Category: Singapuraku

AHPETC Court Hearing: MND’s Actions Not Part Of Political Dispute

The Ministry of National Development’s (MND) application to the courts to appoint independent accountants to safeguard government grants to the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) is not a move as part of a “political dispute”, said its lawyers on Monday (May 4).

Attorney-General’s Chambers Deputy chief counsel for litigation Aurill Kam, who is acting for MND, said that the Workers’ Party-run town council has “mischaracterised” MND’s actions by saying that it is action between the ruling People’s Action Party and the WP.

Speaking at the start of a two-day hearing in the High Court, Ms Kam said that it is action between MND, which has regulatory oversight over the Town Council Act, and AHPETC, which is a statutory body.

“This concerns obligations of a statutory body that is holding funds. The leadership of the town council being WP members is not the point. These are legal questions,” she said.

The court hearing is the latest development following a report by the Auditor-General’s Office in February that flagged lapses in the town council’s books.

STEPS TAKEN ‘INADEQUATE’

On Monday, Ms Kam said that the steps taken to date following the report have been “inadequate”.

She noted that AHPETC have appointed an external accounting firm Audit Alliance to look at their accounts, and financial consultants Business Assurance to review their processes.

But she pointed out that Business Assurance – a sole proprietorship that was set up last February – does not appear to have the necessary expertise to advise on or carry out reviews, and does not appear to have a good understanding of town council operations.

“There is no evidence that the town council has sought help from professionals with good track records,” she added.

Earlier, the court heard that AHPETC had enough funds to last until June this year – but this would be premised on them not making transfers to the town council’s sinking fund. Quarterly transfers to the sinking fund are mandatory – and the money is used for long-term estate maintenance.

Before heading into the courtroom on Monday morning, town council chairman Sylvia Lim said she would not be able to comment further as the case was before the courts, but added that the town council would be mounting a “vigorous defence”.

“We are doing this in the interest of our residents, and we believe this court case is wholly unnecessary,” she said.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

May 4, 2015
Why We Mark The International Firefighters’ Day…

Firefighters dedicate their lives to the protection of life and property. Sometimes that dedication is in the form of countless hours volunteered over many years, in others it is many selfless years working in the industry. In all cases it risks the ultimate sacrifice of a firefighter’s life.

International Firefighters’ Day (IFFD) is a time where the world’s community can recognise and honour the sacrifices that firefighters make to ensure that their communities and environment are as safe as possible. It is also a day in which current and past firefighters can be thanked for their contributions.

International Firefighters’ Day is observed each year on 4th May. On this date you are invited to remember the past firefighters who have died while serving our community or dedicated their lives to protecting the safety of us all. At the same time, we can show our support and appreciation to the firefighters world wide who continue to protect us so well throughout the year.

By proudly wearing and displaying blue and red ribbons pinned together or by participating in a memorial or recognition event, we can show our gratitude to firefighters everywhere.

The IFFD ribbons are linked to colours symbolic of the main elements firefighters work with – red for fire and blue for water. These colours also are internationally recognised as representing emergency service.

On the first Sunday in May at noon please Sound Off in respect of past firefighters.

A special time to stop and reflect on the sacrifices made by firefighters is held on the first Sunday in May at noon local time each year when fire sirens sound for 30 seconds followed by a minute’s silence in memory of, and respect for, all firefighters who have been lost in the line of duty or passed on before us. This is known as the “Sound Off“.

Source: www.firefightersday.org

May 4, 2015
Singapore Silat Banking On Dark Horses For More Medals

The Republic’s pencak silat athletes have never won more than three gold medals at any SEA Games and competing on home ground will not be much of an advantage when Singapore hosts the biennial event from June 5 to June 16, said Singapore Silat Federation (SSF) chief executive officer Sheik Alau’ddin Yacoob Marican.

Traditional powerhouses Indonesia and Malaysia have always dominated the sport, but with Vietnam fighting the two countries for supremacy since 2005, winning medals, let alone gold, has become difficult, he added.

When the silat competition starts on June 10 at the Singapore Expo, Sheik Alau’ddin is banking his hopes on 2013 Games gold medallist Nur Alfian Juma’en in the Class F event, and 2012 world champion Shakir Juanda in Class H.

Despite the stiff competition, he said there are “dark horses” in his seven-man and six-woman squad capable of springing a surprise or two.

They include Class E fighter Sheik Ferdous, Iqbal Abdul Rahman in the artistic singles event for men and the women artistic team.

“Although I am not expecting more than two golds from Nur Alfian and Shakir, anything can happen when the home crowd get behind our athletes,” said Sheik Alau’ddin.

“Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam will dominate silat here, but emotions run high when friends and families are shouting and cheering on our guys and girls. When this happens, it can push them to perform beyond themselves. So while I am realistic about our chances, I am not writing off the possibility of getting more than two gold medals.”

Keeping focus and following instructions are two areas Nur Alfian needs to strengthen if he is to defend his Games gold medal. These weak spots unravelled in January at Phuket where he failed to get past the Class F quarter-final of the World Pencak Silat Championship.

Said the 18-year-old: “I did not follow the game plan of my coaches because I was too eager to get the points. This allowed my opponent to take me down several times.

“By the time I came to my senses and was able to score points, it was not enough to win the match.”

To help the host team put on a good showing for the competition, the SSF hired two Indonesian coaches, Muhammad Fiqri and Muhammad Hamdi, in April last year to sharpen their techniques.

Fiqri said they have been pushing the athletes to use more of what they have in their armoury when they step onto the mat to do battle.

“For example, although they know how to use the scissors technique to bring down an opponent, many have not been using this as much as they should,” he added.

“They also tend to use the same style and this makes them predictable. So what Hamdi and I have been doing is to get them to train a lot more in other areas so that they will have more weapons to use next month.”

Although Nurul Suhailah has not been mentioned as one of the medal hopefuls, the 19-year-old is hoping to make an impact in her second attempt at the Games after returning home empty-handed from Myanmar two years ago.

“I am going for gold, no matter what,” she said defiantly. “We are competing in Singapore and my family and friends are coming to watch me. Although there is pressure to do well in front of them, this is good pressure because it will push me to win something.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

May 4, 2015
SAF’s LTA Mohamad Fahrul Bin Saaid Excels In Australian Defence Force Academy Undergraduate Course

SAF officer excels in Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) Undergraduate Course.

LTA Mohamad Fahrul Bin Saaid recently completed the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) Undergraduate Course. The ADFA is a tri-service Australian military academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for officers of the Australian Defence Force. The course consists of a year of military training and four years of tertiary education which is provided by the University of New South Wales.

Scoring above distinction in Undergraduate Studies as well as obtaining First Class Honours in Civil Engineering, LTA Fahrul was awarded the Commandant’s Academic Commendation.

“Through the ADFA Undergraduate Course, I was able to experience How our Australian counterparts manage different situations. By understanding their processes, it helps me work better with them in future bilateral engagements, especially since SAF and ADF enjoy good defense relations. I have also learnt that it is of utmost importance to establish, maintain and even strengthen defense relations with other countries.” LTA Fahrul shares his takeaways from the 5-year course.

Congratulations and well done LTA Fahrul!

Source: The Singapore Army

May 4, 2015
126 Home Team Officers Deployed For Largest Overseas Deployment In Nepal

One hundred and twenty six Home Team officers are focusing their efforts on the Gorkha district in Nepal – the Republic’s largest deployment for an overseas relief operation.

In a Facebook post on Sunday (May 3), Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the Home Team contingent consisted of 60 officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force and 66 officers from the Singapore Police Force. There are also Gurkha officers – 30 of whom reached Nepal on Sunday with more relief supplies.

Singapore Police Force officers loading supplies bound for Pokhara, Nepal. (Photo: Teo Chee Hean’s Facebook page)

Gorkha is close to the epicentre of the earthquake, which occurred between Pokhara and Kathmandu, said Mr Teo. Because road connections are also damaged, personnel and supplies are airlifted to Gorkha via helicopters.

The Ministry of Home Affairs added that because ground operations are moving into the recovery phase, the base of operations has been shifted from Kathmandu to Pokhara. The focus is to provide humanitarian aid, such as medical assistance and distribution of basic food items to the affected population.

A map illustrating Singapore’s deployment in Nepal. (Image: Ministry of Home Affairs)

“Our contingent is staging out of Pokhara (Nepal’s second largest city), to reach Gorkha district by helo. Our officers are familiar with this area and the local communities, as a good number of our Gurkha Contingent officers come from this region,” he said in the post.

Last week’s earthquake in Nepal has killed more than 7,000 people, with officials expecting the death toll to rise further.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

May 4, 2015