Punggol East By-election campaign - 17 Jan

January 18, 2013, 8:05 am

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PAP man prefers to run his own show

He opts for personal touch - to listen, empathise and communicate
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

UNLIKE in the Hougang by-election, the People's Action Party (PAP) camp in Punggol East is doing it alone.

Its candidate, Dr Koh Poh Koon, is squarely front-and-centre in the campaign, and has told MPs in the neighbouring Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC that "he can do it on his own".

In the Hougang by-election, the PAP headquarters issued a call for activists from other branches to help in the campaign, activists said. In contrast, there has been no such request from Punggol East, only a call for supporters on Nomination Day. Punggol East activists are also not enlisting help from the neighbouring Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

Said Punggol East Community Centre Management Committee chairman Tang Wing Fai: "We went through the 2011 General Election as a single-member constituency. We have the experience and the team in place."

Veteran grassroots leader Wilson Lim added: "We still have a very strong team of supporters that followed through with Michael Palmer until now. Everybody is still very united, so I think we can cope on our own."

Punggol East is also PAP ground, and its activists have a strong, established network of residents, unlike in Hougang, whose branch corps is substantially smaller as the ward has been Workers' Party (WP) territory since 1991.

Other PAP MPs are also unlikely to make an appearance in the ward to stump for Dr Koh, the way several did in the Hougang by-election for PAP candidate Desmond Choo.

Only Sembawang GRC MP Ellen Lee has plans to go down and help distribute fliers next week.

Dr Koh is being aided in strategy by caretaker MP Teo Ser Luck and Acting Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing. But they are careful to stay behind the scenes, and not campaign by his side.

The reason, said activists, is that Dr Koh and the party believe that the spotlight should be on the candidate and what he can do for residents, if elected. The approach is in line with the party's bid to "localise" the by-election.

On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean rejected the WP suggestion that the race is a "barometer" of national support for the PAP. Rather, voters should decide based on who can best take care of them in the ward, he said.

Dr Koh was asked yesterday on this contrast in strategy to that of the WP's Ms Lee Li Lian, who has been flanked by Workers' Party MPs on the campaign trail.

He said in Mandarin that "residents are voting for me, not those around helping me". That is why he prefers "a personal touch when it comes to meeting residents".

He added: "My preference is always to have a chance to listen, to appreciate, empathise, and then also have a chance to communicate with (residents).

"So I prefer to be actually knocking on the doors myself."

Dr Koh rejected a suggestion that his solo approach may give residents the sense that the party does not see the ward as important. "I don't think so... In the end, the one who can solve their problems is not my other party colleagues, but it's me," he said.

Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Gan Thiam Poh said he "is comfortable and happy Dr Koh made the decision to fight on his own. He is making sure he connects with the people".

Still, PAP ministers are likely to speak at his election rallies, and may pop by the ward for a walkabout. The PAP holds its first rally today at the field in front of Block 183C Rivervale Crescent.

Koh asks for more buses, trains
By Goh Chin Lian, The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

DR KOH Poh Koon yesterday called on the Ministry of Transport to include Punggol East in its newly announced plans to expand the rail network.

Posting on Facebook on the same day two new rail lines were unveiled, the PAP by-election candidate asked for "stations within Punggol East constituency or nearer to where Punggol East residents live".

He also called for more feeder bus services to the train stations and to speed up plans to double the capacity of LRT trains.

On the campaign trail yesterday, Dr Koh also made it clear that he would focus on such local issues in this by-election, despite opposition parties pitching the polls as a barometer of the PAP's performance nationally.

"I prefer to make sure that I touch base with residents, hear their problems and solve their problems," he said.

While national issues have to be tackled as they arise, he views it as more important to "solve immediate local issues to make life much more bearable, at least in the short term".

He visited a PAP Community Foundation kindergarten and spoke to young parents about their concerns, even as he wrote online about the need to make after-school care available in all schools. His remarks appear to be targeted at the many young parents in the Punggol East ward.

Resident Vena Xie, 35, certainly has after-school care on her mind as her daughter goes to Primary 1 next year.

Both Ms Xie and her husband work as police officers and her mother-in-law, who looks after their five-year-old, is getting on in age.

Dr Koh also told reporters he hopes to find out which residents need child-care services, and explore if more void deck spaces could be used for it. A key consideration is to build centres close to people's homes.

Another young parent, Mr Lim Eu-Gene, 40, said he was more worried about the higher cost of living, such as home prices and certificate of entitlement (COE) premiums for cars.

Dr Koh told the resident that if he gets into Parliament, he will raise issues of concern to people like Mr Lim who feel sandwiched between the poor and the rich.

Dr Koh will also champion issues of concern to young families.

"People with a young family like mine, faced with issues of children going to school, and struggles faced by working mothers - these are close to my heart."

By-election a gauge of WP too: Lee Li Lian

She says it will show whether voters have confidence in WP's track record

By Elgin Toh, The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

DAYS after the Workers' Party (WP) said the Punggol East by-election would be a barometer of the Government's performance since the last general election, its candidate admitted that the poll would be a gauge of how well her party has done too.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a morning meet-and-greet session at Kangkar LRT station, Ms Lee Li Lian said the poll would demonstrate "whether voters have the confidence to give us the vote", based on the party's track record.

Her comments put the spotlight on the national performance of both the People's Action Party (PAP) and WP since the watershed general election in May 2011.

That election prompted the PAP to make changes to national policies.

It also put the WP under greater scrutiny, since its number of MPs went up from two to eight and it also has had to run the town council in a GRC, not just in a single-seat ward.

WP chairman Sylvia Lim had said at a press conference on Monday that the election would serve as a test of "people's feelings" towards the changes at the national level since 2011.

A day after Nomination Day, the two major parties contesting in the Punggol East by-election - the PAP and WP - have not crossed swords on issues yet in this by-election.

Comments from the PAP leaders and its candidate, Dr Koh Poh Koon, so far indicate a preference to stick to local concerns and the question of which candidate is best suited to serve residents.

Ms Lee, however, has raised both local and national issues.

In a Tuesday interview with The Straits Times after her introduction, she pointed to the party's growth since 2011 and its preparation for "bigger things" in 2016.

Asked what role she saw the WP playing in the longer term, she said she hoped to see enough WP MPs "to be able to cast votes to make a difference in Parliament".

"I know that will not happen overnight. It took us 20 years to win a GRC, so what makes me think that it's going to be so easy to take up 30 per cent of the seats? A lot of hard work still needs to be done."

Yesterday, Ms Lee also pointed to problems in Punggol East.

She said she would push for more childcare facilities and feeder bus services.

On childcare, she related the story of a young couple she met on Wednesday who could see their youngest child only at weekends because they had to send the child to their parents' place during weekdays.

"We have to look at what caused this situation - both in terms of lack of facilities and difficulties in securing a place in a local (childcare centre)."

Ms Lee visited an LRT station and Rivervale Plaza, and carried out house visits yesterday.

Accompanying her were WP MPs Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap, Png Eng Huat and Yee Jenn Jong.

She said that in the 2011 campaign, she personally visited six in 10 households, and would be starting this time with the remaining 40 per cent.

She hopes to visit all households before Polling Day.

Online threat against my family: Jeyaretnam
By Joyce Lim, The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

REFORM Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam said yesterday that barely hours after he was named a candidate for the Punggol East by-election on Wednesday, he received a threat that his family would be harmed.

He declined to disclose details of the threat, but said the person who made the threat "obviously wanted him out of the by-election".

He told The Straits Times: "We can't have a system where only two parties can run in an election and others have to be warned off.

"It's like preventing competition in the market."

He made the point to this reporter while on his campaign rounds in Punggol East, which is dotted with 500 posters of his party.

Mr Jeyaretnam said he is seeking legal advice on the matter and considering making a police report.

The threat was posted on Facebook and Twitter, he added, but declined to give details.

"The comments were attacking my son and even saying that something awful will happen to my wife and son," said the 53-year-old, whose wife and 16-year-old son live in London.

"I am not worried about these people who are too scared to come out from behind the keyboard, but it's upsetting for my son."

One of his assentors, security supervisor Paul Antony Fernandez, 47, said yesterday: "Kenneth told me about the threat when we had lunch today. I spoke to his wife on the phone and she told me that she was worried about Kenneth's safety here.

"I assured her that Singapore is a safe country. If there is a need, we will make a police report."

Mr Jeyaretnam said it was not the first threat he had received, but this time, it was targeted at his family.

Yesterday, he went door-to-door at Rivervale Drive to canvass for votes and distributed fliers outside Rivervale Mall.

He also visited more than 180 households at blocks 194 and 197 of Rivervale Drive.

Very often, residents recognised him, saying they are familiar with the political history of his father, the late J.B. Jeyaretnam.

SDA, RP candidates outline their 5-year plans for Punggol East
By Saifulbahri Ismail, Channel NewsAsia, 17 Jan 2013

Candidates for the Punggol East by-election from the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) and Reform Party (RP) outlined their five-year plans on Thursday.

RP's secretary-general, Kenneth Jeyaretnam said his plan won't cost a lot of money while SDA's secretary-general, Desmond Lim said he wants to set up a residents' cooperative to build a hawker centre.

Mr Lim said his five year plan had been announced during the General Election in 2011.

It includes building a hawker centre, bicycle tracks, childcare centres and coffee corners.

He explained the plan can be funded by the town council as it has the operating and sinking funds.

For programmes that can't be funded by the town council, Mr Lim said he intends to invite interested parties to invest in joint-ventures with the residents.

One such idea is to establish a residents' cooperative for a hawker centre.

Mr Lim said: "They manage the place, give low rental and rent out the stall to their own residents to operate and run. Residents within this constituency can patronise and have a discount rate. For outsiders, of course it is normal rates."

Mr Jeyaretnam was also busy reaching out to residents.

He will be discussing his five-year plan for the ward with his grassroots team on setting up a legal clinic to help those in debt, as well as a tuition club.

He added that several residents of Punggol East are in the team as his primary advisers in this by-election.

The RP chief remains undeterred about some views that the by-election will be a two-horse race between the Workers' Party and the ruling People's Action Party.

Mr Jeyaretnam said: "People have got to be given the right to choose. It is like the idea that it is better to have one or two brands in the supermarket because it might confuse consumers."

Mr Jeyaretnam added he will not hold more than two rallies and that the first will probably be held this weekend.

By-election candidates can ask for recount if conditions are met
By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia, 17 Jan 2013

Any of the four candidates in the Punggol East by-election can request for a recount - if the difference between the candidate with the most votes and that for any other candidate is two per cent or less than the total number of votes cast.

There are 31,649 registered local voters and another 59 overseas Singaporeans in the by-election on January 26.

The four candidates are Dr Koh Poh Koon from the People's Action Party, Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam from the Reform Party, Mr Desmond Lim from the Singapore Democratic Alliance and Ms Lee Li Lian from the Workers' Party.

The Elections Department said voters will start receiving their Poll Cards from January 17.

These cards, which are green in colour, indicate the polling station they have to go to.

Voters must have the poll card, as well as their identity card or passport for verification at the polling station.

During voting, they should put a cross (X) on the ballot paper to indicate their choice clearly and drop the ballot paper into the Ballot Box before they leave the polling station.

Polling Day for the Punggol East by-election is not a public holiday. All employers must give staff who have to vote reasonable time to do so.

Polling stations will open from 8am to 8pm.

The results of the by-election are expected to be known after 10pm.

The Elections Department will deploy some 250 personnel to conduct the by-election.

Four candidates, two-horse race?
by Eugene K B Tan, TODAY, 17 Jan 2013

Much is at stake for the four political parties contesting the Punggol East by-election. The stakes are different for each party but matter significantly to each. As such, the next eight days of campaigning will be critical in winning the voters' hearts and minds.

As it is a tight race, we can expect a robust contest. Regardless of how the parties seek to characterise the by-election, it will be fought on both local and national issues.

National issues often have local manifestations, and local concerns often reflect national priorities and policies. The party that is able to adequately address both sets of issues will gain traction with voters.

Although it is a four-cornered contest, the race will effectively be a two-horse race. The Workers' Party (WP) and the incumbent People's Action Party (PAP) are the main contenders. The by-election is a battle, a way station for them as they move towards the next General Election (GE), which promises to be the real watershed election.

While both parties have sought to downplay the significance of the by-election, the reality is that much will be read into how they contest, the eventual outcome and what it means for them going forward.

A BIG GAMBLE

The Reform Party (RP) and the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) are taking a big gamble by contesting. This should not be surprising. Yet, their contesting is seen as having the potential to hurt the WP's prospects. Their challenge is to ensure that their candidacy is not seen as being opportunistic and that they have something substantive and different to offer. Otherwise, they run the premature risk of sleepwalking to political irrelevance and ridicule.

The RP and its candidate, Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam, are new to Punggol East, and the snap election does not aid their cause as time is limited for them to build rapport with the voters and demonstrate their commitment.

The SDA's Desmond Lim is seeking to redeem himself after a dismal showing in the May 2011 GE. However, it is hard to see how different voters will view his electability in a short span of 20 months. Mr Lim had then polled 4.45 per cent of the votes and lost his electoral deposit.

Both the RP and the SDA may well be undermining their long-term political aspirations should they perform poorly at the polls.

The reality is that, in a crowded race that this by-election is, voters - especially Opposition supporters - are mindful that should their votes split, they will be handing victory to the PAP. In such circumstances, as was demonstrated in the 2011 GE, Opposition voters are likely to pool their votes behind the candidate who they regard as being the strongest Opposition candidate. As such, the possibility of Mr Jeyaretnam and Mr Lim losing their electoral deposits is high.

WHAT IS AT STAKE

The WP has much to gain by securing a famous victory in Punggol East. A victory will not only increase its parliamentary headcount to nine Members of Parliament (MPs) but will bolster its credentials as the leading Opposition party and will put them in good stead for the next GE.

The WP's campaign will focus on its role as a check on the PAP Government, and how a healthy Opposition parliamentary presence will improve Singapore's governance and make the Government more responsive.

But the WP also has to deal with the perception in some quarters that it has not lived up to its billing as the leading Opposition party based on the parliamentary performance of its MPs thus far.

This by-election may well function as a referendum of sorts on the WP's performance. The party will have to show that another WP MP will do the job better than an MP from the RP or the SDA in order to persuade non-WP Opposition supporters to vote for it instead.

The PAP has the most at stake in this contest. The last time the PAP fielded a fresh face in a Single-Member Constituency was in 1988. Not only will it need to secure victory, it must also ensure that the party secure more than 50 per cent of the popular vote. Anything less than the magic figure of 50 per cent would mean that the victory is more fortuitous than real; that victory was by way of the Opposition vote being split.

As the outcome of this election will not result in a different government, the PAP will need to show why its candidate, Dr Koh Poh Koon, can make a qualitative difference by being its 81st MP.

The PAP will need to impress and assure voters that Punggol East is valued. Will the party's big guns take a low profile or will they campaign without undercutting Dr Koh's determination to run his own campaign? They will need to show how a victory is important in the larger scheme of things. How the PAP calibrates its campaign is crucial.

Fundamentally, this by-election underscores the central importance of representation in our system of government. And the candidate who is able to show he or she will be an effective and efficient representative of Punggol East will gain traction on the ground, and secure a famous victory for his or her party.

Eugene K B Tan is assistant professor of law at the Singapore Management University School of Law. He is also a Nominated Member of Parliament.

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China bets billions on human capital

January 18, 2013, 8:06 am

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It is pouring $305b a year into education in a bid to produce college grads

Published The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

SANYA (China) - Ms Zhang Xiaoping's mother dropped out of school after sixth grade. Her father, one of 10 children, never went to one.

But Ms Zhang, 20, is part of a new generation of Chinese taking advantage of a national effort to produce college graduates in numbers the world has never seen before.

A pony-tailed junior at a new university in southern China, Ms Zhang has a major in English. But her unofficial minor is American pop culture, which she absorbs by watching episodes of television shows such as The Vampire Diaries and America's Next Top Model on the Internet.

It is all part of her highly specific ambition: to work some day for a Chinese carmaker and provide the cultural insights and English fluency the company needs to supply the next generation of fuel-efficient taxis that New York City plans to choose in 2021. New York has been pushing for improved fuel efficiency in taxis.

"The status of China is growing all the time; we've got a really important role in international markets," she said in fluent English. "We need the capability to communicate with foreigners."

There are tens of millions in China like her - bright young people whose aspirations and sheer numbers could become potent economic competition for the West in decades to come.

China is making an annual US$250 billion (S$305 billion) investment in what economists call human capital. Just as the United States helped build a white-collar middle class in the late 1940s and early 1950s by using the GI Bill to help educate millions of World War II veterans, the Chinese government is using large subsidies to educate tens of millions of young people as they move from farms to cities.

The aim is to change the current system, in which a tiny, highly educated elite oversees vast armies of semi-trained factory workers and rural labourers. China wants to move up the development curve by fostering a much more broadly educated public, one that more closely resembles the multifaceted labour forces of the US and Europe.

Beijing Geely University, a private institution founded in 2000 by Mr Li Shufu, chairman of the carmaker Geely, already has 20,000 students studying a range of subjects, but with an emphasis on engineering and science, particularly auto engineering.

Mr Li also endowed and built Sanya University, a liberal arts institution with 20,000 students where Ms Zhang is a student, and opened a 5,000-student vocational community college in his hometown, Taizhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang province, to train skilled blue-collar workers.

China's growing supply of university graduates is a talent pool that global corporations are eager to tap.

"If they went to China for brawn, now they are going to China for brains," said Mr Denis Simon, one of the best-known management consultants specialising in Chinese business.

Multinationals including IBM, General Electric, Intel and General Motors have each hired thousands of graduates from Chinese universities.

"We're starting to see leaders coming out of China, and the talent to lead," said Mr Kevin Taylor, the president of Asia, Middle East and Africa operations at BT, formerly British Telecom.

Still, the overarching question for China's colleges is whether they can cultivate innovation on a wide scale - vying with the US' best and brightest in multimedia hardware and software applications, or outdesigning and outengineering Germans in making muscular cars and automated factory equipment.

NEW YORK TIMES

The productive shall inherit the Earth

January 18, 2013, 8:07 am

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Learn from the Neanderthals, wiped out ages ago by the more productive homo sapiens. Singapore needs to re-focus its push on productivity to reap rewards.
By Joseph Chong, Published The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

FOR a developed country like Singapore with severe space constraints, productivity growth is the key to raising living standards.

It is the only way forward for Singaporeans to have sustainable increases in real wages.

The official target of 2.5 per cent is indeed a stretch.

Such productivity growth over 30 years is a tough slog - but no pipe dream. The Americans have done it. Since 1947, real GDP growth in the United States has averaged 3.2 per cent annually. Most of this came about through productivity growth, which has averaged 2.2 per cent since 1947.

Plentiful space is clearly not Singapore's competitive advantage. As a city, Singapore's potential edge is in knowledge and creative industries.

Go-for-growth policies of importing cheap foreign labour to exploit regional "opportunities" that result in higher Singaporean living standards is unsustainable economics, as it ignores the true cost of having a large pool of foreign workers who put a strain on infrastructure.

The focus of Singapore's productivity drive thus far appears to be narrow, concentrating on labour productivity among smaller firms and automation.

It is vital to look at other macro-economic issues that will eventually feed into productivity.

Productivity after all is a macro-economic issue, if one reads the productivity pronouncements of the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank. Long-term monetary policy objectives are dictated, in the final analysis, by productivity trends in the economy.

The German experience between 2000 and 2005 is instructive, demonstrating the need to look at productivity more widely.

In the aftermath of the Euro-pean monetary union in 1999, the German economy slumped as it lost competitiveness despite healthy productivity levels. Germany lost its cost-of-capital advantage because of the convergence of interest rates in countries such as Spain and Italy.

Consequently, labour productivity had to climb even further to offset this loss. Even if one is running at high labour productivity levels, other factors could blindside and whack you if you miss the totality.

Germany's 2000 to 2005 experience is also the reason discipline and persistence are needed. Despite restructuring efforts, German productivity growth took time to recover. Any operational restructuring is almost invariably disruptive to business output and, hence, productivity.

Persistence needed

THIS system of inertia and friction manifests itself as the S-curve.

System changes exhibit a progression from slow beginnings that accelerate, approach a climax and level off over time.

Children's education is an S-curve we would be familiar with. If we are impatient and stop their schooling after nine years, there would be little payback. On the other hand, a double doctorate will pay you about the same as a single PhD.

Singapore's drive to lift productivity will not escape the S-curve constraints. Therefore, it is important to be patient and persistent or there will be no payback.

A few macro-economic issues to do with efficiency need addressing if Singapore wants to sustain a 2.5 per cent productivity growth rate.

Here are just three: the low labour force participation rate of women, the reluctance to impose higher standards on the domestic economy, and weakness in intellectual property creation.

Women in the workforce

THE female labour participation rate in Singapore is currently about 57 per cent versus about 75 per cent for males. Norway, with a population of about 5 million, has a female participation rate of 78 per cent. This is achieved while sustaining a fertility rate close to replacement levels.

If Singapore moves from 57 to 73 per cent, an additional pool of 150,000 workers will be available. Given that it costs about $300,000 to educate each child, we are sitting on an underutilised asset worth $45 billion. It makes no sense to educate women but not create sufficient incentives for them to be active in the labour force.

Local economy standards

THE chairman of Singapore Management University, Mr Ho Kwon Ping, was spot on when he wrote about Singapore's "double" standards.

We have an efficient export sector because we have to meet the standards set by the developed economies. But on the domestic front, we struggle to impose and enforce standards on even very basic matters such as public toilets, accreditation of cleaners and rest days for maids.

Singapore is a regional medical hub today because the medical profession has maintained high standards for decades. Globally, Germany is a good case study of the importance of high domestic standards to overall competitiveness.

There were once two very different Germanys. West Germany, with its high standards, produced goods such as cars that were desired all over the world. A mass-market Volkswagen could be sold as a premium product abroad.

But East Germany adopted Soviet standards and its car, the Trabant, was the laughing stock of the West. "Made in Germany" is a premium that has arisen because of high standards Germans have imposed on themselves.

As a student in West Germany in the 1980s, I was amazed how German consumers always focused on quality and durability in making purchases, whether the item met their famous DIN (German Institute for Standardisation) standards, which cover almost all aspects of modern civilisation.

Singapore similarly needs to embrace high standards for domestic, not just export, goods and services.

Creativity

PATENTS are a proxy used by most economists to measure an economy's creativity.

There is a clear correlation between the intensity of applying for patents and future productivity - how creative an economy will be dictates its future productivity and sustainable wealth.

My preferred metric for patent application intensity is the number of patents filed annually by residents per million population. Singapore's numbers are worrying, according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation database.

We have stagnated throughout the entire past decade, averaging about 150 resident patent applications annually per million of population. The US, already at high levels of more than 600 in 2001, has gone on to about 800 resident patent applications per million of population in 2011.

Meanwhile, China from a very low 24 in 2001 has gone on to more than 300 resident patent applications per million of population in 2011. However, the supernova is South Korea - from more than 1,500 in 2001, the Koreans have gone on to about 2,700 resident patent applications in 2011.

The efficiency of Singapore's R&D spending is also disconcerting.

The US produces about four times as many resident patent applications per dollar of R&D expenditure. The Koreans are doing 16 times as many! This is not a one-off phenomenon. This has been the trend throughout the past decade. It is the same pattern when resident patent applications are measured against GDP.

Singapore's patent paucity is of further concern as resident patent applications come mainly from government-funded organisations. Creative Technology was Singapore's local private star with 15 applications in 2011, but is dwarfed by Samsung, which filed for more than 750 (50 times!) patent applications in 2011. This probably explains why Samsung is able to slug it out with Apple in their global patent legal fight.

Perhaps the most crucial lesson on productivity comes from anthropology. It involves the extinction of the Neanderthals. Homo sapiens and Neanderthals share a common ancestor that lived about 500,000 years ago.

Neanderthals are almost genetically identical to humans. They had a spoken language and a brain of about the same size, but fossil remains show that they were physically stronger. They dominated Europe until homo sapiens arrived from Africa about 50,000 years ago.

A comparison of tools and weapons shows, nevertheless, that homo sapiens had the creative edge - we outcompeted and marginalised them into extinction over time.

Here is the maths. Even assuming a small difference in productivity of just 0.1 per cent a year between two equal communities, the more productive community will be wealthier by more than 140 times at the end of 5,000 years. The US dwarfs Singapore but the US economy is only 60 times larger, not 140.

The Neanderthals' fate tells us that the productive will inherit the Earth. Nobel laureate Paul Krugman once aptly said: "Productivity isn't everything, but in the long run it's almost everything."

The writer is the former CEO of a financial advisory firm.

Khaw pushes for three constructive ideas

January 18, 2013, 8:09 am

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These may boost productivity and ease reliance on foreign labour, he says

By Daryl Chin, The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

LEGO-STYLE building techniques, robot technology and new materials could help to revolutionise Singapore's construction industry.

National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan urged developers and construction firms to consider the ideas in his blog post yesterday, saying they could boost productivity and reduce reliance on foreign construction workers.

The unitised building system sees room-sized units complete with internal finishes and fittings made in factories, then transported to a site to be fitted together like Lego bricks.

Mr Khaw noted that besides being able to cut construction time by up to half, it would also ensure works are done away from residential areas, meaning less construction noise and dust pollution.

Robotic fabrication is still in development. Think-tank Singapore- ETH Centre is looking at how labour-intensive work such as tiling can be done by robots.

The last idea is cross-laminated timber, which is created by binding layers of timber at right angles with structural adhesives.

Compared with run-of-the-mill timber, the laminated kind can support heavier loads and be used for floors and beams. It is still being evaluated for use in Singapore.

A company in Melbourne used such wood to create a 10-storey residential building in 11 months - 30 per cent quicker than it would normally take.

Of the three ideas, only the unitised building system is currently available to developers in Singapore, said the Building and Construction Authority.

Local contractor Swee Hong has an exclusive arrangement to use it.

Its spokesman Kenneth Loh said it has many advantages, "although the main obstacle would be the mindset change for designers to learn a new way of doing things".

The carrot for them to do so is a shorter waiting time for approvals from the authorities, he added.

Contractors will face tighter labour cuts, even as the industry is poised to enjoy yet another year of robust growth.

Projected construction demand is between $26 billion and $32 billion this year, and is expected to be up to $28 billion annually in the next two years.

"The future is already here, in several other parts of the world. Let's make sure Singapore is not left out," said Mr Khaw.

Housing tops concerns in PM's weekly sessions

January 18, 2013, 8:16 am

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By Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

HOUSING was the top concern even as job worries eased among residents who went to Mr Lee Hsien Loong's Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) last year.

Revealing the statistics of his MPS cases on Facebook yesterday, the Prime Minister said the weekly sessions saw nearly 2,800 residents and over 5,500 letters of appeal were written. Just under half the cases live in Teck Ghee itself, while the rest were from other parts of Ang Mo Kio GRC.

More than a third of cases handled concerned housing, such as buying and selling of flats or requests for rental flats.

"HDB has a tough job, but it is making progress building more BTO (Build-to-Order) flats and shortening waiting times for rental flats," he wrote.

Housing has been a top concern since it emerged as a key issue in the 2011 General Election. Prices of HDB resale flats hit fresh records recently, with estimates of a price rise of 2.5 per cent in the last three months of last year.

The HDB has been responding by keeping prices of new BTO flats stable and ramping up supply. Last week, the Government also announced a fresh round of property cooling measures.

Mr Lee said other common appeals were for financial assistance (14 per cent of cases), immigration matters (12 per cent) and traffic or parking issues (9 per cent). Just 3 per cent came looking for help finding jobs. He said: "Fortunately, we encountered not many requests for help to find jobs, reflecting our low unemployment."

Less than 2 per cent were on medical bills. He added: "I know that people worry a lot about health-care costs and we will continue to monitor them closely."

He also wrote about success stories, posting a picture of resident Koh Chek Heng thanking him after the PM had written to the National University Hospital to help him get a medical report.

"We always seek to give residents a full and sympathetic hearing, and to help them as best as we can. Even if we can't fully solve all their problems, we can often at least lessen them."

MRT network size to double by 2030

January 18, 2013, 10:51 pm

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80% of homes here will be within 10-minute walk of a station by then

By Christopher Tan, The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

SINGAPORE'S train network is set to double in size over the next 17 years, with two new lines and three extensions announced yesterday.

The slew of new projects means 80 per cent of households will be no more than 10 minutes' walk from a station by 2030, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew.

They come on top of half a dozen others that are already in various stages of planning and construction.

The new projects will boost the size of the network to about 360km - the current size is 178km - and increase the proportion of households within a 10-minute walk of a station from the current 57 per cent. They are:

- Cross Island Line, a 50km train line running from Changi in the east to Jurong industrial estate in the west.

In between, it will link towns and districts such as West Coast, Clementi, Bukit Timah, Sin Ming, Ang Mo Kio, Hougang and Pasir Ris. From Pasir Ris, it will have an offshoot that goes to Punggol - forming the first rail link between the two northern estates.

- Jurong Region Line, a 20km H-shaped network targeted for completion by 2025.

It will link Choa Chu Kang, Tengah, Jurong East, West Coast, Boon Lay and Jurong West to the North-South and East-West lines. It is expected to have a stop at the Nanyang Technological University.

- A 4km extension that will join the two southern ends of the orbital Circle Line, making it a complete circle by 2025.

- A 2km extension of the North-East Line north of Punggol, to serve the future "new Punggol downtown" by 2030.

- A 2km extension to link Downtown Line 3 to the future Eastern Region Line. When it is completed by 2025, commuters will be able to travel from Singapore Expo to Marine Parade in less than 10 minutes.

Planners are also considering building a new station on the North-South Line between Yishun and Sembawang stations to serve future mixed developments there. Speaking during a visit to Downtown Line 1's Chinatown station yesterday, Mr Lui said the denser network will not only give commuters better connectivity but will also create "a more resilient network that can better mitigate disruptions".

This means that if there is an incident on one line, commuters can switch to another fairly easily to continue their journey.

The minister said it will also allow parts of the network to be closed for extended periods for improvement works.

Asked if the timing of his announcement was in any way linked to the Punggol by-election, he said: "No, no, we've been planning to announce these for some time now. In any case, the new lines are not quite at the Punggol East SMC (single-member constituency). They will benefit everybody in Singapore."

Although no details of the cost were available as engineering studies have not started, observers estimate that the cost of the new lines - totalling 78km in length - could come to between $70 billion and $100 billion.

Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport chairman Cedric Foo said: "Some commuters will say that the completion date is not ambitious enough.

"But in adding some 180km of rail, there are many second-order effects that the Government needs to balance against. Some of which are disruptions, more foreign workers, the capacity of contractors and sub-contractors, demand for materials" and so on.

Mr Lui said the expanded network "will have more than the capacity needed to meet the expected increase in public transport ridership in the next two decades".

He added: "On the other hand, our response cannot always be to build more lines... we need to find other options, such as a more aggressive decentralisation strategy so that there is a better geographical balance of jobs and people."

He was referring to a plan spelt out as early as the 1980s to create regional centres such as Tampines and Jurong East to bring jobs closer to where people lived. One benefit is shorter, fewer commutes.

Cross Island Line is most ambitious yet
It could be first in Singapore to have trains with more than six carriages

By Christopher Tan, The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

SINGAPORE is embarking on its most ambitious MRT project yet: the 50km Cross Island Line (CRL), expected to be ready by 2030.

While it is not the longest line here - that is the 57km East-West Line - it could be the first in Singapore to have trains with more than six carriages.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) would not confirm this, merely saying that the CRL will be "a heavy-load system".

Currently the East-West, North-South and North-East lines have six-car trains while the others have three- or four-car trains. In other countries, eight- and 10-car trains are common.

The CRL will also pass through densely built up areas such as Sin Ming, Ang Mo Kio, Hougang and Clementi.

This will pose engineering challenges and raise the possibility of property acquisitions, thus lifting the overall cost.

Mr Chong Kee Sen, vice-president of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore, said: "It really depends on the exact alignment, but if you're going through densely occupied areas, some acquisition may be unavoidable."

But construction methods might improve in the next few years to facilitate things not feasible now, he added.

The CRL will also cut through the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Central Catchment Area.

Observers said provisions must be made to minimise the environmental impact of construction.

Mr Rajan Krishnan, chief executive of engineering firm Kok Thong Holdings and former head of rail projects at the LTA, said it is not hard to ensure the plan will be sound environmentally. But he admits that a higher-capacity system and one that passes through dense developments can have cost implications.

"The first thing that struck me was that there are going to be a lot of projects going on between 2016 and 2018.

"That will exert a huge demand on resources and that will have an impact on cost."

He would not hazard a guess as to how much the line would cost, but said it will not be less than the Thomson Line, a four-car system that costs $600 million per km.

Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport chairman Cedric Foo said: "In a small island state, upgrading public transport is a strategic imperative and not a choice.

"Singaporeans should support it by bearing with the short-term inconveniences that come with such an ambitious project."

National University of Singapore's transport economist Anthony Chin added: "As we position ourselves as a liveable city competing for high-value jobs, the implications on land use will be tremendous. And we can't afford to build many more roads."

Commuter benefits will be significant. The line will have a fork that goes from Pasir Ris to Punggol - the first rail link between the two north-eastern towns.

Residents will be able to travel from one to the other in 10 to 15 minutes, compared with a 40-minute bus ride today.

This, according to the LTA, will form the first leg of yet another possible line: a so-called Northshore line to link up to Woodlands.

Punggol resident Noriezah Idris, 39, a logistics worker at Zuellig Pharma in Changi North, said: "It will be much more convenient for me in the future. Currently, I have to take two bus transfers to get to work."

The CRL will have interchanges at all existing radial lines so it will relieve loads on these systems - in particular the North-East and East-West lines.

But National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der-Horng said: "It is simply too far away for us to long for since we are talking about 17 years from now, if there is no delay.

"It'd be great if it can be expedited."

Extensions of current and upcoming rail lines
By Jermyn Chow, Debbie Lee, Priscilla Kham and Tan Sue-Ann, The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

CIRCLE LINE:

Although Holland Village and Mountbatten are on the Circle Line, a train ride from one station to the other involves going in a big loop through the western, central and eastern parts of Singapore.

To avoid this hour-long route in getting from her Holland Village home to netball training in Mountbatten, Ms Gladys Teo has to hop on and off three different trains.

Still, she manages to shave only 15 minutes off the ride, no thanks to the fact that the two ends of the current Circle Line - Marina Bay and HarbourFront stations - are not linked.

"It is so inconvenient and does not make sense to take the train, so I have to drive," said the 26-year-old assistant finance manager.

This is why commuters like her are cheering the news of the plan to add new stations to close the Circle Line loop.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said yesterday that closing the Circle Line loop with a 4km extension will cut the 40-minute journey from Kent Ridge to Marina Bay by 15 minutes.

Another bonus when the new-look Circle Line and Thomson Line are ready is that more than 90 per cent of buildings in the Central Business District will be just a five-minute walk from an MRT station.

This will then make it easier for commuters like Ms Teo to ditch their cars for trains.

Her only complaint is that she will have to wait till 2025 to do so. "I'm not sure if I will even be playing netball by then," Ms Teo quipped.

DOWNTOWN LINE:

Extending the Downtown Line by 2km may not be much but the change could make a big impact on commuters living in the eastern part of Singapore.

That's because the little extension will link the Downtown Line, East-West Line and the future Eastern Region Line, said Mr Lui, providing "more travel options and better connectivity".

"More critically, this extension strengthens the resilience of our rail network, as commuters can more easily re-route themselves in the event of a disruption," added Mr Lui.

This greatly benefits train operators, said Nanyang Technological University adjunct associate professor Gopinath Menon.

"It gives them the flexibility to close off certain portions of their rail lines for maintenance or repair without making it too troublesome for commuters," said the retired Land Transport Authority (LTA) planner.

NORTH-EAST LINE:

While some Punggol residents welcome news of the upcoming Punggol North MRT station, others question if there is a need for it since the area is already served by an LRT line and feeder bus services.

The station will be built by around 2030 to serve residents in the area, including the so-called "new Punggol Downtown". It will connect them to the existing Punggol station.

Punggol North resident Roxanne Chong, 21, said the new station would cut down the waiting time for the feeder bus from her home to Punggol station.

But other residents said the existing public transport network works just fine.

"Punggol MRT station is only a few LRT stops away after all. I have no complaints," said car dealer Jason Tan, 30.

Housewife Siti Aminah, 49, felt that a direct train service to the city would be more useful as "to go to Orchard Road, we still have to change bus services and change trains to get there".

NORTH-SOUTH LINE:

Whenever she has a morning lesson, Singapore Institute of Management psychology student Cheryl Ong misses at least two trains, sometimes three.

The 21-year-old lives in the Seletaris condominium, which is caught in the middle of Sembawang and Yishun MRT stations.

Walking to the nearest station would take up to 45 minutes, said Ms Ong. Instead, she waits for a shuttle bus, which comes every 30 minutes.

If she misses it, she will have to wait for a public bus, which can take up to 20 minutes to arrive, making her late for school in Clementi Road.

Ms Ong is among the residents who can expect to benefit from a possible new station on the North-South Line, between Sembawang and Yishun. The LTA said it was studying this option in tandem with developments in northern Singapore.

"If I have an MRT station near my estate, I can leave for school whenever I want, but right now I have to leave the house according to the various bus schedules, which are very unpredictable," she said.

Nee Soon GRC MP Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said it is "only logical" to have a station there. This is because it will "ease the new load that is coming in to these new developments".

New Jurong rail line was mooted a decade ago
By Jermyn Chow And Christopher Tan, The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

THE new rail line linking up the Jurong area that will be ready by 2025 was mooted more than 10 years ago.

The Jurong Region Line was was actually first announced in 2001 by then Communications and Information Technology Minister Yeo Cheow Tong.

But the light rail system, which would have linked the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to the East-West MRT Line's Boon Lay station and been called the Jurong Region LRT Line, was never built.

Transport observers said that low ridership then did not make an additional rail line in an area that is dotted with factories and prawn ponds feasible.

But today, western Singapore is buzzing with activity, with the new Jurong Gateway set to become a major commercial hub.

So a new 20km rail line will provide better connectivity for commuters who live, study and work within the area, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew yesterday.

They include NTU students and workers in Jurong Industrial Estate and Jurong Island.

Commuters can also bypass the Jurong East MRT interchange, which has become a choke point for commuters who have to switch to trains on the East-West Line to get to the city centre.

Mr Lui said the new line "will not only shorten their travel times, but also redistribute ridership" out of Jurong East station.

Better late than never, said Bukit Gombak resident Manoj Kumar, who has to jostle for space in a train every morning at the Jurong East MRT interchange to get to his Raffles Place workplace.

"It should have come earlier... it is madness trying to squeeze with everyone else to get on the trains," said the 42-year-old equity broker.

Jurong GRC MP Ang Wei Neng said he has heard similar complaints from other residents who say the road network and bus services in the area leave much to be desired.

With upcoming launches of new shopping malls, a hotel and offices in the Jurong area, Mr Ang welcomed the latest decision to build the Jurong Region Line.

And although the line will only be ready by 2025, Mr Ang said residents can look forward to more improvements to be made to bus services.

"We have to build in advance, not just for today's requirements," he said.

Punggol East By-election: PAP Rally, 18 Jan

January 18, 2013, 11:35 pm

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Punggol East By-election campaign - 18 Jan

January 19, 2013, 8:03 am

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Govt has listened and learnt: PAP leaders

By Neo Chai Chin, TODAY, 19 Jan 2013

Amid a drizzle, the People’s Action Party (PAP) yesterday kicked off the round of rallies in the Punggol East by-election with a mix of local activists and political office holders lending their support for its candidate, Dr Koh Poh Koon.

While Dr Koh, 40, focused largely on municipal issues and pledged a series of improvements, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat spoke of how the PAP Government has moved ahead in many areas of concern to Singaporeans since the last General Election — in what could be a pre-emptive move, as the Opposition parties are expected to raise national issues in their rallies.

Apart from Mr Teo and Mr Heng, Parliamentary Secretary (Health and Transport) Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim and Senior Minister of State (Law and Education) Indranee Rajah noted that Singaporeans have aired concerns about hot-button issues — such as housing prices, cost of living and transport bottlenecks — and measures have been rolled out to tackle these worries, even as work remains to be done.

While the PAP has framed the Punggol East by-election as a contest based on residents’ municipal concerns, the Opposition parties have sought to attach greater significance to it. Workers’ Party Chairman Sylvia Lim, for instance, had said the by-election could be a “barometer” of how Singaporeans feel about the Government’s performance since the 2011 General Election.

Last night’s rally took place at the field in front of Block 183C Rivervale Crescent, and saw a total of nine speakers including Dr Koh and the ward’s rank and file activists who spoke in Malay, Tamil, Mandarin and English in just under two hours.

While all the speakers attested to Dr Koh’s dedication and readiness to serve, the PAP office-holders also spoke about efforts to ensure affordable and adequate housing, managing cost of living, easing transport bottlenecks and developing a more-rounded education system.

Mr Heng said that the Government has been building more than 70,000 Build-To-Order flats since 2011. He also noted that first-time buyers of public housing receive up to S$60,000 in grants, and more rail lines are to be added. He said: “Listening to you, we’ve learnt much. We share your concerns. We’re working hard and will continue to work hard to make life better for Singaporeans.”

Ms Indranee added: “We have not misread and we have not forgotten the message that the electorate has given.”

Mr Teo said the Government has received many suggestions and “tried to balance the different needs”, introducing many initiatives in the past year. But the suggestions have sometimes contradicted one another, as “we do not all have the same needs, we do not all have the same priorities, we do not all value exactly the same things in exactly the same ways”.

He added: “The key is to build consensus and find the right balance. To build upon what we have in common, bring us together, to unite us rather than accentuate the differences such that we end up being divided.”

Continuing the theme of national issues, Mr Teo said that, if elected, Dr Koh would have a bigger role beyond the constituency. He said: “With his capabilities and experience, Poh Koon will also be able to make a larger contribution, offering ideas and perspectives for policies to serve Singaporeans better.”

He reiterated that, if elected as a PAP MP, Dr Koh “will be able to help shape the policies that will make your lives, and the lives of your families, better for the future”.

After the rally, Dr Koh told reporters that he will champion the needs of women and children, in response to questions about how he will help shape national policies.

He added: “I’ll be looking at things that are really close to my heart, with women and children, their working lives as well as issues of education.”

WP 'will keep close watch over Govt'

But Government should also be given time to fix shortcomings, says Low

By Andrea Ong & Robin Chan, The Straits Times, 19 Jan 2013

WORKERS' Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang believes the Government should be given time to correct its shortcomings, even as he pledged that his party will continue to cast a watchful eye.

And while policy changes are still in progress, heightened politicking will not help Singapore, he said in a letter to Punggol East voters, obtained by The Straits Times yesterday.

In an eight-page brochure posted to households, he highlighted the WP's track record in contesting every general election since 1957 and being a "credible and responsible opposition".

However, the veteran MP pointed out: "While the WP will scrutinise and press for accountability from the Government, it is also my personal belief that the Government should be given time to rectify the shortcomings and neglects pointed out to it."

Doing so would "serve the public interest better than continuing to agitate and raise political tension to gain maximum political mileage for WP", as it takes time for policy changes to take effect on the ground, he added.

But, it is "in the interest of Singapore" for citizens to balance a strong executive government with a responsible opposition in Parliament to act as a check and balance and protect their rights.

"WP offers to play the role and to make a positive contribution to Singapore," said Mr Low.

He noted two key areas where the presence of more WP MPs in Parliament has made a difference since the 2011 General Election, when he led a team to victory in Aljunied GRC.

One, ordinary folk now have more say in governance, an improvement from when the country was run by an elite class under the People's Action Party (PAP), with little accountability and transparency, he said.

Two, the WP has championed a more humane society, where a First World nation extends beyond materialistic and elitist goals. "We have seen some changes in that direction," said Mr Low without elaborating.

He reiterated WP's commitment to seeing Singapore progress and PAP improve. But WP must also "be ready one day to be an alternative choice for the people, especially if the ruling party should become incompetent or corrupt".

It is a pledge the party hopes to build on by sending its candidate Lee Li Lian into Parliament.

Ms Lee yesterday unveiled another part of her campaign platform in vowing to champion the welfare of the elderly.

The 34-year-old sales trainer has two proposals for improving their health-care needs.

First, she is calling for Medisave withdrawal limits to be lifted for patients above age 75 - a suggestion the WP had put forth in its 2011 manifesto.

Currently, there are caps on the amount which can be withdrawn from each person's account, such as a maximum of $400 a year for outpatient treatment of chronic diseases.

But Ms Lee pointed out that few people at that age would still have income from work to foot their medical bills.

Spending on their medical care - especially for long-term diseases like diabetes - "has already become a necessity", she told The Straits Times.

Second, elderly patients should not have to queue up at polyclinics to get referrals for subsidised treatment at public hospitals. She suggested expanding the existing Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), where patients satisfying certain criteria can get subsidised treatment at general practices.

Now, many elderly patients have to walk "quite a distance" or take a bus to the polyclinic to be referred, some arriving as early as 4am to beat the queue, she said.

This is "physically draining as well as troublesome for them", said Ms Lee, who hopes patients can just visit CHAS clinics near their homes to get referrals.

Threats ‘intended to disrupt our campaign’, says RP’s Jeyaretnam
By Teo Xuan Wei, TODAY, 19 Jan 2013

Reform Party candidate Kenneth Jeyaretnam yesterday spent about three hours at a police station lodging a report against “credible threats of violence” that he and his family had received via his Facebook page.

Mr Jeyaretnam confirmed the police report at a press conference which he had called — but began one hour later, and after prompting from reporters who had gathered outside Rivervale Mall.

Reading out from a brief statement, Mr Jeyaretnam gave little details about the threats that he received since he was officially nominated on Wednesday as one of four candidates standing in the Punggol East by-election, or the instances of cyberbullying directed, since Monday at his 16-year-old son, Jared, who is in London.

However, when pressed by reporters, he declined to say more about the nature of and reason for the threats.

He explained that the case was under police investigation.

But he said, “obviously it’s intended to disrupt our campaign”, citing the hours he spent lodging the police report as an example.

He added: “I would also ask you to stop speculating online that this is the work of the WP (Workers’ Party). There’s no basis for believing that.”

Previous reports had mentioned discontent against the Reform Party and the Singapore Democratic Alliance for preventing a straight fight between the WP and the People’s Action Party.

In his statement, Mr Jeyaretnam also spoke out against cyberbullying and gave advice to victims of such bullying. He added that the online harassment had caused considerable distress to his son but that he remained focused on his campaign.

Mr Jeyaretnam visited Kangkar LRT station and Rivervale Plaza yesterday morning, then covered a block of flats before spending the bulk of the afternoon at the police station.

He told the media that he would give more details of the threats and online harassment today.

A hands-on lesson in local politics
By Desiree Tay, TODAY, 19 Jan 2013

Having time on their hands while awaiting their A-Level results, Zameer Husref, Akmal Dani, Fareez Khan and Angie Ooi, all 19, figured they might as well get involved with the Punggol East by-election by volunteering in the campaign of Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) candidate Desmond Lim.

Zameer, who saw an SDA Facebook post at the start of the year asking for volunteers and asked the rest along, said he saw “this as an opportunity to have a hands-on experience of what local politics is like on the ground”.

He added: “If we had volunteered with a bigger party, I doubt we would have the chance to interact with the candidate himself, or get to follow him on his walkabouts.”

The group conceded that they were at first clueless about the SDA or Mr Lim. And after doing their own research, they were sceptical about Mr Lim’s chances, given his record of losing in three previous elections.

In the 2011 General Election, Mr Lim’s election deposit was forfeited as he received just 4.5 per cent of the vote in Punggol East. But still, having spent the past few days with him, they felt that he “genuinely cares for the people and their concerns and really wants to do something”. “He is admirable for being willing to try his best even though he lost the previous time,” said Zameer.

The group is among Mr Lim’s youth volunteers — some are as young as 17 — who have attracted much media interest, amid speculation that they were paid to volunteer. Mr Lim had clarified that no electioneering rules were broken, and the youths are given a token sum to cover their food and transport expenses.

According to the group, the number of volunteers has fallen sharply: On Nomination Day, almost 100 volunteers — comprising eight groups of 12 — turned up to support Mr Lim. But in the following days, only a handful of groups have been reporting for the campaign activities.

Mr Lim declined to say if the number of volunteers has fallen, adding that such information is confidential.

Nevertheless, he did not expect to get so many volunteers initially. “I was very surprised myself that someone who is just a normal person like me can attract so many youths to step forward,” he said.

The volunteers were mostly students awaiting their O- or A-level results, and included Permanent Residents who were interested in politics here. According to the volunteers, their meal expenses are reimbursed, with a cap of S$5 per meal. On some days, they will be provided with meals. The volunteers were told that they can make transport claims at the end of the by-election.

Meanwhile, Mr Lim said yesterday that if elected, he will do his best to bring forward the opening of the new Cross Island Line, which was announced on Thursday. He wants to have residents sign a petition to bring forward the train line’s opening, currently set to be around 2030.

Mr Lim said he hopes the Cross Island Line can be completed in eight years — with five years to lay the foundation and three years to build.

He added, however, that he understands the difficulties in building the line as it is close to the sea and will take longer.

The new train line, which starts from Changi and ends at Jurong Industrial Estate, serves Punggol residents. It would reduce travelling time from Punggol to Pasir Ris — currently 40 minutes by bus — to 10-15 minutes.

How leaders' by-election hopes fizzled out
By Tessa Wong, The Straits Times, 19 Jan 2013

IT WAS late last week when the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) started getting nervous.

Despite e-mail messages and phone calls to Workers' Party (WP) leaders like Mr Low Thia Khiang, there was no response. Even calls to the WP headquarters' main line were rejected.

Earlier attempts to publish online the letters sent to the WP - "to get some public support", said a source - also made no headway.

With just days to the Punggol East by-election's Nomination Day, the party badly needed to contact the WP so as to convince it to back out and let the SDP be the main opposition contender.

It decided on the idea of a "unity candidate" between the two parties as a last gambit.

But the move would end up killing its hopes of standing in the election, leading to its surprising last-minute pullout from the race.

From the start, the party was split on whether to contest, said several sources who shared with The Straits Times the details of how the bid fell apart.

After the resignation of People's Action Party MP Michael Palmer mid-last month, some activists and supporters were worried that the SDP would be seen as "spoiling" the WP's chances if it contested.

But secretary-general Chee Soon Juan was keen as he believed the WP might give way.

"He was hopeful," said Dr Paul Tambyah, a party volunteer who was favoured as the SDP's candidate.

Other party leaders also believed the party would have a decent showing and might outdo the WP, thereby burnishing the SDP's credibility. It was also hoped they could strike a deal with the WP for the next general election.

The party's leaders decided to take the plunge, announcing on Dec 27 that they would contest, followed by conducting their first walkabout on Jan 7.

But behind closed doors, the unanswered calls to the WP were beginning to worry the party leaders. It led to the decision for a unity candidate.

Party insiders insist it was a collective decision, and that Dr Chee did not push it. He is said to be sensitive about coming across as too dictatorial.

But he did think the plan was worth a shot. "He felt, why not?" said a source present at a meeting.

With their media adviser Fazlur Yusof out of the country, the leaders clumsily phrased the proposal on their own - the SDP would enter Parliament while the WP would run the town council.

The reaction was swift. Within hours of their announcement last Friday, netizens criticised their proposal, with e-mail and online comments pouring in over the weekend.

Said a source who spoke to Dr Chee then: "He told me that he became concerned when it was no longer just the usual SDP haters who were complaining, but also key supporters contacting leaders, telling them to back down."

The party sought to clarify that they had been "misinterpreted". But it did little to stem the tide.

The central executive committee (CEC) called for emergency meetings over the weekend with activists to discuss the possibility of dropping out, even as those same activists would continue making house visits every night.

But still, the party put on a brave public front. On Monday night, Dr Chee told reporters that the party had picked its candidate. A party cadre was also told to pick up the political donations certificate the next morning.

But in reality, said one CEC member, they were already leaning towards dropping out.

On Tuesday morning, the leadership held its final pow-wow. Should they contest? Together, they decided it was no longer worth the effort.

The saga has not gone down well with members. At least one CEC member is said to be unhappy with how the proposal to the WP was bungled.

Several activists were unhappy with the last-minute pullout, concerned that it embarrassed the party and wasted their efforts. Some had taken leave while others cancelled plans for overseas trips to campaign in the by-election.

The leadership has taken pains to convince them that it was for the best through several meetings. They have also focused on winning over a few key figures among the volunteers.

A party split appears unlikely, for now. An appreciation dinner for volunteers and a May Day rally are in the works to boost morale.

Party insiders are confident that the SDP can survive, believing that its decision to pull out has earned it goodwill among opposition supporters.

Referring to the expected date for the next general election, Dr Tambyah said: "We still have three more years to 2016."

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Punggol East By-election: WP Rally, 19 Jan

January 19, 2013, 10:57 pm

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MOM’s response to media queries on Yawning Bread’s blog post

January 19, 2013, 11:10 pm

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Ministry of Manpower, 18 January 2013

TWC2 Treasurer Alex Au has made serious allegations in his 14 January 2013 post “Injured worker awarded $69,000 in compensation, employer not paying” which have impugned the integrity of the Manpower Ministry and our officers. These allegations are entirely false.

The chronological details in the case involving Mr Uzzal Kumar Mondal Upendra Nath Mondal are laid out below. It is important to note that:

(a) Recovery of Mr Uzzal’s work injury compensation and prosecution of his employer for not making this payment are two separate processes, and MOM officers did their job in both respects.

The amount owed to Mr Uzzal is a civil debt. Like all non-payment of civil debts, Mr Uzzal would have to enforce the payment through the Bailiff Section of the Subordinate Courts. As Mr Uzzal has retained the services of a lawyer, this would have been clearly explained to him. Notwithstanding this, the Ministry referred Mr Uzzal’s case to the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) for assistance. MWC offered to provide all necessary assistance to Mr Uzzal to enforce the payment, including the filing of documents and payment of stamp fees and court expenses. Through his lawyer, Mr Uzzal declined MWC’s offer of assistance.

In parallel, MOM also commenced an investigation with a view to prosecuting the employer for failing to pay compensation to Mr Uzzal, which is an offence under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA). To ensure fairness, MOM conducts such independent investigations to ascertain the facts of the case. Only when the investigation is complete can prosecution action be taken i.e. charges filed in court.

As part of the investigation, MOM interviewed both the employer and Mr Uzzal on 26 December 2012. Importantly, Mr Uzzal was also briefed on his options for enforcing the compensation payment during this interview. Apart from the avenue of the Subordinate Courts, Mr Uzzal could enforce the compensation payment through application of Section 40 of the WICA. This option has two downsides. First, while this allows the courts to rule that compensation be paid to the worker if the employer is successfully convicted, payment is in fact not guaranteed. If the employer is unable to pay for whatever reason, the employer would be jailed in lieu of payment, and the debt would be extinguished. Second, the prosecution process would typically take longer than enforcement of payment through the Bailiff Section of the Subordinate Courts. Mr Uzzal was briefed on both options, and through his lawyer, Mr Uzzal asked that MOM apply Section 40 of the WICA when prosecuting the employer.

In the meantime, MOM has forfeited the employer’s security bond for the worker, and barred the employer from hiring foreign workers.

(b) There is a separate and concurrent investigation with a view to prosecuting the employer under the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act, and Mr Uzzal was interviewed in Jan 2013 in connection with this investigation.

Mr Uzzal recorded his statement in Bengali, with an interpreter present throughout the interview with the MOM officer. The interview focused on WSH questions such as whether Mr Uzzal received safety training and whether risk assessments were performed before work. It was not, as Mr Au made it out to be, related to the work injury compensation order. On two occasions, both the MOM officer and the interpreter highlighted to Mr Uzzal that the statement recorded was for the purpose of investigating the accident under the WSH Act.

As there were some inconsistencies in Mr Uzzal’s statement, the MOM officer had reminded him to state the truth, and that he may face prosecution if he provided false information. At no point did the MOM officer try to “harass” Uzzal or worse, “undermine” the work injury compensation order. This was confirmed by the interpreter, who was present throughout the interview.

MOM Committed to Assisting Injured Workers

MOM is committed to ensuring that the WIC claim process is fair and expeditious. Our records showed that 80% of all cases are resolved within 3 months. Mr Uzzal’s case was among the exceptions. To accuse MOM of being “derelict in its duties”, as well as to insinuate that MOM was “unhappy with Uzzal going to the media” and using the “interrogation” as a way of “punishing him” is irresponsible of Mr Au. It would have been the responsible thing to come to MOM if Mr Au or TWC2 had any queries, and alert MOM, if he or TWC2 felt there were any issues with Mr Uzzal’s interview. But Mr Au did not do so, and chose to simply publish the inaccuracies without checking the facts of the case. Such inaccurate articles are unhelpful, and addressing these irresponsible allegations detracts from the Ministry’s day-to-day work of ensuring that workers are protected under the law and derelict employers are prosecuted.

In light of the facts presented above, Mr Au should do the right thing and remove the inaccurate post immediately.

For media’s background info

Under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA), employers are required to pay the compensation determined by the Commissioner for Labour to the claimant within 21 days from the service of the Notice of Assessment or after the order is made. Employers are also required under WICA to maintain work injury compensation insurance for (i) all employees doing manual work and, (ii) non-manual employees earning $1,600 or less a month. Interest can also be charged on the compensation due, if the employer delays payment to the worker.

Under WICA, errant employers can be fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed up to 12 months for each of these offences.

Claimants who face difficulty with the recovery proceedings are advised to approach MOM for assistance.

Chronology of events

- 25 October 2012 

The Commissioner for Labour determines that the compensation amount payable by employer to Mr Uzzal amounted to $69,838, and payment is due by 15 November 2012.

- 5 December 2012 

After being informed that payment has not been made and attempts to persuade employer to pay failed, MOM begins the process of prosecuting the employer, including scheduling of interviews with both the employer and worker as part of investigations.

MOM also refers Mr Uzzal’s case to Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) for humanitarian assistance, including financial assistance for enforcement of compensation payment with Bailiff Section of Subordinate Courts.

- 18 December 2012 

MOM informs Mr Uzzal’s lawyers, Dominion LLC, that MWC has offered to pay for enforcement of compensation payment.

- 21 December 2012 

Dominion LLC replies that Mr Uzzal declines MWC’s assistance and intends to apply s40 of Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA), which allows the courts to order compensation be paid to the worker upon successful conviction of non-compensation.

- 26 December 2012 

As part of investigations under WICA, both Mr Uzzal and the employer are separately interviewed.

- 8 January 2013 

As part of concurrent investigations under the Workplace Safety and Health Act, a statement is taken from Mr Uzzal.

Blogger clashes with Manpower Ministry
Alex Au refuses to remove post about injured foreign worker

By Amelia Tan, The Straits Times, 19 Jan 2013

BLOGGER Alex Au has been asked to take down a post which accused the Manpower Ministry of failing to help a Bangladeshi construction worker to receive injury compensation.

But the 60-year-old rejected the ministry's request yesterday, saying he stood by what he wrote.

His post highlighted the case of Mr Uzzal Kumar Mondal Upendra Nath Mondal, who was using a hacking machine in a bathroom in a Housing Board flat in 2010 when his safety glasses slipped off due to the vibrations. The 36-year-old was hit by a chip of tiling, leaving him with 50 per cent vision in his right eye.

Last October, Mr Uzzal's employer was ordered to pay him $69,838 by Nov 15 after the case was heard by the Commissioner of Labour. But it turned out that the firm, Zheng Yang Construction, had not bought insurance for the worker, who has still not received his compensation.

On Monday, Mr Au claimed on his Yawning Bread blog that Mr Uzzal had been "interrogated" for four hours by an officer from the ministry. He questioned whether this had been done to punish the worker for giving an interview to Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, which published a story on him last month.

Mr Au added that the ministry had "been derelict in its duties, failing to put in place any system at all for the care and support of injured workers". Yesterday, it responded by saying that the allegations were "entirely false" and the blogger should have checked the facts before publishing. "Mr Au should do the right thing and remove the post immediately," said a spokesman.

He added that officers from the ministry had fulfilled their responsibilities to help Mr Uzzal receive his money and to prosecute his employer for not buying work insurance and compensating him. They had explained to him that he could go to the Bailiff Section of the Subordinate Courts, which has the power to seize and sell his employer's assets.

The spokesman said Mr Uzzal was referred to non-governmental group the Migrant Workers' Centre. It offered to pay for the court fees, but he declined. Ministry officers also told him that his employer could be prosecuted under the Work Injury Compensation Act for not coming up with the payment. He chose this option. The spokesman said Mr Uzzal's interview last week was to investigate whether his employer had breached any rules under the Workplace Safety and Health Act.

He added that there were some inconsistencies in the worker's statement and the officer had "reminded him to state the truth". But at no point did anyone try to "harass" Mr Uzzal or undermine his attempts to get his compensation payment, said the spokesman. He added that this was confirmed by a Bengali interpreter who was present at the interview.

Yesterday, the ministry sent Mr Au an e-mail denying his allegations and giving its version of events. The blogger - who is the treasurer of migrant rights group Transient Workers Count Too - responded by saying: "I find it hard to understand why it is taking so long to investigate this case when having valid insurance is a yes or no question." He added that the ministry should have "been more considerate towards Uzzal's long wait".

'First-gen' hawkers worry about their future

January 19, 2013, 11:19 pm

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Their 20-year stall leases will expire in 2014 and they may face high rent

By Chia Yan Min, The Straits Times, 19 Jan 2013

HAWKERS who paid for a 20-year lease on their stalls that will expire next year are worried about their future livelihoods and have met the authorities to discuss options.

Representatives from four affected hawker centres have had meetings with the National Environment Agency (NEA) - the latest of which occurred yesterday - to discuss the future management of these facilities, said Mr Teo Teck Ngee.

The 53-year-old is chairman of an association representing the hawkers at Block 207 New Upper Changi Road. The other centres are in West Coast Drive, Aljunied Avenue 2 and Ghim Moh Road.

The Straits Times understands that the leases - bought in 1994 - in these four food centres will expire in June next year.

Most of these "first-generation" stall owners took five- to 15-year loans.

About 20 to 30 original lease-holders in each centre continue to operate, stallholders said. The rest have resold the leases or sublet their stalls.

When the stall ownership reverts to the Government, these hawkers will have to pay rent. Hawkers said high rent may force some of them to quit.

This is a shame, said observers, noting that experienced hawkers are an asset to the food scene.

The Stall Ownership Scheme was launched at 15 centres, including Chomp Chomp Food Centre and Golden Mile Food Centre.

A total of 1,956 cooked food and market stalls in the 15 centres were sold in four phases between 1994 and 1997.

The cost ranged from $26,600 to $64,000 for a market produce stall, and $73,000 to $193,000 for a cooked food stall.

The scheme was halted during the economic downturn in 1998.

An NEA spokesman said refurbishments or redevelopments will be done at each centre when the leases expire, with the aim to run them on a not-for-profit basis.

The centre in New Upper Changi Road will be torn down, and a new one built nearby.

The spokesman said it is consulting stakeholders on appropriate models, including roping in social enterprises to manage the centres.

Hawkers in the affected centres are hoping for the best.

Mr Low Kerng Huat, 50, who sells chicken rice at Block 117 Aljunied Avenue 2, noted that stall owners in the centre who are subletting charge monthly rents from $1,500 to $2,000.

"We don't want to increase prices. Many old folk live around here and we have a lot of competition from nearby food centres," he added.

Madam Lim Choon Lan, 50, who runs a kway chap stall at the New Upper Changi Road centre, said: "Giving us lower rent is only being fair to us - we have been here for so long and we bought our stalls to run our own businesses, not for investment like some people do."

Ms Elim Chew, head of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources' hawker consultation panel and founder of fashion label 77th Street, warned that if rents become too high, "we will lose all our authentic food".

Experienced hawkers, who have been around for a long time, might not be able to sustain their business, especially those who make their food by hand, she said.

Mr Danny Chong from the Hawkers' Association, who is also a member of the hawker consultation panel, agreed.

"Increasing rent by $1,000, for example, would be a lot to a small-time hawker," he noted.

Centres under Stall Ownership Scheme

The Stall Ownership Scheme was launched in April 1994 at 15 centres. These centres are:

- Block 207 New Upper Changi Road (lease expiring in June next year)

- Block 503 West Coast Drive (lease expiring in June next year)

- Block 117 Aljunied Ave 2 (lease expiring in June next year)

- Block 20 Ghim Moh Road (lease expiring in June next year)

- Block 453A Ang Mo Kio Ave 10

- Block 104/105 Yishun Ring Road

- Block 347 Jurong East Ave 1

- Golden Mile Food Centre

- Block 163 Bukit Merah Central Block 505 Jurong West Street 52

- Block 69 Geylang Bahru

- Chomp Chomp Food Centre

- Block 511 Bedok North Street 3

- Block 84 Marine Parade Central

- Pasir Panjang Food Centre

Minister to meet church group over gay issues

January 19, 2013, 11:56 pm

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Churches worried about Govt's stand on homosexuality send e-mail to Shanmugam

By Tessa Wong, The Straits Times, 19 Jan 2013

LAW and Foreign Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said yesterday he will meet representatives of a group of churches concerned about the Government's stance on homosexuality.

The group, called LoveSingapore and made up of 100 churches, sent Mr Shanmugam an e-mail this week after the minister revealed early this month that he had met members of the lesbian group Sayoni.

The LoveSingapore e-mail was signed off by Mr Lawrence Khong, the pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC).

In it, he said Mr Shanmugam's November meeting with Sayoni had garnered publicity for it.

"This could be read as high-level endorsement of their agenda. We are deeply concerned," Mr Khong wrote.

He asked for a dialogue with Mr Shanmugam "to share our views and position".

Mr Khong said the churches respect the Government for its "track record of being pro-family", and referred to previous remarks made by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the topic.

He said that an ongoing constitutional challenge of Section 377A of the Penal Code presented "a looming threat to this basic building block of our conservative society".

LoveSingapore is an informal network of churches. Its website lists the following pastors in its leadership team: Mr Khong and Eugene Seow of FCBC; Derek Hong and Daniel Wee of Church of Our Saviour; Rick Seaward and Chua Hock Lin of Victory Family Centre; Benny Ho of Faith Community Church in Perth; Chern Hock Chye of Renewal Christian Church; Daniel Foo of Bethesda (Bedok-Tampines) Church; Danny Han of Joy Church; Guna Raman of Agape Baptist Church; Lawrence Chua of Living Sanctuary Brethren Church; Terry Kee of Queenstown Lutheran Church; Soh Wui Liang of Agape Christian Centre and Yang Tuck Yoong of Cornerstone Community Church.

In a Facebook post last night, Mr Shanmugam said he would meet the LoveSingapore group and others who have e-mailed him, "just like I met with the activists from Sayoni".

Apart from LoveSingapore, he did not identify the e-mail writers, saying only that they "take a different position from that of the LGBT activists".

LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual.

The Straits Times understands that Mr Khong's e-mail to Mr Shanmugam was sent a day after he read out a statement expressing concern about homosexuality to Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, when the latter made an unplanned stop at the FCBC Touch Auditorium on Sunday during a walkabout in Marine Parade.

Last night, an FCBC spokesman told The Straits Times that when Mr Goh went on his walkabout, the church leaders saw "an opportunity not only to greet him, but to also share our views and concerns - just like any other Marine Parade resident would have done".

The spokesman added: "When we learnt that he might be stopping by, we prepared the statement which has been FCBC's position and concern all this while. Our intention was to give it to him if he was just passing through, but since he was happy to come into our worship service, we decided to read the statement to him."

Shortly after Mr Goh's visit, FCBC posted on its website that Mr Goh "responded to Reverend Khong with a strong word of encouragement. 'You stand by your belief, and you'll be fine!'"

But Mr Goh's office clarified on Thursday that he had merely made a "general remark that people are free to stand by their beliefs".

The church website has since amended its original posting, dropping the phrase "strong word of encouragement".

ESM Goh clarifies remark made to pastor

By Grace Chua, The Straits Times, 18 Jan 2013

FORMER prime minister Goh Chok Tong's office has clarified comments that he made to a pastor who called homosexuality a "looming threat" to the family unit.

It said that in his impromptu comments to churchgoers while on a walkabout, the Emeritus Senior Minister had been making a "general remark that people are free to stand by their beliefs".

Mr Goh was responding to a prepared statement by Pastor Lawrence Khong, who called the family unit "the basic building block of society".

Mr Khong added: "We see a looming threat to this basic building block by homosexual activists seeking to repeal Section 377A of the Penal Code."

He had been welcoming Mr Goh to the Faith Community Baptist Church's (FCBC's) Touch Centre auditorium. Mr Goh was on a walkabout in his Marine Parade constituency on Sunday when he made a 10-minute unscheduled stop at the church after being invited in by churchgoers.

He greeted the congregation, and according to the FCBC's account of the event on its website, he "responded to Reverend Khong with a strong word of encouragement. 'You stand by your belief, and you'll be fine!'"

Mr Khong had been referring to a lawsuit, to be heard in court next month, by a couple seeking to prove that Section 377A, which outlaws homosexual acts, is unconstitutional.

The repeal of similar laws around the world has "led to negative social changes, especially the breakdown of the family as a basic building block and foundation of the society", Mr Khong said.

He added that it takes away parents' rights over what children are taught, attacks religious freedom and denies free speech to those who disagree with homosexual activists.

As of last night, Mr Khong's prepared statement had garnered 625 "likes" on Facebook and over 430 comments, including support and criticism.

It even drew a rebuttal in a Facebook note from a fellow pastor - Reverend Miak Siew of the Free Community Church, which accepts same-sex and transgender relationships.

Mr Siew said: "Strong families are not defined by their composition. The repeal of 377A poses no threat to families bound together by love.

"It is the continued stigmatisation of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people that you are perpetuating that is a threat to families - because you have placed obstacles in how parents understand their children who are different, and created huge rifts in these families."

Sociologist Terence Chong, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, told The Straits Times: "One needs to look at recent events in order to understand where this pushback from Pastor Khong is coming from.

"Pink Dot events are becoming more celebratory and open, while a homosexual couple has decided to challenge 377A in the high court.

"Christians like Pastor Khong see this as a threat and conflate it with the undermining of the traditional family unit. It's a reaction to what they perceive as immoral trends."

More than S$2.3b disbursed under Baby Bonus scheme since 2001

January 20, 2013, 12:09 am

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By Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia, 19 Jan 2013

Since the government launched the Baby Bonus scheme in 2001, it has disbursed more than S$2.3 billion in benefits. This includes a cash gift and the Child Development Account -- a scheme where the government matches savings for children, dollar-for-dollar.

The Chinese consider the year of the Dragon, an auspicious year to have children. Noticeably, there were more births in Singapore between January and November 2012, compared to the same period in 2011. 38,914 babies were born in the first 11 months of 2012, and it looks like the numbers will exceed the preceding year.

Still, Singapore's total fertility rate (TFR) remains at a low 1.2, well below the replacement rate of 2.1.

Various measures have been introduced in an attempt to raise the TFR -- like cash gifts under the Baby Bonus scheme, which have been given to over 310,000 children since it was introduced in 2001.

More than 240,000 children have also opened the Child Development Account -- a savings account for children up to 12 years of age, which enjoys dollar-for-dollar matching from the government. The money can be used to pay for childcare centre fees, early intervention programmes or medical-related expenses, among other things.

The government is expected to announce enhancements to the Baby Bonus under its marriage and parenthood package.

However, family experts Channel NewsAsia spoke with said money is not everything.

Associate Professor Paulin Straughan, a sociologist with the National University of Singapore, said: "From the population demographic statistics, we can see where the adjustments have come -- delayed marriage, smaller family sizes.

"Moving forward, the question is then are we happy with this -- to allow individuals to continue to make adjustments to the constraints in our living environment? Can the nation sustain with these kind of population trajectories or is it time for us then to re-look the environmental constraints? To see if we can adjust those so that individuals don't have to tilt their balance too much."

Environmental constraints include long working hours, a competitive education system, the availability of accessible childcare and Singaporeans' expectations in general.

The government is already addressing some of these issues -- for example, putting less stress on the education system. There are also plans to make it easier for young families to set up their first home.

James Chan, a father of one, said: "I believe because of lifestyle, because of the rising cost -- cost is rising in Singapore, so everybody thinks it's not easy to set up a family. Time, childcare centres not being easily available at certain places.

Iqbal Zainal, a 25-year-old operations executive, said: "For us, we are in the mid-20s, we still want to do what we want after education, like travel and stuff. Even if couples get married, they want to stay together and travel and do what they want to do together without a child. Just make having kids cool or something. For now, having it in the early 20s is not cool."

It is the mindset change that experts said is hard to overcome.

Professor Gavin Jones, director at the JY Pillay Comparative Asia Research Centre, said: "This is a country that succeeded by its own hard work -- no natural resources, it has developed its own human resources. We've got to be able to compete in the world and all these feeds in towards the attitude to education of children, the children has to succeed.

"Maybe the whole mystique has to be slightly changed, to give a little bit less precedence to economic growth. There are trade-offs and slower economic growth is dangerous for a country like Singapore in some ways, but rapid economic growth is going to lead to significant population decline and that is also not something that's desirable."

The government has set a target of raising the total fertility rate from 1.2 to 1.4 or 1.5 -- a target which experts said is quite possible with the right mix of policies. But that is still way below the replacement rate of 2.1. Given that reality, experts said the only way to make up for the shortfall is through immigration.

Related

Child Development Account Extended by 6 years to Better Support Needs of Children

Marriage and Parenthood Study 2012

200,000 new homes by 2016 to meet pent-up demand: Khaw

January 20, 2013, 12:29 am

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TODAY, 19 Jan 2013

The supply of housing will catch up with “pent-up” demand in two to four years, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday.

Writing on his blog, Mr Khaw added that by 2016, some 200,000 housing units would have come on-stream: 80,000 private properties, 10,000 Executive Condominium units and about 110,000 public housing units.

“This is equivalent to the building of four new Ang Mo Kio towns by 2016! And we are still building more,” he said.

The Government has, in the past, repeatedly assured Singaporeans that there will be a large supply of new flats coming onstream.

Earlier this month, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) said it will launch at least 23,000 Build-to-Order (BTO) flats this year — or at least 3,000 more than its previous target.

Assuring that there are “enough homes for all”, Mr Khaw explained that the housing market is “temporarily not in balance because of under-building in the past and high investment demand today”.

On the property-cooling measures last week, Mr Khaw said these were necessary to soften the market, adding that they were “carefully formulated” to protect first-time home buyers.

And while investors buying additional properties may be “disappointed”, he said: “Many of the ... measures are counter-cyclical in nature, to be lifted when the market regains balance.”

Mr Khaw also advised those interested in buying property to study data on upcoming housing supply, available on the HDB and the Urban Redevelopment Authority websites.

He has also put up a chart on his Facebook page to give a visual representation of the upcoming housing supply, which will be updated with each Government Land Sales and BTO launch. Adding that prospective buyers should be prudent, Mr Khaw said: “Do bear in mind that the current low interest rate is unusual and the normal high interest rate will return in time to come.”

Punggol East By-election campaign - 19 Jan

January 20, 2013, 7:47 am

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Party leaders pitch to voters

PM Lee: Vote PAP if you support its plans Low: WP will make Govt work harder

By Robin Chan, The Straits Times, 20 Jan 2013

Punggol East voters yesterday heard two conflicting messages from the top leaders of the major parties fighting for their votes.

On his first walkabout in the north-eastern ward since he called for the by-election earlier this month, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday urged voters to support the People's Action Party (PAP) if they endorsed its programmes.

They should vote for what they believe in, and not tactically, he said. He made the call in response to a question on the so-called by-election effect of voters rooting for the opposition, secure in the knowledge that the PAP is already in power in the country.

Seeking to make capital out of the by-election effect, Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang urged voters to do precisely that, as the Government is already strong enough.

By holding it to account, the Government would not take voters for granted. By helping to grow the WP's presence, they can ensure the Government will work harder to improve the lives of Singaporeans, he said, pointing to a slew of policy changes that have helped Singaporeans, from housing to transport to health care, since the general election in 2011.

"The PAP has already formed the Government. They have the majority of the MPs in Parliament. It is already a very strong party. Do you need to make it even stronger?" said WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang in Mandarin to a crowd gathered on an open field.

"There are still a lot of policies that need to be improved to make people's lives better. The cost of living is too high, public transport, housing, eldercare... Do you want the PAP to do more and do better? Then use your vote to make the PAP work harder," he added.

The calls from the party in blue last night ended a fourth day of campaigning.

The WP's appeal was countered immediately by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean who said last night that the best way to show support for the new policies was to vote for the PAP, not against it.

"Am glad WP agrees that PAP's new policies are good," he wrote on his Facebook page.

"If voters support the PAP's new policies, for example in education or making flats more affordable and available, the best way to show their support is by voting for the PAP and these policies, not voting against them."

Yesterday, on the rain-soaked field, the WP MPs also defended criticism of their performance in Parliament, and hit back at doubts that they would be able to run a larger town council since winning Aljunied GRC.

They also praised their candidate, Ms Lee Li Lian, for her energy, enthusiasm and empathy for people.

Earlier in the day, on a visit to Punggol East's Rivervale Plaza, PM Lee asked voters to show his party support for what it has been doing and is planning to get done, a day after the PAP's first rally in which DPM Teo and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat defended the PAP's record since 2011 from housing to transport to health care.

He said that the opposition MPs elected in 2011 have neither objected to the Government's agenda, nor offered alternative proposals of their own.

Asked about a "by-election effect" which may work against the PAP, he said: "You have to vote not tactically, to calculate which way you'll gain advantage, but really sincerely, to judge - what do you support, what do you believe in and if you believe in that, support that.

"If you say 'I like the PAP's programme, but it's already there, let me vote against it, because then I get two people to look after me' - if everybody does that, we have a problem.

"Vote according to what you believe in," he concluded. "If you think we are doing a good job, vote for us. If you don't think we are doing a good job, it's your prerogative to decide who you want to give your trust to."


 

Koh 'will be more than an MP'

If he is elected, PM Lee intends to appoint him to political office when time is right
By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 20 Jan 2013

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday that the People's Action Party candidate in the Punggol East by-election has the "ability and potential to be more than an MP".

If Dr Koh Poh Koon is elected, Mr Lee intends to appoint him to a suitable political office when the time is right.

"I told him, his first priority is to fight and win in Punggol East, and win the support and trust of the residents," Mr Lee said.

"But I think he can make a contribution not just in Punggol East, but more broadly, nationally.

"When I judge that he is ready, and we are ready, I will bring him into our leadership," he said.

Mr Lee's strong endorsement came after he made a campaign stop yesterday morning in the ward. He had breakfast with Dr Koh and PAP activists, before setting off to Rivervale Plaza in the steady rain to meet and greet residents.

During his introduction as a candidate, the PAP said that it had planned to field Dr Koh for the next general election, but after considering several candidates, decided he was the best for Punggol East.

Yesterday, Mr Lee revealed that the principal consideration was that Dr Koh is "young, has energy and a good record".

"He's distinguished himself as a doctor, respected by his fellow doctors. He has a sense of social responsibility and conscience, made an impact in the community. In all cases, people who know him have good things to say.

"I'm confident that he will make a good MP, and he has the character, conviction and commitment to do that."

On the previous night at the PAP's first rally, other big guns had also endorsed Dr Koh, who has described himself as a son of Punggol, having spent his early childhood there and even as a youth visiting the area for sports and to hang out with friends.

At the first PAP rally last Friday, both Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat praised the colorectal surgeon's dedication and commitment to public service.

Mr Teo said the 40-year-old came from humble beginnings and knows what it is to lead the tough life, having worked part-time to put himself through school and support his family.

He also showed leadership in national service as a commanding officer of a combat service support battalion, and was the first medical officer to top the pinnacle course for Singapore Armed Forces officers.

Asked after the PM's visit yesterday where he thought he could contribute in political office if chosen for it, Dr Koh said he wanted to tap the energy and idealism of youth to make them "agents of change".

A vote for PAP is a vote for its new policies
"Am glad WP agrees that PAP's new policies are good. If voters support the PAP's new policies, for example in education or making flats more affordable and available, the best way to show their support is by voting for the PAP and these policies, not voting against them.

"Voting in dedicated and able people, like Koh Poh Koon, will help us do even better.

"Voting for Poh Koon in Punggol East will allow him to continue the good work there, and make even more improvements."
- DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER TEO CHEE HEAN

I’ll just do my best for my job: Koh Poh Koon
TODAY, 20 Jan 2013

Responding to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s comments earlier today that Dr Koh Poh Koon would likely be appointed to political office if he is elected and when he is ready, the People’s Action Party by-election candidate said the decision is Mr Lee’s “prerogative”.

“I’ll just do my best for my job,” he said.

This morning, Mr Lee told reporters that he felt Dr Koh would be able to make a contribution nationally. “When he is ready, and I judge that he is ready, and we are ready, I will be appointing him to a suitable political office,” said Mr Lee.

Dr Koh was speaking to the media at Rivervale Mall, after visiting a low-income family.

He highlighted the need for safety nets for people who fall through the cracks. One way of doing so is to “engage the community” so that people can look out for one another, he suggested.

To engage with the youth, Dr Koh suggested providing them with a conducive environment to study, engage them in activities and set up facilities for them to congregate at so they can bond.

Party aims to set up childcare centres
By Janice Heng, The Straits Times, 20 Jan 2013

The Reform Party (RP) plans to set up a chain of nurseries in Punggol East if elected, candidate Kenneth Jeyaretnam told reporters yesterday.

"We have got people with the expertise to run these," he said, adding that the centres would not be run under the party logo but would be started by people in the party.

"That is one thing that will be a big element of our five-year plan for Punggol East."

This and other local initiatives will be presented at their rally tonight at the open field in front of Block 183C Rivervale Crescent.

RP will also develop its campaign theme of "No more broken promises", highlighting ways in which the ruling People's Action Party has failed to deliver on its promises.

The Sunday Times understands that speakers will include former RP candidates from the 2011 General Election, such as Mr Andy Zhu, Mr Osman Sulaiman and Ms Vigneswari Ramachandran.

Elaborating on RP's childcare centre plans last night, Ms Vigneswari said: "We are looking into hiring qualified teachers and principals to run our childcare centres."

She added that the party intends to have "at least one childcare centre in each of the areas" in the ward, such as Rivervale Drive and Sengkang East.

The party also listed 10 municipal matters on which they have received feedback, and some proposed solutions.

These include having a cinema at Rivervale Plaza, which is undergoing renovation; having more subsidised day-care facilities for the elderly; and monthly fumigation at dengue-prone areas.

As for national plans, those have been stated in their manifesto since 2009, Mr Jeyaretnam told reporters last night.

He also pledged that, if elected, he will be a full-time Member of Parliament and donate a tenth of his $192,500 annual allowance to support community projects. These could include after-school community activities, legal clinics and financial management clinics.

RP will also look into providing needy families with recycled laptops, and giving assistance to those who cannot afford broadband Internet access.

Rally plans cancelled; party to go online to campaign
By Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 20 Jan 2013

The Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) will not be holding any rally at Punggol East to save costs.

Instead, the party will be using the Internet and social media to spread its campaign message.

Party chief and candidate Desmond Lim said yesterday that the party will save at least $15,000 by shelving its earlier plans to hold a rally tonight, and the money would be spent to "do something new".

The Sunday Times understands that the SDA plans to release a series of speeches and videos online.

A professional video and photography crew was seen filming his campaign trail yesterday.

Such online political videos are permitted during elections after the Government eased restrictions on political campaigning and advertising on the Internet in 2011.

Mr Lim dismissed the suggestion that the latest move was to avoid repeating the embarrassment of poor attendance at SDA's rallies during the 2011 General Election.

He said that social media is "just as effective" because of the younger profile of voters at Punggol East.

He continued his campaign in a low-key manner yesterday, distributing fliers outside Rivervale Mall and knocking on doors with a four-page manifesto outlining his plans for Punggol East.

They include a promise to donate a third of his annual $192,500 MP allowance to local improvements if elected.

Mr Lim also hit back at an online report which criticised him for paying supporters $7.50 an hour for their time.

Without refuting the amount, he said in a statement: "Our group comprises a mix of paid and unpaid volunteers... It is very common and the norm for any party to engage paid assistance in doing ground work."

He remained tight-lipped on the breakdown of paid and unpaid volunteers or exactly how much is paid to helpers, but stressed that he had acted within the law.

He threatened to take legal action against those who discredit his party and campaign.

He told The Sunday Times that the online story was aimed at distracting voters. Describing it as an attempt to "create smoke when there is no fire", he said: "I will not be distracted."

Money reimbursed for volunteers’ help, not their votes: SDA’s Lim
TODAY, 19 Jan 2013

Singapore Democratic Alliance Secretary-General Desmond Lim refuted claims that he was paying for votes in the Punggol East by-election, saying that any money handed to volunteers was merely “reimbursement” for their help.

A report published on published on The Online Citizen portal cited an unnamed volunteer as having responded to an online advertisement to be a “company ambassador” at an event, paid S$7.50 an hour.

In a press statement today, Mr Lim said: “We had reimbursed the help as many are young school leavers with no disposable income. It is very common and the norm for any party to engage paid assistance in doing ground work.”

The hiring of youth is part of his policy to “engage young blood in the process so they understand Singapore politics, with hands-on experience”, he said.

He called the report something “raised to distract voters in their choices. It feels this matter is a situation of creating smoke when there is no fire”.

In the statement, the SDA said it “would not hesitate to take legal action if further comments diluting the parties credibility is mentioned”.

---

Chance to see S'pore without its make-up

January 20, 2013, 7:59 pm

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Polls are real national drama as their intensity makes it hard to keep up pretences

By Zuraidah Ibrahim, The Straits Times, 20 Jan 2013

Despite talk of contest fatigue, to me, there is no better time to be a journalist than during elections.

It is a chance to see your country without its make-up on. While every party tries to stage-manage its appearances, the intensity of the campaign makes it impossible to keep up pretences. Weary candidates reveal quirks of personality, while the voters they are trying to woo do not bother to be anything other than themselves. The result, every time, is an authentic national drama.

Just weeks after I became a political reporter, there was the 1988 General Election and I've covered every one since, including the one before us in Punggol East. Singaporeans are more swept up by polls these days, now that there are fewer walkovers and results are harder to predict. But the truth is that, even in the old normal, there was nothing ordinary about elections when you looked at them up close.

While much has changed, there remain some immutables.

One constant is that opposition politicians are wired differently - especially from the ruling party but also from one another. As a group, it is a wonder that they are so committed to a cause so high on risk and so remote in rewards. They do not come from just one mould. Their characteristics range from idealism and selfless dedication to impetuousness, overarching egotism, and, in a few cases, touches of insanity.

Their appeal also varies. In 1988, as the rookie in the team covering the closely fought Eunos GRC election, I didn't have much to do except hold up a tape recorder and listen. I remember being amazed at how Workers' Party candidate Francis Seow in his double-breasted suit with glinting buttons kept a working-class crowd agog despite his posh accent and flowery sentence structures.

In contrast, when I met one Mr Low Thia Khiang at his Defu Lane workshop, there was little to suggest that this teacher-turned-contractor would inherit the party of the leonine David Marshall and J.B. Jeyaretnam. But there was no denying his passion and political acumen. Crouched in his seat, speaking in broken English but thoughts clearly formed, he talked about the closure of Nantah and teaching low-income students, and his determination to serve as a check on the Government's power.

When Dr Chee Soon Juan arrived, he was introduced to the media by a pleased-as-punch Mr Chiam See Tong inside his cramped Potong Pasir Town Council office. Asked what he knew about politics, Dr Chee said humbly he had no qualifications and then betrayed himself: "Just a good brain and a strong heart."

Whether it was Dr Lee Siew Choh or Mr Jeyaretnam who used to bellow at us whenever he heard the name of our newspaper or the zany Mr Harbans Singh who served champagne at his press conferences, they marched to a different tune. Their contributions might not be measured in iconic projects or brilliant policy moves, but they came out every few years to prick our conscience, challenge our assumptions or just claim their 15 minutes of fame.

A second constant is the PAP's dilemma of how to dominate an election without alienating voters. The old PAP in attack mode did not believe in half measures. On the campaign rounds, Mr Lee Kuan Yew would stare at you with narrowed eyes and thunder about how opposition-led town councils would lead to your rubbish chutes being choked a few floors high.

In 2001, after Dr Chee heckled then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong at a walkabout, I asked Mr Lee how he would have acted if he had been in Mr Goh's shoes. "I will leave that to your imagination," he said, and sat back, while the crowd roared. He added later: "As I've told you many times, I was brought up fighting communists in the streets. If Dr Chee tried that with me, you just think what would have happened."

The PAP's challenge is knowing when to turn up the heat, but also when to turn it down. Often, it failed to serve the porridge just right, leaving an uneasy taste in people's mouths. Its accusations against Dr James Gomez in 2006 and Mr Tang Liang Hong in 1997 probably went overboard.

It was more restrained in 2011 - but the disappointing outcome might make some insiders wonder whether it has become too tentative and soft. Fortunately, the party seems to have reconciled itself to the fact that the public has changed and will not accept a return to old-style tactics. But striking the right balance - being a party that means business and not one that is just mean - remains a tricky one.

Third, the X-factor that will be decisive in a close election is always a mystery. In 1991, I hung out at Bukit Gombak a fair bit, trailing both the PAP incumbent Seet Ai Mee and the Singapore Democratic Party's Mr Ling How Doong. Dr Seet was a dynamo, obviously capable and committed. Mr Ling struck me as someone who'd be more at home in a karaoke bar than in Parliament. But he could turn on an avuncular charm that became a counterpoint to her chop-chop air of impatience. That year, Singapore traded its only woman minister for a man who went on to be a one-term MP (although once, it did seem like he confused the House for a bar when he uttered vulgarities in the Chamber).

Mr Chiam was another who benefited electorally from high likeability. Behind the scenes, he was far less easy-going, which is partly why the parties he led remained small. But try telling that to the legions of his fans, for whom the former Potong Pasir MP could do no wrong.

Pundits can analyse the demographics and national indicators all they like and commentators can opine about what would be good for the country, but ultimately the verdict belongs only to the voters - for better or worse.

That, as well, is part of the challenge of covering elections. There is nothing like a morning walk on a weekend with a candidate to meet Singaporeans in varying states of dress and undress, as they have their breakfast in coffee shops gleaming or grimy. Along residential streets cradling big houses, candidates are greeted by disembodied voices through intercoms. On common corridors, the entourage peers through latticed grilles at families lounging in the sanctuary of home.

Through these visits, rallies and press conferences, the candidates collectively produce their narratives of what is going wrong or right in society and what they plan to do about it. It forms a running commentary of our concerns and hopes for the place we call home. And it offers stark choices for the electorate.

An election is a serious exercise in political participation. As journalists, it is a challenge to keep the country focused on issues that matter, and not get distracted by the inevitable fireworks that will be lit by all sides.

The people will have the last word. But - as this is the alleged "emotionless" Singaporean we are talking about - the people are hard to read.

Multiple meanings will be read and post-mortems will be held into what they eventually said with their vote. And then political life moves on to another phase, one hopes, a better one.

Punggol East By-election: RP Rally, 20 Jan

January 20, 2013, 8:07 pm

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Let's talk about green issues in S'pore

January 20, 2013, 8:24 pm

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Participants at Our SG Conversation discuss need for better public awareness, policy focus

By Grace Chua, The Straits Times, 20 Jan 2013

The first Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) dialogue for the environment community, held on a rainy Saturday morning at Singapore

Polytechnic, raised both uniquely "green" issues as well as broader, shared ones.

Environment and animal-welfare activists, for instance, said Singapore actually has a wealth of land and marine animals and plants.

But many members of the public are not even aware of this, they lamented, so how should the word be spread and made relevant to people so that more will care about protecting them?

At the same time, like most other OSC sessions, participants also envisioned Singapore evolving into a more gracious society and one that is less focused on economics and more on happiness.

In all, 64 people took part, including activists and members of the public.

A total of 52 organisations were represented, ranging from the Centre for Sustainable Asian Cities think-tank, Energy Studies Institute and other academic institutions to the Keep Singapore Beautiful Movement, Nature Society, Cat Welfare Society and other non-government groups.

Issues raised in the three-hour conversation, led by Nominated Member of Parliament Faizah Jamal and sustainability consultant Eugene Tay, ranged from getting people to return their trays and not litter to shifting policymakers' focus from "brown" issues of waste and pollution to "green" issues of ecology and conservation.

Entrepreneur Allan Lim of social enterprise The Living! Project suggested getting more companies on board for such discussions, especially those in industries such as shipping and construction.

The comments will ultimately be sent to OSC committee members like Education Minister Heng Swee Keat and relevant policymakers like Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin, who is also Acting Manpower Minister.

"The conversation doesn't end here," Ms Faizah said.

NTUC and LawSoc to help educate workers on legal rights

January 20, 2013, 8:47 pm

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By Ian Poh, The Straits Times, 20 Jan 2013

Workers can now learn more about labour laws that affect them, under a new partnership between the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Law Society of Singapore.

Called Law Works, the initiative launched yesterday will give workers access to legal resources to help them make more informed decisions regarding employment issues.

They can tap quarterly "primer" talks, and a series of booklets summarising various areas of employment law.

Union members who register with NTUC can attend legal clinics at its centre located in One Marina Boulevard. There, lawyers will give pro bono advice on more personal matters such as wills, housing and even traffic offences.

Law Works was launched partly in response to the changing profile of the workforce, said Mr Patrick Tay, director of NTUC's legal services department and professionals, managers and executives (PME) unit.

He noted that workers are becoming more well-educated and want a better understanding of their legal rights.

Two other impetus for the initiative were feedback from union leaders, and anticipated changes to labour legislation, said Mr Tay.

For example, the Manpower Ministry is reviewing the Employment Act. And last year, the Retirement and Re-Employment Act was passed.

Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, who spoke at yesterday's launch ceremony, agreed. He called the collaboration timely in light of the impending changes.

"Amid these changes to the labour laws, it is critical that workers not only be made aware of the existing legal position, but equally that they are apprised of such changes," he told about 200 union members, members of the legal community and other stakeholders.

He added that the focus of labour laws was to safeguard the interests of workers, as well as to help them understand their obligations and responsibilities.

Union members like Ms Lau Soy Soy, 56, praised the initiative, saying it will make the law more accessible to workers.

"The booklets are very helpful - I'm taking more than five back to the office, to share with my colleagues for quick reference," said the health-care provider.

This latest move comes after NTUC set up a legal aid team last year to advise union members who are PMEs on workplace issues.

Making sure worker training pays off

January 20, 2013, 10:40 pm

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Employers should set measurable goals and track outcomes to see which courses work

By Radha Basu, The Sunday Times, 20 Jan 2013

Some time soon, the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) will mark a major milestone as the millionth worker in Singapore gets trained under its flagship Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) programme.

Since 2005, the programme has been helping to train, assess and certify individuals in key skills essential for success in close to 30 industries.

Targeted largely at rank-and-file workers, these courses are funded up to 95 per cent by the Government, which announced in 2010 that it would spend $2.5 billion on continuing education and training over five years.

Numbers released by WDA to The Sunday Times show that in an era of uncertain jobs and stagnating pay, skills upgrading has indeed become the new workforce mantra.

In 2005, the first year of the programme, 21,000 workers attended WSQ training courses over the entire year. By last September, roughly 22,000 workers were being trained every month.

Training headcount did, however, fall in 2011, compared with the previous year, but that coincided with the end of a state-funded $650 million incentive scheme known as the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience, or Spur.

The two-year programme was introduced in late 2008 by the Government to help companies use the economic slowdown to train workers rather than lay them off.

However, by September last year, the average numbers trained each month were on the upswing again.

Continuous training, WDA's chief executive Wong Hong Kuan told The Sunday Times, helps workers stay relevant amid a fast-changing business landscape and increases productivity.

Interviews with companies, trainers and workers bear this out. Companies such as Pacific Bookstores, which operates bookshops in schools, say they have seen quick and quantifiable benefits.

After receiving a rising number of customer-service-related complaints, the company sent nearly all its 170-plus workers on service excellence courses under WSQ last year.

General manager Loo Ee Fah said the move has already paid off with customer complaints falling by around 30 per cent within a year.

The courses taught workers skills that were especially relevant to their jobs. For instance, rather than simply tell a customer a book was out of stock, as they would before training, staff now offer to contact customers personally when stocks arrive. "It's a small thing, but it leads to happy customers," said Mr Loo.

The company also did "mystery shopper audits" - where people posed as customers to test the level of service. The results showed a "very significant increase in service standards".

For the TungLok Group, which operates a chain of restaurants here and overseas, the WSQ is a powerful tool to help develop and maintain a workforce equipped specifically for the food and beverage industry, said the group's senior vice-president for human resources and training, Ms Sherine Toh.

"To us, it's like a national qualification like the GCE O levels," she said. This is especially important as many low-level food and beverage workers do not have strong academic credentials. The high turnover in the industry also makes it important to have a stock of readily available courses for newcomers to quickly learn the ropes.

"Once workers complete WSQ training, you know they will have a minimum standard of service that is directly relevant to their work," she said.

The courses can be just as useful for workers looking to refresh their skills. After taking a six-month break from work, administrative assistant Rosalin Kolandasamy, 57, took a week-long customer service course in 2011. "It made me realise that my skills were still marketable in the current economy, which was important for an older worker like me to know," she said. She now works in a company that owns a spa.

Outcome evaluation surveys conducted by WDA every year lend credence to such views.

Around 90 per cent of the 12,500 WSQ trainees interviewed by WDA in 2011 said the courses helped improve their work performance. Of the 2,200 companies interviewed, 70 per cent said the courses helped improve labour productivity, up five points from the previous year.

While such regular surveys are useful, they are not the only way to gauge whether the money spent on training is yielding rich returns, say experts such as Ms Jane Massy.

That is because they are largely opinions or estimates which may not be backed by facts.

This is especially so in cases where the training is being funded by a third party - like the Government - as companies and trainees have little to lose by reporting rosy results, said the Briton who advises organisations in 10 countries, including Singapore, on how to get more bang for the bucks spent on training.

It may be a better idea to collect and evaluate quantifiable outcomes of training in addition to survey data, she said.

Before sending trainees on any course, companies must identify key measurable goals or outcomes that the course must achieve. "They must answer the question, What will the course help me improve?"

For someone attending a sales course, it could be to enable him to sell more products; for someone flipping burgers, it could be to flip more burgers in the same time, and so forth. "Such data is not hard to gather and most companies already have it," said Ms Massy, who is working with WDA and the Institute of Adult Learning on ways to better measure the benefits of training.

"If the Government sponsors training, it would be quite legitimate for it to ask for such information."

Mr Mathew Linus, a lecturer on human resource issues at the National University of Singapore Business School, says training courses can also be competitively compared across various training agencies to see which produces better results.

Currently, there are more than 400 approved training organisations providing WSQ and other courses and there is little publicly available data on how effective their courses are.

Mr Jim Then, a freelance career coach who counsels mature workers and trains managers on how to handle them better, said WSQ courses have helped Singaporeans work "smarter and faster". However, many workers he counsels feel unhappy that working faster does not always lead to promotions or pay hikes.

Indeed, in the WDA's 2011 survey, only 17 per cent of workers said they got a pay rise after attending WSQ courses, down from 25 per cent the previous year. And only about 12 per cent were promoted.

Experts on training say that no course in the world can guarantee a pay rise or a promotion as other factors, such as a worker's attitude, ability and length of service, can affect pay and perks. These also depend on how a company and the economy perform.

But for low-wage workers in particular, that is not always easy to accept. "Ultimately they all want to use training to work smarter and faster because they want to earn more money," said Mr Then. "And when that does not happen, it hurts."

The Government's recent moves to tighten the foreign worker tap, he hopes, will help push up the pay of trained workers. "Employment rates of Singaporeans have already improved. I hope pay will soon follow suit."

New skills, new job

It was June 2011 and Mr Francis Pang had recently been forced to close his small business providing shelving and storage equipment to factories and homes.

At 50, the sole breadwinner had difficulty coping with the physical nature of his job, installing racks at great heights. Rents were high and customers were dwindling. "There was no way I could sustain the business," he said.

He was unemployed for four months before curiosity at the sight of queues at the North West Community Development Council (CDC) helped change the course of his life.

On entering the CDC office, he found out officers there could help him source for training courses to improve his skills - and find him a job. "I had no idea how to go about getting a job since I was self-employed for more than 20 years," Mr Pang, now 52, told The Sunday Times.

To boost his meagre educational qualifications - he had dropped out of school at Secondary 3 - career counsellors at the CDC sent him for five courses over the next three months. The fees were paid for by the Government as he was unemployed.

He learnt about personal effectiveness, how to solve problems and take decisions, and how to communicate better and interact with prospective bosses, colleagues and customers. "Running my own company, I had little idea about the value of teamwork," he said.

At the same time, interacting with other trainees who were also unemployed made him realise he was not alone.

Within a month of completing his courses, he found a job as an online retail assistant at Cold Storage. What followed was a promotion to customer service officer, said Mr Pang, whose only son is at university.

Learning, he said, boosted his morale and confidence. The biggest lesson he learnt? "Skills are important, but what matters most in a career is a positive attitude."