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Category: Singapuraku

  • New Airborne Trooper Facility Launched

    New Airborne Trooper Facility Launched

    The SAF’s new airborne-trooper training facility (ATF) at Pasir Ris Camp was launched on Monday. The new training complex allows for all-weather, day-and-night training at its Parachute Training Facility (PTF) and Rappelling Training Facility (RTF), and aims to train about 640 trainees every year.

    Where specific skills once required travelling and training at separate facilities across the island, the ATF offers a one-stop consolidation of various elements of training at a single location. These are taken care of at the RTF’s basic, intermediate and advanced training clusters, as well as the PTF’s landing, rotational and airborne trainer systems.

    Most of the training is also no longer at the mercy of bad weather, with the RTF having several indoor elements, and the PTF entirely indoors. The SAF says these features make the ATF the first-of-its-kind in the world, with other military establishments still limited to specific skills training at different facilities, mostly located outdoors.

    Colonel Simon Lim, Chief Commando Officer, Commander, Special Operations Task Force, said: “Having visited some of these foreign airborne schools, understanding our limited land space that we have, we wanted a one-stop integrated training facility. I think it is the whole idea of how we develop a design that is something that caters to our needs and our soldiers of this generation.”

    COL Lim declined to comment about the cost to develop and build the facility.

    The PTF also incorporates several automated elements, reducing the manpower requirements of training while improving on its effectiveness. For example, trainees using the new Rotational Trainer System no longer require another trainee’s assistance to simulate the complications and conditions of landing. The new system also helps to eliminate areas of human error – a trainee performing an incorrect procedure will encounter the same problems he would face in the air, where under the old system, his assistant might incorrectly judge the procedure to be correct and act accordingly.

    AIRBORNE TRAINER SYSTEM SIMULATES LIVE DESCENT

    Going a step further, the PTF’s Airborne Trainer System offers a complete experience closely simulating all elements of a live descent – from jumping off an aircraft to landing safely. This takes place along a monorail system designed in collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Agency, and draws inspiration from vehicle manufacturing plants.

    Such a system also allows trainers control over simulated elements encountered in an actual jump, such as the speed of descent, wind direction and drag. Cameras installed at the facility also record each trainee’s jump on video, allowing for visual review and feedback.

    The SAF said the ATF’s facilities allow soldiers to progressively build up confidence and competencies in their airborne-trooper skills, with the first batch of 80 Basic Airborne Course (BAC) trainees using the ATF since Nov 17. While the SAF said it has seen an improvement in the speed and effectiveness of training, it says it has no intention to reduce the current BAC duration nor change the batch size and instructor to student ratios. Instead, the time saved will be used to give trainees more opportunities for practice before they take their first leap in the air.

    “When there’s a need for manpower, some of us tend to lose out on this kind of training,” said 2LT Muhammad Faris Asnin, Operational Trooper, 1st Commando Battalion. “So when there’s the automated system in place, more trainees are able to do the training. When they go through more training, they get a boost to their confidence for the real flight itself.”

    The SAF added that it is open to allowing foreign forces to visit and examine the ATF, as well as inter-ministry use of its facilities.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Offer Malay As An Elective To Expand Its Use Among Non-Native Speakers

    Offer Malay As An Elective To Expand Its Use Among Non-Native Speakers

    I AGREE with Ms Jong Ching Yee (“Teach all students to speak Malay”; last Monday) that learning Malay is useful in a multiracial society like Singapore.

    As it is, Singaporeans already exhibit some understanding of the language, given that the island’s indigenous inhabitants were of Malay origin, the Republic shares ties with Malaysia, and our National Anthem is in Bahasa Melayu.

    However, it is futile to make students learn the native language to better appreciate our history, if they are not interested in or aware of our history, just as how learning English does not necessarily lead one to learn more about the British.

    The more crucial strategy here is to make our students more interested in local history and culture.

    Given the perception that students already find their mother tongue languages hard to master, having them learn Malay too would add to their academic load.

    Nonetheless, offering Malay as a supplementary elective in schools is achievable.

    It should be pitched accordingly at a conversational level, rather than match the rigours of the Third Language modules at the Ministry of Education Language Centre.

    Such a course should do away with final tests or grades, lest the fun of learning a new language is snuffed out.

    This will also reduce the academic burden on students.

    Such a module may also include field trips to Malay heritage sites.

    Paul Sim Ruiqi

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

     

  • $20,000 Wedding Cancelled After Fight Between Bride And Groom

    $20,000 Wedding Cancelled After Fight Between Bride And Groom

    It was supposed to be a happy occasion at a wedding banquet in a five-star Sentosa hotel on Saturday night. But things turned sour and only the groom was present – there was no bride.

    The groom, who called the wedding off the day before, was said to have entertained guests and was not seated at the main table with family members, but with guests, reported Shin Min Daily News yesterday.

    There were also three to four empty tables, believed to be reserved for the bride’s guests.

    There were 12 tables in all and the groom, who wanted to be known only as Mr Liu, said about $20,000 had been spent.

    The 26-year-old told Shin Min that a week before the banquet, he and his fiancee, also 26, got into an argument.

    “She slapped me seven times. My shoulder and chest were also bruised by her,” he said, adding that the incident upset him and his parents.

    His fiancee is pregnant with his child. She told Shin Min that she is four to five months pregnant.

    Mr Liu said he met her when he was in a polytechnic and claimed he waited for three years before he was able to win her heart.

    After the recent argument, Mr Liu thought things through and made the painful decision to call off the wedding a day before.

    “I think the problems between two people need to be worked out first before marriage. So I informed my fiancee about it. But since the wedding banquet had already been arranged, we decided to carry on with it and apologise to the guests,” he said, adding that he treated it like a family gathering.

    “I’ve donated the money from the banquet guests’ red packets to charity.”

    Mr Liu said he had bowed in apology to guests on Saturday and read out an apology letter to seek their understanding.

    His fiancee said that she had hit Mr Liu only once, and had her reasons for doing so.

    “Before the wedding, he (Mr Liu) said again that our marriage would break apart because of our quarrelling. It made me very angry, so I slapped him. My nails had scratched him, but I didn’t hit him seven times,” she said.

    She added that her future in-laws were also difficult. This posed problems for her matrimonial matters and upset her.

    “I’m also pregnant so my emotions are not stable. And because of many problems that cropped up, I was very unhappy. I haven’t been able to rest well for two weeks.”

    The fiancee also said she could not imagine that the wedding would still take place.

    “He (Mr Liu) only wants my child and doesn’t think about marrying me any more. Even if he wanted to, it’s one-sided. His parents would not approve,” she said, adding that even if she were able to mend things with the groom, the episode would leave a scar on her.

    But Mr Liu claimed that he would not give up loving his fiancee even though the wedding has been called off.

    “I hope to take her for counselling so that she can better control her emotions and not be so violent. I’m willing to wait for her and have our wedding ceremony,” he said.

     

    Source: http://news.asiaone.com

  • New Clubhouse For Foreign Domestic Workers

    New Clubhouse For Foreign Domestic Workers

    Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) will soon have a new hangout on their rest days. The Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training (FAST), a non-profit organisation, intends to open a second clubhouse to ramp up activities and provide extra support services to FDWs.

    FAST president Seah Seng Choon announced this at the 5th Foreign Domestic Workers Day on Sunday (Nov 30). The new facility will offer the same services as the first clubhouse at Raeburn Park, near the former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.

    FAST, a charity which aims to promote skills training for FDWs, said it could not confirm the location of the new clubhouse as yet. But it hopes to open the facility in the last quarter of 2015. It will have a shelter for distressed workers.

    Mr Seah said: “For our shelter, we would like to provide activities. Besides just a home, we want to make sure that they are occupied with meaningful activities, like training, like going for developmental kind of activities to enrich their experience in the home as well. So, while recuperating from their issues they have, we don’t want them to sit there, and do nothing.”

    In 2013, the Manpower Ministry introduced the mandatory weekly day off for newly recruited foreign domestic workers and those renewing their work permits. Under the arrangement, employers and workers can work out compensation in lieu of a day off. On January 1 next year, this will cover all foreign domestic workers. These workers will need a place to go to during their rest days, thus the idea for the new clubhouse.

    Some 5,000 foreign domestic workers congregated at the Grandstand Turf City on Sunday to celebrate the special day dedicated to them. Many were given a day off by their employers to attend the event.

    The event also saw outstanding workers and employers being recognised, with Filipina Chona Bandejas winning the FDW of the Year award. The 47-year-old was hailed as a devoted caregiver for her employer of 22 years. “I’ve been working with them, they never scold me, and they never argue with each other. Our relationship is really like a family, and I’m very happy to work for them,” said Chona.

    Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Amy Khor, who was the guest of honour at the event, urged employers to understand and adapt to the needs of FDWs. This is to ensure their well being.

    As for FDWs, Dr Khor said they have a responsibility to highlight early on to employers any concerns they might have. Ultimately, open communication based on mutual respect and accommodation is the best guarantee of a successful working relationship, she added.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Better Protection For Pulau Ubin

    Better Protection For Pulau Ubin

    Plans are afoot to better protect and restore Pulau Ubin’s nature and heritage spaces, with the Government announcing its first phase of initiatives yesterday.

    These plans, culled from over 2,000 ideas and suggestions gathered through the Ubin Project launched in March, include enhancing natural habitats to support recovering species of plants and animals — which will provide opportunities for volunteers and the community to be involved in research and the establishment of habitats — and setting up a centre for field studies.

    Guidelines will also be developed to restore existing buildings and structures on Pulau Ubin. Given the loss of coastal habitats and vegetation due to the erosion of the island’s shoreline, the National Parks Board (NParks) will also be calling for studies to identify long-term measures to protect and restore the shoreline.

    The plans were announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Pulau Ubin during Ubin Day, which was organised by about 20 community groups including Team Seagrass, Nature Society (Singapore) and the Butterfly Circle to showcase the different facets of the island to the public.

    The Pekan Quarry on the island is among the areas that are set to be enhanced. Floating wetlands and nesting platforms will be installed to encourage the nesting and roosting of birds such as herons. Amenities such as boardwalks will also be built for visitors, to be ready by the third quarter of next year.

    NParks has also identified certain species for recovery programmes. They include an endangered mangrove tree, a terrestrial orchid and rare seagrasses. Certain bird species such as the Baya Weaver and the Red-Wattled Lapwing, as well as bats and otters have also been selected.

    To encourage research and education, a new centre for field studies, education and outreach will also be built on the site of the former Celestial Resort. Mooted by a group of educators, the centre will be equipped with field study labs, classrooms and accommodation.

    On the heritage front, the authorities will be partnering tertiary institutions and non-governmental organisations to identify and map the island’s past and heritage elements in a cultural mapping project, on top of the restoration guidelines.

    To encourage environmentally and socially responsible behaviour while on the island, a code of conduct — the Ubin Way — will be developed by some of the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN) members. FUN, formed earlier this year, comprises naturalists, heritage experts, sports enthusiasts, researchers, residents and students, and has been active in the Ubin Project.

    Speaking at Ubin Day yesterday, Mr Lee commended the collective effort involved in developing a vision for the 10.2 sq km island — about the size of Changi Airport — that would honour the past, treasure the present and shape its future.

    Pointing to the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint that was launched last month, he said the initiatives for Pulau Ubin were a prime example of how every Singaporean has an important role in making the country more liveable and sustainable.

    Minister of State (National Development) Desmond Lee, speaking to reporters, assured that the authorities would manage the number of visitors, as numbers are set to rise. About 2,000 to 3,000 people visit the island each weekend.

    For areas of biodiversity that are more sensitive, the number of visitors may be restricted by limiting access only to researchers or those on guided tours. While no cap has been set on the number of visitors, Mr Desmond Lee pointed out that the area is naturally restricted by the number of boats that can ferry people to the island.

    Most residents TODAY spoke to welcomed these initiatives, which they said would improve their business. Mr Tan Chee Kiang, 67, felt the new initiatives would preserve the kampung spirit of the island. Pulau Ubin is unique and should be kept the way it is instead of turning it into another Sentosa, said Mr Tan, who is the owner of a provision shop and seafood restaurant on the island.

    Last year, residents of the island were alarmed to receive a notice from the authorities that led many to believe they were facing eviction to make way for development. The authorities later apologised, saying the notice could have been better worded.

    While these are positive initiatives, Nature Society (Singapore) conservation committee vice-chairman Ho Hua Chew felt that to ensure these efforts do not go to waste, the island needs a “stronger protection status”.

    Last month, TODAY reported that the nature group has called for Pulau Ubin to be given the same level of protection as a nature reserve. The island is currently designated a nature area, but can be developed if the need arises.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com