New Zealand court: CPF payouts treated as pension in the country

November 7, 2017, 10:43 pm

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By K.C. Vijayan, Senior Law Correspondent, The Straits Times, 7 Nov 2017

When a Singaporean living in New Zealand as a permanent resident had his pension benefits cut there, he took the case to court.

Mr Tan Kong Hwee, whose age was not stated, felt that New Zealand's Ministry of Social Development (MSD) should not have deducted S$668 per month from his pension, which is called superannuation.

MSD had done it because he had received NZ$2,219 (S$2,085) in total, in a series of payouts from the Central Provident Fund (CPF) in Singapore. The cuts in the superannuation payouts matched monies he had received from his CPF account. Earlier last month, a three-judge appeals court in New Zealand dismissed Mr Tan's claim that MSD should not have considered his CPF payouts in reducing his superannuation benefits.

The court ruled that CPF deposits are treated as a pension or periodic allowance under New Zealand law, and the CPF is a social security system for retirement needs, like a pension. The court also ruled it did not matter that monies are contributions from the wage earner and his employer, and not state-funded.

"The appeal raises an issue of some potential general or public importance to the extent that other Singaporean citizens who are entitled to receive New Zealand superannuation may also be affected by their entitlements under the (CPF) fund," wrote Justice Murray Gilbert on the court's behalf.

MSD figures show that as of March last year, there were 24 Singaporeans in New Zealand who received a total annualised value of NZ$296,825 in superannuation benefits. Also, a total of NZ$92,525 was deducted from their superannuation entitlements because of benefits they received from abroad.

Regular superannuation benefits of prescribed sums are payable to eligible New Zealand citizens or permanent residents over 65. They must have lived there for at least 10 years since they turned 20, five of which must be since they turned 50. The payout is modified according to conditions such as deductions from income earned abroad, including pensions.

Mr Tan, who lived in Singapore for 48 years, became a permanent resident of New Zealand in 2000 and was entitled to superannuation benefits in October 2014. But from November 2015, the MSD deducted S$668 per month from his superannuation payments to take into account the sum he had received from his CPF account. The appeals court noted that the sum was modest and Mr Tan had pursued the case in court on principle, having lost his case before two administrative panels and the country's High Court in April this year.

Mr Tan had argued that CPF monies, unlike superannuation funds, were his own monies. He said he would have received this in one lump sum if he had renounced his Singaporean nationality. He argued that this showed it was not a pension or periodical allowance as held under the relevant New Zealand law.

But the appeals court noted that the CPF showed the features of a pension or periodic allowance, and there was no error in the analysis based on the relevant New Zealand law. It added that the CPF was a mandatory social security savings scheme.

"Nor does it make any difference to the analysis that Mr Tan could have received his full entitlement in a lump sum if he had chosen to relinquish his Singaporean citizenship," said the court.

"He did not take that course and the funds remained subject to administration by the Singapore Government as part of its social security system to meet retirement and other needs."

As of March last year, superannuation payments amounting to some NZ$1.33 billion benefited 83,982 persons settled in New Zealand from more than 25 countries.

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Stories We Sing: Local songwriters, artistes come together to pen 12 new Singapore songs that will be sung in schools

November 7, 2017, 10:49 pm

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Working in harmony to strike chord with students
Songwriters, educators team up to compose songs to enhance music teaching in schools
By Amelia Teng, Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 7 Nov 2017

A new set of 12 songs will soon add to the current repertoire of folk songs sung in schools, such as Di Tanjong Katong and Munnaeru Vaalibaa that many Singaporeans have grown up with.

The songs, which explore aspects of Singapore life, are a fresh wave of local songs - given contemporary twists such as Mandopop and Malay pop rock - meant to help schools in music teaching and learning.

They are composed by a group of seven educators and 12 artists, who teamed up for the first time as part of a project called Stories We Sing. The team includes home-grown names like Cultural Medallion recipients Kelly Tang and Liang Wern Fook.

The project, a collaboration between the Singapore Teachers' Academy for the Arts and the National Arts Council, was launched yesterday at the URA Centre.



It aims to further improve the quality of music teaching and learning in schools with the creation of contemporary songs with a local touch. It includes a book on the songs and a set of 50 lesson ideas for music teachers on concepts such as rhythm and melody.

Six of the songs - meant for upper primary to lower secondary levels - are in English, and two each in the mother tongue languages, Chinese, Malay and Tamil.

Some are about Singapore's urban landscape from East Coast to Telok Blangah, while others are about values, community and traditions.

One of the songs,对手, which means "to be a better me" in Mandarin, inspired by Olympic champion Joseph Schooling's win last year, encourages students to strive towards excellence.

Mandopop lyricist Xiaohan, 43, who wrote the song together with fellow composer Eric Ng, said notions of competition and winning were on her mind, as her daughter prepared for the Primary School Leaving Examination last year.

The duo, who have written songs for top Mandopop stars, including Tanya Chua, Eason Chan and A-Mei, said writing for students was actually "more stressful".

"It was challenging because we are both parents and we are writing for our own children. It has to make a positive impact, it's not just a love song," said Mr Ng, 41, who has a four-year-old daughter. "I'm just waiting for the day my daughter will say 'my limpeh (Hokkien for your father) wrote this song!'"

Mr S. P. Jeyarajadas Pandian, 61, who wrote En Veetiley (Tamil for My Home), said the primary aim of the songs is to teach elements of music such as instrumentation.

"We use the Indian bamboo flute at the start of the song, for instance, to represent sunrise," said the principal master teacher for Tamil language.

Dr Tang, who played a key role in the production of the songs, said: "Our hope is that students can relate to these songs and feel proud that they are written by fellow Singaporeans.

"We are hoping for these songs to be just the beginning, to empower and encourage young people to write their own songs," said the senior academy officer for music at the Singapore Teachers' Academy for the Arts.

The 56-year-old music educator, who collaborated with poet Aaron Lee to compose two songs in the collection, said that while folk songs like Chan Mali Chan are "evergreen and will continue to be embedded in Singapore's consciousness", music is something that evolves.

Ms Lim Hwee Sian, 47, a lead teacher in music who has introduced 对手 in her class of Secondary 2 girls at Cedar Girls' Secondary, said the students, including those who were not Chinese, enjoyed the song because it had a catchy beat.

She plans to use it as a starting activity for more students to learn songwriting from next year.

Tommy Koh: Reflections of an octogenarian

November 7, 2017, 11:02 pm

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Three lessons from a man who helped make Singapore and the world better
By Tommy Koh, Published The Straits Times, 7 Nov 2017

In 1965, when Singapore became independent, the life expectancy here was 67 years.

According to the World Health Organisation, Singapore's current life expectancy of 83.1 years is the third highest in the world, behind Japan (83.7) and Switzerland (83.4).

The increase in our life expectancy over the past 52 years is a reflection of the progress we have made in human welfare, and also because we have a good healthcare system, brilliant doctors and excellent hospitals.

On Nov 12, I will turn 80 and join the Eighties Club whose unofficial chairman is my good friend and lifelong mentor, Professor Wang Gungwu, who is 87.

Straits Times Opinion editor Chua Mui Hoong has asked me to reflect on the past 80 years and to distil some lessons from my life and career for those who are younger. I will try to do so.

LESSON 1

My first observation is that success in life does not depend on who your parents are or the circumstances of your beginning.

Consider the lives of our fourth, sixth and eighth presidents.

President Wee Kim Wee had to leave Raffles Institution after only two years in order to help support his family. His first job was that of a lowly clerk at The Straits Times.

President S R Nathan had a traumatic childhood because his father committed suicide, leaving the family penniless. After being unjustly expelled by two Singapore schools, Mr Nathan ran away to Muar in Malaysia. His first job there was that of an assistant to a Malay hawker in a school canteen.

President Halimah Yacob also had a difficult childhood. Her father died prematurely. She had to wake up early every day to help her mother prepare and sell nasi lemak.

My advice to young Singaporeans, especially those who come from poor or fractured families, is not to be fatalistic and feel defeated. The future is what you make of it. Work hard, think positive and seize the opportunities which come your way.

In your dark moments, feel inspired by the lives of presidents Wee Kim Wee, S R Nathan and Halimah Yacob.

LESSON 2

My second piece of advice to young Singaporeans is to have a positive mindset, be willing to leave your comfort zones and take on new challenges.

The only job I ever applied for in my life was to teach at the NUS Law School. In 1968, when the Singapore Government asked me to leave my comfort zone and become Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, I could have said no.

Many times in my life, I have been asked to take on new challenges, such as negotiating a free trade agreement with the United States, negotiating an agreement with China to establish diplomatic relations between our two countries, establishing the National Arts Council and the Asia Europe Foundation, leading the Institute of Policy Studies think-tank and transforming Singapore's museums. I have always accepted the challenges.

At the international level, I could have said no when I was asked to chair the Law of the Sea Conference and the Earth Summit, chair two dispute panels at the World Trade Organisation or serve as the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to make peace between Russia and its three Baltic neighbours, because the tasks were hard and success was not assured.

I took on all those challenges because I wished to be of service to my country and the world.

My philosophy in life is to have a positive and optimistic mindset and a can-do spirit. Life is a learning journey. I have enjoyed all the jobs given to me.

LESSON 3

My third piece of advice to young Singaporeans is on the importance of making friends and building relationships.

Most of us are social animals. We are happiest when we are in the company of friends, especially old and good friends. We enjoy working as a member of a team rather than as a solo player.

Because of my work, I have made many friends, both in Singapore and in many foreign countries. My friends have brought joy to my life. They have also helped me to succeed in my assignments, especially those involving working with foreign countries or international organisations.

To succeed in life, we need at least three kinds of intelligence, namely, cognitive intelligence, emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence.

Singaporeans are admired for their high cognitive intelligence. We are less admired for our emotional intelligence because we are often perceived as cold, arrogant and condescending.

We must try to change this negative perception by being more modest and humble and more respectful of others. We should always remember that people think with their heads as well as their hearts. If they do not like us, this can become an obstacle in our work. Our ambition should be to win the hearts and minds of our regional neighbours and other interlocutors.

Why is cultural intelligence important? It is important because it helps us to understand our foreign friends better and to manage our relations with them more smoothly and effectively.

When I was asked to chair the first Asia-Middle East Dialogue in 2005, I spent several months studying the histories and cultures of our Arab, Iranian and Turkish friends. I encouraged the chefs of the caterer we engaged to learn to cook Arab, Iranian and Turkish food. I learnt to avoid serving spicy food to our Middle Eastern friends.

In my work as a diplomat, when I have to entertain a delegation from India which includes several vegetarians, I usually pick a vegetarian restaurant. When I entertain a delegation from a Muslim country, I usually take them to a halal restaurant.

Singaporeans are not in the habit of embracing each other or kissing each other when we meet. At the UN, I observed that my Arab male friends kiss each other on the cheek when they meet. In order not to offend them, I conformed to their ritual.

I also observed that my African friends had the habit of hugging each other. In order to be accepted as a "brother", I was happy to be kissed by my Arab friends and hugged by my African friends.

On one occasion, I observed that a visiting African head of state wanted to hug his Singapore host at the Istana before he left. Instead of hugging him back, the Singapore leader stepped back in order to avoid being hugged. After the African leader had departed, the Singapore leader asked me whether he had made a mistake. I said yes and explained the hugging ritual of African men and the kissing ritual of Arab men.

I shall conclude by recapitulating the three lessons which I would like to share with young Singaporeans.

First, the future is what you make of it. Do not feel that you have no chance in life because of your difficult circumstances.

Second, have a positive mindset and be willing to leave your comfort zones and take on new challenges.

Third, develop your cognitive, emotional and cultural intelligence and make lasting friendships.

The writer is a professor of law at NUS and an ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

MRT tunnel flooding incident: Khaw Boon Wan's ministerial statement in Parliament on 7 November 2017

November 8, 2017, 6:31 am

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Transport Minister Khaw outlines plans to prevent flooding of MRT tunnels again
Pump system being improved, pay of top staff to be reviewed and Taipei experts to conduct audit
By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2017

The design of the Bishan water pump system is being improved, the pay of top management will be reviewed and experts have been roped in from Taipei Metro as part of efforts to prevent the Oct 7 MRT tunnel flooding and similar incidents from happening again.

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday took Parliament through the events of Oct 7, which he described repeatedly as "sad" and "embarrassing".

In a two-hour debate, during which SMRT chief executive Desmond Kuek and several of his senior colleagues sat grimly in the Parliament gallery, Mr Khaw also outlined an action plan to prevent a recurrence of the flooding.

First, all float switches controlling pumps in the storm water sump pit have been replaced with heavier-duty models which can handle "water with more sediments".

Parallel float switches have also been installed so that no one switch determines the activation of the pumps. On Oct 7, a malfunctioning override switch prevented all three pumps from kicking in.

A new radar sensor system has been added to independently monitor water levels in the sump pit.

These measures came in response to the tunnel flooding which shut down a large stretch of the North-South Line for about 20 hours and affected 250,000 commuters on Oct 7 and 8.



Next, Mr Khaw revealed the SMRT board will "review the remuneration of its senior management, from the CEO through the relevant chain of command". "This is as it should be," he said, adding that new SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming - whom Mr Khaw recommended for the post - told him of the board's intent.

"It is the responsibility of management to set the right culture of professionalism and excellence. It begins from the top. And if there is poor culture, the CEO is responsible," he said, in an oblique reference to Mr Kuek's statement that there were "deep-seated cultural issues" within his company.

SMRT vice-president Ng Tek Poo, who was in charge of the team responsible for upkeeping the anti-flood system, has been suspended.

Six other managers were also suspended in relation to the maintenance lapses in the network's anti-flood system. They included another vice-president who was Mr Ng's predecessor, a chief engineer and a deputy director.

SMRT has also roped in experts from Taipei Metro to conduct an "independent review of its operations, to flush out any gaps, and recommend improvements in the areas of system management, engineering and maintenance".

Mr Khaw revealed that ST Kinetics chief technology officer Richard Kwok will head SMRT's audit team from Dec 18. Mr Kwok's team will report to the SMRT board, and he will also lead a Joint Readiness Inspection team which will report to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT "joint board technical committee".

"The tighter audit system will help to identify any deficiencies so that they can be addressed early before faults occur," Mr Khaw said.

Fifteen MPs questioned Mr Khaw after his statement, seeking more clarity on issues ranging from audits on SMRT to its culture.

In response to a question filed by Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Zaqy Mohamad, Mr Khaw said the incident did not merit a public inquiry.

"While investigations by LTA will take a few more weeks to complete, the facts of the Oct 7 incident are not complicated, and the cause of the incident is clear," Mr Khaw said. "My ministry will therefore not be convening a committee of inquiry."

Faulty pumps detected near Kembangan, Lavender stations
SMRT investigating the teams responsible for their maintenance, says minister
By Adrian Lim, Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2017

Faulty water discharge pumps were found at two other locations in SMRT's rail network, after such malfunctioning pumps in Bishan caused flooding in an MRT tunnel.

These were uncovered by checks SMRT did after the flooding, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan told Parliament yesterday.

The faulty pumps were at the tunnel portals near the Kembangan and Lavender stations.



At Kembangan, two out of eight pumps were not functioning properly, while at Lavender, it was three out of four pumps.

But the remaining pumps at two other tunnel portals near Redhill and Changi were in serviceable condition, Mr Khaw added in his ministerial statement on the Oct 7 incident in Bishan. These pumps discharge rainwater collected at storm water sump pits into drains.

The failure of SMRT staff to maintain them at Bishan caused flooding in an MRT tunnel on Oct 7, rendering train services inoperable for about 20 hours along a stretch of the North-South Line.

Mr Khaw said SMRT is currently investigating the relevant teams from the building and facilities group responsible for the pumps at Kembangan and Lavender. Meanwhile, it has replaced or repaired all the non-serviceable pumps, as well as changed the float switches that activate the pumps.

Fifteen MPs on both sides of the House sought clarifications from Mr Khaw on a range of issues, from SMRT's culture to the amnesty it offered its workers last week.

Ms Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) asked how SMRT could instil pride in its workers, and pointed out that their morale could be affected.

To this, Mr Khaw urged MPs to explain to their residents the challenges of upgrading the rail lines, and tell them that improvements are around the corner.

Non-Constituency MP Dennis Tan asked Mr Khaw if he would consider the lack of checks on the pump system a "grave oversight".

Mr Tan said the incident showed the "smallest of components" can cause a disruption", and called for audits by the Land Transport Authority and SMRT to be "very thorough" going forward.



In reply, Mr Khaw said the rail system comprises many components, and priorities had to be set. While focus had been on "big-ticket items" which can cause severe problems, the authorities were going to eventually tackle the "small things".

He also said in his speech that the anti-flooding systems are considered "much less risky" compared with other core railway systems such as signalling, because "the constructs are simpler, easier to maintain and have ample engineering buffers".

"Unfortunately, small things cropped up in our face and we got egg on our face. But we will fix it," Mr Khaw said.

SMRT's role is to help the government earn money - Low Thia Khiang






Minister Khaw, Low Thia Khiang spar over root of SMRT’s maintenance woes
TODAY, 7 Nov 2017

Pushing back against Workers’ Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang’s assertion that the profit motive was at the heart of SMRT’s maintenance woes, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said the rail operator was corporatised so that it could operate with financial discipline and provide a public service efficiently.

“There are easier ways to make money,” the minister told Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 07), in response to a comment from the veteran Opposition Member of Parliament (MP).

Mr Khaw had earlier delivered a Ministerial Statement on the Oct 7 tunnel flooding incident that shut down a segment of the North-South Line for about 20 hours.

He also took questions from the MPs, several whom asked about the work culture at SMRT after it emerged that several staff had falsified maintenance records for the flood pump system at the Bishan MRT station between last December and June this year.



Mr Low, speaking at the end of the question-and-answer session, said he was of the view that SMRT’s quest for profits was at the heart of the problem.

He added: “The mission of the SMRT is to make money for the Government. I’m of the opinion that at the core of the multiple problems (with the) train services ... is money.

“The Government wants its cake and eat it, expecting a profit from the train operator and at same time, efficiency and tip top maintenance work.”

Mr Khaw said he disagreed with the premise of Mr Low’s comments. Comparing SMRT to the restructured public hospitals here, the minister said it was better for these outfits to be run with the sort of efficiency and financial discipline seen in the private sector than for the Government to take them over.

He added: “The (SMRT) leadership must know that this is an engineering outfit. Making money is not your objective but you must not lose money. There must be financial discipline.

“You cannot anyhow spend money to buy this, buy that, gold-plate everything.”

And in an indirect reference to the long-running saga over the financial management lapses at WP’s town councils, the minister pointed out that Mr Low must know the importance of balancing the books and good governance.

Mr Low and two other WP leaders, Ms Sylvia Lim and Mr Pritam Singh, are facing two law suits from the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council and the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council over alleged improper payments flagged by their auditor KPMG in October last year.

The trio have denied the allegations.



Wrapping up the discussion on SMRT and the Oct 7 incident, which lasted about two hours in Parliament, Mr Khaw said it had been a difficult time but noted that the sacrifices would be worth the while.

He added: “If we can fix this, turn things around, it would be a public service that would benefit 3.5 million people who make use of our systems everyday. We know the responsibility on our shoulders. What we are asking of commuters is to please bear with us, because a 30-year train system is a very challenging one.”

Right culture starts from top, says Khaw Boon Wan
By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2017

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan says a positive corporate culture starts from the top, putting paid to SMRT chief executive Desmond Kuek's refrain about some workers in his company.

Citing Mr Kuek's remarks at a media conference on "deep-seated cultural issues within SMRT, Mr Khaw said yesterday: "Let me stress that growing the right culture is the responsibility of everyone - from the top leadership down to the workers."

Interspersing his words with frequent glances up at the Parliament gallery, where Mr Kuek and other top SMRT and Land Transport Authority honchos were seated, he added: "I will look to the SMRT management to set the right tone of professionalism and excellence, to complement the audit systems that are being put in place. This is the Singapore way."

He went on: "When we speak of 'culture', we mean the culture of the whole organisation - the values and practices of management, as much as the values and practices of the workers."



More than once, Mr Khaw said he was confident new SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming will transform the group's culture and turn it around. "He has turned around organisations before... but he needs some time," Mr Khaw said, as the camera panned to Mr Seah nodding in agreement.

Mr Seah, who joined SMRT in July, is chief executive of Pavilion Energy, the Temasek Holdings-backed parent of Pavilion Gas. He replaced Mr Koh Yong Guan, who was SMRT chairman from 2009.

Mr Khaw also revealed that the SMRT board will "review the remuneration of its senior management, from the CEO through the relevant chain of command".



SMRT had cut Mr Kuek's salary in its 2016 financial year, its last annual report showed. The transport operator was subsequently privatised and delisted.

Mr Kuek, 53, had received a total remuneration of $1.87 million for the 2016 financial year - down from $2.31 million the year before.

 





 




Khaw provides details of errant maintenance team
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2017

The six SMRT staff who may have falsified maintenance records for the anti-flood system at Bishan have been with the company for as long as 28 years to just over a year.

In Parliament yesterday, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan gave more details on the errant employees whom he held responsible for the flooded MRT tunnels on Oct 7 that affected 250,000 commuters.

The six members of the team comprise a manager, an engineering supervisor and four crew members.

Three have been with SMRT for more than 20 years, including one for over 28 years. One has been with SMRT for a little over a year, and the remaining two for six and eight years.

Four are Singaporeans and two are foreigners, and "all the racial grounds are represented among the six", Mr Khaw later told MPs.



He had stern words for them: "This is not Singaporean culture. We are known positively everywhere we go... there is a certain trademark to Singaporeans. We are honest, we deliver what you promise. And yet to have a bunch of people seemingly doing very funny things, it is very odd."

The engineering supervisor and four crew members were directly responsible for maintaining the pumps and other facilities in 15 stations from Sembawang to Dhoby Ghaut, while the manager was in charge of supervising and ensuring the work was done.

They had submitted maintenance records on three occasions from last December to June, but investigations found they were not granted track access on the stated dates and the pumps were not activated. All six are suspended and helping with investigations.

Mr Khaw gave details of six other managerial staff who were suspended along with vice-president of maintenance Ng Tek Poo, who was in charge of maintenance and systems. They comprise his predecessor Tay Tien Seng, a vice-president who oversaw the unit in charge of maintaining the pump systems before May; a chief engineer; a deputy director; and three managers.



The "amnesty" exercise ended last Friday, and those who came forward were from SMRT's building and facilities department. They oversee areas such as MRT tunnel ventilation as well as flood and fire protection measures at stations.

SMRT did not find any evidence of falsification or wilful dereliction of duties in the departments responsible for train maintenance, signalling and communications, tracks and track-side equipment.

A massive internal audit is now being held in SMRT to unearth other instances of breaches.

While faulting that team for the flooding on Oct 7, Mr Khaw also had praise for some SMRT staff who "did the right thing and handled a difficult situation well". He said train captain Choo Ah Heng was alert and reported the flooding that day. SMRT chief controller Tan Kwong Chye opted to detrain commuters and cut off traction power to the affected tracks soon after the first reports of flooding, while train service controller Tan Ming Hui "single-handedly managed" that incident and another at Marina South Pier.

Risk of major disruptions 'till ageing rail systems are replaced'
Khaw says projects to replace old components on N-S and E-W lines are at the halfway mark
By Adrian Lim, Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2017

Until all its key ageing systems are replaced or renewed, the North-South and East-West lines (NSEWL) remain at risk of major disruptions, even with diligent maintenance, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday.



He told Parliament that projects to replace the ageing components on the 30-year-old NSEWL have reached about their halfway mark, and are targeted to be finished in 2024.

But he has asked the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to work with SMRT to see how to "squeeze out more engineering hours" and "speed up" renewal of the assets.

He drew an analogy between his heart operation seven years ago and the upgrading of the rail assets, saying his cardiologist had advised him to bite the bullet and fix his heart problem with a bypass, or risk falling dead.



To date, components such as track sleepers and the power-supplying third rail have been upgraded, while the ongoing overhaul and testing of the signalling system is targeted to be finished by the end of next year.

There are also plans to renew the power supply system and track circuits, and to replace old first-generation trains.

"When these asset renewal works are progressively completed, and as new rail lines open, they will translate into significant improvements in the resilience of our rail network and commuter experience," Mr Khaw said.

He said a target set for 2020 to have MRT trains travel an average of one million kilometres before encountering a delay of longer than five minutes is achievable.

The mean kilometres between failure (MKBF) this year is 425,000 train-km, an improvement from the 133,000 train-km in 2015.



Mr Khaw acknowledged that commuters may not be able to relate to this as the MKBF improvements did not always bear out in their actual real-life experiences.

This is because of teething issues with signalling system testing on the North-South Line, which have caused several disruptions, he said.

But he added that a corner has been turned, and the system is stabilising.

He urged MPs to help explain the difficulty of the re-signalling tests to residents and to influence their feedback.

He added that he would similarly need the support of MPs whose residents live near the East-West Line when testing for its signalling system starts.

To give rail engineers more time to do the upgrades, said Mr Khaw, train operating hours on the NSEWL will likely be shortened, including on weekdays.

SMRT had previously ended train services earlier at selected stations on the NSEWL, over stretches in 2014 and 2015, to facilitate the replacement of sleepers.

"Line closures will, of course, inconvenience commuters. I seek commuters' understanding and patience should we decide to do so. We are likely to do so," he said.

Debris caused short circuit, resulting in electrical arcing
The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2017

The SMRT train captain who reported tunnel flooding near Bishan station on Oct 7 also spotted electrical arcing further down the city-bound stretch of the North-South Line.

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday that train captain Choo Ah Heng spotted the arcing along the tracks between Raffles Place and Marina Bay stations.

This concurrent incident, while unrelated to the flooding, also disrupted train services in both directions between Marina South Pier and Newton MRT stations from about 5.50pm.

Mr Khaw said electrical arcing occurred because accumulated debris caused a short circuit between an electrified baseplate and a bolt left in the ground after renewal works back in 2003.

The bolt should have been removed, but was not, he noted.

The short circuit generated sparks and high heat, causing the debris to smoulder. The debris quickly burned out and the sparks dissipated before the Singapore Civil Defence Force arrived.

But train services along the stretch resumed only at 9.22pm after SMRT completed the necessary safety checks, Mr Khaw said.

No lapses by LTA, Transport Ministry staff: Khaw Boon Wan
The Straits Times, 7 Nov 2017

There is no evidence of shortcomings or lapses in regulatory oversight by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) in the MRT flooding incident, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.

He said this in a written reply to a question from Workers' Party Non-Constituency MP Leon Perera. He had asked if compensation paid to senior staff in MOT and LTA, tasked with oversight of SMRT, would be affected.



He added the tunnel's anti-flooding pumps are not high-risk components, when compared to core railway systems, but the regulator still highlighted the need for regular, diligent maintenance.

Mr Khaw said LTA had also asked the operator to provide the regulator a list of pumps that needed to be replaced.

He said the flooding occurred before the remedial action was taken, adding: "There is no evidence of shortcomings or lapses in regulatory oversight by LTA or MOT staff."

Mysteries remain amid the soul-searching on SMRT operations
By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2017

Thirty years ago to the day - Nov 7, 1987 - Singapore's MRT system started operations, making the Republic the first South-east Asian country to have a metro. But the mood in Parliament yesterday was far from celebratory, dampened as it were by an unprecedented tunnel flooding at Bishan station which crippled a large part of the North-South Line on Oct 7 and 8.

A good half of the sitting was devoted to soul-searching on why SMRT - Singapore's dominant rail operator - has not been getting things right in recent years.

On top of answering piercing questions ranging from worker morale to human resource management to SMRT's now infamous "deep-seated cultural issues", Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan delivered a 39-paragraph ministerial statement which focused on what caused the tunnel flooding and what actions have been taken since.



Mr Khaw said there was no need for a formal public inquiry, as the cause of the flooding - which he described repeatedly as "sad" and "embarrassing" - was clearly attributable to maintenance lapses on the part of SMRT.

It was not because of any inadequacy in the design of flood protection measures, he said.

Yet, he revealed that the sump pit pumps at Bishan station have now been upgraded to models which can handle silt and sludge better. And as importantly, the pumps will now be controlled by parallel float switches for better system redundancy. This was to overcome the current weakness in the system, where a switch to protect the pumps from operating at low water levels overrode the other float switches.

Even though each of the three pumps had its own float switch, this fourth switch detects low water levels to prevent the pumps from overheating when there is little or no water in the reservoir.

This override switch was the one found to have failed on Oct 7, preventing the others from activating the pumps.

The system would have been more robust if the fourth "stop" switch had been removed, and each individual pump had its own low-water cut-off. Many modern pumps have this in-built feature.



Why the override switch failed is still a mystery. In fact, Mr Khaw said all the pumps and float switches at Bishan were also found to be in working order after the incident. He said it will take the Land Transport Authority a few more weeks to finish its investigations.

Nevertheless, putting in place a more resilient system is clearly the right thing to do. Such a system, of course, does not absolve an operator from maintenance responsibilities. But it will be more forgiving to lapses than the previous design.

Other mysteries remain. For instance, SMRT said on Monday that even though the maintenance log may have been falsified between December 2016 and June 2017, the pump system was in fact last serviced on July 13 this year.

If true, this would have put the system well within the prescribed quarterly maintenance regimen.

Yet, the system failed on Oct 7, less than three months later.

Another puzzle is why the maintenance team wilfully falsified the maintenance log - not once, but on three consecutive occasions - and how it was able to get away with it.



This shocking revelation - made public by SMRT last week - came just a year after a whole series of standard operating procedure breaches led to two trainee technicians being mowed down by a train near Pasir Ris station.

These puzzles will no doubt be solved as investigations by the LTA and SMRT unfold.

Mr Khaw, meanwhile, said there was no need for a committee of inquiry (COI). Just as well, seeing how lapses continued to surface even after the last inquiry in 2012.

Instead, steps have been taken to review and audit SMRT's work processes. A team of experts from Taipei Metro will conduct "a thorough and independent review" of SMRT's operations. The bonuses of senior supervisors will be tied to the performance of their teams.

LTA and SMRT will form a Joint Readiness Inspection team to supplement SMRT's own internal audit system, which will be headed by ST Kinetics' chief technology officer Richard Kwok. These steps would probably be what a COI would recommend, anyway.

But Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah pointed out that if workers lacked pride in what they did, no amount of audit can prevent lapses.

Mr Khaw concurred, adding that it is thus important for SMRT to "create the right organisational culture of professionalism, excellence and discipline". As recent events have demonstrated, that is far easier said than done.
















Related
MRT tunnel flooding: SMRT maintenance team failed us, says Khaw Boon Wan; Suspected falsification of records, pumps at Bishan not maintained for almost a year

Fear of failure holding Singapore back: Economist Intelligence Unit's Connecting Commerce report

November 8, 2017, 11:25 pm

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'Kiasu' mindset could be hampering digital transformation efforts, it says
By Shelina Ajit Assomull, The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2017

Even as Singapore makes a push to modernise its economy, the country's fear of failure - which locals might recognise as the "kiasu" mindset - may be holding it back, a new study has found.

The Economist Intelligence Unit's Connecting Commerce report, which was released yesterday, placed Singapore 14th out of 45 cities in terms of how confident businesses are that the city's environment supports a digital transformation.

The study, which was commissioned by Australian telco Telstra, looked at five indicators: innovation and entrepreneurship, financial environment, people and skills, development of new technologies, and information and communications technology infrastructure.

Bangalore in India was ranked first in the report, ahead of San Francisco in the United States, with six other Asian cities in the top 10. Among South-east Asian cities, the highest ranked were Manila at sixth, and Jakarta at eighth.

Singapore fared most poorly in innovation and entrepreneurship, where it ranked 21st, and in people and skills, where it ranked 18th.

Mr David Burns, Telstra's group managing director of international and global services, said this is largely because innovation often involves being willing to fail repeatedly before achieving success.

Speaking yesterday at a panel discussion organised by Telstra, he said: "In corporate society in Singapore, failure is not in the dictionary, whereas that innovative environment works on trying things and seeing what works".

Mr Markus Gnirck, founder of home-grown start-up Tryb, agreed. He said: "There hasn't been enough learning or learning through failure, but conversation about it is finally happening."

And with thousands of tech start-ups making their home in Singapore, talent is needed. To keep up with their needs, universities and companies have to work together, the panellists said.

Big data analytics skills were most in demand for firms in Singapore seeking digital transformation, with 38 per cent citing these as their biggest requirement. Digital security came second, at 32 per cent.

The study polled 2,620 senior executives and at least 28 business leaders in 45 cities.

As for the role of government, 53 per cent of executives said Singapore's government programmes were the main source of financial assistance in digital transformation.

A further 43 per cent found these programmes and events to be the most helpful local resource.

Regarding the shortage of people and skills, Mr Khoong Chan Meng, director and chief executive of the Institute of Systems Science at the National University Singapore, called it a "happy problem".

He said: "If Singapore had just a few start-ups, we wouldn't be talking about this. There are 50,000 start-ups in Singapore and 10 per cent are tech start-ups. The demand means the local pool will almost never be sufficient."

Mr Khoong said executives eager to embrace the digital transformation find themselves in a "Catch-22" situation. They see technological innovation as a means of growing their businesses or advancing their careers, but are wary that pursuing innovation could also lead to failure.

He said: "People in Singapore aren't satisfied with what they have and want to achieve more, but they have the constraints of being less confident in this different agenda - digital transformation. This in-between situation will persist as long as they look for more growth."

Legal age for smoking to be raised from 18 to 21

November 9, 2017, 12:20 am

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Minimum age for smokers to be raised to 19 on 1 Jan 2019, 20 on 1 Jan 2020 and finally to 21 on 1 Jan 2021; e-cigarettes to face ban
By Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2017

The minimum age for smoking will be raised to 19 on Jan 1, 2019, as Singapore intensifies its efforts to get people to stub out.

It will then be raised progressively every January until 2021, when smokers have to be 21 before they can light up. Currently, the minimum age is 18.

The amendments to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, approved by Parliament yesterday, also ban people from buying, using and owning imitation tobacco products such as e-cigarettes, e-cigars and e-pipes.

The Straits Times understands that the ban will kick in early next year. This move extends the current ban on the sale, import and distribution of battery-powered devices that heat nicotine-infused liquids to produce a vapour for inhalation.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Amrin Amin said the measures are to "de-normalise" the use of tobacco products over time and deny youth access to cigarettes.

Surveys show that young people get their cigarettes from friends and schoolmates, he said when tabling the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) (Amendment) Bill for debate. Social and peer pressure also strongly influence them to start smoking, he added when explaining the move to raise the minimum smoking age to 21.

Although the Health Promotion Board's data showed that the proportion of smokers here had fallen from over 18 per cent in the 1990s to around 12 per cent to 14 per cent in the past 10 years, Mr Amrin believed it could be reduced further.

He noted that 23 per cent of the men here still smoke, much higher than in countries such as Australia (14.5 per cent) and the United States (15.6 per cent).

Also, about 95 per cent of smokers here took their first puff before they turned 21, Mr Amrin said. And 45 per cent cultivated the habit between 18 and 21 years old.

Research in the US found that the brains of adolescents were particularly vulnerable to nicotine addiction, Mr Amrin said, adding that "smokers who start earlier also find it harder to quit later in life".

He was also wary of imitation tobacco products, saying the Ministry of Health (MOH) considers them gateway products that get users hooked on nicotine, which then leads to cigarette use.



He dismissed claims that these products are less harmful than cigarettes. "Some of these (claims) actually come from research sponsored by the tobacco industry," he said.

To ensure the changes are effective, MOH will work with Customs and other agencies to fight illicit trade in cigarettes, he said.

Ten MPs spoke in support of the changes.

They included Ms Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC), Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC) and Mr Yee Chia Hsing (Chua Chu Kang GRC), who all asked if more could be done about second-hand smoke in Housing Board estates.

Mr Yee suggested MOH work with the National Environment Agency to produce guidelines on what constitutes unhealthy levels of second-hand smoke. He proposed that residents be allowed to apply to the courts for smokers living near them to light up less often, if the smoke hits unhealthy levels.

Mr Amrin said MOH works with the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) to minimise exposure to second-hand smoke in the community.

Ms Lee suggested a hotline or a mobile app be set up for people to report illegal smoking. Mr Amrin said he will pass her idea to MEWR.

When asked why not ban tobacco completely as it is such a major health scourge, Mr Amrin did not rule it out. It could happen in the longer term, "when tobacco use is at very low levels'', he said.

MPs question whether total ban on e-cigarettes is necessary
By Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2017

The impending ban on imitation tobacco products such as e-cigarettes, e-pipes and e-cigars was questioned by some MPs, even as they supported the changes made to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act.

They argued that these imitation tobacco products might be useful in helping smokers stub out.

Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) noted that Britain, New Zealand and the United States have done extensive studies and endorsed policies that allow such products.

He wondered if Singapore "might be missing out on a chance to benefit" from a policy that allows the controlled use of these products to help smokers give up cigarettes.



Non-Constituency MP Leon Perera suggested letting smokers have "a controlled quantity of e-cigarettes'', but they must register with the Health Promotion Board for a smoking cessation programme.

"It is not easy for smokers to quit,'' he said. "Surely, the humane thing to do is to allow smokers - both those seeking to quit and reduce consumption - an avenue to use a less harmful product?"

Criminalising e-cigarette users, regardless of their age, sends the signal that imitation tobacco products are as harmful, if not more so, than regular cigarettes, he added.

Responding, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Amrin Amin said the number of studies showing imitation tobacco products are a gateway to regular cigarettes outnumbers studies that claim otherwise. These studies are also more authoritative.

He said: "We are aiming for a high and precautionary level of public health protection." He also said nicotine in imitation tobacco products produces toxic substances that "increase the risk of cancer of the throat, stomach and bladder".

Later in the sitting, Senior Minister of State for Health Chee Hong Tat asked Mr Perera if he was supportive of e-cigarettes because his business consultancy, Spire Group, had a client that supplies glue used for cigarette sticks.



Mr Perera said it was a small client from the past, adding that he strongly objected to any insinuation that he was motivated by financial or commercial gain.

Some MPs also asked why the minimum smoking age was being raised in phases to 21 instead of being done at one go.

Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC) was worried it would cause confusion and provide youth with a "so-called unique chance to be among the last batch of those who get to smoke legally below the age of 21".



Mr Amrin Amin said an immediate change to age 21 would affect about 12,000 young people aged between 19 and 21.

Smokers need some time to kick the habit, he pointed out, so the "phased implementation provides a realistic timeframe".

He also noted that "raising the minimum age alone will not eliminate smoking". Hence, the Health Ministry will "continue to send a strong message to young people to stay away from cigarettes".










Related
Second Reading Speech by Mr Amrin Amin, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, on the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) (Amendment) Bill, 7 November 2017
Closing Speech by Mr Amrin Amin, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, on the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) (Amendment) Bill, 7 November 2017
Smoking ban extended to universities, private-hire cars from 1 Oct 2017; New Bill in Parliament to raise minimum smoking age to 21
Public areas in Orchard Road to be smoke-free from 1 July 2018

Collective sale fever: Spotlight on decaying home leases

November 9, 2017, 5:48 am

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While a lucky few pocket windfalls, others worry their ageing apartments might become depreciating assets
By Grace Leong, The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2017

Collective sales have a way of making property owners, other than those getting a windfall, envious. This is especially so in a boom like the current one for houses sold en bloc.

These days, besides envy, owners of ageing apartments - whether private or public - may also feel a tinge of anxiety if the 99-year lease of the land their property sits on, or the 99-year tenure of the flat, is decaying fast, with no prospect of a buyout by either a private developer or the Government. The anxiety is due to a distinct possibility that instead of their property appreciating in value, it may start to depreciate as the lease runs out, and restrictions on Central Provident Fund usage, bank loans and Housing Board loans start to apply.

This problem of decaying leases is not confined to Singapore. Other countries are also grappling with it, with China in the midst of working out a provision to deal with 70-year residential leases that are fast running out.

What may be unique to Singapore is the large share of home owners affected, said Singapore Management University (SMU) law don Eugene Tan. "Singapore is unique because of the increasing preponderance of land with 99-year leases; the vast majority of Singaporeans live in HDB flats, and home owning is far more popular than renting here," he said.

What does that mean for home owners then, and for would-be buyers and sellers of older flats?

LUCKY FEW

Since last year, there have been 20 collective sale deals transacted. These have generated a whopping $7.28 billion in proceeds for owners of the 3,268 apartments, according to Colliers International.

Private developers' hunger for residential land sites was evident in their willingness to shell out record amounts in upgrading premiums to top up the lease and differential premiums to intensify land use.

On average, the premium payable for leasehold sites transacted so far this year to top up leases and intensify land use is estimated at about $246 million, compared with $227.5 million paid during the collective sale cycle from 2005 to 2008, said Dr Lee Nai Jia, research head at Edmund Tie & Company.

Normanton Park near Science Park, which was sold last month for $830.1 million to Chinese firm Kingsford Huray Development, set a record for the highest land rate - $969 per sq ft per plot ratio (psf ppr) - for a 99-year leasehold collective sale site this year.

The winning bid came with an estimated $231.1 million additional payment to top up the lease to 99 years and a differential premium of about $283.4 million to redevelop the former 488-unit estate to a new high-rise development that could potentially house more than 1,200 new residential units.

For many owners of ageing apartments like those in Pearlbank Apartments, a well-known horseshoe-shaped building in Outram, a collective sale is an ideal way to cash out. The development is making its fourth attempt in 10 years with an asking price of $728 million, which could potentially reap owners a premium of more than 55 per cent over market values.

Ms Tang Wei Leng, managing director of Colliers, the marketing agent, said: "The reserve price of a three-bedroom unit is about $2.5 million, compared with the last transacted price of a similar-sized unit at $1.6 million two months ago."

But the reality is that only a lucky few private property owners will enjoy a collective sale windfall. Only about 0.75 per cent of the total private housing stock has been sold via collective sale this year, according to Edmund Tie & Company.

Such sales make sense only when apartment owners can sell their units at premiums of between 40 per cent and 100 per cent above the market price, said consultants. The value of collective sale sites depends on their location, size, permitted gross plot ratio, existing density, remaining lease length and also market conditions (demand and prices of nearby new developments), as well as the supply of available state land.

One factor that may dampen collective sale fever is the latest increase in development charge (DC) rates, paid by developers to enhance the use of a non-landed residential site. DC rates have gone up in 116 of the 118 geographical sectors by between 6 per cent and 29 per cent for the period between Sept 1 and Feb 28 next year, with the biggest increase of 29 per cent applying in Tampines Road, Hougang, Punggol and Sengkang.

Depending on the location, the higher DC rates may take a toll, as they can increase charges payable by developers for increasing the floor area of the new development, said consultants. As a result, some developers could offer lower prices to acquire older leasehold properties collectively, which could discourage some owners from supporting such sales.

DON'T BANK ON SERS

For the majority of Singaporeans who live in HDB flats, many hope that the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS), which is part of the urban renewal programme for public housing, will be their way out.

NUS real estate don Yu Shi-Ming said: "Flat owners benefit from compensation based on current resale prices and the option to buy a new 99-year flat in the vicinity."

But many flat owners may not realise that SERS is offered only on a "highly selective basis" to HDB blocks located in sites with high redevelopment potential, subject to the availability of suitable replacement sites and the Government's financial resources. Only 4 per cent of flats have been identified by HDB to undergo SERS since its launch in 1995. To date, SERS has been offered to only 80 sites, the HDB told The Straits Times.

Associate Professor Sing Tien Foo of National University of Singapore's Department of Real Estate said: "For HDB blocks, the leases will be extended when redeveloped, and HDB will have to pay to the Government the agreed sum for the topping up of the leases. The computation of the topping of HDB leases is not publicly revealed."

The current collective sale fever and substantial windfall to owners of private leasehold properties that have successfully been sold highlight even more poignantly the issue of decaying leases for HDB flat owners, who are the majority. This is especially so after a wake-up call from National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, who said in a March blog post that SERS would benefit only a very small minority.

Still, HDB owners need not over-react. As some consultants noted, many owners who need to sell their flats as the lease runs down will likely find that resale prices are above what they had originally paid, assuming they had bought the flat brand new. And in most cases, owners would have enjoyed direct and indirect government subsidies in the purchase of their HDB flats, SMU's Associate Professor Tan said.

An HDB spokesman pointed out: "Owners of older HDB flats are generally able to sell their flats in the resale market today. There is still demand for older flats, including from elderly buyers who are right-sizing, as well as families who are not yet ready to commit to a longer lease. Older flats are also attractive to some buyers as they are usually located in more central locations and served by established amenities."

REALITY CHECK

Even though the problem of decaying leases for public housing may not rear its head for several more decades, Prof Tan pointed out that the reality is starting to bite now because CPF usage and HDB loans, since July 1, 2013, have been restricted to the purchase of flats with a remaining lease of less than 60 years.

"Older flats will increasingly be valued less as their leases run down, and those who seek to buy such apartments should prepare for a higher rate of depreciation of value," he said.

As 70,000 of the total stock of about one million HDB flats are more than 40 years old, nearly 10 per cent of public housing today will be facing lease expiry in 50 years. For the vast majority of flats, that means the leases will expire and the flats will be returned to the HDB, which will in turn have to surrender the land to the state.

The HDB told ST: "As the first batch of HDB leases will only expire in about 50 years' time, we will not be able to fully ascertain what these future needs are.

"Therefore, buyers and sellers of HDB flats should decide on their resale transactions based on the current 99-year lease policy."

Given that HDB flats constitute the biggest asset for most Singaporeans, the notion that these flats, especially those with less than half their lease remaining, are depreciating assets is a new reality, Prof Tan said. That means the idea of the HDB flat as a store of value for retirement will also have to be adjusted since this can affect retirement adequacy, he added.

"Expanding SERS will be very much welcomed. Politically, it is also the most expedient for the Government. But financially, it is probably neither feasible nor sustainable," he said.

SERS remains useful in that it enables HDB to renew precincts within older housing estates, but we may see it being applied even more sparingly on account of its high costs against a tightening fiscal position, said Prof Tan.

"I won't discount the possibility that SERS may be scrapped in the future on the back of concerns over equity, which relates to the windfall or lottery effect if a block is selected for SERS," he said.

Owners of older flats may look enviously at owners of ageing 99-year leasehold private properties and think the grass is greener on their side. But if those private properties cannot succeed in a collective sale, then both parties will be stuck in the same boat.

While no HDB lease has decayed completely for now, how this issue is resolved will be critical to maintaining stability in the property market. The challenge is a daunting one.

MOH wants to make national patient database mandatory; Legislation set to be introduced in 2018

November 9, 2017, 11:21 pm

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All health providers, even GPs, will have to upload health details if plans are approved
By Linette Lai, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2017

The Ministry of Health (MOH) wants to make it compulsory for all healthcare providers to upload data to the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system - from large hospitals all the way down to the neighbourhood GP clinic.

This means that every aspect of a person's medical history, including visits to doctors in the private sector, chronic medication, allergies and vaccination details, will be captured in these records.

These plans come on the back of a slow take-up rate from the private healthcare sector in the six years since the NEHR was launched in 2011.

Sharing medical data in a national electronic repository will make for more seamless treatment and save money for patients, said the Government.

Singapore is one of the first countries to have established such a comprehensive system. The records, however, will not include details such as doctors' personal case notes, as they are meant chiefly to provide a summary.

Currently, most NEHR data comes from public sector institutions such as public hospitals and polyclinics.

Only 3 per cent of the more than 4,000 private healthcare providers - including specialist clinics, nursing homes and hospices - contribute to the scheme.

This is despite the fact that a quarter of them have access to it and can view patient records.



"Patients can realise the full potential of the NEHR only if the data is comprehensive," said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who made the announcement yesterday at the start of the three-day FutureHealth Conference. The conference was jointly organised by Nanyang Technological University and the Centre for Healthcare Innovation.

"And for NEHR data to be comprehensive, every provider and healthcare professional needs to contribute relevant data to it," he added.

The proposed changes will likely be tabled in Parliament next year. If approved, healthcare groups will be given a grace period of two to three years to make the necessary preparations.

Early adopters who start contributing data by June 2019 will be able to claim a one-off amount from MOH to offset the costs of upgrading their systems.

A $20 million fund has been set aside for this, said Mr Gan.

He added that MOH will be organising workshops for doctors to help them understand the new requirements.

Workshops will also be conducted for IT vendors who help doctors provide such electronic clinical management services.

MOH plans to introduce the changes under the Healthcare Services Act so that all health-care providers will be legally obliged to follow through with its plans. If the changes go through, those who do not comply will likely face penalties.

"This will not be an easy journey," said Mr Bruce Liang, MOH's chief information officer and chief executive of the Integrated Health Information Systems.

"However, it is a journey we must make, as a strong digital backbone is essential in meeting our patients' and healthcare system's needs in the future."

How the electronic records will affect patients
By Linette Lai, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2017

As all healthcare providers get pushed to adopt the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system, here is how the move could affect the average person:

Q WHO WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS MY HEALTH RECORDS?

A Only doctors who are caring for you will be able to access your records. Other doctors will not be able to do so.


Q WHAT KIND OF HEALTH INFORMATION WILL BE CAPTURED IN THE NEHR?

A The NEHR will have a summary of your diagnoses, medications, allergies and vaccination records from both private and public healthcare providers.

It will also include operating theatre notes and procedures, as well as laboratory and radiology reports. It will not, however, include doctors' personal case notes of each consultation.





Q CAN MY INSURANCE COMPANY OR EMPLOYER LOOK UP MY RECORDS THROUGH THEIR COMPANY DOCTOR?

A If anyone wants to look up your records for purposes other than your medical care, they will have to get your explicit consent.


Q WHAT IF I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO LOOK UP MY HEALTH RECORDS?

A Currently, you can already opt out of the NEHR. When you do so, your medical records will still be uploaded into the system, although doctors or other healthcare professionals will not be able to access them. The authorities have said that this will not change for now, although they are open to feedback on the issue.


Q WILL ALL MY OLD HEALTH RECORDS BE UPLOADED INTO THE NEHR SYSTEM?

A No, data from old records will not be put into the system.


Q HOW SAFE IS ALL THIS SENSITIVE INFORMATION?

A The authorities have said they will take measures similar to what the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore uses to protect its tax database from hackers and other cyber-security threats.

GPs among biggest groups affected by MOH’s plans to make health database mandatory
While most see merits of health database, some say data entry may impact waiting time
By Linette Lai, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2017

General practitioners (GPs) form one of the largest groups to be affected by the Health Ministry's plans to get all healthcare providers on board the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system.

They run more than 1,600 clinics in Singapore, including solo practices and chains, and are often the first point of contact for many who fall ill.

While most acknowledged the new system has its merits, some worry the new rules could mean losing the personal touch with patients.

"My patients don't like it when during a consultation, I am facing the computer to look at their medical records and key in data," said Dr Auw Tiang Meng, who runs T M Auw Clinic in Hougang. "They are my regulars, so I know their background."

Dr Yik Keng Yeong, who runs Tan and Yik Clinic and Surgery in Bishan, said: "I realise there are lots of advantages because medical care is so fragmented and everybody needs to be kept in the loop.

"But it is not that difficult to get information from the patient. We would prefer not to be dealing with the computer when we are dealing with the patient."

Doctors said that having to enter such data might lengthen waiting time at their clinics and shorten consultations with patients.

There are more than 4,000 private healthcare operators, including GPs, hospitals, dental clinics and hospices. A recent survey of 1,500 such operators done by the Integrated Health Information Systems - the national technology agency for healthcare - found that two in 10 private GPs and specialist clinics still use written medical records, rather than an electronic system.

And although most private hospitals keep electronic medical records, their systems may not be compatible with the NEHR.

This is the case for the Parkway Pantai group, which runs four private hospitals, a chain of medical clinics, plus laboratory and radiology facilities in Singapore.

Mr Phua Tien Beng, who is acting chief executive of the group's Singapore operations division, said it has been in discussion with the authorities on linking its records with the NEHR since June last year.

"Enhancing our systems to interface with NEHR and maintaining these systems would certainly come at a considerable cost," he added.

A spokesman for Farrer Park Hospital said it has met the authorities on many occasions "to work out technical and administrative issues, including government grants".

Doctors who have used the NEHR say it can be useful, especially in an emergency. "It is important to know what medications they are currently taking, which will affect the way we treat the patient," said Dr Lim Jia Hao, a consultant at the Singapore General Hospital's emergency medicine department. "If the patient has been getting medication from a private GP or hospital, they are essentially a blank slate to us."

One GP who has made the switch to the NEHR system is Dr Low Kee Hwa, who runs Low Medical Clinic in Kallang Bahru. "After 20 years in practice, I was running out of space to store patient record cards," he said. At the start, Dr Low and his clinic assistants took some time getting used to the new system and were "rather slow". But it has proven to be helpful because many of his patients are elderly and may not know the details of their medication.

"The information from NEHR enables me to make a more accurate diagnosis, and ensures my prescription does not interfere with their medical condition or medication they are on," he said.

Additional reporting by Shelina Ajit Assomull

Doctors to have access only to own patients' data
By Linette Lai, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2017

Doctors will have access to only National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) data of the patients they are treating, say the authorities.

They will not be able to look up the data of other people who are not directly under their care.

In addition, said Associate Professor Low Cheng Ooi, who is chief clinical informatics officer at the Integrated Health Information Systems, anyone who wants to access a person's records for reasons other than his medical care will need the latter's consent.

This includes, for example, doctors who have been hired to review someone's health records as part of a pre-employment check or for insurance purposes.

"As long as it is not for patient care, you would need to have explicit consent from the patient," said Prof Low, who is also chief medical informatics officer at the Health Ministry.

However, Jurong GRC MP Tan Wu Meng, who is a medical doctor, pointed out that safeguards may be needed to prevent insurers from taking a "disproportionate view of past medical history".

He gave the example of how an insurance company told a young man that his foot would not be covered following a stress fracture - even if a future foot condition was unrelated to the fracture.

Cyber-security measures taken to protect patients' data in the NEHR system will be similar to those used by government agencies which deal with confidential information, said Mr Bruce Liang, chief executive of the Integrated Health Information Systems.

"The methods we use are very similar to how the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, for example, protects its tax database when it collects information from thousands of companies," he said.

Mr Nick Savvides, who is a security advocate with Symantec Asia-Pacific and Japan, said it has seen many attacks on overseas medical clinics, which may not have dedicated IT staff and rely on external vendors to manage their electronic systems.

"In such scenarios, it is critical that good security hygiene is implemented with strong endpoint security, such as e-mail security and gateway security with multifactor authentication," he said.

National patient database not easy to achieve, but necessary
By Poon Chian Hui, Mind & Body Editor, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2017

The move to compel the private healthcare sector to join the shared national patient database sends a clear message - the Government is done waiting.

Next year, a Bill is expected to be introduced in Parliament to pass the requirement into law. Private healthcare operators will then have to link their computers to the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system, failing which they are likely to face penalties.

The proposed rules will impact more than 4,000 private operators, including general practitioners (GPs) and dentists, specialist clinics and hospitals, as well as community care facilities such as nursing homes.

It will be a massive exercise for all of them to get on board.

Yet, the NEHR is not an alien concept to the medical community here, including the private sector. It has been up and running since 2011.

Today, public healthcare institutions, such as restructured hospitals and polyclinics, are linked to the database, which is a trove of more than six million unique patient records.

A polyclinic doctor treating a chest pain, for example, can check if the patient has been hospitalised before for heart issues. He can also check for drug allergies and test results, such as X-ray scans.

The system holds much promise in promoting seamless healthcare and helping patients save money by cutting down on repeat tests.

In 2012, it was reported that the NEHR was expected to be fully up by 2015 and involve the private sector and step-down facilities.

But till today, the vision of "one patient, one health record" has yet to materialise.

While private operators were urged to join on a voluntary basis, few did. Only a few dozen GP clinics signed up, out of the more than 1,600 here. No inputs came from all nine private hospitals.

The barriers, it seems, are pragmatic. Upgrading computer systems or buying new software to synchronise with the NEHR can be costly.

About 30 IT vendors provide such a service, and even among them, the software specifications may differ.

Linking up to the database is also not something that would boost the clinic's or hospital's revenue.

In fact, it has been suggested that private medical practices may fear losing their patients to rivals, as doctor-hopping would be easier.

The financial impact could hit small clinics hard, too.

That is why a $20 million kitty has been set up by the Health Ministry to fund the transition. Each private operator can get a one-time payout, ranging from $2,400 to $200,000.

This would be helpful for many practices. But the money tides them over only temporarily. Eventually, for instance, they will have to pay the IT vendor monthly fees for the upkeep of the software.

It will be good to explore support measures after this initial period to help doctors make meaningful use of the NEHR. For example, some GPs who are linked to the NEHR said that they do not use it actively as it can be tedious to digitise their records. The authorities may want to look more deeply into this.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said yesterday that workshops on the new requirements will be offered to doctors and IT vendors.

This is a positive move and could be made even better if these sessions include a strong ethical element of using the data responsibly.

Patient privacy and confidentiality are a valid concern that has been raised by doctors and patients. The authorities have said there are safeguards, such as tracking and stratified access among healthcare staff.

With so many more doctors able to call up a patient's record, it must be impressed upon all users that one cannot search for data willy-nilly.

As with every man-made system, there is a chance that someone will find a way to misuse it undetected.

It is important for providers to have strict rules on how they use the information, on top of the in-built stringent access to the system.

Some patients may still baulk at the thought of their healthcare data being more accessible, but even so, the benefits cannot be denied.

Doctors cannot rely on a patient's memory of his drug allergies or vaccines. Worse still, if that patient is in no state to talk in times of emergency, it might be a matter of life and death.

Things are even more complex now with the greying society - people are seeing more doctors and have multiple health ailments.

A national shared patient database is not just a noble vision, but also a necessary one.

Such a move will fall in line with technology initiatives in the healthcare sector. One example is a national telemedicine plan launched this year that allows more patients to have e-consultations with doctors.

As Singapore marches to the Smart Nation beat, the database must keep pace - with sufficient safeguards to maintain its integrity.

Related
Boost in Support For Healthcare Licensees To Contribute To The NEHR For Enhanced Patient Safety and Continuity of Care

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CNA-IPS Survey on Ethnic Identity in Singapore: CMIO racial categorisation system still important

November 10, 2017, 12:32 am

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More than 2,000 people, mostly Singaporeans and across ethnicities and ages, participated in the survey jointly conducted by Channel NewsAsia and the Institute of Policy Studies.
By Jalelah Abu Baker, Channel NewsAsia, 8 Nov 2017

The CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others) racial categorisation system that Singapore uses, as well as race-based policies, still have a place in Singapore, going by a survey on what defines ethnic identity here.

The CMIO framework seems to be important, said senior research fellow Mathew Mathews from the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in response to questions from the media during a briefing on Wednesday (Nov 8) on the findings of the survey done jointly with Channel NewsAsia.

“The fact that even among our millennials, they care about some of the core markers of their identity ... they still think it's important. That tells us that ethnicity and how we identify ourselves as ethnic individuals continue to be important for many Singaporeans,” said Dr Mathews, who was the survey's principal investigator.

He added that one of the benefits of the CMIO framework is it ensures that minorities will continue to be able to practise their culture in Singapore, and feel just as Singaporean as someone in the majority ethnicity.

According to the study's findings, the current CMIO classification system, due to its use in public policy, may have resulted in Singaporeans’ perceptions of ethnic identity converging on certain key indicators such as language.



When asked about whether there is a need for race-based policies such as the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and reserved presidential election, Dr Mathews said that Singapore needs policies to ensure that “every one of our races in Singapore will be able to feel that they do not have to give up their particular culture, their language, what they feel is valuable to them”.

The GRC system was put in place to ensure minority representation in Parliament, while a reserved presidential election is open only to candidates from a particular minority group to contest. The reserved election held in September this year caused unhappiness among a group of Singaporeans, who staged a so-called “silent protest” at Hong Lim Park.

More than 2,000 people, mostly Singaporeans, participated in the survey, which was conducted by questionnaires being given to them and collected later. The survey aimed to study what Singaporeans felt were core identity markers of the main ethnic groups in the country.

Singaporeans more likely to accept new citizens who are Chinese, Malay, Indian or Eurasian: Survey
By Jalelah Abu Baker, Channel NewsAsia, 8 Nov 2017

Singaporeans are more likely to accept a new citizen of Chinese, Malay, Indian or Eurasian descent as "truly Singaporean" than someone not from these groups, findings from a survey on ethnic identity in Singapore showed.

These findings, released on Wednesday (Nov 8), were from a survey conducted from May to July this year by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) with funding from Channel NewsAsia.

This indicates that the CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others) racial categorisation system that Singapore uses is "closely associated" with national identity, principal investigator Dr Mathew Mathews, senior research fellow at the IPS said.

Reflecting this, more than 90 per cent of respondents found it at least somewhat acceptable for someone with a Chinese, Malay, or Indian background to be accepted as “truly Singaporean” if they became a new citizen.

"The clearest finding we can get from this is that our core ethnic identity, the CMI group, and to some extent the Eurasians, attract a very very strong level of consensus ... I think that reflects the salience of our CMIO model," said Dr Mathews.

The 10 groups presented to respondents included Japanese, Korean and Caucasian, in addition to the core ethnic groups in Singapore.

Ranking in the bottom three were those of the Filipino, Arab and African backgrounds. Even then, more than 60 per cent of the respondents accepted that these groups could be truly Singaporean.

"Many Singaporeans have come to accept the fact that you can have Singaporeans of any kind of national background, as long as they choose to be naturalised, they can be accepted," Dr Mathews said.



ABILITY TO COOK ETHNIC FOOD NOT KEY TO YOUNGER RESPONDENTS

Passing down the ability to cook ethnic food, which includes dishes like nasi lemak, sugee cake and bak chang, was considered "unimportant" or "somewhat unimportant" when it came to ethnic identity for 40 per cent of respondents aged 21 to 25.

On the other hand, more than 80 per cent of those above the age of 66 found this aspect important.

Some aspects of ethnic identity, especially those not recognised on a national level, were not as important to younger respondents as to the older ones, Dr Mathews said.

"Often, culture, when it is left to to itself, tends to fade. We have new ways of doing things. In the process, you can see a loss of many aspects of culture, which people might cherish."

When certain aspects of culture are lost, people will begin to question the richness of their heritage and culture, he said. He added the especially for the Chinese, there is comparatively less importance in passing on traditions, like those for weddings and clothes.

A report on the survey highlighted this finding, asking: “Will access to ethnic food decline over the years given the falling emphasis, especially among millennials, on transmitting the skills and knowledge required to prepare such dishes?” 

The lack of interest in passing on traditional cooking methods and recipes in order to retain ethnic identity however did not translate to passing on ethnic pride.

Younger respondents were as likely as older respondents to consider passing down ethnic pride to their children as important. Three-quarters of respondents between the ages of 21 and 25 years regarded this to be at least somewhat important, as did 77 per cent of respondents aged 56 to 65.

LANGUAGE, FESTIVALS IMPORTANT FEATURES OF ETHNIC IDENTITY

Respondents were presented with a list of more than 35 indicators across several broad categories including language, food, and lifestyle, and asked how important it was for someone who considers himself a Singaporean Chinese, Malay, Indian, or Eurasian to have or do these.

Being able to speak, read and write in their community language and celebrating key festivals emerged as important aspects for Singaporeans when it came to identifying with their race.

More than 86 per cent of all respondents found language to be at least somewhat important to their ethnic identity, while an overwhelming majority of respondents across the ethnic groups recognised the importance of celebrating their ethnic community’s key festival.

Nearly 92 per cent of Chinese regarded the celebration of Chinese New Year as at least somewhat important, as did 96 per cent of Malays when it came to Hari Raya Puasa. Similarly, 88 per cent of Indians held such sentiments towards Deepavali.

"State policies help to preserve certain aspects of culture, for example, language, key celebrations. and of course, participation tends to be higher because people are more aware of that," Dr Mathews said. 

Dr Mathews said that interestingly, speaking good English was also an important aspect of ethnic identity across the groups, a sign that what people identify with is fluid and evolving. More than one in seven respondents across Indians, Malays and Chinese thought that speaking good English was important to their ethnic identity.

The report said that the survey, which involved more than 2,000 respondents across ages educational levels and ethnic groups, also showed that overall, ethnic identity was important to a majority or 63 per cent of respondents.

However, despite policies to build awareness of, and interactions with, Singaporeans from other ethnic groups, Singapore is still not the “multicultural nirvana” that some would expect.

"When we asked every community to rank what would be important to another community, the tendency was to not know how important some of those items may have been," Dr Mathews said, adding that this may reflect the lack of awareness about what is important to different groups.

"That happens, especially when you don't participate enough in festivals, or the rituals of important ceremonies of each of these communities. The more we get those opportunities, the better," he said.

New citizens from 4 core ethnicities more accepted
Chinese, Malays, Indians or Eurasians more likely to be viewed as 'truly Singaporean': Survey
By Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2017

Singaporeans are more likely to accept new citizens as being "truly Singaporean" if they are of the country's four core ethnic groups, according to a local study.

They are, however, less accepting of people of other ethnicities, such as Korean or Filipino.

More so if these new citizens are people from less-developed regions such as Africa, said researchers of the study on ethnic identity and inter-ethnic interactions done by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and Channel NewsAsia.

The findings, based on a survey of about 2,020 Singaporeans and permanent residents conducted between May and July, was released yesterday.

The questions they were asked included how acceptable it was for a new citizen of a particular ethnic background to be viewed as "truly Singaporean".

They had to choose from four options: "unacceptable", "somewhat unacceptable", "somewhat acceptable" or "acceptable".

More than 90 per cent said it was at least somewhat acceptable for new citizens who are Malay, Chinese or Indian, while 84 per cent said the same for new citizens who are Eurasian.

About 75 per cent would at least somewhat accept those of Japanese or Korean ethnicity as being truly local, while 60 per cent said they would do the same for those of Arab or African descent.

Singapore gave citizenship to 22,102 people last year, most of whom came from Asia.

Dr Mathew Mathews, an IPS senior research fellow who led the study, said the findings show that the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Others, or CMIO, framework resonates with Singaporeans.

It demonstrates that the CMIO framework has a part to play in associating national identity with the core ethnic groups in Singapore, the researchers added.

But only about half of Singaporeans say it is important to feel a connection to their ancestral heritage.

Asked to rank the importance of feeling such a connection, with four options ranging from "unimportant" to "important", just slightly more than half of Malay and Indian respondents said it was at least somewhat important.

For the Chinese, just 38.7 per cent said that having such a connection is at least somewhat important.

On top of that, 84 per cent and 96 per cent of Chinese and Malay respondents said they felt the closest cultural affinity with Malaysia-born Chinese and Malay people, respectively.

Indian respondents, meanwhile, saw themselves as closest in culture to those from India (93 per cent), while 90 per cent cited Malaysia-born Indians.

Polytechnic student Alex Andres, 19, who became a citizen in 2008 after moving here from the Philippines, said locals had difficulty relating to her initially.

But her ethnicity became less of a barrier when she made the move to learn more about local culture and quirks, like speaking Singlish.

"As new citizens, we can try to integrate, and Singaporeans will respond by learning a little about our own culture - our cuisine, language. We somehow meet in the middle and come to an understanding."

Young Chinese, Indians less likely to understand key Malay traits
By Melody Zaccheus, Heritage and Community Correspondent, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2017

Eating halal food, wearing the tudung as well as avoiding alcohol and not touching dogs are perceived as important traits of being a Malay in Singapore.

But when it comes to understanding these key facets of the community, younger Chinese and Indian respondents of a recent study were found to be less likely to understand their importance.

For instance, on the point of not touching dogs, just 49 per cent of Chinese and 46 per cent of Indians aged 21 to 25 said it was important for the Malay community, compared with 74 per cent of Malays in the same age group. The new study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and Channel NewsAsia included 440 Malays out of 2,020 respondents.

Researchers said this lack of inter-cultural understanding among young Singaporeans may be a result of fewer interactions and friendships across racial lines, adding that it is a trend that "bears watching".

IPS senior research fellow Mathew Mathews said: "One takeaway is that while we care about our own ethnic identities, we need to learn how to respect and understand the important (ethnic) markers of other groups."

The study also showed that younger Malay respondents felt less strongly about some of these ethnic markers compared to their seniors.

For instance, 72 per cent of Malay respondents aged 21 to 25 indicated that wearing the tudung is "somewhat important" or "important", compared with 93 per cent of their counterparts aged 56 to 65.

In addition, and almost unanimously, 93 per cent of the Malays surveyed perceived being Muslim as at least somewhat important to their ethnic identity.

This sentiment towards religion was stronger among the Malays polled, compared with the 70.6 per cent of Indian respondents in the case of Hinduism, and the 37.4 per cent of Chinese respondents in the case of Buddhism or Taoism.

And when it came to inter-cultural romances and dating outside their ethnic groups, Malays indicated that they were comfortable with their offspring going out with Chinese and Caucasians. This opinion was mirrored by the Indian community. For instance, 91.2 per cent of Malays in the 26 to 35 age group were comfortable with their offspring dating Chinese, compared with 85.7 per cent for dating Caucasians and 81.3 per cent for dating Indians.

Among Indians in the same age category, 89.3 per cent were comfortable with their offspring dating Chinese, compared with 87.5 per cent for Caucasians and 75.4 per cent for Malays.

However, the converse was true for the Chinese, with 74 per cent saying they were more comfortable with their offspring dating Caucasians, compared with 59 per cent and 54 per cent for Malays and Indians, respectively.

More identify with Singapore than their ethnicity
By Melody Zaccheus, Heritage and Community Correspondent, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2017

Of 2,020 people surveyed, more identify with Singapore than their own ethnic lineage.

Some 35 per cent of respondents in a new study on ethnic identity by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and Channel News-Asia indicated this inclination as opposed to 14.2 per cent who chose their ethnic identity alone.

However, the data also reflected that almost half - or 49 per cent of respondents - felt they had a "simultaneous" Singaporean and ethnic identity.

On what comprised an ethnic identity, researchers noted that overall, the three major races ranked reading, writing and speaking in the community's language, and celebrating their community's main festivals, as important markers of ethnic identity.

Nearly 92 per cent of Chinese regarded the celebration of Chinese New Year as at least somewhat important, as did 95.9 per cent of Malays when it came to Hari Raya Puasa, and 88.2 per cent of Indians for Deepavali.

Respondents were also near unanimous in their agreement that the ability to read or write in an individual's ethnic language (93.3 per cent) and converse in one's ethnic language (94 per cent) is at least somewhat important to be passed down to future generations.

However, the erosion of ethnic traditions and heritage also surfaced. For instance, millennials placed less importance on the ability to cook ethnic food and enjoy ethnic art and music.

And while respondents valued their own ethnic identities, researchers found that inter-ethnic engagement was somewhat lacking.

For instance, despite interest expressed in inter-cultural exchanges, a fair number of respondents do not participate in the cultural practices of those from other races, leading researchers to say that Singapore is "still not the multicultural nirvana that some would expect".

For instance, 53 per cent of Chinese respondents said they participated in Malay festivals and 44 per cent of them took part in Indian ones.

Similarly, more than half of the Malay respondents said that they participated in Chinese and Indian festivals.

In the case of Indian respondents, more than 60 per cent said they took part in Chinese and Malay festivals.

IPS senior research fellow Mathew Mathews said that given the current levels of inter-cultural exchange, "it is worth considering if more can be done to promote greater interaction, engagement and learning across the racial groups".

Call for deeper study into views on ethnicity
Poll shows need to tackle issues but observers point out topic is not so clear-cut
By Melody Zaccheus, Heritage and Community Correspondent and Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 10 Nov 2017

A new survey on ethnic identity has laid bare underlying inter-ethnicity issues that need to be tackled, said observers and organisations promoting inter-cultural activities.

But others said that the topic is not so clear-cut and called for a deeper analysis of the data.

They were reacting to an Institute of Policy Studies-Channel NewsAsia study which found that many of its 2,020 respondents do not participate in the cultural practices of those from other races.

It also found that respondents were less accepting of new immigrants of other ethnicities, such as Korean, and even less so if these new citizens are people from less-developed regions such as Africa.

On this, Mr Biren S. Desai, the immediate past president of the Singapore Gujarati Society, said it is keen to actively involve new citizens from ethnicities not common here in future. "We need to put in more effort to build a bridge," he said.

Mr William Phuan, the co-founder of Select Centre, a non-profit arts organisation which promotes inter-cultural dialogue, said he hopes to introduce more workshops in schools to teach students how to translate Tamil and Malay works into English as part of efforts to dismantle stereotypes.

Weighing in on the findings, social anthropologist Lai Ah Eng cautioned against reading too much into the results. She said respondents' acceptance of new citizens might have varied if they had been given specific situations or context when filling in their responses.

"Statistical evidence must be handled very carefully and needs more nuanced qualitative understanding of actual context, situations and issues when attitudes towards immigration and ethnicity are studied. I caution against simplistic use of statistics along numerical majority and numerical minority lines."

Ground sentiment was similar to the experts' views. Some people also called for a deeper analysis of the data, and to ask why the respondents said they felt the way they did on, for example, the topic of inter-cultural romances.

The survey found 74 per cent of Chinese respondents said they were more comfortable with their children dating Caucasians, compared with 59 per cent if their dates were Malay and 54 per cent if Indian. Undergraduate Soh Xing Huei, 21,suggested that one possible reason that Caucasians were ranked higher by respondents might be due to the general populace's "heavy exposure to Western culture and media" and thus the sense of "familiarity" with them.

On the same topic of inter-cultural dating, Malays and Indians had also indicated that they were comfortable with their children and grandchildren going out with Chinese and Caucasians.

Ustazah Kalthom Isa, 44, from the Religious Rehabilitation Group, said the results generally reflect an openness of Malays to date outside an ethnic group. She noted that there are no restrictions for Malays to date other ethnicities.

She said: "Muslims, however, must marry those with the same faith as them. So the other party should convert to Islam. We have many Malay-Muslims in the community with spouses of different ethnicities who have converted to Islam. There are others as well who wed through civil marriages if their partners were unwilling to convert to Islam."

The survey also found that younger Chinese and Indian respondents were less likely to understand the importance of certain markers which Malay respondents had largely perceived as important. These included traits, beliefs and practices associated with Islam, such as eating halal food, wearing the tudung and avoiding alcohol .

The study researchers had said this lack of inter-cultural understanding among young Singaporeans may be a result of fewer interactions and friendships across racial lines, adding that it is a trend that "bears watching".

Ustaz Zahid Zin, 33, chief executive of the Muslim Youth Forum, agreed. He said: "Every community and household has a part to play in creating a thriving inter-cultural environment and mindset. For instance, when I was young, I attended the weddings of my parents' friends in churches. Such exposure makes me more appreciative of my fellow Singaporeans and the other cultures here."

Risk of enlisting radicalised National Servicemen exists: MINDEF; 3 Singaporeans dealt with under ISA for terror-related activities between Sep and Nov 2017

November 10, 2017, 11:46 pm

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Radicalised teenager's individual beliefs do not represent Singapore's national servicemen who dutifully serve to protect their loved ones, regardless of race or religion, says the Ministry of Defence.
By Jalelah Abu Baker, Channel NewsAsia, 9 Nov 2017

The risk of enlisting a radicalised serviceman exists, as full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) are drawn from the entire male population at large, said the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) on Thursday (Nov 9).

The ministry was responding to Channel NewsAsia's queries following news that a 19-year-old NSF was arrested after becoming radicalised.

Adzrul Azizi Banjuri, a former logistics assistant in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), was exposed to radical material online and supported Islamic State. He was issued with a Restriction Order under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in September this year, and will be required to undergo counselling.

MINDEF said Adzrul's interest in extremist ideology began when he was in a local secondary school three years ago.

“Adzrul’s individual radical beliefs do not represent our national servicemen who dutifully serve to protect their loved ones, regardless of race or religion,” said a spokesperson for MINDEF, describing the ministry and the Singapore Armed Forces as a “microcosm” of Singapore society at large.

Adzrul was one of three Singaporeans recently dealt with under the ISA for terror-related activities.

“While serving his NS, Adzrul started having doubts about the legitimacy of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria ideology and its violent tactics,” said the MINDEF spokesperson.

"Hopefully the counselling and correct religious instruction that he receives will assist in de-radicalising his extremist views."

In a separate statement on Thursday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said there are no indications that Adzrul radicalised any of his fellow national servicemen.

Under the Restriction Order, Adzrul must abide by several conditions such as not travelling out of Singapore. He is also not allowed to change his place of residence or employment without prior approval from the director of the Internal Security Department.

RELATIVES AND FRIENDS DID NOT INFORM AUTHORITIES: MHA

MHA said that Adzrul’s radicalisation was left unchecked because no one came forward to report him.

“Although some of his relatives and associates had seen indications of his radicalism, they did not inform the authorities,” said MHA in response to media queries.

It added, however, that one person whom Adzrul had mentioned his pro-IS inclinations to had tried to counsel him against having such beliefs. 

“His (Adzrul's) case and others this year show how challenging it is for the authorities to detect individuals who are self-radicalised. It is therefore critical that if people are aware that someone they know is radicalised, they should quickly report to the authorities, before the individual gets involved in terrorist conduct," said MHA.



Since 2010, two NSFs have been arrested under the ISA for radicalism, and MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces “have drawn valuable lessons” from these cases, said the defence ministry spokesperson.

MINDEF pointed out that National Education programmes for SAF soldiers emphasise the importance of racial and religious harmony through understanding, accepting and respecting people of other races and religions, adding that “actual incidents” are used to illustrate how racial and religious discord can weaken the military force.

“The SAF also has sufficient safeguards in place to maintain operational and weapons security, which includes personnel screening procedures and supervision by commanders to ensure that servicemen are fit to carry out their duties in the SAF,” said the spokesperson.

Housewife and JI member detained under Internal Security Act
By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 10 Nov 2017

Two Singaporeans have been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for terrorism-related activities, the latest in a trickle of such arrests here.

They are Abu Thalha Samad, 25, a member of terror group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), and housewife Munavar Baig Amina Begam, a 38-year-old naturalised citizen from India, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a statement yesterday.

It said Abu Thalha had lived overseas for 15 years before his arrest, having been educated in JI-linked schools in the region, where he also received paramilitary training.

In 2014, he took an oath of allegiance and became a JI member.

"He understood it to mean that he was duty-bound to carry out whatever instructions the JI leaders had for him, including performing armed jihad and sacrificing his life for the JI's violent cause," MHA said.

Since last year, he had been teaching at a JI-linked school, and was also on a committee that selected students for JI membership. But in August, MHA worked with a "regional government" to deport him back to Singapore, where he was issued a two-year detention order in September. It declined to disclose the country where he was, but it is understood that JI is active in Indonesia.



As for Amina, MHA said she was a supporter of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group, and had intended to travel to the Middle East to join ISIS.

"Amina was radicalised by a foreign online contact, who shared with her pro-ISIS materials, and convinced her that ISIS was fighting to defend Sunnis in the conflict zone," said MHA. It added that she was prepared to undergo military training and take up arms and fight.

Amina, who was given a two-year detention order this month, also influenced others by sharing materials promoting terrorism on social media. Her husband and two children, who are Singaporeans, were unaware of her radicalism, said MHA.

Amina is the second woman to be detained under the ISA for terrorism-related activities. The first was infant care assistant Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari, 22, who was arrested in June.

Meanwhile, a third Singaporean, Adzrul Azizi Bajuri, was issued a restriction order after he was radicalised by ISIS propaganda online.

The order limits the activities of the 19-year-old, a former full-time national serviceman (NSF), and requires him to go for religious counselling.

Adzrul, who was a logistics assistant in the Singapore Armed Forces when he was arrested, had come across ISIS-related videos in 2014 on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, MHA said. He was still in secondary school back then, it added.

Although he had considered fighting for the group, he started "having some doubts about the legitimacy of ISIS ideology and its violent tactics" in August this year.

MHA said his relatives and people around him had seen signs of radicalism, with one of them even trying to counsel him, but none reported it to the authorities.

"Adzrul's radicalisation was left unchecked because no one came forward to report him. Fortunately, he was detected before he could engage in armed violence overseas," said MHA, adding that there were no signs that Adzrul had radicalised any of his fellow NSFs.

None of the three individuals was reported by their relatives or friends, said the MHA, which also stressed that they did not have plans to carry out attacks here.

The action taken against the trio means about 20 Singaporeans have been dealt with under the ISA for terror-related activities since 2015.

Muslim community leaders said yesterday that the latest moves were a reminder the terror threat - particularly that posed by JI - was active in the region, and Muslims should be discerning when viewing religious material online.

Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim, in a Facebook post, urged Muslims to seek religious knowledge from accredited religious teachers, and get help from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), the Religious Rehabilitation Group or the police if they see signs of radicalisation.

Yesterday, MHA also said a restriction order against former Moro Islamic Liberation Front member Mustafa Kamal Mohammad, 62, was allowed to lapse in September, as he had been rehabilitated.

Related
MHA: Update on Terrorism-Related Arrests Under The Internal Security Act (ISA) - 9 Nov 2017

OCBC: The 85-year journey of a Singapore bank

November 12, 2017, 7:06 pm

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A new book, Wind Behind The Sails: The People And Ethos Of OCBC, published by Straits Times Press, traces the bank's growth and how it helped transform Singapore's cityscape. Below is an edited excerpt.
The Sunday Times, 12 Nov 2017

Built in early 1932, the China Building along Chulia Street was one of the most recognisable landmarks in the business district. A head taller than the surrounding shophouses, it stood out for its distinctive Peking style. Designed by international architecture firm Keys & Dowdeswell, it had elaborate decorations adorning its exterior walls. But it was its pagoda-style roof that marked its presence in the area, giving it an aura of aristocracy.

It was therefore unsurprising that the fashionable building was often a gathering place for the who's who of the Chinese business community in the early 1950s to 1960s. Former OCBC chairman Lee Kong Chian often hosted contemporaries to lunch at the Garden Club, located at the top floor of the China Building, discussing everything from business to politics.

The China Building was officially opened in January 1932 to house the Chinese Commercial Bank and the Oversea-Chinese Bank. It became the headquarters of OCBC when the two banks merged with Ho Hong Bank later that year. For an entire generation - nearly 40 years - the building housed the top tier of Chinese bankers in Singapore till the late 1960s. But by the beginning of the decade, it was increasingly clear that OCBC, with its thousands of employees, had outgrown the small but elegant headquarters that had served it for so long. In 1969, the bank started to plan for a new headquarters that would serve as the nerve centre for the growing banking group.



The planning and building of the new headquarters was the most important project for the bank up till that point in its history. It would be the tallest building in the region, equipped with the most up-to-date features and facilities of any building in Singapore. Representing a bank on the ascendancy, the new skyscraper was to be the crowning glory of the towering financial institution. OCBC Centre was not just going to be the new home of the group but a symbol of its strength and the pillar of its future.

To build the superstructure, the bank first had to secure enough land for the new building's foundation to stand on. Over the course of the 1960s, the bank purchased shophouses and godowns around the China Building, and even a public carpark. A total of 6,565 square metres of land was procured. The new superstructure would be sited on the same piece of land, albeit an enlarged one, where the old China Building stood.

The old headquarters had to be first vacated. It took five weekends to move people, documents and valuables. The move to a temporary headquarters along Upper Pickering Street was done under tight security. The bank's staff had to check, file and move documents and records from the China Building to OCBC's various offices and branches around Singapore. It was crucial that all the documents were accounted for - computers were not used to keep records in those days - because many of these documents were records of the assets of their customers, some of whom had been with the bank for decades.

The mammoth logistical challenge involved a total of 144 truckloads carrying 280 tonnes of furniture, equipment and papers. It was a difficult but crucial task which the appointed OCBC staff undertook diligently. The bank's safes, which contained some of the most valuable items the bank held, had to be removed and transported to the temporary premises in Upper Pickering Street. The move was finally completed on November 29, 1970.

Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Teo Chee Hean remembers the day he was taken to the bank to witness the huge safes being moved. DPM Teo recalls his father, Mr Teo Cheng Guan, who was then an assistant general manager of the bank, taking his family to witness the historic event. That morning, the younger Teo watched as massive cranes arrived outside the bank. Their task: to lift and transport the huge safes that had been stored in the building for decades. Part of the China Building, including its roof, had to be first removed to make space for the cranes to haul the safes up and out of the building.

"It was quite a sight. Cranes hauling these massive safes up into the Upper Pickering Street building," said DPM Teo.

For the rest of the OCBC staff, there was a mix of sadness and anticipation. China Building had been, for so long, the home of the bank. More than being simply an office, it was a symbol of resilience and grace, one that had survived an economic winter and braved a war. The traditional banking hall and its offices were all familiar to those who had spent years, even decades, at the bank.

China Building was finally demolished in November 1970, after months of preparation. Its end, however, marked a new start for OCBC. The site on which China Building once stood would be the epicentre of the ambitious $100 million OCBC Centre project.

The massive project needed to be executed perfectly; any delay would result in huge costs and an even bigger loss of face. It was imperative that the project was handled by the best talent the bank could get. As such, the quest for perfection began with the appointing of an architect with the verve and vision to design a monument that would stand the test of time.

The task fell to American-Chinese architect I.M. Pei, an international architect of renown. He had designed some of the most iconic buildings in the US in the 1960s. These included the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston and the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado. Mr Pei's task was to build not just a regular office building but a building of the future, one that would revitalise and regenerate the surrounding areas, which remained marked by numerous shophouses and old offices. As Mr Pei told the Harvard Asia Pacific Review in 1998: "The OCBC Building has nothing to do with the shacks along the Singapore River."

The project was such a massive undertaking that specialised equipment such as tower cranes had to be brought in from overseas. Special material like granite from Italy had to be shipped in, while expert builders from the region were roped in to help construct the building that was to be a major landmark for Singapore's business district.

After years of toil and careful construction, the building was finally completed and opened on October 1, 1976. Some 3,000 guests, including Singapore's then-National Development Minister Lim Kim San, attended the opening ceremony. For Singaporeans accustomed to the low-rise commercial buildings that had defined the business district, OCBC Centre was an awe-inspiring sight. Soaring 198 metres above sea level and fitted with state-of-the-art facilities, OCBC Centre was designed to reflect not just the strength of the banking group but also its transformation from a traditional Chinese bank into a financial institution of national importance and international reach. It had a banking hall that was 12.2 metres high and 1,300 square metres large. The building had 27 lifts that could travel 366 metres per minute, making them the fastest lifts in Singapore at the time. At the top of the building, there was a helicopter pad - OCBC Centre was one of few buildings in those days to host one.

As one editorial in The Straits Times in 1976 put it succinctly: "Its purity of form was compared by one architect to the prestigious Cartier lighter - part of the accoutrement of the well-dressed, conservative and world-wise managers who work in the building."

Wind Behind The Sails: The People And Ethos of OCBC is published by Straits Times Press. It is not for sale but will be available for borrowing at public libraries by end-December.

TPP deal moves ahead without US, trade pact renamed CPTPP - Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership

November 12, 2017, 10:30 pm

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Business groups cheer new Trans-Pacific trade pact involving remaining 11 countries
By Lee U-Wen In Danang, Vietnam, The Sunday Times, 12 Nov 2017

Eleven countries in an ambitious free trade deal, including Singapore, have agreed to go ahead without the United States after a week of drama when agreement seemed elusive.

They will stick to the core elements of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreed upon two years ago, but which the United States pulled out of in January.

The deal substantially lowers tariffs on a wide range of goods and, even without the US, remains attractive, although some had sought to weaken its onerous standards.

For Singapore companies, it offers access to a market of 500 million people with a combined output of US$10 trillion (S$13.6 trillion).

The new pact - the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the TPP (CPTPP) - suspends 20 provisions of the original TPP, mostly on intellectual property.

It was reached on the sidelines of the annual leaders' meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), a grouping of 21 economies set up to liberalise trade across the region. All the TPP countries are members of APEC.



Japan's Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the CPTPP will enter into force after at least six members ratify it. Its members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Speaking to Singapore reporters after the APEC Summit ended, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said it took "a lot of skill and determination and willingness" among the 11 parties to agree not to renegotiate the pact, even though the circumstances have changed.

"It is not easy to take the TPP that was designed for 12 countries, remove one and then have the remaining 11 reach an agreement almost the same as the original, because economic calculations change, strategic calculations change, and political calculations change."



The deal appeared to hit a major roadblock on Friday when a planned meeting of TPP leaders was shelved as Canadian PM Justin Trudeau did not attend. His Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne later put this down to "a misunderstanding about the schedule".

Business groups cheered the deal, including the Singapore Business Federation, whose chief executive officer Ho Meng Kit said he "looked forward to the speedy conclusion and subsequent implementation of the restructured agreement".

The Asian Trade Centre executive director, Dr Deborah Elms, told AFP that even without the US, the CPTPP was "the most important trade agreement signed in the last 20 years". "Companies had largely given up on the TPP after the withdrawal of the United States," she said. "Now, firms will need to scramble to figure out how the agreement matters to their business."

Ever since US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the TPP in one of his administration's first acts in January, Japan - the next-biggest economy in the group - has taken the lead in negotiations.

Seven TPP members are also in talks on another trade deal, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Its 16 members comprise all 10 ASEAN nations as well as China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Chinese Foreign Ministry official Zhang Jun told reporters in Danang yesterday that the CPTPP would not impact the RCEP's prospects.

RCEP members held a 20th round of talks in Incheon last month and their leaders will meet at the ASEAN summit in Manila on Tuesday to review their progress.

Against all odds, a breakthrough for TPP deal
By Lee U-Wen In Danang, Vietnam, The Sunday Times, 12 Nov 2017

A roller-coaster of emotions. That's probably the most apt way to describe what the 11 nations involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact went through over the past few days.

There were loud cheers and back-slapping among ministers and negotiators on Thursday night when it seemed they had, at long last, come to a consensus on how to move on without the United States.

That jubilation dissipated the next day when a scheduled meeting of TPP leaders, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit here in Danang, was canned when Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not turn up. His trade minister blamed it on "a misunderstanding about the schedule", and nothing more.



To some, Mr Trudeau's no-show wasn't a complete surprise as he had stressed earlier that he would not be pushed into agreeing on a deal unless he was absolutely sure it was beneficial to his people.

There was, however, to be one final twist in the tale. Early yesterday, all the trade ministers reaffirmed that they had an in-principle agreement to bring the pact into effect. Consensus was reached after 20 mostly intellectual property-related provisions of the TPP - now known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) - were suspended. The deal, thought to be stalled indefinitely, was back on the cards in a big way.

While significant progress has been made, and the ministers deserve some credit for their steely resolve, there's still a long road ahead. A new legal text needs to be drafted and signed by all the parties. Only then can the 11 nations begin the tough job of winning their respective parliamentary approvals.

Once that is done, a simple majority of at least six countries must ratify the agreement before it can enter into force. One of the biggest hurdles is convincing the naysayers the CPTPP can still be regarded as a "gold standard" free trade agreement (FTA), now that the US is formally out of the picture.



The TPP would have been the largest FTA in the world, covering 40 per cent of global GDP. Though the new CPTPP accounts for only 13.5 per cent of global GDP, it still boasts a population of nearly 500 million and total trade in excess of US$5 trillion (S$6.8 trillion).

These are still big numbers, and many countries will enjoy access to several new markets and improved access to others. Australia, for instance, will have new trade deals with Canada and Mexico, and greater scope to do business in Japan, Chile and Vietnam.

When President Donald Trump yanked the US out of the TPP in January, it was as if the death knell had sounded for the ambitious grouping. The breakthrough, against the odds, in Danang has proven otherwise.

RCEP: Regional mega trade deal in 'final stage of negotiations'
By Raul Dancel, The Straits Times, 13 Nov 2017

MANILA • A mega trade deal that will cover nearly 3.5 billion people and account for a third of the world's gross domestic product is almost completed and could be signed next year, said ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh yesterday.

He said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) deal "is in the final stage of negotiations".

"Hopefully, we can substantially conclude it, so that a full-fledged RCEP can be concluded under Singapore's chairmanship," he told The Straits Times in an interview.

Singapore takes over the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN next year.

Earlier in the day, Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez said good progress had been made in moving discussions on the RCEP forward.

"But there are still areas that need to be ironed out if we are to finally conclude the negotiations," he said.

Their comments come a day after 11 countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreed to go ahead without the United States.

Observers have seen the TPP as a rival to the ASEAN-centred RCEP, although seven of the TPP members are also in talks on the RCEP.

RCEP leaders will take stock of the deal at a meeting tomorrow.

Mr Minh acknowledged there are holdouts concerned over opening their markets, but "it's like in other multilateral negotiations".

"Very often, you can get a deal only at the last minute," he said.

The RCEP was conceived in 2012 to harmonise trade rules across the 10 members of ASEAN and six key trading partners: China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. If approved, the 16-nation free trade agreement will be the largest trade bloc in terms of population, with a third of the world's GDP and total trade.

In September, ASEAN economic ministers agreed on "key elements" they hope will accelerate RCEP talks. They agreed that nations that would sign up for the RCEP should commit to remove barriers on at least 90.3 per cent of their product lines over five to 10 years.

All 10 ASEAN members have already signed up on this, and anything less will be unacceptable to the bloc, Mr Lopez said then.

While the TPP would have accounted for 40 per cent of global GDP and 20 per cent of world trade, the election of US President Donald Trump last year doomed the deal. He had campaigned against the TPP, warning it would cost US jobs.

The 11 remaining countries agreed on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Danang, Vietnam, to stick to the core elements of the TPP, but suspend some 20 provisions. The new pact will be called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the TPP, or CPTPP, and a deal seemed elusive well into the final hours of talks last week.

APEC Summit 2017: Greater, freer trade key to region's prosperity: PM Lee Hsien Loong
APEC members agree on closer economic integration, but differ on way to proceed
By Tham Yuen-C, Assistant Political Editor In Danang, Vietnam, The Sunday Times, 12 Nov 2017

The mood towards globalisation is shifting, and there are concerns about whether the current trade system is fair for all to benefit from as they ought to, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

But global trade has allowed many countries to prosper, he told fellow Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders, saying he firmly believes "we should foster more and freer trade to continue to prosper".

He also reiterated Singapore's support for the rules-based multilateral trading system, saying it has brought economies closer together and allowed open dialogue on issues like sustainable development.



At the end of the two-day APEC Summit yesterday, leaders of its 21 economies agreed to ensure a level playing field by pursuing open markets and fighting protectionism, including all unfair trade practices.

A day earlier, leaders of the two largest economies had put forward different visions of trade. United States President Donald Trump said he would pursue fair deals that put America first, while Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged support for multilateral deals and to push for more inclusive globalisation.



Asked for his assessment at an interview with the Singapore media, Mr Lee said all APEC members agree on wanting to promote closer economic integration with mutual benefits, but had different views on how this should be done.

While the US wants to work bilaterally on a reciprocal basis, other members want to keep to a multilateral framework "which in the view of many of us has benefited all our countries, including the US".

But Mr Lee said members understood the political pressures and reasons behind the US administration's stance and still hoped to work together with the US, as well as like-minded countries.



"It does not mean there is a consensus. It does not mean there is no conflict in perspectives, or no tension. There is, but we hope we will be able to work through them and maintain the cooperation that has delivered peace, stability and prosperity to many countries for a very long time," he said.

In an earlier speech to APEC leaders, Mr Lee said being plugged in to the wider global market brings economies of scale, and no single country can be self-sufficient in today's world. Even then, there is still some way to go towards the ideal of fully open trade in the region.

Citing the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which Mr Trump had criticised a day earlier for turning a blind eye to unfair trade practices, Mr Lee said it was an important forum for improving the global framework for trade.

But it takes time for all 164 WTO members to reach a deal, "so we have to explore less comprehensive but more timely measures", he said.

He called for support for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership that ASEAN's 10 members are negotiating with six others, including China, Japan and India. At the same time, the remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal were also pushing ahead to bring the pact into force.

Mr Lee also said developments such as China's Belt and Road Initiative, which includes many economies across Asia and Europe, will also promote greater connectivity, infrastructure investment and economic integration.

APEC, too, is a measure for promoting trade, he said, noting that the grouping had come a long way from its early days as an informal gathering of 12 economies in 1989 formed to liberalise trade across the region.

Tariffs in APEC today are a third of what they were then, and APEC economies represent 60 per cent of global gross domestic product and half of global trade. He also commended Vietnam, this year's APEC chair, for kick-starting a process to review goals set in Bogor, Indonesia, in 1994, for free and open trade and investment across the region by 2020. "As we approach 2020 for the Bogor goals, it is timely to reflect on the aspirations of APEC for the longer term," he said.

Tech disruption: 'Help workers, firms to adjust': PM Lee Hsien Loong
By Tham Yuen-C, Assistant Political Editor, The Sunday Times, 12 Nov 2017

Governments must play an active role in ensuring the benefits of digitalisation are fairly distributed, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders yesterday.

While free markets and private enterprise are required to drive innovations that have opened up new frontiers for trade and commerce, efficient and fair economies are just as important, said Mr Lee. "It cannot be entirely laissez-faire," he said. "We can leave it to the markets to work this out, but there will then be much disruption and hardship as sectors undergo restructuring, and obstacles to taking advantage of the new opportunities."

He urged countries to mitigate the "winner takes all" effect of technological disruption, as not doing so can result in reactions that prevent governments from promoting economic integration and cooperation. Fiscal transfers and investments in education, training and human resources can help spread the gains more evenly, he suggested.

Making globalisation and digitalisation more inclusive was key on APEC's agenda this year, amid a pushback against globalisation.

Mr Lee also urged fellow APEC leaders to help businesses and workers adjust as technology disrupts industries and business models, and causes some jobs to disappear. "We are seeing middle managers and professionals worrying about automation and how artificial intelligence could be displacing workers. They ask: Is AI helping them do their job better or (is it) doing their jobs and making them redundant?"

To assuage their anxiety, governments can provide incentives for them to upgrade their skills, and also the right environment, frameworks and rules to allow for innovation by businesses, he said, citing Singapore's SkillsFuture for the Digital Workplace initiative for workers.

"These are real political pressures which we have to deal with and, at the same time, move forward and adapt to the digital age," he said.

Singapore National Football League game descends into mass brawl, police called in

November 13, 2017, 11:22 pm

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By Lim Say Heng and David Lee, The Straits Times, 13 Nov 2017

A National Football League (NFL) Division 1 game between the Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association (SAFSA) and Yishun Sentek Mariners ended in a mass brawl last night at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

The incident occurred in stoppage time of the second half, when Sentek Mariners' defender Zulfadhli Suzliman was sent off with SAFSA leading 3-2.

Prior to the game, Sentek Mariners were top of the 12-team NFL while SAFSA were second.

Sentek Mariners coach Yakob Hashim told The Straits Times (ST): "Zulfadhli told me Nazirul (Islam) verbally abused his mother and he retaliated with a kick, which led to his red card although Nazirul was not booked.

"I was paying attention to the both of them when another scuffle involving the reserves broke out at another corner of the pitch."

SAFSA could not be reached for comment yesterday.

ST understands that play was stopped for about 15 minutes before the match resumed. SAFSA won 3-2. ST also understands that the police have been called in, and was still at the stadium at 11pm last night.

Yakob said: "It is regrettable that such an incident has happened. Investigations are ongoing and we will cooperate fully with the relevant authorities."

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said in a statement: "The FAS does not condone any ungentlemanly behaviour that taints the name of our sport, and brings it into disrepute.

"As the matter is under investigation, we are unable to make any further comments."

This was not the first time SAFSA had been involved in a brawl during a football match in recent times.

Last year on Oct 1, the Singapore FA Cup first-round match between SAFSA and Balestier United Recreation Club at the Gombak Stadium was halted by the referee in the 88th minute when a fight broke out with SAFSA leading 2-1. The match was later abandoned.

After two hearings, Balestier was banned from participating in the FA Cup for the next two years and fined $1,000.

Three of its players, Taufik Jiahuddin, Masnashzreen Masturi and Khyruddin Khalid, were banned from all FAS-sanctioned matches and tournaments until the end of this year. They were also fined $500 each. Two other players, Kamarul Rusly and K. Sathiaraj, were banned from all matches until June 30 this year.

Syafiq Siraj, SAFSA's captain last year, was given a conditional warning till the end of this year.

Additional reporting by Shamir Osman

Why public sees foreign workers as more helpful than Singaporeans

November 14, 2017, 12:12 am

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By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 13 Nov 2017

In September, a group of foreign workers were hailed for helping to move a car that had been stuck on a flight of stairs at Waterway Point in Punggol - while Singaporeans looked on and snapped pictures with their phones.

After the video circulated online, there was an outpouring of goodwill from Singaporeans, many of whom compared the foreign workers favourably against locals.

The workers, The Straits Times understands, had in fact been asked to move the car. But public response was telling, with many Singaporeans saying that foreign workers here are helpful and friendly - perhaps even more so than locals.

People ST spoke to suggested reasons that foreign workers are seen in such a positive light, although they were cautious not to generalise.

Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser, from the National University of Singapore's department of sociology, said: "It could be that we tend to be generous in our views of people who are no threat to us. Here, we are speaking of foreign workers who perform the menial tasks that we avoid doing ourselves."

An unequal relationship of power could affect the way foreign workers interact with locals.

"Because the foreign workers see themselves as of lower status to middle-class Singaporeans, they may tend to display what could be deemed to be deferential, even subservient, behaviour, but manifested as friendly or helpful behaviour.

"Consequently, we may actually develop some positive stereotypes about them... along with some negative stereotypes. The latter could be activated should they, for instance, compete with us for public space or amenities," Prof Tan added.

Citing a famous 2012 study published in PNAS journal that showed that underprivileged people tend to be more generous and ethical, Singapore Management University sociology professor Nicholas Harrigan said: "It could be this trend that people are noticing with foreign workers, but I am hesitant to draw conclusions because there are so many other potential factors."

Mr John Gee, former president and current head of research at non-governmental organisation Transient Workers Count Too, said that Bangladeshi migrant workers here tend to come from rural areas in the neighbourhood of Dhaka.

In big cities like Singapore, people tend to mind their own business, he said. The sizeable Bangladeshi population here could also make it easier for the temporary migrantsto "perpetuate the tradition they brought from home".

Bangladeshi construction worker Mahbub Hasan Dipu, 30, who hails from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, said he has many friends from villages in Bangladesh.

He described these village communities as "one big family... They are all very helpful". But he said there could be another reason for such friendliness: "We need this job. We want to stay here. We are scared that if we are rude, bad things will happen."

Another Bangladeshi, Mr Belal Hassan, 29, who helps manage a stainless steel shop, said: "There are so many workers on MRT trains, buses who give up their seats." His desire to do good, he said, is driven by his Muslim values.

The upswelling of goodwill towards foreign workers, however, could be a reaction to some negative stereotypes that still persist.

Mr Gee noted that there are Singaporeans who think foreign workers are "dishonest", or subscribe to "the idea that South Asian workers may be sexual predators".

He hopes to see more open spaces and affordable cafes where locals and foreign workers can meet.

Meanwhile, Prof Tan said that aside from public education, there could be more opportunities for both groups to interact in "non-hierarchical, collaborative fun activities" such as games and sports.

Said Mr Belal: "Some people say we are smelly, sweaty, that we just come here for the money. But we also need your love, your appreciation because we are also human."

More children hurt in road accidents in first half of 2017

November 14, 2017, 11:34 pm

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By Tan Tam Mei, The Straits Times, 14 Nov 2017

A total of 132 children aged 12 and below were injured in road traffic accidents in the first half of this year, up from 128 in the same period last year.

"We can avoid and prevent needless tragedies, and more can be done to educate and instil road safety habits in young children," said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Faishal Ibrahim.

He was speaking at the closing of the 37th annual Shell Traffic Games - which tests pupils' road safety knowledge - at the Road Safety Community Park in East Coast yesterday.

In his speech, Associate Professor Faishal noted that children are vulnerable as they may not understand the dangers present on the road, and their size makes them less visible to motorists.

He cited a video that went viral in October, showing a six-year-old boy dashing across Leedon Road and being hit by a car. He was flung off his kick scooter.

"Fortunately, the boy suffered only minor injuries. This is why I cannot stress enough how important it is for us to teach children about the dangers on our roads," said Prof Faishal.

Three educational animation videos for children were also launched at the event.

The videos are a collaboration between the Singapore Road Safety Council, students from Nanyang Polytechnic's School of Interactive and Digital Media, the Traffic Police and oil company Shell.

The videos will be distributed to all primary schools and can be found on the Singapore Police Force's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

They aim to educate pupils on key road safety practices - the kerb drill; looking out for blind spots; and the dangers of crossing the road while distracted.

Earlier this year, the Traffic Police added the Road Safety Community Park mobile application to its training curriculum for children. It includes a virtual reality experience to simulate crossing the road, complete with 360-degree videos and an interactive game.



This year alone, about 23,000 primary school pupils benefited from educational efforts to instil safe road practices, said Prof Faishal, who also urged all road users to play their part in road safety.

"Everyone of us is a road user, either a pedestrian, a cyclist or a driver, and each of us has a part to play to make our roads safer," he said.

"We can all contribute to this effort by simply adhering to traffic rules at all times, and urging those around us to do likewise."

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PM Lee Hsien Loong outlines Singapore's key goals as chairman of ASEAN in 2018

November 15, 2017, 7:42 pm

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Grouping a vehicle for 10 nations to manage issues and improve lives in South-east Asia, he says
By Charissa Yong Political Correspondent In Manila, The Straits Times, 15 Nov 2017

ASEAN is a lifeboat for all 10 countries in South-east Asia to come together, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday, on the cusp of Singapore's helming the group.

ASEAN, which turned 50 this year, is a vehicle "to have our voice heard on the world stage and to be able to manage our own issues among ourselves, and to cooperate to improve the lives of the people in South-east Asia", he told Singapore reporters.

He also outlined Singapore's key priorities as chair, captured in its tagline "Resilient and Innovative", in a speech at last night's closing ceremony for the 31st ASEAN Summit, the last major event on ASEAN's calendar this year. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, the host, gave him a symbolic gavel to mark the hand-over of the rotating chairmanship.



PM Lee said Singapore, as ASEAN chairman next year, will seek to ensure the group promotes and upholds a rules-based regional order.

This is to better deal with emerging security challenges in the neighbourhood, such as cyber security, transnational crime and terrorism.

Singapore will also steer fellow members to press on with regional economic integration and enhance connectivity, so as to keep the region competitive and prosperous.

And it will find innovative ways to manage and make use of digital technologies, and equip ASEAN citizens with skills and capabilities.

The goal, he added, is for ASEAN to remain a central and dynamic driving force in the region that can deal with challenges and opportunities.

Singapore will also continue to build relations with ASEAN's external partners, PM Lee added. If it can make ASEAN more effective and strengthen cooperation with its neighbours, this will benefit the man on the street, he said.

"It means for Singapore a stabler world to live in, a safer South-east Asia in which we can operate, a more prosperous region in which we can grow our economy, expand our markets and seize opportunities which will be there," he said.

PM Lee also congratulated the Philippines for its successful chairmanship. A major highlight was a framework for the Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Building on this, ASEAN and China agreed to start talks on the code, both sides said at the ASEAN-China Summit with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday. These talks will begin early next year, PM Lee told Singapore reporters yesterday.

ASEAN leaders also held their first summit with United States President Donald Trump.

PM Lee said these showed that "ASEAN values our relations with these two powers, and these two powers are also paying attention to their relationship with ASEAN".

ASEAN leaders also pledged to protect the rights of migrant workers.

Trade was featured prominently, as leaders spoke of the need to send a signal of commitment to free trade and open markets.

They acknowledged the hurdles in the way of concluding talks on the ASEAN-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and PM Lee said Singapore will do all it can to push negotiations forward.

He thanked ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh, whose term is ending soon, and his staff and welcomed his successor Lim Jock Hoi, Brunei's permanent secretary for foreign affairs and trade. "Singapore looks forward to working closely with you and the secretariat to strengthen ASEAN's community-building efforts," said PM Lee.

He also told reporters that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he met yesterday, had agreed to visit Singapore to speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue next year. "I'm very happy to say that he looks forward to coming, and we'll be working on it."

New 130/80 high blood pressure guideline by American Heart Association means more people in Singapore - 1 in 3 - have hypertension

November 15, 2017, 7:46 pm

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New US standard redefines high blood pressure
Stricter limit of 130/80 means action should be taken sooner, including adoption of lifestyle changes: Report
The Straits Times, 15 Nov 2017

LOS ANGELES • High blood pressure was redefined on Monday by the American Heart Association (AHA), which said the disease should be treated sooner, when it reaches 130/80mm Hg, and not the previous limit of 140/90.

Doctors now recognise that complications "can occur at those lower numbers", said the first update to comprehensive US guidelines on blood pressure detection and treatment since 2003.

A diagnosis of the new high blood pressure does not necessarily mean a person needs to take medication, but that "it's a yellow light that you need to be lowering your blood pressure, mainly with non-drug approaches", said Dr Paul Whelton, lead author of the guidelines published in the AHA journal, Hypertension, and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Healthy lifestyle changes include losing weight, exercising more, eating healthier, not smoking, avoiding alcohol and salt, and reducing stress.

The new standard means nearly half (46 per cent) of the US population will be defined as having high blood pressure. Previously, one in three (32 per cent) had the condition, which is the second leading cause of preventable heart disease and stroke, after cigarette smoking.

The normal limit for blood pressure is considered 120 for systolic, or how much pressure the blood places on the artery walls when the heart beats, and 80 for diastolic, which is measured between beats.

Once a person reaches 130/80, "you've already doubled your risk of cardiovascular complications compared to those with a normal level of blood pressure", said Dr Whelton.

"We want to be straight with people - if you already have a doubling of risk, you need to know about it."

The new guidelines are expected to lead to a surge of people in their 40s with high blood pressure - once considered a disorder mainly among people aged 50 and older.

"The prevalence of high blood pressure is expected to triple among men under age 45, and double among women under 45," according to the report.

Damage to blood vessels is already beginning once blood pressure reaches 130/80, said the guidelines, which were based in part on a major US government-funded study of over 9,000 people nationwide.

The category of prehypertension, referring to those with systolic pressure of 120-139, no longer exists. The report said: "People with those readings now will be categorised as having either elevated (120-129 and less than 80) or stage 1 hypertension (130-139 or 80-89)."

Medication is recommended for people with stage 1 hypertension only "if a patient has already had a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke, or is at high risk of heart attack or stroke based on age, the presence of diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease or calculation of atherosclerotic risk".

The proper technique must be used to measure blood pressure, and levels "should be based on an average of two to three readings on at least two different occasions", according to the new guidelines.

Dr Satjit Bhusri, a cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, said he agrees with the change "because it allows for early lifestyle changes to be addressed".

He added: "It is important, however, to realise that the change in the definition does not give course to increased prescriptions of medications. Rather, it brings to light the need to make lifestyle changes."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

More hypertensives here if Singapore adopts new rate
By Salma Khalik, Senior Health Correspondent, The Straits Times, 15 Nov 2017

Overnight, Singapore will have one in three people suffering from high blood pressure instead of one in four - if it adopts a new cut-off rate recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA).

But the vast majority of these newly diagnosed hypertensives, classified as "high blood pressure stage 1", will need to make only lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of getting heart attacks and stroke.

The stricter rate recommended by the AHA is 130/80 versus the existing 140/90.

It is based on solid evidence, said Professor Tan Huay Cheem, director of the National University Heart Centre, "so there's no reason to reject these recommendations".

But he added: "We should still treat patients with stage 1 hypertension with lifestyle changes and start drug treatment only if he has multiple other risk factors (for example, diabetes mellitus, etc)".

Prof Tan also said the 130/80 cut-off is for at least two readings done at home. The cut-off at clinics stays at 140/90 as anxiety tends to raise a person's blood pressure, he said.

Dr Chee Tek Siong, a cardiologist in private practice and a board member of the Singapore Heart Foundation, shares Prof Tan's view and said treatment would be given to high-risk cases, who have issues like diabetes, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnea and kidney failure.

The AHA estimates that only one in five of the stage 1 hypertensives might need medication to reduce blood pressure. The rest should be given advice to make lifestyle changes and have their blood pressure checked after three to six months, he added.

Lifestyle changes include reducing salt in one's diet and eating more potassium-rich foods like bananas, potatoes, avocado and dark leafy vegetables, exercising more, drinking less alcohol and not smoking.

Dr Paul Chiam, a cardiologist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, highlighted the need for people to know the importance of strict blood pressure control "as we know that better BP (blood pressure) control does lead to fewer strokes, heart and kidney disease".

Dr Daniel Yeo, a cardiologist at Gleneagles Hospital, noted that Canada and Australia adopted the stricter cut-off last year, so the AHA's move was no surprise.

MRT collision: Signal fault to blame as trains collide at Joo Koon Station

November 16, 2017, 12:58 am

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Signal fault to blame for Joo Koon MRT collision
Stalled train hit by another train at Joo Koon after software glitch; 29 injured
By Maria Almenoar, Assistant News Editor and Adrian Lim, Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 Nov 2017

An unprecedented software glitch in the signalling system of the East-West Line resulted in a stalled MRT train being hit from behind by another one at Joo Koon station yesterday morning.

This resulted in injuries to 29 people, three of whom were still in hospital yesterday evening.

The collision took place at 8.20am during the morning peak hour and disrupted train services between Boon Lay and Tuas Link stations through the day.

Train services between Joo Koon and Tuas Link stations will remain suspended today while the authorities carry out their investigations. Bus bridging services will be provided to the affected passengers. Other trains on the East-West Line will run at slower intervals.



In the accident yesterday, the first train had pulled into Joo Koon station when it stalled because of an anomaly in the signalling system, and its passengers were offloaded, save for a solitary SMRT staff member who remained on board.

The second train, which had stopped more than 10m behind and was carrying more than 500 passengers, unexpectedly lurched forward and collided with the first train.

At a press conference later in the day, Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT officials explained that the signalling system had mistakenly profiled the stalled train as a three-car train, instead of the six-car train that it really was.

As a result, the second train which had stopped 10.7m behind the first "misjudged the distance" between the two, resulting in a collision.

"It is an awful day today. Commuters were inconvenienced, and some even injured. We are deeply sorry for that," said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who showed up at the press conference and spoke to reporters after it was over. SMRT chief executive Desmond Kuek was present, but did not speak.

The incident was the latest in a series of mishaps that have hit the train operator, including tunnels between Braddell and Bishan stations being flooded last month.

Sharing their preliminary findings yesterday, SMRT and LTA said the first train departed Ulu Pandan depot with a software protection feature, but this was "inadvertently removed" when it passed a faulty signalling circuit.

Passengers got off the stalled train and the second one halted at the correct, safe stopping distance behind it. However, the second train moved forward a minute later when it could not properly detect the stalled train as having six cars.



Mr Alexandru Robu, 35, who was in the second train, described how it came to a sudden halt after its impact with the first one, causing passengers to lose their balance and fall. "I have experienced sudden stops before on the MRT, but this time, it was really bad," said Mr Robu, a service coordinator.

One MRT employee on each train and 27 commuters were hurt. Several were taken to hospitals, and most were discharged with minor injuries. The remaining passengers were taken off the train through the driver's cabin at the front - a process that took some time.

Thales, the firm supplying the new signalling system for the North-South and East-West lines, said it had never encountered a glitch similar to yesterday's before.

Mr Khaw said after the press conference: "Thales is confident of their system, but I advised the team, let's play doubly safe, where safety is involved, that is why I want them to suspend the Tuas West Extension tomorrow, so we have a whole day to do a thorough check before we resume the Tuas West Extension."

Asked if a committee of inquiry will be convened to look into this, Mr Khaw said the investigation should be allowed to take its course.

On whether commuters' confidence in the MRT system had been undermined following yesterday's accident and last month's MRT tunnel flooding, Mr Khaw said: "Obviously people will be upset... I am equally upset."

Additional reporting by Christopher Tan and Tan Tam Mei

Joo Koon collision: 'It happened so quickly... It was a really big stop'
Sudden impact threw many off balance; one door later opened to let passengers leave train
By Aw Cheng Wei, Tan Tam Mei and Adrian Lim, Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 Nov 2017

Service coordinator Alexandru Robu, 35, was on his way to work yesterday morning when the train he was on collided with a stationary one in front of it at 8.20am.

"It happened so quickly," said Mr Robu, who was standing in the carriage closest to the collision. "It was a really big stop, and we heard a loud sound."

The sudden stop threw him off balance. He tried to break his fall with his hand and landed on the ground. He estimated that 30 people around him also fell.

"Some people fell on top of each other," said Mr Robu, who is from Moldova in eastern Europe. "Everyone took about one to two minutes to recover."

An announcement then came on informing commuters that help would be arriving in about 20 minutes.

The plan was to tow the stationary train away before the second train could pull into the platform.

It was then that Mr Robu noticed a man on the ground holding his head.

"He did not look good," said Mr Robu. He went over to the man, who started to look unresponsive.

He said: "I tried to keep him engaged by talking to him and making sure that he was okay."

At this time, some people in the train were calling for an ambulance. Mr Robu pressed the emergency button to ask the driver if the first door could be opened to let the man out for fresh air.

It was starting to get stuffy in the train. "There was no air-con," Mr Robu said. "People were also getting anxious."

About 20 minutes later, a second announcement came on to inform passengers that the first door would be opened to let them out.

People left in a proper fashion, guided by SMRT staff and police officers. Mr Robu stayed with the injured man, who was put in a wheelchair once he got out of the train, and made sure he received medical attention.

Mr Samuel Ng, 48, a sports adviser who was getting off another train at about 8.50am, said that he saw people queueing to get out of the second train.

He said: "There was no chaos, no shouting. When I went downstairs, there was also a very long queue at the control station."

Commuters on the platform said that they heard a dull thud before people started screaming.

Mr Ganeshan Sivalingam, 38, who was waiting at the platform for the train to Tuas Link, said he heard a "bang".

When he went closer, he saw that the blocks of metal at the front of the second train had hit the rear of the stationary train.

Station operators then ushered him and other commuters out of the station, where he got on a bus to work. He said that the train station was "not very crowded", and it took about five minutes for him to leave the station.

Parts of the platform had been cordoned off when Mr Robu left the train. Ground control staff from SMRT, and officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the police directed commuters to leave the train station.

The platform reopened at about 11.20am, and trains were running on only one side of the tracks.

When reporters went to the National University Hospital and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) in the early afternoon, the injured passengers were already being treated.

The Straits Times understands that some had already been discharged at that time.

Businessman Lim Kim Hock, 56, who runs a switchboard company, sent one of his workers, Mr Tan Ban Heng, 37, to NTFGH when he saw that Mr Tan's kneecap had become bloody and swollen.

Mr Lim said he wanted to see Mr Tan's injuries when he found out that he was in the accident.

He said Mr Tan had earlier declined medical help because the injury "did not look that bad". Mr Lim said: "Once I saw the injury, I told him he must go to hospital."

SMRT staff to help with compensation queries
By Maria Almenoar, Assistant News Editor, The Straits Times, 16 Nov 2017

Passengers who were injured in the Joo Koon station train collision may approach staff at any SMRT station to ask about compensation.

Train operator SMRT said it would help any passengers affected even if they were not taken to the hospital immediately by its team.

SMRT said that at about 7.30pm yesterday, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital had admitted an injured passenger as a walk-in patient.

This brought the total number of injured to 29, including two SMRT employees.

The injured were treated at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where two remain warded for observation, and National University Hospital, where one passenger is still warded.

All injured passengers were on board the same train which had collided with a stationary train. The moving train was carrying 517 people, including its driver.

The injuries included bruises and fractures, with one passenger hitting the grabhold when the train lurched forward. One commuter broke a tooth, while another fainted during the incident.



An assistant station manager, who was on board the stationary train, was also injured after helping passengers alight.

The Ministry of Transport, Land Transport Authority and SMRT said they were in touch with injured passengers to offer them necessary assistance.

Joo Koon collision: 'Inadvertent removal' of software fix led to collision
LTA investigating why this happened, together with SMRT and firm supplying signal system
By Adrian Lim, Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 Nov 2017

Software meant to fix a known problem in the East-West Line's new signalling system had been "inadvertently removed" and this led to the collision between two trains at Joo Koon station yesterday morning.

Sharing these details at a press conference 10 hours after the incident, the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) deputy chief executive Chua Chong Kheng said that it is investigating why this happened, together with operator SMRT and Thales, the French company supplying the signalling system.

Also present were Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming and SMRT group chief executive Desmond Kuek, but they were not part of the panel leading the press conference.

Mr Chua, who chaired the press conference, together with SMRT and Thales officials, revealed that earlier tests uncovered how an interruption in communications between onboard computers on a train would result in it being wrongly identified as a three-car train, rather than one with six cars.



To fix this on the East-West Line's new signalling system - which is used on the Tuas West Extension that opened in June - a software protection module was developed by Thales.

However, when a train passed by a faulty track circuit yesterday, this software module was "inadvertently removed". This caused it to be identified as a shorter, three-car train.

This subsequently led to an-other train behind "misjudging the distance" to the one in front, causing the collision, in which 27 commuters and two SMRT staff were injured.

Thales, which has installed signalling systems for metros in cities such as Hong Kong and Vancouver, described the glitch as unprecedented.

Mr Chua also said the same type of signalling system, which has been implemented on the North-South Line this year, has "proven to be working very well".

While the Tuas West Extension - a four-station, 7.5km-stretch that extends from Joo Koon station - is using Thales' new signalling system, the rest of the East-West Line is on an older 30-year-old system.

"We are in a stage where we are going through a transition of trying to implement the new signalling system... this (faulty) signalling circuit, as we understand from Thales, was going through the process of being changed," Mr Chua said.

He added that it was "too early" to say whether yesterday's glitch will derail original plans to switch the rest of the East-West Line to the new signalling system before the end of the year.

The new signalling system allows trains to arrive at up to 100-second intervals, instead of the current 120 seconds.

Yesterday's collision occurred as the first train was about to move off from Joo Koon station. Before that, it had stopped there to offload all passengers, due to a separate signalling problem.

While the train and platform screen doors were opened for passengers to get off, the signalling system would prevent another train from pulling into the station and hitting it, said Mr Chua. The second train initially stopped about 10.7m - the correct safety distance - behind the first.

Experts said yesterday's accident was a worrying one.

Assistant Professor Andrew Ng from the Singapore Institute of Technology's (SIT) engineering cluster said that if the trains were moving on the tracks, and the front one was mistaken as a three-car train, the rear one could misjudge the distance, potentially leading to a collision.

Assistant Professor Zhou Yi, also from SIT, said that suspending operations on the Tuas West Extension today is a good move and puts the safety of commuters first.

"We need to be very cautious moving ahead," Prof Zhou said, adding that SMRT and LTA should request for Thales to further open up its systems for a better understanding.

Mr Ang Hin Kee, deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport and an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, said it was "important to quickly identify the cause of the collision and to provide assurance to all commuters that the matter is being addressed".

MRT collision: No train service on Thursday (Nov 16) between Joo Koon and Tuas Link
By Maria Almenoar, Assistant News Editor, The Straits Times, 16 Nov 2017

Train service between Joo Koon and Tuas Link stations was suspended on Thursday (Nov 16) for the authorities to carry out investigations, after two trains collided on Wednesday.

Bus bridging services were provided for affected passengers.

Commuters should also expect trains on the North-South and East-West lines to arrive at slower intervals, the authorities said on Wednesday.

The current two-minute interval between trains will be slowed down to between 2½ minutes and three minutes.



The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that this was being done as an interim safety precaution after Wednesday morning's collision, which left at least 29 people injured.

"We want to make sure we understand fully what the cause is and that we have the right measures in place. Once we know that, we will be able to revert back to the previous... operations," LTA's deputy chief executive for infrastructure and development Chua Chong Kheng said at a press conference.



In a tweet at 4.43am on Thursday morning, SMRT said free bus services were available between Joo Koon and Tuas Link stations. It also said that trains were running as per normal on the North South Line.

Investigations so far found that a glitch in the new communications-based train control system wiped out a safety software feature when the first train passed a faulty circuit.

The French firm which provided the signalling system, Thales, said that this was the first time such an incident had happened.

"In fact, the CBTC (communications-based train control) is on record as one of the safest systems. We have never actually had a collision," said Thales representative Peter Tawn.

He added that it was unlikely, but the company has not ruled out increasing the safety factor - or the buffer distance - between trains, and a decision would be made once the investigations are completed.

The current safety factor ranges from about 10m to 50m, and is calculated based on a number of parameters, including the gradient of the track, Mr Tawn explained.

In Wednesday's incident, the trains had adhered to the safety buffer of 10.7m before the train at the back lurched forward and collided with the one at the station platform.

SMRT's senior vice-president of rail operations for the North-South and East-West lines, Mr Alvin Kek, said that the operator was putting "additional checks and controls in place" as a safety precaution.

"We have told train captains to be a lot more vigilant... even if (the train is) driven in the automatic mode," he added, saying that drivers are trained to deal with such emergencies.

Additional information will also be made available to drivers in their train cabins to help them assess such situations better.

LTA added that trains will also go through an additional layer of control measures and manual checks before they are deployed.

Joo Koon collision: Signal failure hits confidence
By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 Nov 2017

The word "ponding" comes to mind. It was used by national water agency PUB to describe massive floods which hit Singapore in December 2011.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, then Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, took issue with that in Parliament the following month.

"PUB should not have used the word 'ponding'. As far as I am concerned, I call a spade a spade. A flood is a flood," he said, echoing public sentiment.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operator SMRT described yesterday's collision between two trains in Joo Koon station as an incident where one train had "come into contact" with another train, which conjures the imagery of a nudge.

SMRT repeated the same phrase on its Facebook page.

"This morning at 8.18am, a train heading in the direction of Tuas Link station stalled at Joo Koon station. At 8.19am, a second train stopped behind the first faulty train. At 8.20am, the second train moved forward unexpectedly, and came into contact with the first train."

It was only at 7.42pm that an updated statement by the LTA described the incident as a "collision".

Their earlier reluctance to call a spade a spade severely underplays the seriousness of an accident which left 29 people with injuries.



First and foremost, trains are not supposed to collide, or even come into contact with each other (unless one train was used to push out another disabled one, as has often been the case lately).

That is what the signalling system is for. It keeps a safe distance between trains, acting like an invisible, impenetrable barrier between locomotives.

No metro system can operate without a reliable signalling system, which is actually the eyes of the network.

This is why when trains sense there is something amiss with the signalling system, or there is some interference, they will activate their emergency brakes. It is safety protocol - to be safe first rather than sorry later.

Usually, a train cannot pull into a station when the one in front of it has not left the station. This is why trains sometimes stop in the middle of a tunnel, and passengers are left wondering why. More often than not, it is precisely because the train in front has stopped for too long. So, instead of breaching the invisible barrier, the second train has to stop too, even if it is in the middle of nowhere.

That a train has somehow managed to breach this safety barrier is worrying, to say the least. At Joo Koon, trains switch over from the old fixed block signalling system to the new moving block system.

Investigations have uncovered that the glitch which caused the collision yesterday lies with the new system.

The new signalling system has been having numerous technical issues here, but none compromising safety until yesterday.

So, it is regrettable indeed that SMRT and the LTA have chosen such a light term earlier in the day to describe the incident. Like the tunnel flooding which took place just last month, it is not trivial. A signalling failure can have grave consequences.

You do not need to have a vivid imagination to think of what might have happened if either train had more passengers. And if a "coming into contact" nudge can result in 29 people getting hurt, think of what a high-speed collision would entail.

In the 30-year history of Singapore's MRT system, there has been only one other train collision which resulted in injury. In 1993, one train ran into another at Clementi station, resulting in more than 150 people getting hurt. The incident triggered a public inquiry, which found that an oil spill on the tracks had compromised the stopping ability of the second train. It was not a signalling issue.



SMRT and LTA have to come out with full transparency on how yesterday's incident happened, and what concrete steps are to be taken to prevent a recurrence.

They will no doubt do so, just as they did after the Oct 7 tunnel flooding. Reams of information will be made public.

And herein lies the rub: How does seeking to minimise yesterday's incident help reassure a public whose confidence has been shaken repeatedly since 2011 that the issues are being put right?

A sagging power-supply rail brought the North-South Line to a standstill on the evening of Dec 15 that year, and then again on the morning of Dec 17, as SMRT failed to detect and rectify the damage completely. Affecting more than 250,000 commuters, it was the biggest disruption then.

Another public inquiry was convened, and SMRT reshuffled its top management.

A power-supply trip caused both the North-South and East-West lines to fail on July 7, 2015, affecting about half a million commuters, the highest number on record here as of now. The LTA said a salt-caked insulator near Tanjong Pagar station was the cause.

A power trip at one of the network's substations caused the western sector of the North-South and East-West lines, parts of the Circle Line, as well as the Bukit Panjang LRT system to fail on April 25 last year. The unprecedented four-line disruption was suspected to have been caused by cable works on the East-West Line's Tuas West extension.

On March 22 last year, two SMRT trainee technicians were killed on the tracks near Pasir Ris station. Investigators found that a slew of standard operating procedures had been breached. The Manpower Ministry said SMRT had been flouting such guidelines since 2002.



On Oct 7 this year, tunnels between Braddell and Bishan stations were flooded, with water reaching waist level at some points. While preliminary investigations found that the crew in charge of maintaining the flood-prevention system at Bishan had not been doing their job properly and had in fact falsified work logs, the various individual key components such as pumps and switches were found to be in proper working order.

Even as Singaporeans were coming to terms with the flooding, yesterday's train collision took place.

Clearly, enough is enough.

Related
Joint Statement by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) & SMRT - Update on Joo Koon train incident -15 Nov 2017
Update on Train Incident at Joo Koon Station -15 Nov 2017
MRT tunnel flooding: SMRT maintenance team failed us, says Khaw Boon Wan; Suspected falsification of records, pumps at Bishan not maintained for almost a year
MRT tunnel flooding incident: Khaw Boon Wan's ministerial statement in Parliament on 7 November 2017

Let's not condemn Singaporeans to extinction

November 17, 2017, 9:18 pm

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Some European cities have managed to reverse declining fertility rate trends. Singapore, too, must persevere in its society-wide efforts to become more pro-family.
By Paulin Tay Straughan, Published The Straits Times, 17 Nov 2017

As a novice sociologist in 1991 returning to the National University of Singapore after completing my PhD, the very first project I embarked on was on work-life balance for women from dual-income families.

As a young mother and a new assistant professor, I found it daunting to have to manage job expectations as well as be a good mother to my sons. My husband was facing similar challenges at his workplace, and we felt entrapped in a circumstance we seemed to have little control over.

The power of sociological methodologies framed me with lenses that revealed the inter-connectedness of social agencies. Thus began my journey to distil the complexities of our population woes.

That was in 1991.

Along the way, I matured as a sociologist and learnt more about the intricacies of the world we live in. My sociological model for understanding fertility decisions became more complex, and also more focused. Meanwhile, Singapore's marriage and birth rates continue to fall, making it more urgent to devise policies to ease transition to an ageing population.

Some have argued that we should just face the inevitable, and focus on the advantages of growing a "quality" Singapore family, rather than think in terms of growing the quantity or size of the Singapore population. I find that disturbing on several grounds. Let me address these systematically.

That we should accept that the Singapore population would shrink and do nothing about it, to me is nothing short of being irresponsible. This perspective may allay concerns of the present population as we struggle through spatial congestion and economic competition. But it does little to advance the needs of the younger and future generations.

The correlation between population growth and economic health is notable. As a small city state that relies heavily on foreign investment to generate employment opportunities, Singapore's ageing labour force would not place us in good stead to compete with emerging markets in the region with younger and lower-cost labour forces.

LIMITS OF IMMIGRATION

One argument suggests immigration as the solution to our population woes. Carefully calibrated immigration strategies do help in mitigating our ageing demographics, and a globalised workforce adds significant value to our cultural diversity. But relying primarily on immigration for population augmentation is not sustainable in the long run.

First, to rely on surplus labour from the region puts our economic stability at high risk as we cannot control the supply of manpower inflow as and when the need arises.

Second, the 2011 elections and conversations on the Population White Paper revealed how Singaporeans might be nervous about the inflow of immigrants. If we over-compensate through immigration to address the needs of the economy, we may aggravate social tensions and jeopardise racial harmony on home ground. For a multi-ethnic nation like Singapore, any attempts to segregate by national identities will inadvertently lead to dangerous discourse on race relations.

NOT FUTILE TO REVERSE TREND

Some scholars have argued that modernisation will inevitably result in smaller family sizes and it is futile to try to reverse the trend.

But a cursory scan surfaces cities in developed countries that have managed to achieve impressive total fertility rate or TFR (which indicates the average number of children born per woman). Examples include Paris, Stockholm and London (with TFRs of 2.01, 1.77 and 1.72 respectively). This suggests that Singapore can aspire towards promoting a healthy TFR as we continue to modernise.

To stand back and do nothing is to condemn Singaporeans to extinction. Unlike larger countries where fertility rates in rural hinterlands help compensate for smaller families in city centres, Singapore does not have this luxury. As a city state, norms tend to shift more rapidly as emergent trends are magnified. The decisions to get married and to enter parenthood remain private decisions.

CHALLENGES TO FAMILY FORMATION

However, if there are barriers in place that make it difficult for those who want to get married and grow families to actualise their aspirations, then the onus is on us to look through policies and carefully curate public policies to eradicate those barriers.

If the challenges to family formation are not addressed, then over time, singlehood or childless marriages will become the norm and the pleas of those parents who want to grow larger families will be even less compelling.

Some argue that we should celebrate smaller families as they have more resources to spend on nurturing their children, and that with smaller birth cohorts, the state will have more resources directed at grooming a better educated albeit leaner workforce.

I disagree with this for several reasons. First, I am not convinced that it is economically viable for a small city state like Singapore, which is dependent solely on human resource ,to take its eye off population growth.

Our resident TFR has dipped slightly from 1.41 in 2001 to 1.20 last year. Singapore citizens numbered 3.4 million this year, and our labour force is augmented by about 1.6 million non-residents and 0.5 million permanent residents. The number of citizen births slipped from 36,402 in 2001 to 33,167 last year. Singaporeans continue to uphold marriage as a life goal, and the number of citizen marriages rose from 19,827 in 2001 to 23,873 last year. However, they are marrying later and the median age at first childbirth for citizen mothers has been rising, and was 30.3 last year.

While I am not a big proponent of citing old age support data as many elderly people in fact do not need much support, nonetheless, I note with alarm that the resident old-age support ratio (residents aged 20 to 64 per resident aged 65 and older) fell from 8.8 in 2001 to 5.1 this year.

As a mother, I certainly do not want to condemn my children to a scenario where future generations continue to dwindle. How will we staff basic needs like defence and health care? Or even just general services that facilitate everyday life?

But perhaps the most important reason why we should continue to worry about population woes is that we want to promote a pro-family Singapore for those who want to grow families.

From regular surveys, we know that marriage and family continue to be important life goals for Singaporeans. We also know that many remain single not out of wilful choice but because they find it difficult to meet like-minded individuals to share their aspirations with, and many attribute the lack of opportunities to expand their social circle as a barrier.

Married couples cite financial burdens, childcare options, and managing work and family as their primary concerns. These barriers cannot be solved by individuals with their own resources.

Without government support, and employer and community buy-in, issues on work-family life balance and infrastructural support will not be resolved. The barriers to marriage and parenthood must be addressed by larger society.

Singapore has shown it is capable of crafting pro-family policies. Since 2001, when the Baby Bonus schemes were first announced, the slate of public policies supporting marriage and parenthood has been revised at least four times to stay abreast of emerging challenges to family formation. This demonstrates the Government's commitment to partner Singaporeans in their aspirations to grow family.

And Singaporeans do appreciate these efforts; 70 per cent of respondents in the Institute of Policy Studies survey on Perceptions of the Marriage & Parenthood Package affirmed that such policies help make Singapore a conducive place for growing families.

Perhaps more significant is the non-financial support in the Marriage & Parenthood Package. To address work-family life harmony, several leave schemes are now in place to facilitate involved parenthood for both mothers and fathers. Employers are encouraged with grant support to review and adopt flexiwork schemes that promote work-life balance. Over time, these measures strive to shift norms and align family formation as important work.

While decisions on marriage and parenthood remain private choices, and many may choose to pursue other aspirations, I am grateful to have a government that continues to stand in strong partnership with those who choose to form families.

The best thing that has happened to me in my life is meeting my husband, getting married and growing our family together. Our sons are now 25 and 22 years old, and parenthood remains the greatest joy for my husband and myself. I want younger Singaporeans to have the chance to experience the joys of family without having to succumb to hefty personal opportunity costs.

The writer is Professor of Sociology (Practice), Dean of Students, Singapore Management University.

The iGens - trying to connect from the privacy of their rooms

November 17, 2017, 11:15 pm

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A new generation bred on smartphones and social media is changing social mores
By Peter A. Coclanis, Published The Straits Times, 17 Nov 2017

Few nation-states anywhere in the world have embraced information and communications technology (ICT) as enthusiastically, intelligently and successfully as has Singapore.

Along with Scandinavia and Estonia, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan, it regularly ranks highly on league tables relating to ICT metrics, and the futuristic, high-tech character of the city-state is one of the first things that visitors notice and comment upon.

The Government, as usual, has long been out in front of ICT issues, having drawn up and largely implemented bold and far-sighted national ICT plans since the early 1980s. As a result, Singapore has largely fulfilled the goal of the Government's Intelligent Nation masterplan (iN2015), for which it certainly merits high praise.

That said, it might be time for all of us to shift greater attention at the margin to some of the downsides of information technology. Here, I'm not speaking so much of excesses in the political blogosphere, of attempts to spread misinformation and false facts, or even of cyber bullying, for various parties in Singapore and elsewhere have already weighed in usefully on such matters.



Rather, I'm speaking here about what the heavy reliance on electronic technology is doing to both our own moral development and to our ability to connect deeply with others around us.

Last year I wrote a piece for The Straits Times ("Digital natives risk losing empathy for real people"; Feb 13, 2016) where I discussed some of the issues raised by Dr Sherry Turkle in her 2015 book, Reclaiming Conversation: The Power Of Talk In A Digital Age.

In this important work, Dr Turkle, who teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, argued that heavy reliance on electronic technology hurts individuals in a variety of ways, not least by reducing one's ability to conduct face-to-face conversations, to work in groups, and to engage productively in civic life.

In iGen, a new book attracting a lot of attention these days, psychology professor Jean M. Twenge from San Diego State University has gone one step further, analysing the deleterious effects of hyper connectivity not just on individuals, but on entire generations in the United States.

Although it is both wise and prudent to take generalisations made about entire generational cohorts with a grain or two of salt, Prof Twenge, at the very least, is on to something about the tendencies of "iGens", the cohort of Americans born between 1995 and 2012.

According to her, this cohort of over 74 million - about 23 per cent of the US population - is the first generation of Americans that grew up completely immersed in ICT. Unlike the millennial cohort that preceded it, iGens don't remember a world without the Internet, grew up with cellphones - most notably, the iPhone, which debuted in late June 2007 - and seem to live by and for social media.

Basing her generalisations largely on findings extracted from four respected longitudinal research surveys - beginning in 1966, 1972, 1976, and 1991 - Prof Twenge found that in terms of mindsets and behaviours, iGens differ in many ways from the baby boomers, Gen Xers and millennials.

In some ways, the differences are positive. The iGens are more inclusive, egalitarian and tolerant than earlier generations, and far fewer drink or engage in premarital sex at early ages. Indeed, far fewer high school seniors even date - a little over half - as opposed to about 85 per cent among baby boomers and Gen Xers when seniors.

More worrisome - at least in the US - is the fact that iGens, who crave safety, seem to be growing up extremely slowly, and are reluctant to take on "adult" responsibilities such as working, learning to drive, establishing financial independence, moving out from their parents' homes, and so on.

Such behaviours, if found in Singapore as well, would be less problematic, but other behaviours found among iGens in America might not be. For one thing, Prof Twenge found that iGens engage in far fewer face-to-face relationships, preferring to communicate via social media, generally from the privacy of their own rooms.

Some of the uses made of smartphones and social media are also causes for concern: often, cyber bullying among boys, and ostracising and excluding among girls.

So attached are iGens to their phones, in fact, that many report that they sleep with them on or near their pillows. Phones are the last things checked before going to bed and the first things checked upon waking up the next day.

Given the above considerations, it is not totally surprising that iGens as a group suffer higher levels of unhappiness, anxiety, loneliness and depression than previous generational cohorts.

The long-term effects of such mindsets and behaviours on civil society are also worth pondering. The recent fury in American universities over free speech, micro-aggressions and trigger warnings seems to be associated with iGen characteristics - a yearning for inclusiveness, on the one hand, and a concern for safety, on the other - thus, the collective "shh" increasingly characteristic of campus life in the US.

But can civil society function in America over the long run without open inquiry and rational debate? We are about to find out, it seems, for while many older Americans care deeply about this issue, it doesn't press heavily on iGens, who are not moved much by politics either.

Given the hold of smartphones and social media among iGens around the world, other nation-states, including Singapore, may soon be in the same fix. Would it not be ironic if the increased openness and debate informing political life in Singapore in recent decades was set back going forward not by overt opposition but by iGen apathy?

Why bother with the hurly-burly world of politics when you can chill with your friends on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or QZone from the comfort of your bed?

The writer is Albert R. Newsome Distinguished Professor of History and Director of the Global Research Institute at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He visits Singapore often, and in 2005 was Raffles Professor of History at the National University of Singapore.