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Singaporeans Value Family

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans value families – they want to get married, have children and feel a strong sense of filial piety a survey found. However, statistics by the Social and Family Development Ministry (MSF) show a gap between what they desire and their reality.

About nine in 10 respondents, across all age groups in a Survey on Social Attitudes of Singaporeans, said they have a close-knit family.

The desire for married couples to be close with their parents is also strong. But sometimes the environment does not allow for it.

In the survey conducted by MSF, about 40 per cent of families with young children said they either live in the same flat, in a nearby block, or same estate as their parents. But 55 per cent said they actually preferred to do so.

Professor Yeung Wei-Jun Jean, director of the Centre for Family and Population Research, explained: “They desire to do so perhaps because of the proximity to take care of … the parents or maybe grandparents to take care of younger children.

“But in reality, maybe some of the married couples or elderly parents already bought housing some time ago and it is not so easy to move to be closer to be in the same neighbourhood and housing. So maybe in terms of public policy, (it would be good) to look at how to make it easier for people who are living further apart but now because of the caring needs, they want to be living closer, and how to make it easier to move.”

INTER-GENERATIONAL CONTACT

And perhaps because of the distance, inter-generational contact seems to be affected. In 2003, some 76.4 per cent of married respondents had said they see their elderly parents either daily or at least once a week. In 2013, the proportion dropped to 70.6 per cent.

In fact, 18.8 per cent of respondents said they either never or keep in touch with their elderly parents just a few times a year.

Prof Yeung noted: “People have many demands and young couples are working long hours. We know from statistics that Singapore adults are working very long hours and children’s schooling is very demanding.”

The inter-generational bonding further weakens as the age gap widens – 71.4 per cent of those aged between 65 and 74 said they do not discuss their personal lives with their grandchildren; the figure goes up to 80 per cent among those aged 75 and above.

Dr Mathew Mathews, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, said: “Values transmission is important, and we notice that less than 30 per cent of grandparents actually discuss their personal life with their grandchildren. That is really a loss because if more are able to do that, grandchildren would be more richer for being able to catch a lot more value, which may be important to their lives, going forward.”

HIGHER EXPECTATIONS AND EVOLVING ROLES

And while there is an increasing number of companies offering some form of flexi-work arrangement, 55 per cent of respondents still said their job keeps them from spending the amount of time they would like, with their family.

Dr Mathews said it may be because expectations are higher and roles are evolving.

He said: “What we have here now is that more men are expressing the fact that work and family life is in conflict. We notice that in the newer wave of the survey, and I think it speaks to the fact that increasingly, wives also want their men to step up and be involved in caregiving roles which previously more of them shied away from but today the expectation is higher on them.”

Researchers also point to the growing number of single households saying that it is important to build on community networks and targeted support, especially for vulnerable groups, such as women who are divorced or widowed.

DROP IN NUCLEAR FAMILIES

Meanwhile, the number of nuclear families was down 7 per cent last year, from 56 per cent of resident households in 2000, according to data released at the Social Service Partners Conference 2015 on Tuesday (May 26).

The fall in the proportion of nuclear families, which are two-generation couple-based households either living with parents or with children, came despite its increase from 511 in 2000 to 592 in 2014. The proportion of 3G – households comprising three or more generations – families also dropped from 10 per cent to 9 per cent.

Conversely, one-person households saw an increase from 8 per cent in 2000 to 11 per cent in 2014. The proportion of married couples without co-residing children in households also rose from 11 per cent to 14 per cent over four years.

DIVORCED, SEPARATED, WIDOWED LESS SATISFIED WITH FAMILY LIFE

One key finding from the survey was that fewer divorced, separated or widowed respondents said they are satisfied with their family life, unlike the single or married cohorts.

The survey showed a 9.3 per cent drop in the number of divorced, separated or widowed respondents agreeing that their family life is satisfying, compared to the 4.6 per cent for singles.

Despite the 4.3 per cent increase in married respondents who are happy with their family life, those who are satisfied with their marriage dropped from 96 per cent in 2009 to 92 per cent in 2013. The survey also showed that 94 per cent of males were satisfied with their marriage, compared to 89 per cent of females.

A stark difference was also observed between the number of wives who said they do more caregiving and household chores than the number of husbands who said they do. For example, 59 per cent of wives indicated themselves as spending more time doing household chores, compared to 3 per cent of husbands.

Similarly, mothers were revealed to spend almost double the time alone with their children during the weekend compared to the fathers.

MORE SINGLES DESIRE TO GET MARRIED

In another survey, the number of single respondents who desire to get married increased from 74 per cent in 2004, to 85 per cent in 2012. As for parenthood aspirations, the Marriage and Parenthood Survey 2012 revealed that a 4 per cent increase in married respondents who intend to have two children was observed between 2007 and 2012.

FAMILIES SPENDING LESS TIME TOGETHER

Meanwhile, according to the National Youth Survey 2013 conducted by the National Youth Council, more than half of respondents across all age groups said they spend less than 10 hours with family members in a week.

A total of 55 per cent of respondents between the ages of 15 and 19 said they spend less than 10 hours, while the age-groups 20-24, 25-29 and 30-34 registered 62 per cent, 72 per cent and 74 per cent respectively.

Additionally, 63 per cent of youths surveyed by the National Youth Council in 2010 said they spend less than 10 hours with their parents or relatives in a week, out of which 4 per cent indicated no time is spent.
In comparison, 2013’s results showed 67 per cent of youths spending less than 10 hours, and 6 per cent spending zero hours with their parents and relatives in a week.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

May 27, 2015
Malaysia Mass Graves: Villagers Tell Of Immigrants Emerging From Secret Camps

The residents of Wang Kelian sensed something was amiss when a number of people stumbled on to their streets, weak and injured, and began to beg for food and water.

“They would walk into my shop, with injuries covering their hands and feet. Some were just too weak to even speak properly,” said Lyza Ibrahim, who runs a food stall in the town on the northern Malaysian border with Thailand.

“One asked me, ‘[Is this] Malaysia?’ Then he pointed in the other direction, said ‘Thailand’ and shook his head to signal that he was not wanted there.”

Wang Kelian is an unassuming settlement but it has been thrust into the global spotlight this week after the discovery in nearby jungle of dozens of secret camps used by people smugglers and nearly 140 grave sites.

Police say some of those graves contain multiple bodies – raising the terrible prospect of hundreds of unexplained deaths. On Tuesday Malaysian authorities began the grim task of exhumation.

Some of the campsites included wooden pens, some with barbed wire and guarded by sentry posts. In one pen, police found several parts of a decomposed body.

The camps appear to be part of a complex of bases stretching into Thailand on what had been a well-established route smuggling mostly Rohingya people from Burma and Bangladesh.

But the trade has been in chaos since early May, when Thai authorities launched a crackdown after the discovery of mass graves on their side of the border.

Thousands of migrants headed for Thailand started landing elsewhere in south-east Asia. And as the smugglers fled their jungle hideouts, migrants were spotted in Wang Kelian.

Ibrahim said she had seen several migrants, whom she believed to be Rohingya, and heard stories about many others, including that they would go to a nearby mosque to ask for help.

Others echoed her story. Another woman said she had spotted a Bangladeshi migrant wandering in the area and knocking on her neighbour’s door.

“It is very sad. We have been hearing these stories, but we can’t do much,” said the woman, who declined to give her name. “We could only offer food, clean clothes, but we have to call the police and they will be taken away by the police after that.”

Malaysian officials acknowledged the camps had been around for some time but defended themselves against criticism that no action was taken earlier. Authorities had previously vehemently denied there were any such sites in the country.

“We have been building up intelligence and information,” the national police chief, Khalid Abu Bakar, told reporters on Monday, vowing tough action against any Malaysians involved.

But anti-trafficking groups said the latest discovery came as little surprise and would cast an even harsher spotlight on Malaysia, which was listed as ‘tier three’ by the US State Department’s annual human-trafficking report, the worst ranking for countries which are failing to stop the trade.

“There were stories about these camps that went back nearly 10 years,” Matthew Friedman, the former chief of the UN inter-agency project on human trafficking, told the Guardian. He now heads the Mekong Club, which campaigns against slavery in Asia. “We passed the information on to the local authorities, but there was no follow-up.”

A report in 2009 by the US Senate committee on foreign relations found that “a few thousand” Burmese migrants had become victims of extortion and trafficking once they were deported across Malaysia’s border with Thailand.

In addition, it said there were questions about the “level of participation” of government officials in Malaysia and Thailand.

Villager Mahyuddin Ahmad said he has seen migrants in Wang Kelian for the past two years but more had been spotted in the past month – the largest group being about 10 people, including women and children.

The 55-year-old businessman, who said he had given food such as instant noodles and clothes to migrants, added: “It is a common sight here. We didn’t suspect anything because we thought they just come from Thailand.

“So we are really shocked to hear what the police revealed yesterday about the grave sites and jungle camps.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

May 27, 2015
Are Culturally Insensitive New Citizens The Cause Of Disharmony In Singapore?

by Wan Dan Liao, Straight Times

A dispute broke out between a Malay family and their new neighbour in Marine Terrace last week over the aroma of Malay cuisines.

The petrified Malay family, who declined to be named, showed ST the police report they filed. Their neighbour who moved in last November had repeatedly asked the Malay family to stop cooking Malay food as it was “smelly”. These requests escalated into police reports and complaints with National Environment Agency. To protect themselves, the Malay family filed a police report against their culturally insensitive neighbour.

Conflicts which rose from cultural differences and misunderstandings are not uncommon in Singapore. In 2012, A senior staff from NTUC of Malaysian origin fled to Australia after making an insensitive remark against the Malay community. Similarly, in 2011, Singaporeans were shocked to know of a Singaporean Indian family who had troubles with their new PRC neighbours who vehemently objected to the smell of curry.

ST sought the views of Singaporeans who are not aware of such conflicts. Mr Hui Jiao Tu, a Chinese Singaporean who converted to Islam after marrying his Malay-Muslim girlfriend of 5-months told ST he felt blessed after knowing her.

“The Chinese girls I dated last time expect me to drive BMW or cooper to fetch them”, Mr Hui lamented, “They won’t date guys who earn less than $5,000 [a month]. They don’t want to have children also, to be honest, they can’t cook, do house work and their figure is not great either!”

“After I met my wife, I finally know what is love” Mr Hui beamed “She happy I ride my super 4 to fetch her after school from Simei, everyday excited to have children, willing to cook and happy to be full time housewife after she graduated. She is a great cook you know! Her family very united and supported us!”

When ST asked Mr Hui the secret to a successful mixed marriage, Mr Hui smiled, “Cast away your stereotype of people or friends from other nationalities or races. Look at them objectively and you will see the beauty in them.”

Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

May 27, 2015
SIA’s New Premium Economy Class Worth The Wait

It’s always good to be first, except when it’s not.

Singapore Airlines has innovated a number of product offerings and been the launch customer for cutting-edge aircraft in the past, but it has recently contended with rivals’ new cabin launches, waiting on the wings to decide what to do about its fourth cabin class.

The airline’s delay has raised questions, even gathered criticism, but it was clear from the reveal event in Singapore of the airline’s new Premium Economy product that, for passengers, the final result is well worth the wait.

For Singapore Airlines, taking its time to observe the market, to plan the cabin product carefully, rather than reacting precipitously to competition was a strategic decision, although it has taken a lot of heat for its deliberative move. In fact, while its Economy class was top of class in Skift’s recent rankings, its Premium Economy class didn’t make the cut at all.

As Singapore Airlines Executive Vice President Commercial, Mak Swee Wah, says of the timing: “Premium Economy is something that has been around for many years, but it’s in the last few years that you find that, because of changing consumer trends, the changing industry landscape, and changing product trends, clearly there is a gap open now.”

Mak sees the gap in exactly the same demographics that leading industry trend watchers have previously pointed out: the entrepreneur, and the more affluent leisure traveler as embodied in the “Silver Surfer” [see more below].

Christopher Nurko, Global Chairman of Futurebrand, was the first emphasize the importance of providing a more personalized cabin lay-out, focused on the purpose of the trip and the personal priorities of passengers. He suggested that there is strong demand for a cabin product that offers a “safe zone” for those who travel on business without a generous corporate budget to fund their trip.

This cabin, he suggested, should be a quiet place to rest and work, with all the amenities needed to be productive in flight, and the pampering and comfort one would need for a restful long-haul flight. As Nurko sees it, the entrepreneurial market is vast and growing.

Comfort But Not the ‘Full Works’

Mak of Singapore Airlines identifies this demographic for SIA’s Premium Economy target customers. “Within the corporate sector there are those who travel business class, but there are those who say: ‘I want more comfort but not quite the full works,’” he says.

Peter Knapp, Global Creative Officer of Landor Associates, has defined the ‘Silver Surfer’ as an active leisure traveler of retirement age. This is a passenger who maintains an active lifestyle, highly values the experience of travel, seeks adventure, and, most importantly, has the budget to pay more for added comfort and convenience, yet isn’t about to throw away vast chunks of his or her hard-earned nest egg on a single flight.

Some of these passengers may have special needs for mobility accommodation, and most will book up if the product they’re getting is attractive enough to make a modest fare differential irresistibly tempting.

Mak says the new SIA Premium Economy is appropriate for this passenger too.

“Even [in the leisure category] you also find that it is segmented. Not everyone will want to travel Economy. Some want real budget, but some also say: ‘I will pay a bit more for better product or more comfort.’”

It Wasn’t Done in a Rush

Mak defends why it took Singapore so long to unveil its Premium Economy product. “Over the last four years you find that there is a clear distinction in the different segments,” Mak says. “We have studied it many times. A couple of years ago we determined that the time was right to enter this mid-stream offering.”

There are plenty of skeptics who argue that Singapore is too late with its introduction of Premium Economy and lost an opportunity to take market share. “I think clearly there is a market segment for this product,” Mak says. “[The SIA Premium Economy product is] for those who want the entire experience: the seat, the upgrades of the seat, the food, the extras, and, most importantly, who want that wrapped up in SIA service excellence that we’re quite proud of. We think that it will place us not just among all the other programs but standing out.”

Mak also believes that what Singapore Airlines has finally delivered is attractive enough that it may warrant expansion.

“We have sized the cabin according to what we think the demand will, but the we’ve done it is also to allow for flexibility in expanding the cabin should there be an upsurge in demand in future,” he says.

Two years to make a decision on something as delicate as the introduction of a new fourth cabin class, and to prepare its launch, is consistent with taking the time to design then produce a product which delivers on its promise—and the Singapore Airlines Premium Economy product delivers what it should.

Singapore Vs. Virgin Atlantic

It is not a product to be compared with Premium Economy’s first pioneer: Virgin Atlantic. Placed side by side, Virgin Atlantic still offers some passenger comfort benefits that Singapore does not feature in Premium Economy. Nor should it.

The two airlines are completely different, with distinct strategies and routes. The needs of their customers also differ and their overall product configuration differs. Virgin Atlantic does not offer a product to match Singapore Airline’s Business Class, or First Class. More importantly, SIA has not deployed this product to compete with Virgin Atlantic.

The airlines against whom SIA competes, however, will now have to contend with a well thought out product that gives passengers plenty of reasons to book that ticket.

The product, for its market and compared to nearly everything else in the skies, is pretty hard to beat. Added to that, is the signature Singapore service, available on the aircraft from nose to tail.

“Customers can expect to be pampered,” says Mak. “Many of our customers have been asking for a Premium Economy offering and we are confident that what we are delivering will exceed their expectations.”

SIA has an added advantage up its sleeve with this product, something that no other airline in the world can offer: Singapore.

With the launch of the first service to Sydney, the airline encourages strong demand. As Australian Business Traveller’s David Flynn says, a survey conducted by his publication on the preferences of Australia’s most frequent travelers reveals that Singapore leads all other destinations as a stopover on routes to Europe with 40% choosing to stop in Singapore, beating both Hong Kong and Dubai by a wide margin. Some 20% to 30% more travelers preferred Singapore.

Source: http://skift.com

May 27, 2015
Wakaf Philantropher: Syed Mohamed Bin Ahmad Alsagoff

Salaam Friends,

Wakaf (Islamic endowments) in Singapore are typically properties bequeathed for a charitable purpose by a philanthropist. Our pioneering wakifs such as Syed Sharif Omar Ali Aljunied, Syed Mohamed bin Ahmad Alsagoff and many others left behind significant assets that are still benefiting our community today.

We will be sharing with you “info bites” of some of these great philanthropists in the upcoming days. We hope you get to learn more about our forefathers and their contributions to our country.

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Philanthropist #1: Syed Mohamed bin Ahmad Alsagoff
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Born of royal parentage and a respectable Arab clan, Syed Mohamed bin Ahmad Alsagoff engaged in the export of Straits produce and Malayan tin to Arabia and Europe. From his vast assets, Syed Mohamed bequeathed a portion of his estate to Wakaf SMA Alsagoff.

Together with other pioneers, he also set up the Muslimin Trust Fund Association (MTFA) in 1904 to look after the welfare of poor and underprivileged Muslims. In his last will just before his death, he had stated that a school be built to teach Islamic knowledge, Arabic language as well as English for the Muslim community. The school, Madrasah Alsagoff Al-Arabiah was later opened in 1912.

Source: MUIS

May 27, 2015