Category: Politik

Singapore’s Population Growth At Slowest In More Than A Decade

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore’s population rose 1.2 percent over the past year, the slowest in more than a decade, as it tried to reduce numbers of foreign workers, while long-standing efforts to encourage citizens to have more children bore some fruit.

The total population stood at 5.54 million as of June 2015, according to data released on Wednesday, including 3.38 million citizens.

The citizen population continued to age, with 13.1 percent 65 or older, compared with 12.4 percent last year, due to slowing fertility rates and increasing life expectancy.

Singapore has for years tried to get its well-educated and well-off citizens to have more children, with little success but births in 2014 rose 7 percent, to 33,193, close to the 2012 level, which was the highest in a decade.

Increasing numbers of foreign workers led to grumbling about high property prices and crowded public transport and in response, the government has been curbing numbers, exacerbating a labour crunch, particularly in manufacturing, services and construction.

Businesses faced a tight labour market but help was at hand, the government said in its 2015 population report.

“The government will support businesses to shift towards skills- and capital-intensive ways to grow, so that businesses can continue to grow and succeed here, to create quality jobs for Singaporeans,” the government said.

Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com

October 1, 2015
Osman Sulaiman: Daiso Singapore Must Clarify Its Hiring Policy

With regards to the recent discriminatory hiring policy by Daiso Singapore, I sent them an email today, enquiring further on their employment practices. Hope to get a satisfactory reply from them.

Such organizations that implement discriminatory hiring policies often times went unpunished as we have weak labour laws to protect job seekers from such incidents. We hope this will change soon so that businesses understand the kinds of social harm it creates when it discriminates.

——————————————————————
To the Officer-in-charge

RE: DISCRIMINATORY HIRING POLICIES

I would like to bring your attention to a recruitment exercise that was conducted by Daiso Industries Co Ltd Singapore Branch. The interview was conducted at IMM Building. I was informed by an applicant, Ms Normalis Bte Jais that she had responded to a job advertisement posted on JobsCentral requiring applicants to go for a walk-in-interview. I attached photos of the advertisement in this email for your reference.

The applicant went down on 25th September 2015 @2pm for the interview and she was received by your HR personnel who proceeded to interview her.

During the interview, the applicant was told by your HR personnel that Daiso employees are not allowed to wear the headgear on the sales-floor. The applicant was then asked whether she would still proceed with the interview. Ms Normalis then declined and left the interview room feeling extremely upset and disappointed for not being given equal opportunity for employment because of what she wears.

I would therefore like to seek clarifications from your goodself on a few matters;
1) Can you confirm your organization’s policy regarding the recruitment of women wearing the headgear in Singapore particularly at the sales-floor area?

2) I understand that you also have several Daiso chains across Asia including Malaysia and Indonesia. I assume that the Malaysian and Indonesian employees are allowed to wear their headgears at sales-floor. Why is Singapore the chosen destination for your organization to apply discriminatory policies such as denying Singaporeans wearing the headgear, employment opportunities at your organization?

3) The advertisement on JobsCentral did not indicate that applicant wearing the headgear is not welcomed to apply. If your organization has such policy, why is it not indicated on the job advertisement so that applicants need not waste their time, effort and money attending the interview only to get discriminated on?

4) What is the rationale behind the policy of not allowing employees wearing the headgear to work on sales-floor but having no qualms accepting sales from your customers wearing the headgears and also allowing them entry to your sales-floor?

I would like to highlight that Singapore has in place guidelines for fair employment practices. One of the recommendations is that employers who advertise a position requiring a specific attribute which may be viewed as discriminatory should ensure it is indeed a requirement of the job and state the reason for the requirement in the advertisement.

This can be found on page 8 of the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.
https://www.tafep.sg/…/Publications%20-%20Tripartite%20Guid…

As a global organization that seeks to provide a unique experience and enjoyment for millions of people, surely this kind of archaic hiring policies should not have existed if any.

To make an unjust or prejudicial distinction in the treatment of people is unacceptable. Discrimination has no place in any society. It creates an ill will between people and has a negative effect on the victim. It makes them feel isolated, humiliated and angry. They may also develop low self-esteem and depression in the long run. Most importantly, it denies someone their human rights to be able to participate fully in the society.

It is in the interest of the community that Daiso Singapore makes known of its employment policies with regards to employees wearing the headgear. This will indicate its corporate social responsibility towards creating an inclusive workforce, in-line with global standards.

I look forward to your reply on the above enquires.

Thank you.

Regards,
Osman Sulaiman

Source: Osman Sulaiman

September 30, 2015
Heng Swee Keat As Future PM?

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced a slew of changes in his new Cabinet on Monday, including one that may signal a possible successor.

Heng Swee Keat, 54, the former Education Minister, was tasked with the Finance portfolio, taking over from current Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Heng’s appointment sees him getting the “traditional exposure for a DPM-in-waiting”, said Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Gillian Koh.

Commenting on the fourth generation of leaders, Koh said, “I think that the heart and head of this fourth generation group will still require time, exposure and experience to be shaped and refined but it looks like Mr Heng Swee Keat is head over shoulders above them.”

Inconvenient Questions editor-in-chief Viswa Sadasivan said Heng, as former Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, has the “aptitude” to take over as Finance Minister.

“That could be a very important testing ground to see whether Heng Swee Keat has the versatility to manage these two portfolios,” Viswa said. “Education and Finance are critical portfolios to be prime minister.”

New faces in education

With Heng’s departure, newcomers Ong Ye Kung and Ng Chee Meng were both appointed Acting Ministers for Education, with the portfolio split between Higher Education and Skills, and Schools.

The appointment of two first-timers, a former air force pilot who rose to Chief-of-Defence and high-flying civil servant who left for the private sector, “marks the quick promotion of the new recruits”, said Koh.

Bilveer Singh, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), said the two were placed in the Education ministry to be “tested and tried”.

“They’ve been thrown into the deep end, and Education is a hot potato in this country, one of the most important ministries,” Singh said.

Despite not being the “obvious choices”, Viswa said the pair might bring “a certain maverick streak” into Education.

“If we want people to think out of the box, we have to be prepared to think out of the box, and give people the benefit of doubt,” he said. “Education needs maybe a major shift in gears instead of tweaks.”

Will Khaw be the transport fixer?

Perhaps the hottest topic of discussion prior to the Cabinet announcement centred around who would be the next Transport Minister after Lui Tuck Yew opted not to stand for re-election.

Confirming earlier speculation, former Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan was handed the Transport portfolio, and was also appointed Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure, a position which draws on his past and present experience.

“Having been at MOH (Ministry of Health), MND and now at Transport, he pulls together his knowledge and expertise very nicely,” said Koh.

Khaw was “tried and tested in difficult areas” like health and housing, Singh said.

“His experience in MND will be extremely critical in overcoming all the gridlocks in the country over transport,” he added.

Khaw, in his first blog post as Transport Minister, said it would have been “selfish” of him to say no when approached by the Prime Minister about taking up the position.

“If my term turns out to be a thankless job, the loss is personal. But if we succeed collectively in transforming the city, the benefits will go to millions of Singaporeans,” he wrote.

Khaw has an “established track record of being a fixer”, said Viswa, and the move showed the need to “bring back public confidence” in the Transport ministry and “dispel the notion that anyone who becomes Transport Minister has one term”.

“In MND, he fixed in four years what his predecessors couldn’t in 15,” Viswa said.

First woman to head ministry

Lee also moved former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Grace Fu to the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).

Fu’s appointment makes her the first woman to head a ministry, and she was also appointed as Leader of the House, another first for female politicians in the country.

“Grace Fu fits the bill perfectly… She’s got the cultural temperament, the language temperament, and a genuine interest in the arts… That’s like a slam dunk,” Viswa said.

Singh highlighted the MCCY as a “significant” and “important” ministry in a developed country like Singapore.

“It is the confidence the government has that she (Fu) can run a ministry single-handedly, and I think that’s an important signal which is coming from PM Lee,” Singh said.

Koh, who has called for women to be given “heavyweight portfolios”, said the move was “wonderful”, and suggested there may be room for even more female ministers in future Cabinet reshuffles.

“I think that at this stage, the men and women will be in that competition as equals – talent, political nous, the ability to be people-centric while showing technocratic ability will come into play,” said Koh.

Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com

September 30, 2015
Masagos Bantu Yaacob Ibrahim Dalam Hal Ehwal Melayu/Islam

ENCIK Masagos Zulkifli Masagos Mohamad berkata beliau mahu menggunakan infrastruktur yang tersedia seperti Muis dan Mendaki bagi mendekati dan membantu masyarakat Melayu/Islam Singapura menangani cabaran dari dunia luar seperti fahaman ekstremis.

“Saya telah lama membantu pemerintah mengatasi masalah fahaman ekstremis di kalangan masyarakat kita yang dipengaruhi oleh Internet ataupun dari ajaran-ajaran yang ekstrem, terutama dalam bidang kerja saya di MHA.

“Saya telah mendampingi masyarakat di pelbagai peringkat dan kini saya bekerja dengan Dr Yaacob. Saya akan dapat bekerjasama dengannya melalui infrastruktur seperti Muis dan Mendaki dan meluaskan bahagian di mana kita dapat membentuk masyarakat Melayu/Islam dalam menghadapi cabaran ini – sebagai warga Singapura, juga sebagai sebuah masyarakat, dalam dunia moden ini dan juga bagi masa akan datang,” kata Encik Masagos.

Encik Masagos bakal melepaskan jawatannya sebagai Menteri di Pejabat Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Kedua di Kementerian Ehwal Dalam Negeri (MHA) serta Kementerian Ehwal Luar (MFA).

Beliau turut meluahkan keinginan bekerjasama dengan lebih erat bersama Dr Yaacob dan juga Anggota Parlimen Melayu lain bagi meningkatkan peluang masyarakat Melayu/Islam agar sama-sama maju di Singapura tanpa melupakan identiti sebagai orang Islam dan juga budaya sebagai orang Melayu.

Dalam ucapannya semalam, Encik Lee berkata beliau telah berbincang dengan Dr Yaacob tentang peranan Encik Masagos di Mendaki.

“Saya telah berbincang dengan Dr Yaacob dan beliau akan melantik Masagos sebagai timbalan pengerusi Yayasan Mendaki,” kata Encik Lee.

Mendaki kini dipengerusikan Dr Yaacob yang kekal sebagai Menteri Perhubungan dan Penerangan.

“Saya telah mendampingi masyarakat di pelbagai peringkat dan kini saya bekerja dengan Dr Yaacob. Saya akan dapat bekerjasama dengannya melalui infrastruktur seperti Muis dan Mendaki dan meluaskan bahagian di mana kita dapat membentuk masyarakat Melayu/Islam dalam menghadapi cabaran ini – sebagai warga Singapura, juga sebagai sebuah masyarakat, dalam dunia moden ini dan juga bagi masa akan datang.’’

– Encik Masagos Zulkifli

Source: http://beritaharian.sg

September 29, 2015
Jusuf Kalla: Indonesia Open To Help From Any Country, Including Singapore

JAKARTA — The Indonesian government is open to help from any country, including Singapore, if they wish to assist in fighting the forest fires that are causing the haze in the region, Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said yesterday (Sept 27).

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York, Mr Kalla said the Indonesian government has noted Singapore’s protests against the haze.

“Please come, we are open. Singapore can see for itself. Singapore, please come if you want to help. Don’t just talk,” local news agency Antara News quoted Mr Kalla as saying.

Mr Kalla said Indonesia has explained that it is working hard to put out the forest fires, but it is difficult to solve the problem within a short period of time.

“The forest fires in Indonesia are helped by the dry weather and winds,” he said.

This is not the first time Mr Kalla is inviting Singapore to help. On Sept 15, he appealed to Singapore through local media to help fight the fires, and was quoted as saying: “Singapore, please come. Singapore also knows that the natural disaster can happen anywhere.”

The Singapore Armed Forces had offered to send C-130s for cloud seeding and Chinooks to carry large water buckets to douse the fires.

However, Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar has declined Singapore’s assistance, and said that her country is trying to handle the crisis on its own. Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi also said that she has spoken with her Singaporean counterpart to explain the steps that Jakarta has taken.

“Indonesia is very serious about resolving the fires, and this will be complemented with law enforcement and education,” said Ms Retno.

Source: www.todayonline.com

September 29, 2015