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Review of public assistance scheme payouts, sum may increase in 2019 after price changes taken into account

October 29, 2018, 8:17 pm
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Exercise to take into account price changes of essential items and social workers' feedback
By Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent, The Straits Times, 29 Oct 2018

Those who are on public assistance may get more money each month after an ongoing review, which is expected to be done next year.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said it is reviewing the sum given out - which is to cover basic living expenses such as food, transport and rental - to those on the scheme. The review will take into account changes in the prices of essential items and feedback from community partners and front-line staff who work closely with the poor.

Also called ComCare's Long Term Assistance Scheme, the public assistance scheme is for destitute persons who cannot work permanently as a result of old age or illness, and have little or no family support.

"The ongoing review of ComCare's Long Term Assistance Scheme is part of the MSF's regular efforts to ensure we continue to meet the needs of the vulnerable," said the spokesman.

This review comes after previous ones in 2013 and 2016, which both led to higher sums handed out to public assistance recipients.

Many of the social workers and academics interviewed said the cost of living has risen in recent years.

Research associate at the Institute of Policy Studies Leonard Lim pointed out that the cost of food has risen, especially for the poorest here. According to the Consumer Price Index, the bottom 20 per cent of households in terms of income saw their food costs go up by 1.5 per cent in 2017, compared with 2016. The group also saw transport costs rise by 1 per cent in the same period.

Mr Lim said: "Given that past reviews have raised the sums to keep pace with the cost of living, it is likely that the public assistance rates will go up again in this round of review to reflect the rising cost of food."

After the 2013 review, a one-person household received $450 a month from April that year, up from $400. A two-person family got $790, up from $700. The MSF also beefed up the scheme in 2013, for example, by paying for essentials such as adult diapers and stoma bags for those who need it.

From July 2016, a one-person household on the scheme received $500 monthly, up from $450. And a two-person household received $870, up from $790.

In the MSF's 2017 financial year, which ended in March, there were 4,409 households on the scheme, up 24 per cent from the 3,568 families in 2013. Most of those on public assistance are poorly educated, elderly singles who live alone.

Social workers have mixed views on whether the current sums given out are enough.

Mr Don Tan, from the Tsao Foundation's Hua Mei Centre for Successful Ageing, said most of the beneficiaries they see cope well with the sums given. They also have access to community services, such as free medical treatment at polyclinics and government hospitals.

However, Dr Jamie Phang, head of the Methodist Welfare Services' Home Care, said $500 a person is hardly enough to cover basic needs.

She added: "It leaves little or nothing for discretionary spending that many of us take for granted, like buying an extra fish for lunch or a new pair of shoes. When money is so tight, many may experience the 'down-to-the-last-dollar phenomenon' at the end of the month. This increases the risk of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety."

Ms Darryl Loh, director of family services at Montfort Care, said the sums given do "broadly cover" the basic needs of a low-income senior, although the person has to keep to a very strict budget. If his circumstances change - if he falls ill and spends more on transport by seeing a doctor regularly, for example - he may not be able to cope.

She added: "Given the increasing cost of living in Singapore, we look forward to an increase in the assistance quantum."

A former odd-job worker, Mr Ho, 92, survives on the $500 he gets each month in public assistance. The bachelor stopped work about 20 years ago after falling off his bicycle and injuring his leg. He has no savings and no relatives here to help him, and has been on public assistance for the past 15 years.

Mr Ho, who declined to give his full name, said in Mandarin: "I can get by if I budget very carefully and live very frugally."

The bulk of his expenses goes towards food. He said it is cheaper to cook his own meals than to eat out. His expenses include $26 a month for the rental of his one-room flat, about $50 a month for utilities and about $50 for transport.

Mr Ho, who also tries not to go out too often, said: "I would be most grateful and happy if the Government can give us more money."








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More families depending on public assistance from Government; $131 million in ComCare cash assistance to about 79,500 beneficiaries in FY2017
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Alexandra Hospital to open new facilities, more beds by 2020

October 30, 2018, 2:17 am
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By Seow Bei Yi, The Straits Times, 29 Oct 2018

Alexandra Hospital, which was taken over by the National University Health System (NUHS) in June, plans to open new facilities and increase its 176 beds to around 300 by 2020 to cater to an expected growth in demand from the Queenstown area.

The hospital's chief executive Jason Phua gave the updates at the hospital's open house yesterday, which 500 residents from the area and other guests attended.

In January, new facilities will be opened, including a day surgery operating theatre, a joint reconstruction and replacement centre, an endoscopy centre, an admissions and service centre, as well as a pharmacy.

A dental centre and palliative care programme are set to start operations some time next year as well, said Associate Professor Phua.

By the end of this year, the hospital will have new inpatient wards, and beds will be added when the need arises, he added.

"Even before we took over Alexandra Hospital, we went out to Queenstown and surveyed many residents to understand how we could better meet their healthcare needs," he said. Alexandra Hospital was run by the Sengkang Health Team, before the team moved to the new Sengkang General Hospital this year.

Prof Phua said following residents' feedback, the hospital has rolled out an integrated care model, in which patients with many chronic conditions need to make only one appointment and see one doctor - instead of multiple ones.



At the event, Dr Chia Shi-Lu, an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC who oversees Queenstown, noted that the estate has an estimated population of 100,000 and one of the highest concentrations of elderly residents in the western part of Singapore.

Close to 20 per cent of residents are aged 65 and above, he added, and a significant proportion are at risk of social isolation, or may not be able to manage their chronic illnesses well.

Given that many residents live with multiple chronic illnesses, he said, health screenings will be key to helping them detect diseases and take action before it is too late.

Housewife Lam Lai Peng, 69, a Queenstown resident of over 30 years, is happy that there will be new facilities at Alexandra Hospital, a 20-minute walk from her home. "My 97-year-old mother-in-law stays in the hospital sometimes when she is feeling unwell," she said.

Madam Lam hopes the wider range of facilities and increase in number of beds mean the hospital will be able to cater to the family in case of any emergencies. "It is a lot nearer for us to visit the hospital here, and the taxi fare will be cheaper as well," she said.











































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Minimum wage vs Progressive Wage Model: Debate over best way to lift pay of low-wage workers

October 31, 2018, 9:08 am
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Some have called for a minimum wage, but the Government has said its Progressive Wage Model works better
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 30 Oct 2018

At the weekend, a debate on the minimum wage erupted in the comments section of Ambassador-at-large Tommy Koh's Facebook page as netizens - including former labour chief Lim Boon Heng - weighed in on how Singapore should lift the incomes of its low-wage workers.

This happened after a forumorganised by the Institute of Policy Studies last Friday, at which Manpower Minister Josephine Teodefended theGovernment's position for not setting a minimum wage in Singapore.

Both sides stand firmly by their arguments on the benefits and shortcomings of adopting a minimum wage. The emotive topic has also divided opinion.

The Straits Times takes a deeper look at what proponents on both sides say.

WHY THE CALL FOR A MINIMUM WAGE?

The calls for Singapore to implement a minimum wage have resounded for many years, with those in favour of this approach arguing that it would ensure every worker earns enough to live in dignity and material sufficiency.

To bolster their argument, they point out that many advanced economies such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong have implemented a universal minimum wage.

And these economies have done so without compromising their employment rates, foreign investment levels or competitiveness, they say.



In a commentary he wrote for The Straits Times in 2010, Professor Tommy Koh said: "(Singaporeans) also believe that hard-working Singaporeans, no matter how humble his or her job, should earn incomes that would enable them and their families to live in dignity and material sufficiency. This is, unfortunately, not universally the case in Singapore."

The market does not work for low-skilled and semi-skilled workers because they do not have equal bargaining power and are competing against an endless supply of cheap labour in the region, he said.



Prof Koh commented on having a minimum wage at the IPS forum last Friday, and again on Facebook on Sunday, when he outlined five arguments in support of the policy:

First, every working Singaporean should earn a living wage.

Second, many low-wage workers here are not paid a living wage.

Third, when the market fails, the state must intervene in order to ensure a just outcome.

Fourth, the low salaries paid to Singapore's low-wage workers are not due to their low productivity, but because Singapore has brought in about a million lowly paid foreign workers to compete with local workers.

Fifth, the Progressive Wage Model - a system introduced by the Government to lift wages for workers in certain sectors - has not raised the wages to a level which enable Singapore's low-wage workers to live in dignity.

HOW HAS A MINIMUM WAGE HELPED WORKERS ELSEWHERE?

According to the International Labour Organisation, more than 170 countries in the world have a minimum wage, or 92 per cent of its 186 member states.

The first country to implement the minimum wage was New Zealand in 1894, with others following in the decades since. The United States implemented the minimum wage in 1938, while Germany joined the club fairly recently, in 2015.

Economists are still in disagreement as to whether a minimum wage is an effective way to tackle inequality.

Studies on the impact of minimum wages have also given a mixed picture.

For example, a recent study by the University of California, Los Angeles focusing on how minimum wage hikes in California affected the restaurant industry showed that when the minimum wage was increased from US$6.75 per hour in 2006 to US$8 in 2008, restaurant workers earned 10 per cent more, but employment in the industry fell by about 12 per cent.

When the minimum wage was further bumped up to US$10.50 (S$14.50) last year, restaurant workers saw their incomes rise by another 20 per cent, but employment in the sector dropped by another 10 per cent.

However, a paper by a University of California, Berkeley team that looked at the impact of minimum wage hikes in several US cities found that while wages have risen, changes to employment have been minimal.

Another paper by the University of Washington, New York University and Amazon that garnered significant attention earlier this year claimed that the rising Seattle minimum wage had decreased take-home pay for workers by 6 per cent, as employers cut their work hours.

However, the same researchers put out a new paper this month reversing some of those claims.

Their latest findings show that the rising minimum wage has helped increase earnings for workers who had the most hours and those whose hours were cut only a little.

They added that workers with fewer hours saw no financial harm from the rising minimum wage, as they worked fewer hours but earned the same income.

And so the debate rages on, even in countries that already have a minimum wage.

In South Korea, a 16 per cent minimum wage hike this year, with plans for a further increase by 2020, has won praise from workers and labour unions, but drawn backlash from small business owners, who say the increased labour cost will lead them to cut jobs.

The Bank of Korea estimates that the higher minimum wage will reduce the number of new jobs by up to 20,000 this year.

However, the central bank added that the higher wage floor will also support private consumption and raise economic growth by 0.05 percentage point.

Going a step further, Finland is one country that has experimented with a universal basic income (UBI) - in other words, free cash for the unemployed.

Since January last year, a random sample of 2,000 unemployed people aged 25 to 58 have been given €560 (S$880) monthly, with no strings attached, under a two-year pilot programme.

The proponents of a UBI argue it will be necessary as we head into a future where technology could decimate jobs across the world.

However, Finland has decided not to extend the pilot, and plans to try other welfare schemes.



WHY DOES THE SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT SAY ITS WAY IS BETTER?

The Singapore Government has resisted calls for a universal minimum wage for various reasons.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo argued last Friday that it could lead to lower levels of employment, as not all employers would want to employ workers at that rate. She added that a minimum wage could also lead to some workers choosing to work illegally below the minimum wage just to secure a job, making them even more vulnerable.

Former labour chief Lim Boon Heng said in a comment on Prof Koh's Facebook post last Saturday that it would make Singapore less competitive and less attractive to multinational companies.

Instead, over the years, the Government has implemented alternative programmes to help raise low-wage workers' incomes.

One is the Workfare Income Supplement, which tops up the incomes of those aged at least 35 and earning $2,000 a month or less. However, all persons with disabilities qualify for the supplement. Some 366,000 people received it last year.

The scheme is being reviewed, and the National Trades Union Congress has proposed that the Manpower Ministry consider applying the supplement to workers between the 20th and 30th income percentile.

Another is the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), which sets a wage floor for certain sectors.

Right now, it is mandatory for the following sectors: cleaning, security and landscaping.

Talks are under way to expand the PWM to cover more sectors.

The PWM has different wage floors for each sector - $1,120 for cleaning, $1,100 for security and $1,300 for landscaping.

The model also specifies how much more these workers should be paid as they upgrade their skills.

For example, a cleaner could start out with a salary of $1,120, but if he learns how to do outdoor cleaning or cleaning in healthcare establishments, he could earn at least $1,320.

Cleaners who can operate machinery can earn even more, at least $1,520, and those who move further up the ladder to become supervisors can expect a pay of at least $1,720.

Commenting on Prof Koh's Facebook post, Mr Lim said the thinking behind the PWM was "not to distort the labour market, not to impose a wage cost on employers that they did not consider viable".

"It prevents the premature relocation of business out of Singapore to other countries with cheaper labour costs," he said.

Wading into the debate yesterday, labour MP Zainal Sapari said that if Singapore keeps pushing wages up without productivity gains or improved service outcomes, there could be unintended consequences on workers.

For example, he said, there have been cases where clients told their security agencies to replace older security officers because they did not think it was fair that they were paying more for the same person to do the same job.

Speaking to the media at an event yesterday, labour chief Ng Chee Meng said the PWM is a better model than a universal minimum wage because it sets a path for more sustainable wage increases for workers, linked to productivity growth.

"The (idea of a) minimum wage is well-intended, but there are downsides. If a worker does not meet the productivity needs of an employer, it means no wage - you will be out of a job," he said.

"It could also mean, ironically, that the minimum wage becomes the maximum wage - the employer sees this as a reasonable payout to the employee, and there would be no wage increases."

WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE FOR LOW-WAGE WORKERS?

Whatever positions they take on the matter, those weighing in agree that more can be done for low-wage workers.

Prof Koh, for one, does not think that existing schemes have done enough. He said on Facebook: "This morning, I went to a Shell station to buy petrol for my car. The attendant, Mr Tan, told me that he earns $1,000 a month. I do not regard that as a living wage."

Generally speaking, a living wage is a level of income that would allow a worker to pay for basic necessities, small comforts and meet an acceptable standard of living.

But these are all subjective standards, and there is no definitive measure of what a living wage in Singapore should be.

As Mr Lim noted in his reply to Prof Koh on Facebook: "I do appreciate and respect your moral stand that each worker should earn a 'living wage', though we are likely to have very differing views on what a 'living wage' should be."

Still, Mr Lim agreed that the Government has to review its social security provisions as the economy heads into a future that is being rapidly disrupted by technology.

In his comments to the media yesterday, Mr Ng said he would like to see the PWM extended to other sectors. More workers should also receive training to accelerate their productivity growth, he added.

"Because this, in essence, is how we keep our workers gainfully employed with a 'living wage', whichever way we want to define it."


























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Fare Review Exercise 2018: Bus and train fares to increase by 6 cents from 29 December 2018

November 1, 2018, 6:03 am
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Card fare hike for students, seniors capped at 1 cent; increase will bring in extra $78.2 million
By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 31 Oct 2018

Bus and train fares will rise by six cents per trip from Dec 29, when the latest annual revision approved by the Public Transport Council (PTC) kicks in.

Announcing the changes yesterday, the PTC said student and senior citizen card fare increases will be capped at one cent, while their cash fares will remain unchanged.

The rise for lower-wage workers and people with disabilities will also be capped at one cent.

Single-trip train fares and adult cash bus fares - which are paid by around 2 per cent of commuters - will rise by 10 cents.

The adjustments will translate to an increase of $78.2 million in fare revenue for public transport operators next year. Out of that, train revenue will rise by $35 million - with SBS Transit seeing a $10.9 million increase and SMRT seeing a $24.1 million hike.

The Land Transport Authority, which administers bus contracts, gets the remaining $43.2 million.

PTC chairman Richard Magnus pointed out that this additional revenue would not be enough to offset the $1 billion annual bus subsidy that the Government expects to pay for the next five years.

Even so, he said the council had sought to "narrow the gap between cost and revenue", while keeping in mind the interest of commuters.

He said fares had fallen by a total of 8.3 per cent between 2015 and last year. And based on feedback it gathered from 10,400 people, the PTC said 70 per cent of commuters found public transport fares to be affordable, and 60 per cent said they were willing to bear a higher fare increase to mitigate the impact on more vulnerable groups.

This year's fare adjustment took into account a new component: Network Capacity Factor (NCF), which calculates the difference between transport supply and commuter demand. This will tend to push fares higher if more transport capacity is created and demand does not catch up. Regular components include changes in core inflation, wages and energy cost.



This round, the NCF - which factored in additional buses pumped into the network last year and the first two stages of the Downtown MRT Line - contributed 3 percentage points to a 7.5 per cent increase the formula allowed. However, a carry-over reduction of 3.2 per cent from last year's adjustment means the latest increase comes up to 4.3 per cent, or six cents per trip for ez-link card users.

With Singapore's rail network doubling by 2030, Mr Magnus was asked if that meant commuters will have to brace themselves for larger fare increases in future. He said much depends on whether growth in demand matches growth in supply, but added: "I don't think there will be a fare reduction next year."

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, in a Facebook post yesterday, said the PTC had a difficult job.

"PTC's decision on fares seldom pleases all," he said. "Commuters do not welcome fare increases; operators need fare adjustments to keep pace with their operating costs. Against such challenges, PTC has chosen the right strategy to be open, transparent and fair."

National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der-Horng described the latest increase as "manageable".

"The important thing is we have a workable mechanism for fare adjustments," he said, explaining that PTC's formula "is effective and able to reflect the interests of relevant stakeholders".





















Public transport fare hike: S$9 million in vouchers to support 300,000 needy households
TODAY, 30 Oct 2018

The Government will be giving 300,000 lower-income households vouchers worth a total of S$9 million, to help these families cope with the latest fare increases by the Public Transport Council (PTC).

This is the largest such exercise to date since 2010.

In 2014, S$7.5 million worth of Public Transport Vouchers were made available to 250,000 lower-income families, and again in 2015. In 2011, S$4 million worth of vouchers were provided for 200,000 households.

No vouchers were given in other years because there were no fare hikes.



The Ministry of Transport and People’s Association said in a joint media release on Tuesday (Oct 30) that the Government will draw the latest S$9 million from the Public Transport Fund for this round of handouts.

Each voucher is worth S$30, and may be used to buy or top up fare cards, or buy monthly concession passes.

The PTC announced on Tuesday that from Dec 29, adults taking buses and MRT trains will have to pay six cents more for card fares, while single trip on trains and cash fares for buses will cost 10 cents more.

Students and senior citizens will pay up to one cent more in card fares for both forms of transport.

The price hike was announced after it concluded its fare review exercise for the year, with the fare changes amounting to an overall 4.3 per cent increase.

There will be no changes to the cash fares for students and senior citizens, or prices of monthly concession passes.

Needy households may apply for the vouchers at their neighbourhood community centres and clubs (CCs) from Nov 12 this year till Oct 31 next year.

Each successful household applicant is entitled to one voucher, and those that need more help may apply for extra vouchers through the CCs.

Mr Frankie Tan, 49, a warehouse assistant who lives in a rental flat at Teck Whye Crescent near Chua Chu Kang, takes between two and four bus rides a day. He told TODAY that the fare hikes seem “acceptable for now”, but he “cannot tell if this will affect (him) in the long term”.



Asked to comment on the latest changes, sociologist Tan Ern Ser from the National University of Singapore said that the financial impact of the price hikes would be “minimal” for lower-income families, particularly if they have access to other sources of financial support.

Working on the assumption that each adult spends 12 cents more a day, Associate Professor Tan said that this will work out to S$3.60 a month, which means that the S$30 voucher will absorb the increase for eight months.

A lower-income household with two adults earning a combined S$1,500 will then pay S$7.20 more each month — or about 0.5 per cent of their monthly income.

He added: “While the financial impact is minimal, it may reinforce the perception that the cost of living is on the rise again.”

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY WONG PEI TING










Small mercies in one of the biggest bus and train fare hikes in years
Vulnerable groups shielded from brunt of increase but Network Capacity Factor component needs relooking
By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 31 Oct 2018

While making commuters pay for improvements which should arguably have been there in the first place remains a sticking point, thelatest fare revisionshows heart.

By not raising cash fares for bus rides for senior citizens, and capping rises to one cent for lower-income workers and people with disabilities, the Public Transport Council is shielding vulnerable groups from one of the biggest fare hikes in years.

Those who pay cash traditionally bear the brunt of fare increases, because these are costly to process, and the Government wants to encourage cashless payments.

But some disadvantaged commuters prefer to pay cash because they do not want to tie up funds in a stored-value card.

Anecdotal evidence also shows that seniors prefer buses to trains to avoid longer walks and often, daunting stairs. Many of these seniors need to work too, so not raising cash fares for buses for them is a good thing.

By the same token, capping rises to one cent for lower-income workers and people with disabilities goes some way in helping a segment for whom, often, every cent counts.

There is more help, in the form of transport vouchers. The Government will disburse $9 million of the Public Transport Fund - which operators contribute to - to help needy families cope with their transport expenditure.

This translates to 300,000 vouchers of $30 each - the largest amount handed out here.



The PTC has found this targeted approach more effective than sparing a wider population from a fare increase.

For one thing, only really needy families will qualify for the vouchers.

Two, it sees no reason to spare able-bodied adults with reasonable incomes from bearing more of the fare hike.

Six in 10 of those polled by the PTC said they were willing to pay more to mitigate the impact on more vulnerable groups. Still, 60 per cent does not constitute the vast majority.

Making commuters shoulder part of capacity expansion is a sound principle. Those who use, should pay. It is reflected in the Network Capacity Factor (NCF), a new componentin thefare adjustment formula. In essence, the NCF takes into account the difference between transport supply (for example, new rail lines, additional buses) and commuter demand (how many more people make use of public transport).

If increase in supply exceeds increase in demand, NCF will show a positive number, which will be added to the year's fare adjustment.

Proponents have argued that the NCF is a proxy for the service quality measure - the more buses and trains there are, the faster and more comfortable the journey.

If it is, it is a poor proxy. Because it does not take into account things like bus bunching, which still happens. The operating matrix will reflect a higher bus mileage, but it is of little benefit to commuters who cannot count on bus punctuality, and see three buses of the same service pulling up all at once.

It also does not fully take into account the early closure and late opening of the MRT, which has become a regular feature of late.

Additional buses deployed to ferry passengers displaced by the early closure and late opening will raise bus mileage, which will contribute positively to NCF.

But train commuters who are displaced prefer not to be displaced to begin with; and many will choose not to travel at all during early openings and late closures. This may also contribute positively to NCF.



Then, there is the question of rail mileage. Can a rail operator make up for a service disruption or delay by running more trains during the off-peak period? Doing so would be one way of making up for lower mileage brought about by a technical glitch.

And ironically, for NCF to show a negative number - and therefore suppress any future fare rise - buses and trains will have to become more crowded once more.

While many will argue that the improvements to capacity were late in coming (and after a lot of pain), there is one redeeming quality about NCF - numbers are analysed only after a system capacity increase has been in place for 18 months. This is to allow for the public to adjust to a new MRT line or a new bus service.

But a far better approach would be to replace NCF with a component which measures service quality more directly and more accurately.

The next fare formula review, perhaps.










* Public transport fare formula to take into account network expansion and usage
By Zhaki Abdullah and Adrian Lim, Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 22 Mar 2018

With huge sums of money being pumped into expanding the public transport network, the formula for calculating train and bus fares is set to change.

The formula for public transport fares from this year to 2022 will include a new component that reflects the growing network capacity and ridership.

"A widening gap between cost and fares is not sustainable for any public transport network," said the Public Transport Council (PTC), which announced the change yesterday.

While PTC said it was too early to commit on whether this new component would mean a fare hike at the next review in the third quarter of this year, it pointed to the need to keep the system sustainable.



Nearly 1,000 buses and 200 trains were injected into the network to build up capacity between 2012 and last year, it said. "These capacity upgrades and network expansions are necessary and have been welcomed by commuters. However, they come at a cost," said the PTC. Under the old formula, it said, the fares were not reflecting these costs.

Annual operating costs increased by more than $900 million between 2012 and 2016, while fare revenue increased by only $230 million during that time, mainly due to rising ridership.

While government subsidies have helped make up the shortfall, it cannot be sustained if it keeps widening, said the PTC. Fares, in fact, have fallen for the past three years along with energy prices, it said.

The new component, called network capacity factor, compares network usage against the capacity added. If the capacity increases faster than ridership, a higher fare hike could be allowed.

PTC chairman Richard Magnus said consultations with numerous commuters showed that "most were discerning enough to notice the improvements" made to public transport and were expecting a fare increase as a result.

"Of course, we will need to bear in mind the affordability for commuters," he said.



In a Facebook post yesterday, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said the introduction of the network capacity factor was a "sensible" move.

"As the network expands or intensifies in response to changing commuter demand, it impacts the financial sustainability of the transport system," he said.

"When changes are significant, some adjustments to fares, whether upwards or downwards, will ensure fairness between taxpayers and commuters."

Earlier this month, he had hinted at a possible fare hike by highlighting the need to maintain a high-quality transport system.

Yesterday, the PTC also announced that from the end of the year, commuters will no longer face additional boarding charges within 15 minutes of transferring between two different MRT or LRT stations.

Government Parliamentary Committee chairman Sitoh Yih Pin welcomed the announcements.

"The completion of both the fare formula review and the review for the transfer rules bear the commuters' welfare and the financial sustainability of our public transport system at heart," he said.















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CPTPP: Trans-Pacific trade pact will enter into force on 30 December 2018

November 2, 2018, 4:18 am
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Australia becomes sixth of 11 signatories to ratify Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, paving way for it to take effect
By Jeffrey Hutton, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times, 1 Nov 2018

An ambitious agreement set to strengthen trade and investment flows across the Pacific amid a climate of rising protectionism will go into effect at the end of next month.

Yesterday, Australia became the sixth country to ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), joining Singapore, Canada, Japan, Mexico and New Zealand. Canberra's ratification means the treaty, which will enter into force on Dec 30, has been ratified by a majority of members.

"Our ratification means we are guaranteeing maximum benefits for our farmers and businesses,"Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said in a statement, adding that the deal would see annual benefits of up to A$15.6 billion (S$15.3 billion) to the national economy by 2030.


Singapore's Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing noted the development will "strengthen trade flows among countries in the Asia-Pacific, facilitating a more seamless flow of goods, services, investment as well as e-commerce".

"We look forward to the entry into force of the CPTPP, which will send a strong signal of our collective commitment to trade liberalisation and a rules-based trading system," he said in a Facebook post.

The significance of the pact was echoed by Japan's Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who said: "As protectionist moves strengthen across the world, the importance of free and fair rules is growing more and more."

Vietnam is expected to ratify the deal this month. Brunei, Chile and Peru are expected to follow suit.

However, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said his government has not set a date to ratify the pact. "We are studying it very deeply to make sure it does not have a bad effect on our economy," he told reporters yesterday.

Countries will enjoy the benefits of the deal only when they ratify it.



The deal's imminent launch brings to an end its troubled gestation, after United States President Donald Trump withdrew his country from the original Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on his first day in office.

Led by Japan, the remaining 11 members spent a year reworking the deal and ended up suspending 22 out of the over 1,000 provisions.

The rebranded pact, also referred to as TPP-11, will do away with virtually all tariffs and other barriers to trading goods, and help shipments clear Customs more easily.

CPTPP countries accounted for $214 billion - a fifth - of Singapore's total goods trade last year. They make up a free trade area worth a combined $13.9 trillion.

The CPTPP's ratification by a majority of members may lend momentum towards a broad agreement on the much bigger 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) being negotiated by ASEAN and six of its key trading partners - Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

RCEP talks have dragged on for five years as countries haggle over sticking points such as the movement of labour and treatment of services, but hopes are high for a broad agreement when their leaders meet at the annual ASEAN summit in Singapore in two weeks.



As for the CPTPP, ratifying countries will see tariff cuts on Dec 30, and another round on Jan 1, 2019.

Members also hope the deal will insulate them from a trade war.

"By eliminating many trade barriers between its members as early as December, the CPTPP will help mitigate some of the negative impact on those countries of escalating US-China trade tensions," said Mr Peter Mumford, an analyst at risk analysis firm Eurasia Group.

Interest, and membership, in the pact is also expected to grow. Colombia has applied, and South Korea is expected to raise its hand. Thailand is also expected to come under heavy pressure from Japan to join as manufacturers with operations there will be eager to keep supply chains within the membership zone, Mr Mumford said.





CPTPP: A not-so-little gift for free trade that may keep on giving
By Jeffrey Hutton, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times, 1 Nov 2018

It may not be the biggest gift in the world, but sometimes it is the thought that counts.

With United States President Donald Trump warning he had plenty of firepower left to prosecute his trade war with China and with new fissures opening in the European Union with German Chancellor Angela Merkel's planned departure, news that the reboot of the Trans-Pacific Partnership will finally go into effect was almost as if Christmas had come early for rules-based trade.

"It is the symbolism that is important," said risk analysis outfit Eurasia Group's Peter Mumford.

"It is a relatively small share of the global trade, but it demonstrates the determination of countries to push ahead with trade liberalisation," he added.

The pact's 11 members have a combined economic worth of US$10 trillion (S$13.9 trillion) - comprising some 14 per cent of the global economy.

The only question is will other countries join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) - mercifully nicknamed TPP-11 ? And it is here where a not insignificant treaty may grow into something with more heft.

The possible entry of South Korea and eventually Thailand, after it holds expected elections early next year, seems low hanging fruit. Admission of the United Kingdom, too, is not far-fetched. UK Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt told Nikkei in September that a post-Brexit Britain would be keen to join the rebooted TPP.

For CPTPP countries, the UK's entry would add momentum for the hoped-for re-entry of the US into the fold. For the UK, sealing an agreement, not withstanding any deal it may strike with the EU, would be proof of its promised post-Brexit flexibility.

It also has to be said that a British deal to join the CPTPP means inking free trade agreements with six Commonwealth countries in one fell swoop, including Malaysia once it eventually ratifies the pact. That may resonate in an increasingly nostalgic UK.

"I expect other signatories will come on board after the CPTPP enters into force," said New Zealand Trade Minister David Parker, whose country is coordinating the ratification process.

Apart from its potential to grow into something much bigger, the CPTPP's ambition is a shot in the arm for the cause of trade liberalisation. On its first day, ratifying countries will cut tariffs by 90 per cent. Eventually, these will fall to almost zero.

Japan, for example, will eliminate nearly all of its tariffs on industrial, agricultural and forestry products, until now no-go zones in trade negotiations.

For the first time, the trade in data gets a mention, with protection for intellectual property and an end to requirements by some countries for firms to keep information stored "on shore".

Signatories will need to open up sectors dominated by state-owned enterprises, with their governments submitting themselves to dispute settlement.

It is for this reason that no one should expect China to come on board any time soon. Theoretically, China could cement itself at the centre of world trade were it to sign on to the CPTPP, on top of the upcoming Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

But that coup would come at the expense of surrendering far more state control of its economy than China would tolerate.

"CPTPP would be very challenging for China," Mr Mumford said.

Similarly, it will be hard for Mr Trump to reverse course and sign back on to the revised TPP despite encouraging noises at Davos earlier this year.

With free trade proponents such as former National Economic Council director Gary Cohn out of the administration, the CPTPP has no champion in the White House.

For now, the CPTPP may not be a big gift. But it is one that may keep on giving.





Pacific trade pact a boon to SMEs aiming to grow globally
But many small firms here still unclear about the treaty's benefits, say business leaders
By Ng Jun Sen, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 Nov 2018

Some may scoff at Mr Samuel Tan's lofty ambition to break into more competitive overseas markets, when the small Singaporean firm he co-founded is barely two years old.

But a landmark trade deal set to take effect on Dec 30 may give small and medium firms like his a fighting chance when they expand abroad.

Tariff cuts, easier access to other countries' markets and the right to bypass restrictions on foreign companies are some of the sweet spots in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

On Wednesday, the pact crossed the majority threshold needed to bring it into effect when Australia ratified it.

In addition, five of the other 10 CPTPP members have ratified it - namely, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand and Canada. The rest - Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Peru and Vietnam - are expected to do so soon.

Whereas his company might previously have had to hire multiple data centres were it to expand to several countries, for instance, Mr Tan, 32, may soon only need one. The treaty would remove rules that force businesses to place data servers in individual markets in order to serve customers there.

His firm, Auk Industries, makes industrial productivity tracking systems.

But small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) like Mr Tan's are an exception. Many are still largely uninformed about the CPTPP, and know neither its benefits nor the countries involved, several business owners told The Straits Times.



Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) president Kurt Wee said there was a need for more "structured information sharing" - such as business talks and overseas work trips - focusing on the CPTPP. This would allow more of the 200,000 SMEs in Singapore to learn about the impact of the treaty on their businesses, he said.

"It is not that SMEs do not want to find out about the CPTPP, but many are unfamiliar with the trade agreement," said Mr Wee.

For instance, many SMEs may be aware of the tariff reductions they would enjoy, but not the other parts of the treaty that could also be a boon - such as the ability to bid for government tenders in the other CPTPP countries, he said.

Singapore Business Federation (SBF) chief executive officer Ho Meng Kit agreed it was important to help firms understand how the CPTPP benefits can be unlocked and translated into tangible gains. He added that the SBF is currently reaching out to business chambers to raise awareness of the CPTPP.

A Ministry of Trade and Industry spokesman said it, too, is working with government agencies and trade associations to engage companies through outreach sessions and seminars, while Enterprise Singapore and the Economic Development Board will continue to help firms access and establish supply chains overseas, including in CPTPP markets.

"(An open and rules based multilateral trading system) has benefited economies, big and small, and is especially important to an economy like Singapore, which is small, open and heavily dependent on trade," said the spokesman.

Mr Ian Cummin, president of the Australian Chambers of Commerce in Singapore, said the CPTPP's goal of reducing barriers and promoting of fair international trade encourages growth for all involved.

Trade with other CPTPP member countries accounts for more than 20 per cent of Singapore's exports. Singapore's economy and exports are also expected to grow 0.2 per cent more by 2035 because of the treaty.




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Singapore system has done better than other countries in improving social mobility: Ministry of Social and Family Development report

November 2, 2018, 11:21 pm
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Efforts to lift lower-income group have borne fruit, says MSF report
But policies will have to adapt to changing needs to ensure continued social mobility
By Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent and Cara Wong, The Straits Times, 2 Nov 2018

The Singapore system is not perfect, but it has performed better than most in improving the lives of poor and vulnerable families here, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said in a first-of-its-kind report released yesterday.

But the country is now at a crossroads, with the pace of economic development moderating and demands for social spending increasing, as the society is ageing, the report said.

"We have to adapt our policies in response to changing circumstances and needs," it added.

The report outlined how sustained efforts over the years had improved lives for the low-income - with more having their own homes and more students from poor families making it to tertiary education.

"But the same measures now bring new challenges that we need to address, to ensure that stratification is not enshrined and social mobility continues to be spurred," the report said.

"We will keep studying fresh ideas and approaches, including those from other societies, and try them out where they have promise, to help improve Singapore and the lives of Singaporeans," it said.

"But we must not forget that trade-offs are unavoidable in social policy, and all too often, good intentions have led to counterproductive results."

Social inequality and mobility have dominated the national discourse in recent weeks.

For example, at an Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) event on Oct 25, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam saidsafeguarding social mobility would get more difficult as Singapore progresses because that is the nature of a meritocratic system.

"Those who succeed try to help their children and those who haven't succeeded find that the odds increase against them doing well in life," he said.

A key step in tackling income inequality is to ensure that everyone - including those in the middle class - continues to progress, he said, giving the analogy of being on an escalator that has to keep moving so that everyone is better off.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung made asimilar point about meritocracy at a separate event on Oct 24.

Still, when it comes to educational progress, the results are encouraging, according to the 31-page paper.

For instance, nine in 10 students from the bottom 20 per cent of families in terms of socio-economic backgrounds made it to post-secondary education today, up from five in 10 students 15 years ago.

Besides education, the report listed government policies in areas such as employment, home ownership and healthcare to improve the lot of the needy.

It said employment rates for Singaporeans and permanent residents, including older workers, have risen in the past decade. For workers aged 65 and older, the employment rate rose from 14.4 per cent in 2007 to 25.8 per cent last year.

The Workfare Income Supplement has been one of the most effective schemes in getting people, especially older workers, to work, it noted. It encourages low-wage workers to work, by providing Central Provident Fund top-ups and cash supplements.

More poor families are also moving out of heavily subsidised public rental flats and buying their own homes, and this is made possible by significant housing grants and affordable prices of flats.

There were about 500 such families in 2013, and this doubled to almost 1,000 households last year.

The number applying for a rental flat has also fallen by 44 per cent in the same time period.

Using the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development method, Singapore's Gini coefficient, after taxes and transfers, fell from 0.388 in 2007 to 0.356 last year. The Gini coefficient is a measure of income inequality; the lower the score, the more equal a society.

The report said the Government will continue to invest in education, help those who have lost their jobs to find new ones and assist seniors to cope with their medical expenses, among other plans to support low-income Singaporeans.


An MSF spokesman said the report is the Government's contribution to the ongoing social discourse on helping the poor and vulnerable.

She added: "We hope the paper will set a helpful context for deeper conversations and actions on the way forward. We also hope this will galvanise more partners to step forward and join us all in action."

Mr Leonard Lim, an IPS research associate, said Singapore's Gini coefficient, after taxes and transfers, is lower or comparable to developed countries such as the United States - a testament to the Government's efforts to redistribute income.

He added: "Education is the engine that powers social mobility. The moves to intervene early in education are most significant to me as they are an indication that this Government is intent on breaking any significant cycle of inter-generational transmission of poverty."
















Long-term financial aid for retiree hit by stroke
By Cara Wong, The Straits Times, 2 Nov 2018

Retired odd-job worker Henry Tan, 70, found himself at his wits' end six years ago when he suffered a stroke that left him unable to walk.

The divorcee could no longer rely on doing odd jobs, such as painting or driving, to support himself, even after he finally regained some ability to walk two years later.

"My legs are very weak, I can walk a little bit, but I usually go out in my wheelchair," said Mr Tan, adding that he was not fit enough to work.

As he is estranged from his family, including two grown-up daughters whom he has not seen in several decades, he had little choice but to seek more long-term help from the authorities.

With a social worker's help, he applied for and was successfully put on the ComCare Long-Term Assistance scheme, which provides basic living expenses for the destitute who cannot work due to old age and illness, and who have little form of financial support.

The scheme gives him $500 every month, which he uses for his daily necessities and to pay his household bills.

Mr Tan also gets an additional $750 every three months under the Silver Support Scheme - which supports the bottom 20 per cent of elderly Singaporeans by giving them a cash payout, the amount of which is based on their housing type.



He lives in a two-room public rental flat in Clementi with a niece who is working in sales.

"Every month, money is quite tight, but it is okay now. I don't drink or gamble, I just smoke a little bit, so my money is just used to pay the bills," said Mr Tan.

His medical bills are paid for by the Long-Term Assistance scheme, which is a relief as he also has diabetes and hypertension.

"I take everything day by day," said Mr Tan.

"If I worry, my heart won't be happy either, so that is why I let it be."



















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Istana Open House to be held at night for the first time in 2019 as part of 150th anniversary

November 7, 2018, 6:40 pm
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It will be part of 150th anniversary celebrations; Deepavali Open House draws 17,000 visitors
By Jose Hong, The Straits Times, 7 Nov 2018

The public will next year be able to enter the Istana grounds at night for the first time during an Open House, as part of the 150th anniversary of the presidential residence.

The Istana Open House will be held on Oct 6 next year - a Sunday - almost to the day when the heritage site was first opened on Oct 8, 1869.

President Halimah Yacob announced this, along with other commemorative events, on the sidelines of the largest turnout for a Deepavali Istana Open House, since such data was first collated in 2011. The event drew 17,000 visitors yesterday.

"I really hope that Singaporeans will come so that they can get to experience the Istana at night," said Madam Halimah.

She added: "Istana 150 will be a useful opportunity for us to reflect on our history as a nation and the values that have guided us so far.

"The Istana has journeyed with Singaporeans over the past 150 years, becoming a key part of our collective memories and identity.

"It is important that we see this commemoration as an occasion to dig deep into our heritage as one people, because how we have arrived at where we are today will shape who we will be tomorrow."

The 150th anniversary celebrations will include an exhibition featuring the Istana's history and heritage. The exhibition will travel across Singapore to the heartland and libraries.

Multimedia tours of the Istana premises will also be produced for the first time to provide Singaporeans with a first-hand experience of exploring the Istana grounds.

A series of new books that cover the history, architecture and wildlife of the Istana grounds will be launched, as well as a series of souvenirs for the commemoration.

The Istana 150 logo was unveiled at a ceremony held during the Deepavali Istana Open House.

It was designed by School of the Arts Singapore student Charlie Chua, 18, whose idea beat more than 100 others that were submitted through the Istana 150 Logo Competition. The design, which will feature on Istana 150 memorabilia, shows a white outline of the building against a strong red background.

Mr Chua said the logo was inspired by his visit to the Istana grounds when he was three years old. He recalled playing in the garden and seeing the building's facade in the morning sun.

"With the 150th anniversary celebrations, what better way to contribute to the occasion than by designing a logo? Especially since I have fond memories of the Istana as a child," he added.

Visitors to the Deepavali Istana Open House were treated to musical performances by groups such as the CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) school concert band and Sampada's Dance Studio. They also enjoyed guided nature walks and tours of the Istana building.

The crowd stayed until heavy rain broke around 5.45pm, just before the Open House ended.













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PM Lee Hsien Loong's Dialogue at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on 6 November 2018

November 7, 2018, 10:37 pm
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China, US must ensure trade tensions don't hurt broader ties: PM Lee
There are so many areas where US and China have to work together, he says
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 7 Nov 2018

The leaders of the United States and China have to work out how to resolve their trade disputes, and ensure ongoing tensions do not harm the broader relationship between them, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

"The leaders of the two countries have to decide what they want to do and if it cannot be worked out, you really want to keep it from boiling over, respond in a restrained way and try to keep things going and prevent this from poisoning the overall relationship," he said.

"Between America and China, there are so many things where you have to work together, otherwise you are not going to get anywhere, starting with North Korea."



PM Lee was responding to a question at a dinner for around 400 top business and thought leaders attending the Bloomberg New Economy Forum. The trade war and its impact on Sino-US ties were a top concern at earlier sessions on the forum's first day.

Tit-for-tat tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of each other's goods by the world's two biggest economies, ostensibly sparked by the US' trade deficit with China, have hit business sentiment.

China's Vice-President Wang Qishan suggested the US-China trade war should end and denounced trade unilateralism in his keynote speech, while American strategist Henry Kissinger was "fairly optimistic" that the US and China could avoid a wider conflict.

At the dinner dialogue hosted by Bloomberg News' editor-in-chief John Micklethwait, a delegate asked PM Lee what he would advise Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump to do about the trade war if they were at the same table with him.

"I would be hesitant to be at such a table," PM Lee replied to laughter from the audience. But he added: "The trade issues are genuine ones. The trade deficit is on Mr Trump's mind but the economists will tell you (it) is a manifestation of macroeconomic problems and not a matter of trade restraints or lack of trade openness... That has to be dealt with separately."

PM Lee noted that both sides had come close to a deal several times, but these faltered in the end.



Asked what the new world order would look like, with the US taking a back seat in recent years, PM Lee said he did not see this as a retreat but as the US "rethinking its role".

"Up till now, America was such a dominant player in the world economy that it felt it was in its interest to provide global public goods," he said. "The world has prospered greatly, and America with it."

But with its economic fortunes shifting, the US is asking whether it should put itself first instead.

"America is entitled to take such a position, but if you work like that it will be a very different global position. There is nobody to take on the role that the US hitherto played," he said. If this persists, it would be "a different kind of world in which not only small countries feel uncomfortable".

"I hope it doesn't go that way... And that depends on a multilateral global order, where there is some weight and authority and respect given to supranational institutions like the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund," he added.



PM Lee was also asked questions about global rivalries spilling over and affecting ties between countries in Singapore's neighbourhood. "Neighbours are never without complexities," he said, noting that even the US and Canada have issues.

"We don't choose our neighbours. We are blessed with two bigger than us, and we get on well with them, generally," he said. "There will always be issues that will come up, and we will have to deal with them in a way that is constructive, win-win and respects the core interests of both countries."








 


SINGAPORE 'A BONSAI TREE' MODEL

I think you overstate our role. They see us as a bonsai tree model of what China is. It's intriguing to scrutinise, but then you ask yourself, 'We are so many hundreds of times bigger, what of this is relevant?' Hopefully some ineffable essence is useful to them and they take it back and transmute it and it may take root in China.

PM LEE, responding to a question about Singapore's role in China's rise.



 


US-CHINA RELATIONS

The leaders of the two countries have to decide what they want to do, and if it cannot be worked out, then I think you really want to keep it from boiling over, respond in a restrained way and try to keep things going and prevent this from poisoning the overall relationship.

PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG, on the US-China trade war.



PM'S CHILDREN AND POLITICS

Not sure any of them have shown any interest in coming to politics. My sons, my daughter - they are entitled to, but I don't think it's likely they feel the same compulsion that I did - duty that I do. They have their own responsibilities, their careers. I'm sure they'll make contributions in their own ways. But it would be unkind of me to add more burden on them. It's difficult enough for them as (it) is to carry my name.

PM LEE, on whether his children would enter politics.





Singapore a 'bonsai tree model' of what China is: PM Lee
Republic's lessons harder to apply in a country as large as China but hopefully some essence is useful to them, he says
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 7 Nov 2018

Singapore's role in the rise of China is not as large as some make it out to be, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and instead described the island as a "bonsai tree model of what China is".

Like the miniature tree, Singapore might be "intriguing to scrutinise", but its lessons are harder to apply in a country as large as China.

But he added: "Hopefully some ineffable essence is useful to them and they take it back and transmute it and it may take root in China."

PM Lee was speaking at a dialogue with Bloomberg News editor-in-chief John Micklethwait, who asked for his views on the Asian superpower and said that Singapore has "always played an outsized role in China's development".

"I think you overstate our role," PM Lee replied, before providing the bonsai tree description at a welcome dinner for around 400 top business and thought leaders attending the Bloomberg New Economy Forum.

PM Lee said he did not think China saw Singapore as a model for reform, but added, to laughter from the audience, that they could be "intrigued as to how it's possible in Singapore to have free and open elections regularly, multi-party politics and one party remaining in power for such a long time".

"It is strange and it's not a given outcome for Singapore either," he added.

Similarly, Singapore's road map to success cannot be copied by Britain after it leaves the European Union, PM Lee said in response to a question on whether London can be a "Singapore on the Thames" after Brexit. "I don't think we'll have a London by the Merlion... Our histories are completely different," he said.

He cited how the British government accounts for about 40 per cent to 45 per cent of the United Kingdom's gross domestic product, while in Singapore, this figure is closer to 16 per cent. "To say (the UK) can become like Singapore - are you going to give up two-thirds of government spending, state pensions and national health?" he said.

"You will have to find a different way to prosper having made the decision to leave the European Union," he added. "Maybe, maybe if you look at Singapore, you might think you have some ideas that you can use, we hope so. But I don't think you can take one society's solution and just plonk it on a different society."

PM Lee also said that Singapore would do a trade deal with Britain directly, and in the meantime, it would port over similar trade allowances it has with the EU "because not much would have changed in Britain's circumstances domestically".



On whether the Singapore model can be followed elsewhere, PM Lee said that while he hopes others find the Republic interesting, its solutions may not be what they wish to apply.

He pointed out that one of the "cardinal principles" of healthcare here is that people take responsibility for it, and while the Government pays a large part in subsidies, there is still an element of co-payment unless one is very poor. "That's not a principle accepted everywhere... the national healthcare system in Britain explicitly refuses to," he said.

But he also noted Singapore is able to do this because it built its system progressively, through its Central Provident Fund.

"If you haven't built that up over a long period of development, and overnight you want to put aside one-third of income into a compulsory savings fund for your old age so you will not retire poor, I think a lot of people would get angry straightaway," he said.

The Prime Minister also tackled questions about immigration, which he said was "a vexed subject in every country".

Asked if he thought there were any countries that did immigration well, PM Lee said different countries make different trade-offs.

Some have been very open and benefited considerably like the United States, he said, adding that while immigration is now a hot political issue there, it is nevertheless important to have an environment where people can live and work and make a country vibrant.

"It is a tremendous plus that America has and which China and Japan don't have," he said.

In contrast, Japan is a much more closed, tight-knit society which is less conscious of the outside world.

"Now they have to shift that trade-off because the numbers are telling them that their population is falling," he said.

Singapore is trying to strike a "careful balance of having enough of the next generation born to us, but (with) some significant contribution from people coming in, who can cast their lot with us and become Singaporean," he said.

PM Lee was also asked what other models of governance inspire him. While no single model would probably apply to Singapore, the closest one might be Venice, the Italian city which has thrived for 900 years, he replied.

"What we are really looking for is how to be a small country and have the elixir of life. In other words, to be able to adapt to change, dodge bullets and remain successful for a very long time to come," he said.



Venice is the best model, he said, and while it has not been the same after the centre of gravity shifted from Europe to the Atlantic Coast, "900 years is not a bad run".

"What we want to do is to be able to keep on reinventing ourselves as the world changes, so that 100 years from now, if the next Bloomberg conference is cancelled, it can still come to Singapore," he said, in a reference to how organisers had moved the forum from Beijing after its Chinese partner asked to postpone it.





Possible for next General Election to be brought forward: PM Lee
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 7 Nov 2018

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has left the door open to calling a general election next year, as Singapore celebrates the 200th year since Sir Stamford Raffles' arrival.

He was asked by Bloomberg News editor-in-chief John Micklethwait last night if the bicentennial might be a reason to bring forward the general election, which must be held by January 2021.

"It's always possible," Mr Lee replied. "There are many reasons to bring elections forward or not, so we'll see."



He was speaking at a dialogue, held as part of a welcome dinner at the inaugural Bloomberg New Economy Forum.

Mr Lee was also asked if he would recommend "politics in the modern age" to the next generation of Lees - his three sons and daughter.

He replied: "Not sure any of them have shown any interest in coming to politics. They are entitled to, but I don't think it's likely they feel the same compulsion that I did - duty that I do. They have their own responsibilities, their careers. I'm sure they'll make contributions in their own ways.

"But it would be unkind of me to add more burden on them. It's difficult enough for them as it is to carry my name."

Last year, Mr Lee and his wife Ho Ching were publicly accused by his siblings of harbouring political ambitions for their son Li Hongyi, 31. PM Lee refuted the notion while Mr Li, who is in the public service, has said he is not interested in politics.



The uproar came in part over what to do with 38 Oxley Road, the home of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

During the question-and-answer segment of the dialogue, Mr Douglas Hsu, who chairs Taiwanese conglomerate Far Eastern Group, said 38 Oxley Road should be retained to remember the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

Responding, PM Lee described the conflict with his siblings over the fate of their father's home as a "vexed issue" and said he has recused himself from all decisions on the matter.

He noted that Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean has said the decision on what to do with the house will be left to the government of the day, when PM Lee's younger sister Wei Ling moves out.

"One day, when she moves out, the Cabinet of the day will decide what to do, and I think it's best to leave things where they are," he said.

To this, Mr Micklethwait quipped: "Imagine the idea of the head of state (sic) recusing himself from matters concerning his own family - it'd be a strange thing to Americans."

On how social media may affect the political landscape and those who join it, Mr Lee said that social media also includes fake news, which could encourage opinions overnight that are not based on fact.

"It's ridiculous... One night you go to sleep and when you wake up, hundreds of thousands of people are agitated."

This makes it hard for the government of the day to map out long-term plans, he told the 400 business and thought leaders in attendance, and harder still to convince the populace of those plans.

"It's harder for people to focus on the long term and believe you have a workable scheme to get from here to there, because every day you are chasing a new rabbit."





We are ready to work on solution for US-China trade war: Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan
He stresses that both US and China would gain from working together and lose from a confrontation
By Tan Dawn Wei, Deputy Foreign Editor, The Straits Times, 7 Nov 2018

A day after Chinese President Xi Jinping took a swipe at his trade rival, US President Donald Trump, for his protectionist policies, his right-hand man adopted a more conciliatory stance at a global forum of top thinkers and business leaders, hinting the US-China trade stand-off should come to an end.

In his keynote speech at the first Bloomberg New Economy Forum at the Capella Singapore yesterday, Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan was forceful in denouncing trade unilateralism, while espousing the importance of settling any disputes through a rules-based system.

The world today faces many problems that require close cooperation between the US and China, he said, emphasising that both sides would gain from working together and lose in a confrontation.

"China will stay calm and sober-minded and embrace greater openness. Both China and the US would love to see greater trade and cooperation. We're ready to discuss and work for a solution on trade that is acceptable to both sides," he said.

"Negativity and anger are not the way to address the problems that have emerged from globalisation, nor will barriers and disputes help solve one's problems. Instead, they will only exacerbate global market turbulence."

Mr Wang's remarks come ahead of an anticipated meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Xi at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina at the end of this month. Mr Trump on Monday said China wants to strike a deal, and he is open to a fair pact.



The Chinese Vice-President's appearance as the high-level forum's keynote speaker was announced just days ago, heightening the excitement among the forum participants and media, given his political heft and close relationship with President Xi.

In his opening remarks, host and media mogul Michael Bloomberg described Mr Wang as "one of the most influential political figures in China and on the world stage".

Mr Wang has been a leading figure steering China's economic reform and foreign policy, and previously drove President Xi's far-reaching anti-corruption campaign.

The economic forum was originally slated to be held in Beijing. Organisers moved it to Singapore after the conference's Chinese partner requested that it be postponed to next year, as it clashed with China's ambitious inaugural China International Import Expo in Shanghai, which President Xi opened on Monday.

It was at this expo that the Chinese leader, warning of the dangers of protectionist trade policies, vowed to open up China even more, expand imports and strengthen intellectual property protection.

Mr Wang's speech to an audience of 400, which included former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, former US Treasury secretary Henry Paulson and former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee Hwa, largely reiterated China's call to stick to the principles of mutual respect, openness and building consensus so that economic benefits can be shared by all.

He also took the opportunity to repeat the oft-cited need for the world to understand China's history and its past humiliation by imperial powers, and how that has shaped the Chinese psyche.

"China has to blaze a trail of its own," he said. "In the history of mankind, rejuvenation is for those who have had a glorious past."

In his 15-minute speech, Mr Wang spelt out the challenges facing the world, from rising populism to income inequality and climate change. He urged countries to "stay the course" and "respect each other's choice of economic path, build consensus and consultation".

His official visit to Singapore ends today. Yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hosted a lunch for him. Mr Wang also called on President Halimah Yacob at the Istana on Monday.






China and US need to adjust to avoid disaster: Henry Kissinger
By Tan Dawn Wei, Deputy Foreign Editor, The Straits Times, 7 Nov 2018

As the chief architect of the United States' outreach to communist China more than four decades ago, former diplomat Henry Kissinger could be forgiven for viewing the current tension between the two countries with some dismay. But the truth is, though Sino-US relations are at the lowest they have been for years, Dr Kissinger remains optimistic that the two will not come to such blows that it would shake the global order.

However, both parties need to rebalance their perspectives, in the same way that their leaders had sought to explain their thinking to each other and find sufficient understanding 40 years ago, said Dr Kissinger, 95, who is widely regarded as one of the top strategic thinkers in the world.

When he knocked on China's door as Washington's emissary with his historic trip to Beijing in 1971, his mission was to begin the strategic change in the equation of the Cold War between the US and the then Soviet Union, and bring China into the international order.

"We knew very little of China but they knew a lot about us, because Chinese negotiators had read everything I'd ever written," said Dr Kissinger to laughter in the ballroom of the Capella Singapore, where he was speaking yesterday at the inaugural Bloomberg New Economy Forum.

That secret visit by Dr Kissinger, who was national security adviser, paved the way for President Richard Nixon's trip the following year, where he met Chinese leader Mao Zedong and subsequently established diplomatic relations.



China's economic might has grown by leaps and bounds since then, and while Nixon and Mao had sought to find common ground despite the wide disparity, Sino-US relations today have soured as the two major powers tussle for dominance.

"The challenge is to maintain a fundamentally cooperative relationship amid inherent differences of approach produced in large part by the changing technology and in some part due to the different philosophical approaches to challenges between the United States and China," said Dr Kissinger, who was also US secretary of state from 1973 to 1977.

"I believe that it is essential for China and the United States to explain to each other what the objectives are that they feel they must achieve and what the concessions are that they must not be asked to make, and the concessions each is willing to make, and not to get lost in a lot of detail before you know where you're trying to go."

A fundamental difference between US and Chinese thinking, he said, is that if there is a problem, Americans believe there will be a short-term solution, while the Chinese think problems are never completely solved and every solution is a ticket to a new set of problems.

"I think if the world order becomes defined by continuing conflict between the US and China, sooner or later, it runs the risk of getting out of control," he said.

"Some disagreements are inevitable. But the objective needs to be that both countries recognise that a fundamental conflict between them will destroy hope for a world order and run to great risk of conflict. And I think that objective can be achieved, and I am in fact fairly optimistic that it will be achieved."

Adaptation is needed on both sides: Americans have to learn that not every crisis is caused by ill will and that there is a difference between educating people and learning to cooperate with them.

China, which has not had the experience of being in a relationship of balance as it has historically been the dominant country in the region, will have to recognise there is now a balance of power.

Dr Kissinger is among 400 business and government leaders who have gathered in Singapore for the first Bloomberg New Economy Forum, hosted by media mogul and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.



ON CHINA-US RELATIONS

Dr Henry Kissinger spoke to Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore yesterday. Here are some excerpts:

Mr Micklethwait: So you see this rapidity of the way in which China has evolved is in some sense the cause of some of the current tensions?

Dr Kissinger: China has become a substantially new player that can compete with the United States in varied fields, and so we are bound to step on each other's toes around the world. The challenge is to maintain a fundamentally cooperative relationship amid inherent differences of approach produced in large part by the changing technology and in some part due to the different philosophical approaches to challenges between the United States and China.


Q: Where do you see the common objectives? You talked a bit earlier about different philosophies. Maybe you can talk about where you see the commonalities and where are the differences.

A: One inherent problem is that Americans, on the whole, think that if there is a problem, there's a short-term solution and deal with it. The Chinese, on the other hand, think that the problems are never completely solved and that every solution is an admissions ticket to a new set of problems.

So once one grants there's difference in perspective, I think if the world order becomes defined by continuous conflict between the United States and China, sooner or later it runs the risk of getting out of control, which was the history of how World War I broke out in Europe. And so some disagreements are inevitable. But the objective needs to be that both countries recognise that a fundamental conflict between them will destroy hope for a world order and run to great risk of conflict. And I think that objective can be achieved, and I am in fact fairly optimistic that it will be achieved.


Q: Do you think the Chinese understand the world order that you described in your last book, that there is an idea, that there is a necessity of having some degree of balance in the way the world is run?

A: The Chinese have not had to experience a relationship of balance with others since they've been through most of their history the dominant country in the region. But it is one of the challenges of their adjustments to recognise that... The evolution cannot be forced, it needs to be understood. I think both sides will have to learn adaptations of their history.


Q: Which adaptation of their history do the Americans need to learn?

A: The Americans have to learn that not every crisis is caused by ill will, and also that there is a difference between educating people and learning to cooperate with them.














Jobs and healthcare expenses among most pressing problems of the future, says DPM Tharman
Global leaders call for reforms in healthcare and pension systems
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2018

Young people are frightened of the future because they are unsure about jobs and worried that they will have to foot the healthcare bill of the elderly, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said yesterday.

These uncertainties are among the most pressing problems facing the world, but there is a lack of political will today to tackle these issues, he said during a panel discussion on 2019 global outlook.

Fellow panellists Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg also pointed out that as countries face technological disruption, it is critical for governments to ensure that people have the skills to take on the jobs of the future.

It is also important that advanced economies, whose demographics are rapidly ageing, reform their pensions and healthcare financing systems to ensure today's young people do not end up being over-burdened by the taxes needed to fund healthcare in the future, the three global leaders added at the inaugural Bloomberg New Economy Forum, held at the Capella Singapore.



Mr Tharman said that "across the advanced world, the very broad middle of society is seeing very little improvement in their lives".

And young people worry that "there is no sustainable solution today for pensions and healthcare financing and they are going to have to foot the bill".

Citing Germany, he said that in less than 20 years, there will be one working adult for every retiree and the worker will have to contribute about half of his monthly salary into the pensions and healthcare financing system.

"The (average worker) does not know it yet, but the arithmetic is very clear," he added.

The fact that this issue is "not part of the political narrative today" is even more worrying, he said, because it means the world faces a major threat down the road when these problems become bigger.

"It will change when things get much worse - that's unfortunately the way things work," Mr Tharman said.



Mr Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, the parent firm of Bloomberg Media Group which organised the forum, agreed, saying one of the greatest challenges of the future is ensuring meaningful jobs for people in the face of technological disruption.

Technology has made life better for many, but it has also displaced many workers from their jobs, he said. "The great challenge is not income inequality - all you have to do is tax the rich and give the money to the poor - it's how do you create jobs for people who want the dignity of coming home and saying, 'I contributed something'," he said.

Ms Lagarde noted this is a pressing issue, as there will be about 40 million young people entering the workforce in the next 10 years.

While there will not be an overall reduction in the number of jobs, there will be a transition period for people whose skills become obsolete, she said. The answer, she added, is preparing students and working adults through education. "It does not necessarily mean computer coding. We will need skills that are diverse and varied."

Mr Tharman agreed, adding: "In this new game, we need a lot more collaboration, industry by industry, working with social partners or unions and working with the government, especially local governments."



The three panellists also gave their views on the trade war being waged by the United States against some of its major trading partners, especially China. The US-China trade war would likely be the biggest news story in the coming year, said 68 per cent of the audience, who were polled at the start of the panel discussion.

Mr Tharman said: "The biggest problem on my mind is the difficulties that are underpinning the trade war, which make it more likely that we'll continue to see trade frictions for a long time.'' These are the domestic difficulties confronting the countries involved, he added.

Mr Bloomberg believed that eventually, the US and China "will get back to some normal kind of trade, but with a bit more acrimony".

Ms Lagarde said the trade war may get worse before it gets better. Her reason is that the usual channels world leaders typically use to resolve such disputes cannot be used today. These channels, she added, "are not conducive to the show that is designed by (US President Donald) Trump".

















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Changes to Direct School Admission scheme from 2019; NUS, NTU to drop O-level grades when taking in poly grads from 2020

November 9, 2018, 1:05 am
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New moves to spur students to develop their abilities
Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme made easier; NUS, NTU tweak entry criteria for poly grads
By Sandra Davie, Senior Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2018

More changes are under way to the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme and the university admission scoring system to encourage students to develop their talents in a range of fields, regardless of their family backgrounds.

From next year, all schools offering Secondary 1 places through DSA will use a centralised online portal, which means that pupils need to fill in only one online form to apply to multiple schools. Applications through the portal will be free, removing the barrier of a $20-$50 fee that some schools currently charge.

Also, from 2020, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will drop the 20 per cent weighting given to O-level results for polytechnic graduate applicants. Instead, they will be assessed primarily on their polytechnic grade point average - a more current reflection of the skills they have picked up. But students can continue to submit O-level results relevant to the course of study as additional information.

The other four publicly funded universities have already moved beyond O-level results - except when they are directly relevant - in admitting students.



Second Minister for Education Indranee Rajah, who announced the changes yesterday, said they would enable students with different learning styles to be evaluated more holistically. "It also better recognises late bloomers, and creates more opportunities for those who flourish after discovering their interest when they are older," she said.

NUS, NTU and the Singapore Management University can offer up to 15 per cent of their yearly undergraduate places through the Discretionary Admission Scheme, which considers the abilities of students beyond their academic results.

On the change to the DSA, Ms Indranee revealed that this year, 3,000 Primary 6 pupils who applied for places through the scheme - which was widened this year - have received confirmed offers. This is 500 more than last year.

The selection process for the scheme has also been refined to spot talent, even in those who have not had the chance to showcase it yet. There will be less emphasis on the awards a pupil has won - say, in the arts - and more on innate ability.

Ms Indranee said schools no longer administer academic ability tests during DSA selection. "Doing so brings our schools' DSA process and objectives back to the original intention of recognising specific talents, not general academic talent."

By using a single portal for applications and bringing the focus back to talent, the ministry hopes to offset the head start that "better resourced" pupils currently get.

"Those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds... may not be as well informed about some of the choices and opportunities available," said Ms Indranee. "So what we're really trying to do is close the gap, and make sure those less well resourced and less advantaged still have the opportunity to apply."

St Joseph's Institution (SJI) principal Adrian Danker said his school has done away with admitting pupils based on academic abilities, even in specific subjects like mathematics or science. That is because the original intention of the DSA is to assess pupils' other abilities, he said.

So SJI takes in pupils who show potential in their chosen fields.

"The move to focus on non-academic programmes is also in line with our mission, which is to never lose sight of the last, the lost and the least," said Dr Danker.

















Uni admissions: Poly grads' O-level grades to be dropped from 2020
By Amelia Teng, Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2018

From 2020, polytechnic graduates applying to Singapore's local universities will not need to include their O-level results.

Only their polytechnic grade point average (GPA) will count towards the university admissions score they use in applying to the six publicly funded universities, except for certain courses with subject-specific requirements.

The two biggest institutions, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), will drop the current 20 per cent weighting given to O-level results for polytechnic graduate applicants, in a move to recognise their latest qualification and put them on a par with their peers from junior colleges.

The other four universities already use other ways of evaluation such as the polytechnic GPA, aptitude tests and interviews.



The Ministry of Education (MOE) said the change will better recognise late bloomers and those who have done well in polytechnics after discovering their interest when they are older.

With the expansion of publicly funded university places, one in three students admitted to local universities was from a polytechnic this year, up from one in four in 2012.

The ministry also explained that the profile of polytechnic students today has become more diverse, with almost a quarter of them without O-level qualifications. This is up from about one in five in 2014.

This is due to the introduction of schemes such as the Polytechnic Foundation Programme, which is offered to the top Normal (Academic) students. Those on this track skip the O levels and are admitted directly to the polytechnics.

University officials said the change in scoring is in line with the move towards a more holistic admissions process that assesses students based on their aptitude besides their academic grades.

NUS, NTU and Singapore Management University can allocate up to 15 per cent of their yearly undergraduate places for the Discretionary Admission Scheme, which considers the abilities of students beyond their academic results.

NUS president Tan Eng Chye said: "Through this scheme, quite a number of talented polytechnic graduates have gained admission into NUS, including those with good GPAs regardless of their O-level results. They have done well at NUS."

NTU provost Ling San said it continues to see more applicants with polytechnic diplomas who took alternative routes that did not involve sitting the O levels. "Given the diversity of students' prior backgrounds, it would be fairer to look at mainly their polytechnic results for university admission, but we will still consider their O-level results where applicable."



Students can continue to submit their O-level results as additional information to support their applications. Some courses may still require O-level scores if relevant. For example, polytechnic students who wish to apply to computer science courses at NUS need at least a B3 grade in O-level Additional Mathematics.

Current and former polytechnic students said it is fair to exclude the O-level results for diploma-holders.

NUS computer science student Rachel Tan said: "The O levels are important but they shouldn't be a determining factor in a polytechnic graduate's application to university.

"The poly diploma also tends to be more relevant to the university course," said the 21-year-old who entered Ngee Ann Polytechnic's biomedical engineering and business course through the Polytechnic Foundation Programme.

Social enterprise co-founder Nicholas Ooi, 28, who went from the Institute of Technical Education to Ngee Ann Polytechnic to NUS, said the change encourages late bloomers, or those who do not do well in their O levels but find their passion in polytechnic.

"They would have sat the O levels four to five years ago. In that time, people can improve and discover their direction in life, so it's not so fair to judge them based on their results in the past."









More offered secondary school spots early based on talent
By Amelia Teng, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2018

More pupils have been given offers from their desired secondary schools through the expanded Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme, which recognises talent beyond doing well in examinations.

This year, 3,000 pupils were successful in the DSA exercise, up from 2,500 last year, after a change that saw secondary schools being able to take in more students via the scheme and refining their selection practices to better recognise their potential.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) said that more than 90 per cent of secondary schools, or over 120 of them, offer the DSA.

The MOE said schools have come up with methods to identify the talents and potential of pupils, rather than just looking at portfolios and achievements in competitions. It encourages schools to invite all applicants down for trials at least once to have a gauge of their potential and general abilities.



From next year, pupils can apply for DSA through a centralised portal instead of applying to individual schools. Application will also be free, to encourage more pupils from different backgrounds to apply.

The changes come amid growing concern that children from more affluent families have the resources to be groomed to enter top schools via DSA, through sports coaching, music classes or interview preparation.

The scheme has also been criticised for becoming a route for academically bright pupils to reserve places in the popular Integrated Programme (IP) schools - whose students bypass the O levels - before sitting the Primary School Leaving Examination.

In this year's DSA exercise, IP schools accounted for 30 per cent of 3,800 confirmed offers, down from 40 per cent of 3,200 last year. A pupil can receive more than one offer. About one-third of students were admitted on the basis of academic talent last year, while the rest were through non-academic areas.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a conference yesterday, Second Minister for Education Indranee Rajah said the online portal will benefit disadvantaged families by simplifying the process. She acknowledged that parents with more resources are more aware of the DSA.

"Those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, generally speaking, may not be as well informed about some of the choices and opportunities available," she said. "So what we're really trying to do is close the gap, and to make sure that those less well resourced and less advantaged still have the opportunity to apply, and make it an available platform."



Each pupil will be allowed to apply to up to three schools. They can use up to two choices to apply to two different talent areas from the same school. Based on past data, more than 90 per cent of pupils apply to three schools or fewer.

Some schools, like St Joseph's Institution, have scrapped the academic component of the DSA, on top of removing the General Ability Test, so that it focuses on other talents.

A spokesman for Raffles Institution (RI) said that it is looking at offering character and leadership as a new DSA category next year.

"RI offers talented students the opportunity to join the school regardless of their background," she said, adding that its DSA students come in via a range of areas, from academic subjects to music to sports.

Education observers said the changes may encourage more pupils, especially those from less affluent backgrounds, to try for DSA places. National University of Singapore economics lecturer Kelvin Seah said: "The hurdle is now lower for these pupils since the focus will be on demonstrating their talents and strengths through selection-based exercises such as creative tasks and scenario-based experiments, rather than how well they perform on general ability tests."

National Institute of Education Associate Professor Jason Tan said emphasising potential and making the application process more accessible will help "break down the socio-economic status barriers in student participation in the DSA".

He said the challenge is to let parents from lower-income backgrounds know about the benefits of taking part in the DSA as opposed to going through regular school posting. "The onus rests on the shoulders of primary school teachers and principals to get the word out, and help parents identify potential in their children and make well-informed school choices."








SJI looks beyond academic scores
By Amelia Teng, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2018

St Joseph's Institution (SJI) is not just looking for boys with book smarts or sporting ability.

The school introduced new areas in innovation, leadership, visual art and music through the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme last year, in line with changes to better recognise pupils' non-academic talent. It also scrapped the academic category, which previously allowed pupils with just good grades to apply to the school.

SJI offers both the O-level track and the Integrated Programme (IP), which leads to the International Baccalaureate after six years. It gave out 40 offers to pupils who applied for the O-level route next year and 50 offers to those on the IP.

SJI principal Adrian Danker said: "Our mission has always been that everybody who comes has some gift to give to the school."

He added that SJI wants to set aside places for pupils who are talented in other areas, given that those who enter the IP already score well for the PSLE. Pupils applying through innovation are given tasks, and teachers will look out for traits such as creativity and the ability to work in teams, he said.

Housewife Yuna Durairah Abdul Rahman, 38, whose Secondary 4 son got into SJI through the DSA academic category, said she initially thought the scheme was for children whose parents had more resources for extra classes.

"I tell my sons to just be themselves and, if they have the ability and means, they will get into the school they want," she said. Her husband is a taxi driver.

Her Secondary 1 son, Muhammad Daiyan Iskandar, 13, was also admitted to SJI because of his leadership qualities. The former head prefect in Dazhong Primary said: "I like SJI because it's like a family, and it's not about exams and competitions.




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Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story

November 9, 2018, 8:15 am
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ESM Goh Chok Tong on why he decided to have his memoir written
Note from founding prime minister and urging of five friends led him to agree to authorised biography
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2018

Even before he became prime minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong had decided not to write his memoir.

But a note from founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and the urging of five friends eventually persuaded him to agree to an authorised biography.

The result is Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story, which was launched yesterday.

"I did not keep a diary of conversations and interactions with people," Emeritus Senior Minister Goh said in his speech at the book's launch.

"A memoir would be seeing events through my own eyes. Bias is inevitable.

"Moreover, unlike Mr Lee's fight for independence and struggle to build Singapore, meticulous notes were taken of my official meetings. Historians will not be bereft of materials," he added.

But when Mr Lee gave him a copy of his memoir, From Third World To First: The Singapore Story, he added a note: "To PM Goh Chok Tong, You have to write the sequel to the Singapore Story."

Mr Lee had also added the inscription: "With my hope that the lessons need not be paid again by the present generation of Singaporeans."

It was signed on Sept 15, 1998, a day before Mr Lee's 75th birthday.

"When I reached 75, I became more acutely aware of my mortality and the weight of his message," Mr Goh, now 77, said. "Several friends had also asked me to write my memoir. Still, I said no. Then, five of my senior grassroots leaders suggested an authorised biography."



These long-time grassroots leaders and personal friends - Patrick Ng, Ng Hock Lye, Chua Ee Chek, Kok Pak Chow and Tan Jack Thian - would commission someone to write, Mr Goh said.

"The author would do the heavy lifting - the research, interviews and the writing. The idea of someone looking in from the outside, and unlocking my inner memory, appealed to me."

That writer, chosen by Mr Goh, was Mr Peh Shing Huei, a former news editor at The Straits Times and the co-founder of content agency The Nutgraf.

"Today's occasion belongs to Peh Shing Huei, the writer. I am merely the subject," Mr Goh said.

"Several names were suggested as my possible biographers. I chose Peh Shing Huei. I like his easy-to-read, unpretentious, questions-and-answers style."

Mr Peh and his Nutgraf team did the research, while Mr Goh answered his questions candidly. "We checked and verified my recall of events as necessary," he added.

Mr Goh also asked The Straits Times editor-at-large Han Fook Kwang to be a member of Mr Peh's team. "I valued his shrewdness and insights (into) Singapore politics. He proved invaluable," he added.

"Peh has done a good job in writing up my life till November 1990, when I became prime minister. I am happy with the product. Readers' feedback is positive. There will be a volume 2."

In his speech, Mr Peh said he started work on the book a year ago "with more than a bit of trepidation". "For too long, since ESM Goh stepped down as PM in 2004, many Singaporeans had been wondering when he would write his memoir. We all waited. One year became five and eventually, today, 14 years.

"So I knew there were high expectations for this book. We all wanted to know what were his thoughts about global leaders, international affairs and, of course, local politics," he said.

Mr Peh recounted his mounting anxiety before his first interview with Mr Goh, as he had prepared a list of "silly personal questions", such as why Mr Goh did not play basketball despite his impressive height, what he ate at home when he was young and whether his wife was his first girlfriend - all of which are answered in the book.

Mr Peh said Mr Goh answered the questions patiently and even praised Mr Peh for them because the questions forced him to look back and recall things like what he ate as a child. "The answer, by the way, is tau geh, tau kwa, tau pok, kangkung. Not the most exciting dishes," Mr Peh quipped.

He added: "So, thank you, ESM for your patience and for sharing your life with me and my team at The Nutgraf. We are most honoured to be able to tell your story and play our role in telling the Singapore Story."

Both Mr Peh and Mr Goh also gave special thanks to Mr Bernard Toh, Mr Goh's special assistant, and Mr Heng Aik Yeow, his press secretary.

Mr Goh said the duo not only sat in on all the interviews and gave useful comments, but also chased up additional materials and pored over photographs to select the most appropriate ones for the book.

"Sometimes, what I found interesting, they did not. This reinforces my point that an authorised biography is better than an autobiography," he said.

There will be another book launch for charity on Nov 21, to raise funds for two groups of disadvantaged children: people with disabilities and disadvantaged students with poor grades.





WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN A COUNTRY

We entrust the fate of our country to elected leaders with our votes. Voters can only pick from what are on offer, based on incomplete information and, sometimes, false branding, as we have seen around the world. News media and manipulated algorithm influence the outcomes. This is a major weakness in democratic elections.

I was not a born politician. But I was fortunate to be mentored by Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee, S. Rajaratnam, Hon Sui Sen and Lim Kim San, among others. I had my knuckles rapped, more than once. Only when they were satisfied that I could fly Singapore was I allowed to occupy the cockpit.

My book brings out the important aspect of political mentoring, and the training and experience needed to run a country.

I hope my story will encourage the present and future generations of 'technocrats', as my colleagues and I were called once, to serve their country.

EMERITUS SENIOR MINISTER GOH CHOK TONG





COMPLEMENTARY PARTNERSHIP

It has been a long relationship, productive and harmonious. Chok Tong began as my mentor; we became comrades; we remain lifelong friends. We have somewhat different temperaments and instincts, but we complemented each other well. We developed a strong partnership, not just between the two of us, but across our whole team.

PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG







Singapore leaders doing their best to ensure leadership transition is smooth: PM Lee Hsien Loong
Need to entrench culture of renewing ranks, teamwork, he says at ESM Goh's book launch
By Royston Sim, Deputy News Editor (Politics), The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2018

Singapore's leaders are doing their best to ensure the ongoing leadership transition will be as smooth and sure-footed as previous changes of the guard, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

This culture of leadership self-renewal and cohesive teamwork needs to be entrenched in the Republic's political norms, he added.

"It is not just about finding the right successor: We need to assemble the right team to lead Singapore," he said yesterday.

PM Lee was speaking at the launch of Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong's authorised biography, which details, among other things, the transfer of power from Singapore's first generation of leaders to its second, as founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew handed over the reins to Mr Goh in 1990.

The book, Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story, by former Straits Times news editor Peh Shing Huei, is particularly timely as a major theme in it is leadership renewal, PM Lee said.

Its launch comes three days before the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) holds its biennial party conference, where cadre members will elect the next central executive committee, the party's decision-making body, and a clearer picture of the core team that will take Singapore forward is expected to emerge.



PM Lee noted that it was not easy for the second-generation leaders to fill the shoes of Singapore's founding fathers, "who loomed larger than life in the hearts and minds of Singaporeans".

Many, including some members of the Old Guard, doubted whether these "technocrats" had "fire in the belly" and the political charisma to mobilise the nation, he added.

But Mr Goh, now 77, wisely resolved to be himself, said PM Lee, and not try to be a copy of Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

"Quietly but confidently, he established his own leadership style, one that resonated with a new generation of Singaporeans," PM Lee said.

"Over time, Chok Tong showed that he had the ability and political gumption to make difficult decisions and carry the ground. The early doubts faded away, and Singapore carried on steadily in a new era."

Singapore made a similarly uneventful transition when Mr Goh decided to retire as prime minister in 2004, PM Lee said.

"This is something that rarely happens elsewhere, and we should not believe that it will always happen in Singapore," he added.

He noted that Mr Lee Kuan Yew had to retire many comrades when he brought in Mr Goh and the other second-generation leaders.

It was a difficult and painful task.

The 2G leaders were then put into key ministerial positions, he said, to learn to work together, develop their own leadership styles, and earn the confidence and trust of Singaporeans.

Mr Goh was on the lookout for young leaders long before he took over, and as prime minister continued to bring in new people, PM Lee said, adding that he has done the same and tested the younger ministers in different portfolios.

"The next team is shaping up," he said. "They are taking charge of sensitive issues and tough conversations with Singaporeans, making themselves and their convictions known to the people, developing rapport with voters and winning their confidence."



Speaking before PM Lee, Mr Goh said the intricacies of political succession are "underappreciated and underestimated". "The mentors are often more exasperated than they let on publicly. And the understudies are like swans - calm on the surface but paddling furiously below."

Singapore, he noted, is in the midst of another leadership transition. "It requires painstaking preparation and testing in all aspects - in policies and politics, in taking hard decisions, in fighting and winning elections, in winning the minds and hearts of people, in forging good relations with leaders of other countries and in bonding as a team."

PM Lee also shared anecdotes of his interactions with Mr Goh and lauded the elder statesman, whom he has known since 1978.

"It has been a long relationship, productive and harmonious. Chok Tong began as my mentor; we became comrades; we remain lifelong friends," PM Lee said.

The book launch at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore was attended by more than 100 people, including current and former Cabinet ministers such as Old Guard leader Ong Pang Boon and former president Tony Tan. Former presidential candidate and ex-PAP MP Tan Cheng Bock - Mr Goh's close friend - also attended the event.

The book, published by World Scientific, is the first of two volumes. PM Lee said he read it in one sitting, and hoped Mr Goh would not take too long to finish the next volume.














'We remain lifelong friends': PM Lee outlines his 40-year relationship with ESM Goh
By Yasmine Yahya, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2018

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong first met Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1978, and something Mr Goh said then has stayed with Mr Lee all these years.

At the launch of Mr Goh's biography, Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story, Mr Lee recounted how Mr Goh was then a new MP, having been first elected two years earlier.

"I knew he had built a strong reputation, having turned (shipping line) NOL around," he said.

"A snippet of our dinner conversation has stayed with me all these years. Chok Tong recounted how in Parliament he made it a point not to make speeches about shipping, but instead to talk about other issues."

Mr Lee shared this yesterday as he outlined the "productive and harmonious" 40-year relationship he has had with ESM Goh.

"I am sure neither of us expected that we would go on to have such a long engagement, spanning more than half our lives," he said.

He recalled too how, when he was a student at Fort Leavenworth in the United States, and was required to make a presentation on Singapore, his mother had asked Mr Goh whether he had pictures which Mr Lee could use. "Chok Tong kindly sent some slides of a kite-flying competition in Marine Parade, then a new housing estate with lots of empty spaces," said PM Lee.

They became closer when Mr Goh took over as defence minister in 1982 and Mr Lee was in the General Staff of the armed forces.

Mr Goh "did not have a background in defence matters, but he brought a clear and open mind to bear on the issues", Mr Lee recalled.

"He listened to arguments put up by the professionals, and asked the right questions. When he was satisfied that we knew what we were doing, he trusted and empowered us, allowing young officers who proved themselves to make major decisions and break new ground."



It was while Mr Lee was working under Mr Goh at the Ministry of Defence that Mr Goh asked the future PM to join politics. Mr Lee agreed, and the pair became colleagues in Cabinet. When Mr Goh succeeded Mr Lee Kuan Yew as prime minister in 1990, Mr Lee became his deputy.

And when Mr Lee took over as PM in 2004, he asked Mr Goh to stay on as senior minister.

"Chok Tong began as my mentor; we became comrades; we remain lifelong friends. We have somewhat different temperaments and instincts, but we complemented each other well," he added.

"We developed a strong partnership, not just between the two of us, but also across the team."

As a leader, Mr Goh does not make up his mind in a hurry. But having made a decision he is firm and steady, so his ministers know where they stand and what they are trying to achieve, Mr Lee said.

"I think I have given enough preview to whet your interest in Volume 2 of Chok Tong's book, when it comes out," he quipped.

The first volume launched yesterday covers the significant episodes in Mr Goh's life, from his childhood years to his career in the civil service and private sector, his entry into politics and his eventual succession as prime minister.

"Through this volume, Singaporeans, especially the younger ones, will discover the human being behind Chok Tong's public persona," Mr Lee said.










Need to entrench culture of leadership self-renewal
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong touched on the importance of leadership renewal and team cohesion in Singapore's politics in his speech at the launch of Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Yong's book Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story yesterday.
The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2018

I have known Chok Tong for more than 40 years. We first met socially around 1978. He was then a new MP, having been first elected just two years earlier. I knew he had built a strong reputation, having turned (shipping firm) NOL around. A snippet of our dinner conversation has stayed with me all these years. Chok Tong recounted how in Parliament he made it a point not to make speeches about shipping, but instead to talk about other issues, which is what he did that night.

Soon after, I went to Fort Leavenworth in the US to study at the staff college. As a foreign student, I was required to make a presentation on Singapore. My mother asked Chok Tong whether he had pictures of community activities which I could use. Chok Tong kindly sent some slides of a kite-flying competition in Marine Parade, then a new housing estate with lots of empty spaces. The slides helped to liven up my presentation, and I wrote to thank Chok Tong.

I asked Chok Tong if he remembered these interactions. He said yes. Even though we both recall these brief encounters, I am sure neither of us expected that we would go on to have such a long engagement, spanning more than half our lives.

After I returned to Singapore, I was sent to command an artillery battalion. A few months later, Chok Tong was appointed Second Defence Minister. And one of his familiarisation visits - I'm not sure, I still don't know whether it was by chance - was to my unit, the 23rd battalion of the Singapore Artillery. We did a field demonstration for him, and showed off a little artillery calculator which we were developing.

Chok Tong and I worked more closely after I was posted to the General Staff in 1981. Mindef would hold headquarters meetings every Monday morning, to discuss the many issues involved in running and growing the SAF (Singapore Armed Forces). Planning for budget and manpower, building up new capabilities, raising the three services and getting them to work together.

Chok Tong chaired these meetings after he took over as Defence Minister in 1982. He did not have a background in defence matters, but he brought a clear and open mind to bear on the issues. He listened to arguments put up by the professionals, and asked the right questions.

When he was satisfied that we knew what we were doing, he trusted and empowered us, allowing young officers who proved themselves to make major decisions and break new ground. In the years that he was Defence Minister, the SAF made considerable progress.

It was while I was working under Chok Tong in Mindef that he asked me if I would join politics. I agreed, and that set me on a different course in life, and a long partnership. We became colleagues in Cabinet. Then I was his deputy for 14 years, after he succeeded Mr Lee Kuan Yew as prime minister in 1990. And when I took over from Chok Tong as PM in 2004, I asked him to stay on in Cabinet as senior minister. And even after he retired from Cabinet in 2011, we continued to meet regularly for lunch.

It has been a long relationship, productive and harmonious. Chok Tong began as my mentor; we became comrades; we remain lifelong friends. We have somewhat different temperaments and instincts, but we complemented each other well. We developed a strong partnership, not just between the two of us, but across our whole team.

As a leader, Chok Tong does not make up his mind in a hurry. But having made a decision, he is firm and steady, so his ministers know where they stand and what we are trying to achieve.

Another of Chok Tong's strengths is the ability to get capable people to join his team and work with him. He nurtures and holds the team together. He considers and takes their views, and gets the best out of the team. In the early 1980s, when we first started seriously on leadership renewal, he personally identified and brought in many new MPs and ministers - I myself was just one of them.

As prime minister, he assembled some of the strongest Cabinets Singapore has had. Mr Lee Kuan Yew had some outstanding lieutenants who played multiple roles in his Cabinets, like Dr Goh Keng Swee and Mr Lim Kim San. But Chok Tong's Cabinets had heavyweights in many ministries. The task of governing Singapore had become more complex, and it was no longer possible to run the whole government by relying just on a few key ministers. Each minister had strong views, they discussed issues vigorously, but all worked cohesively together. We often had different opinions, but there were no factions in the Cabinet. Everyone saw themselves as part of one team, striving to achieve the best for Singapore.

I think I have given enough preview to whet your interest in Volume 2 of Chok Tong's book, when it comes out. And I hope, and encourage (author Peh) Shing Huei, to make it come out soon.

Volume 1 covers the significant episodes in Chok Tong's life, from his childhood years to his career in the civil service and private sector, his entry into politics and his eventual succession as prime minister.

Through this volume, Singaporeans, especially the younger ones, will discover the human being behind Chok Tong's public persona. Readers will understand how the personal hardships he experienced shaped his worldview and character, and imbued him with a strong sense of duty and service. The stories he tells are relatable, not least because they describe the journey of many Singaporeans of his generation: men and women who resolved to improve life for themselves and their families, seized the opportunities that opened up as the country progressed, and having succeeded, gave back to Singapore.

This book is particularly timely as one major theme in it is leadership self-renewal. Leadership self-renewal is not exactly a secret sauce, but it is what enables our system to work, or in Chok Tong's words, how we "keep Singapore going".

When Mr Lee and his team brought in Chok Tong and other 2G leaders, he had to retire many comrades who had fought side by side with him through the darkest days of our history. It was a difficult and painful task. Some of the stalwarts felt that they still had much to contribute, and should continue in harness for a while longer.

But ultimately, they agreed to step aside. They accepted the broader objective of bringing in fresh blood early, and understood that a new generation needed to be trained and tested.

The 2G leaders were put into key ministerial positions. Not just to master the intricacies of government policies, but more importantly, to learn to work together, develop their own leadership styles, and earn the confidence and trust of Singaporeans. Having been brought in to politics from other careers, they were described by some as technocrats. Many, including some members of the Old Guard, doubted whether they had "fire in the belly", and the political charisma to mobilise the nation.

It was not easy to fill the shoes of our founding fathers, who loomed larger than life in the hearts and minds of Singaporeans. It was particularly daunting for Chok Tong or anyone else who had to succeed Mr Lee Kuan Yew. But Chok Tong wisely decided not to try to be a copy of Mr Lee. He resolved to be himself.

Quietly but confidently, he established his own leadership style, one that resonated with a new generation of Singaporeans. And over time, Chok Tong showed that he had the ability and political gumption to make difficult decisions and carry the ground. The early doubts faded away, and Singapore carried on steadily in a new era.

When Chok Tong decided to retire as prime minister, we made a similarly uneventful transition. Again there was change, but there was also continuity. This is something that rarely happens elsewhere, and we should not believe that it will always happen in Singapore.

It is perhaps useful to recall these precedents now, as we approach another generational change in the political leadership. My colleagues and I are doing our best to ensure that this changing of the guards will be just as smooth and sure-footed.

We need to entrench this culture of leadership self-renewal and cohesive teamwork in our political norms. It is not just about finding the right successor: We need to assemble the right team to lead Singapore. Chok Tong was already on the lookout for young leaders long before he took over, and as prime minister continued to bring in new people. Many in my team - George Yeo, Teo Chee Hean, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Khaw Boon Wan, Lim Hng Kiang, Yaacob Ibrahim, Lim Swee Say, Vivian Balakrishnan and of course myself - were brought in by him.

Similarly, I have inducted many younger ministers over the years and tested them in different portfolios. They started off as young ministers, and they still are younger ministers. But time has passed.

The next team is shaping up. They are taking charge of sensitive issues and tough conversations with Singaporeans, making themselves and their convictions known to the people, developing rapport with voters and winning their confidence.

I am glad that Chok Tong finally relented to the urging of his grassroots leaders and friends and published his biography, in collaboration with Shing Huei. Telling your own life story, even to an author, is no easy feat. You have to relive and reflect upon the ups and downs in your life, and open yourself up for the public to read and judge. You have to be accurate and objective, and yet it has to be your story: what you have lived through, what you have done, what has been most meaningful and satisfying in your life.

Those of us who know Chok Tong well know how much more difficult this task must have been for him, an unassuming and down-to-earth person. He will readily agree, even volunteer, to do an after action review after a policy is implemented. And you can expect from him an honest review and a willingness to take responsibility for any shortcomings. But he is always most reluctant to claim credit for or to crow about his own achievements, as you will discover when you read this book.

I am sure Singaporeans will enjoy the book as much as I did. I sat down and read it in one sitting. It has many captivating stories to tell, many life lessons to impart, and many insights into different aspects of our nation-building. So I hope Chok Tong will not take too long to finish the next volume! It will be another page-turner.














Lunch With Sumiko: 'My mantra was to keep Singapore going', says ESM Goh Chok Tong
ESM Goh Chok Tong looks back on his political career in his authorised biography
By Sumiko Tan, Executive Editor, The Sunday Times, 4 Nov 2018

The batteries of my tape recorder fail me just as my lunch with Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong begins.

I had put in new ones earlier so I can't understand why the recorder is dead.

Mr Goh looks on while I fiddle with it.

Sorry, I say, grimacing.

He laughs. "Sometimes it's just the contact," he says helpfully.

I give up after a while.

Never mind, I tell him, I have another recorder on the table and there's also my phone. My heart sinks, though, because the errant recorder has been the most reliable of the three devices I always use at interviews.

"Have a look?" he smiles and reaches over to take the recorder from me.

He turns it over, examines it - "where's the power?" - but the recorder refuses to respond.

He asks the information officer who's there to check the device, but I tell them it's okay. The officer has placed two other recorders in front of us and so I'm covered.

We settle down to eat and chat.

The reason for lunch is the release of Mr Goh's authorised biography, Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story, written by journalist Peh Shing Huei.

It comes 14 years after Mr Goh stepped down as prime minister and looks back on his childhood, early career, entry into politics and road to becoming Singapore's second prime minister in 1990.

In the book - as during his prime ministership - the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first PM, looms large, featuring in no fewer than 75 pages in a 272-page tome.

Much has always been made of how different the two men were.

Mr Lee was a forceful presence who didn't suffer fools gladly - reporters with malfunctioning recorders included, no doubt.

Mr Goh is famous for his geniality. He favoured what was then termed a more consultative style of government after the top-down approach of the first-generation leaders.

Where Mr Lee was an eloquent and fiery speaker, Mr Goh was a poor orator who swallowed his words and mangled his sentences. He relied on a folksy charm and Everyman appeal to win audiences over.

Yet he must have impressed Mr Lee sufficiently to have risen so quickly. He presented his first of three Budgets in 1979, three years after entering politics.

It took him just 14 years to be PM in an era where Mr Lee was still around, beating down competition from talented peers like Dr Tony Tan and Mr Ong Teng Cheong along the way.

He stayed in control for 14 years, overseeing a further period of economic growth. In 2004, he stepped down and Mr Lee's son, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, became the country's third PM.



HE HAS chosen to meet at the Feast@East Buffet Restaurant in the Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy hotel in Marine Parade, his ward since 1976.

The buffet lunch there offers a decent spread of Eastern and Western dishes. The F&B manager tells me the durian pengat (paste) dessert is popular and urges me to try it later.

Lunch is at 1pm and I arrive at 12.30pm. At 12.45pm, the information officer gets a call that his car is near the hotel and we head to the lobby to meet him. Mr Goh likes to be early for appointments, she says.

When he sees me, he quips: "Oh you are already here. I was coming early to greet you."

At 77, his 1.89m frame is still strong and upright. His hair is white but other than that he hasn't changed that much physically from the 1990s when I was on The Straits Times political desk and had covered him regularly. His manner is as relaxed and friendly as I remember.

He is a familiar face at the hotel and stops to speak to staff as we make our way to the restaurant on the third floor.

We start off by touring the buffet stations where he explains some of the dishes to me. He gets sashimi while I opt for fried spring rolls.

He says that for years he hadn't wanted to do a book but friends and grassroots leaders kept urging him to write one.

He didn't want to do a memoir because it would mean "looking at yourself, injecting your own thoughts, and the tendency will be to write good about yourself".

Two years ago, he agreed on an authorised biography. "By then I was 75 and I thought, will there be something from my experience which I could share?"

I ask what legacy he wants to leave with the book and he says it is the idea of service to the nation, which in his case was to enter politics.

Those who have done well in life should do their part to manage Singapore for others who need help, he says. "When called upon, please do it as a sense of duty. Do it as your responsibility."

His own entry into public service was because of that sense of obligation.

His father died of tuberculosis when he was 10, his mother was a school teacher with five children to feed, and a government bursary helped him go to the University of Singapore where he got a first-class honours degree in economics.

"Without the bursary and a meritocratic system, I wouldn't have a chance to go up. No guanxi (connections). I didn't know anybody."

He knew politics wasn't a natural fit - "I could write but to speak, I mean I was not good, got to face it" - but he kept at it because his mantra was always to help "keep Singapore going".

If people read the book and realise that they, like him, could overcome challenges and serve the country, Tall Order would have done its job, he feels.

He also wants to put on record his interactions with Mr Lee.

The older man's passing in 2015 at the age of 91 left him with a sense of personal loss. Perhaps more than any other second-generation leader, he had worked most closely with Mr Lee, meeting him three to four times a week and having lunch regularly.

"It was as though I lost somebody from the family... I worked with him for so many years and I did feel that a part of me had died."

I suggest that Mr Lee had been like a father figure to him. He agrees. "I don't know whether he regarded himself as a father figure to me, but I regarded him as a father figure (although) publicly I used the term mentor, teacher."

He points out that he has also likened Mr Lee to a gongfu master. "That's when you got slapped here and there as well." But he accepted all the "reprimands and the lashes" as part of learning from Mr Lee.

I'm curious what it was exactly that made him get along with the older man, for clearly they must have got on even if they were temperamentally different.

"What you learn is never try to be clever when you do not know something," he says. "A fool trying to be intelligent who knows everything, he will find out very quickly. He doesn't suffer fools."

Were there qualities you had that made Mr Lee take to you?

He says character and personality were important to Mr Lee.

On the first point, "he would ascertain whether I was an honest person, diligent, hardworking and have the commitment, sense of duty".

But Mr Lee had a "negative" view of some aspects of his personality.

"I am friendly. I wave to people. I get on well with people. But he thought that sometimes I would entertain journalists too much."

He recalls how, during Nomination Day at one general election, some journalists had jostled and pushed their recorders in his face.

"Lee Kuan Yew saw that... He was very worried, unhappy - ' you should have just put your foot down... don't be pushed around by journalists'."

He laughs at the memory.

"So that part he didn't like. He thought I was trying to be nice to people. But my point is, you got to be yourself... It's not that I entertain all the time such questions. That was during nomination. After nomination, you better answer questions by the journalists."

He adds: "I don't know whether he liked it or not, but that's immaterial. The point is, whether he found me a worthwhile person to train to be the next prime minister."

Does he find it strange that Mr Lee features so heavily in his biography?

"I don't find it strange. The people who read it did tell me that this is about me, don't write too much on Lee Kuan Yew. They were concerned that we're trying to use Lee Kuan Yew's photograph to project myself."

But he believes it is useful to let readers know what Mr Lee was like. "I cannot pretend that I've achieved a lot without that mentor and teacher. Without him there, I would not probably have succeeded as the prime minister."



WE BREAK for more food and this time he fills his plate with spring rolls, slices of roast beef and some prawn salad. I opt for laksa.

When we return to our seats, he says with a laugh: "You're asking me a lot about Lee Kuan Yew."

I assure him that I'm moving on to other topics.

I start with his post-PM years. When Mr Lee Hsien Loong took over in 2004, Mr Goh became Senior Minister. He left Cabinet in 2011 with the honorary title of Emeritus Senior Minister. It comes with no pay but he has kept his office at the Istana. He is also Senior Adviser to the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

How was the period after 2004? "Easy to step down. Not easy to adjust,' he replies. "You got to go through a period of withdrawal. There are withdrawal symptoms."

He was used to a life of making decisions and taking responsibility and those pressures disappeared. "You felt that, suddenly, what's my worth?" he says. "You have to take a little while (to adjust)."

There was also the question of what he could and should do.

He had started his career at loss-making national shipping company Neptune Orient Lines, turning it around in three years, and had enjoyed corporate life. But joining a big company was not an option because he wanted to safeguard the position of prime minister.

"Had I gone into the corporate world, there was no guarantee that I would do well because it would depend on many other factors."

If he had become chairman of a large company and it failed, people would question his prime ministership. "People would say, look, I thought he was very good. In fact, he couldn't even run a company. So there were moral hazards."

He also didn't want to start a trend for future PMs entering the corporate world, as that might lead to conflicts such as a future prime minister making decisions with a view of securing a position after retirement.

I ask him what he thinks he would have become if he hadn't been a politician. "Probably a successful corporate man," he says without hesitation.

He has spent much of his post-PM years helping out with Singapore's external relationships. A second volume to his biography will likely touch on his ties with foreign leaders as well as go deeper into policies he was involved in.

He has also set up two charities - EduGrow for Brighter Tomorrows and the MediaCorp Enable Fund. All his royalties will go to them.



His retirement years seem happy. His low-profile twin son and daughter have six children between them, aged 13 to 18.

He has always had a lot of friends, many dating to schooldays. "It has kept me happy." Even when he was PM, he would play golf with them and let his hair down - "talk about golf, about many things, except politics".

"If you don't do that, when you retire what do you do? You don't have friends."

In fact, he and some friends and their families will be holidaying in Okinawa next month, all 50 of them.

Whether he will stand in the next general election is up in the air. "I will consider it when the time comes."

It will depend on factors like his health, which he describes as "so far so good but never say good - in the end something may happen right away". In 2014, he underwent successful surgery for prostate cancer.

He will have to consider his interest because "when you're 80 and one full term means stretching till you are 85, you got to ask yourself, are there other priorities in your life?"

"It will also depend on the party's position because we believe in self-renewal," he says of the People's Action Party. "Ideally the party should tell me, please train somebody to take over from you."

The contest in Marine Parade will be a factor too. "If it's going to be under severe attack, then maybe you have to do something to defend it."

The F&B manager is hovering around the table and Mr Goh asks if I want coffee or tea. He gets coffee and I say I would like tea and to also try the durian pengat.

He says he will keep me company, and invites the information officer, photographer, videographer and video producer to join us for dessert.

The restaurant is by now empty save our table merrily tucking into bowls of the durian pengat, which is delicious. He jokes that some bowls have been scraped clean. "That means first round. Second round the bowl will be a bit less clean."

He is disturbed by the amount of food left in the buffet stations. "It is a waste," he tells the manager and spends some time pondering the merits of redistributing uneaten food and how buffets are priced.

I have to settle the bill and he tells us there's no need to see him off. He says goodbye and leaves us smiling in his wake. The photographer reminisces how Mr Goh was always friendly to everyone when he was PM. Yah, agrees the videographer, he's a nice guy.

History will judge the achievements of Singapore's second prime minister. Did his policies emphasising economic success lead to some of the social inequalities so much discussed today? How open, really, was Singapore under his consensual style of government?

Few, though, will dispute that he was a steady pair of hands that guided the country safely through the post-LKY years.

And no one, I think, will disagree that his congeniality left many people feeling good - which is no mean feat.











I knew I was not to be a seat warmer: Excerpts from Goh Chok Tong's biography
The Sunday Times, 4 Nov 2018

Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story chronicles the political journey of Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, from his young days to his entry into politics and the highs and lows as he rose through the ranks to become Singapore's second prime minister. It also reveals the deliberations and negotiations between Mr Goh and founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, before Singapore's maiden leadership transfer in 1990. Written by former Straits Times news editor Peh Shing Huei and published by World Scientific, the book is the first of two volumes on Mr Goh. It contains a foreword and afterword by the Emeritus Senior Minister, and a Q&A segment in each of the book's 10 chapters. Here are edited excerpts of the Q&A between the author and Mr Goh from the book.

HIS EARLY DAYS IN POLITICS

Q Were you regarded as the top high-flier in the 1976 General Election and seen as one of the potential new Cabinet ministers?

A I would not say so. At that time, nobody expected you to be anybody. Succession was still not quite yet flaunted or talked about. How did you know the others would not be high-fliers? Nobody speculated that you would be an office-holder and there was no point in speculating because the old ministers then were still quite young. It was too early to say. Your bigwigs in politics were there - Toh Chin Chye, Ong Pang Boon, Chua Sian Chin, Jek Yeun Thong, S. Rajaratnam, E.W. Barker. They were in their late 40s, at most 50s. I was 35.

HOW HE REGARDS OPPOSITION POLITICIANS

Q Would you be friendly with long-time opposition MPs like Chiam See Tong and Low Thia Khiang too?

A I regard Chiam as a friend.

Q As a friend?

A As a friend, yes. I have seen him at dinners outside. He would come to me and I would go and talk to his wife and so on. If I see the wife, I would ask her how Chiam is. He was a gentleman politician. He had his own purpose in politics, which is to create a two-party Parliament. There is nothing wrong with that. We did not like it, but we said you try, so he tried.

Q Would that be the same towards Low?

A It is the same with Low. In fact, with most of the people, it is the same thing. We always watch. What is the purpose, their aspirations, their goals and would they bring Singapore down? Or would they be just difficult opponents for us? Then we got to be better than them. So, if they are honest and honourable and want to do good for Singapore even though it is in a different way, well, we can have a debate on that. But if your views are totally wrong in our view, like promising a welfare state and using the reserves, then we would fight you. We would fight you tooth and nail on your wrong-headed and populist approach.

Q So who would be someone whom you would not speak to?

A Chee Soon Juan.


MR GOH AND MR LEE KUAN YEW

Q As you approached 1990, what were your thoughts on what kind of leader you would like to be?

A The first thing you would ask yourself and your colleagues would ask you is whether you stood for change or continuity. That was also the question Lee Kuan Yew asked me. And he asked me because I was thinking of, at that time, to move into the Istana Villa and making it my office. It was very clear in my mind that I was not going to move Lee Kuan Yew out of his room.

Q Why?

A Because too much of him was in there. I did not want to take over the room. I mean, it is not a joke, but to me, the room would smell of Lee Kuan Yew. Everything there would have his spirit. You could not operate. Also, out of respect for him, he should stay there; it had been so many years. But it is the thought that you were stepping into something which was his - it was like going into his home to run the family of Singapore - it was very difficult. So, I was thinking of moving the Prime Minister's office (PMO) out. I was thinking that I could go to the Villa. I quite liked the idea of a small PMO in a villa instead of at the Istana main building.

During Lee Kuan Yew's time, the staff strength was very small; and my time, it was very small. There was just myself, a PPS (principal private secretary), a press secretary who was based in MCI, and two secretaries. That was all my staff. That was also the staff for Lee Kuan Yew. That was Singapore's "White House". The Cabinet secretaries are not part of your inner staff. They handle Cabinet papers and they are more administrators. The Singapore system is that the PM would deal directly with the ministers and ministries. So, if I had to do something on economy, I would go through the minister and the minister has the whole ministry. So, it is a very lean PMO. Of course, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and a few other places come under PMO - that is different. Election's Office - that is different. But the Istana staff was very small. So, this was all I had and I was thinking it would be very nice to go to the Istana Villa. It would be a very cosy kind of a PM's office.

So, I gave Lee Kuan Yew my view and I told him continuity in policies. He advised that if I was for continuity, then do not move out. If I moved out to a new place, I was signalling change. And I would be distancing myself from the old regime. He said he wanted me to take over his room, it is the PM's room. I said no, I did not want to take over.

Q If you had taken over his office, where would he have gone?

A In other countries, that was their problem, not the PM's problem. You are out, you are out in the streets. John Major and Tony Blair - they are out, going all over the place. That is the system. Ours works out differently and very well now; there is a certain system in looking after the former PM. At that point, there was no experience. So, I said, stay where you are. Seeing that I would not change my mind, Lee Kuan Yew told me that there was a place available above his office. It was his dining room. The whole floor was empty and only a little corner was marked out to be his dining room. The place was quite big and I could use it. I asked him where he would then have his lunch. He said that there was no problem - he created a small room on a different level from his office to be his lunch room. We are all very practical; we are not looking for grand things. So, the third floor was renovated to be my office. I decided on the carpet and picked the furniture.

Q How were you able to have such a relationship with him, especially after how he criticised you publicly?

A We were quite frank with each other. I trusted him. I never doubted his honesty, motive and integrity. I never doubted that he wanted me to succeed. If anything, he was exasperated with my lack of public communicative skills. And if he wanted Lee Hsien Loong to be in charge, he would have told me. That was why I could work with him. I came to the conclusion early that he did not want the son to take over from him, and he was looking for somebody other than Loong. That was quite clear. The public conclusion was that he wanted me as a seat warmer. But I knew him and I went in knowing I was not to be a seat warmer and I was to be in charge for as long as I could. In other words, he was looking for a real successor outside his family.

Q How did you know that you were not a seat warmer?

A It was interaction and confidence in him. If I suspected that he was just putting me to be a seat warmer for his son, and just for two, three years, what is the point? Then I would have said 'let us find a way for Lee Hsien Loong to take over from you'. There was no need to have me. There was no point. But I never worried about the seat warmer joke. In my heart, I knew that Lee Kuan Yew never meant for me to be a seat warmer. Politicians must have some thick skin and be able to laugh it off because in my view, that is not what Lee Kuan Yew regarded me as. You must have self-respect. If Lee Kuan Yew used me for his own purpose, then what is the point for me? History would laugh at you, isn't it? I have the self-confidence. I was prepared to do the job and I knew he was honest with me, my strengths and weaknesses.

Q How did Lee Kuan Yew tell you that he was ready to hand over to you?

A I was quite happy he was doing the job of PM. He was still young and I was in no hurry. But in early 1990, over lunch, he told me that I should take over now. I was to pick a date and take over. So, the man was true to his word that he would hand over. He could not do so at 65 as he felt I was not ready. In 1990, he just said I was to take over. So, I said yes. That was all. That was how transition took place in Singapore. Elsewhere, they fought and so on. He added that he thought he should stay on in Cabinet. Was it because he wanted to play a role or was he not fully confident in me? I think he was not fully confident. Indeed, he would not be immediately confident in anyone taking over from him. He wanted to guide and help; not to direct or control.

Q When he said he should stay on in Cabinet, did that come as a surprise to you?

A Not really. I was quite happy. It was better to have Lee Kuan Yew inside than outside! Remember his remark about rising from the grave if things went wrong? If things went wrong, would he have kept quiet? Would he have said that this is a new PM, he would watch and he would not interfere right away? In 1988, I was very relieved he was going to carry on for two more years. By 1990, I was ready. In my heart, I was ready.














New book tells of how ESM Goh felt after public criticism from Mr Lee Kuan Yew
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 31 Oct 2018

Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story is available at major bookstores, at $56 (hardcover) and $37 (paperback), excluding GST.

When founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew delivered his National Day Rally speech in 1988, many in Singapore were shocked to hear him say that then Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong was not his first choice to be his successor.

Seated in the front row in the audience, Mr Goh, who by that time had been chosen by his fellow younger ministers as their next leader, felt "perplexed, stunned and dumbfounded".

Mr Goh, now 77 and Emeritus Senior Minister, reveals these feelings for the first time in Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story, a biography that has hit the bookstores.

The book also details for the first time how Mr Goh felt humiliated when, a week after the rally, then-PM Lee made more public criticisms of him, saying that he was "wooden" when speaking in public or on television.

Still, Mr Goh says: "It was not personal. He was not out to humiliate me for personal reasons, even though I felt humiliated."

He adds: "I never doubted that he wanted me to succeed. If anything, he was exasperated with my lack of public communicative skills."

Tall Order chronicles Mr Goh in his youth, his entry into politics and the highs and lows in his journey to become Singapore's second prime minister.

It also reveals the deliberations and negotiations between Mr Goh and Mr Lee before Singapore's maiden leadership transfer in 1990.

Among the anecdotes is how Mr Lee once suggested his daughter, Dr Lee Wei Ling, to Mr Goh as a possible MP "because of her social conscience, which was very strong", and because it was difficult to get female political candidates at that time.

"So, he was helping me. It was not because he wanted her, but he was helping me to look for candidates. It was in that context - here was a good candidate."

Written by former Straits Times news editor Peh Shing Huei, 43, now a partner at content agency The Nutgraf, and published by World Scientific, the 344-page book is the first of two volumes.

It has a foreword and afterword by Mr Goh, and a Q&A segment in each of the book's 10 chapters.

In his foreword, Mr Goh says he had never intended to write his memoirs, but agreed to his story being told to achieve three objectives.

First, to encourage present and future generations of Singaporeans to consider political office, regardless of their background or upbringing.

Second, to tell the story of Singapore's second-generation leadership.

"Finally, my story of working with Lee Kuan Yew, and to a lesser extent Lee Hsien Loong, holds intriguing lessons too," Mr Goh wrote.

"Most relationships between top men and their successors do not end well. But ours did. We made it work."

In one segment, Mr Goh answers a question on veteran opposition figures, Singapore People's Party leader Chiam See Tong and Workers' Party MP Low Thia Khiang. He says he is friendly with both, and regards Mr Chiam as a friend.

"We always watch. What is the purpose, their aspirations, their goals, and would they bring Singapore down? Or would they be just difficult opponents for us? Then we got to be better than them," he says.

"So, if they are honest and honourable and want to do good for Singapore even though it is in a different way, well, we can have a debate on that.

"But if your views are totally wrong in our view, like promising a welfare state and using the reserves, then we would fight you. We would fight you tooth and nail on your wrong-headed and populist approach."


















ESM Goh Chok Tong to release first volume of biography in November 2018
By Linette Lai, The Straits Times, 7 Sep 2018

The first volume of a two-part biography of Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong will hit bookshelves in two months.

Called Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story, it will cover Mr Goh's early life up to 1990, when he took office as prime minister.

Mr Goh revealed the news in a Facebook post on Thursday night (Sept 6), when he uploaded pictures of himself meeting former Hong Kong chief executives Tung Chee Hwa and Leung Chun Ying on a recent visit to the city, as well as an older photo of himself and Mr Tung.

"Both are old friends," Mr Goh, 77, wrote. "I first met Chee Hwa in the early 1970s when we were both in shipping."



He added that the older photo of both men "partying in Vienna drinking young wine after an international shipping conference" will feature in his biography, which will be released in November.

Mr Goh was Singapore's second prime minister, and held the post for nearly 14 years before stepping down in 2004.

According to a description on the website of the publisher World Scientific, the book will reveal "the private deliberations and negotiations" between Mr Goh and Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew before the leadership transfer in 1990.

It will also tell the extraordinary story of Mr Goh's life and career over half a century, "revealing how Singapore's second Prime Minister rose through a combination of strength, wit and a political nous which many, including himself, did not know he had".

"In this first of two volumes, Goh navigated years of a challenging apprenticeship to Lee, scoring numerous policy successes but also suffering political blows and humiliation," it added.



The biography is being written by former Straits Times journalist Peh Shing Huei, who is now a partner at content agency The Nutgraf.

Mr Peh said the book was based on a series of face-to-face interviews with Mr Goh, done by the Nutgraf team as well as ST Editor-at-Large Han Fook Kwang. It will include content that has not been made public previously.

"It has been 14 years since ESM Goh stepped down as Prime Minister and I understand there have been many people who have tried to persuade him to tell his story during this time. I'm glad he has finally agreed," Mr Peh, 42, said.

"He gave me and my team generous time and plenty of good stories."













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PAP Conference 2018: PM Lee Hsien Loong sets out plan for People's Action Party ahead of next General Election

November 12, 2018, 6:00 am
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It must know people's concerns, give them hope, bring them together and lead well
DPMs Teo Chee Hean, Tharman and 3 senior PAP members step down from Central Executive Committee
By Royston Sim, Deputy News Editor (Politics), The Straits Times, 12 Nov 2018

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday charted the path forward for the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), saying it must win the next general election convincingly by taking a centrist approach and uniting Singaporeans.

The party has only two years left to prepare for the next election, said Mr Lee, who is PAP secretary-general, as he outlined four things it must do to maintain good politics and keep improving people's lives.

He called on party members to understand and address Singaporeans' concerns, give people hope for the future, encourage inclusive politics and provide good leadership.

"We are setting a clear direction, supported by the broad mass of Singaporeans who want to see stability and progress continue for many years."

He was at the party's biennial conference at Singapore Expo, where cadres elected a new central executive committee (CEC) - the PAP's top decision-making body.

"The new CEC will be leading the party into the final stretch, gearing up to put our record before voters," Mr Lee said.



The new CEC also reflects a major transition for the party.

It comprises largely fourth-generation leaders, with heavyweights such as Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam stepping down.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, labour chief Ng Chee Meng and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah were elected to the top 12 positions.

Mr Lee said the CEC will meet "within a couple of weeks" to elect a new slate of office-holders, and observers expect the line-up to provide more clarity on who the country's next prime minister will be.

This will be followed by a Cabinet reshuffle in due course, he added.



Addressing about 3,000 party members, Mr Lee noted that many countries are under serious stress, from citizens who feel their lives are not improving and hot-button issues like immigration. Politics becomes polarised, and the country goes into a downward spiral.

Singapore has coped better than most countries, but "we should not take what we have for granted", he said, stressing the need to get both policies and politics right.

Noting that cohesion does not come naturally or easily to any society, Mr Lee said the PAP must keep Singaporeans together.

The party aims to be a broad tent, he said, highlighting the importance of finding common ground and maintaining a shared space where differences can be aired without eroding social cohesion.

"The PAP must strive to reconcile different views and interests, and work hard to strengthen confidence and trust between different groups," he said. "So that we can keep this a society with a broad middle ground, multiracial, multi-religious, tolerant and progressive."

The party must also understand the concerns of Singaporeans well, and help address their specific worries, he added.

He called on every party activist to play his part by complementing the Government's policies with a human touch.

"By showing voters that you personally care, it convinces them that the PAP cares, and the PAP government cares," he said.



Beyond that, the PAP must give Singaporeans hope about the future, Mr Lee added. One important aspect of this, he said, is social mobility - people believing they have every chance to improve their own lives and that of their children.

Singapore's meritocracy has to be about helping one another reach their best, without holding back others who are doing better, he added.

Mr Lee also stressed how providing good leadership is key. The party has had two smooth political transitions so far, he said, providing both continuity and renewal.

He noted that the 4G leadership team has been in the Cabinet for several years now.

They have been - and been tested - in several portfolios, and are learning to complement one another's strengths and weaknesses, he said, describing them as "a team of able men and women with a good combination of skills among them".

"I can see them gelling as a team, and am confident that they have what it takes to lead Singapore."




















PAP unveils new party leadership with 4G leaders at helm
New line-up marks next phase of political renewal
By Rachel Au-Yong, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 12 Nov 2018

The People's Action Party (PAP) has renewed the ranks of its top leadership, in a move that formally marks the start of Singapore's next phase of political renewal with the younger, fourth-generation (4G) leaders at the helm.

Heavyweights such as Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure Khaw Boon Wan are no longer in the party's top decision-making body to take the PAP to the next general election.


Instead, the new central executive committee (CEC), voted in at the party's conference yesterday, is made up of (in no particular order): Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Mr K. Shanmugam, Mr Chan Chun Sing, Ms Grace Fu, Mr Gan Kim Yong, Mr Heng Swee Keat, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Ms Indranee Rajah, Mr Ng Chee Meng, Mr Ong Ye Kung, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin and Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

The 12 received the most votes from about 2,000 cadres who picked them from a list of 19 names.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and Manpower Minister Josephine Teo were co-opted into the CEC as they got the 13th and 14th highest votes. The PAP did not disclose the number of votes each received.

The two new faces in the CEC are Mr Ng Chee Meng and Ms Indranee.



Others on the ballot were Communications and Information Minister S. Iswaran, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, Social and Family Development Minister Desmond Lee, Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary, and Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC MP and PAP executive director Alex Yam.

The new CEC will lead the party into the next general election, for which it has "only two years left to prepare", PM Lee said.

Calling the latest CEC changes "a major transition point for the party", he said they were partly made possible by five longstanding party leaders stepping down.



PM Lee thanked the five - outgoing party chairman Mr Khaw, vice-chairman Yaacob Ibrahim, assistant secretaries-general Mr Teo and Mr Tharman and treasurer Lim Swee Say - for their contributions over the years.

"They have played vital roles in the last few CECs, they put in place plans so that PAP can remain relevant and relatable, they led the party in helping residents resolve their problems," he said in his Mandarin speech.

Turning to the new line-up, which he described as a "major step forward in our political renewal", he said in his English speech that the positions they will hold in the new CEC will be decided when the committee meets in a couple of weeks. "In due course, I will follow up with changes in the Cabinet line-up."

Noting the smooth transitions of power from founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew to his successor Goh Chok Tong, and from Mr Goh to PM Lee himself, he expressed the hope that party members would give their "wholehearted support to the new CEC and our 4G leaders".

The 4G team, he said, has been in the Cabinet for several years, and been tested in several portfolios.

"It is a team of able men and women, with a good combination of skills among them. They are gaining experience, willing to serve and, most importantly, with their hearts in the right place.

"I can see them gelling as a team, and am confident they have what it takes to lead Singapore," he said.

Who among them will be appointed to the positions of first and second assistant secretary-general (ASG), vacated by Mr Teo and Mr Tharman respectively, will be closely watched. These deputy chief roles will be the strongest indicator of who could succeed PM Lee.

There is talk among the cadres that Mr Chan, as well as Mr Shanmugam or Mr Heng, will occupy the positions.

Institute of Policy Studies deputy director Gillian Koh said the PAP is still "a half-step away" from seeing a new leader.

She believes Mr Shanmugam would take one of the two spots as "one of the deputy prime ministers is traditionally the security czar, and it's clear the Home Affairs and Law Minister is the one with that experience".

She added: "With one more ASG spot left, the potential PM would be clearly known, since the current PM has said Singapore is not ready for a non-Chinese leader. But if the CEC sets out three deputies, then it shows the 4G corpus has yet to make up its mind on who to give their full support."

























PM Lee thanks five senior outgoing CEC members
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 12 Nov 2018

All five senior members of the People's Action Party (PAP) central executive committee who are stepping down "served the party with loyalty and distinction", party secretary-general Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

They are Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who will stay on in the Cabinet; and former ministers Yaacob Ibrahim and Lim Swee Say, who both retired from the Cabinet in May.

Prime Minister Lee outlined their achievements in his speech at the party conference.

Dr Yaacob, who stepped down as vice-chairman, has strengthened the party's support from the Malay community and assured Malay-Muslims that they are fairly treated in a multiracial society, he said.

On outgoing party treasurer Lim Swee Say, Mr Lee said his greatest strength is his ability to relate to ordinary Singaporeans with "folksy, vivid slogans" and persuasive skills when speaking face to face with residents.



Mr Lee also called Mr Khaw, Mr Teo and Mr Tharman "three of my closest comrades-in-arms".

"We go back a long way," he said. "We have fought many battles over the years and gone through countless ups and downs together."

He said Mr Khaw has tackled and made progress on difficult policy challenges in the areas of healthcare, transport and housing, while Mr Tharman has played a major part in shaping Singapore's new economic and social policies.

On Mr Teo, with whom he has worked the longest, Mr Lee said: "I rely on his independent judgment and steady support on many matters. He doesn't hesitate to tackle spiky issues and to take political flak on behalf of the team, especially at critical moments and during elections."

Mr Lee also commended former PAP chairman Lim Boon Heng, awarded the distinguished service medal for four decades of service to the party. Mr Lim, who retired from active politics in 2011, contested seven general elections. He continues to mentor the PAP teams in Hougang and Aljunied, and identifies candidates to join the PAP.



The outgoing committee members expressed their confidence in the fourth generation of leaders who will take the helm. "I have confidence in the 4G ministers because I have worked with them in Cabinet, I know who they are and what they're capable of doing," Dr Yaacob said.

"They are capable, will work well as a team, and most importantly, have their hearts in the right place," said Mr Tharman in a Facebook post after the event.

Asked if Singaporeans should expect to see more senior ministers, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said: "I would think so.

"It's possible that as part of the planning process, the Prime Minister will require some senior ministers. Going by my experience and Mr Lee's (Mr Lee Kuan Yew's) experience, vacancies may be created."














4G exco's first tasks - winning the ground, keeping PAP at the centre
By Zakir Hussain, News Editor, The Straits Times, 12 Nov 2018

Singapore's past two transitions of political leadership were gradual and, as they turned out, fairly uneventful. Its current leaders are striving to ensure the next one is as smooth. But this is not a given, especially as it comes with two years to go - perhaps less - before a general election that will not be as easy for the party as in 2015, when it secured a strong 69.9 per cent vote share.

There is no shortage of examples to show how rapidly voters' moods change, or how major parties can split.

The People's Action Party (PAP) has, over the years, adapted its workings to ensure it stays united and relevant. After an attempted takeover by pro-communists in 1957, the party introduced a cadre system so that only trusted members could elect top leaders.

This system remains to this day.

Over the years, the PAP also set up youth and women's wings, a seniors' group and policy forum to reach and engage various groups.

And it has assiduously set out to renew its ranks, and ensure it remains, as PAP secretary-general and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday, "a broad tent" and a party that caters to all Singaporeans.

This is seen in the line-up of seven candidates nominated by the outgoing central executive committee (CEC) for election at yesterday's party conference, where experienced and younger politicians, the three main races and women were represented, and elected: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and ministers K. Shanmugam, Chan Chun Sing, Grace Fu, Gan Kim Yong, Heng Swee Keat and Masagos Zulkifli.



Also elected were ministers Indranee Rajah, Ng Chee Meng, Ong Ye Kung and Vivian Balakrishnan, and Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin. After coming in 13th and 14th, ministers Ng Eng Hen and Josephine Teo were co-opted into the CEC.

Most of this group form the core of the fourth-generation (4G) leadership. But some in the party clearly wonder whether the 4G cohort is ready and fully able to take the helm - or hold the view that even if seniors in the party should step aside, at least some more of them ought to remain to lend experience to the new mix in the CEC. For example, Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam, at 62 and 61 respectively, are hardly due for retirement. This could help explain why not all of those from the 4G cohort on the ballot made the cut. Such sentiment could also reflect how Singaporeans feel about the broad slate of younger leaders: There is still time to hone their skills, but until then, keep experienced hands on deck.

There is no doubt that will indeed be the case in government, as these seniors will continue to play key roles in Cabinet, including as mentors to younger ministers. And no doubt at the party level too.

Such is the nature of political renewal. Just as 2G and 3G leaders had to work to convince voters they had what it took to lead, and that they could work as a team, the same will apply to the new CEC.

There have been promising signs of progress. Mr Ong and Mr Ng Chee Meng got voted in directly for the first time - an indication of the support they have within the party. Both were on the ballot in 2016 when they were much newer ministers, but did not make the cut. Mr Ong was co-opted then and served as an organising secretary.

This year, younger ministers and members who have been less prominent in the party failed to muster enough votes: ministers S. Iswaran, Lawrence Wong, Desmond Lee and Janil Puthucheary, and MP Alex Yam.

Housing, under Mr Wong's watch as National Development Minister, has not been an easy portfolio, while Mr Lee, Dr Janil and Mr Yam are also much younger and less well known to cadres.



One development many will watch when the new CEC next meets will be who will become assistant secretaries-general. Another will be who else gets co-opted into the CEC. Might one or more of those who missed out be among them? Might MPs who will lend the slate more diversity and experience be drawn in? Another factor could be the need for more Malay MPs in the CEC.

Who will be co-opted into the CEC won't be known for some weeks yet. But the remaining four to be picked could be those who can help strengthen the PAP on the ground and in its leadership transition, and ensure it remains the party for the broad middle of Singaporeans.





PM Lee: Important for PAP to bring different groups, opinions together
He urges activists to keep Singaporeans united and encourage inclusive politics
By Adrian Lim, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 12 Nov 2018

Members of the People's Action Party (PAP) hold a spectrum of views on many issues, ranging from the conservative to the liberal, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is the party chief, yesterday.

For instance, some want to keep the Primary School Leaving Examination while others favour scrapping it, and some want to retain Section 377A, which criminalises sex between men, while others want to repeal it, he noted.

But regardless of their differences, all can be good party members, and it is important that the PAP can bring different groups and opinions together, he said.

The PAP's aim is to be a "broad tent", or a "broad church", PM Lee told the more than 3,000 members at a party conference as he urged them to keep Singaporeans united and encourage inclusive politics.

"We may not be able to reach a consensus on all issues, all the time.

"But we should always try to find common ground, and more importantly, maintain a shared space where the different views can be aired constructively, where we can engage in a way that does not erode trust and social cohesion," he said.

Failing to do so will result in the middle ground withering away. "The extremes will grow," he added.

Politics would become a "zero-sum game", organised along fault lines in Singapore society, and such politics would only make the fault lines deeper, he said. "People would be forced to take sides, you are either for me or against me."

Citing the United States, PM Lee said the politics is so deep that when families gather, they cannot talk politics. And it is reaching a point where marriages between Democrats and Republicans are frowned on.

"It is like between Romeo and Juliet - different clans, different tribes and different nations," he added.

In such a situation, it will be tough for the PAP, a centrist party, to hold everyone together and bring people from two ends together, he said.

Extremist protests, radical and populist groups will gain ground, and once society moves in this direction, it will be a downward spiral. It will be "practically impossible to rebuild centrist politics again and bring Singaporeans together again", he said.

Referencing a nursery rhyme, he said: "Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall... fell down, finished. It has happened to many countries, and it can happen to us, too."

PM Lee also noted that Singapore has done better than most in coping with stresses such as economic disruption and loss of identity.

This, he said, is not just a case of good luck but the result of deliberate choices and hard work over the generations.

Citing tripartism, he said it is a salient example of how Singapore brings people together. Although employers, unions and the Government have their own interests, they can work harmoniously because trust and confidence have been built up over many years.

"So when we talk about maintaining cohesion and centrist politics, it may sound ordinary and dull, but, in fact, it is vital for Singaporeans and very rare in the world.

"It is a key reason why we have done better than most," he added.





To give hope for the future, 'escalator' must keep moving up: PM Lee
By Adrian Lim, The Straits Times, 12 Nov 2018

Car manufacturing has returned to Singapore, 40 years after American automaker Ford closed its factory in Upper Bukit Timah Road.

But the new plant will be manufacturing electric cars, a high-tech venture by British company Dyson.

This new investment was cited by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday to drive home the point that with technology and a skilled workforce, Singapore can overcome its traditional constraints of scarce land and higher labour costs, and create new and exciting opportunities for Singaporeans.

He was speaking about the importance of keeping the economy growing and pressing on with economic transformation at the People's Action Party's conference.

Referring to a metaphor used by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, PM Lee said the "escalator" must keep moving up so everyone in society has the chance to do better. If the escalator stops, Singapore will be in trouble, as people will fight over who moves up or down, he added.

"We see such games of snakes and ladders in other economies which have stagnated. The fight over who is up and who goes down becomes much nastier."

Mr Lee also highlighted that Singapore has achieved some early successes in its economic transformation. They include big and small companies that are restructuring, embracing technology and training workers; high-tech industries such as robotics and aerospace engineering; and a start-up scene that is starting to thrive, like fintech.

While Singapore no longer soars with spectacular growth rates like in the past, the Prime Minister is confident it can still achieve steady and sustained growth, so people can look forward to good jobs and better standards of living.

Such advances will give people hope for the future, he said, in spelling out one of the party's key goals.

Thinking and planning for the long term are also a must to imbue Singaporeans with hope, he added.

The huge infrastructure investments in Changi Terminal 5, the Tuas megaport and more MRT lines are examples of how the country is preparing ahead, he noted.

An important aspect of hope is social mobility, Mr Lee said. Hence, the emphasis on education and learning, from pre-school to the workforce and skills upgrading.

He said: "That is what our meritocracy is about - helping each other reach the best of our ability, and not holding back others with the potential to do better than ourselves.

"We cannot cut tall poppies down. We must encourage every poppy to grow. We will be different colours, different heights. But we will be one community, one Singapore succeeding together."

Mr Lee said an egalitarian spirit must also be maintained in society, with people interacting comfortably as equals. Using the Chinese saying "ping qi ping zuo", he said: "We sit together, we rise together, we are on the same level. We feel the kinship and comradeship."











Party activists urged to give human touch to policies
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 12 Nov 2018

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has called on his party's activists to provide the human touch to government policies, like building more flats or ramping up pre-school places.

In doing so, they help people to better understand the benefits and broader intent of policies, which are aimed at addressing their concerns.

"Beyond these individual policies, we need to connect the dots, to paint the overall picture for Singaporeans, so that people get the broader message," PM Lee said at the People's Action Party (PAP) conference yesterday.

"The broader message is that the Government understands your concerns, that the PAP is working with you to tackle problems together, and that whatever your difficulties, in Singapore you will never walk alone.

"To do that, we have to complement good policies with a human touch," PM Lee said in setting out a key objective of the party.



Speaking to more than 3,000 activists, he added: "By showing voters that you personally care, it convinces them that the PAP cares, and the PAP government cares."

He told them that they give the party a human face when they work with people on the ground.

"When you go door-to-door on house visits, you understand the residents' circumstances and needs. You can explain how exactly they can make use of government policies to personally benefit themselves."

He gave the example of how they can show young parents the way to use the Marriage and Parenthood Package to ease the financial burden of raising children, or explain to seniors how the Pioneer Generation Package and upcoming Merdeka Generation Package will help with their healthcare needs.

"You are not just helping to write letters and send them off to the Housing Board or Central Provident Fund Board or some other government agency," said PM Lee of their work at Meet-the-People Sessions. "You are offering residents friendship and encouragement, so that they identify with you, trust you and confide in you - help you to help them more."

In his speech, he also commended several activists for their long service, leadership and dedication to the party. "I know your work is not easy. It will be tiring, and sometimes even discouraging," he told the audience.

"But we are all here today because we count it a privilege to serve. Each person we succeed in helping, and whose life we make better - even by a little bit - makes it all worthwhile."










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Malaysia and Singapore are like twins, says PM Mahathir Mohamad in Official Visit to Singapore from 12 to 13 November 2018

November 13, 2018, 7:37 pm
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The Straits Times, 13 Nov 2018

Malaysia and Singapore are like twins, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday, on his first official visit here since becoming his country's prime minister again.

"Except perhaps the elder twin is a little bit bigger than the younger twin, and a bit older," he said at an official lunch hosted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana.

"It is not often that we see countries which come together and are separated, and still work together and help each other," he added.

Both also have a role to play in the region and, together, can be effective in helping it grow, he said.

PM Lee said both sides are each other's closest neighbour, whose "relationship is further strengthened by bonds of kinship, friendship and memories". "Singapore and Malaysia will always have a unique place for each other in our hearts," he said, adding that he looked forward to working with Dr Mahathir and his government to strengthen this bond.



Dr Mahathir will receive an honorary doctorate from the National University of Singapore today. He will also attend the ASEAN Summit.




 





PM Lee, Dr Mahathir reaffirm strong ties between Singapore and Malaysia
Leaders pledge to strengthen special ties that bind
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 13 Nov 2018

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad yesterday, looking deep into the past, spoke of the strong ties between their two countries at a lunch to welcome the Malaysian leader on his first official visit to Singapore in his current stint as PM.

In his speech at the Istana event, PM Lee noted that while the two-day official visit is Tun Dr Mahathir's first as Malaysia's seventh prime minister, Dr Mahathir is very familiar with Singapore.

He has visited the Republic many times and also collaborated with it on projects with lasting benefits for both nations, PM Lee added, citing the Linggiu Dam in Johor and the Second Link in Tuas.

Dr Mahathir, 93, led Malaysia for 22 years until 2003 and was re-elected in May this year.

PM Lee, speaking at the lunch, said they had a good meeting and discussed ways to deepen cooperation.

"Malaysia is Singapore's closest neighbour, and vice versa. We are bound by geography and history. Our economies are extensively intertwined," PM Lee said.

Also, Singapore and Malaysia are each other's second-largest trading partners, and Singapore is Malaysia's second-largest foreign investor.

"Our relationship is further strengthened by bonds of kinship, friendship and memories. We all have friends and relatives who live, study or work across the Causeway, and we feel at home when we visit each other," he added.

Some of Singapore's Cabinet members were born and raised in Malaysia, PM Lee noted, while several Malaysian ministers were born here, or grew up or studied here.

"And when we are overseas, we can pick each other out by how similarly we speak, dress and behave. The connection is instant," he said.



PM Lee said that for Singaporeans and Malaysians, himself included, many of their best memories were made in each other's countries.

"My first family trips with my parents were to Cameron Highlands," he recalled. "We would drive up to Kuala Lumpur, taking most of a day, and break journey overnight, staying at the Railway Station Hotel because I was interested in trains."

He recounted how the following morning, the family would drive from KL to Cameron Highlands, stopping along the way at the town of Bidor in Perak for wonton noodles made with freshwater prawns caught in mining ponds.

PM Lee noted that Dr Mahathir and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, met in Singapore, studying at the King Edward VII College of Medicine, now part of the National University of Singapore.

That was where they started their courtship, which led to a happy marriage of more than 60 years, he added.

"When we met in May 2018, Dr Mahathir spoke fondly about his time in the college and his old classmates whom he kept in touch with for many years, but had not seen for a while," he added.

"So I am happy that NUS will confer an Honorary Doctorate of Laws on Dr Mahathir tomorrow, and many of his old friends will be at the ceremony," he said yesterday.

"Singapore and Malaysia will always have a unique place for each other in our hearts, and because of our proximity and interdependence, we will always have an interest in each other's development and success," he added.



Dr Mahathir, in his speech, also underlined the close ties between both nations, saying they "are like twins in a way, except perhaps the elder twin is a little bit bigger than the younger twin and a bit older".

"It is not often that we see countries which come together and are separated, and still work together and help each other," he added.

Citing Singapore's recent help, he said: "I wish to record here our appreciation for the help extended by Singapore during the present currency crisis we had recently.

"If there is any way we can return the hospitality, we will try to do so."

He added that the most important thing is to continue the good relations.

As would be the case between any two countries, there will be some differences and competition, he noted. "But the competition is always healthy - it helps us to make every effort to win, and this really helps us to grow even faster."

Even so, Malaysia and Singapore are mutually dependent, he added.

"Singapore has no hinterland and must use Malaysia as a hinterland. On the other hand, for a very long time, Malaysia had to depend on Singapore for its exports and imports because Singapore has developed into a great port that is comparable to the greatest in the world.

"And we need the services of this port and other services related to trade and industry," he added.



Dr Mahathir also said he very much appreciated that PM Lee was the second leader to visit him after his Pakatan Harapan coalition won the general election in May.

The first was Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

"It was not a very formal visit - no parades, no inspecting of guard of honour but, nevertheless, the reception was sincere as can be," he added.

"I hope this visit will cement the strong relations between our two countries and grow the relations, so each one of us can benefit from having two neighbours which are not at odds with each other - at times competing with each other - but most of the time working with each other."

Dr Mahathir, who will attend this week's ASEAN Summit, also pointed out that together, Singapore and Malaysia can be very effective in helping the whole region to grow.

Noting that not many regional groupings have survived in the world, he said: "ASEAN has not only survived but continues to work very closely together and to grow.

"So there is much at stake in this relationship between Singapore and Malaysia, and I'm glad to make this visit and help in discussions with Mr Lee on our relations and how to improve the relations."

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement that the two leaders had a wide-ranging discussion on bilateral and regional issues of mutual concern.

It added that PM Lee emphasised Singapore's intention to continue constructive, forward-looking relations with Malaysia and reiterated Singapore's commitment to build on their strong cooperation and find new areas of collaboration for the benefit of their people.

PM Lee also expressed his appreciation to Dr Mahathir for Malaysia's support for Singapore as ASEAN chairman, and both leaders agreed to work together to continue strengthening the regional grouping, the statement added.

Malaysian media subsequently reported Dr Mahathir telling Malaysian reporters that the Singapore Government was more open to discussing several recurring issues, including the water deal.

In response to media queries, a Singapore MFA spokesman said: "Both sides expressed their differing views on the right to review the price of water under the 1962 Water Agreement. They expressed their willingness for officials to have further discussions to better understand each other's positions."








Mahathir meets President Halimah; orchid named after him and his wife
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 13 Nov 2018

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad called on President Halimah Yacob at the Istana yesterday, after he was hosted to a welcome ceremony by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement that Madam Halimah and Tun Dr Mahathir affirmed the deep historical and people-to-people ties which form the foundation of Singapore-Malaysia relations, and welcomed continued, mutually beneficial cooperation between their countries.

Dr Mahathir and his wife also attended an orchid naming ceremony on the Istana grounds.

The orchid, named the Dendrobium Mahathir Siti Hasmah - after Dr Mahathir and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali - is a cross between Dendrobium Kiyoshu Blue and Dendrobium Pink Lips.



In the evening, Dr Mahathir attended the ASEAN Business Awards gala dinner as a distinguished invited guest.



The dinner, which President Halimah also attended as its guest of honour, recognised outstanding businesses in the region that have shown significant progress in establishing and reinforcing their foothold across various industries.

Today, Dr Mahathir will be hosted to lunch by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.



Dr Mahathir's alma mater, the National University of Singapore, will confer on him an Honorary Doctorate of Laws, MFA said.

The Malaysian Prime Minister will also attend the 33rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings from today until Thursday.














Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad conferred honorary doctorate by National University of Singapore
It is in recognition of his outstanding leadership of Malaysia and other achievements
By Lim Ai Leen, Assistant Foreign Editor, The Straits Times, 14 Nov 2018

A few hundred guests gathered at the NUS Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music yesterday to witness Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad receive an honorary doctorate in law from the National University of Singapore, but he still made time for a handful of old college friends from seven decades ago.

"Can we have a hug?" was the first thing former cardiologist Wong Hee Ong, 91, said when she met Tun Dr Mahathir. Like him, she is a member of the "Medicine Class of 1947", the cohort of 76 students who enrolled at the King Edward VII College of Medicine that year.

The college later became part of NUS, which yesterday conferred the doctorate on Dr Mahathir in recognition of his outstanding leadership of Malaysia and his enduring contributions to the longstanding bilateral relations between Singapore and Malaysia.

Dr Mahathir, 93, is on his first official visit to Singapore since emerging from 15 years of retirement to become prime minister again in May. He had previously served from 1981 to 2003.



"Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister and the world's most senior elected statesman returned to helm his country's government earlier this year in a stunning demonstration of his abiding love for Malaysia and his desire to enhance growth and prosperity for his countrymen. He is, in many eyes, a living example of bold leadership and steadfast resilience," Professor Chong Yap Seng, dean designate of the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, said in his citation.

Dr Wong attested to the formal compliments read out on stage.

She said that during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Dr Mahathir studied books on finance "day and night". "He is that way... He doesn't just say things without knowing. He will study it," she told The Straits Times.

One of his bold moves then was to ignore the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) recommendations for Malaysia to raise interest rates and trim public spending, and instead raise government spending and impose currency controls.

Critics and the IMF later acknowledged that Malaysia recovered from the crisis quicker than its South-east Asian neighbours due to these policies.



In a brief address after receiving his doctorate from Singapore President and NUS Chancellor Halimah Yacob, Dr Mahathir thanked the university for the "singular honour" and said: "I will value this honorary doctorate for as long as I live."

It was while at medical college from 1947 to 1953 that Dr Mahathir met his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, 92, who was given a distinguished alumni service award by NUS yesterday for her service in public health and for being an inspiring role model for women doctors in Malaysia.

"It all began, classmates say, when Tun Dr Mahathir became a frequent visitor to Holne Chase, the hostel for female students where Tun Dr Siti was staying," NUS president Tan Eng Chye said in his speech, to laughter from the 600-strong audience.



Dr Mahathir's interest in politics was evident during his college days, when he regularly contributed articles on Malay issues for The Straits Times under the pen name Che Det, a nickname he now uses for his blog.

He was a medical doctor in his home state of Kedah for several years after graduating, before being elected as an MP in 1964.

Known for his blunt manner and barbed remarks during his first stint as premier, there were concerns that Dr Mahathir's return to office would test relations between Singapore and Malaysia.

He tried to address those concerns yesterday.

"Singapore and Malaysia remain good neighbours," he said. "Yes, we do have problems, there may be some competition between us, but... we have been able to resolve these problems in a very peaceful way," he said.





Mahathir appreciates Singapore's role in helping Malaysia reclaim 1MDB-linked funds; still keen on crooked bridge
By Zakir Hussain, News Editor, The Straits Times, 14 Nov 2018

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he appreciates Singapore's role in helping his country reclaim monies laundered from troubled state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

"Some people brought money belonging to 1MDB to Singapore, and many people were paid out of money that was stolen. Singapore took action to arrest them, to charge them and all that, and also to return to us the money that has been stolen. That is cooperation that we appreciate," he told The Straits Times in an interview yesterday.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore shut down two private banks in 2016, fined eight banks nearly $30 million over 1MDB-related offences, and charged six persons. And in September, the State Courts ordered the return of $15 million in 1MDB-linked funds to Malaysia.

Tun Dr Mahathir alluded to this help after meeting Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday, and said bilateral talks were largely about cooperation.

They also discussed water pricing. Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said both sides expressed their differing views on the right to review the price of water under the 1962 Water Agreement and their willingness for officials to have further discussions to better understand each other's positions.



Dr Mahathir echoed this yesterday, saying: "There is still a need for us to discuss the matter. We have differences about interpretations and I think we will continue to have discussions at official levels and at the political level, and we hope that we can reach some agreement."

He also said there was a need for an additional bridge between the two countries, noting that traffic between Johor and Singapore was far heavier than between Penang and the mainland. "Yet Penang has got two bridges, and they are constructing a tunnel."

"We need more bridges between the two countries. We hope we can have a direct bridge - one half being Singapore, one half being Malaysia. But if that is not possible, of course Malaysia will go ahead with its own plans," he said, revisiting a position he held during his first stint as PM from 1981 to 2003.

Asked about these plans, he said Malaysia "had this so-called crooked bridge which does not encroach on Singapore land or Singapore territory at all".

In 2003, he announced that Malaysia would go ahead and build a six-lane S-shaped highway that would curve to allow vessels to pass under it.

Told by ST that such a bridge would merely replace the Causeway and not be an extra link, he said: "More bridges would be better. And it won't hurt anybody."

He also said: "There are instances where we need to partner. There are occasions when we need to compete... Sometimes we succeed, sometimes Singapore succeeds. Competition means somebody loses, so the other party can gain."





ASEAN needs real cooperation, not just talk: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
By Jeremy Au Yong, Foreign Editor, The Straits Times, 14 Nov 2018

ASEAN needs to emphasise real cooperation and not just make a show of talking about it at meetings, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday, ahead of the opening of the ASEAN Summit.

Speaking on the way forward for the grouping in an interview with The Straits Times at his hotel suite, the 93-year-old leader said one of the obstacles towards integration is suspicions from less developed countries that opening up could curb their own development.



"One has to remember that countries which are less developed are rather suspicious, that they are very concerned about their own development and they think that opening up their markets may result in an influx of goods from other ASEAN countries. So, the tendency is to limit imports of certain products," he said.

"We must stress greater cooperation, and the cooperation must be real. It is not good just to talk about cooperation but when you go back, you become very protective and you put in obstacles to ASEAN cooperation."

While Tun Dr Mahathir has lamented the untapped potential of ASEAN as an economic bloc before, he appeared to temper some of his previous criticisms of the grouping.

During the half-hour interview that spanned topics ranging from global affairs to bilateral relations to Malaysian politics, Dr Mahathir picked his words carefully and was largely cautious not to name names. Only when the conversation moved to domestic issues did he seem to let his guard down.

He made the point of stressing his continued belief in ASEAN. "I have to be (a believer)," he said. "If you give up on ASEAN, then I think we will be going back to the days before ASEAN when we were not working together and not understanding each other's problem."

This resulted in countries taking confrontational positions, he said.

He added that a point he intends to make at this week's meetings is that ASEAN's size can be a valuable asset.

"ASEAN is a very big market. It has almost 700 million people, and even if the per capita is low, poor people too have their needs. And if you can work out what are their needs and try to supply them from within ASEAN, I think it will contribute to the growth of ASEAN."

Paying tribute to the grouping's resilience, Dr Mahathir said: "ASEAN has survived. Not many regional organisations have survived. Even the European Union has not really survived. Of course, with (organisations in the) Caribbean, South Asia, South America, they have not survived. But ASEAN has survived and has continued to work together, and this is an achievement."

Since returning to power this year, 15 years after retiring as prime minister, he has cancelled or put on hold mega deals with China signed by his predecessor, Najib Razak. Many are watching how he will carry himself at a summit taking place amid a backdrop of growing economic competition between the United States and China.

But Dr Mahathir yesterday brushed off concerns about how trade tensions between global powers might once again pit factions in the grouping against one another.

He said: "ASEAN was not founded as an economic community; it was founded in order to enable leaders of the ASEAN countries to settle their problems round the table.

"In that, it has fully succeeded... But the world situation may affect some of the members because they are trading nations. But generally, a crisis in the world does not affect ASEAN that much."

He, however, said he intends to urge US Vice-President Mike Pence - who will be in town for the summit in place of President Donald Trump - to stop the trade war.

"It hurts both the initiator as well as the other party. And it also hurts the economy of the world. If we can, we will like them to stop this trade war. But it is not a one-handed thing, both sides have to agree.

"And the US is coming here... if we have an opportunity, we will have to tell them, look, a trade war is not helping either US or China or the rest of the world."



Trade and economic matters aside, attention will be on Dr Mahathir's interactions with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the summit.

As countries are arranged in alphabetical order, the Malaysian leader will find himself seated next to Ms Suu Kyi - someone he has criticised publicly because of the Rohingya crisis.

At the United Nations General Assembly in September, Dr Mahathir condemned the massacre in the Rakhine state.

Asked what he would say to his neighbour, he replied: "Well, I had written a letter to her with regard to the Rohingya. I had written letters to her when she was under detention and I was very sympathetic towards her cause and her determination to win and, finally, of course, she achieved her objective.

"But in the case of Rohingya, there is somehow a different attitude. I mean people who have been under detention should understand the sufferings of people who are oppressed."













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Facebook: No policy against alleged falsehoods

November 15, 2018, 6:08 am
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Facebook refuses to remove a post making allegations against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the Government in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal
By Zhaki Abdullah, The Straits Times, 14 Nov 2018

Facebook has said it does not have a policy that prohibits alleged fake news, after calls to remove a post making allegations against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the Government in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

Despite a request to do so by the Infocomm Development Media Authority (IMDA), the social media giant refused to take down a post by sociopolitical site States Times Review, which linked to an article on its site.

The Nov 5 article - titled "Lee Hsien Loong becomes 1MDB's key investigation target" - suggested Malaysia had signed several unfair agreements with Singapore in exchange for Singapore banks' assistance in laundering 1MDB funds.

The IMDA also issued a notice to States Times Review to take down the article by 5pm last Friday, which the website failed to do. The authority said the article is considered prohibited content under the Internet Code of Practice, as it had undermined public confidence in the Government's integrity.



In response to queries from The Straits Times on why it had not acceded to IMDA's request, a Facebook spokesman said it had a responsibility to handle any government request to restrict alleged misinformation "carefully and thoughtfully", and that this is consistent with its approach to government requests elsewhere.

However, she added that Facebook does not have a policy that prohibits alleged falsehoods, "apart from in situations where this content has the potential to contribute to imminent violence or physical harm". Facebook did not explain how it determines whether or not a post spreads falsehoods or misinformation.

The Law Ministry, which had described the States Times Review post as false and defamatory, had previously said Facebook's refusal to take down the post was proof of the need for legislation against deliberate online falsehoods.

It added last night that given previous "public assurances that Facebook is committed to combating online falsehoods, we are disappointed that Facebook has not backed up its promises to combat online falsehoods with action".

The Monetary Authority of Singapore has also filed a police report against the author of the States Times Review article, which it described as "baseless and defamatory".
























Govt agencies initiate action over article linking PM Lee to 1MDB
Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) files police report against author of defamatory article relating to 1MDB; news site rejects order to drop article
By Royston Sim, Deputy Political Editor, The Straits Times, 10 Nov 2018

The allegations made in an online article against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the Government in relation to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal are "absurd", Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam has said.

And the police will investigate and take action against all involved, he said yesterday.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) filed a police report against the author of a Nov 5 States Times Review (STR) article, which alleged Malaysia had signed several unfair agreements with Singapore in exchange for Singapore banks' assistance in laundering 1MDB funds.

MAS said the article, "Lee Hsien Loong becomes 1MDB's key investigation target", made false and malicious statements and impugned its integrity as a financial regulator.



Separately, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said the article had undermined public confidence in the Government's integrity, and is considered prohibited content under the Internet Code of Practice.

IMDA yesterday issued a notice to STR to take down the article by 5pm, which the website failed to do.

In a Facebook post yesterday, STR said it rejected the order.

It added that PM Lee or IMDA "is welcomed (sic) to file a case with the Australian authorities".

An IMDA spokesman said the authority has directed Internet service providers to restrict access to the site. It has also asked Facebook to deny access to the said post.

In a post last night, STR said its website has been blocked, and will thus "cease and desist". It added that its Facebook page will shut down in two weeks' time, but the website will remain until the next general election is over.

The Law Ministry subsequently noted in a statement that Facebook had declined to take down the STR post that is "clearly false, defamatory and attacks Singapore using falsehoods".

"This shows why we need legislation to protect us from deliberate online falsehoods," it said. "Facebook cannot be relied upon to filter falsehoods or protect Singapore from a false information campaign."



Mr Shanmugam had earlier commented about the article at the Treasury building, saying: "When you make allegations of corruption, money laundering, against the Prime Minister, Government of Singapore, that we are complicit in this and so on, of course we take this very seriously."

The police will take action against all involved based on investigations and advice from the Attorney-General's Chambers, he added.

Mr Shanmugam noted that the STR article was later picked up by Malaysian mainstream media.

Malaysian website The Coverage published a similar article on Nov 7 linking PM Lee to the 1MDB scandal. China Press then picked up the piece.

Asked if a foreign agency could be involved in spreading the fake allegations, Mr Shanmugam said he did not want to speculate.

However, he noted that basic checks would have shown the allegations in the STR article were false. That was obviously not done when the Malaysian mainstream media picked up the article, he said.

"So the natural question is, why did they publish these falsehoods, probably knowing that there is no basis? It is obvious also to anyone who publishes them that the allegations will seek to damage the Prime Minister and seek to damage Singapore. And yet they were published.

"The modus: It appears in obscure sites and then gets picked up by mainstream media to make it look real. That modus has been practised in other places. The Select Committee (on Deliberate Online Falsehoods) has set out instances where this is done elsewhere. So it is very curious," Mr Shanmugam said.

He noted that the issue is not unique to Singapore, as technology has made the spread of falsehoods possible all over the world.

On the claims that the STR article made about the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) and water deal, Mr Shanmugam said Malaysia has previously argued that the HSR agreement favours Singapore, and the price of water sold to Singapore is too low.

"These have been made publicly, and we have answered them. This article repeats those points, and adds a nasty, malicious twist," he said.

"It brings in 1MDB, it brings in (former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak). And says that our Prime Minister and Singapore Government were corrupt, and complicit in money laundering on 1MDB. And that is why Singapore got favourable deals. Absurd allegations."



Mr Shanmugam also debunked the article's allegations that Singapore was reluctant to investigate the 1MDB scandal. He noted that the Republic was the first jurisdiction to do so, against the financial institutions and individuals involved.

The two-year investigation by MAS of both foreign and local banks was the most extensive supervisory review it has ever taken, he said, adding that MAS has shut down two banks and imposed fines of around $29.1 million on eight other banks, among other actions.

Mr Shanmugam also noted that Singapore is the first, and only country to date, of at least 10 jurisdictions involved to secure convictions of individuals who facilitated the money laundering. Investigations are continuing into other suspects in Singapore. The Republic has been providing the Malaysian authorities with information on 1MDB since 2015, which Malaysia has acknowledged, he added.



The Sarawak Report had on Thursday distanced itself from The Coverage article. It wrote: "(The article) claims the editor of SR gave an unspecified 'interview to the Malaysian media' declaring that 'Singapore' is the next target of an unspecified '1MDB investigation'. SR has not given any such interview and has not written on this subject."

Singapore's High Commission in Malaysia had described that same article on the website of The Coverage as fake news and libellous a day earlier.


































Online article on PM Lee libellous and fake: Singapore
The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2018

Singapore's High Commission in Malaysia has described an online news article linking Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal as fake news and libellous.

The Nov 7 article was carried on the website of The Coverage, which describes itself as a "social news network based in Malaysia".

The source for the article was listed as "Straights Review" and was linked to a similar article on the States Times Review website.



In response to queries from the Malaysian media, Singapore's High Commission in Malaysia referred to the article titled "Breaking News: Singapore Lee Hsien Loong becomes 1MDB's key investigation target - Najib signed several unfair agreements with Hsien Loong in exchange for money laundering", and said: "The High Commission of the Republic of Singapore in Malaysia would like to categorically state that this article is fake news and clearly libellous."

Najib Razak, the former prime minister of Malaysia, is facing corruption charges over the misuse of funds from 1MDB, the state investment vehicle founded in 2009.










 





Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad appreciates Singapore's role in helping Malaysia reclaim 1MDB-linked funds
By Zakir Hussain, News Editor, The Straits Times, 14 Nov 2018

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he appreciates Singapore's role in helping his country reclaim monies laundered from troubled state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

"Some people brought money belonging to 1MDB to Singapore, and many people were paid out of money that was stolen. Singapore took action to arrest them, to charge them and all that, and also to return to us the money that has been stolen. That is cooperation that we appreciate," he told The Straits Times in an interview yesterday.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore shut down two private banks in 2016, fined eight banks nearly $30 million over 1MDB-related offences, and charged six persons. And in September, the State Courts ordered the return of $15 million in 1MDB-linked funds to Malaysia.



Tun Dr Mahathir alluded to this help after meeting Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday, and said bilateral talks were largely about cooperation.

They also discussed water pricing. Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said both sides expressed their differing views on the right to review the price of water under the 1962 Water Agreement and their willingness for officials to have further discussions to better understand each other's positions.

Dr Mahathir echoed this yesterday, saying: "There is still a need for us to discuss the matter. We have differences about interpretations and I think we will continue to have discussions at official levels and at the political level, and we hope that we can reach some agreement."

He also said there was a need for an additional bridge between the two countries, noting that traffic between Johor and Singapore was far heavier than between Penang and the mainland. "Yet Penang has got two bridges, and they are constructing a tunnel."

"We need more bridges between the two countries. We hope we can have a direct bridge - one half being Singapore, one half being Malaysia. But if that is not possible, of course Malaysia will go ahead with its own plans," he said, revisiting a position he held during his first stint as PM from 1981 to 2003.

Asked about these plans, he said Malaysia "had this so-called crooked bridge which does not encroach on Singapore land or Singapore territory at all".

In 2003, he announced that Malaysia would go ahead and build a six-lane S-shaped highway that would curve to allow vessels to pass under it.

Told by ST that such a bridge would merely replace the Causeway and not be an extra link, he said: "More bridges would be better. And it won't hurt anybody."

He also said: "There are instances where we need to partner. There are occasions when we need to compete... Sometimes we succeed, sometimes Singapore succeeds. Competition means somebody loses, so the other party can gain."





Related
Ministry of Law: Facebook’s response to false article -9 Nov 2018

MAS Statement on Defamatory Statements Relating to 1MDB Investigations -9 Nov 2018

Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods - Causes, Consequences and Countermeasures

Select Committee to look into fake news threat; public hearings in March 2018

Public Hearings on Fake News:
- 14 - 16 March 2018

- 22 - 23 March 2018

- 27 - 29 March 2018

Tackling the real issue of fake news


Select Committee on fake news: 22 recommendations unveiled to combat online falsehoods in Singapore -20 Sep 2018
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↧

33rd ASEAN Summit 2018: Singapore hands over ASEAN chairmanship to Thailand

November 17, 2018, 6:26 am
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ASEAN must seize digital opportunity: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Deeper economic integration, greater unity will also help it overcome challenges
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 Nov 2018

ASEAN has invested in its next generation and worked on building a more secure region this year, but much more remains to be done, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday as Singaporehanded the role of chairman to Thailand.

At a media conference wrapping up this week's summits, PM Lee outlined some of ASEAN's key achievements this year, and said Singapore will continue to help shepherd the flagship ASEAN Smart Cities Network and work closely with subsequent chairs to enhance it and increase the number of participating cities.

By the time Singapore next chairs the group in 2028, ASEAN will likely be the world's fourth-largest economy, he noted, adding that while prospects are bright overall, there are challenges to be overcome.

"The free, open and rules-based multilateral order which has underpinned ASEAN's growth and stability is fraying, and big power competition is pulling ASEAN member states in different directions," he said.

"At the same time we are also facing non-traditional transnational issues such as digital technologies and climate change, and these require closer cooperation."



In the face of such challenges, PM Lee outlined three targets he hoped ASEAN would achieve in the next decade: Deeper economic integration, enhanced unity so as to more effectively engage its major partners, and populations equipped with skills needed for new jobs in the digital economy.

To achieve these broad goals, ASEAN will need to comprehensively lower trade barriers and significantly increase trade with each other, he said.

"Also, we need, urgently, massive infrastructure investments in connectivity and productive capacity over the next 10 years in many of the ASEAN countries, and economic integration will help that happen," he added.

Strengthening its centrality and unity is key, PM Lee said, because as ASEAN becomes more cohesive, it can engage its partners in a coherent way and it would be worth their while to do business with ASEAN.

As for training its people, PM Lee said ASEAN should take advantage of the digital revolution to ensure the interoperability of digital systems within the region - that is, the digital systems developed in one country can be used in others too.

"Many countries are going to introduce these systems - it could be e-cash, government systems or data rules - and the more we can harmonise and bring them in line with one another, the more we can operate across borders and have a more integrated economy," he said.



Recapping the highlights of this week's summits, PM Lee noted the substantial progress on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade deal and the strong political commitment to conclude negotiations next year.

Leaders also expressed support for efforts towards the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, and discussed the South China Sea as well as the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar's Rakhine State.

Myanmar has invited the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management to facilitate the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

"ASEAN is ready to play an active and positive role... and will support efforts by all parties to work towards a comprehensive and durable solution," PM Lee said.

At the summit's closing ceremony, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Thailand would work on enhancing connectivity and sustainable development.

He called on members to "collaborate even more closely". But growing economic cooperation must also come with "due consideration to balance and benefits for the people", he added, pledging to help enhance ASEAN's role in tackling global issues like climate change.













Thailand assumes ASEAN chairmanship amid challenges
Prayut outlines key priorities, including sustainability and boosting connectivity
By Arlina Arshad, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 Nov 2018

After a decade, the symbolic gavel of the ASEAN chairmanship has been turned over again from Singapore to Thailand.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday thanked and congratulated his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong on "efficiently driving forward a resilient and innovative ASEAN community", and promised that Thailand will continue the good work.

It last held the post in 2009, after taking over from Singapore.

Mr Prayut, a retired general, unveiled the theme of its chairmanship - Advancing Partnership for Sustainability - at the closing ceremony of the 33rd ASEAN Summit at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.



ASEAN's role is recognised internationally and it is at the centre of the regional architecture, he said. "However, ASEAN is also facing a number of challenges such as trade and political competition, disruptive technologies, transnational crime, inequities and transformation in the region's social structure," he added.

Thailand's key priorities as the new chair, he said, include boosting connectivity in infrastructure, rules and regulations, and people-to-people links to create a seamless ASEAN. Another focus is sustainability, be it in security, economic growth, the green economy or development.

He noted that it was important for ASEAN to make use of technological advances to enhance its competitiveness as member states "work towards the future and move forward together dynamically".



Mr Prayut called on members to "collaborate even more closely", on the foundation of unity and the principles of mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual benefit.

He also promised to enhance the role of ASEAN in addressing global issues such as climate change.

Wrapping up his speech, he urged the ASEAN community and stakeholders to strengthen ASEAN's identity and help it become a people-centred community "that leaves no one behind and looks forward to our future with pride".

A founding member of ASEAN along with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, Thailand has played a crucial role since the grouping's establishment in Bangkok 51 years ago.

As the incoming chair, Thailand has much on its plate as it walks a tightrope to maintain a balance between regional and international concerns and competing interests.

With the United States-China trade war, Thailand faces the mammoth task of getting leaders to commit to free trade and open markets.

It is expected to help push forward the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a trade pact involving ASEAN and six of its key trade partners. This week, leaders agreed to conclude next year the negotiations of what would be the world's biggest trade pact, covering half of the global population.

Ms Moe Thuzar, a lead researcher at the ASEAN Studies Centre of the Iseas - Yusof Ishak Institute, said Thailand's chairmanship will see the continuation of important regional initiatives. On the economic front, the challenge is to help the region navigate uncertainties thrown up by the rise of protectionist and anti-globalisation sentiments, as well as steer negotiations towards a successful conclusion of the RCEP, she said.

"The political-security landscape is where ASEAN has had to manage and balance big power rivalries in the region, and this is where the role of ASEAN centrality becomes more important than ever," she added.

Thailand's assumption of the ASEAN chairmanship, rotated annually among 10 member states in alphabetical order, will begin on Jan 1, 2019, and continue until the end of the year. Nearly 200 meetings are expected to be held over the period.

The post is seen as a political boost to Mr Prayut at a time when the country is gearing up for a general election tentatively set for February, which critics hope will return Thailand to civilian rule. The country is still under military control, after a 2014 military coup led by Mr Prayut ousted democratically elected civilian premier Yingluck Shinawatra.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Singapore took over from the Philippines as ASEAN chair in January this year. Vietnam will take over in 2020.










ASEAN must strive to remain cohesive amid global tensions: PM Lee
It would be put in a difficult position if global economy pulls apart into different blocs
By Seow Bei Yi, The Straits Times, 16 Nov 2018

ASEAN has to work with the world as it is and try to maintain cohesion among its member states, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

Noting that "it is a reality there are tensions between the powers", Mr Lee said he hoped that the regional grouping would not be put in a position where it would have to take sides.

He was addressing reporters at the end of the 33rd ASEAN Summit and related summits and said that ASEAN, by itself, was not big enough to be a bloc.

It tries to be friends with other nations, he said, and many of them are present at meetings such as the East Asia Summit - which involves 18 countries including China, the United States and Australia - where issues of varying sensitivities are discussed.

"We have to understand where the sensitivities are, where we can cooperate, where different countries would have different positions, and it is not possible for us to go with one or with the other," he said.

While economic cooperation appears to be a positive development, should the global economy pull apart into different blocs, with hindrances to trade and investment, among other matters, ASEAN would be put in a difficult position, Mr Lee added.

"We will have to deal with this case by case," he said.

Later, he added: "It is very desirable for us not to have to take sides, but the circumstances may come where ASEAN may have to choose one or the other. I hope it does not happen soon."



Yesterday, Mr Lee was also asked about issues in three areas - the Korean peninsula, South China Sea and Myanmar's Rakhine state - as well as the progress made in reconciling the differing views of various parties.

He said everyone in the ASEAN Summit meetings was "on the same side" on the Korean peninsula in hoping for regional stability, a reduction of tensions, as well as denuclearisation.

There are, however, differences when it comes to the South China Sea, although he noted that various countries' views are well-known - along with what is being done.

He was referring to a code of conduct (COC) being discussed, to manage differences in South China Sea territorial disputes.

Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam all stake overlapping territorial claims on the disputed waterway.

Mr Lee said it is likely the negotiating text will undergo a first reading next year, as the Chinese have suggested, although it remains unclear if the code will be settled within the next three years.

"It depends what issues come up... I'm sure all the participants will exercise their best efforts in order to try and bring it to a conclusion," he said. "But I do not underestimate the complexity and the difficulty of the problems when you come to the substance of the COC."



On Rakhine state, Mr Lee noted that there have been some developments in the last few weeks, referring to efforts to repatriate the first groups of refugees primed to return to Myanmar.

"We hope it (can) be brought about, but it is just the start of the process, and I think Myanmar understands the anxieties which other countries feel about this matter," he said.

He added: "I believe the State Counsellor (Ms Aung San Suu Kyi) made an effective pitch expressing the complexity of the situation, and how Myanmar is trying its best in order to make some progress."

Asked how the further opening of China will affect ASEAN member states, Mr Lee expressed hope that Singapore can continue participating in Chinese development, adding that the superpower's growth is also a positive move on the global stage.

But he said given China's current influence, arrangements made previously are harder to wear politically and need to be updated.

Multilateral institutions also need to be updated to reflect the shifting balance in the world economy, and new forms in which economic exchange is taking place, he said.

While he believes China's preoccupation, when it comes to its own development, is domestic, he added that its huge population means its moves have a considerable impact on the rest of the world.

"Increasingly, it will become necessary for China to take into account its impact on the rest of the world... in formulating its policies and in pacing out and structuring its reforms," he said.

Asked about his assessment of US commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, Mr Lee said he believes it is "fully engaged". This comes as some observers cast doubt on US Vice-President Mike Pence's comments about enduring commitment, given that President Donald Trump did not show up in Singapore.

"They want to have influence, they are not at all withdrawing and I believe that," said Mr Lee. "They want to engage but they want to engage in a different way, much more emphasis on what they call fair and reciprocal relationships, which is different from the previous approach."

Mr Lee noted that at one summit, then President Barack Obama was not able to attend and sent Secretary of State John Kerry instead.

"What is important is the substance... the overall relationship and the policies which are pursued, and their cumulative effects over time," he said.
















6th ASEAN-United States Summit: ASEAN wants to work with both US and China, says PM Lee, as US Vice-President Mike Pence calls for Indo-Pacific free of 'empires'
By Bhagyashree Garekar, Deputy Foreign Editor, The Straits Times, 16 Nov 2018

The Indo-Pacific has no place for "empire and aggression", US Vice-President Mike Pence told Asean leaders yesterday in a pushback against China's growing presence in the region.

Addressing the 10 Asean heads of states and governments at their annual summit, Mr Pence said: "Like you, we seek an Indo-Pacific in which all nations, large and small, can prosper and thrive - secure in our sovereignty, confident in our values and growing stronger together. We all agree that empire and aggression have no place in the Indo-Pacific."

Standing in for President Donald Trump, who has drawn criticism for choosing to skip the meeting this year, he said: "Our vision for the Indo-Pacific excludes no nation. It only requires that every nation treat their neighbours with respect, (that) they respect the sovereignty of our nations and the international rules of order."

His remarks come a month after he made a major speech in Washington where he spoke against China's "aggression" in the East and South China Seas, and criticised its use of "debt diplomacy" through which Beijing has come to expand its influence over smaller countries in Asia after giving them unsustainable infrastructure loans.



In response, the United States has canvassed support for its vision of the Indo-Pacific first unveiled by Mr Trump at last year's Apec summit. It is seeking to counter China's state-led trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative through channelling greater private sector investments in the region.

The US has also stepped up its "freedom of navigation" exercises in the strategic South China Sea, where China has militarised disputed islands in waters also contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

In his remarks to fellow leaders and Mr Pence during the summit, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the Asean-US partnership has to be seen in the context of the US-China relationship, stressing that Asean nations want to work with both countries.

"The US-China relationship is the most important set of bilateral relations, and has profound implications for Asean," PM Lee said.

"Asean countries want to be able to engage with both US and China, and maximise the scope and advantages of our cooperation.

"Therefore, we hope that the US-China relations remain stable and hope that all will work out.

"We are open to proposals by external partners to strengthen the existing Asean-centric regional architecture."

At the same time as Beijing and Washington have both sought more influence in the region, they have also been locked in a trade war for most of this year.

Their tit-for-tat tariffs, imposed on trade worth US$350 billion (S$482 billion), have set off tensions across the globe and hurt growth prospects.

PM Lee noted that Mr Pence's reiteration of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" with its fundamental principles - such as respect for Asean centrality, promoting a rules-based order and resolving disputes in a peaceful manner - was aligned with Asean's key interests.

"We also believe that a robust, united Asean-centric regional architecture that is open, inclusive, and invites and interacts with all stakeholders is our best chance of building a peaceful, prosperous and secure region," he said.

PM Lee also welcomed the US-North Korea summit in Singapore in June as the start of a journey to lasting peace on a denuclearised Korean peninsula, assuring the meeting that Singapore would do its bit to fully implement obligations under the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Noting that ties had grown beyond traditional areas such as defence, he announced that the Asean-US Leaders' Statement on Cybersecurity Cooperation had been adopted. The initiative aims to strengthen the resilience and capabilities against cybercrime and cyber attacks.

PM Lee also said he looked forward to the further development of the US-Asean Smart Cities Partnership, which Mr Pence said would catalyse American investment in the region's digital infrastructure, shoring up its security.

Defence establishments on both sides are set to hold an Asean-US maritime exercise next year.

The US is Asean's third-largest trading partner, and its cumulative investment in Asean totals almost US$274 billion, more than US investments in China, India, Japan and South Korea combined.
















East Asia Summit members to boost security cooperation
Areas of concern include returning foreign fighters, cyber security
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, Indonesia Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 Nov 2018

With the world facing renewed anxieties over nuclear warfare and grappling with the threat of cyber attacks and terrorism, Asean nations and eight of their key partners yesterday vowed to step up cooperation in a range of security areas.

East Asia Summit (EAS) members agreed to do more to tackle returning foreign fighters, beef up cyber security, and ensure the safe and secure use, storage and transport of nuclear and other radioactive materials.

They also said they would press on with efforts on the Asean Smart Cities Network, a flagship deliverable under Singapore's Asean chairmanship this year, and the fight against plastic litter in the oceans.

The 18-country EAS - which groups all 10 Asean members plus Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States - released five statements after its meeting yesterday.

COUNTERING THE TERROR THREAT

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that terrorism and violent extremism remain a grave concern.

"South-east Asia is on the frontline," he told his counterparts as he wrapped up their discussion.

The region is not just a recruiting ground for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), it is also a target in the extremist group's expansion plans, he added. ISIS, after all, has made clear that it wants to set up a caliphate in South-east Asia.

The prolonged siege in Marawi in the Philippines may have ended, but insurgents have regrouped, PM Lee pointed out. And ISIS has been linked to terrorist attacks in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as close to 50 thwarted attack plots - including one against Singapore.

"The region also faces heightened threat of attack from returnee fighters and lone wolves," he said. "Therefore, it is more important than ever for continued cooperation among countries."

Among other things, EAS members pledged to get the public - including young people, women, families, religious leaders and community groups - more involved in efforts to inoculate the community against violent extremism.

They also agreed to share information on foreign fighters - including on their movements and financial information - in a timely manner, and do more to stop them from crossing borders.

CYBER-SECURITY CONCERNS

With cyber security under discussion, the EAS members said they were determined to promote secure and resilient information and communications technologies (ICT) infrastructure, noting that this can contribute to regional security and stability.

They will work together to promote an open, secure, stable, accessible and peaceful ICT environment - which is critical to connectivity and economic development - and, recognising that some states may lack the capacity to protect their networks, provide help on issues such as developing technical skills.

They also recognised the importance of strengthening cooperation on personal data protection. They said they would address the digital divide and development gap by supporting initiatives such as helping micro, small and medium-sized enterprises make use of these technologies.

NUCLEAR MATERIALS

It is important to ensure the safety and security of nuclear and other radioactive materials, EAS members said.

They agreed that nuclear energy and technology could play useful roles in fields such as medicine, agriculture and energy.

Acknowledging that all states have the right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, consistent with international law, they pointed out that acts of nuclear terrorism could pose a threat to international peace and security.

The members encouraged all states to build a robust domestic nuclear safety and security regime and conduct exercises to prepare their communities for incidents involving radioactive materials.

They reaffirmed that non-state actors should be prevented from developing, acquiring, transporting or using nuclear weapons.

COMBATING MARINE PLASTIC DEBRIS

They also took aim at a problem plaguing the environment: The rise of plastic litter in the oceans, which places marine biodiversity, as well as industries such as fisheries, maritime transport and tourism at risk.

More can be done, including in improving the management of plastic waste, promoting research and education on marine plastic debris, and enhancing cooperation in policy reform and law enforcement.

ASEAN SMART CITIES

EAS members also recognised that developing a regional smart cities ecosystem will help the region weather challenges arising from rapid urbanisation and allow them to "harvest the opportunities associated with the ongoing digital and fourth industrial revolution" for better economic, social and environmental outcomes.

The Asean Smart Cities Network, they agreed, would help uplift the lives of Asean citizens.

"There is still much more to be done for the EAS to evolve into an anchor platform for maintaining regional peace, stability and prosperity," said PM Lee.

He added: "I am confident that with the continued support of participating countries, the EAS will continue to grow from strength to strength, and play an essential role in strengthening our open, inclusive and Asean-centric regional architecture."










Asean Plus Three leaders pledge to tackle healthcare challenges
By Seow Bei Yi, The Straits Times, 16 Nov 2018

With memories of the 2003 Sars outbreak still fresh, Asean and three regional partners - China, South Korea and Japan - have taken another step towards safeguarding healthcare in the area.

A Statement on Cooperation Against Antimicrobial Resistance was issued yesterday at the 21st Asean Plus Three Summit, in addition to other matters tabled, such as a work programme on economic cooperation.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told the summit that this statement "will drive our collective efforts to tackle this pressing challenge".

While countries in the group cooperate in areas such as education, finance and food security, he noted that this year they paid particular attention to healthcare.

The statement notes the adverse impact of antimicrobial resistance in agriculture and healthcare.

It also recognises that such resistance will raise mortality and healthcare costs - affecting healthcare systems and global economies.

In the statement, leaders agreed to speed up regional action against antimicrobial resistance.



Among other issues, they pledged to strengthen efforts in implementing commitments under the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to fight communicable diseases and epidemics such as malaria, tuberculosis and hepatitis.

They also agreed to encourage and support countries in formulating and implementing national action plans.

The summit also saw countries agree to work together to tackle the issue of plastic waste in the ocean, the Nikkei Asian Review reported yesterday.

It said leaders discussed the launch of the Asean Plus Three Marine Plastics Debris Cooperative Action Initiative, which will see nations work together to develop capacity in monitoring plastic waste in the ocean, as well as share best practices with each other.

Last year, Asean's trade in goods with the Plus Three countries totalled more than US$800 billion (S$1.1 trillion), and at the summit, PM Lee outlined the "unpredictable strategic landscape" countries now find themselves in as well.

"Major power rivalry is on the rise, manifesting itself in competing visions for the regional architecture and in a growing trade war," he said.

And while the digital revolution allows nations to forge closer networks, it has also made them more vulnerable to cyber attacks.

"These developments call for the Asean Plus Three members to close ranks and to redouble our efforts to uphold multilateralism," said PM Lee.

He noted the need to strengthen the multilateral trading system, expand cooperation into digital domains such as fintech and build a sustainable future for people across the region.

"I am confident that the Asean Plus Three will continue to grow and strengthen, and contribute to playing a vital role in maintaining our open, inclusive and Asean-centric regional architecture," he said.





Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Summit: Leaders vow to create world's largest free trade area in 2019
Task to conclude RCEP talks gains urgency amid current headwinds in global economy
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 15 Nov 2018

Leaders of Asean's 10 members and six key trading partners vowed to seal a pact to create the world's largest free trade area next year - the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

"The task to conclude the RCEP negotiations is becoming more urgent and significant given the current headwinds faced by the global economy," they said in a statement after meeting at the RCEP Summit.

"We undertook the collective commitment to deliver on the expeditious conclusion of the RCEP... to foster an open, inclusive and rules-based trading system, and demonstrate to the world that it is possible to make trade work for all."

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who hosted the summit, said he was heartened by the strong political will demonstrated and substantial progress made in negotiations.

Five more chapters of the pact were concluded this year, bringing the total to seven. And "significant breakthroughs" were made in negotiating parts on trading rules.

Discussions on market access had also advanced substantially, bringing the deal closer to finalisation next year. "We are now at the final stage of negotiations," he said.

"With the strong momentum generated this year, I am pleased to note that the RCEP negotiations are poised for conclusion in 2019."



In his remarks to fellow leaders, PM Lee noted that negotiations have taken "much longer than usual" due to the unique challenges of negotiating a mega free trade agreement (FTA).

"Complexities are expected as we are a group of diverse economies. For a number of us, this will be our first FTA with each other. But when concluded, the benefits will be equally substantial," he said.

"A substantial outcome for the RCEP will reassure businesses that our region remains committed to building a pro-business and investor-friendly climate," he added.

The RCEP accounts for 45 per cent of the world population, 40 per cent of global trade and a third of the world's economy. Negotiations began in 2013, with an initial target of wrapping them up by 2015, but this has been postponed several times, including this year.

PM Lee noted that talks were into their sixth year now, and urged fellow leaders to press on, saying: "Further prolonging negotiations puts the RCEP at risk of losing credibility and support from our stakeholders, and will mean missing a major opportunity to bring tangible benefits to our businesses and citizens."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged members to bear in mind that the sum total of the agreement is bigger than any single item, and PM Lee said he was encouraged by the commitment all had shown to conclude a high-quality, mutually beneficial RCEP next year. He also thanked Indonesia for its leadership as RCEP country coordinator.

Speaking to the media after the summit, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said all the leaders present expressed "a strong determination" to conclude talks next year.

While some of the countries involved, including Indonesia and India, are holding elections next year, Mr Chan said he is "cautiously optimistic" this will not impede the progress of negotiations.

"The benefits of RCEP are for the long haul and many countries, if not all, understand this," he said.

"At the beginning of 2018, when we started our chairmanship... not many of us would have dared to imagine the kind of results we have achieved at the end of 2018," he added, referring to Singapore's chairmanship of Asean this year.

"This would not have been possible without the cooperation and support from all the ministers and countries involved," he added.






Asean has to stay open to sustain its dynamism: PM Lee
Grouping a bright spot amid slowing world growth and rising protectionism
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 15 Nov 2018

Asean remains a bright spot in the world economy at a time of slowing global growth and rising protectionism, but it has to stay open and connected to sustain its economic dynamism, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

The grouping's members should also "safeguard the multilateral trading system as the basis of global commerce", he added.

He was speaking at a working lunch he hosted at the Asean Summit for Asean leaders and three guests - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera and managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde.

All three are strong advocates of multilateralism, PM Lee noted. Canada is current president of the Group of Seven (G-7) largest advanced economies, Chile is the incoming chairman of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum and an active member of the Pacific Alliance - a Latin American trade bloc - and the IMF provides a multilateral platform for its 189 members to work together.

PM Lee also noted that the world is becoming more interdependent and interconnected due to digital technologies and transboundary challenges like climate change and cyber security. "Yet, at the same time, we may become more divided and insular because of growing nativism and protectionism."

He noted that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has revised its world merchandise trade growth forecast down, and the multilateral system that has underpinned global growth and stability is under stress.

"In the face of these trends, Asean has remained a bright spot. It is one of the most politically stable and economically vibrant regional groupings in the world," he said.

Four Asean members have also signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership alongside Canada, Chile and others, he noted. The pact enters into force next month.

Wrapping up the closed-door session later, PM Lee thanked his colleagues for their candid exchange of views. He noted that the IMF's latest forecast is that Asia will grow by 5.6 per cent this year, outstripping global growth of 3.7 per cent. And Asean's digital economy is projected to grow to US$200 billion (S$276 billion) by 2025.

"However, to sustain our economic dynamism, we need to remain open and connected, and safeguard the multilateral trading system as the basis of global commerce," PM Lee said.

"At the same time, we should consider seriously how to update the WTO system to address current economic realities, such as e-commerce and the rise of emerging economies. These reforms are necessary to keep the system relevant."

"I am glad that Asean is not alone in upholding a free, open and rules-based multilateral system," he said, adding that it values the continued support of its external partners. "We also look forward to your participation in key Asean initiatives such as the Asean Smart Cities Network, which will better prepare our cities and our peoples for the future."











33rd ASEAN Summit Gala Dinner: After back-to-back talks, leaders tuck into dishes inspired by local delicacies
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, Indonesia Correspondent, The Straits Times, 15 Nov 2018

Business came first, with 10 hectic hours of back-to-back talks on trade, bilateral ties and global developments.

And then came the time to unwind.

It was a cool, overcast evening, but the mood was jubilant when Asean leaders and their key partners gathered yesterday for a gala dinner at the end of a gruelling day.

As he flagged off a night of food, festivities and free-flowing conversation, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that there was much to cheer about.

It had been a busy year of mapping out and launching deliverables to strengthen the Asean community and benefit its people, he said at the start of the dinner for the 33rd Asean Summit and related meetings, the final milestone of Singapore's one-year chairmanship of the regional grouping.

"I think we have once again outdone ourselves," said PM Lee, referring to the bloc's achievements this year.

This, he added, would not have been possible without the collective commitment and efforts of Asean and its partners.

"Therefore, tonight we deserve to let our hair down just a little and to celebrate," said PM Lee. "To celebrate the fruits of our labour. To celebrate our strong and enduring friendship. To celebrate how far Asean has come and our future ahead."



The bonhomie was evident at the gathering, depicted by PM Lee as one that is among family members and close friends.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, however, was a conspicuous absentee.

He skipped the dinner for some much-needed rest, said presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, adding that Mr Duterte - who had also been absent at several events earlier in the day - had been working late the previous night, getting less than three hours of sleep.

PM Lee noted that Asean leaders had met no fewer than six times this year at Asean-related events, while its officials have held countless meetings.

These meetings bred familiarity and built an Asean spirit "that is especially palpable when we see each other at international fora".

And the grouping, which turned 51 this year, has also forged lasting friendships and memories with its external partners, added PM Lee.

These close bonds were on full display at the dinner.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delved into conversation once they slipped into their seats next to each other.

At the next table, Indonesia's Retno Marsudi and South Korea's Kang Kyung-wha - two of a rare breed of female foreign ministers - sought each other out for a handshake.

PM Lee said: "I hope that each one of us will bring back something memorable after this year's chairmanship."

This could be from knowing that some of the strides made this year will uplift people's lives, seeing the joy on the faces of youth who took part in Hyperplay, Asean's first e-sports and music festival, or experiencing the showcase of the region's rich cultures.

"Or, perhaps, you will miss Singapore food after all the meetings you have had here," quipped PM Lee.



Last night, Asean leaders got yet another taste of Singapore, dining on dishes inspired by local favourites - "and we have jazzed it up a little since most of you probably are already quite familiar with the local food", said PM Lee.

The spread included a play on laksa - oven-roasted pumpkin bisque with rice noodles and prawn ravioli, laced with laksa leaves - and a main course of slow-cooked Angus beef short ribs with black pepper sauce and Boston lobster seared with garlic butter, with garden vegetables stuffed in a kueh pie tee shell.

The local breakfast classic of kaya toast and kopi got a nod as well in the form of an egg-and-coconut dessert infused with pandan, and paired with wafers and coffee ice cream.

PM Lee pointed out that Asean has stood the test of time by embracing its diversity as a strength, and forging friendships based on mutual understanding and respect.

"We have laid the groundwork for a more united, resilient and innovative Asean - not just for ourselves, but for future generations," he said.

"I hope that we will also pass on to our youth this spirit of camaraderie and unity we have cultivated over the last half century so they will forge an even brighter future for Asean together."











ASEAN-China Summit: Asean and China should aim to conclude talks on maritime code of conduct in 3 years
Asean leaders met their counterparts from Australia, China, South Korea, Russia and Japan at summits yesterday PM Lee says he is encouraged by good progress made in negotiations
By Tan Dawn Wei, Deputy Foreign Editor, The Straits Times, 15 Nov 2018

Asean countries and China yesterday agreed to the early conclusion of a code of conduct (COC) for the South China Sea.

A day after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said he hopes to see consultation on the maritime accord sewn up in three years, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed that parties should keep to that timeline.

Addressing fellow Asean leaders and Premier Li at the Asean-China Summit yesterday, PM Lee said he was encouraged by the good progress made in the negotiations for the code - which sets out norms of behaviour in the contested waters - that started earlier this year.

Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam all stake overlapping territorial claims on the disputed waterway.

"There will be complex and challenging negotiations. We should aim for the completion of the first reading of the code of conduct in 2019, and to complete it in three years as mentioned by Premier Li Keqiang," PM Lee said.

"In the meantime, all parties should maintain restraint, keep a conducive and stable environment for the COC negotiations to proceed smoothly," he added.



In his opening remarks at the meeting, which also marks the 15th anniversary of Asean-China Strategic Partnership, Mr Li said China is ready to work with the South-east Asian nations to conclude the code, saying it will "contribute to peace and stability in the South China Sea and be conducive to free trade".

In taking stock of the Asean-China relationship, PM Lee said the regional grouping and its East Asian neighbour share substantial and mutually beneficial ties, and their economic links have strengthened over the years. China has been Asean's top trading partner for eight consecutive years.

The two sides also completed the first Asean-China maritime exercise last month.

PM Lee made three suggestions to keep the momentum of positive ties going: Continue to demonstrate the strongest commitment to multilateral trade and economic cooperation, continue to engage in dialogue and practical cooperation to enhance peace and stability in the region, and continue to identify new areas of collaboration.

Besides the free trade agreement, fully liberalising the Asean-China Air Transport Agreement is one way of connecting the economies and drawing them closer, as will mobilising private capital and the use of financial institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Asian Development Bank to plug Asean's infrastructure financing gap, said PM Lee.

As for new collaborations, China and Asean have committed to working closer together in technological innovation and digital economy, as well as developing smart cities.

The two sides adopted an Asean-China Strategic Partnership Vision, a document which charts the direction of relations up until 2030.

They agreed to, among others, stand firm against growing protectionist and anti-globalisation sentiment and reaffirmed that international trade and investment are important engines for sustainable economic growth and development.

They also reiterated their commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability and safety in the South China Sea, including respect for freedom of navigation in and overflight above the waterway, and resolving disputes peacefully without resorting to the threat or use of force - and in keeping with international law.











3rd ASEAN-Russia Summit: New MOU to boost ASEAN-Russia trade
Agreement reinforces cooperation in areas such as Customs procedures, e-commerce
By Seow Bei Yi, The Straits Times, 15 Nov 2018

A new agreement signed between Asean and the Eurasian Economic Commission yesterday is expected to contribute to trade, investment and economic expansion between South-east Asian countries and member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

This comes as trade between the two blocs stood at US$35.7 billion (S$48.7 billion) last year, an increase of 40 per cent from 2016.

The signing yesterday was witnessed by leaders after the Asean-Russia Summit.

Russia is among five member states of the EAEU, which also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed reinforces Asean and the EAEU's intent to cooperate in areas such as Customs procedures and trade facilitation; sanitary and phytosanitary measures; technical regulations; e-commerce; trade in services and investment; as well as business development.

At the summit, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted the widening relationship between Asean and Russia, which was formally elevated to a strategic partnership.

PM Lee noted that Asean and Russia have worked together on a broad range of areas. These include the political-security, economic and socio-cultural fronts.

Yesterday, leaders also adopted a statement on cooperation in the field of security, and in the use of information and communication technologies.

"These deliverables highlight the breadth and scope of the Asean-Russia relationship," he said.

PM Lee said Singapore supports the upgrading of the Asean-Russia relationship to a strategic partnership, and that this will enhance cooperation in areas which are of interest to both sides.

In his opening remarks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia attaches importance to its ties with Asean, and told leaders he is glad these ties are growing.

In recent years, he added, both sides have managed to accomplish a lot, including boosting political dialogue and coordinating approaches to issues faced in the Asia-Pacific region.

"We believe it is important to foster a regular dialogue between Asean and the Eurasian Economic Union," he added, noting that trade between Russia and Asean has increased in the past year by 35 per cent.



Mr Putin also said Russia is going to join Asean's plans of establishing a network of smart cities, and invited Asean representatives to attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Eastern Economic Forum in Russia next year.

At the summit, PM Lee suggested that Asean and Russia can strengthen ties by deepening trade and investment links - an endeavour that is helped by the new MOU.

"Singapore will continue working with Russia and Asean to identify new and innovative ways to deepen and broaden our engagement," he said.











Spirit of unity as ASEAN leaders gather
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, Indonesia Correspondent, The Straits Times, 14 Nov 2018

A leap of faith brought five South-east Asian nations together decades ago, giving rise to an unlikely brotherhood in a region rocked by hostilities and strife.

Yesterday, 51 years on, hard-won camaraderie united the leaders of Asean, now a 10-member grouping that has left its mark on the world stage.

Good cheer filled the air as the leaders filed into the Suntec convention centre, after motorcades whisked them through the bustling heart of downtown Singapore.

There, past security checkpoints that had turned the venue for the 33rd Asean Summit into an object of curiosity for tourists and shoppers at nearby malls, waited Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He had handshakes and exuberant greetings for his fellow leaders - many of them now familiar friends.

There was a booming "Your Majesty" for Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, a 30-year veteran of Asean summits.

For Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad - the sole survivor of the old guard of formidable South-east Asian leaders that included PM Lee's father, Singapore's founding PM Lee Kuan Yew - a warm clasp of the hand and respectful nod.

Mrs Lee darted forward, moving away from her husband's side, where she had been greeting the spouses of Asean leaders with cheek kisses, to take the hand of Tun Dr Mahathir's wife.

She would accompany Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali - who had been with Dr Mahathir yesterday on his whirlwind schedule of commitments - out of the greeting area, hand in hand, heads bent in conversation, before resuming her post.



Asean's leaders are in town for a marathon series of meetings that marks the final milestone of Singapore's one-year chairmanship of the regional grouping.

It will be a time to take stock of Asean's achievements - and discuss how to take the group forward at a time of global upheaval. There was no glitz or glamour, no chandeliers or gold trimming - but as its leaders came face to face once more in a modest convention hall for the summit's opening ceremony, an air of celebration prevailed.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo sang along to a Singapore vocal group's rendition of Secret Garden's You Raised Me Up.

The Asean spirit of regional cooperation and friendship was celebrated, with Ms Erlinda Uy Koe, the chair emeritus of Autism Society Philippines, honoured with the inaugural Asean Prize to recognise an individual or organisation that has promoted intra-Asean collaboration.

PM Lee had, at a meeting of Asean foreign ministers in August, noted the grouping's five founding members took a leap of faith in 1967 when they decided to band together, setting aside "old suspicions and rivalries".

But divides still remain.

Just before the reunion yesterday, Dr Mahathir had told reporters he was disappointed with Myanmar's handling of the Rohingya crisis in Rakhine State. But at the ceremony - as he sat with Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi to his right, in keeping with the alphabetical order that determines seating - the grouping presented a united, unruffled front.

It was a showcase of Asean's conviction that the grouping is greater than the sum of its parts.

"Each member state has its own strategic outlook, political calculations and national interests. Despite this, Asean has shown that it is still able to work together and find common ground," PM Lee said.

"By coming together in one collective voice, instead of going our separate ways as 10 disparate countries, Asean members have strengthened our standing in the world."


















Opening ceremony of the 33rd ASEAN Summit: Multilateralism a core factor in ensuring Asean's growth and stability, says Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Asean nations must work together amid global challenges
He stresses need for multilateral cooperation amid threats like terrorism, climate change
By Royston Sim, Deputy Political Editor, The Straits Times, 14 Nov 2018

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday underlined Asean's strong belief that multilateralism and working together are key to the region's growth and stability.

This comes against the backdrop of a shifting geopolitical landscape that has seen some countries, including major powers, resort to unilateral actions and bilateral deals. "The international order is at a turning point," he said, adding that, at the same time, threats such as terrorism and climate change loomed on the horizon.

Asean will work with its external partners to tackle the challenges facing an interconnected world, PM Lee said at the opening ceremony of the Asean Summit.

"We are determined to maintain an open, inclusive and Asean-centric regional architecture," he added.

Singapore is the Asean chair this year, the 51st year since the regional bloc was formed. The chairmanship is rotated among Asean's 10 members annually.

PM Lee noted that the free, open and rules-based multilateral system, which has underpinned Asean's growth and stability, was now under stress. "Countries, including major powers, are resorting to unilateral actions and bilateral deals, and even explicitly repudiating multilateral approaches and institutions," he said in his address at the Suntec convention centre.



It is unclear if the world will settle into new rules and norms, or if the international order will break up into rival blocs, PM Lee added.

He noted that these strategic trends of big-power competition and shifts against multilateralism are pulling Asean member states in different directions.

While each member state has its own strategic outlook and national interests, Asean has shown it can still work together and find common ground. By coming together in one collective voice, the grouping has strengthened its standing in the world, he added.

He pointed to how Asean-centric platforms like the East Asia Summit (EAS) have enabled Asean countries to engage with major countries and international organisations. EAS members, including China, Russia and the United States, are in Singapore for the forum.

Noting that Asean is slated to be the world's fourth-largest economy by 2030, he said its future is bright.

But he also listed the new challenges it needs to address, including disruption from digital technology and transnational threats like terrorism and climate change. "All these mean that multilateral cooperation is now more urgent than ever," he said, adding no country can deal with these complex challenges alone.

Highlighting the need to pool minds and resources to tackle these issues, PM Lee said that is the reason Singapore chose "resilience" and "innovation" as the themes of its chairmanship.



PM Lee's remarks came at the end of a day where Thai Prime Minister and incoming Asean chair Prayut Chan-o-cha, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang all spoke of the importance of staying open and lowering barriers to trade.

Mr Prayut said Thailand will push for connectivity among Asean members to strengthen business and investments, while Tun Dr Mahathir said trade issues should be resolved through multilateral dialogues. Mr Li pledged that China will continue to open up its market.

The Asean Summit continues today, with discussions expected to centre on trade ties. Leaders will also discuss the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a pact involving Asean countries and Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.





































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China's Social Credit System: Beijing pioneering citizens''points' system critics brand 'Orwellian'

November 21, 2018, 4:57 am
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The Straits Times, 21 Nov 2018

BEIJING • Beijing's municipal government will assign citizens and firms "personal trustworthiness points" by 2021, state media reported yesterday, pioneering China's controversial plan for a "social credit" system to monitor citizens and businesses.

The system's roll-out has attracted international headlines, sparking comparisons to George Orwell's novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, with critics saying it could massively heighten the Chinese Communist Party's already strict control over society.

In a roadmap released in 2014, China had said it would by 2021 create a "social credit system" to reward or punish individuals and corporations using technology to record various measures of financial credit, personal behaviour and corporate misdeeds.



But it had not made any mention of using points, as proposed by Beijing's municipal government in a new plan released on Monday to improve the city's business environment.

Lists of data, actions and measures will be used to create a trial system of "personal trustworthiness points" for residents and companies in the Chinese capital. The term used can also be translated as "creditworthiness" or "integrity".

The plan did not include details of how the point system would work.

But, it said, information from the system could impact market access, public services, travel, employment and the ability to start businesses, with trustworthy individuals being provided a "green channel" and those who are blacklisted being "unable to move a step".

"This is an important novel approach by Beijing to assess individuals' credit and to tie it to their whole life," China's official Xinhua news agency cited an unnamed official from the municipal state planner as saying.

The plan should serve as an example to the rest of the nation on how to improve the behaviour of individuals and businesses, Xinhua said.

A second system will also be set up to assess the trustworthiness of government officials and departments by measuring whether contracts and promises are honoured. The results will be included in performance assessments.

The social credit system, which is being built on the principle of "once untrustworthy, always restricted", will encourage government bodies to share more information about individual and business misdeeds to coordinate punishments and rewards.

Some experts say that the system remains nascent and could help tackle social problems like fraud or food security, as well as noting that punishments are mostly restricted to industry-specific blacklists rather than a holistic score.

A system for penalising individuals blacklisted for such offences as failing to pay court-mandated fines that was put in place by the central government was extended in March. The penalties include banning offenders from making luxury purchases, such as tickets for flights or high-speed rail, for up to a year.

REUTERS














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Employment Act: Laws to protect workers' rights expanded to cover all employees from April 2019

November 21, 2018, 8:01 am
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Employment Act changes give workers greater protection
Updates reflect changing profile of Singapore's labour force, workplace practices: Manpower Minister Josephine Teo
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 21 Nov 2018

The law that protects workers' rights has undergone a major transformation to include all private-sector employees, a move that will entitle them to rights such as paid sick leave, mandatory annual leave of seven to 14 days and protection against wrongful dismissal.

This means the Employment Act (EA) will no longer have a salary cap of $4,500 a month.

The move is among four categories of major changes Parliament approved yesterday and which will take effect in April next year.



The others are: Giving extra protection to more rank-and-file workers, improving the employment dispute resolution framework and giving employers greater flexibility to, say, compensate staff for working on public holidays.

With no salary cap, the Act will cover the growing pool of professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs). But it will not cover public servants, domestic workers and seafarers, who are covered separately under other laws.

A major change in the expanded law is protection given to more workers under the section known as Part IV. This section sets out extra protection for rank-and-file workers in areas such as working hours, and payment for overtime work and rest days.

For rank-and-file white-collar workers, or non-workmen, the monthly salary threshold has been raised from $2,500 to $2,600, a move that brings another 100,000 workers under Part IV protection.

But for workmen - manual or blue-collar workers - Part IV protection will continue to cover those earning up to $4,500 a month.


Manpower Minister Josephine Teo, in introducing the Employment (Amendment) Bill for debate yesterday, said the updates - work on which began in 2012 - were to reflect the changing profile of Singapore's labour force and employment practices.

Back in 1968, when the law came into existence, managers and executives were a very small part of the workforce, she noted.

"Today, with the proportion of PMETs... expected to make up two-thirds of our local workforce by 2030, it is timely to make a more fundamental change to the coverage of the EA," she said.

This is why the salary cap of $4,500 will be removed, and this will benefit an additional 430,000 managers and executives.

Mrs Teo also highlighted some changes to the employment dispute resolution framework.

For example, salary-related disputes are now handled by the Employment Claims Tribunals, while wrongful dismissal claims are heard by her ministry.

From April, the tribunal will handle both, a move Mrs Teo said will give employees and employers a more convenient one-stop service.



Among the changes to give businesses greater flexibility, the Act will offer employers an added option: They can give non-Part IV workers time off for hours worked on a public holiday instead of a full day off or an extra day's pay.

The changes were welcomed and supported by all 17 MPs who spoke on them, including two from the Workers' Party (WP), with many giving ideas on how to further improve it.

Labour MP Patrick Tay (West Coast GRC), a champion of the PMETs' cause, called it a "watershed moment" for such workers earning more than $4,500 a month.

"Some rogue employers tried to 'game' the Act by making use of the salary cap to exclude workers from the Act," he said.

Some wanted it to go further and protect vulnerable workers such as disabled people, baby boomers and the low-income elderly.

Several, such as Non-Constituency MP Daniel Goh of the WP, called for the removal of the distinction between white-and blue-collar workers, while a few, such as Ms Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC), wanted provisions for the growing number of "gig" workers.

Mrs Teo responded to the MPs' suggestions in a 40-page reply, in which she also stressed that the EA exists to regulate employment practices in a balanced way and protect workers while retaining labour market flexibility for businesses to thrive and create jobs.















Protecting workers under Employment Act: Five top concerns
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 21 Nov 2018

MPs gave the nod to changes made to the Employment Act to give rights and protection to all workers, saying the much broader coverage is timely, given the way Singapore's workforce has evolved over the years.

But during yesterday's debate in Parliament on the Employment (Amendment) Bill, they also raised some concerns and pointed to gaps in the law.

Here are some key issues they highlighted.





REMOVAL OF SALARY THRESHOLD

Many MPs supported the expansion of the Employment Act, which, from next April, will no longer have a monthly salary cap of $4,500.

Several said its removal, which will extend the law's core provisions to all private-sector workers, is timely because higher-paid professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) are expected to form two-thirds of the local workforce by 2030.

Said labour MP Patrick Tay (West Coast GRC): "This is a radical step forward, given that just a decade ago, PMEs were not even covered under the Act." Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) agreed: "Everyone deserves to have their rights guaranteed, regardless of the nature of work and income drawn."

Ms Jessica Tan (East Coast GRC) noted that as Singapore becomes a digital economy, the proportion of PMETs will continue to grow.


SALARY THRESHOLD FOR 'PART IV' WORKERS

Non-Constituency MP Daniel Goh of the Workers' Party and labour MP Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) asked why the salary threshold for non-workmen - rank-and-file white-collar workers - covered by Part IV of the Act was raised by just $100, to $2,600.

Part IV gives extra protection to these workers, as well as blue-collar workmen earning up to $4,500, in areas such as payment for overtime work and rest days.

Mr Zainal noted that the increase does not keep pace with the rise in Singapore's median income, which has grown from $2,500 in 2010 to $3,300 last year.



Associate Professor Goh added that the increase should have been more substantial to better protect white-collar workers, whose jobs have become more vulnerable because of technological disruption.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo replied that the Government's longer-term intent is to close the gap between the salary thresholds of workmen and non-workmen.

She also said the $100 amount took into account the impact on both workers and employers.

"When benefits are upped, so too are the costs borne by employers," she added.




DISTINCTION BETWEEN BLUE-AND WHITE-COLLAR WORKERS

Prof Goh suggested that the Government commit to a timeframe to remove the distinction between workmen and non-workmen.

Similarly, Mr Melvin Yong (Tanjong Pagar GRC) said the distinctions between blue-collar workers, white-collar workers and managers should be replaced with a single inclusive term such as "employees" or "workers".

Mrs Teo responded that the distinction remained largely in Part IV, a section which regulates working hours, rest days and overtime payments, and is more applicable to workers who are not managers or executives.

"Including managers and executives, whose work tends to be more outcome-based, will make our laws much more rigid and prescriptive," she added.


PROTECTION FOR SELF-EMPLOYED WORKERS

Several MPs, including Nominated MP Walter Theseira and Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC), raised concerns about protection for the self-employed.

Dr Theseira noted that technology and new business models have widened the scope of self-employment, while also subjecting such workers to greater control.

This leads to a rising trend of technology platforms having all the benefits of control over the self-employed worker, but none of the statutory responsibilities under the Employment Act, he said.

Ms Pereira agreed, saying she has heard of workers in such hiring arrangements being unsure of their employment rights and entitlements and, therefore, at risk of exploitative practices.

Mrs Teo replied that a workgroup formed by her ministry to look into the self-employed's concerns has made a set of recommendations the Government has accepted and is implementing.


ENHANCED PROTECTION AGAINST WRONGFUL DISMISSAL

MPs welcomed the moves to enhance protection for workers against wrongful dismissal.

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio GRC), for example, noted that the changes will let aggrieved workers seek redress when they have been manipulated or forced to resign.

But others, such as Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC), said the new Act does not define what constitutes dismissal without just cause or excuse.

"Without a clear definition, the protection against unfair dismissal may be ineffective because instances of unfair dismissal are often not clear cut and can be easily disguised," he said.

Mrs Teo replied that it would not be possible to define all scenarios of wrongful dismissal. Moreover, it is not a new Employment Act provision and there are many past cases which can be referred to for determining whether a dismissal is unfair, she said.

Nominated MP Douglas Foo, who is a vice-president of the Singapore National Employers Federation, said business leaders are concerned as well that the changes to the law may encourage more false claims of wrongful dismissal.















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Singapore's next Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat

November 24, 2018, 5:55 am
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Heng Swee Keat picked as 4G leader, with Chan Chun Sing as deputy
People's Action Party (PAP) appoints Heng Swee Keat as First Assistant Secretary General, indicating he will be Singapore's fourth PM
By Royston Sim, Deputy Political Editor, The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2018

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, 57, has been chosen to lead the fourth-generation (4G) team of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), paving the way for him to become Singapore's next prime minister.

Mr Heng is now the party's first assistant secretary-general, with Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, 49, playing a key role as second assistant secretary-general and his deputy.

The announcement of their roles yesterday in the new slate of office-holders for the PAP's highest committee marks a major point in Singapore's leadership transition and answers the pressing question of who will succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Speaking at a media conference at the PAP headquarters in Bedok yesterday evening, Mr Heng said the younger team chose him as their leader, and he accepted it.

He then asked Mr Chan to be his deputy, saying the former army chief and labour chief has many strengths and would complement him very well.

Mr Heng said: "Leading the party and governing Singapore are massive and complex tasks. No one person can do it alone." It was a point both he and Mr Chan reiterated several times at the press conference.

"I am heartened that I have the backing of a strong team," he added.



A group of 30 younger PAP MPs issued a statement yesterday saying they reached the consensus that Mr Heng will lead the team and endorsed Mr Chan as his deputy.

In a Facebook post last evening, PM Lee, the party's secretary-general, said he supports their decision and is happy with the outcome.

Mr Heng and Mr Chan have complementary strengths and make a strong pairing, PM Lee added.

"I am confident that they will continue to grow in experience and touch, and steadily win the confidence and trust of Singaporeans."

The Prime Minister also said he will announce changes to the Cabinet in due course, and observers expect Mr Heng to be appointed deputy prime minister.



Both Mr Heng and Mr Chan entered politics in 2011 and have held various key portfolios.

Mr Heng was made education minister, and chaired key initiatives like a national conversation series to engage citizens and a committee tasked with devising strategies to grow Singapore's economy in future.

But his political future came under serious doubt when he suffered a stroke during a Cabinet meeting in May 2016. He, however, made a miraculous recovery and returned to work about three months later.

Yesterday, Mr Heng gave the assurance that his doctors have given him a clean bill of health, and said he is in even better shape than before. "I would not have taken up this appointment if I do not have the confidence that my health allows me to do it," he added.



On why he picked Mr Chan as his deputy, Mr Heng said they complement each other well in their styles and areas of expertise.

He cited how they have good experiences working together, including setting up the Early Childhood Development Agency.

Mr Chan has been doing a lot of groundwork with various organisations, including the labour movement, the People's Association and the party itself, he noted, adding: "It is important that we pool together our strengths to mobilise."



On his part, Mr Chan said he has great respect for Mr Heng's capabilities, particularly his considerable international experience and knowledge of financial markets.

"As a team, we will complement one another, leveraging our respective strengths to do our best for Singapore," he added.

The PAP's 4G team has strengths in different areas and a range of skills to deal with a complex set of internal and external challenges, Mr Heng said. "I am confident that we will work well together to take Singapore forward and to improve the lives of Singaporeans."















Heng Swee Keat on his health: Life-and-death episode strengthened commitment to serve
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2018

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday that surviving a serious stroke two years ago was a "very major life-and-death episode" that strengthened his commitment to serve Singaporeans.

The reason is that "I, personally, and my family, feel the care and support that so many Singaporeans gave to me, including people from different religious groups,'' he added at a media conference after it was announced he is the new first assistant secretary-general of the ruling People's Action Party.

He said: "I felt that I should do my very best to serve Singaporeans, to make sure what we have achieved in Singapore can continue and, in fact, build on that because we must continue to improve the lives of all Singaporeans whether in healthcare, creating good jobs or better housing or better education."

He added: "We owe it to all Singaporeans to do this, and I hope certainly with (Chan) Chun Sing and the support of my team, we can do this. I hope many more people would join us in this journey."



Mr Heng, who collapsed in the middle of a Cabinet meeting after suffering a brain aneursym in May 2016, said he would not have assumed leadership of the PAP's fourth-generation team if he was not confident that he was healthy.

"I have made very good recovery; the doctors have given me a clean bill of health.

"In fact, at my latest medical check-up, my results were even better than before. I have lost a bit of weight, but that is because I am fitter now," he added to laughter from reporters at the event held in the party's headquarters in New Upper Changi Road.

Turning serious, he added: "I would not have taken up this appointment if I did not have the confidence that my health allowed me to do it. I consulted my doctors, looked at the medical reports as well as my own energy level."



Mr Heng returned to work three months after the stroke but stayed away from public events as his immunity was low. He gave his first public interview that December, and in February last year, returned to Parliament to deliver the Budget.

Since then, he has made many overseas trips, with his third to Argentina this year taking place next week when he attends the Group of 20 Summit. Just one way, the trip would take about 30 hours.

He said with a smile: "I am travelling more than when I was MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore) managing director."












Heng Swee Keat says he will lead in 'open, consultative' manner as head of PAP's 4G team
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2018

The newly confirmed leader of the ruling People's Action Party's fourth-generation team has said he will lead in an open and consultative manner.

And when a decision needs to be made, he will move decisively, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, 57, said yesterday.

Reporters had asked Mr Heng, frequently described as soft-spoken, about his leadership style.

The PAP's new first assistant secretary-general said this was best answered by the people he worked with in his three decades of public service.

But he added: "My own sense is I am very open, I listen to all views, and I decide what needs to be done.

"When it is important enough, we will be fast and decisive about it, just like what I did during the global financial crisis (in 2008 and 2009), because every minute of delay means far greater risk."

Since his entry into politics in 2011, Mr Heng has garnered a reputation for being consultative, having chaired multiple committees to gather the views of Singaporeans, including the Our Singapore Conversation in 2013, and more recently, the Future Economy Council.

The consultation process has had a long history in government and will continue under his watch, Mr Heng said. "Increasingly, as more Singaporeans have interesting perspectives, we will enlarge this consultation. And I will say we are going beyond consultation," he added.

"We want to encourage our people to not just offer a view but, where they can, to play a part in building Singapore, whether it is at the community or national level."

He cited the example of the Community Network for Seniors, which taps a huge network of voluntary welfare organisations, grassroots groups and government agencies to provide social and healthcare services to the elderly.

"We were able to mobilise the younger seniors as well as some very young people to form a network with our seniors and, as a result, we can take much better (care) of our seniors," he said. "That is the way to go: That as our needs multiply significantly, this partnership will grow in importance."



Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and Education Indranee Rajah said one of Mr Heng's defining traits is that he consults widely, but also has a clear vision.

"He will not act on his vision until he is satisfied he has heard from others," she said.

Another hallmark is his emphasis on partnerships, she added.

"He is very keen to work with people and different groups because he is firmly of the belief that it is not one entity, one person or one organisation that can do it alone," she said.

Even as he highlighted his decision-making skills, Mr Heng also underscored the importance of teamwork.

"It is important that we have a strong, united team in Cabinet... because I have seen so many examples in other countries where the energy is not focused on going forward but instead the energy is focused on the internal squabbles and on looking at the past," he said.



His deputy, second assistant secretary-general Chan Chun Sing, said: "Teamwork, going forward, is not just about the two of us, not even just within the Cabinet or between fellow party members. It is the mobilisation of the entire Singapore to come together.

"No matter how good we are individually, it is... not sufficient. What distinguishes the Singapore team from the rest of the countries with whom we are competing is the fact that we have a very cohesive team."















Heng Swee Keat and Chan Chun Sing have complementary strengths, make a strong pairing: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
By Adrian Lim, Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2018

Mr Heng Swee Keat and Mr Chan Chun Singhave "complementary strengths and make a strong pairing", Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday in his endorsement of Mr Heng as the People's Action Party's (PAP) new first assistant secretary-general and Mr Chan as the second assistant secretary-general and Mr Heng's deputy.

"They and the other younger office-holders have gradually come together, to work as a team and make the most of the strengths of each team member," PM Lee, the ruling party's secretary-general, said in a Facebook post.

"I am confident that they will continue to grow in experience and touch, and steadily win the confidence and trust of Singaporeans," he added.

Mr Heng is the Finance Minister, and Mr Chan, the Minister for Trade and Industry.

Calling the election of the new Central Executive Committee (CEC) a "major step forward" in the PAP's political renewal, PM Lee said the younger ministers and political office-holders have been meeting in recent months to discuss who should lead them.

They reached a consensus that Mr Heng will be their leader and Mr Heng, in turn, asked Mr Chan to be his No. 2, PM Lee said. Mr Heng's decision was also endorsed by the younger team.



At a party caucus held to brief the MPs on the new line-up of CEC appointments, the choice of Mr Heng and Mr Chan as first and second assistant secretary-general was also endorsed, PM Lee noted.

"I support the decision of the younger team, and am happy with this outcome. I have known and worked with Swee Keat and Chun Sing for some years now, and watched them grow in their different responsibilities," PM Lee said.

"Leadership transition is always a complex and delicate matter. The younger ministers themselves must decide who is to lead them, as they have done in this process.

"This way, they will give their full support to the leader whom they themselves have chosen," he added.

"A smooth transition to the new team to lead us beyond the next elections is important not only for the PAP, but also for Singapore's future," PM Lee said.



A group of 30 younger political office-holders also rallied behind Mr Heng and Mr Chan yesterday.

In a statement sent out shortly after the CEC appointments were made public, they said: "We have been carefully considering the issue of leadership for the team."

"In January, we issued a statement that we will choose a leader 'in good time'. Now, we have a consensus that the team will be led by Swee Keat... We endorse and support Swee Keat and Chun Sing as our leaders," the statement read.

It was signed by MPs including Education Minister Ong Ye Kung; National Development Minister Lawrence Wong; Culture, Community and Youth Minister Grace Fu; and Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli. The statement said they will "continue to work cohesively as a team, and forge a strong partnership with all Singaporeans".





How the PAP's 4G team chose Heng Swee Keat to lead them
Heng says neither he nor Chan was involved in discussions; Indranee says process was amicable, friendly
By Royston Sim, Deputy Political Editor, The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2018

For many months, the fourth-generation (4G) team in the People's Action Party (PAP) deliberated over who they should pick to lead them.

They eventually reached a consensus on Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, 57. He was informed of their decision one month ago, which he accepted.

The process of how the PAP's 4G team made their choice emerged yesterday at a press conference helmed by Mr Heng and his deputy, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, 49.

Mr Heng said neither he nor Mr Chan was involved in the discussions. Both were the front runners to lead the ruling party into the future, and have since been picked as the PAP's first and second assistant secretary-general, respectively.

Mr Heng said that after he was informed of their decision, he asked Mr Chan to be his deputy, and "Chun Sing agreed very quickly".

Leadership renewal had always been a critical matter for the PAP, but was cast in the spotlight last year when Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong wrote in a Facebook post on New Year's Eve that he hoped the 4G cohort could pick a leader in six to nine months.

Responding several days later, the 4G leaders said they would pick a leader among themselves "in good time".



Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had earlier said he intends to hand over the reins of government to his successor by the time he turns 70, which will be in 2022.

Mr Heng said the 4G team had been discussing the issue of succession even before they issued their response to ESM Goh in January.

Speaking to reporters after the press conference yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah said the selection process was amicable and friendly.

She said Mr Heng has the ability to "draw everybody in and move forward as a team". "We wanted to make sure that we had the best team possible and we felt that Swee Keat would be a very good team leader, and Chun Sing also had very complementary strengths," she added. "We were happy that Swee Keat had asked Chun Sing to be his deputy."

On why the process took so long, Ms Indranee highlighted the need to give the team opportunities to work together, consult one another, and have time for their views to be reflected. "I wouldn't say it was a difficult process, but it was a process that was considered, deliberate, step by step," she said.

Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman noted Mr Heng has worked closely with many 4G leaders, and demonstrated his consultative approach and leadership. "All of us are very confident that he will be able to lead us, moving forward," he said.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, who was earlier regarded as one of the front runners to be the next prime minister, extended his heartiest congratulations to Mr Heng and Mr Chan, and said he is delighted the 4G team has a consensus on its leaders. "Today is a milestone in our leadership transition process, which is a hallmark of our political system," he wrote on Facebook.

"It is all hands on deck. The stakes are high, we have a lot to do. I look forward to working with my colleagues and all fellow Singaporeans to make our home a better place."

Political analyst Mustafa Izzuddin reckons Mr Heng pipped Mr Chan to the post of first assistant secretary-general due in part to his seniority and greater experience.



Other Cabinet ministers endorsed Mr Heng and Mr Chan in separate Facebook posts yesterday.

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan described Mr Heng as a brave, deeply compassionate and highly intelligent man with an incredible work ethic.

"Hand over heart, I can say that he is the best man to lead us in the next phase of our journey," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Chan is a consummate officer and gentleman with a deep commitment to Singapore, and an excellent person to have in a crisis, Dr Balakrishnan added.



Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said Mr Heng is a man of integrity and ability who places service to Singapore before self, while Mr Chan is resolute, steadfast and will provide invaluable support.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said he shared PM Lee's confidence in the 4G team's choice of leaders.

Asked if both he and Mr Chan will be named DPMs at the next Cabinet reshuffle, Mr Heng said that decision is for PM Lee to make.

As to whether he will succeed PM Lee as Singapore's fourth prime minister, Mr Heng said it is critical for the 4G team to win the support of Singaporeans. "The PM has indicated the timeline for the next general election, so we are working hard to win the trust, confidence and support of Singaporeans," he added.














Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat's opening remarks at press conference
The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2018

"We fully appreciate the significance of today's milestone in the process of political leadership renewal. Singaporeans take a keen interest in the leadership renewal of the PAP. They will like to see a strong and united political leadership working in close partnership with our people to take Singapore and Singaporeans forward.

Our three prime ministers were well-respected figures both at home and abroad. There is natural interest in who will succeed them, but it is just as important that we have a strong, united and cohesive team in the Cabinet.

We must connect with our party members and our people and complement one another with our different strengths. The younger ministers have chosen me to be their leader, and I have accepted. It is my privilege to serve. I am deeply conscious of the heavy responsibility that I am taking on.

Leading the party and governing Singapore are massive and complex tasks. No one person can do it alone. Not even Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who had the help of able, stout-hearted colleagues. I am heartened that I have the backing of a strong team.



Our team has strengths in different areas and a range of skills to deal with a complex set of internal and external challenges. Based on our experience of working together in the past few years, I am confident that we will work well together to take Singapore forward and to improve the lives of Singaporeans.

As the new team steps up to its responsibilities in the months ahead, I look forward to the continued support and counsel of PM and our senior colleagues. We must also continue to grow this team to continue assembling the most dedicated and most devoted group of men and women to serve Singapore.

In particular, I have asked Chun Sing to be my deputy and he has agreed. I am grateful for his support and also thank my colleagues for supporting my choice. I am looking forward to working even more closely with Chun Sing. We have worked well together for several years now in the Our Singapore Conversation, organising the SG50 celebrations, the Future Economy Council and the party.

Chun Sing has many strengths. Our styles and areas of expertise complement each other well. I am confident that in the years ahead, our partnership will grow even stronger. Together with others in the team, we can advance Singapore in different areas.

I also thank all PAP MPs for endorsing me as the next leader and Chun Sing as the deputy at the party caucus today. As the President said at the opening of Parliament in May this year: "The right to leadership cannot be inherited, and every generation must earn the right to lead."



We will work hard to earn the trust and confidence of Singaporeans, just as PM and his team did before. This is a very important task that has already begun and will gather pace. We will need new actions and new connections with every generation.

Over time, we will develop our own style of governing in keeping with the aspirations and needs of Singaporeans. We will continue to reach out to Singaporeans at different stages of life and different segments of society, each contributing back to society in different ways. We will take concrete actions to address Singaporeans' needs and concerns.

Singapore is still a very young country. After 53 years of going through thick and thin together, we are not done building the nation. We must dedicate ourselves to writing the next chapter of the Singapore Story. We must have confidence that we can make it happen. We look forward to partnering Singaporeans to build a brighter future for Singapore."










Political transition to 4G leaders: Statement by younger political office-holders
The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2018

Over the past few years, we have been working closely together and getting to know one another better - collaborating in committees and task forces, developing and implementing policies, and walking the ground.

We thank our senior colleagues for their guidance and mentorship, and for graciously giving us opportunities to take on greater responsibilities.

We have a diverse team, comprising members with different experiences, as well as complementary skills and strengths.

We have been carefully considering the issue of leadership for the team. In January, we issued a statement that we will choose a leader "in good time". Now we have a consensus that the team will be led by Swee Keat.

We also note that Swee Keat has asked Chun Sing to be his deputy, and that Chun Sing has agreed to do so. We endorse and support Swee Keat and Chun Sing as our leaders.

We will continue to work cohesively as a team, and forge a strong partnership with all Singaporeans. We are united in our purpose of serving Singaporeans to the best of our abilities.

SIGNATORIES

Amrin Amin, Baey Yam Keng, Chan Chun Sing, Chee Hong Tat, Desmond Choo, Grace Fu, Heng Chee How, Heng Swee Keat, Indranee Rajah, S. Iswaran, Janil Puthucheary, Amy Khor, Koh Poh Koon, Lam Pin Min, Desmond Lee, Low Yen Ling, Masagos Zulkifli, Mohamad Maliki Osman, Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Denise Phua, Ng Chee Meng, Ong Ye Kung, Sim Ann, Sun Xueling, Tan Chuan-Jin, Sam Tan, Tan Wu Meng, Teo Ho Pin, Josephine Teo, Edwin Tong, Lawrence Wong, Zaqy Mohamad










PAP co-opts four new members into Central Executive Committee
Two Cabinet ministers and two MPs co-opted into PAP's top decision-making body
By Adrian Lim, Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2018

The People's Action Party (PAP) co-opted four new members into its highest decision-making body yesterday, and also named younger political leaders for key appointments.

Changes in the ruling party's 35th Central Executive Committee (CEC) will see the 4G leaders stepping up to the plate, with more experienced members acting as advisers, political observers said.

The four co-opted CEC members are: National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, Social and Family Development Minister Desmond Lee, and MPs Christopher de Souza and Sitoh Yih Pin.

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, the PAP's newly minted first assistant secretary-general, said that four were co-opted after "very careful consideration" of the strengths that they could bring to the CEC's decision-making process.

"What we want is to enlarge our CEC so that we can reach out to different groups of people, and to have people with perspectives that can add to the breadth and depth of our decision-making," Mr Heng said at a press conference yesterday.

Mr Lee, who is also Second Minister for National Development, and Culture, Community and Youth Minister Grace Fu will be the CEC's organising secretaries.

They take over the organising secretaries positions from Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung.

Mr Chan was chosen as the PAP's second assistant secretary-general, while Mr Gan is the new CEC chairman. Mr Ong will be the assistant treasurer, with Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam as treasurer.

The vice-chairman of the CEC is Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli.

The chairman, vice-chairman and treasurer positions became vacant after Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, and retired ministers Yaacob Ibrahim and Lim Swee Say, stepped down from the CEC.

Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who also stepped down from the CEC, were the previous first and second assistant secretaries-general.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong remains as the PAP's secretary-general.



Dr Felix Tan, an associate lecturer at SIM Global Education, said of the new CEC office-holders: "There is a good balance between those who have the experience to continue policies within the party and the Government, and those who are coming with a new perspective, the younger leaders."

Dr Tan said he expects the more experienced CEC members to take on an advisory role and see how the 4G leaders can "push the envelope".

"They are coming in with a new perspective on how they can further improve on policies that have been around, or impending policies that will affect Singaporeans," Dr Tan added.











Heng Swee Keat brings an 'open, consultative' approach
Colleagues say his genial demeanour belies a driven man who excels at every job he takes up
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2018

The man who is poised to become Singapore's prime minister-designate will bring an open and consultative leadership style to the table, say those who have worked with him.

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, 57, was announced as the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP) first assistant secretary-general yesterday, making him the most likely successor to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

A few adjectives keep popping up to describe Mr Heng: Nice. Genuine. Soft-spoken. Kind.

Indeed, the former top civil servant, who entered politics in 2011, is no stranger to garnering views, having chaired the year-long national movement to engage citizens, called Our Singapore Conversation, in 2013.

He also led the SG50 Steering Committee to mark the country's golden jubilee in 2015 and, in his speech after the President's Address in May, announced that the PAP's fourth-generation (4G) leaders and MPs will launch a series of discussions with different groups of Singaporeans to seek their views and perspectives.

In addition, he led the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE), which was tasked with generating new ideas for Singapore's growth.

"Almost every meeting or site visit will go beyond the allocated time," said Singapore Business Federation chairman and former Nominated MP Teo Siong Seng, because the minister "wants to talk to as many people he meets as possible and find out what they are doing".

Mr Heng had personally called Mr Teo to ask him to co-chair a CFE sub-committee with him, as well as to sit on the Future Economy Council that Mr Heng leads.

"Some people will just get their secretariat to send an e-mail to you, and that is understandable because they are busy," Mr Teo said.

"Mr Heng is one of the few who will call you personally."

His consultative approach has lived up to his own expectations, which he shared with The Straits Times in 2011, before he was elected.

At that time, he had said: "I think I have to do a lot more of that public engagement, of communication with the public.

"I hope I can be persuasive. I hope that I will be able to engage Singaporeans from all walks of life."

Yesterday, he reiterated this promise when he described his leadership style: "I am very open, I listen to all views and I decide what needs to be done."



This genial demeanour, his colleagues say, belies a driven man who has excelled at every job he has taken up during an almost 30-year career in the public service.

Mr Heng, who grew up in a kampung, won a Singapore Police Force scholarship in 1980 to study economics at Cambridge University in England.

It was at the university that he met his wife, fellow Singaporean Chang Hwee Nee, a President's Scholar. She is now chief executive officer of the National Heritage Board, and they have a daughter and a son in their 20s.

He joined the police force on his return and rose to become assistant commissioner.

He then entered the elite Administrative Service in 1995, starting at the Education Ministry, and then becoming principal private secretary to then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew from 1997 to 2000.

The late Mr Lee said he was "the best principal private secretary I ever had".

Between 2001 and 2005, when he was the permanent secretary for the Trade and Industry Ministry, he skilfully wrangled benefits for Singapore when putting together free trade agreements, especially the ground-breaking 2005 pact with India that was notable for its complexity and range.

His next job was at the helm of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). During his tenure as its managing director, he was credited with successfully steering Singapore's monetary policy through the country's worst post-independence recession in 2009, ensuring the Singapore dollar remained stable and the financial sector resilient.

Some say he was invited to join politics as early as before the 1997 General Election. But what prompted him to want to play a part in shaping Singapore's future was the economic crisis, when he saw how close the nation came to the edge.



In 2011, he contested in Tampines GRC, where the PAP team scored a bruising 57.2 per cent - three percentage points below the PAP's overall 60.1 per cent win. (Four years later, with Mr Heng as the anchor minister, the GRC would pull in 72.1 per cent of the vote share - two percentage points above the party's national average.)

He was appointed Education Minister shortly after, making him the second new MP ever to be catapulted straight into Cabinet.

When he left the ministry after one term of four years and four months, Mr Heng had left an indelible mark on education, reshaping the system to focus not just on grades, but also the "intangibles" like character.

He abolished the ranking of secondary schools that was introduced in 1992. In 2012, he did away with naming the top scorers in the Primary School Leaving Examination. A year later, the ministry took it a step further by not disclosing the highest and lowest scores, which had been listed on every pupil's result slip since 1982.

The policy of not naming the top scorers also extended to other national examinations: N-level, O-level and A-level exams.

Mr Heng also came to be associated with the slogan "Every school a good school", which reflects his vision to make every school good in its own way, to bring out the best in every child.

The ministry also undertook a major review of the higher education sector and announced the creation of more university places so that by 2020, up to 40 per cent of every age group would have places.

In September 2015, Mr Heng was named Finance Minister, taking over from Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

He has delivered three Budget speeches since, with observers saying one of his defining traits is advising Singaporeans to see each financial report as part of the big picture, and not an annual goodie bag.

He has also made tough decisions, including when he held his own in defending the need for a goods and services tax hike in Parliament earlier this year.



MPs also say his tenure has been characterised by a desire to find solutions that best fit many groups of society, with several saying he had consulted them individually in the lead-up to the Budget.

Fellow Tampines GRC MP and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng recalled Mr Heng's "demanding attention to detail", making multiple revisions to their local manifesto during the 2015 election.

"He was very meticulous about the words we used. He wanted to make sure we could and would deliver on our promises to the residents," he added.

Both former MAS colleagues and his fellow MPs say Mr Heng would work in the trenches with them, and had a habit of sleeping in the office during crunch time.

"He is willing to make this adjustment in his personal life, that is his commitment level," said Mr Baey. "He works very late, and I hope that having had the scare of the stroke, he is able to strike a better balance."

Some people had written off Mr Heng as a future prime minister after he had a brain aneurysm during a Cabinet meeting in May 2016.

But when he came out of a coma six days after his stroke, the first words he scribbled on paper were: "Is there a Cabinet meeting today? Where are the papers?"

He returned to the Finance Ministry in August that year, but stayed away from public events as he continued to build up his health. By February last year, he had delivered his second Budget speech, to rousing applause from the House.

Mr Heng has since recovered, and yesterday told reporters he would not have agreed to be the 4G team's leader if he was not confident about his health.

He is set to make his third trip this year to Argentina when he accompanies PM Lee next week to the Group of 20 Summit. He will also deliver his fourth Budget in February next year.

In April this year, he was also tasked with overseeing the National Research Foundation.

A former senior civil servant who worked closely with Mr Heng said: "I feel assured knowing he is our next leader because I know we will be in good hands."

"In terms of maturity and knowing the country, he has the widest experience," she added.

Veteran MP Charles Chong believes Mr Heng's leadership style will be closer to that of Mr Goh Chok Tong, rather than his mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

"People will follow him because they love him, not fear him," Mr Chong said. "And he will find his own footing along the way."











Chan Chun Sing stays close to ground despite swift rise
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2018

It was way past midnight, and Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and his supporters were still at a counting centre, waiting for the electoral result for the Potong Pasir single-member constituency.

Finally, at 3am, the recount was over, and it was the last result in the 2011 General Election.

Victory was declared for Mr Sitoh who, with his supporters, returned to the party's gathering centre at Toa Payoh Stadium.

It was 4am, and there was hardly anyone there. But waiting for them was Mr Chan Chun Sing, one of the People's Action Party's (PAP) new candidates, who was widely seen as a potential minister and possibly leading the fourth generation of Singapore's leaders.

That incident on May 8, 2011, the day after the election's Polling Day, is etched in Mr Sitoh's mind as it told him about the man and his leadership style.

Yesterday, he recounted it to The Straits Times: "This was one of the 4G stars, PM Lee (Hsien Loong) was going to unveil him at a press conference, he didn't know me well at the time. Yet, he was there. As long as the last platoon has not come home, he was not going anywhere."

Mr Chan had just left his role as the chief of army to join politics, and was elected MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC in the election.

Within a month, he was named to the Cabinet as Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports and Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts.

At age 41, he was the youngest in Cabinet.



But politics initially had its bumps for the military man, who had spent 24 years in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

In the 2011 General Election rally, he was ridiculed by some people for using the Hokkien phrase "kee chiu", meaning "raise your hand", when posing a question to several elderly folk at a PAP rally.

Perhaps the down-to-earth, chatty style had endeared the former chief of army to his men in green but, in politics, many suggest his folksy approach seems out of step for a potential bigwig in the Government who would represent Singapore on the world stage.

Online critics were especially harsh, but Mr Chan seems to have stayed true to his heartlander ways.

His informal style of speaking continues to be peppered with colloquialisms and Chinese dialect phrases.

In 2013, as Social and Family Development Minister, he described the Government's strategy of offering overlapping layers of support to Singapore's needy as a "kueh lapis".

Mr Chan's work over the years has evidently spoken for itself because yesterday evening, he was picked by the PAP as its second assistant secretary-general.

The position puts him on track to be elevated to deputy prime minister in the not-too-distant future.

It has been a swift rise through the ranks for the 49-year-old Trade and Industry Minister.

A year after joining the Cabinet, he took charge of the newly created Ministry of Social and Family Development and, the following year, in 2013, he was promoted to a full minister and given what could be called a "homecoming" role: Second Minister for Defence.

Unlike in the past, the new ministry has added significance in a Singapore embarking on building an inclusive society.

Mr Chan introduced several key initiatives to strengthen Singapore's social safety net and support for families.

They include the partner operator scheme, which gives eligible childcare operators government funding if, among other things, they keep fees affordable and raise the quality of care and education.

In May 2015, he became chief of the labour movement.

In his three years as secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress, he expanded its scope to include more white-collar workers and professionals, managers and executives, a group that is growing fast and will make up two-thirds of the workforce by 2030.

Mr Ken Tan, president of the Public Utilities Board Employees' Union, said Mr Chan's down-to-earth manner helped him relate easily to the unionists.

"You can tell when you talk to him that he has the big picture in mind, but he knows how to speak the unionists' language," he said.

"I learnt this from him - that when you are delivering a speech, focus on three key messages. Any more than that, and the audience cannot remember."



Since joining politics, Mr Chan has hardly stayed beyond three years in a position. In April, a Cabinet reshuffle saw him become the Trade and Industry Minister. He was also named Minister-in-charge of the Public Service.

The new portfolio is a new challenge, intensified by the rising tide of protectionism across the world, coupled with the trade war brewing between global giants China and the United States, while Singapore continues to push for open and free trade.

Against this turbulent backdrop, Mr Chan collected a few wins, including a free trade deal between the European Union and Singapore.

Meanwhile, the blockbuster Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade pact looks set to be finalised next year.

But even as he rose in government, Mr Chan did not let up on his commitment as an MP of Tanjong Pagar GRC.

At interviews and other engagements, he often shares accounts of the residents he encounters at Meet-the-People sessions in his Buona Vista ward to illustrate his views about inequality and people's responsibilities towards one another.

He recently shared his encounter with a single mother of six children who needed help to get a job and $300 in financial aid from the ComCare Fund for lower-income families. He contrasted the case with that of a young couple with a combined five-figure monthly income who complained they got only half of a $20,000 grant from the Housing Board.

It was a "surreal" contrast, he said, showing how the more well-off in society can sometimes feel more entitled to government help.

As the son of a single mother who raised two children on the meagre pay of a machine operator, Mr Chan's frugality is legendary.

When he left the SAF in 2011, he was given, like all departing officers, an SAF watch. But he continued wearing his old, black, plastic Casio, explaining: "The battery hasn't run out." And he continues wearing it today.

Although an old boy of the elite Raffles Institution, he gave short shrift to elitism and has strong views about how the successful should give back to society.

At a conference last month, he said: "I would not hold it against somebody, regardless of his background, if he does well and makes a contribution to society.

"But if someone has done well, not through his own effort but maybe through his connections... and doesn't reach out to people, then that is different."

Additional reporting by Rachel Au-Yong










PAP unveils new leadership: Key challenge will be keeping party cohesive and united
No guarantee that divisions and disruptions will not arise in ongoing political transition
By Zakir Hussain, News Editor, The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2018

One theme clearly stood out from yesterday's People's Action Party (PAP) announcement of its new leadership slate: The numerous references to the need for the team to be cohesive and united.

"United" was a word repeated no fewer than a dozen times throughout the evening - and it would appear to have been intentional.

Shortly after the party's top decision-making body, the Central Executive Committee (CEC), met and released a statement on the PAP's new line-up at 4.30pm, two other statements followed.

The first, on the PAP's Facebook page, was by its secretary-general, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who endorsed the decision of the fourth-generation (4G) team to have Mr Heng Swee Keat as their next leader, and Mr Chan Chun Sing as his deputy.

Mr Heng's appointment as first assistant secretary-general is an indication that he is on track to be Singapore's next prime minister.

Mr Chan was appointed second assistant secretary-general.

PM Lee gave his vote of confidence to Mr Heng and Mr Chan, and pledged that "all of us in the new CEC, older or younger, will work together to build a strong and united party that will continue to serve the people and lead Singapore forward".

A statement signed by 32 younger office-holders - including Mr Heng and Mr Chan - followed and endorsed the move to name both of them as their leaders. "We will continue to work cohesively as a team," it said. "We are united in our purpose of serving Singaporeans to the best of our abilities."

Leadership transitions in political parties are generally never smooth, whether in neighbouring countries or farther afield. Recent cases in Australia, Britain and Germany show that jostling for pole position, lobbying, and mobilising factions to support one front runner over another are the norm.

There is no reason to expect that the PAP - which has stayed cohesive for most of the 59 years it has been in power - might not one day face such divisions. It has had splits in the past, notably in 1961, when left-leaning members broke away to form the Barisan Socialis.

Hence the many references yesterday to the need for cohesion and unity. While it appears aimed at reassuring those Singaporeans who may be concerned about whether the PAP will stay united, it is also for those party members who saw distinct differences between contenders for the party posts - and who might now be tempted to scale back their involvement, or even back another party, as the chosen leader may not be someone they preferred.

The need for unity and the assurances that they will work as a team were underlined by Mr Heng and Mr Chan in their statements at a media conference an hour after their new posts were announced.



Mr Heng said Singaporeans "like to see a strong and united political leadership working in close partnership with our people".

And while there is natural interest in who will be the fourth prime minister, "it is just as important that we have a strong, united and cohesive team in the Cabinet".

Mr Chan, too, echoed the point on teamwork, saying: "Teamwork is critical to us. Our team must be greater than the sum of our individual parts."

"As a team, we will complement one another, leveraging our respective strengths to do our best for Singapore," he added.

Mr Heng disclosed that he specifically asked for Mr Chan - who many tipped as a contender for the top spot - to be his deputy.

Both men have, in the past, spoken about the distinctiveness of Singapore's political model - at least as the PAP sees it - which sets it apart from other systems.

Yesterday, Mr Heng stressed how he and Mr Chan would complement each other and help build a strong, united team: " I have seen so many examples of what is happening in other countries, where the energy is not focused on going forward, but instead... on the internal squabbles and on looking at the past."

Mr Chan, too, emphasised that teamwork was a key takeaway for him from older political leaders.

"No matter how good we are individually, it (excelling) is necessary but not sufficient," he said. "What distinguishes the Singapore team from the others who we are competing against... is the fact that we have a very cohesive team, and that is the hallmark of our leadership style."

As new organising secretary Grace Fu told reporters later, it is unique that the party does not have "squabbles, divisiveness, light and sound in the process of renewal".

This willingness to set aside personal ambition - and put Singapore first - is not a given.

It was also why after speaking to the media, Mr Heng and Mr Chan also met leaders of the party's 89 branches to rally the ground.

Yesterday's announcement was only the first major step in the current political transition. A Cabinet reshuffle is expected in months. There are also expectations a general election, a key test of popular support for the 4G leaders, could be called before the term of this Government is up.

While differences over strategy, approach and policy may emerge, the key challenge for the 4G team is to ensure these are managed and that the cohesion achieved thus far is not disrupted.











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35th PAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) -23 Nov 2018
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Kampung Admiralty wins World Building of the Year 2018 award at the World Architecture Festival

December 3, 2018, 6:18 am
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Integrated retirement village in Woodlands beats 535 projects from 57 countries to clinch Building of the Year
By Goh Yan Han and Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 3 Dec 2018

An integrated retirement village in Woodlands has clinched one of the world's most prestigious architectural awards.

Designed by WOHA Architects, Kampung AdmiraltywonBuilding of the Year at this year's World Architecture Festival, considered the Oscars of the architectural world.

The entry beat 535 projects from 57 countries to snag the top prize, announced at a gala dinner last Friday in Amsterdam.

The newly developed Kampung Admiralty retirement community has been held up as an example of what the Government is doing to transform education, healthcare and housing to improve lives.

The 11-storey complex by the Housing Board comprises public housing for seniors, integrated with healthcare, wellness and eldercare facilities, and a childcare centre. It took in its first residents in August last year.

At his National Day Message in August, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described it as a "high-rise kampung where residents are out and about, socialising with family, friends and neighbours, and yet never too far from home".

He added that it is a model for future public housing.



Mr Paul Finch, programme director of the World Architecture Festival, said: "The judges admired the project for the way in which it dealt with the universal condition of longevity and health treatments, social housing provision, and commercial space, which enabled substantial public-realm benefits.

"This hybrid building also incorporates a huge amount of greenery in a series of layered levels which have generated welcome biodiversity."

The winner was selected by a "super jury" of four highly respected representatives of the global architectural community - Mr Li Xiaodong, Ms Nathalie de Vries, Mr Frederick Cooper Llosa and Ms Lesley Lokko.

The building has won multiple awards, including a commendation for commercial architecture at this year's International Chapter Architecture Awards, as well as the Best Commercial Mixed-Use Future Project award at the 2016 edition of the festival.

Singapore Institute of Architects president Seah Chee Huang said the momentous win is a big achievement not only for WOHA, but also for Singapore.

"It demonstrates the talent and quality of Singapore architects, to shine on the world stage and do our nation proud," he said.

"I also see the award as an affirmation by the global architectural fraternity of our country's success in championing urban-social alchemy, through the synthesis of people, density, greenery, wellness and liveability."

This is not Singapore's first win at the architectural awards. In 2015, it won Building of the Year for The Interlace condominium in Depot Road by OMA and Ole Scheeren.

The cooled conservatories at Gardens by the Bay clinched the same title at the festival when it was held here for the first time in 2012.




















































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Singapore and Malaysia dispute over airspace and territorial waters

December 5, 2018, 6:26 am
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Singapore protests against move to extend Johor Baru port limits as Malaysia seeks to retake control of airspace
By Zakir Hussain, News Editor, The Straits Times, 5 Dec 2018

Singapore-Malaysia ties took a sudden turn on two fronts yesterday, as simmering disputes over airspace and territorial waters came into the open.

Singapore said it had lodged a strong protest with Kuala Lumpur over its move to extend the Johor Baru port limits to encroach into the Republic's territorial waters off Tuas.

The Republic added that it would not hesitate to take firm action against intrusions and unauthorised activities in its waters.

"Singapore has protested the unauthorised movements of, and purported assertions of sovereignty by, these vessels, which are inconsistent with international law," it said.

"The Republic of Singapore Navy and the Police Coast Guard are safeguarding the sovereignty of Singapore territorial waters and enforcing the security of these waters on a 24/7 basis," it added.

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said the Malaysian actions "are clearly a violation of our sovereignty and international law".



The maritime clash surfaced just hours after Malaysia's Transport Minister said Kuala Lumpur planned to retake charge of managing airspace over south Johor that had long been delegated to the Republic, drawing a swift response from his Singapore counterpart.

"It is not our stance to take a confrontational approach," said Mr Anthony Loke. "But this involves our sovereignty, which the Malaysian government will defend in the strongest terms."



This drew a swift response from Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who said: "Airspace management has nothing to do with sovereignty, and many countries have their airspace, or at least part of (it), managed by other countries."

Rather, it was about safety and efficiency, he added.

On the maritime front, Singapore's Ministry of Transport said Malaysia announced the change to Johor Baru port limits in a notice in the Federal Government Gazette on Oct 25. Over the past two weeks, vessels from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Marine Department Malaysia have also repeatedly intruded into these territorial waters, the ministry added.

Malaysia also issued a port circular on Nov 11 and a notice to mariners on Nov 22 on the limits.



Singapore responded by lodging a strong protest with Malaysia. It asked it to amend the notices "to reflect the sovereignty of Singapore over the waters in question, and that Malaysia refrain from taking any further unilateral action".

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore also issued a circular on Nov 30 instructing ship masters and owners of vessels to disregard Malaysia's three notices, "which impinge on Singapore's sovereignty".

The Ministry of Transport added: "Malaysia's purported extension of the Johor Baru port limits and the repeated intrusions by Malaysian government vessels into Singapore territorial waters are a serious violation of Singapore's sovereignty and international law. These actions are unconducive to good bilateral relations, cause confusion for the international shipping community, and lead to increased navigational and safety risks for all parties.

"Singapore stands ready to engage with Malaysia to resolve these matters amicably, in accordance with international law," it said.



Asked if there is a concern that the issues over airspace and port limits could escalate, Mr Khaw said he hoped not. "We have so many things that we want to work together on."

As for Singapore's actions over its waters, he added: "If you intrude into our space, there will be warnings: Move on, move away... There are standard rules of engagement.

"We do not want a misunderstanding which leads to an unnecessary accident or worse, then suddenly we have a crisis to handle."




















Singapore reiterates that extension of Johor Baru port limits encroaches into Singapore territorial waters
By Shannon Teoh, Malaysia Bureau Chief, The Straits Times, 5 Dec 2018

Singapore has reiterated that Malaysia's recent actions west of Tuas encroach into Singapore's territorial waters and violate the Republic's sovereignty.

Earlier on Wednesday (Dec 5), Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had claimed that the recent purported extension of the Johor Baru port limits had not "touched" Singapore's border.



A Singapore Ministry of Transport (MOT) spokesman rejected this claim, saying: "Singapore reiterates that Singapore's territorial waters do extend westward of our current port limits around Tuas."

"Accordingly, the purported extension of the Johor Bahru port limits encroaches into Singapore's territorial waters in the area and is a serious violation of Singapore's sovereignty and international law," the spokesman added.



On Tuesday, MOT had said the purported extension of port limits as well as repeated intrusions by Malaysian government vessels into Singapore territorial waters were a serious violation of Singapore's sovereignty and international law.

But in a statement on Wednesday, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that Singapore's claims were "inaccurate as the altered port limits for Johor Baru Port has not in any way encroached into any part of Singapore".

He suggested that the source of the dispute over the boundaries were a result of land reclamation. "Singapore has in recent years carried out extensive land reclamation in the area in question. It is trite law that land reclamation does not extend a state's basepoints and/or baselines," he said.



He also urged Singapore to withdraw its Nov 30 Port Marine Circular instructing ship masters and owners of vessels to disregard Malaysia's three notices, which Singapore said impinged on the Republic's sovereignty.

"Malaysia urges Singapore to immediately withdraw its Port Marine Circular issued on 30 November 2018 and prevent its enforcement agencies from further intruding into Malaysia's territorial sea and harassing vessels and persons lawfully permitted by Malaysian laws and authorities as well as international law to be present in Malaysia's territorial sea," Mr Loke said.

Singapore had said on Tuesday that it had lodged a strong protest against the Malaysian extension which began in late October. "Singapore has protested the unauthorised movements of, and purported assertions of sovereignty by these vessels, which are inconsistent with international law," it said.

Singapore's Transport Ministry has also requested that Malaysia amend its notices "to reflect the sovereignty of Singapore over the waters in question, and that Malaysia refrain from taking any further unilateral action".

Earlier on Wednesday, Tun Dr Mahathir had said that Singapore's claims of encroachment can be tested by measuring the new limits of Johor Baru's ports. "We can measure if it is true whether their border is correct and if we are still within our own waters," he said.



The two neighbours have been locked in a twin territorial dispute in recent weeks, with the disagreements becoming public on Tuesday morning when Mr Loke disclosed that Malaysia planned to reclaim airspace delegated to Singapore and that it was protesting against new flight paths from Seletar Airport as it would stunt development of the Pasir Gudang industrial district in Johor. Later that same day, Singapore's Transport Ministry revealed that it had protested against the new Johor Baru port limits.

























Seletar procedures aligned with existing flight paths, says Singapore's Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan
The Straits Times, 5 Dec 2018

Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke yesterday said Kuala Lumpur objected to new flight procedures for the upgraded Seletar Airport as they would "stunt development" around the Pasir Gudang industrial district in Johor.

He told Malaysia's Parliament that these would impose height restrictions on buildings in the area and affect port activities.

In reply, Singapore's Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan told reporters that these procedures were in line with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. They were shared with Malaysia a year ago, but KL replied only recently with its concerns.



Mr Khaw said he found this "strange" - as the procedures were aligned with existing flight paths that had been used for decades.

"There have always been flights up north, so the procedures take into account existing entities in Pasir Gudang... so that you can avoid them, and so on," he added.

The Transport Ministry also said there are existing procedures and equipment to ensure shipping in the Johor Strait is not affected.










Singapore's Transport Ministry releases documents on consultations with Malaysia on proposed new flight paths over Seletar Airport
By Adrian Lim, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 5 Dec 2018

Singapore's Transport Ministry yesterday released documents that show consultations with Malaysia on the proposed Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedures for Seletar Airport.

The documents, which date back to December last year, include e-mails sent by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to its counterpart in Malaysia, and an extract of the minutes of a meeting between both countries.

DEC 5, 2017

CAAS presents to Malaysia the implementation plan for the ILS at Seletar Airport and the broad timeline.

It was done in Kuala Lumpur during the 277th Standing Committee to the Aviation Consultative Committee Meeting.

CAAS also gives an update that a new passenger terminal building will be built for Malaysian airline Firefly to operate services between Seletar and Subang.


Based on CAAS' timeline presented on Dec 5 last year, the ILS is scheduled to be published in the Aeronautical Information Publication on May 31 this year, and to take effect on Aug 16.

In the minutes of the meetings, the Department of Civil Aviation, the predecessor of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), said it would study the details of the presentation.

DEC 6, 2017

CAAS sends an e-mail to CAAM asking for its operational feedback on the ILS procedures. Documents on the ILS are attached in the e-mail.

JUNE 6, 2018

CAAS sends another e-mail asking for updates on its earlier request to CAAM for feedback.


Yesterday, the ministry said in a statement that CAAS did not receive any reply to these e-mails.

AUG 7, 2018

The managements of CAAS and CAAM meet in Kuala Lumpur for Singapore to provide more details on the Seletar ILS procedures. CAAS' management asks CAAM for urgent operational feedback.

AUG 15, 2018

CAAS sends an e-mail to follow up on the Aug 7 meeting. The e-mail stresses the urgency of the matter, and requests CAAM's response by Aug 27.

There is no reply from CAAM.

Yesterday, the ministry said CAAS continued to engage CAAM via e-mails and letters and on the sidelines of an International Civil Aviation Organisation event.



NOV 29, 2018

CAAS meets CAAM in Singapore. CAAM raises its technical concerns about the Seletar ILS procedures. CAAS addresses CAAM's concerns, and conveys its intentions to publish the procedures on Dec 1.

NOV 30, 2018

CAAS meets CAAM in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the records of the Nov 29 meeting. CAAM does not raise new concerns, said the ministry.











Observers see Singapore-KL disputes over airspace and waters continuing for some time
By Adrian Lim, Political Correspondent and Shannon Teoh, Malaysia Bureau Chief, The Straits Times, 5 Dec 2018

The disputes between Singapore and Malaysia over airspace and territorial waters, which surfaced yesterday, are likely to continue for some time under the government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, observers said.

Hours after Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced Kuala Lumpur's intention to reclaim airspace over southern Johor which had long been delegated to Singapore to manage, the Republic highlighted its concern over Kuala Lumpur extending the Johor Baru port limits to encroach on Singapore's waters.

ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute fellow Mustafa Izzuddin said the recent moves could be due to "domestic pressures confronting the Malaysian government to safeguard its own national interests", and to demonstrate to its people that it is strong and competent.

The newly elected government also seeks to "gain political mileage from its domestic populace as these overtures will go down well with the general public in Malaysia and, in particular, Johoreans", he said.



Bilateral ties went through a rocky patch when Tun Dr Mahathir was prime minister from 1981 to 2003.

Such tensions do not bode well for the region, said one expert. "If Singapore-Malaysia relations become increasingly strained, it will be damaging for Asean as a whole as these two countries, along with Thailand, have traditionally driven economic integration in the region," said Mr Peter Mumford, Asia director of the Eurasia Group.

Pacific Research Centre's principal adviser Oh Ei Sun said he does not think the new Johor Baru port limits are a deliberate provocation, and they can be resolved after clarification.

He said that past experience shows an "almost established pattern" as to how territorial disputes between Singapore and Malaysia find resolution.

"Usually, it is public proclamations of violation of sovereignty, followed by intensive bilateral negotiations, failing which it would be mutual submission for arbitration or adjudication," said Mr Oh.

"This sets a very good example as to how neighbouring countries could resolve their territorial disputes maturely and peacefully."

Asked whether there is a concern that the recent issues could escalate, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday that he hoped this would not happen.

"It is certainly not conducive for bilateral relations. We have so many things that we want to work together on. The potential for doing much more is huge," he added.



Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin said in a Facebook post: "Looks like some countries are back to their old tricks and games to bolster their own internal positions. Let's stand firm. Let's stand united."




















Singapore makes its point after Malaysia says it wants to take back management of airspace over south Johor
Managing airspace not tied to sovereignty, says Khaw Boon Wan
He says there must be reasons for change, such as boosting safety and efficiency
By Adrian Lim, Political Correspondent and Shannon Teoh, Malaysia Bureau Chief, The Straits Times, 5 Dec 2018

Management of the skies has "nothing to do with sovereignty", Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday after Malaysia signalled that it wanted to reclaim its rights to run the airspace over southern Johor.

Mr Khaw said the airspace was delegated to Singapore's management under an agreement with regional states, including Malaysia, in 1973, and this was approved by an international body, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Moreover, it is not a "straightforward" decision to just alter the status quo, and under ICAO processes, there must be a reason for the change, such as improvements to safety and efficiency, Mr Khaw told reporters at Seletar Airport.

He was responding to Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who told the Malaysian Parliament yesterday that Malaysia intends to take back the delegated airspace over southern Johor in stages, starting next year.

The move follows Malaysia's objection to new flight procedures proposed for Seletar Airport. Mr Loke said Malaysia first informed Singapore early last month that it wants to take back the airspace in phases.



In a statement, Singapore's Ministry of Transport (MOT) replied that the Republic respects Malaysia's sovereignty, and that cross-border airspace management "is not incompatible with sovereignty".

MOT said that under the current arrangements, Singapore is responsible for putting in place the flight procedures in the delegated airspace, which include those for flights going into and out of all airports in Singapore.

In 1974, Singapore and Malaysia also inked a bilateral agreement on the arrangements that would ensure efficient air traffic flows into, out of and overflying Singapore.

"The airspace in this region is one of the most complex in the world. Air traffic growth is one of the fastest in the world. The benefits to both our economies and our people have been tremendous," said MOT.

"The current airspace arrangements have been working well and have facilitated this growth. Hence, any proposed changes will impact many stakeholders. Consultations will therefore be required to minimise the impact on airlines and passengers," MOT added.

Many countries have their airspace, or at least a part of it, managed by other countries. For example, Brunei's upper airspace is managed by Malaysia under the Kota Kinabalu Flight Information Region. Malaysia also manages Indonesian airspace in the waters around Kuching International Airport.

Malaysia has also protested against new flight procedures that will be implemented next month at Seletar Airport. "It is not our stance to take a confrontational approach with any party, much less our neighbours. But this involves our sovereignty, which the Malaysian government will defend in the strongest terms," Mr Loke said.



Mr Khaw said that these procedures, called the Instrument Landing System (ILS), are aligned with existing flight paths into Seletar, and that these flight profiles have been used for decades. They have also been designed to be in line with ICAO standards.

The ILS enables pilots to approach the airport and runway in a safer and more precise manner, through the use of instruments, rather than by sight.

The use of ILS is part of the shift of turboprop operations from Changi Airport to Seletar Airport, which Singapore informed Malaysia of four years ago.

Mr Loke told Parliament yesterday that Kuala Lumpur did not agree to the new flight paths because "they will stunt development" around the Pasir Gudang industrial district.



The new flight paths will impose height restrictions on buildings in the area, and port activities will also be affected, he said, adding that existing tall structures meant the ILS path was technically in breach of ICAO standards.

"This contradicts the principle of national sovereignty provided for under the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The Foreign Ministry will issue a protest note to Singapore immediately concerning this breach of sovereignty," he said.

Singapore's MOT said the ILS procedures were shared with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) in December last year.

"However, despite repeated reminders, we received no substantive response from CAAM until late November 2018," MOT said.

Mr Khaw said that he found it "kind of strange" that Malaysia had concerns over the ILS. "There have always been flights up north, so the procedures take into account existing entities in Pasir Gudang," he said.

MOT also said that the new procedures "do not impose any additional impact on other airspace users as well as businesses and residents in Johor".

It said it has noted Malaysia's intent to provide air traffic services in the airspace over southern Johor.

"We need to work together to tackle our common challenges and find constructive ways to resolve our differences when interests diverge. With goodwill, a win-win outcome is possible," MOT said.














The way forward must be integration, not fragmentation
By Karamjit Kaur, Senior Aviation Correspondent, The Straits Times, 5 Dec 2018

In 1947, when the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) was set up as a United Nations arm to oversee commercial flights, one of the first things it did was to divide up the sky.

Safety was the priority, and the objective was to ensure that the moment a plane took off anywhere in the world, it would be closely watched and guided until it landed.

From the outset, one thing was made clear: While every nation had full sovereignty over its airspace, this did not necessarily mean it would manage flights in its skies.

ICAO would designate flight information regions, or FIRs, based solely on technical and safety considerations to ensure air traffic flowed smoothly and efficiently.

This would inevitably mean that FIRs would cross national airspace boundaries.

It is also the reason why there are close to 200 sovereign nations today and about half the number of FIRs.

In theory, it is a simple system that works like the popular game, pass the parcel - except that in this case, it is an aircraft that is being passed by air traffic controllers from one flight information region to another.

Operationally, the stakes are high, with more than 100,000 flights a day that carry 10 million passengers to their destinations.

Of course, a country that does not manage its own airspace, for whatever reasons, might well seek to reclaim it.

This is exactly what Malaysia has set out to do. It wants to take charge of its airspace in southern Johor, for which Singapore has been providing air traffic services as part of a deal inked between the two countries in 1974.

The big question that must be asked is why, and the answer cannot be "because it is mine".

There are procedures and processes in place to redraw FIR lines, and it is ultimately for the ICAO to decide if a country asking for its airspace to be returned is equipped to safely and efficiently handle flights in the area.

In other words, can it do a better job?



Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan stressed this point yesterday when he spoke to reporters at Seletar Airport about the ongoing discussions with Malaysia over airspace matters.

Any change must be for the better, and if there is no improvement then there is really no need for change, he said.

It is a point that has also been made previously by the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (Canso) - the global voice of the companies that provide air traffic control.

According to a 2013 Canso report, "air navigation services require a global, seamless, delivery-focused model, based on performance, rather than national borders".

"For this to materialise, all stakeholders need a fully developed understanding of the meaning of national sovereignty consistent with present and future political, economic and social realities."

In its latest forecast unveiled last month, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) noted that the number of air travellers could double to 8.2 billion a year in 2037.

The strongest growth will come from the Asia-Pacific: In South-east Asia alone, the number of flights could triple to more than 20,000 a day in 15 years.

To manage the projected growth safely, nations, regulators, air traffic service providers and other stakeholders need to come closer, not move further apart.

The way forward must be integration, not fragmentation.

Breaking the airspace into smaller pieces with more parties managing flights adds complexity, leads to multiple points of coordination and, eventually, could pose more safety risks.

Indeed, this runs counter to what the Asean grouping of 10 nations stands for and hopes to achieve with its plans for a single aviation market that would eventually remove operational and commercial barriers for airlines and aviation-related businesses in the region.
















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Singapore Bicentennial: Journeying back 700 years

December 10, 2018, 6:21 am
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Creative NDP veterans promise 'cinematic and engaging' Bicentennial showcase
Story of Singapore will be told through sets, live performances and multimedia
By Melody Zaccheus, Heritage and Community Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 9 Dec 2018

They have staged four National Day Parades between them.

Now, theatre director Beatrice Chia-Richmond and media consultant and playwright Michael Chiang are hard at work putting together one of the biggest events of next year - the Bicentennial showcase at Fort Canning Centre.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, they promised a "cinematic and engaging" experience for Singaporeans as they take them on a journey beginning in 1299.

Mrs Chia-Richmond, 44, who was creative director of the 2011 and 2016 National Day Parades, said it will be unlike traditional classroom history lessons which tend to involve giant, dusty tomes and the memorisation of key dates, facts and who did what.

Instead, the story of Singapore over 700 years will be told through sets, live performances and multimedia.

All that Singaporeans have to do is turn up and enjoy the show.

"From Singapore to Singaporean: The Bicentennial Experience @ Fort Canning" has been split into two main sections: The Time Traveller and Pathfinder.

The Time Traveller segment is divided into five acts.

The first will depict the "epicness" of the first 500 years of Singapore's history starting from 1299.

Mr Chiang, 64, who was the scriptwriter for the 2010 and 2014 National Day Parades, said one highlight is the depiction of the fierce naval battles which took place off the coast of Changi between the Portuguese and Dutch over trade in Asia in 1603.

They noted that the naval battles show that Singapore was already in the forefront of global and regional events.

Mrs Chia-Richmond said that while Singaporeans are used to the retelling of history from the Singaporean perspective, the showcase as a whole will look at the island's history from the point of view of the rest of the world.

The next act delves into the events surrounding the landing of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819.

Act 3, which covers 1900 to 1930, aims to portray the dynamic city that was being built, and its underlying tensions. Visitors will get to sit in a rotating rotunda with props such as a recreated pilgrim ship. They will get to watch and experience its bustling port, cars running on the island's freshly built roads, and the arrival of the first trains running between Singapore and Malaya which transported local products.

Act 4 depicts Singapore under siege during World War II while Act 5 tackles the story of modern Singapore.

The Pathfinder segment of the show will comprise a series of pavilions designed for people to wander around on their own. The pavilions will showcase the Singapore story via the following mediums and themes: maps; artefacts; perspectives; words and reflections. Music compositions are also being created from scratch.

Both the show's creative directors, Mrs Chia-Richmond and Mr Chiang, started working on its concept in November last year.

On the difference between putting together the Bicentennial show and the National Day Parade, Mrs Chia-Richmond said the parade is a one-day event that needs to run like clockwork. The Bicentennial showcase, on the other hand, is more detail-heavy. She said: "We are dealing with 700 years of history and aiming to present it in an engaging manner for the public."

To bring the history to life, the pair looked at live shows such as Secret Cinema in London, which combines film screenings with interactive performances in purpose-built sets. They also observed audience reactions to the use of technology and multimedia presentations in museums in cities such as Amsterdam and Berlin.

Mr Chiang, who is also the scriptwriter for the Bicentennial showcase, said that while the weight of the project is rather daunting, they have a team to support them. He said: "We want to create a sense of wonder. To have Singaporeans come in and realise they never knew this about Singapore, that all of this was part of our history.

"We want them to get caught up in the moment. That's how we hope to draw them in."

Mrs Chia-Richmond cited the example of Azerbaijan.

Although the republic is just 27 years old, it has a long history of conquests and colonisation. "However, when you speak to the people of Baku, its capital city, they will tell you that their breadth of history is very wide. This is my hope for the people of Singapore."








'HISTORY QUEST' FOR SINGAPOREANS

During the Bicentennial, we will provide a wide range of opportunities for Singaporeans to learn more about our long and rich history. You might think of this as a kind of 'history quest'.

We hope to achieve this through our Fort Canning experiential showcase, the interactive history book, as well as numerous events organised by our partners. We hope these efforts will make our own history more accessible, and reach out to as many people as possible.

MINISTER FOR SOCIAL AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT DESMOND LEE, who co-chairs the Ministerial Steering Committee for the Singapore Bicentennial.




LEARNING ABOUT 700-YEAR HISTORY

Singapore's journey goes back as far as the 1300s. Communities from around the world interacted and settled here. Over these years, how our communities responded to events around the world, be it rivalries of major or regional powers, economic, social or technological advances, shaped our growth and evolution.

The Singapore Bicentennial marks the 200th year of the arrival of Raffles and the British. It marked a major turning point in our history, by plugging us into a global network of trade and exchange.

I encourage our people to explore how each of our diverse communities interact with one another and with peoples around the world, how they responded to changes, and the values and principles that enable us to succeed and to come to where we are today. There are many stories, told and untold, of courage, grit, determination and bonds that shape our home today.

The Singapore Bicentennial is a timely opportunity for Singaporeans to learn more deeply about our past, so that we may chart our future with greater confidence.

FINANCE MINISTER HENG SWEE KEAT, who is adviser to the Singapore Bicentennial Ministerial Steering Committee.





Bicentennial logo launched, design reflects 700 years of history
By Melody Zaccheus, Heritage and Community Correspondent, The Straits Times, 4 Dec 2018

As efforts ramp up to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles in Singapore, the office in charge of next year's activities has launched the bicentennial logo.

It signifies the evolution of Singapore not only in the last 200 years, but 700 years.

Its designers worked backwards from the idea of Singapore as a little red dot - depicted in the SG50 logo - and came up with seven red polygon-like outlines.

Each has its own distinct look to represent one century of Singapore's 700 years of history.

These outlines form a circle to symbolise the island's transformation through time, adapting and evolving to become present-day Singapore, said the Singapore Bicentennial Office in a media statement.

It said the logo - created by local branding and creative design studio Roots - expresses both change and continuity, "conveying the sense that this is an ever-evolving journey for the better".

"The commemoration is an occasion for us to reflect on our history before and after Raffles, and how we've evolved from a place with a geographically strategic location to a people with a unique Singaporean DNA.

"Throughout the year, we will look at the impact powers around the region and the world have had on us; the huge cast of characters who've contributed to our evolution and more," said the office.



The commemoration will be marked by a year-long calendar of events, kicking off on Jan 28. Anchor events will look at not only Singapore's history after the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819, but also the 500 years prior to that.

This could help to raise awareness among Singaporeans that the period between the 1300s and 1819 was not bereft of activity.

For instance, in the 1330s, Chinese trader Wang Dayuan, who had visited Singapore, noted that the island had foreign traders living alongside the local populace. He also described two local settlements, Banzu and Long Ya Men.

The dominant group living in Singapore during the 1400s was the Orang Laut who were expert fishermen and fierce warriors.

In the 1500s, Singapore's port impressed gem trader Jacques de Coutre, who described it as one of the best in the East Indies.

Mr Lim Chen Sian, an associate fellow at the archaeology unit of the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute's Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre, said looking back at 700 years of history can benefit the people of Singapore as it provides a "sense of depth and time".

Mr Lim, who is also on the advisory panel for the bicentennial, said it will be an opportunity to explore what happened to Singapore's port and settlements over the centuries - in particular why the port succeeded and failed at different junctures of history before it was revived by the British East India Company.

He said: "The study of the past can help us chart our future, where we want to be or where we don't, based on what worked or did not work in the past. Port cities have flashes of brilliance and then disappear as another port can rise and take prominence any time."

Historian Peter Borschberg of the National University of Singapore (NUS) noted that Singapore's early history has been acknowledged for some time at the official level, and has been taught in higher education institutions such as NUS.

The book Singapore: A 700-Year History by historians Kwa Chong Guan, Tan Tai Yong and Derek Heng was based on a Singapore history module taught at NUS, he added.

Dr Borschberg said that what is new or at least unfamiliar to many Singaporeans is the way this history is being framed and some of the events or landmarks in Singapore's pre-1800 history.

He said: "One of the accomplishments of the bicentennial commemorations next year will be to relativise the founding of the British trading post in 1819 within the context of Singapore's history across the longue duree (long duration)."


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