longer period to ensure better price stability and affordability in the long term.

Equal opportunities also mean more than placing everyone on a single pay scale and leaving them to fight out it against colleagues who may have had a stronger head start.

Appraisal criteria must be reassessed to ensure they are transparent and fair, and focus on measurable job performance indicators.

Finally, to signal that Singapore is truly becoming more inclusive and compassionate, perhaps what is needed is a sea change in one symbolic area, such as putting single mothers on the same level as married ones.

Nominated MP Kuik Shiao Yin yesterday said that the Baby Bonus and Child Development Account, which unmarried mothers do not qualify for, can add up to $12,000 worth of benefits.

A move to give all mothers the same treatment may persuade Singaporeans living in countries they see as more tolerant and sympathetic to return home.

Committee of Supply Debate: Parliament

Two views on scrutiny of new laws in the House
By Tham Yuen-C, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

MORE Bills should be sent before a Select Committee, to raise awareness and support for legislation, Workers' Party MP Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC) said.

He said it is Parliament's responsibility to scrutinise Bills through such committees, made up of MPs who can solicit public feedback, call witnesses, hold hearings and suggest changes.

But the Leader of the House, Dr Ng Eng Hen, said various Bills had been sent before such committees over the years, when further scrutiny was deemed "necessary and beneficial".

He added that there were other Parliamentary processes through which Bills can be scrutinised.

After Bills are debated, Parliament will move to become a Committee of the Whole Parliament for MPs to go through the Bills line by line and propose changes.

But Bills may also be referred to specially convened Select Committees for extra scrutiny. The last time this was done was in 2004, with the Building Maintenance and Management Bill.

Mr Singh said referring Bills to such committees adds "much-needed civility to public discourse" and allows the Government to "deepen discussions and generate greater public support for laws".

His party's MPs and Non-Constituency MP Lina Chiam had called for two Bills to be committed to a Select Committee last year, he said.

But both times they were rejected, he added, as feedback garnered through the Government's feedback channel, Reach, was "deemed to have been sufficient".

But Dr Ng said the Government refers Bills to such committees to "further examine the details of implementation for complex issues or seek views from experts and other focus groups on matters related to the Bill".

He cited nine of the instances it has done so, such as with the Parliamentary Elections Amendment Bill in 1988 and the Advance Medical Directive Bill in 1996.

But he added that there are other ways to scrutinise Bills and improve on legislation, such as through public consultation exercises before Bills are introduced.

He pointed out that many Bills have gone through such "extensive public consultation", most recently this year's Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Bill.

Committee of Supply Debate: Ministry of Law

Why 8 British law schools were dropped
Aim is to ensure talent pipeline, not control number of lawyers: Indranee
By Amelia Teng, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

THE recent cut to the number of British law schools where Singaporeans can study for admission to the Bar here is not meant to control the number of lawyers and "beat market forces".

Instead, the aim is to ensure "a sufficient pipeline of quality legal talent" to support Singapore's legal needs, Ms Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Law, told Parliament yesterday.

Mr Hri Kumar Nair (Bishan- Toa Payoh GRC) and Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang GRC), both lawyers, expressed contrasting views on the issue.

Mr Vikram Nair argued for more regulation for those going overseas to study law, to save them the heartache of returning only to find that they cannot practise as a lawyer.

He believes the spurt began in 2011, when data on top earners in each profession was published. Lawyers being near the top of the list "might have sent a signal to prospective students that this might be a path to quick riches".

Official figures show the number of Singapore students reading law in Britain climbed from 350 in 2008 to 1,142 in 2013. This has led to more competition for a six-month practice training contract at a local law firm - a must to qualify as a lawyer.

Last year, nearly 650 graduates competed for about 490 contracts. While 94 per cent of local graduates landed one, the figure was just 70 per cent among graduates who studied abroad.

But Mr Hri Kumar Nair believes having a list of approved universities abroad is "inflexible, subjective and can be arbitrary".

The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) two weeks ago dropped eight British law schools, leaving 11 on the approved list. The changes, which affect next year's intake, came after a Singapore Institute of Legal Education (Sile) review. The next review is in five years' time.

"I believe everyone who wants to practise law or any other discipline should be entitled to try, provided they meet the minimum standards to practise in Singapore and are prepared to compete in the market for work," said Mr Hri Kumar Nair, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law. He urged MinLaw not to change admission rules "so regularly", and suggested that quality can be maintained through the way the Bar exam is set.

Ms Indranee said MinLaw will discuss this with Sile and the Law Society, noting: "The number of available training contracts and retention of trainees are determined by the law firms, not the Government. It depends on their manpower needs, which in turn are determined by market forces."

She also said there are insufficient criminal and family law lawyers, a shortage "unlikely to be addressed by the current supply of law graduates, as many of them aspire to practise commercial... law". Community law-focused UniSim Law School (ULS), which will first take in 50 to 75 students a year, is a "targeted measure" to address this problem. She said the ULS steering committee is finalising its report and more details will be revealed later.

FOR AND AGAINST: Two MPs give their views on restricting the number of overseas universities where Singapore students, who want to practise law here, can study

I have long been against such rules, and their constant changes. They mess with people's plans and they mess with their minds. Picking the right universities in the way we do, I think, is inflexible, subjective and can be arbitrary. I believe everyone who wants to practise law or any other discipline should be entitled to try, provided they meet the minimum standards to practise in Singapore and are prepared to compete in the market for work. That principle currently applies to any graduate of any trade or profession, and law should not be any different.

- Mr Hri Kumar Nair (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC), a lawyer with Drew & Napier

Personally, I am in favour of more regulation. The process to qualify as a lawyer is relatively long, requiring study, practical training and, finally, traineeship. If a person starts embarking on this journey at the age of 18 to 21, in the expectation that they would one day become lawyers, they may feel they have wasted their time if, at the very end, they are unable to get training contracts and jobs. It might be kinder to restrict the numbers earlier so that prospective students do not unnecessarily embark on a journey they cannot complete. This is especially so if the families have incurred significant costs and debts to send their children abroad in the hope they would be able to pay it back once qualifying.

- Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang GRC), a lawyer with Rajah & Tann

More people to qualify for free legal aid
By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

MORE accused persons will very soon be able to apply for free legal representation - part of a raft of measures to ensure that the common man continues to have access to justice.

The enhanced Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS), which will be rolled out on March 23, will include a revised means test which will allow more deserving persons to qualify for help. This was revealed by Law Minister K. Shanmugam yesterday in Parliament.

To raise awareness of the scheme, the Law Society will produce a "pamphlet of rights" which will be available at police posts and community clubs, he said.

The pamphlet, which will be ready by next month, will provide "guidance to any member of the public asked to assist in an investigation... and includes information on arrest, search and prosecution as well as legal aid", a Law Society spokesman told The Straits Times.

The enhanced CLAS scheme will benefit up to 6,000 people every year, an increase from the current 400. Besides full legal representation, CLAS will render basic legal advice and help in writing legal letters, including for mitigation pleas, Mr Shanmugam said.

Part of the funding will come from the Government, signifying a "significant" shift, he said.

Previously, the Government's stance had been that funding criminal legal aid would result in the state using public funds to both prosecute and defend the same accused individuals. Mr Shanmugam had said in 2013 that the shift is geared at becoming a more inclusive and compassionate society.

Yesterday, Mr Hri Kumar Nair (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) said the right balance was needed when configuring the pro-bono ecosystem, so it would not affect the market for small law firms.

Mr Shanmugam replied that the changes should not affect these firms, but added that the Government would monitor the situation. MinLaw will also continue to refine the family justice system, he said.

Last year, the Family Justice Act was passed and the Family Justice Courts set up with the key aims of making the system more streamlined, cheaper, better able to look out for the interests of children, and of ensuring that the court process does not end up tearing families further apart.

As part of the current review, which will be completed by next year, the Government is studying family law-related legislation such as the claim an illegitimate child has to a share of the deceased parent's estate.

It will also look at strengthening the enforcement of maintenance orders. "This will help those who depend on maintenance payments to raise their children after divorce," said Mr Shanmugam.

Ms Ellen Lee (Sembawang GRC) said that for many family lawyers, the changes of the family law system were of a "seismic proportion". She said family lawyers, who were used to "being adversarial on behalf of their clients", now have to take on the role of conflict managers and problem solvers.

Mr Shanmugam said courses, talks and training sessions will be organised to get family lawyers up to speed.

He also spoke about the push to develop Singapore into an international hub for dispute resolution. He said the setting up of the Singapore International Commercial Court and Singapore International Mediation Centre, for instance, will provide local lawyers and firms more work. He added that his ministry would continue to help local practices tap regional opportunities.

Some licensed moneylenders as bad as loan sharks
By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

THE tactics licensed moneylenders use to harass debtors are sometimes no different from that employed by loan sharks, said Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten) yesterday in Parliament.

Quoting the example of a resident whose son had borrowed heavily from a licensed moneylender, he said: "After his son ran away from home, my resident was left to face the wrath of the debt collector engaged by the licensed moneylender."

He pointed out how debt collectors would humiliate residents into paying, harassing them at odd hours of the night.

"We can do more to protect our consumers from illegal harassing tactics of debt collectors," said Mr Lim, who argued for more regulation of the industry.

Responding to Mr Lim's queries, Senior Minister of State for Law Indranee Rajah said debt collectors cannot contravene the law.

She noted that for harassing tactics, the new Protection from Harassment Act provided civil and criminal remedies for harassed individuals.

At least four anti-harassment orders have been issued against debt collectors since the Act came into force last November, said Ms Indranee.

"Borrowers who encounter criminal behaviour from licensed moneylenders or their debt collectors should report the matter to the police or the Registry of Moneylenders," she said.

Ms Indranee said that the Government is considering imposing caps on interest rates, late fees and other charges, and is also looking to set up a moneylenders credit bureau so those in the industry can run credit checks on potential borrowers.

The report from an advisory committee on moneylending, which was set up last June, had examined these issues and would make its recommendations soon, she said.

"Licensed moneylending removes the need to borrow from loan sharks, but we also need to regulate the industry strictly and carefully, to protect the vulnerable borrowers," she said.

Committee of Supply Debate: Ministry of Communications and Information

Govt stake in telco network 'for security'
Yaacob says it also ensures resilient bandwidth in smart nation push
By Irene Tham, Technology Correspondent, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

THE Government's ownership of key parts of a telco network is crucial to ensuring greater resilience and security, especially in Singapore's push to be a smart nation, said Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, he said it is common for some components of a public-sector system to be partly owned by the Government and partly provided by the private sector.

He was addressing concerns raised during the debate over his ministry's spending plans for the coming financial year.

Non-Constituency MP Gerald Giam had asked if the Government really needed to incur the cost of owning key parts of such a network, and if smart nation applications can be built on existing telco infrastructure.

Said Dr Yaacob: "I am sure that members will agree that they will prefer the data in the Smart Nation Platform to be stored in servers owned by the Government, rather than stored in private company servers." Also, if Singapore's smart nation drive involves executing a host of public functions from security to health care, it is important, especially in a crisis, that the bandwidth to support such data transfers is resilient, he said. "These factors mean that it is not prudent for the underlying infrastructure to be completely outsourced," he said.

Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang GRC) had also raised concerns about poor 3G mobile coverage indoors even though more advanced 4G services have already been rolled out extensively.

Responding to this, Dr Yaacob said the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) tests the indoor coverage of a sample of buildings every month, and had in April 2013 significantly enhanced the in-building standard.

The regulator requires at least 85 per cent 3G mobile coverage on all floors in buildings, including carparks on basement one. Previously, the requirement applied only to ground-floor public spaces.

"To date, all three mobile operators have met the in-building standard," he said, adding that the ministry would continue to review the framework.

Responding to a request from Workers' Party MP Png Eng Huat (Hougang) for more to be done to make telcos more accountable for wrongful billing, Dr Yaacob said telcos have already been made to account for this under existing regulations. Telcos are required to take steps to authenticate a user and seek explicit purchase confirmation before activating premium services, such as those from third-party mobile content providers that peddle ringtones and games, he noted. These premium services are often responsible for wrongful billing complaints.

Dr Yaacob said IDA requires unsolicited charges to be refunded to consumers, or it may take offending service providers to task. On cyber security, he said the new Cyber Security Agency (CSA), to be set up next month, is the answer to safeguarding Singapore from large-scale breaches. He was responding to queries from Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang GRC) on Singapore's readiness in tackling increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. WP chief Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied GRC) had also asked for CSA implementation details.

CSA will coordinate public and private-sector efforts to protect national systems, such as those in the energy and banking sectors. It will work closely with agencies, including the National Security Coordination Secretariat, to mitigate growing cyber threats, Dr Yaacob said.

CSA will also work with the National Research Foundation (NRF) on cyber security research. Seven projects have received total funding of $42 million so far from NRF's $130 million research grant, announced in 2013, to focus on cyber forensic techniques and resilient systems, among other things.

MDA sets up Creators' Space for makers of online videos
By Lester Hio, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

LOCAL creative types looking to make and distribute innovative videos online via channels such as YouTube are to get a helping hand from a government agency.

The Media Development Authority (MDA) is setting up a Creators' Space where online video content creators can come together in a shared facility to collaborate with leading industry players, said Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim in Parliament yesterday.

Disney's Maker Studios - a multi-channel network on YouTube for online videos - has come on board as the initiative's first partner to aid in the development of local talent.

Maker works with an extensive network of third-party content creators who post videos on their own channels online. It manages more than 55,000 YouTube channels.

The initiative is part of the Government's plans to strengthen the media industry's capabilities in the light of changing media consumption trends from the television screen to Internet videos on handheld devices.

"MDA will work with industry partners to organise masterclasses and workshops to hone creators' skills to produce content and better engage audiences on digital platforms," said Dr Yaacob.

He said MDA is also looking at ways to boost the local film industry. It will work together with the Singapore Film Commission to further develop and promote local talent through the setting up of the Singapore Film Lab.

The lab will be an annual mentorship programme where industry veterans and practitioners from the region guide local film- makers in areas such as scriptwriting, character development and directing.

Television is another area of focus, said Dr Yaacob. He noted that more local television companies are working together with international broadcasters to produce content.

MDA plans to foster such future partnerships and make Singapore media companies the partners of choice for such international collaborations.

Bigger libraries in heartland
By Lester Hio, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

BOOK lovers can look forward to bigger and brighter public libraries in the heartland.

A new library will be built in Punggol, as the authorities continue their push to bring books closer to the housing estates.

"Some libraries that are exceptionally popular will be expanded. This is necessary as library visitors are expected to grow and more space is needed," said Minister of State for Communications and Information Sim Ann yesterday in Parliament.

"Many libraries are also due for refurbishment after being opened for a decade or more."

For example, the Pasir Ris library at White Sands mall will be expanded and refurbished by November.

As teenagers are frequent visitors there, a dedicated space will be set up for them to study and relax.

Similarly, the Bukit Panjang library will be expanded. Works are expected to start next year.

In Tampines, the library will be relocated to the upcoming Tampines Town Hub, integrating it with a culinary studio to help combine learning through reading and culinary practice.

The Bedok library will also be moved to the town centre's integrated complex.

A third Infocomm Development Authority Lab will be opened at the Jurong library later this year. These labs allow users to play and tinker with gadgets such as 3D printers.

"Innovation or technology talks would be organised for the general public, and hands-on workshops will cater to students and families," said Ms Sim, adding that 24 million visits were made to libraries last year, with over 34 million loans made.

Funding boost for public service broadcasts
By Irene Tham, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

MORE government funding is being earmarked for public service broadcasts (PSBs), including new allocations for content on online and mobile platforms.

Total annual funding will increase by 28 per cent to $250 million over the next five years (2015-2019), Second Minister for Communications and Information Lawrence Wong announced in Parliament yesterday.

The objective is to strengthen the quality of PSB programmes, which aim to promote national values and celebrate Singapore's identity, culture and heritage. These programmes are primarily aired on national broadcaster MediaCorp's free-to-air TV and radio channels.

Singapore's current budget for local productions "pales in comparison with international production", said Mr Wong.

From 2012 to last year, the Media Development Authority dished out $195 million per year to fund PSB production, with the bulk going to MediaCorp.

In comparison, South Korean dramas typically cost three times as much to produce, and American TV programmes, six times more.

"Good, compelling programmes need heavy investments in writing, editing, casting, came-rawork, as well as innovative concepts and treatments," Mr Wong noted.

There is also a need to reach out to new audiences, especially the younger ones, via new media outlets as they are not tuning in to the TV as much.

He said the reach of free-to-air TV in Singapore has fallen sharply from 92 per cent in 2005 to 66 per cent last year, while the Internet's penetration has increased from 43 per cent to 73 per cent over the same period.

This is why part of the increased funding will go towards extending the reach of PSB programmes to online and mobile devices, including enhancing existing platforms such as MediaCorp's video- on-demand and live TV service Toggle.

The increased spending is part of continuous efforts to raise the quality of PSB programmes. For instance, in 2013, pay-TV operator StarHub became the second commissioning platform, and the only other alternative to MediaCorp, for PSB content.

Last year, StarHub commissioned 150 hours of local PSB programmes for its E-City and SuperSports Arena channels.

Its first programme Body Reboot - an inspirational makeover TV show - made its debut on its SuperSports Arena channel in February.

Mr Wong said the scheme will open up production opportunities to more media companies, including smaller production houses and freelancers.

Multi-platform communication for PGP
By Walter Sim, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

FROM dialect operas on television to advertisements at hawker centres, the Government has taken a multi-platform approach to help Singaporeans understand the Pioneer Generation Package (PGP).

And its efforts paid off, Second Minister for Communications and Information Lawrence Wong said yesterday as he noted that nine in 10 Singaporeans are aware of the PGP and could cite some of its benefits.

"The process of communicating the PGP has given us several new insights," he said. "We learnt the importance of customising content to different audiences, especially in today's increasingly fragmented media landscape."

For the PGP of lifelong subsidies and Medisave top-ups for 450,000 Singaporeans born in 1949 or earlier, the Government allowed limited broadcasting using dialect on television to reach out to pioneers in languages they are familiar with.

Beyond mainstream channels, it also held four roadshows in heartland estates, with 12 more to be conducted in the coming months.

It also commissioned short films on YouTube to raise awareness of PGP among younger family members caring for the elderly.

Such a tailored approach will be extended to other policies, said Mr Wong. These include the Central Provident Fund, MediShield Life and SkillsFuture initiatives which, as Mr David Ong (Jurong GRC) pointed out when he spoke yesterday, "can be more complex and emotive" and so "will need a public communication boost".

Another key facet of government communications is translation, for which a new framework to procure services will be rolled out next month, Minister of State for Communications and Information Sim Ann said.

She was responding to MPs, including Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines GRC), who cited "glaring and humiliating mistranslations" in recent years. He added that "translation is not a job for amateurs, foreign service providers or translation software".

Replying, Ms Sim said with the framework, government agencies can better identify vendors who can produce quality translations that are clear and effective, and which also take into account local contexts and cultural nuances.

"(This) enables our fellow Singaporeans, especially those who are more used to communicating in languages other than English, to better understand policies."

National Archives releases documents as much as possible
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

NO COUNTRY will open its national archives completely for researchers and the public because of national security, defence and diplomatic concerns, Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim told Parliament yesterday.

These concerns are also taken into account every time the National Archives of Singapore (NAS) evaluates a request for archival material, he said. But he added that it is the Government's goal to release documents as much as possible, and for those that are non-sensitive, "we will release them online".

He was replying to Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied GRC), who had asked whether documents in the archives can be made more accessible. Dr Yaacob noted that many non-sensitive documents, from maps to oral history recordings, are easily available, with archival material tapped for more than 80 public service broadcast programmes, and more than 100 exhibitions and 120 books last year. NAS received about 60 requests last year to view old government files. In most cases, it agreed, he said.

Government records are deemed part of the public archives after 25 years. NAS is the custodian of such public records. Requests for archival material are usually made by researchers for projects like writing books, Dr Yaacob said, citing historian Loh Kah Seng's 2013 book on the Bukit Ho Swee fire in 1961, and last year's biography of Tan Siak Kew, who founded the then-Nanyang University in 1956.

Mr Low suggested the Government introduce an information declassification system that would automatically declassify documents marked "restricted" or "confidential" after 25 years, with material marked "secret" still having to be requested for and needing the approval of the relevant minister.

Dr Yaacob said archives across the world, including the United States, are governed by national security and defence concerns. Even if there was a freedom of information Act, "let us not pretend... everything can be released, because there are concerns which every nation has to preserve", he said.

Help to 'tag' a piece of Singapore's history
Treasure trove of photos, documents waiting to be archived for online portal
By Irene Tham, Technology Correspondent, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2015

WANTED: History enthusiasts to caption old photographs and transcribe handwritten manuscripts with a piece of Singapore history.

These historical treasures, from the collections of the Government and individuals, are waiting to be "tagged" on the portal The Citizen Archivist Project at www.nas.gov.sg/citizenarchivist.

The portal will be launched this weekend, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information, told Parliament yesterday during the debate on his ministry's budget.

Without tagging - such as by photo captioning and digital transcription - they will not appear during an online search.

What is on the portal is just part of more than 140,000 photos and about one million pages of Straits Settlements records that cannot be searched today.

Also, it is an initiative young people would enjoy, he said, in replying to Mr Arthur Fong (West Coast GRC) who had asked how the Government could get youth interested in Singapore's history.

Mr Chin hopes to find, for instance, the actual written regulations for five-foot-ways. These are the footpaths linking rows of shophouses, much like the common corridors in HDB blocks.

Transcript contributions work in the same way they do on Wikipedia; the text is uploaded immediately on the portal.

The National Archives, however, will take up to three days to review photo caption contributions. Approved captions will be uploaded on its website,www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline.

In his speech, Dr Yaacob also said the National Archives building on Canning Rise will be renovated from this year.

The building in Upper Bukit Timah will re-open in early 2017 to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the fall of Singapore.

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