Category: Politik

PCF To Increase Fares For Kindergartens, Childcare Centres

PAP Community Foundation (PCF), the largest pre-school operator here, is set to raise fees for most of its kindergarten and child care centres from next year.

Explaining that fee increases are needed from time to time to maintain the quality of its programmes, PCF could not say which or how many of its 153 childcare centres and 215 kindergartens will be affected, but explained that current fees and revised fees would “vary across different kindergartens, childcare and infant care centres”.

“Due to our large network of centres, it is also difficult to pinpoint a specified amount of increase due to the variation mentioned,” a spokesperson said. “The increase will affect generally all cohort of students.”

The hike was approved by the authorities in May. Several centres have already informed parents of the new fees, while the PCF will continue to reach out to parents over the rest of the month.

Stressing that PCF is committed to keeping fees affordable, the anchor operator also said fee increases are done in “tandem with increases in our investments in curriculum and learning environment as well as the employment of qualified teachers who continue to receive on-going profession development”.

“Such increases are also needed to defray rising operational costs, most notably in the salary costs of preschool staff,” the spokesperson added.

The PCF could not provide a range for how much fees would increase by, but a letter to parents from PCF Sparkletots Preschool @ Nanyang Blk 922 on revised fees — which was has been circulating online since last week — showed that from next year, K2 fees will be S$617.90 a month for Singapore citizens. Permanent residents (PRs) will pay S$765 and foreigners pay S$926.80.

For infant care, fees would be S$1235.80 a month for citizens, S$1,530.10 for PRs and S$1,853.70 for foreigners.

In September last year, it was reported that fees were raised for some PCF centres, but no organisation-wide hike was implemented.

The spokesperson, pointing out that the revised fees are below the fee cap set by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), also assured that even after the increase, the “vast majority” of PCF centres will continue to offer fees at lower than the median fees of other anchor operators and preschool centres. The fee cap for anchor operators is S$720 a month for full-day childcare.

PCF will help families who require financial assistance with relevant sources of support. For example, the PCF will continue to provide additional assistance through various local schemes including their Headstart Fund, which support families with monthly per capita income of S$500 or less.

Parents with children in PCF centres interviewed by TODAY said they have not been informed of any changes, but said they would be concerned if there are hikes, especially since some saw increases last year or the year before.

A parent with two children in PCF Punggol South, who did not want to be named, said fees at the centre were raised in January this year, and any increase next year would be unreasonable.

Private tutor Shawn Koh, 35, who has three children at PCF Lorong Ah Soo, said fees at the centre increase last year. and agreed that any increase must be justified.

Of the four pre-school anchor operators contacted by TODAY, two — MY World Preschool and E-Bridge — responded, saying they will not raise fees for next year.

Source: www.todayonline.com

September 22, 2015
Ng Chee Meng – Bidding Farewell To SAF

Former Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General (LG) (NS) Ng Chee Meng speaks to PIONEER on what it’s like leaving the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) after 29 years.

Saying goodbye was evidently difficult for the top man in Singapore’s military. “Without the SAF, I would not have been the person I am today,” said the 47-year-old who joined the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) as a fighter pilot in 1986.

Growing up in a middle-class family with four other boys, LG (NS) Ng said he would not have had the means to afford an overseas education if not for the SAF. He graduated from the prestigious United States Air Force Academy, and was the second man from the RSAF in the history of the SAF to be made Chief of Defence Force.

“There are very few places in the world that will allow a boy from a middle-class family to have these opportunities to succeed,” said the father of two.

“My drive to serve comes from wanting to give back to our country and our people,” he added.

Fulfilling a childhood dream

His eyes lit up when he spoke about his first solo flight on a Cessna 172K after completing his O-levels.

“I was in JC 1…taking an aircraft to the sky with no one beside me,” the then-Junior Flying Club member recalled. “It was my first step in fulfilling a childhood dream (to become a fighter pilot).”

His first 10 years in the RSAF were some of the most memorable times of LG (NS) Ng’s career. He described himself as a “brash and young” pilot who loved being in the thick of action.

In his early days, the hotshot pilot recalled flying combat air patrols in his F-5 fighter jet in response to possible threats, putting himself in the frontline to protect Singapore’s skies.

As he rose through the ranks, it dawned upon him that he could no longer stick to his “youthful ideals, and ambitions to be a fighter pilot”.

“It was time to really seriously look at how to give back in terms of policy-making, and (use) the ground experiences that I had garnered to be the most effective commander that I could be.”

LG (NS) Ng helmed key command and staff roles that included Commanding Officer of 144 Squadron which operates the F-5 aircraft; Commander Changi Air Base; Director Joint Operations; and Chief of Air Force.

After taking over the top job in the SAF in 2013, LG (NS) Ng volunteered for the Combat Skills Badge (CSB) and Basic Diving courses. Training alongside servicemen half his age, the ace pilot wanted to understand his men and women in the Army and Navy, and lead by example. “You cannot lead if you do not understand what your people go through,” he explained.

When asked what he considers his greatest achievement, LG (NS) Ng humbly declined to answer, simply saying: “I did what I was supposed to do, what a responsible officer would do.”

SAF: Cornerstone of country’s success

LG (NS) Ng is proud of the SAF and its world-class people. The country’s remarkable economic progress, he said, was made possible because of the stability provided by the SAF’s servicemen and women.

Although the SAF has never been tested in an all-out war, LG (NS) Ng said the fact that Singapore has enjoyed peace for 50 years is a testament of its abilities to enhance Singapore’s peace and security.

“Detractors should understand that the ultimate strategy is to win without fighting,” he said, quoting renowned Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu.

The full force of the SAF – including its citizen soldiers – when marshalled, renders it a formidable opponent, he said. “Any hostile country would think twice or thrice about threatening us.”

He noted that the SAF is in a very strong position today, not just because of its high-tech military arsenal, but also the dedication of its people and the strong support from the public.

This was what he witnessed during the state funeral of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. “I saw my officers and men doing their part beyond the call of duty, and ordinary Singaporeans giving them strength through their encouragement and support,” he recalled. “This is the binding strength of Singapore.”

Quoting the late Mr Zubir Said, the composer of Singapore’s National Anthem, LG (NS) Ng urged all SAF servicemen and women to continue to “uphold the sky of the land where you live”.

“Uphold the standards that we have forged over the last 50 years. Train our people tough, but fairly and safely, so that when we are called into operations, wherever or whenever, we are ready… We do this for Singapore, for Singaporeans.”

“The CSB course requires extensive physical conditioning and preparation. During one of our training sessions, LG (NS) Ng was in great pain and visibly limping. But he pushed himself and eventually attained the badge which required him to walk 32km in full battle order. I have the utmost admiration and respect for his determination and leadership.”

– Chief Warrant Officer (Ret) Joseph Koa, former SAF Sergeant Major

“I spotted LG (NS) Ng in the thick of the crowd, talking to people and reassuring them that we were doing our best to lessen any inconvenience and make the queue move as fast as possible… Seeing him walk the talk, when there must have been a host of pressing things for him to attend to, was both inspiring and reassuring.”

– Lieutenant Colonel Nur Effendi, who was in charge of queue managament during the state funeral for the late Mr Lee

“(As chairman of the SAF Welfare Council,) he takes a personal interest in understanding the situation of each family before sharing his views of how help can be rendered.

He has also given his support (for those with financial difficulties) through the SAF Benevolent Framework or the SAF Bursary and Merit Bursary Awards.”

– Ms Serena Woon, Finance Manager in SAF Personnel Services Centre

“One day, he (then Chief of Air Force) said he wanted to fly with us in the front seat of the F-15SG. With his busy schedule, we were worried whether he could make it, but he committed himself to the training. (He sets these) standards to show us that he knows his stuff, that ‘I set a high standard for myself and you better demand a high standard of yourself too’.”

– Colonel Nalpon Patrick Selvan, former Commander Fighter Group, Air Combat Command

Source: www.mindef.gov.sg

September 21, 2015
Chee Soon Juan: GE2015 – Could There Have Been Any Other Result?
I wrote in this blog a couple of weeks prior to the last GE that come day-after-polling, the PAP will declare victory and, thereafter, it will be one-party-rule-as-usual. I also pointed out, which I have done countless of times before, that the electoral process in Singapore facilitates one and only one outcome: PAP victory. There can be no other.

The factors that contributed to the outcome of this past general election have been discussed ad nauseum, but we are no closer to coming to a definitive conclusion of what really made the populace vote the way it did. I do not wish to add to the speculation other than to state the obvious: it was a combination of all of them.

Rather, I think it would be much more helpful to identify the root motivator, or motivators, of the voting behaviour of the majority of Singaporeans.

To do that, let me first cite the work of Ellen Lust of Yale University. Essentially, Professor Lust says that “Elections in authoritarian regimes not only fail to push the transition process forward, but tend to strengthen the incumbent regime.”

She observes that in hegemonic authoritarian systems:
- “Elections tend to weaken political parties…Parties come to be seen as personalistic cliques, focused on their own interests.
- Political parties tend to splinter into even weaker offshoots.
- Elections provide an efficient mechanism for distributing patronage.
- Opposition elites who win seats become part of the patronage network, providing selective benefits to their constituents.
- Elections also can help the party in power to co-opt potential counterelites.
So what does Lust see as a viable option for those who want to bring about a more democratic state? She writes: “Supporters of democracy should thus focus on changing the overall playing field rather than just the electoral process.”

What playing field, in the Singapore context, are we talking about ? As it turns out, there are not so many things that stack the system in favour of the PAP. No matter how you slice it, three factors emerge:
- Control of the print and broadcast media
- Use of state organs for party-political purposes
- Subjugation of the body charged with the conduct of elections
The combination of the three will – regardless of the efficacy of the political opposition and the potency of our message – result in the overwhelming electoral victory of the PAP each and every election. For purposes of this essay, I wish to focus on the first factor: media control.

Democracy isn’t just about voting once every 5 years, it is about having a free media where views of all sides are openly aired and support for them canvassed. In Singapore, however, opposition parties are excluded from meaningful coverage in the period between elections, save for perhaps whenever the PAP decides to criticise us.

This is a powerful drug that anaesthetises the electorate to the pain that PAP policies inflict and acts as a stimulant for its message especially during elections. Conversely, the obscurantism turns most things the opposition has to offer into inconsequential drivel.

Pundits and commentators, in their haste to provide “answers” for the PAP’s sterling results, draw conclusions ranging from the PAP’s superior communication skills to the one speech that DPM Tharman made during the hustings to the lack of opposition unity.

These observations ignore the overarching role that the control of information plays in driving voting behaviour of the majority of Singaporeans. After more than 50 years of the PAP-good, opposition-bad dichotomy, it would indeed be surprising that the national vote turned out any other way.

Perhaps media consultant Alan Soon, amidst all the faux analyses of the results, came closest to the nub of the matter when he noted: “If journalism is meant to be a service in which we inform and educate society, we’re failing. This country has real issues to contend with and we’re not going to get very far if the media doesn’t appreciate its role in explaining, dissecting and challenging policies.”

If any good is going to come from the dismal results of this elections, let it be a renewed effort to revamp the way our national media operate in order to level the playing field and provide the Singaporean electorate a proper forum to debate politics and policies and when elections come, the wherewithal to cast an intelligent vote.

At the heart of this complex issue is the Newspaper Presses and Printing Act (NPPA) which, for all intents and purposes, allows the PAP monopoly of the political narrative in Singapore. Section 11 of the Act, for instance, says that “No person shall…become a substantial shareholder of a newspaper company without first obtaining the approval of the Minister.” This surely cannot be the way the media in Singapore function in the knowledge-driven era.

We have been working hard, very hard. Now let us start working smart. As long as we do not address the fundamentals that drive the political system – fundamentals that have produced the same ineluctable results even after half-a-century of elections in Singapore – the opposition will be forever consigned to the inane exercise of chasing our tails.

This is an excerpt of my presentation at the SDP Post-GE2015 Forum: The Way Forward held on 19 September 2015.

Source: www.cheesoonjuan.com
September 21, 2015
Ex-TRS Editors: We Have Moved On With Our Lives, SG Politics No Longer Concern Us

<Facebook clarification by Former TRS Editors>

Dear TRS Eaters,

We heard many of you have come down to our stalls to show your support after reading this recent mainstream media article.

Thanks for taking the time to try our ramen, we hope you enjoyed it!

For those of you that we chit chatted with, it was nice getting to know you all and for those who didn’t get a chance to meet us or talk to us, we are sincerely sorry we missed you.

At the moment, we are unable to dispute or comment on issues pertaining to our case, such as the claims made by MDA and Minister Yaacob Ibrahim that the TRS website was run mainly by foreigners deliberately fabricating news to sow hatred, as the case is still presently before the courts. Even if we say we didn’t or that we are not made up mainly of foreigners, it will not clear up anything until the case is presented in court and the judge makes the final verdict.

However, we are working with our lawyers to address these claims and the charges and we are sure that the truth about all these issues will come out in the near future when the case goes to trial.

For those who asked about our lives in general, thank you for your care and concern. It has not been an easy journey this year. A lot of things have happened including one of our family members suffering a serious brainstem stroke and developing a rare neurological condition called ‘locked-in’ syndrome.

We have decided to start a simple business to support our family including covering the high medical fees as well as the ongoing costs of care.

We are moving on with our lives and we are again grateful for the encouragement we have received from all TRS readers. Singapore politics will no longer concern us or be a topic of discussion within our family.

However, we hope that we can continue serving you quality ramen in the future!

Your thoughts?

Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

September 21, 2015
F1 And SIA: A Match Made In Heaven?

Now into its second year of the sponsorship deal between Singapore Airlines (SIA) and the Formula One Grand Prix, the national carrier said it is reaping the returns in both commercial and intangible terms.

Industry observers added that financially, the deal is estimated to have more than paid off the investment. SIA said its involvement is not just about advertising its name, it is about bringing the sport to the community.

But being the national carrier, SIA also benefits from higher ticket sales as fans from the region fly into Singapore to enjoy the only night race on the F1 calendar.

According to observers, while sponsorships tend to be a more integral part of business in the West, the landscape is less developed in Asia. So as one of the early movers, some said SIA is likely to have higher returns on investment.

Details of the sponsorship are kept confidential, and there are no numbers from SIA on how the F1 tie-up helps its bottomline.

But one industry watcher estimates that it is likely to have paid off financially.

Mr Jochen Wirtz, Professor of Marketing at NUS Business School, said: “Just from a financial point of view, a breakeven would be somewhere between 10,000 to 20,000 tickets. And if you look at the numbers, there are about 85,000 visitors to F1, of which about 40,000 fly in from other countries.

“That means for SIA to break even, they have to capture about 25 to 50 per cent of this incremental travel, and I think that is not an unreasonable number. So just on short-term financials, I think there is a good possibility for Singapore Airlines to break even.”

Mr Wirtz said this does not include the intangible benefits to SIA, such as marketing exposure and greater brand recognition globally.

SIA itself recognises that the partnership helps to enhance its brand image and international exposure.

Said Mr Sheldon Hee, vice president of marketing communications and development at Singapore Airlines: “The global economy goes through its cycles. And for us, building on a platform like the Formula One, the Singapore race is an opportunity for us to position Singapore and Singapore Airlines in the minds of consumers, be it now or be it in a couple of years when they can travel again.

“There will be opportunities for us to capture some of this interest, and hopefully bring them via Singapore or into Singapore on Singapore Airlines.”

SIA recently announced that it would extend its sponsorship of the Grand Prix event until 2017.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

September 19, 2015