Up the game as tourist numbers fall

May 1, 2015, 1:34 am

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Tourist arrivals dropped last year, for the first time in six years. Singapore is set for slower growth in tourist numbers and will have to aim for delivering a quality tourist experience, not quantity.
By Jessica Lim, Consumer Correspondent, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015

FROM across Marina Bay, the iconic Marina Bay Sands integrated resort frames Gardens by the Bay's two glass domes perfectly - a sight that tourists now associate Singapore with.

Such attractions have pushed tourism here to record growth in the last decade. Visitor arrivals surged from 8.3 million in 2004 to 15.1 million last year - growth at a compounded annual rate of 6 per cent. The amount that tourists spent here surged a corresponding 9 per cent in the same period.

But such unprecedented expansion can no longer be matched: The age of slow growth is here.

In 2013, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said it expected visitor arrivals to grow between 3 per cent and 4 per cent, and tourism receipts between 4 per cent and 6 per cent year on year for the next decade - a forecast that still stands.

Even meeting such low growth figures will be an uphill task.

Last year, the number of tourists coming here fell from 15.6 million in 2013 to 15.1 million - the first fall since 2009. Tourist spending remained flat.

This year is not looking much better. Visitor arrivals, the STB predicted, will grow by only between zero and 3 per cent, despite a $20 million campaign in the second half of the year to draw visitors here during the nation's Golden Jubilee.

Regional competition

CHALKING up 3 per cent to 4 per cent growth in tourist arrivals is going to be tough.

For one thing, there is intense regional competition for tourists.

Incheon Airport is planning a project benchmarked against Resorts World Sentosa here. It aims to lure Chinese tourists with a new casino, hotels and shopping centre. Two other integrated resorts there have already been approved. These new attractions will likely propel South Korea's visitor arrivals - 14 million last year - to a much higher level.

In Taiwan, the growth of its nascent tourism industry - with nine million arrivals last year - is startling. Arrivals and spending have jumped more than 20 per cent year on year in recent years.

Mr Michael Chiam, a tourism lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic who has done research on tourism in Taiwan, said that the region is famous for its specialised tours, such as cycling, spa, eco-tourism and gourmet food tours.

The government there takes a hands-on approach, giving each county office funds to develop tourist programmes, such as bamboo handicraft classes in villages. It then packages them for travel agencies to simply tack on to their tour packages.

Dubai also plans to increase annual visitors to 20 million by the end of the decade, when it will host the World Expo 2020. A MasterCard survey indicates it will leapfrog Singapore in the number of international visitors by next year. Dubai's Mall of the World is also set for completion by 2020.

In Shanghai, Universal Studios is scheduled to open next year; and the world's tallest twin towers are set to open in 2018 in Wuhan, China, featuring floating restaurants in globes.

In contrast, the World Travel and Tourism Council ranked Singapore 142nd out of 184 when it comes to long-term growth until 2024.

Manpower constraints

THE current labour crunch also places constraints on tourism growth. Tourism, a service industry, is very labour-intensive. Many hotels and restaurants are already under-manned.

Job vacancies in the accommodation and food service sector rose from 5,010 as at Sept 30, 2011, to 7,740 as at Sept 30 last year. Most vacancies had been open for at least six months.

Mr Kevin Bossino, area manager of hotel operator Accor Singapore, said the manpower shortage "puts a real strain on operations".

"It gets harder to provide the quality service that we aspire to. We are deemed to be an expensive city and service levels need to be on a par with what people are paying," he said.

The situation is set to worsen.

In Parliament in March, Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin warned that the labour market would tighten further, with local employment growth set to slow dramatically in the next few years, dropping from a base of 95,000 last year to around 20,000 per annum in the last part of this decade.

The industry, which benefited from a tourism workforce growing 5.5 per cent year on year in the boom years, is unlikely to have that luxury going forward - a challenge that many competing nations, with their large supplies of low-cost workers, do not face.

Physical constraints

Then, there are the physical constraints.

To bump up visitor arrivals substantially, said tourism experts, Singapore could take a leaf from Las Vegas' book and keep building new attractions.

In the American resort city, the integrated resorts aggregated casino gaming, hotels, convention, retail, entertainment and food offerings. As each was added, the cluster effect - of additional attractions creating even more demand - grew exponentially.

The number of visitors to Las Vegas in 1990 was 21 million. Last year, it welcomed 41 million - most of them repeat visitors - according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

"To some extent, we have already done that here with attractions," said CBRE Hotels Asia-Pacific executive director Robert McIntosh. "But it is not easy to keep creating attractions on the scale of what has been done before. It also involves massive expenditure."

The Government, for instance, shells out some $90 million on average every year to co-fund the Formula One car race.

"We have reached a plateau with growing tourist arrivals... What additional attractions can we create here?" asked Mr McIntosh, adding that hotels here are running at close to full occupancy levels for most of the year. "There is often just no more room."

No doubt, introducing another mega attraction would bump up Singapore's visitorship, but playing that game would also put the Republic at the losing end - it faces the fundamental challenge of limited land resources and will be unable to compete in terms of scale and quantity with other countries in the region.

Quality, not quantity

DESPITE this gloomy prediction for the next decade, there are bright spots for growth.

Experts point to one solution: Focus on quality experiences to encourage tourists to spend more.

"We already have all the infrastructure, all we have to do is to create buzz with new programmes and events," said Mr Chiam. "It's not a bad position to be in."

Raw arrivals, said Fircroft's head of Asia-Pacific, Mr Dhirendra Shantilal, who used to help organise Mice (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) events here, are just one factor.

"What's key is how much time these visitors are in the country for and how much they are spending," he said. "As a destination, we must give tourists reasons to linger, to spend more."

"Look at the Orchard Road pedestrian night experience, this is an example of a local offering peppered with the Singapore flavour," he pointed out, adding that service levels can be raised. "We need to define what is truly unique about the Singapore experience and embed this firmly in the world's popular imagination."

So, how exactly can Singapore do this?

The industry, which has been resting on its laurels after the stellar tourism growth period, must evolve and offer more unique events and products.

Some of the big players have done just that. Despite its popularity, Universal Studios Singapore has not taken its foot off the pedal. The theme park, which drew 5.2 per cent more visitors last year than in 2013, launched Puss In Boots' Giant Journey, the world's first roller coaster based on the popular Puss In Boots franchise. It also beefed up the line-up for its Halloween Horror Nights and Christmas celebrations this year.

In July, Singapore's Restaurant Month will be launched, where 50 restaurateurs will feature a new dish made of local produce.

Smaller players too need to get on board to offer a quality experience.

Mr Edwin Low, who owns a souvenir store at the Singapore Art Museum, came up with his own designs in 2013 when he realised there was a lack of "truly Singaporean" souvenirs.

All one could find were Merlion keychains and tacky T-shirts imported from China, said the founder of lifestyle store Supermama.

His products include miniature red plastic chairs that used to be a common sight in hawker centres, and porcelain plates inked with the ubiquitous Singapore image of a block of flats. His first batch of items was sold out in six months.

"In Singapore, many businesses just go for what earns them the widest profit margin," said Mr Low. "But when you make an item or create an event, think about how you want to represent Singapore culture.

"Every country is unique, every tourist wants to truly experience it and hear stories. We just have to show them what's here."

Mr Kevin Cheong, chairman of the Association of Singapore Attractions, said that most of its members are starting to realise the need to innovate.

"Last time, a tourist attraction would undergo renovations or relook its events calendar every five years. Now, they know they have to keep rethinking their product a few times a year," he said.

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Vietnamese city transforming itself into 'Singapore'

May 1, 2015, 2:36 am

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Danang boasts a transparent, efficient govt and business-friendly policies
The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015

HANOI - Mr Chuck Palazzo was 18 when he took his first trip outside New York City. He went to Danang, Vietnam, courtesy of the US Marines.

Forty-five years later, Mr Palazzo is back, as a tech entrepreneur contributing to the planned construction of one of South-east Asia's most modern cities.

"It is ambitious," said Mr Palazzo. "They are welcoming of foreigners. In terms of process and getting things done, Danang is by far much more friendly to businesses than Ho Chi Minh City."

In Danang, you might be forgiven for wondering how the war ended. Tourists sun themselves on the white sand in front of the Hyatt Regency resort, a few blocks from the Greg Norman-designed Danang Golf Club. Outside a supermarket which sells French baguettes and bottles of Bordeaux wine, traffic directed by IBM software flows towards the airport and the Coca-Cola factory.

Decades after the city revolved around the US military airbases, Danang is recasting itself as the Singapore of Vietnam, touting a transparent and efficient government. A building boom has transformed the landscape into a budding metropolis, ranked at or near the top of the Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index for good governance and business-friendly policies since 2007.

The city government spent US$4.5 billion (S$5.9 billion) on infrastructure projects in the past five years, a surge from US$1.7 billion in the previous five years, according to Danang's statistics office.

About US$60 million went into a new airport terminal, US$88 million on the striking, sail-shaped city hall and US$93 million on a three-level overpass.

Unlike the larger Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which have much older infrastructure, Danang has the advantage of starting afresh, said Mr Tan Jee Toon, IBM's Hanoi-based Vietnam general director. "The government is very forward-looking."

The city's masterplan calls for its population to double to two million by 2020, said Mr Huynh Lien Phuong, vice-director of the Danang Investment Promotion Centre. But the government is not interested in growth at any price.

"Danang doesn't blindly compete to attract everything," said Dr Edmund Malesky, an associate professor of political economy at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

The city has turned away projects, such as a textile dye plant and a shipbuilding operation, said Mr Huynh Van Thanh, vice-director of Danang's Department of Planning and Investment.

Instead, Danang's future can be seen in the 1,130ha Danang High Tech Park, now under construction. The plans include housing for 10,000 tech workers, and international schools.

The man credited with building Danang's reputation for transparency is Mr Nguyen Ba Thanh. The controversial former chairman of the Danang People's Committee, who died in February, was often likened to Singapore's Mr Lee Kuan Yew who died a month later, said Dr Alexander Vuving, a security analyst at the Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies in Hawaii.

"He was committed to turning Danang into a modern city with an effective bureaucracy," Dr Vuving said.

BLOOMBERG

Shared ex-offenders' database for agencies

May 1, 2015, 2:37 am

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By Priscilla Goy, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015

EX-OFFENDERS will soon find it more convenient to get help from agencies that offer support for them.

With a common database, they will not have to repeat their personal details when they go to different agencies.

The database will consolidate data from eight agencies, including the Singapore Prison Service and Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE).

"This will enable (stakeholders) to work together and manage the aftercare arrangements for the individual ex-offender in a comprehensive manner," said Second Minister for Home Affairs Masagos Zulkifli yesterday at the workplan meeting of a network of agencies that help to rehabilitate ex-offenders.

The Offender Reintegration Management System will be ready in phases, starting from the end of the year, said Mr Masagos.

Welcoming the system, service providers said they can optimise the use of their resources when they know what other help the ex-offenders get.

"Sometimes the ex-offenders may tell you untruths and you may not know. But with such a system, we'll be able to see for ourselves if he is telling the truth," said Mr Patrick Ng, executive director of Industrial and Services Co-operative Society, which helps ex-offenders reintegrate into society.

The system could also prevent people from "shopping" for help at different agencies, he told The Straits Times.

Mr Steven Tham, assistant director for aftercare at the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association, said: "For example, another agency may be asking the ex-offender to go for job interviews, and then the ex-offender tells us he needs financial help.

"We wouldn't want to help those who go around to ask for money but don't want to work."

Knowing what help has been given also makes it easier for other agencies to follow up, he said.

Meanwhile, more people are volunteering to help reintegrate ex-offenders into society.

At the workplan seminar yesterday, the Community Action for the Rehabilitation of Ex-offenders  (CARE) Network, which turns 15 this year, said that it had 1,700 volunteers last year, up from 1,300 in 2010.

Singapore's relevance hinges on innovation: Heng Swee Keat

May 1, 2015, 6:40 am

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By Ong Kai Xuan, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015

EDUCATION Minister Heng Swee Keat has urged Singaporeans to continue innovating in order to remain relevant.

"The key is to not lose the ability to adapt and innovate. If not, we will become history," he said to the 200 Harvard Business School alumni and guests at Capella Singapore on Tuesday.

The comment came after DBS Group Holdings' head of consumer banking and wealth management, Ms Tan Su Shan, raised issues concerning Singapore's future. She said: "In the short term, we have to worry about resilience. In the long term, I'm concerned about relevance.

"As we grow, so will others... How do we stay relevant?"

While Mr Heng was less pessimistic about the country's future, he believes that "Singapore can continue to thrive and succeed only if we offer something unique and relevant".

The discussion, which took place at the launch of the Harvard Business School Club of Singapore, also covered education.

Mr Heng picked out three key shifts in this sector.

He said learning has to be for mastery instead of grades. He asked the audience - some of those present are responsible for recruitment in their organisation - if they looked at grades in recruitment. He said students will focus on studying if the labour market focuses on grades. "The shift that we need to make goes beyond the ministry... to the labour market," he said.

Next, he highlighted the importance of lifelong learning. He said concentrating our learning into the first part of our lives is "not a tenable proposition any more".

"We need to redesign education - that's why we started SkillsFuture," he said, referring to the government programme to upgrade the skills of workers.

His last point was that learning had to be for life and not for work. "We cannot compartmentalise learning," he said. He added that if learning were pursued only to increase productivity, it would be less effective as learning for an incentive would mean that once that incentive is removed, learning would stop as well.

Ms Tan agreed about the need for a shift in learning. "We need to open ourselves to potentially unorthodox methods of learning."

Harvard Business School grads to mentor students from 5 schools
Each pair of mentors will guide batches of six students of three polytechnics and two universities over six months
By Lee U-Wen, The Business Times, 29 Apr 2015

STUDENTS at five post-secondary institutions here will soon get the opportunity to be mentored by graduates of the prestigious Harvard Business School (HBS).

The mentorship programme, to be rolled out at the end of this year, was announced on Tuesday, at the launch of the HBS Club of Singapore.

This club was set up to serve the Boston-based business school's 800-plus alumni now living and working in Singapore, which has one of the largest HBS alumni communities in a single city anywhere in the world.

Speaking at a dinner at the Capella Hotel, the club's founding president Omar Lodhi announced that the mentorship programme would involve students from Nanyang Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic, the Singapore Institute of Technology and the Nanyang Technological University.

The plan is to have a ratio of two mentors to every six students, and for them to meet every month for a six-month period.

Some 30 HBS graduates have already signed up to be mentors, said Mr Lodhi.

The programme will cover various areas such as business ethics, innovation, how to develop a spirit of entrepreneurship and the importance of building self-awareness.

"We also hope that this mentorship scheme will set the stage for reverse mentoring, which would allow us, the at-times jaded alumni, to gain from the fresh insights of these young students," quipped Mr Lodhi.

Education Minister Heng Swee Keat hailed the programme as a "meaningful" way to give back to the local community, compared to other methods such as providing financial assistance.

The minister, a former managing director at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, is himself a Harvard alumnus, having obtained a masters degree in public administration from Harvard University back in 1993.

"All of you have a wealth of experience and expertise, you run businesses in various forms, you hold professional jobs of different types and have such a diverse range of skills," he told his 200-strong audience at the event.

"It is much more meaningful to mentor our students and teach them important life skills, rather than just give financial aid. This is a much more unique value proposition that does demand a lot more of you."

HBS Club of Singapore chairman Seah Kian Peng said the new club would help fulfil the school's ideals of service to one's community, country and region, as well as to advance the school's interests and welfare.

The club will also provide a platform to stimulate a discussion of regional business and social issues, both among the school's alumni and with business and government leaders.

Mr Seah, who is also the chief executive officer of NTUC FairPrice and Singapore's deputy speaker of parliament, urged all alumni, regardless of the organisation to which they belonged, to give back to society in different ways.

"We all have a duty to make the world a better place, wherever we are working. We should always do our part to be a part of the community and to help the less-privileged. Our most valuable asset is our members, and I urge all alumni to step forward and do your part," he said.

Industry committees to identify and boost key skills: DPM Tharman

May 1, 2015, 7:18 am

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Tripartism will go sector-specific to tailor programmes for workers
By Toh Yong Chuan, Manpower Correspondent And Amelia Tan, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015

THE three-way partnership between the Government, unions and employers will be replicated at the industry level to help drive the national effort to boost skills among workers and productivity at firms.

Companies, together with government agencies and educational institutions, will put out tailored programmes in sectors such as finance and the marine industry to train workers and help them get ahead in their careers.

These industry committees will also identify skills of the future and help design training and education programmes for Singaporeans, said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Speaking at the May Day Dinner last night, Mr Tharman, who is also Finance Minister, said the global economy remained tepid and that Singapore could expect to grow by just 3 per cent on average a year for the next five years.

The path will be made more challenging by the fact that manpower resources will be scarce, with labour force growth likely to be flat from 2020 onwards.

One way to overcome this is to ensure that the country's manpower is equipped with the best skills to cope with the changing landscape through the new SkillsFuture initiative.

Under the move to form mini tripartite committees, a lead government agency will work with the relevant trade association and the labour unions to develop the programmes under SkillsFuture.

"Government, unions and businesses must come together to collaborate in new ways to identify the skills needed for the future, work with our tertiary educational institutions and training providers to design courses to equip Singaporeans with these skills, and make it convenient and fulfilling for everyone to learn at any age," Mr Tharman also said.

He cited some examples of how such committees can help workers and companies.

The Maritime and Port Authority is leading two task forces to draw up and implement career plans of workers in the marine sector.

In the financial services sector, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will jointly lead a committee to be set up in September to help companies cope with the changing job landscape in the sector.

"We have to make early investments in new technologies and innovations and skills, help individuals, help Singaporeans to acquire the new skill sets required for the financial sector jobs in the future. New skills will create new opportunities for us," said Mr Tharman.

Committees will also be set up for the air transport and hotel sectors, led by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Singapore Tourism Board respectively.

Mr Robert Yap, president of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), said an immediate challenge is to organise industry associations into these committees, which are "less well-organised compared with unions".

The May Day Dinner at Orchid Country Club was attended by about 1,600 guests, including union leaders, company bosses and civil servants.

At the dinner, a total of 96 May Day awards were given by the NTUC to unionists, employers and government officials.

NTUC secretary-general Lim Swee Say presented the Distinguished Comrade of Labour award to former SNEF president Stephen Lee, who topped the annual May Day honours list this year.

S'pore 'cannot count on global demand to drive economy'
Restructuring will be more vital in productivity, income push: Tharman
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015

SINGAPORE has to become more efficient as it cannot count on a pickup in global growth to drive the economy, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam last night.

He noted that economic restructuring and innovation will become more important in the push to raise productivity and incomes.

Mr Tharman said at the labour movement's May Day dinner: "We cannot count on global demand to pull ourselves along... Increasingly, in the years to come, we will have to grow by raising productivity." Growth in the advanced world may remain sluggish, he added, noting that some major economies have yet to see solid recovery six years after the global financial crisis.

The slowing labour force growth here means it will be more challenging to achieve even 3 per cent growth - within the 2 per cent to 4 per cent GDP growth range projected by the Government - said Mr Tharman. He was addressing about 1,600 guests, including government ministers, union leaders and company management at Orchid Country Club.

Foreign workforce inflows slowed from about 80,000 in 2011 to 26,000 last year. Although this was offset by more locals in employment, the trend may not continue as baby boomers retire and new cohorts entering the workforce shrink. Resident labour force growth rate is expected to be negligible beyond 2020.

To raise productivity, Mr Tharman said Singapore must restructure the domestic sector. It has seen only 0.8 per cent productivity growth per year from 2009 to 2014, compared with 5.3 per cent for export-oriented sectors.

"We cannot continue with this two-track economy indefinitely," he added. "It will otherwise mean that businesses in the domestic sector get squeezed year by year as costs go up faster than productivity.

"Or that wages get squeezed in a sector that in total still employs 60 per cent of our workers. We must avoid this."

Not every business will survive the restructuring. While the Government has been enhancing support for businesses and helping workers upgrade skills, letting market forces play out is the most important way the economy can become more productive, he said.

This means allowing more innovative and efficient businesses to gain market share, while others lose out.

But the slowdown is not necessarily a bad thing as it gives firms and workers time to focus on gaining relevant skills, Singapore National Employers Federation president Robert Yap told reporters.

96 award winners recognised at NTUC's May Day Dinner
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 29 Apr 2015

A total of 96 individuals and companies were recognised by the labour movement on Wednesday night for their support of workers in areas such as skills upgrading and workers' welfare.

The May Day Awards were presented during a dinner at Orchid Country Club, as the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) kicked off its May Day celebrations.

The highest award, Distinguished Comrade of Labour, went to Mr Stephen Lee, the immediate past-president of the Singapore National Employers Federation, who was lauded by the labour movement for strengthening the strong partnership between the Government, employers and unions.

"While he represented the business community, he always understood workers' issues so as to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for employers and workers," the National Trades Union Congress wrote in the citation for Mr Lee.

NTUC president Diana Chia said in her speech at the event that Singapore's unique model of tripartism has been key to the nation's progress and must not be taken for granted.

"We recognise and honour not only outstanding unionists, but also supportive and enlightened management partners and tripartite leaders who have demonstrated a strong commitment to work together," she told some 1,600 guests.

Ex-SNEF president gets top May Day award
Stephen Lee urged companies to save jobs, rehire older workers
By Amelia Tan, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015

WHILE the global economy was staring into the abyss during the depths of the 2008 financial crisis, Singapore's Government, employers and unions dug in and worked together to figure out a way out of the mess.

It was this willingness to work together to develop a quick response that allowed Singapore to recover strongly from the recession just two years later, said former Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) president Stephen Lee.

He said that the training programmes and cash grants for employers to preserve jobs were rolled out just four months after the crisis hit.

"These were not new ideas. Other countries like Japan and Korea had these ideas too," Mr Lee, 68, said.

"But Sinfgapore's economy rebounded strongly because of the swift action by tripartite partners. We built up the capabilities in companies in the recession to respond to an upturn."

In 2010, Singapore's economy grew by 14.5 per cent, a sharp reversal from the contraction of 0.8 per cent in 2009.

Mr Lee, who helmed SNEF from 1988 to last year, was recognised for his sterling contributions by the labour movement, which gave him one of its highest awards last night: the Distinguished Comrade of Labour Award.

The National Trades Union Congress said Mr Lee made significant contributions, from urging companies to cut costs to save jobs during tough times to pushing for the re-employment of older workers.

Mr Lee also warned that the future will be increasingly difficult to navigate.

The employers, unions and Government will face increasingly complex problems brought about by rapid technological advancements, an ageing workforce and a tight labour market.

But Mr Lee remained confident that Singapore will continue to be successful.

"We need leaders who will not lose sight of the longer-term objectives and continue to embark on this process of building trust among the tripartite partners," he said.

Former NWC chief helps low-wage workers

By Amelia Tan, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015

FOR years during his tenure as National Wages Council (NWC) chairman, Professor Lim Pin worried about the welfare of low-wage workers.

But it was not until 2012 that the NWC pushed for employers to give a fixed increment of $50 to those with a basic monthly pay of up to $1,000 instead of the usual percentage-based increase.

It was the first time in nearly three decades that the council had spelt out a pay rise, and it continued to push for a minimum $60 increase for low-wage workers in 2013 and last year.

Prof Lim said he took so long to act because timing was an issue, with the economy going through starts and stops for the better part of the past decade.

"I always felt uncomfortable about recommending a percentage salary increase for workers with a very low salary. It is really nothing for them," he said.

"We persuaded employers that the $50, what you call 'cash upfront', in addition to your percentage salary increases, is more meaningful.

His efforts in protecting the interests of workers and spurring Singapore's economic growth were recognised when he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the labour movement last night.

The 79-year-old said that being in a position to help poor Singaporeans get a leg up motivated him throughout his tenure as NWC chairman from 2001 to last year.

Prof Lim said he is honoured to be recognised for his efforts.

"The NWC works in the background. Nobody is going to pat you on the back and say you helped Singapore's economy grow," he said.

"But the work has been meaningful. That was what kept me going."

Champion for bus drivers' rights
By Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015

FOR the past 18 years, Mr Fang Chin Poh has worked seven days a week improving the welfare of bus drivers.

On weekdays, he carries out his duties as general secretary of the National Transport Workers' Union, while on weekends, he drives buses for SBS Transit so that he does not "lose touch" with what goes on on the ground.

"When that happens, I cannot fight for their welfare better," he said.

Yesterday, the National Trades Union Congress commended the 54-year-old and gave him the Comrade of Labour (Star) Award for May Day. The labour movement praised him, saying he constantly visits bus depots, interchanges and terminals to talk to workers.

Mr Fang joined the union in 1981 because he saw how some drivers were "favoured by the management" and given easier routes with fewer passengers and nicer views. "That was not right because others who did not enjoy such good relations were unfairly penalised," he said. "We managed to stamp out the practice, and that was how I started to believe in the power of numbers."

Over three decades, he has pushed for initiatives such as wage growth and improved welfare at depots. He is working on improving the image of bus drivers, a profession which he believes is regarded as low-skilled.

"With a more professional image, we hope to attract more young locals to (be bus captains)," he said.

Medal for improving cleaning industry
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015

AS FAR back as 2009, Mr Milton Ng was already pushing for the professionalisation of the cleaning sector and he wrote a paper on it during his first term as the president of the Environmental Management Association of Singapore.

His efforts paid off when a national move to raise the basic wages of cleaners was pushed through last year.

Cleaning companies now have to adopt a wage and training ladder with baseline pay at each level in order to be licensed.

Basic pay for cleaners went up from around $850 a month to $1,000 a month as a result.

Mr Ng, 52, does not take credit for the success, pointing instead to the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners as a platform through which the Government, unions and employers came to a consensus.

"There must be buy-in from all the stakeholders," he said.

The director of Ramky Cleantech Services, who has not been afraid to lose contracts because of what he believes in, was recognised yesterday by the labour movement with a Medal of Commendation Award.

The Building Construction and Timber Industries Employees' Union, which nominated him for the award, credits him with giving "direct and practical inputs" on improving the cleaning industry and for supporting his workers in joining the union.

He has also sent half of his company's cleaners for at least two cleaning modules under the national training framework, Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications.

Now that the new wage model is in place, Mr Ng has his sights set on improving the softer side of workers' jobs, starting with proper rest areas wherever they work.

"You pay a good salary, does that mean they still have to eat their meals at the staircases?" he said.

"As responsible employers, we must have a moral obligation to our staff."

Heng Swee Keat says key test guiding social and other policies in Singapore is: Do they work?

May 2, 2015, 6:22 am

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Mr Lee 'had key test for policies'
Heng Swee Keat lauds late PM's evidence-based approach at book launch
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 1 May 2015

THE late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had one key test for social and other policies, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday.

It is: Does it work?

While there are different views, ultimately, every policy needs to pass that test, he said, adding: "We must be evidence-based, not doctrinal."

Mr Heng, who was Mr Lee's principal private secretary from 1997 to 2001, made the point at the launch of the book, 50 Years Of Social Issues In Singapore.

Elaborating, he said Singapore's social policies must aim to improve people's welfare, and build a fair and just society for all, as well as a home that everyone is proud to love and protect.

The best way to do it is to analyse issues based on evidence, while being rooted in values and looking to the future, he added.

Former chief planner and Housing Board chief executive Liu Thai Ker, who penned a chapter on the social dimension of urban planning, said Mr Lee was particularly able to foresee problems by observing Singapore and the world.

"He anticipated the problems and then started introducing policies and persuading people to think along those policy lines, and implemented the policies before problems or needs arose," Mr Liu said.

One bold policy was building high-rise, high-density housing for sale - not for rent - even though it went against global trends back then in the 1960s, he noted.

Doing so took courage, he said.

"Singaporeans fail to appreciate the fact that (Mr Lee) pre-empted the problem sometimes. Instead, they will complain about him being high-handed to introduce a (piece of) legislation with no rhyme or reason," he added.

The need to analyse social issues in this rigorous and principled manner is also put forth in the 50 Years book by its editor, Singapore Management University behavioural sciences professor David Chan, Mr Heng said at the book launch at SMU.

The book, published by World Scientific, is a compilation of 16 essays by 23 writers on topics such as marriage and parenthood, racial and religious harmony and civil society.

It is priced at $35, inclusive of the goods and services tax (GST), and is available at major bookstores.

Another book launched at the event was People Matter, a series of essays by Professor Chan on local socio-economic and political issues. It costs $36 (including GST).

Looking ahead, Mr Heng expressed the hope that in shaping the country, "we will also be guided by the spirit of resilience, resourcefulness, responsibility and service to Singapore that drove Mr Lee and that generation of pioneer leaders".

Students' short films capture Singapore values

May 2, 2015, 6:42 am

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Three short films from Temasek Poly part of golden jubilee celebrations
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, The Straits Times, 1 May 2015

FOR a tense eight hours in 1991, four armed men from Pakistan prowled the cabin of Singapore Airlines Flight SQ117, terrorising the crew and passengers.

When rounds of negotiation with the hijackers broke down, hooded commandos from the Singapore Armed Forces stormed the plane. In 30 seconds, the hijackers were shot dead and the hostages freed, unscathed.

We had spent months preparing and filming our final year project to show our appreciation to the men that rescued the hostages on the 27 March 1991.Support our film. SQ117 - Men Behind the Mask.Location: Temasek Polytechnic, Auditorium 2 Date: 9-11 April 2015Time: 2pm - 6pm
Posted by Sofocus Productions on Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Last night, the hijacking was immortalised in a film, produced by four Temasek Polytechnic students, that is part of the Singapore Stories film series.

SQ117: Men Behind The Masks, which stars local actors such as Tay Ping Hui and Terence Cao, is one of three short films made by students from the polytechnic's School of Design and commissioned by Singapore Discovery Centre, to celebrate Singapore's golden jubilee.

Speaking at the film gala, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said he hoped the series will help connect Singaporeans to events in the country's past and bring historical moments to life for the young.

The film's producer, Ms Cheryl Wong, 20, said she learnt about the historic event only a year ago from her father.

"This is a part of Singapore most of us don't know existed," she said. "Hopefully, this film will also help educate young people on how we cannot take peace and security for granted."

For Mr Goh, two decades have passed but the hijacking remains a vivid memory. He was barely a year into his new appointment as prime minister at the time.

The events could not be captured on film then, he said, but re-enacting the drama will etch it into people's memory.

He also said the three short films capture values central to Singapore's identity.

Reunion, about a man who returns home to fulfil his ailing grandmother's wish, tells of the importance of family.

The Dream Team, a documentary on the local soccer team that won the 1994 Malaysia Cup, captures the nation's euphoria at the victory, and the grit and determination of its athletes.

"I hope the films will inspire Singaporeans to carry the values of family, togetherness, grit, resilience, preparedness and unity into the future," said Mr Goh.

From July 1, Singaporeans and permanent residents can watch the three films free at Singapore Discovery Centre. They will be screened daily for a year.

Cerebral palsy VWO opens clinics to public

May 2, 2015, 6:51 am

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Feeding and swallowing, audiology clinics no longer limited to just its own clients
By Kash Cheong, The Straits Times, 1 May 2015

ARIANNA Azmi is four years old but, unlike the rest of her peers, she struggles to eat a McDonald's Happy Meal. She has a rare disease called trisomy nine mosaics, so her facial muscles are less developed and she has chewing difficulties.

Just five months ago, Arianna was able to eat only porridge and soft vegetables. Meat and leafy vegetables were a choking hazard.

"We can always blend the food and feed her, but this is not the long-term solution as she grows up," said her mother Sara Handayani, 38, a part-time pre-school teacher.

Madam Handayani used to take her daughter to speech therapists at KK Women's and Children's Hospital every three months.

But since the start of this year, she has been able to go to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore's (CPAS) feeding and swallowing clinic once a fortnight.

There, speech therapists taught her how to do a series of facial exercises, to stimulate growth in Arianna's oral muscles. She practised these with Arianna at home. Madam Handayani also learnt how to use assistive tools that reminded her daughter to chew with her molars.

Arianna is now able to chew meat. She is even enjoying raisins and gummy bears.

"She is also able to pronounce more syllables because her oral muscles are stronger," said Madam Handayani.

The CPAS feeding and swallowing clinic used to be only for its own clients, including cerebral palsy and Down syndrome patients, but it is now open to the public.

Waiting lists in some hospitals can stretch to several months, so CPAS hopes to provide an alternative for parents, said its head of speech language therapy Sunitha Sendhil.

A recent survey of 120 speech and occupational therapists conducted by the group found that most saw a need for more frequent therapy services for feeding problems.

CPAS'feeding and swallowing clinic is open to the public every Wednesday. It can serve about 12 patients from the public each month, including the elderly who have swallowing difficulties due to stroke. Charges range from $50 to $90.

The voluntary welfare organisation is also opening its audiology clinic to the public daily. It can help about 25 patients with hearing problems each month.

Given the waiting list in public hospitals, some patients go to private speech therapists, who might charge higher rates.

"It's definitely a bonus to have more affordable options," said Mr Kenneth Mah, president of the Rare Disorders Society Singapore.

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Singaporeans ‘risk taking religious, racial harmony for granted’

May 2, 2015, 7:13 am

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By Kelly Ng, TODAY, 1 May 2015

The state of religious and racial harmony in the Republic may result in Singaporeans “sleepwalking to complacency”, with many taking for granted their right to profess and propagate diverse beliefs.

Such a risk was raised by Singapore Management University law lecturer Eugene Tan yesterday, as he shared findings on the Republic’s religious landscape as part of the ASEAN-wide study, Keeping the Faith: A Study of Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion in ASEAN.

“We must guard against complacency and (the belief) that what has worked will continue to work well ... that will get us into trouble if we are not careful,” cautioned Associate Professor Tan, who was the sole researcher for the Singapore leg of the study.

For instance, while the conventional use of a coercive legal framework to deal with threats to public order has helped maintain stability and uphold religious freedom, the Government has increasingly introduced “soft laws” that regulate without sanctions.

“You can’t legislate tolerance, accommodation, and understanding that is sustainable because people comply for fear of being punished … The soft-law approach is better able to mould behavioural norms and right-size attitudes,” said Assoc Prof Tan, who cited the Declaration on Religious Harmony launched in June 2003 as an example.

The non-legislative document was crafted together by various religious leaders in an effort to develop a “code of conduct” for religious harmony.

However, hard laws are still necessary in clamping down threats that may result in severe consequences, said Assoc Prof Tan.

Calling on Singaporeans to refrain from “knee-jerk responses” of turning to the authorities to resolve disputes, Assoc Prof Tan said dialogues across different faith communities are part of a longer-term approach to preserving religious diversity.

Responding to a question from the audience on whether the “apparent religious harmony” in Singapore is a result of a lack of engagement, Assoc Prof Tan noted that there is room for greater “horizontal engagement” among religious groups here, as well as between believers and atheists.

“We certainly need to get away from the view that we shouldn’t talk about religion ... but we need that graduated pace,” he said, noting that much of current discourse takes place through state-led mechanisms, such as the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles.

In times of conflict, civic loyalties must take precedence over religious loyalty, Assoc Prof Tan said. On other occasions, Singaporeans must learn to live with “deep differences” as part of a diverse society.

Citing ongoing skirmishes between the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community and religious groups as an issue where the “live and let live” maxim should be applied, he said: “These are issues that I don’t think we can ever resolve.”

“Both groups have a right to their identities and to feel secure. We just have to learn to accommodate and live with those deep differences,” added Assoc Prof Tan.

Amos Yee slapped: Police arrest 49-year-old man

May 2, 2015, 7:46 am

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Man, 49, held in connection with assault on teen blogger
By Melissa Lin, The Straits Times, 2 May 2015

A 49-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested in connection with an assault on teenage blogger Amos Yee outside the State Courts on Thursday.

Yee, in trouble for his allegedly offensive online postings, was slapped on the face by a man outside the courts, in an attack that was captured on video and widely shared online.

"In response to media queries, the police confirm that a 49-year-old man was arrested in relation to the case," the police said in a statement yesterday, adding that investigations are ongoing.

The police had earlier said that a report had been lodged against the man who slapped Yee, 16.

Yee had been walking on his own to the State Courts for a pre-trial conference on Thursday when a man in a red polo shirt and cargo pants sneaked up and struck him hard on the left cheek, startling passers-by.

The attacker yelled "Sue me! Come and sue me!" before fleeing. A stunned Yee held his face as he walked into the State Courts building.

Law Minister K. Shanmugam has called the assault "unacceptable".

Yee is currently in remand.

On March 31, he was charged with attacking Christianity, transmitting an obscene image and making an online video which included offensive remarks about the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

The prosecution has stood down the last charge for now.

On March 27, Yee posted the eight-minute video on YouTube and was arrested three days later. He was bailed out on April 21 by a youth counsellor, but was sent back to Changi Prison on Thursday for breaching the bail conditions.

Yee had been warned against posting anything online. But on Wednesday, he put up two vulgarity-laced posts on his blog.

At his pre-trial conference, he refused to take down the posts and the judge raised his bail from $20,000 to $30,000.

No one posted bail and he was sent back to remand.

JUST IN: A 49-year-old man has been arrested over the attack on teen blogger Amos Yee on Thursday. http://str.sg/3Xq
Posted by The Straits Times on Friday, May 1, 2015

Assault unacceptable, says Shanmugam
By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 1 May 2015

LAW Minister K. Shanmugam has called yesterday's assault on Amos Yee "unacceptable", saying that taking the law into one's own hands cannot be condoned.

"If everyone starts taking the law into his or her own hands, then we will no longer be a civilised society," he wrote on his Facebook page. He hoped that the attacker who slapped the teenager would be caught quickly and dealt with.

Amos Yee was assaulted as he was going to court today. That is quite unacceptable. Amos made some statements which are...
Posted by K Shanmugam Sc on Thursday, April 30, 2015

The incident, which the police are investigating, occurred just outside the courthouse when 16-year-old Yee, dressed in his pyjamas, was making his way alone to the State Courts.

His parents had arrived separately just minutes earlier.

As Yee was smiling at the media cameras waiting for him at the steps leading to the State Courts, a man, who appeared to be in his 30s, lunged forward.

The stranger, dressed in a red polo shirt and cargo pants, slapped Yee hard on the left cheek. The sound of the blow startled passers-by. Before fleeing, the man yelled: "Sue me! Come and sue me!"

A stunned Yee could say only: "That hurt."

He gripped his face in pain as he walked into the State Courts building, his eyes red.

Yee's lawyer, Mr Alfred Dodwell, said his parents planned to file a police report.

A spokesman for the State Courts said it would "assist in any police investigation".

The police confirmed that a report had been lodged and investigations are ongoing.

The attack, which was captured on video and made its rounds online, attracted a flurry of opinions.

Some claimed that Yee had it coming, while others condemned the attacker for taking the law into his own hands. Many called him a coward for running away.

"We may disagree with the views, the approach and the stances taken by Amos Yee. But it does not give us the right to inflict violence on him," said Ms Braema Mathi, president of human rights group Maruah.

Video of man hitting #AmosYee while he was on his way to the court for his pre-trial conference. cna.asia/1IpXVV0
Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Thursday, April 30, 2015

Yee back in prison after more posts and a slap
His bailor walks out on him after he refuses to abide by bail conditions
By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 1 May 2015

ON A dramatic day for blogger Amos Yee, he was found to have breached his bail conditions, slapped by a stranger, dumped by his bailor and ended up back in Changi Prison.

The youth counsellor, who had bailed out Yee last week when his own parents refused to do so, washed his hands of the teenager.

"He refused to abide by the bail conditions. Why should I bail him out?" said Mr Vincent Law, 51, who had posted $20,000 bail for the 16-year-old last Tuesday, and is now at risk of losing part or all of the money.

As part of his bail, Yee had been warned not to post anything online. But on Wednesday, he put up two vulgarity-laced posts titled "The Ridiculous Terms of my Bail" and "My Abusive Father" on his blog. He also shared these posts on his Facebook page yesterday morning.

In the posts, Yee called the bail conditions "ridiculous", and insulted the prosecutor, judge and police. He also alleged that his father had grabbed his head and banged it on a concrete floor, hours before his first court appearance.

As he made his way to court yesterday, a mystery man slapped Yee, who looked shaken.

But at his pre-trial conference, he refused to take down the posts despite being repeatedly asked to do so by District Judge Kessler Soh. The judge then raised bail to $30,000.

With no one posting it, Yee was sent back to remand where he is expected to stay until his trial, which could begin as early as Thursday.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has, for now, stood down the charge that Yee made an online video which included offensive remarks about the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, which distressed viewers. It will instead proceed with charges of him attacking Christianity and transmitting an obscene image.

Yee posted his eight-minute YouTube video on March 27. He was arrested three days later, following a spate of police reports.

While on the initial $20,000 bail posted by his parents, he went online to ask for donations to fund his legal fees, and re-posted his rant against Christianity.

On April 17, Judge Soh set new bail conditions, including having him report at 9am daily to Bedok Police Division. His parents declined to put up the new bail, and Yee spent four days in remand until Mr Law came forward.

One of Yee's pro-bono lawyers, Mr Alfred Dodwell, was heard asking him not to post anything online until next Thursday.

"If you don't accept, you'll go into remand and can't post anyway," Mr Dodwell said.

He told reporters that Yee had told him that he could not abide by the rules of his bail. Yee's parents both stood silently by the side, and refused to speak to the press.

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'Hero mum' hailed for smacking son who joined riots

May 2, 2015, 8:10 am

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The Straits Times, 1 May 2015

BALTIMORE - Among the startling images to emerge from riots in Baltimore this week, one sticks out: a fed-up mother smacking her son repeatedly for joining the violent demonstrations.

Ms Toya Graham caught her 16-year-old son Michael in a hooded sweatshirt and a mask at Monday's riots, which transformed the city into a battle zone of torched cars, blazing buildings and looted stores.

Cameras caught Ms Graham delivering a harsh - and very public - punishment to her son, belting him several times as she drags him away from the angry crowd.

"I just lost it," said Ms Graham, a single mother of six. "I was shocked, I was angry, because you never want to see your child out there doing that," she told CBS News on Tuesday.

More than 250 people were arrested after the unrest, in which 20 police officers were wounded. Baltimore has been the scene of daily demonstrations since Mr Freddie Gray's death from a severe spinal injury on April 19, a week after he was arrested.

Ms Graham said she had her son's best interests in mind. "That's my only son and at the end of the day I don't want him to be a Freddie Gray."

The video of Ms Graham smacking her son has lit up the Internet, earning her the title "hero mum", and even caught the attention of Baltimore's police commissioner Anthony Batts, who commended the discipline.

"I wish I had more parents who took charge of their kids tonight," he said, according to CBS.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

China's top paper rounds on U.S. over Baltimore protests

May 2, 2015, 8:46 am

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The Straits Times, 1 May 2015

BEIJING - China's top newspaper criticised the United States yesterday following protests in Baltimore over the death of a 25-year-old black man, saying it exposed the fallacy of US claims to being an equal society.

China, frequently taken to task by the United States and other Western nations for its own human rights problems, rarely misses an opportunity to hit back.

Every year, it issues its own report about the human rights situation in the United States.

The People's Daily, the official paper of the ruling Communist Party, said in a commentary that the unrest in Baltimore and other cities such as Ferguson, Missouri, exposed the "systemic weakness of the US system".

"Each time, when the hatreds old and new of US racial contradictions boil over, it clearly tells the world that the declaration 'all are born equal' in this so-called 'field of dreams' still has yet to take root," the paper said.

It was published under the pen name "Zhong Sheng", meaning "Voice of China", often used to give views on foreign policy.

Protesters in the mostly black city of Baltimore have sought answers about the fate of Mr Freddie Gray, who died after suffering spinal injuries while in police custody.

The People's Daily said that the part of town where Mr Gray lived was blighted by poverty and unemployment, and that nationally, the gap between the rich and the poor had continued to increase.

If US politicians did not tackle this "persistent ailment", then future unrest would become an almost daily occurrence, the commentary said.

The paper made no mention of China's own problems with inequality or racial discrimination, something rights groups say is becoming more and more of an issue in places such as Xinjiang, home to the Muslim Uighur people.

China's ruling Communist Party also takes a tough line on any form of public protest that may challenge its rule.

REUTERS

Practical, not ideological, approach needed on human rights

May 2, 2015, 8:55 am

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Anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe partly because countries in the region are clinging to value systems based on an extreme ideological concept of the universality of rights, said Mr Bilahari Kausikan, Ambassador at Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who hopes South-east Asia and Singapore will learn from Europe’s mistakes and not fall into the same trap. Mr Kausikan made these remarks as guest of honour yesterday at a seminar on state practice on the freedom of thought, conscience and religion in the region. Below is his speech, which he delivered in his personal capacity.
TODAY, 1 May 2015

Human rights are undoubtedly a very important subject. But if we were to do justice to their importance, we must take a practical and not an ideological approach. And the first premise of a practical approach must be to admit that not all rights are compatible or capable of simultaneous realisation. There is not one good but many goods, and not all goods are compatible.

A corollary to this is to dismiss from our minds the myth that all rights are really universal. This should not be understood as dismissing the importance of human rights or as an excuse for suppressing them, but as a simple description of reality. The fact is, all rights evolve according to specific circumstances and within the context of particular cultures, beliefs, values and changing historical contexts. How we understand rights today is not the same as we understood them 100 or 50 or even, say, just five or 10 years ago.

The idea that human rights have an autonomous reality or are somehow “natural rights” is, as the philosopher Jeremy Bentham said long ago, “rhetorical nonsense — nonsense upon stilts”. It is a civilising myth we choose to believe in so that we may at least occasionally live in a civilised manner. But we should not forget that beliefs are not stable; they change and they do not change in a teleological manner towards a single preordained destination.

Of course, all cultures and societies hold some values in common. But this is generally at such a high level of generality as to be practically meaningless as a guide to how specific societies or political systems actually organise themselves, or even as a guide to how they ought to organise themselves. Most rights, despite a superficial consensus, are, in fact, essentially contested concepts, both within societies and between different countries and societies. And it is, to my mind, pointless to console someone deprived of the basic necessities of life that his or her civil liberties are protected. It is at best naive, if not downright cynical.

An ideological approach to the universality of rights not only leads to a meaningless formalism, but also degrades the very values that are held to be universal. But this is too often the approach in the international human rights discourse. Anyone who has served at the United Nations would have, at some point, encountered the less-than-edifying spectacle of Western, usually European, diplomats threatening the withdrawal of aid from less developed countries if they did not support some human rights resolution or another. Curiously, these Western diplomats seem to see nothing hypocritical or even merely contradictory in their behaviour. But then no one is as intolerant as a Western liberal in full bray. Ironical, don’t you think?

When the Charlie Hebdo tragedy occurred, I was struck by the similarity of the mode of thought between the murderers and their victims. Both held some belief so absolutely that they thought it justified anything. The fact that the terrorists had a completely mistaken interpretation of Islam is beside the point. The point is that they believed in it, believed in it as fervently as the cartoonists believed in their right to freedom of expression.

Both were equally wrong. I am not arguing that there is a moral equivalency between the terrorists and the cartoonists; clearly, there is none. Nothing justifies murder. But is it right to constantly lampoon a religion? I do not often agree with (former Malaysian Prime Minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but he got it absolutely right when he said that killing is wrong and so is insulting someone else’s religion.

Circumstances do matter, and again, the Charlie Hebdo tragedy is an apt case in point for the specific theme of this seminar: How the state can successfully balance the conflicting interests of different belief systems in society.

This is not, I think, in principle very complicated, if we do not lose sight of the general points with which I began.

LESSONS FOR SOUTH-EAST ASIA

Of course, implementation is everything. The conception of rights that is predominant in the West is one in which rights are held by the individual against an overly powerful state. But the essential problem in much of the rest of the world and, in my view, certainly in South-east Asia as regards freedom of belief, arises when the state is too weak to hold the balance between competing belief systems or too timid to be willing to resist political pressures to privilege one belief system over another.

This does not, of course, mean that South-east Asian or other non-Western states cannot be as oppressive as any other state. But it is a matter of what is regarded as the most urgent priority, and that, again, will vary according to specific circumstances. You cannot — or at least only very rarely can — do everything simultaneously, particularly when the state is weak. Perfection is not to be found this side of heaven, and to pursue perfection on earth usually results only in achieving very little all round.

The French state is certainly not weak. But it hobbled itself by its own absolutist belief systems and was unable to see beyond its own nose and admit that some values cannot be simultaneously realised and, therefore, need at least some degree of restraint to be enjoyed at all. France paid dearly for persisting in the delusion that all its citizens shared the same belief in the universality and pre-eminence of certain rights or values. And so the French state failed in the most fundamental duty of any state: To adjudicate between different conceptions of the good.

In fact, all of Europe is tying itself into knots by clinging to systems of values, systems based on an extreme ideological conception of the universality of rights, taken to ridiculous lengths — a reductio ad absurdum of values — and which, moreover, are out of sync with societies that are evolving under demographic or other pressures in entirely different directions. The result, among other consequences, is the revival of fascism or, at least, extreme-right-wing political movements. Is it an accident that anti-Semitism is on the rise in France and some other parts of Europe? I don’t think so.

I do not think that Europe can easily get out of this conundrum of its own making, because that would require a redefinition of what European elites have decided it means to be European. They are not prepared to confront this, particularly at a time when the conception of Europe as Europe — as distinct from France or Germany or the Netherlands or Sweden or any other individual country — has been shaken and its place in the international order is in question. I wish Europe well.

But I even more fervently wish that South-east Asia in general and Singapore in particular do not fall into the same trap. Here, at least, we can learn from Europe’s mistakes, if we maintain the self-confidence to pursue our own course and ignore advice that may be well-meaning but is too often utterly inappropriate.

May Day Rally 2015: Leadership renewal most critical issue in next GE, says PM Lee

May 2, 2015, 9:39 am

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Forming a team to take Singapore into the future is critical: PM Lee
By Toh Yong Chuan, Manpower Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 May 2015

FINDING the right leaders to take Singapore into the future is the most critical issue for the next General Election, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

Placing leadership renewal as the top priority for the Government, PM Lee said that Singapore's exceptional success had been brought about by exceptional leaders, starting from the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

The elder Mr Lee's death "reminded people that exceptional leadership made a big difference to us", said PM Lee at the annual May Day Rally.

"So the most critical question for us is, how do we form the most outstanding leadership for Singapore?" he said. "And in the next election, leadership renewal is the most important issue."

The present Cabinet has turned out well, with a good mix of experienced ministers and younger leaders who joined after the 2011 GE. But the ministers will grow old and need successors, PM Lee said.

"If I lose any of them, my team would be weakened. And if the team is weakened, can the Government deliver on what Singaporeans expect of us?" he said. "We can never have an 'A' team for Singapore which is too strong."

Speaking to more than 4,000 unionists, employers and government officials at the Star Performing Arts Centre, PM Lee said Singapore had done very well for itself over the past 50 years.

It is a tiny country, with just five million people, but it is the largest foreign investor in China and Indonesia, countries much larger than Singapore, while foreign leaders poured in from all over the world for the late Mr Lee's funeral, he noted.

PM Lee warned that Singapore should not take its success for granted and said it was wrong to assume that, just because the system was working, things would naturally turn out well.

"Nothing happens by itself that is good, only bad things happen by themselves," he said.

"And so I need your help: Give me and my team your support, so that after the next election, and well before the election after that, a younger team will be ready to lead us forward."

PM Lee also revealed that he was given a clean bill of health after undergoing surgery in February to remove his cancerous prostate gland.

But he is still searching for good leaders because anything could happen to him or his team of ministers. So, he is still hoping to get more candidates to stand in the next polls, which must be held before January 2017.

Recruiting such talent is not an easy job, he added. "Suitable people are not so many and... the people who are suitable are not so easy to persuade," PM Lee noted.

"And when people volunteer, you don't know whether to take them or not," he said, drawing laughter from the audience.

Still, he is trying hard to find and persuade the right people. "We have to bring in enough new people, committed to Singapore, with the ability, character, dedication and gumption, so that we can keep this country special."

PM Lee reaffirmed the Government's commitment to the three-way partnership between the Government, unions and employers.

He also took the time to thank outgoing labour chief Lim Swee Say, who has delivered results during his time. Similarly, his successor Chan Chun Sing will also give his heart and soul to NTUC, he said.

"We may be a small country but we must have big dreams, otherwise we perish. So let's continue joining hands to achieve better lives for all Singaporeans."

This Government will always be on the side of workers. This was Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s promise right from the start, and this...
Posted by Lee Hsien Loong on Friday, May 1, 2015

Mr Lee's work with unions shaped Singapore
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 2 May 2015

THE late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's contributions to the unions helped make Singapore what it is today, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

He devoted his life to improving workers' lives, starting his political career by fighting for postal workers in 1952 and leading a successful strike.

Singapore's founding Prime Minister, who died on March 23, also led rallies with fiery speeches in stadiums packed with sweaty bodies.

"If you watch his speeches, you will find not a gentle, elderly uncle, you'll find a fierce, powerful mobiliser. You don't want to be the target of his speech," said PM Lee yesterday, to murmurs of laughter.

There has always been a strong connection between the unions and the People's Action Party, which the late Mr Lee helped found.

PM Lee added that because of the late Mr Lee's contributions, Singaporeans' lives have improved - many have their own flats and good jobs, and there are good healthcare and education systems in place.

Even yesterday's May Day Rally was held in an air-conditioned theatre, he noted.

"It's a completely different world," he said, addressing some 4,000 unionists, employers and government officials at The Star Performing Arts Centre.

This is why there are no angry speeches, no shouts and no demonstrations on May Day in Singapore, unlike in many other cities, he said.

Workers here recognise that the Government is on their side, he added. Unionists young and old had shared heartfelt words at the labour movement's tribute event in March for the late Mr Lee.

Recalling the eulogies delivered at the state funeral service for the elder Mr Lee, the Prime Minister said that one in particular stood out for him - the speech by trade unionist G. Muthukumara-samy.

"At the state funeral of our founding Prime Minister, to have a daily rated employee union leader stand up, stand tall, equal with all the others - the President, former minister, leaders - and speak about how (the elder) Mr Lee changed his life and share... personal stories with pride, it reflects the sort of man Mr Lee was," said PM Lee, choking with emotion.

"The kind of society he built, and the equality and respect he fostered among the citizens, working together to improve lives for all."

Singapore's survival depends on staying exceptional: PM
Education, skills upgrading, adapting to change vital for continued success
By Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times, 2 May 2015

SINGAPORE must remain exceptional to survive or risk getting pushed around and shoved aside.

But ensuring that the tiny country continues to punch above its weight and stay exceptional is also the most difficult job for the Government to do, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Speaking at the May Day rally yesterday, PM Lee said Singapore's success so far was remarkable, given that it is a country of just five million people.

"Sometimes we forget how unique our position is today... and (our neighbours) believe that we can make a contribution and we have something to add beyond this little island," he said.

Despite its size, Singapore is the largest investor in China today and one of the largest in Indonesia, countries that are much larger than Singapore.

World leaders from the United States, China and Japan, among other countries, came to Singapore to attend founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's funeral service in March.

Australia and New Zealand held special sessions in their Parliaments in Canberra and Wellington and moved motions to pay tribute to Mr Lee, while India flew flags at half-mast on the day of the funeral.

"Would they have done that if Singapore had been an ordinary country, if Mr Lee had been an ordinary leader?" PM Lee said.

"If we just want to be as good as our neighbours, habis liao (that's the end)."

The ingredients to continue keeping Singapore a success are well known: a good education for the young, skills upgrading for workers and adapting to change rather than resisting progress.

"To make all this work - education, training, SkillsFuture - we need outstanding leadership. That's one of the ingredients which brought us here," he said.

"Very few countries can do this. But here in Singapore, we can... deliver results for our workers."

For example, the SkillsFuture initiative which was announced in February is about upgrading "the whole workforce step by step, year by year".

But to make SkillsFuture a success, a mindset change is needed "so that workers learn and improve while on the job, all their lives", said PM Lee.

He spoke about how Mr Seah Keng Tia, a senior technician with Vopak, a logistics firm in the chemical and oil industry, plans to take up a part-time diploma course at the Ong Teng Cheong Institute to contribute more to union work this July.

The 30-year-old bachelor, who holds a diploma in chemical and pharmaceutical technology, said: "I took my studies for granted and failed a couple of courses during my time in Nanyang Polytechnic."

He then bucked up and took supplementary papers that allowed him to scrape through and graduate, he added.

PM Lee said: "If we fail in education and training, our workers' future will be bleak.

"But if we succeed, then Singapore can continue to be exceptional, and our children can live in a country which will be even better than the one we live in today."

PM Lee given clean bill of health
By Toh Yong Chuan, Manpower Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 May 2015

PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong has been given a clean bill of health after undergoing surgery in February to remove his cancerous prostate gland.

Doctors told him after a blood test two weeks ago that his survival rate for prostate cancer is 98 per cent after 15 years, he revealed in his May Day Rally speech yesterday.

"Over the next 15 years, my chances of dying because of the prostate cancer is just 2 per cent. It is not bad... you can go to the bookies with that," said Mr Lee, drawing laughter from the audience at the Star Performing Arts Centre.

But on a more sober note, he noted that he will be 78 in 15 years, saying: "Even if the prostate cancer doesn't cause me trouble, something else will act up."

The same risk applies to the other ministers, which is why Singapore needs to form the next team of leaders, he said.

"Just because you are a minister doesn't mean you are Superman, it doesn't mean you won't get ill, it doesn't mean you don't grow old. And from time to time, ministers get ill," he added. "As a courtesy, they usually let me know so I can share their worries. If I lose any of them, my team would be weakened."

A weakened team would make it harder for the Government to deliver the results that Singaporeans expect, he said.

Mr Lee had a bout of lymphoma in 1992, which is now in remission.

His comments yesterday came more than two months after Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, who is known for his fitness, was diagnosed with a build-up of fluid between layers of tissue lining the lungs and chest cavity.

Mr Lee noted that Mr Tan was part of a team of ministers who conceived the SkillsFuture credit scheme announced at this year's Budget. Similarly, schemes such as the Pioneer Generation Package relied heavily on the contributions of ministers.

Mr Lee said: "So, I need good men and women to come in, to form the next team to take Singapore forward, beyond me and my generation of leaders."

Unions, bosses, Govt 'are equal partners'
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 2 May 2015

THE Government will always be on the side of workers, a relationship that has endured through the transformation from Third World nation to First, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

The partnership began with the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew holding the first May Day rally in 1960, and continues today, 55 years later.

Yesterday, PM Lee again reaffirmed the relationship between the Government and unions, calling it the strongest and the longest-lasting in the world. "Our unions are equal partners with employers and the Government," he said at the annual May Day rally.

Some governments might say they protect workers from competition and unscrupulous businesses, but often end up scaring off investors and hurting the economy, causing job losses for workers, he said. Other countries try to weaken union influence, resulting in tit-for-tat conflict, he added.

In Singapore, the Government, workers and employers are partners in growing and upgrading the economy - in a tripartite system that has produced results "not just over one or two terms of government, but for 50 years", he said to more than 4,000 unionists, employers and government officials at The Star Performing Arts Centre.

So he is "aghast" when he hears opposition politicians claim that tripartism is obsolete and that unions must fight the Government and employers. Either they do not understand the importance of tripartism, or they do but are not interested in workers' welfare and are trying to stir up trouble for their own ends, he added.

"No trade union congress anywhere else in the world has been as effective as NTUC in improving workers' lives," he said, calling tripartism a "precious legacy" that must be protected.

The partners are all willing to make compromises because each trusts the others to take a longer-term view of the collective interest, he said.

Operating on an equal footing has allowed trade unionism to become a profession that unionists can be proud of, with union leaders sitting on key statutory boards and the National Wages Council.

This model has been studied by other nations, said Mr Lee. But they do not have Singapore's long tradition of the Government delivering the goods for workers and building up trust with union leaders. "They can replicate the structures... but that trust, that magic, cannot be created overnight."

He said: "This is why, today, just as we have done for the past 55 May Day Rallies, we recommit ourselves to this promise - that the Government is always on your side, on the side of workers."

Support Chun Sing, says PM as he also thanks Swee Say
By Toh Yong Chuan, Manpower Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 May 2015

PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong gave a ringing endorsement of incoming labour chief Chan Chun Sing, saying that the new man will give his heart and soul to the labour movement.

Mr Chan was doing an important job at the Ministry of Social and Family Development and doing it well, Mr Lee noted.

"But National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is crucial, and if we say that this Government is on the side of the workers, we must put our money where our mouth is and back it up," said Mr Lee on why he agreed to the NTUC Central Committee's request for Mr Chan to join the union movement.

"Please give him your support, and help him to serve you well."

In his speech, Mr Lee also thanked outgoing NTUC secretary-general Lim Swee Say, saying that he had delivered results.

Mr Lim, who turns 62 in July next year, is stepping down on Monday as NTUC secretary-general as part of a self-imposed leadership renewal plan where union leaders voluntarily retire at age 62 to make way for new blood.

He hands over the NTUC baton to Mr Chan, who is 45.

Mr Lee revealed that Mr Lim, who took over the helm in 2007, had planned his own retirement "from day one". He had implemented a system of leadership renewal in union ranks by identifying younger union leaders with potential early and grooming them for key posts systematically.

Mr Lee added that Mr Lim has the "ideal curriculum vitae" which will make him a "very good Manpower Minister".

"He is coming straight from the NTUC, so he understands workers and unions. He spent many years in EDB (Economic Development Board), so he understands investors and I think the investors still remember him. And he served in the Cabinet as Environment Minister, and delivered Newater - very important to our survival," said Mr Lee of Mr Lim's credentials.

"If I were a headhunter looking for a new Minister for Manpower, and I produced (Mr) Lim Swee Say, I think I deserve a special bonus," said Mr Lee, drawing laughter from the audience.

Praise for workers with extraordinary spirit
Outgoing labour chief pays tribute to those who helped build country
By Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times, 2 May 2015

MADAM Rahmah Abdul Rahim lost her job producing videocasette recorders during the Asian financial crisis in 1997, but instead of giving in to despair, she pulled her socks up and went for training to get a new job.

Today, with the help of the labour movement, she is working as a senior manufacturing specialist at ST Microelectronics.

"I didn't know what to do when I lost my job. I had been working at the same place since I graduated in 1977. If I was not open to upgrading my skills, I don't know what I will be doing now," said Madam Rahmah, 55.

She is one of the thousands of workers who have contributed in their own small way to the progress of the country.

And yesterday, outgoing labour chief Lim Swee Say paid tribute to them in his May Day rally speech. He cited some 15 workers who have helped build the country, including Mr Chiam Ah Kow, who reclaimed land at Tuas.

Today, the 71-year-old is a lifting supervisor, mentoring new staff at PPL Shipyard.

He decided to take a course in lifting because operating a crane or forklift was considered skilled labour that paid more.

"I had a family, and I was worried about feeding them for the long term," he said. "Reclaiming land was very hard work, and I was not sure I could do it for long."

Mr Chiam was among the various "ordinary workers with extraordinary spirit", said Mr Lim.

He said: "As a workforce, we must uphold the fighting spirit and courage of our pioneers... and keep moving forward together as one new economy, one renewed workforce."

The reason for Singapore's success - "where many others have failed" - is tripartism, said Mr Lim.

This year's May Day is also special because it marks the creation of a new set of tripartite leaders.

At the Singapore National Employers Federation, Dr Robert Yap took over from Mr Stephen Lee.

Mr Chan Chun Sing, who is currently deputy secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), will take on the role of labour chief on Monday.

Meanwhile, Mr Lim will move from NTUC to be the new Manpower Minister - a position previously held by Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, the current Social and Family Development Minister.

Dr Yap said: "We have a nice tripartite relationship. We get together all the time, we speak to each other and tell our issues and problems."

May Day fun and revelry for 14,000 at Istana open house
The Straits Times, 2 May 2015

ABOUT 14,000 people queued for up to two hours to visit the Istana during the open house on Labour Day yesterday.

Nature lovers marvelled at the rare flowers on the grounds of the President's official residence, while some squeezed in a national education lesson.

Mrs Carol Quek, 35, said her 62-year-old mother learnt the significance of the Presidential standard. An all-red flag featuring a crescent and five stars, it is used to signify the presence of the President when he is in Singapore.

"When she caught sight of the signboard explaining what it meant, she lit up," Mrs Quek said.

At 4pm, when President Tony Tan Keng Yam and his wife greeted visitors, they were welcomed with an energetic samba dance by the People's Association.

Other performances included a recital by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, which was sponsored by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) as part of its SPH Gift of Music series.

The Istana opens its doors to the public during Chinese New Year, Labour Day, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, National Day and Deepavali.

Meanwhile, the labour movement kicked off its May Day Fiesta with a night of fun at Universal Studios Singapore.

This year, the annual event will last three days to mark SG50. Some 35,000 union members and their families and friends get exclusive use of the theme park from 5pm to midnight.

The Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC) was also busy last night, organising four celebration events for 18,000 migrant workers. Those at Penjuru Recreation Centre were treated to dance and magic performances and a lucky draw. MWC chairman Yeo Guat Kwang was the guest of honour.

Three other events were held at Soon Lee Recreation Centre, Kaki Bukit Recreation Centre and Woodlands Recreation Centre.

The festivities aim to recognise migrant workers as an integral part of Singapore's workforce and make them feel appreciated, said Mr Yeo.

PM: Further rise in wages hinges on productivity
Fresh approach needed, hence the push to make SkillsFuture a reality
By Toh Yong Chuan, Manpower Correspondent, The Straits Times, 1 May 2015

WAGES may be rising in a tight labour market but they could stagnate or even fall back if productivity does not catch up, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

With the economy maturing and facing tight resource constraints, Singaporeans will need to get used to the idea of slow growth.

"Our economy grew by 2.9 per cent last year. This year we expect between 2 per cent and 4 per cent," said Mr Lee. "We have to get used to slower growth than before, because our economy is more mature, and we have tightened up on foreign manpower."

While growth may be slower, Mr Lee indicated in his annual May Day message released yesterday that Singapore cannot afford to take its eyes off it.

"We must still be concerned with growth, because that is how we can afford to invest in healthcare, education and our people."

To overcome the limitations the economy is facing, Singapore has to push ahead with productivity and innovation, he said. But Mr Lee warned that productivity growth is moving "too slowly".

This is partly the result of an unsettled world economy and the fact that Singapore's "previous strategy is reaching its limits".

"Wages have been rising in the tight labour market, but this is not sustainable. If productivity continues to stagnate, after a while so will wages, which may even fall back," he said.

"We need a fresh approach. This is why we are working hard to make SkillsFuture a reality."

During the annual Budget debate this year, the Government announced the SkillsFuture Credit account scheme for all Singaporeans, with every citizen aged 25 or older receiving an initial $500 grant which they can use to attend training courses.

Mr Lee said that the Government is taking the lead but "for SkillsFuture to take off, everyone has to play his part".

Workers need to take charge of their development and career, he said, adding that the Government is working with educational institutions and employers to create more learning opportunities and skill certification programmes.

Turning to employers, Mr Lee said: "Employers must support their workers and where possible, grant time off to attend training.

"As workers upgrade their skills, employers should re-design and update their jobs to make good use of the new skills, and recognise and reward workers who contribute more," Mr Lee urged.

A key ingredient to making SkillsFuture a success is the strong three-way partnership between the Government, employers and unions.

"Unity is our biggest strength," said Mr Lee. "Nowhere else in the world do government, employers and workers work closely together, give and take and create win-win outcomes out of difficult circumstances."

Mr Lee will speak to some 3,500 union leaders, employers and government officials on tripartism in his annual address to workers at the May Day Rally at The Star Performing Arts Centre in Buona Vista today.

Britons grill party chiefs about post-election deals

May 4, 2015, 12:13 am

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Voters demand to know what their plans are if no party wins majority
The Straits Times, 2 May 2015

LONDON - A feisty audience grilled Britain's political leaders over what deals and compromises could be in store after a close election expected to produce a hung parliament next week.

The final leaders' television event before the May 7 vote saw Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, Labour Party leader Ed Miliband and Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg questioned by ordinary Britons in Leeds in northern England.

The BBC TV audience demanded that the leaders lay out their plans if no party won a majority, as polls suggest, pressing them on which manifesto promises were non-negotiable "red lines".

"I'm going to spend the next seven days flat out for victory, and if enough people watching this programme back at home back me, we can have that victory and have the whole manifesto rather than having it bartered away in a darkened room," Mr Cameron said on the programme on Thursday.

Holding a referendum on whether Britain should remain a member of the European Union would be his "red line" if he had to negotiate with other parties to form a government, he said.

"The British people really deserve a referendum on the EU," Mr Cameron said. "I would not lead a government that did not contain that pledge."

He insisted that the Labour Party could not be trusted to run Britain's economy, and brandished a letter left in the Treasury from the outgoing Labour government in 2010 reading: "I'm afraid there is no money. Kind regards - and good luck!"

Mr Miliband dismissed the letter as a "prop" and told the audience that he believed in a country which had "one rule for all, not one rule for the rich and powerful and another for everybody else". He also ruled out a deal with the Scottish National Party (SNP) in order to form a government - something its pro-independence leader has put on the table as the party looks set to take most of Scotland's seats.

"If it meant we weren't going to be in government not doing a coalition, not having a deal, then so be it," Mr Miliband said.

A snap Guardian/ICM poll showed that the most viewers - 44 per cent - thought Mr Cameron had done best in the event, followed by 38 per cent for Mr Miliband. Mr Clegg was third with 19 per cent.

Mr Clegg, who has been in coalition with the centre-right Conservatives since the previous election did not return a one-party majority in 2010, argued that his Liberal Democrats would be the best partner for either the Conservatives or Labour.

The BBC's Poll of Polls shows the Conservatives on 34 per cent support and Labour on 33 per cent, with seat calculators showing that neither is likely to win enough seats to rule alone.

The SNP is predicted to become the third-biggest party.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

What happens if there's no winner

HERE'S what will happen if neither of the two main parties wins a majority:

- NEGOTIATIONS: The Conservatives and Labour will negotiate with smaller parties about teaming up. The talks could last two weeks or even longer, experts say, raising the prospect of instability in the financial markets due to the uncertainty.

- QUEEN'S SPEECH: The first big step for a new government is usually the Queen's Speech on May 27 when the Queen gives a speech written by the government outlining its legislative programme. Lawmakers debate the speech for several days.

There is then a vote which is traditionally seen as a vote of confidence in the government.

If the new government loses, it and the new prime minister would typically be expected to resign.

- WILL IT LAST? Even if the new government survives the Queen's Speech, it is not necessarily out of danger. If a government loses a confidence vote, an alternative government must be formed within 14 days or another election is held.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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Malaysia hunting for 63 suspected ISIS recruits

May 4, 2015, 12:42 am

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Civil servants and women among those identified, say police
The Straits Times, 2 May 2015

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian police have identified a further 63 people believed to be recruits of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group, following the arrest of 12 suspected members, the New Straits Times reported yesterday.

Police are now hunting for the 63 suspects, the paper quoted Special Branch counter-terrorism division director Ayub Khan Mydin Pitchay as saying.

He said the police had estimated that more than 80 Malaysians had joined ISIS in Syria.

He told reporters that seven civil servants were among the 63 identified. And of the 63, nine were women.

Police last week arrested 12 suspected militants who were believed to be making and testing home-made bombs with the intent to attack sites that included the administrative capital Putrajaya and the federal Parliament in Kuala Lumpur.

The government has said it will use all available measures, including intercepting phone messages, as it tries to hunt down the remaining members of the suspected terror cell.

In an emerging trend, ISIS is targeting military personnel for recruitment in Malaysia, as the men are trained fighters who will be an asset to its cause, a senior Malaysian counter-terrorism source warned.

"Military personnel have access to weapons, military locations and plans. They are also trained to fight. This is a dangerous trend not just in Malaysia but also all over the world," the source told The Straits Times.

To date, the Malaysian authorities have not found police personnel who have been co-opted by ISIS, the source said.

"Of course, I can never say never because the possibility is always there that, one day, police personnel may be recruited," the source added.

The warning comes as the Malaysian navy admitted earlier this week that several of its men had been found to be involved with ISIS.

Last month, two air force personnel were among 17 people arrested for suspected links to the militant group.

To date, a total of 107 people - among them civil servants, businessmen and students - have been arrested for alleged ISIS links.

ISIS also appears to appeal to professionals and administrators, whom it needs to achieve its goal of setting up an Islamic state.

Calling this worrying, Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna, head of policy studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told The Straits Times: "My concern is twofold: First, ISIS seems to be succeeding in attracting relatively qualified people and, second, such educated people are buying into ISIS' religiously legitimated vision enough to join."

ISIS 'eyeing military men in Malaysia'
Expert warns against emerging trend of recruiting men with access to arms
By Amy Chew, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015

IN AN emerging trend, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is targeting military personnel for recruitment in Malaysia, as the men are trained fighters who will be an asset to the cause, a senior Malaysian counter-terrorism source warned.

"Military personnel have access to weapons, military locations and plans. They are also trained to fight. This is a dangerous trend not just in Malaysia but also all over the world," the source told The Straits Times.

To date, the Malaysian authorities have not found police personnel who have been co-opted by ISIS, the source said.

"Of course, I can never say never, because the possibility is always there that, one day, police personnel may be recruited," the source added.

The warning comes as the Malaysian navy admitted earlier this week that several of its men were found to be involved with ISIS.

Last year, a Malaysian navy officer was among three men arrested for being part of a militant group planning to undertake suicide bombings in Syria and Iraq.

Earlier this month, two air force personnel were among 17 people arrested for suspected links to ISIS.

Analysts say that it is a "serious security crisis" when military personnel join militant groups.

"When people who are supposed to be guardians of the nation decide to join terrorist organisations such as IS (Islamic State or ISIS) and Jabhat al-Nusra (Al-Qaeda in Syria), then it is not just a matter of concern, but a serious security crisis," said Dr Bilveer Singh, who has studied terrorism in South-east Asia for 30 years.

Noting that former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was assassinated by army officers, and former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi by her bodyguards, Dr Singh said the present situation portends a threat of this nature for Malaysia.

The Malaysian army is monitoring the situation via its investigation and intelligence division, Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Bakri told Parliament early this month. To date, a total of 107 people - among them civil servants, businessmen and students - have been arrested for alleged ISIS links.

Dr Singh sees the arrests as a sign of growing support for ISIS in Malaysia. He also cautioned against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's attacks against Prime Minister Najib Razak, as these may send the wrong signal.

"The recent arrests are merely part of the IS momentum in Malaysia. If the counter-terrorism officials are not careful, a terrible tragedy can befall... especially at a time when the Malaysian government is riddled with differences brought about by the ill-advised Mahathir challenge against Najib. (This) weakens the government and sends the wrong signal to the terrorists that the Najib government is fair game for attack," said Dr Singh.

Malaysian volunteers to act as informers
Rela volunteers tasked with monitoring terror suspects' movements and informing police
The Sunday Times, 3 May 2015

Permatang Pauh (Penang) - Malaysia's volunteer corps, also known as Rela, will be placed at all "rat trails" to flush out terrorists in Malaysia, said Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, according to local media.

Rela volunteers would act as informers to the police and other enforcement agencies, the New Straits Times reported yesterday.

Malaysia, a popular transit point for foreign militants heading to the Middle East to join the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has been on high alert against terrorist threats, and succeeded in foiling a few plots to attack targets inside the country.

Datuk Seri Zahid said Rela would be tasked with monitoring illegal routes and feeding police with the whereabouts of individuals or groups involved in terrorism, the Bernama news agency reported.

While Malaysia's entry and exit points on land, sea and air are controlled by enforcement agencies, there is a need to monitor illegal routes, he added.

"Rela members, numbering 2.98 million, are instructed to monitor these areas so that nobody can escape entering or exiting to a second or third country supposedly for a cause," the report quoted Dr Zahid as telling reporters at a gathering with Rela volunteers yesterday.

The move, he said, is to ensure that Malaysian terrorists who are now outside Malaysia would be prosecuted and charged upon their return to the country.

The government does not want Malaysians who allegedly went to fight the "jihad" in Syria to return, he added.

"Surveillance is being carried out. Any individuals, groups or organisations that organise any courses or training, or try to make home-made weapons or bombs will not escape from the hands of the law taken by the enforcement agencies, particularly the police," said Dr Zahid.

He noted that Rela "has its responsibility" under the powers of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota), which allows for indefinite detention without trial. The Pota is currently awaiting royal assent to be gazetted.

Since April 2013, 107 people have been nabbed for alleged ISIS links.

Last month, police captured 12 suspected militants who were believed to be making and testing home-made bombs with the intent to attack sites that included the administrative capital Putrajaya and the federal Parliament in Kuala Lumpur.

Police are now hunting for 63 suspects, including seven civil servants, who are thought to be recruits of ISIS.

Special Branch counter-terrorism division director Ayub Khan Mydin Pitchay said police have estimated that more than 80 Malaysians have joined ISIS in Syria.

KL pulling out all stops in hunt for bomb plotters
Phone taps on the cards; ISIS trying to 'influence' military personnel
By Shannon Teoh, Malaysia Correspondent, In Kuala Lumpur, The Straits Times, 29 Apr 2015

MALAYSIA will use all measures at its disposal, including intercepting phone messages, as it tries to nail down the remaining members of a terror cell that plotted to bomb strategic targets in the Klang Valley.

The capital city has been put on heightened security alert since 12 men linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were nabbed with large amounts of explosive materials at the weekend.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed in Parliament yesterday that the administrative capital of Putrajaya as well as the federal Parliament were targeted by the men, aged 17 to 41.

A senior counter-terrorism source told The Straits Times yesterday that the suspects were all "clean skins", meaning they had no previous criminal records, thus making detection difficult.

Datuk Seri Zahid told reporters later that even some prison wardens and military personnel had been influenced by militant Islamism.

"Under our enforcement of preventive laws, surveillance is done on all information through all online channels. We are not persecuting such a person. We are looking at the contents of his Telegram, WhatsApp, MMS, SMS and other data," he said in the Senate.

Although he did not explicitly mention phone taps, Malaysia has laws allowing for it. An amendment to the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act passed last week allows information gleaned from such surveillance to be used as evidence in court.

The minister also said the controversial use of electronic monitoring devices to track terror suspects would begin in July.

Since April 2013, 107 people have been nabbed over terror links, and they will be required to wear the devices if they are placed under restricted residence and no longer under indefinite detention. The newly approved Prevention of Terrorism Act allows for indefinite detention without trial.

The move comes as the Malaysian Navy admitted that several of its personnel were found to be involved with ISIS.

Analysts say ISIS is keen to recruit military and civil service personnel because they have easy access to firearms and ammunition, classified information as well as entry to high-security areas like Parliament.

ISIS also appears to appeal to professionals and administrators, whom it needs to help achieve its goal of setting up an Islamic state.

Calling this worrying, Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna, head of policy studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said: "My concern is twofold: First, ISIS seems to be succeeding in attracting relatively qualified people, and second, such educated people are buying into ISIS' religiously legitimated vision enough to join."

The 12 men were caught with items, including about 20kg each of ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate, which are used to make bombs, an ISIS flag, two remote controls, three PVC pipes and equipment believed to be used to produce explosives.

Besides confirming that navy officers were among the 107 arrested in the past two years, Mr Zahid also revealed that seven prison guards had become sympathisers of militant groups after they were influenced by terror suspects who had been held for years under the Internal Security Act before it was repealed in 2012.

"We have rehabilitated them (prison wardens) and they are now still on duty. The person (Islamic militant) involved, we have isolated him and moved him to a different prison," he said.

Additional reporting by Amy Chew

12 militant suspects flew under the radar
ISIS-linked group arrested in Malaysia had no criminal records
By Amy Chew, Regional Correspondent In Kuala Lumpur, The Straits Times, 29 Apr 2015

LIKE shadows moving around undetected among the population, the 12 militant suspects arrested over the weekend were "clean skins", potential attackers with a clean record who flew under the radar of security officials.

"The 12 men who were arrested are from a new cell. There is no (criminal) record on any of them and they flew under our radar," a senior counter-terrorism source told The Straits Times.

"And if there is no (intelligence) on such militants, how are we going to disrupt them? We need to broaden our intelligence collection," said the source.

Malaysia's Special Branch counter- terrorism division arrested the 12 men linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) last Saturday and Sunday. One of the men was arrested in Cheras district. The remaining 11 were on their way up Gunung Nuang - the highest peak in Selangor state - to assemble a bomb when they were arrested.

The 2005 London bombing was carried out by four "clean skin" British militants, who detonated four bombs aboard the city's underground trains across the country, killing 52 people.

According to counter-terrorism analysts, clean skins pose a significant security threat as they are typically unknown to the authorities until something happens.

"A lot of them have no past records. No one is aware of their existence and the threats they pose until something happens," said Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna, head of policy studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

The men had plans to attack government buildings in the administrative capital of Putrajaya and in Kuala Lumpur, as well as police stations across the country.

Malaysia became a target for attacks by the militants when a senior member of the cell failed to make it to Syria.

The militant was then told by a Malaysian in Syria to launch attacks in Malaysia instead.

"The senior member of the cell was stopped at the northern Malaysian border and could not go to Syria. His Malaysian contact in Syria then told him to carry out attacks in Malaysia," said the counter-terrorism source.

"They had wanted to make a big show of the attacks," the source added.

Police seized more than 20kg each of ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate, as well as other bomb-making paraphernalia such as PVC pipes and nails.

"All the materials, bought in the open market, could make five to six bombs," the source said.

When the police swooped in on the men, they were hiking up the hill with the explosive materials, which they intended to use to assemble bombs at the peak.

"The men were carrying 2kg to 3kg of materials each during the four-hour hike," said the source.

Prof Ramakrisna said there was a need for the broader community to play a role in helping to detect clean skins in society.

"It is important for families, friends and teachers to play a role in keeping an eye out for young people who suddenly develop extremist religious beliefs and views on Syria and Iraq. The same goes for their views on what's happening in Malaysia and Indonesia."

Young Indonesians and Malaysians who fall under the influence of ISIS consider their respective governments to be infidel states as they are not ruled by a Constitution based on syariah, or Islamic law.

Dallas Buyers Club: Threatening subscribers won't stop piracy

May 4, 2015, 1:01 am

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By Harish Pillay And Ang Peng Hwa, Published The Straits Times, 1 May 2015

THE current case of Internet users being hounded for allegedly downloading the Dallas Buyers Club movie is an example of a shotgun approach to legal tactics that can only backfire.

We, at the Internet Society, believe that the current case presents a good chance to reflect on some developments for future improvements in the protection of intellectual property rights in a world of sharing, streaming and downloading, where innocent Internet users can continue to use the Internet without fear.

To be clear, we agree that illegal downloading of copyrighted material cannot be condoned. Such infringement deprives creators of their just rewards for their creative works.

If creators are not suitably incentivised to create content for the rest of us, we would soon be left watching only videos of cute kittens and baby antics.

The Dallas Buyers Club case, however, raises alarm about the threatened penalties for infringement. We advise that these tactics will not be effective for three reasons.

- THE COURTS NEED TO PROTECT INNOCENT SUBSCRIBERS

WHENEVER such letters demand details from multiple subscribers, the court should play a supervisory role. In Australia, a court allowed disclosure of subscriber details, but required letters to be issued under supervision of the court.

In Singapore, we have a similar court process for the disclosure of subscriber details known as preaction discovery. In a 2004 case, Justice Belinda Ang ruled "the court had a duty to ensure that any application for pre-action discovery was not frivolous or speculative and that the applicant was not on a fishing expedition".

The courts already require a supervising solicitor to be present when injunctions or search orders are issued - to ensure that orders are properly carried out.

In a wide action such as this, involving the details of a substantial number of individuals, the courts and other regulatory bodies such as the Law Society can take an active role in ensuring that this information does not fall into the wrong hands and is not wrongly exposed. This will especially protect the personal details and privacy of innocent Internet users.

Some commentators have queried whether three days given in the letters was sufficient time for a lay person to respond, and whether lawyers were permitted to allege the commission of criminal offences or to threaten criminal proceedings. The letters viewed by members of the Internet Society had hinted at the possibility of criminal sanction as a result of sections 136(3) and 136(3A) of the Copyright Act. We hope that the Law Society will advise whether it is appropriate to do so when the letters do not present facts that show these alleged criminal offences.

- SUBSCRIBERS ARE NOT THE SAME AS DOWNLOADERS

FROM reading a sample of letters sent to subscribers, we note that the copyright owners have been unable to ascertain whether the subscriber is the person committing the acts of infringement, or whether the acts complained of were of downloading, sharing or both.

The distinction is crucial. Where the acts complained of include sharing, then the prevailing view is that Section 136(3) might come into play. However, when the act is merely downloading, the position is less clear, even though it might constitute infringement.

Even more critical is the difference between a subscriber and an infringer. A subscriber of an Internet service may not be an infringer; it could be his friend who was allowed to use his network on the understanding that no illegal activities were to be carried out, or someone unknown who obtained access through an unsecured Wi-Fi network.

There is no legal precedent to suggest subscribers are liable merely for acts committed on their Internet accounts. In fact, it flies against the exceptions in the Electronic Transactions Act and the Copyright Act, which give exemption from civil and criminal liability to network service providers who merely provide technical means to access Internet content to persons they do not have control over.

The liability of intermediaries is an important concept of the Internet in properly allocating liability and it is crucial to clearly demarcate that subscribers who are not infringers should not be automatically liable for infringing acts of others.

- EASY ACCESS TO MOVIES IS BETTER AT BEATING PIRACY THAN SUING

ACCESS to good content is one area where copyright owners need to do better. Singapore is a tiny and troublesome market for content owners because of our censorship system. But with the Internet reducing the costs of distribution and customisation, there is no good reason for content owners to restrict distribution of contents to Singapore. If Singaporeans have easy and cheap access to premium content streamed at HD quality, few would want to consume a low-quality copy. And with the Asean Economic Community becoming a reality by the end of the year, might it not make sense to look at distributing content to all 10 markets based on the censorship standards of Singapore? Already, movie studios based in Singapore have found a welcoming market in China because the Chinese feel our censorship standards are comparable to theirs.

Internet users, especially the younger ones, are used to the idea of FREE. Free games, free chats, free contents. More effort needs to be expended to educate Internet users that content is not cheap to produce. And good-quality content is even more expensive to produce. If they want to continue to enjoy access to great content, they must play their part to sustain the ecosystem that produces the content they want.

Education is also key not only in reducing copyright infringement, but also in empowering Internet users to know their rights. Three days is insufficient to seek the necessary legal and other advice to respond. Cases like this are rare and more knowledge of legal rights could level the playing field.

Challenge to IP owners

FINALLY, the Internet Society would like to restate our stand that we fully respect and support protection of intellectual property (IP) rights. It is arguable that the Internet would not have come into being and flourish without a strong system protecting intellectual property.

But the Internet is also a very powerful and fast disruptor of existing business, production and distribution models. Incumbents who are seeing their market share and profits eroded because of the Internet should not seek to hold on by using shotgun approaches. Instead, they will benefit the most if they embrace the innovation and disruption by taking on the competition head-on.

So, the Internet Society's challenge to all intellectual property owners out there is this: Stop spending your shareholders' precious investment on legal actions which will not actually advance your interests, but merely stifle the widespread Internet use that could build your future business.

Instead, build a more solid business by using the money on more research and development to better understand your customers' needs and figure out a way to delight them using the technologies of today and the future.

Harish Pillay is the president and Professor Ang Peng Hwa is the vice-president of the Internet Society Singapore Chapter - isoc.sg

Access and education key to IP protection
By Bryan Ghows, Published The Straits Times, 1 May 2015

THE recent furore over Dallas Buyers Club is not new. In 2007, there was an uproar over similar actions taken out by Odex against members of the public for downloading anime. In the 1990s, there was similar outrage.

Looking back on the last 20 years of enforcing intellectual property (IP) rights, six key themes are apparent:

- It's hard to beat free;

- Convenience and speed trump all;

- Technology wins;

- There is a lack of education on the value of IP;

- IP rights holders tend to be heavy handed in enforcement; and

- IP rights holders have better ways to improve profits and reduce piracy than resorting to legal action.

1 It's hard to beat free

There will always be some who will never pay for digital content, even if it is practically free. However, the financial success of numerous digital content providers shows that many are prepared to pay a reasonable fee for content, provided that it is easy to purchase, available on demand and on the device of their choosing, and accessible 24/7.

2 Convenience and speed trump all

Legitimate platforms like Netflix, Apple TV and Hulu have been developed to deliver content on-demand across most devices. Their pricing is affordable and reasonable for a large consumer base who would prefer to do the right thing and pay rather than risk the consequences of piracy. There are many who would prefer paying for a legitimate copy of Dallas Buyers Club - US$14.99 (S$19.80) on iTunes - than risk legal action by downloading a copy.

Yet, Singapore consumers find many obstacles in jumping on this bandwagon. This is due to sophisticated licensing networks limiting local distribution. Anyone over the age of 20 will remember how popular TV shows were shown when they ended their run overseas. Likewise, many movies were released weeks, sometimes months, after their US premiere.

But as Singapore consumers became increasingly unwilling to be patient, piracy came in to fill the gap. To their credit, movie distributors now release major movies on the same weekend as their global premieres. Likewise, StarHub and Singtel release certain TV episodes within 24 hours of the US.

Despite these small victories, in a culture where information is available on-demand, there is a conspicuous void here. In the US, you can watch almost any movie on-demand on Netflix or Hulu. Why are we denied this service? Presumably because rights holders have placed restrictions on Hulu's distribution. I can set up a VPN to spoof a US IP address, but why should I go through the trouble and expense? Shouldn't rights holders take proactive steps to broaden their licences when there are consumers willing to pay?

3 Technology wins

The digitisation of music destroyed the music distribution structure I knew as a teenager. Titans like Tower Records and HMV succumbed to the digital onslaught. However, digitisation also opened up an infinite range of music previously unobtainable in Singapore. Steve Jobs had the market force to change music distribution with iTunes. Spotify changed the game further with its "freemium" music streaming service.

These did not happen without massive resistance from the music industry, but technology placed in the hands of consumers always wins. It's better to get some money through legitimate licensing than no money because of piracy.

4 Lack of education on IP

Content creators need to make a living and piracy has the potential to deprive some of a livelihood. One movie download may not significantly impact a studio's revenue, but when replicated multiple times, it severely damages the industry ecosystem.

5 IP rights holders still tend to be heavy handed in enforcement

Having had the experience of suing many infringers, I firmly believe legal enforcement should be limited to the minority who consistently do not respect the right of creators to earn a living.

Making examples of individuals who are not hardcore infringers tends to undermine and distract from the argument that IP should be respected. In recognition of this impact, a "three strikes" law has been implemented in some countries and reflects the "proportionality of punishment".

Threatening a fine "not exceeding $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both" is sub-optimal if the educational groundwork has not been laid and is not targeted at persistent "offenders".

6 There are better ways

Rights holders of digital content need to re-think their business models. IP blocking and legal enforcement are little more than a finger in the dyke when technology is constantly evolving to bypass these efforts.

In short, I advocate for a more nuanced and graduated approach in protecting IP rights in Singapore and request rights holders to make available more digital content at a reasonable fee.

The writer is a lawyer in private practice focusing on intellectual property and technology matters.

Dream lives on with daughter's liver donation

May 4, 2015, 1:11 am

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By Sanjay Nair, The Sunday Times, 3 May 2015

For more than a decade, Mr Zainol Abidin Omar's life was one of routine, repetition and respect for Singapore football.

As a kit man, or equipment manager, first at the Singapore Sports School, then for the national Under-23 team, he looked after the jerseys, set up the training equipment and offered fatherly advice to the likes of Shahfiq Ghani, Shakir Hamzah and Al-Qaasimy Rahman.

A constant but often unnoticed presence on the touchlines, "Encik Zainol" - as the players called him - watched them grow from wide-eyed kids to full internationals. It was close to a dream job for the 56-year-old former semi-professional player.

Then tragedy struck in February last year. He had frequent spells of vomiting blood and dizziness, but was afraid to tell anyone - even his wife of 32 years, Roswati.

His health worsened and, in June, he was diagnosed with liver cancer. Doctors gave him six months to live.

"My liver was gone but my heart broke as well - I don't drink, I don't smoke, I felt I didn't deserve this," an emotional Mr Zainol, who has five children and three grandchildren, told The Sunday Times.

"The first thing on my mind was 'Who would take care of my family?'. My second thought was 'I'm not going to be able to see the Under-23s play at the SEA Games'."

He lost 10kg as he underwent chemotherapy. Too weak to even walk at times, he was forced to step away from football and his part-time transport business.

To keep his spirits up, he would look through three thick photo albums of past Young Lions matches and overseas trips.

Then he got his life back again. Ms Nurul Jannah, 25, one of his four daughters, was found to be a suitable organ donor and readily agreed to give 70 per cent of her liver to her ailing father.

"It was not a difficult decision. I would do anything to see him happy, just as he has done for us," said the administrative assistant.

The operation at National University Hospital in March went without a hitch, and Mr Zainol's cancer is now in remission. He was spurred on by bedside visits from former internationals, such as Fandi Ahmad and R. Suriamurthi, and the entire Young Lions squad.

"They said 'Encik, we know all you are thinking about is returning to football but, please, take care of yourself first'," he said with a smile.

He was discharged on his 56th birthday on March 18 - less than two weeks after the transplant. Within a month and against doctors' advice, he was back in the dressing room.

"It's a huge morale booster for the team to see Encik Zainol back and healthy," said Al-Qaasimy, captain of the Singapore U-23s, who are gunning for SEA Games gold next month. "With someone as passionate and committed as him around, we know we are in good hands."

Aside from the scar across his stomach, Mr Zainol shows little signs of his ordeal and has resumed light exercise. But he has to take 14 pills a day.

The best treatment, he said, arrives at 6pm each day on a football field when the team starts training.

"There was a time when I thought I would never be able to be part of the team again," he said. "Every day I live is a bonus."

Glut of law grads: 'Problem, what problem?'

May 4, 2015, 1:28 am

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Situation is 'clearly positive' for law firms, says Law Society president
By K.C. Vijayan, Senior Law Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 May 2015

LAW Society president Thio Shen Yi has weighed in on the discussion about the oversupply of law graduates, arguing that this was not a problem but a boon for those running law firms.

"I'm probably going to make myself extremely unpopular for saying this, but from the perspective of the legal profession - problem, what problem?" he wrote in the current issue (April 2015) of the society's Law Gazette publication.

"We are actually quite sanguine about the situation as it has become an employer's market," he added.

This was unlike the case about 10 years ago when the four largest firms could absorb the entire local cohort of lawyers, who were then only from the National University of Singapore, he said.

His remarks come at a time when there are more law graduates than training places in law firms.

Law graduates have to undergo training at these firms, among other things, before they can become lawyers.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Law had announced that the the number of British universities whose graduates are accepted for legal practice in Singapore will be reduced from 19 to 11.

The law graduate surplus had caused much "collective angst and gnashing of teeth", and this "cocktail of insecurity" was further stirred by the delisting of some British law schools, noted Mr Thio.

He accepted that the current supply of potential lawyers was greater than demand but said it did not necessarily mean that there will be a surplus of lawyers in future.

He noted the profession took in up to 500 new lawyers annually, based on the growth of law firms as well as attrition involving those who do not renew their practising certificates.

But he pointed to several factors that may alleviate the issue of oversupply, such as a lower starting pay, which could lead to higher demand from law firms.

There could also be increased demand from smaller firms, increased demand for legal services or more global players setting up shop in Singapore, among other things.

"To those running law firms, this increased supply is clearly positive and wholly welcomed," he said.

"For the law graduate, things just got tough, but you still control your own destiny."

Agreeing, Mr K. Chandra Sekaran, a lawyer and managing partner of a small legal firm, said those who are good will make it as lawyers anyway despite the greater number of law graduates.

His firm had received about 35 applications last year and 20 this year from law graduates at home and abroad for training contracts, relatively high numbers for a small firm.

Meanwhile, the Law Society is making more efforts to reach out to the public.

Its latest move is to start a Twitter account (https://twitter.com/LawSocietySG) to enhance its outreach.

"This will enable you to receive regular and timely updates on news that concerns you," the society told members.

Columbia Law School graduate Jonathan Wang thought he'd work for a big law firm and make $160,000 a year. Today, he is living a life far different than the one he envisioned.
Posted by The New York Times on Monday, April 27, 2015

Jobless rate dips in Jan-March quarter

May 4, 2015, 1:51 am

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Strong data reflects full employment, but only 300 new jobs added
By Janice Heng, The Sunday Times, 3 May 2015

Unemployment has dipped in the first quarter of the year, with fewer layoffs in a tight labour market. The overall rate fell to 1.8 per cent in March, down from 1.9 last December.

Among citizens, the unemployment rate was at its lowest in nearly eight years, falling to 2.6 per cent. There was a similar drop among residents. Around 3,624,200 people had jobs here in March, up 2.9 per cent from a year ago.

But preliminary figures released by the Manpower Ministry (MOM) yesterday also showed that job growth was at its weakest since the second quarter of 2009.

Just 300 jobs were added in the first three months of this year, which left some economists surprised and worried while others believed this was a one-off as firms take stock in the first quarter.

The 300 figure is just 1 per cent of the 28,300 jobs added in the first quarter of last year, and even less when compared to the 40,700 jobs created between October and December. In recent years, Singapore has averaged around 30,000 new jobs each quarter.

"Even if 3,000 jobs were added, it would have been on the very, very low end," said UOB economist Francis Tan of the latest figure.

MOM explained that slower job growth "is not uncommon" in the first quarter, as seasonal workers hired for the festive season leave. The slowdown was bigger this year because of a "large decline in the retail, F&B and cleaning industries", it added.

Employment in the services sector grew by 9,300, but it was still a 60 per cent drop from the 24,900 jobs added in the same period a year ago.

Manufacturing lost 6,400 jobs amid weakening exports.

Ms Femke Hellemons, country manager for Adecco Singapore, said that the sector is still going through restructuring to rely less on labour and focus more on productivity and high-end products.

Jobs in the construction sector also shrank by 2,800, the first quarterly decline since 2004.

This might be due to the continued impact of foreign labour curbs, said economists.

Overall, a shortage of both foreign and local labour partly explains the huge fall in job growth, said economists. Companies have vacancies but cannot fill them, said DBS economist Irvin Seah.

In a Facebook post, Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin also said the figures were "early signs of the slowing growth of local labour force", which means that firms must do with fewer workers.

But Singapore Business Federation chief operating officer Victor Tay hopes more information will be released to explain the numbers.

"Is it supply issues of a shortage of local manpower, or that our economic engine has changed fundamentally in job creation? We need more information on how much of it was job losses, firms hiring less, or firms leaving (these shores)," he said.

Barclays economist Leong Wai Ho thinks the plunge is more likely to be a one-off, and would only worry if the number continued to be so low in the next quarter.

"I don't think there's a need to be too concerned because the economy is at full employment at the moment," he said.

Despite the drop in unemployment and redundancies, Manpower Minister Tan struck a note of caution.

"We will see fluctuations as our economy restructures and it can be painful. You will have redundancies increasing from time to time.

"But when companies stay competitive and viable, we continue to generate good opportunities for our Singaporeans."

Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing, who becomes head of the labour movement tomorrow, said the focus should be on long-term trends rather than quarterly figures.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a National Trades Union Congress event yesterday, he added: "The longer-term trends that NTUC is monitoring closely is not just the number of jobs that are being created, but also the quality of jobs."