Quote from: cheekenpie;231046Thu, May 07, 2009According to MP for Aljunied GRC Mdm Cynthia Phua, there are two types of civil servants: The first type will do what it can to address the requests of the people; the second will do everything by the rules and leave no room for negotiation.Mdm Phua recalls an encounter with the latter: She once tussled with a government department for three months over partially uncovering a drain so that rain water could flow into it.Because the offical she dealt with was inflexible, Mdm Phua had to get the official's superior to go with her for a spot check on the drain in question. It was after this that Mdm Phua got the go ahead.via : http://www.singsupplies.com/showthread.php?t=27620
Thu, May 07, 2009According to MP for Aljunied GRC Mdm Cynthia Phua, there are two types of civil servants: The first type will do what it can to address the requests of the people; the second will do everything by the rules and leave no room for negotiation.Mdm Phua recalls an encounter with the latter: She once tussled with a government department for three months over partially uncovering a drain so that rain water could flow into it.Because the offical she dealt with was inflexible, Mdm Phua had to get the official's superior to go with her for a spot check on the drain in question. It was after this that Mdm Phua got the go ahead.
Edited transcript of Prime Minister Lee Hsien LoongNational Day Rally speechon Aug 20 at the University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore.Friends and fellow Singaporeans, my focus tonight is on Singapore's future in a rapidly changing world. The world is changing faster than ever and Singapore is changing rapidly too and we have to adapt, we have to adapt both as individuals and also as a society and a nation to what's happening around us.Tonight, I will cover five key issues which are crucial to our long term growth and prosperity. First, the economy which is a precondition for everything we want to do. Secondly, the region, what's happening around us which has a powerful effect on our lives. Then three issues for Singapore .. one, our population; two, the digital age and how it's changing us; and three, heartware, the key to keeping us Singaporean.I met one grassroots leader last week. He asked me what goodies will you be announcing. I had to tell him that I would be talking about subjects which are going to be very important for us for the long term but subjects which have no quick final solutions and therefore not suitable for goodies. But we have to discuss them, we have to understand them, we have to share views on them because they will have major implications for our society and how we respond as a nation will determine our future.The Economy - sustaining growth, creating jobsLet me start off talking about the economy. We've done well these last couple of years, and particularly this year and I'm confident that the economy is going to grow. It's not just the numbers but it's also the quality of the growth and what the growth shows of what we are able to do and what people think of us.We have set as a target for our growth for the long term, we said 3-5 per cent growth but in the last two or three years, we've done better than that. We had 10, then we had 7-plus, this year, first half, we've had 9, for the year, we expect 7.I think that when the conditions are good and the sun is shining, we should go for it, as fast as we can, as much as we can, get the growth, put it under our belt, put it aside, a little bit, so when the thunderstorm comes again, we will be ready.But let me tell you why the growth these last few years shows that we have what it takes to succeed. You look at the projects which have come in. You look at what we have been able to draw in. The IR, the integrated resort at Marina South, $5 billion of a project, a very major commitment by the investor, a vote of confidence in Singapore.We were not sure that when we launched the IR tender we would get such an overwhelming response but we got good bids, we've got awarded a good project and now we are calling another bid for a second IR in Sentosa and we've got four investors who are interested and I think we are going to have a second good integrated resort in Singapore.In manufacturing, we are competitive. Again we've got big and very important projects. Shell has a multi-billion dollar petrochemical project here on Pulau Bukom, also on Jurong Island, spread in two places. Exxon-Mobil is planning a very major project here, past several important milestones, although they haven't made a final decision yet. In electronics, we're getting wafer fabs to come to Singapore. We have two big projects recently. One was French, the other one is a Korean and German joint venture.Why are they here? It's not because we have low wages, it's not because we are competing at the bottom, it's because we are the best place for high quality investments: clean, safe, predictable, clean environment, working systems and confidence, confidence that Singaporeans have what it takes to adapt to a changing world and are willing to change, confidence that the Government knows what it's doing and can get people to go over there, confidence that the whole system works. And if you plonk your investment here, few billion dollars, it will be safe, it will be profitable and people will work and there will be results. And therefore, more projects will come, and therefore more jobs and more growth will be created.We are not just sitting here waiting for projects to come. We are developing our capabilities, and one of the capabilities we are working on is R&D, research and development. We are starting with three R&D areas. One, biomedical; two, water technology; and three, interactive and digital media. They are just words but let me tell you why we went into these three areas so that you get some image of it.Biotechnology, biomedicine, because we have already got a base, we've done a lot of work, we've got scientists here, we've got a reputation and we are beginning already to see results. And we are going to put more investment into biomedicine so that we will be able to do clinical research; in other words, take projects from the lab to the bedside in the hospital so that we experiment to discover how we can treat patients best, which treatments work, what is the best procedure, how we can not only get the R&D results but also improve medical services and medical care in Singapore.Water. I don't have to tell you why it is important to Singapore but it is an area where we have an advantage. Our companies are among the leading players. We've got Keppel, we've got Sembawang, we've got Hyflux. So I think it's an area where we should put some money and stay ahead because for a country like Singapore to be able to export water technology to the Middle East or to China, I think that is something remarkable and which we can do.Interactive and digital media. What does that mean? It means computer games, it means making movies, animation, cartoons. Very competitive business but one where maybe we have a chance and we can't afford not to be there. And I think we have a chance to be there.I give you one example, Japanese anime. I don't know how many of you watch Japanese cartoons but these are the Japanese- style cartoons, animation. One big Japanese company has gone into joint venture with NTU, Nanyang, to produce anime. Why did they do that? We don't speak Japanese, we are not so many cartoon fans in Singapore. But NTU has developed computer technology so that they can produce anime cartoons 40 per cent cheaper than other people.So we have gone into anime and there will be other activities, other games, other technologies where we can develop and maintain a position.We are developing our external wing. Our companies are going abroad and doing well. You read about the big companies in the newspapers, but tonight let me tell you about one small company. Tharman came across it and mentioned it to me. He was in Shenyang recently. And he came across a S'porean who was selling curry-puffs in Shenyang. So he talked to the young man. Turns out that the father is in Ang Mo Kio Central used to be my constituency. Tip Top Curry Puffs. Father is successful here. The son went to China to venture. So he's looked around Shenyang. He concluded that the food is not so interesting and varied as if you go to Shanghai or to Guangzhou. So there is an opportunity to sell something which they have never meant .. S'pore curry puffs. Very successful. I think he's got five shops in Shenyang and now he's going to go further, north Harbin, also sell curry puffs. So the next time you go to the Harbin ice festival, cold sculptures but hot curry puffs!So we are creating a wide variety of jobs in S'pore for all S'poreans. Tourism, with the IR as I told you just now, 30,000 jobs we think. That not counting the Sentosa IR.Manufacturing. Good jobs not just for graduates but technicians, diploma holders, semi-skilled workers all along the line. We are trying to get more people to do the manufacturing jobs, more S'poreans to get into it. We're still trying. But we hope S'poreans will make the effort.We are going into aerospace maintenance, MRO, maintenance, repair and overhaul, because people are flying jets all over the region and if you want your jet repaired, you want to make sure you have confidence in the place which is repairing it, and the people who are repairing it, and S'pore is the place.So we are building a big aerospace park in Seletar. And there will be opportunities for engineers, inspectors, technicians, whole range of people. And you don't have to be the field. You can convert and go into the field, learn the skills.There was one young man, Mr Goh Zeng Liong. He's only 35 years old. He used to a car mechanic. He upgraded himself, joined SIA Engineering. Now he is an aerospace technician. From repairing your car to becoming an aerospace technician, and he enjoys his present job because it means precision and attention to details. And as he said: "With cars, I didn't have to be so precise; with aeroplanes, I must get it exactly right!" So that's the sort of person I want in the industry.We also want older and lower-skilled workers to have jobs. We are creating jobs generally in the economy across the board, but specifically I think we have to pay attention to older, lower-skilled workers, get them employed.I am very encouraged because with a growing economy, companies are hiring and maybe they have no choice, maybe they are getting the message, but they are hiring more older workers. And if you look at the employment rates, the percentage of older people working, the men, aged 55 and above, say 55 to 64 years old, the group who are most vulnerable and at risk of being retired early, their employment rates have gone up dramatically this year. A lot more of them are at work again, which is good. But we must not slacken because as Swee Say reminds me, we've gone through this cycle several times. Each time there's a down cycle, people take training, upgrading very seriously. Then the economy recovers, then they slacken off, they find jobs. Then down cycle, you are scrambling again.I think that this time there is an up cycle, while there are other jobs, let's concentrate on the older workers, let's get them retrained, because I fear when the next down cycle comes, it's going to hit them harder. And we're going to need all the lead time we have in order to be ready for it and be able to protect the older workers in the next recession.
(http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20091220/a6-1.jpg)National service in Singapore has marched a long way from its Hokkien peng (Hokkien platoon) days.Take Russian-born Second-Lieutenant (2nd Lt) Vasily Chuply, with his blue eyes and brown hair.The 20-year-old enlisted in October last year while still a permanent resident. In August this year, he received his pink identity card, making him a Singaporean.That is five years after he and his mother travelled from Nakhodka, a port city of 150,000 people in Russia's far east, to join his father, who was an IT programmer in a shipping company here.On his basic military and officer cadet experiences, 2nd Lt Chuply quipped that it helped him pick up Hokkien expletives - still the vernacular of many a bunk mate. 'And so long as the instructor or platoon commander was shouting, I knew something was wrong and I just had to be quicker on my feet,' he said.Read the full report in The Sunday Times.
Some Malay family in S'pore finally admit they are comfortable to see their own same kind only ........ Now we know why Singapore idol is always the same one. Extract from 21/12/09 Today's Newspaper : (http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/2899/erteryter.jpg)
The kicker is that things are about to change. In a famous quote, Lee Kuan Yew said, "If you are going to lower me into the grave, and I feel something is wrong, I will get up." But this is beyond even him. "We all know the MM will die someday," says Calvin Fones, a psychiatrist who runs a clinic at Gleneagles Hospital on Orchard Road. Fones likens his homeland to a family. "When the country was young, there was a need for wise oversight. A firm hand. Now we are in adolescence, which can be a questioning, troublesome period. Coming into it without the presence of the patriarch will be a test."The great engine of cultural change, of course, is the Internet, that cyber fly in the authoritarian ointment. Lee acknowledges the threat. "We banned Playboy in the sixties, and it is still banned, that's true, but now, with the Internet, you get much more than you ever could from Playboy." Allowing pornography sites while banning magazines may seem contradictory. But attempting to censor the Internet, as has been tried in China, would be pointless, Lee says. It is an exquisitely pragmatic reply.And so bloggers, like the satirist Mr. Brown and the urbanely pugnacious Yawning Bread, are free to broadcast opinions unlikely to be found in the pages of the government-linked Straits Times. As a result, more and more young people are questioning the trade-off between freedom and security—and even calling for freer politics and fewer social controls.Last August, a wide-ranging speech by new NMP Viswa Sadasivan created a lot of buzz on the blogosphere: "I do lament our lack of freedom to express ourselves, and the government's seemingly unmitigated grip on power and what appears to be an inconsistent willingness to listen to public sentiment that does not suit it," Viswa said before parliament. "Accountability requires the government to go beyond lip-service in addressing the call for greater democracy … If not, people are likely to feel increasingly alienated."Irked by Viswa's criticisms of the way some ethnic groups are treated in Singapore, LKY interrupted a medical treatment to angrily refute the "highfalutin" speech in a rare appearance on the parliament floor. The patriarch, in case anyone needed reminding, was not yet in his grave.
http://csr-asia.com/weekly_detail.php?id=11912Aging Singapore – a business issue by Marie Morice, 13 Jan 2010In my two years living in Singapore, I’ve had many opportunities to exchange with local taxi drivers. One of my first questions is always to find out how long they’ve been a cabbie for. It’s by no means statistical but I’ve noted that most of them are male, in their sixties (and sometimes seventies) who started in the taxi trade after being retrenched from their last job, as a result of the past or current economic downturns. For a lot of them, it seemed the best option as they were finding it hard to get new employment because of their age. Most of them are working to earn an income as they feel their existing personal savings, assets and Central Provident Fund (Singapore social security savings plan) are not sufficient to cover their financial needs.This is an interesting anecdote, which reflects to some extent the emerging issue of an aging population in Singapore. A recent report from UBS (UBS’s Q-Series® reports on Asian Structural Themes, www.ubs.com) found that Singapore is set to be the world's third- fastest ageing nation, as the proportion of those aged 65 and above will double to 20 per cent in 2020. Singapore may suffer the most among Asian economies from an ageing population, with the average growth in economic output falling more than 40 per cent over the next 25 years. This has major implications for Singapore as a country and for its businesses, especially in terms of impacts on overall economic output, investments, social welfare benefits for the elderly and human resources management policies.(http://csr-asia.com/upload/Image/weekly/v6wk2_mm_1.jpg)Overall population in Singapore has been steadily growing over the last few decades. Singapore’s total population as at end June 2009 was 4.99 million (Compared with a total of 227,592 persons as recorded in the 1901 Census). 3.73 million Singapore residents and 1.25 million non-residents. (www.singstat.gov.sg) were recorded.(http://csr-asia.com/upload/Image/weekly/v6wk2_mm_2.jpg)However, the annual growth rate of the population is dropping, as shown by the blue line (fertility rate) in the above graph. Factors such as a relatively low birth rate and high-quality health care, which helps people live longer, contribute to the ageing population.In 1966, the government established the Family Planning and Population Board, which was responsible for providing clinical services and public education on family planning, along with policies and incentives intended to further reduce the birth rate. Fertility declined throughout the 1970s, reaching the replacement level of 1.006 in 1975, and thereafter declining below that level. By 1977, Singapore’s total fertility rate had dropped below replacement level, and has continued to stay below replacement level despite recent government efforts to increase fertility. (www.country-studies.com)(http://csr-asia.com/upload/Image/weekly/v6wk2_mm_3.jpg)As illustrated in the above graph, the overall decline in the proportion of people who are economically productive is becoming an increasing problem, in terms of economic growth. The UBS report estimated that this demographic change would slice 3 percentage points from long-term economic growth. In Singapore, the sharp reduction in labour growth could cause average GDP expansion to slow to 3.9 per cent between 2006 and 2030, down from 6.9 per cent from 1981 to 2005.It might also become more difficult for Singapore to continue attracting investments as foreign investors might favour countries where more youthful and growing populations can support long-term growth, including India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.Beyond economic growth and investment, the ageing of Singapore’s population is also likely to impact public finances, as the UBS report estimates that potential government support for the elderly through mandatory public pension plans cost the country more than 7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). This could have a direct impact in raising corporate and individual income tax, in to accommodate additional public spending for elderly support.A recent publication by the Asian Meta Centre called “The Relationship between Formal and Familial Support of the Elderly in Singapore and Taiwan” (www.populationasia.org), examines the impact of aging on old age dependency ratio: “As a result of this rapid aging of Singapore’s population there will be a parallel increase in the old age dependency ratio. In 2000, approximately ten working age adults supported one older person. By 2030, only three working age adults will support one older person “The paper concludes that the majority of older Singaporeans rely on private support (81% in 1999) and that the availability a CPF account (Singapore’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) was instituted in 1955 as a mechanism to provide Singaporeans with financial security in old age, a mandatory savings scheme for all employees and employers in Singapore) does not significantly affect older individual’s probability of switching away from family support.An increase in the old age dependency ratio will create a “double burden” for working adults who will not only have to contribute to their own CPF but also support their aging family members – this increasing financial constraint could have a major influence on individuals when looking for a job. Beyond mitigating recruitment and staff retention problems due to a shrinking labour force, businesses will also need to evolve as their workforces continue to age. Human resource management practices will need to be adapted to ensure the skill levels of older workers are continually updated and that discrimination is not condoned.In 1999, the retirement age in Singapore was raised to 62 to encourage senior people to stay in the labour market longer. Wage systems were restructured to separate salary and tenure so that long tenure (and thus being older) was no longer closely associated. Re-education was encouraged, funded largely by government subsidy, and employers were encouraged to introduce flexible work arrangements and partial retirement options. (www.usq.edu.au)The recent National Survey of Senior Citizens (MCDYS, 2005, www.mcys.gov.sg) found that 28.2% of senior citizens aged 55 and above are working, out of which 74% are employed, 24% self-employed and 2% work in a family business. So is this a trend that is here to stay? As yet, it is still too soon to evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives. Taxi drivers are now allowed to drive until they’re 73 years old. What should be the limit to retiring age? Will limits eventually be replaced by simply an ‘ability to work’ criteria?The greying of the population will most probably create new opportunities for business to meet the needs of this growing elderly community. The healthcare industry, special housing, trained professionals like nurses and social workers as well as life insurance and asset management firms should also get a boost from a growing need for wealth management for retirement.Companies are increasingly investing in research on ageing issues so they can understand the new population dynamics and adapt accordingly. Yesterday, I was invited at an event organised by the Mistui Sumitomo Insurance Group (MSIG) in Singapore who was awarding research grants through their Foundation (The Mistui Sumitomo Insurance Welfare Foundation) on senior citizen welfare and traffic safety, topics of great relevance to MSIG’s core business in insurance. Reflecting on the event, partnerships between businesses and academics seemed like a good way forward to provide research leadership in ageing subjects, which is key to business preparedness.Singapore’s National Research Foundation has issued a scenario-planning paper for Singapore in 2020 looking at some examples of technologies for an ageing society, ranging from robotics technology to bioengineering tools, highlighting a new potential market for Singapore as a “a world-class originator of innovative, aged-friendly technology, products and devices” (rita.nrf.gov.sg)Since the city’s founding in 1819, the size and composition of Singapore's population has been determined by the interaction of migration and natural increase. Singapore’s population is the fastest aging in Southeast Asia. The proportion of the population aged 65 and above is expected to increase from the current 7% as of 2000 to 19% by 2030. This dramatic increase in the proportion of the aged in the population is a result of an extremely effective family planning policy introduced in the 1970s. With fertility below the replacement level, the population would after some fifty years begin to decline unless supplemented by immigration.In 2007, the Singapore government announced that it was gearing up for 40 percent surge in population to 6.5 million from the current 4.5 million with urban redevelopment plans to accommodate its new population projection. (National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan – Straits Times). How the government will achieve this has generated many heated debates around immigration issues in the past few months which are not for discussion here but this seems to be unavoidable if Singapore wants to address this emerging challenge in the long term.
SINGAPORE remains the least corrupt of 16 major Asia-Pacific investment destinations in a just-released business survey. It topped the annual poll by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) with a score of 1.42, followed by Australia in second place with 2.28 and Hong Kong third with 2.67 - down one place from a year ago.Indonesia remains the most corrupt country in Southeast Asia and graft is getting even worse at all levels, the poll of businessmen showed, dealing a blow to the Bambang Yudhoyono's drive to fight the scourge. The news comes as Dr Yudhoyono is under mounting pressure with his vice president and finance minister facing a criminal probe into their role in the controversial bailout of a troubled bank.The annual PERC poll put Southeast Asia's biggest economy last in a table of regional economies with a score of 9.27 out of the worst possible 10. Indonesia also came last in 2009, but with a marginally better score of 8.32.Cambodia was ranked the second most corrupt regional nation with a grade of 9.10, followed by Vietnam and the Philippines. Zero means the country or territory is seen to suffer the least corruption among politicians and civil servants, PERC said in the report.The Hong Kong-based consultancy said Indonesian lawmakers' call for a criminal probe into the Yudhoyono government's bailout of Bank Century in 2008 reflected attempts by a corrupt establishment to maintain the status quo. 'Corruption has become a charge being used by corrupt people to protect themselves and to stifle reform,' PERC said. 'The whole fight against corruption is in danger of being corrupted,' it said.The United States - included for comparison purposes - placed fourth with a score of 3.42, followed by Japan (3.49), Macau (4.96), South Korea (5.98), Taiwan (6.28), Malaysia (6.47) and China (6.52). PERC's poll was conducted from December to February, and involved 2,147 mid-level and senior Asian and expatriate business executives working in the 16 economies.
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Topic: Matters : Singapore, Heartland, Close to heart - Close to us (Read 5383 times)
