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SingFirst: Marine Parade, Tampines Here We Come

Stepping up our door to door visits

It was definitely a fruitful night for SingFirst on their walkabouts in both Tampines and Marine Parade GRC’s yesterday. We were warmly received in all the six wards that we went to, especially in Chai Chee where 4 members of the public spontaneously joined in our door to door visits.

The majority of the residents who were at home gamely took our pamphlets. Some even asked if election is around the corner and when is the exact date. There were also residents who invited us into their home for a chit chat. A lot of introduction about SingFirst was also communicated in different languages and dialects.

With these visits, more voters are now aware of and familiar with the name and logo of our party, what we stand for and what we intend to do for Singaporeans when we get into Parliament. We will step up our walkabouts in the weeks and months ahead.

Here are the photos of our walkabout.

Source: www.tremeritus.com

July 9, 2015
Did Otters Eat Koi Worth $80,000?

Otters that are being spotted more often in local bodies of water in recent times may have won over many hearts here with their antics.

However, they may have treated themselves to some very expensive meals – courtesy of a resort and a home in Sentosa. They are suspected of having feasted on ornamental koi, reportedly costing more than $80,000, in April this year.

Mr Ben Bousnina, vice-president of resorts at Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, did not reveal the exact cost of the koi. He said they went missing at the Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa about the time otters were seen on the island.

The resort has relocated the koi from its pond temporarily.

“As the safety of our guests as well as colleagues is our highest priority, we are working closely with Sentosa Development Corporation to ensure that the otters will not be attracted to the resort,” he said.

A report in My Paper last week said that the resort lost about $20,000 worth of koi.

It also reported that a Sentosa Cove resident lost about $64,000 worth of the ornamental fish overnight in April .

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) told The Straits Times it has received feedback on only four occasions from people about otters preying on ornamental fish since the start of last year.

Meanwhile, wildlife rescue group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) said it was normal for otters to prey on ornamental fish.

“They can’t differentiate wild fish from koi and will go for the easier option,” said Acres wildlife manager Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan.

His advice for people with fish ponds in areas with otters about is to either fence the ponds or cover them with wire mesh. They should also not leave leftover food around or feed the otters.

Wild otters are a fairly common sight at the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Pasir Ris Park and the Punggol Waterway, but it was only late last year that they were spotted in Sentosa Cove.

Mr Koh Piak Huat, divisional director of operations at Sentosa Leisure Management, said that while otters are not aggressive, residents are advised to keep their distance.

The semi-aquatic mammals – which can survive in both fresh and sea water – may be expected in some coastal areas.

Hence the island’s management is engaging experts to understand the mammals’ behaviour.

“We welcome them as part of the island’s wildlife,” he said, adding that the management will work to ensure the safety of both the otters and guests.

An AVA spokesman said the public should not approach, disturb or feed any wild animals they see. Trapping them is also illegal. The public can contact AVA at 1800-476-1600 to give feedback on wildlife.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 9, 2015
MOE To Consider Introducing Modules On Race And Religious Issues

The Education Ministry will consider introducing a module for students to better appreciate issues concerning race and religion, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.

He said this at a Racial Harmony Forum on Wednesday (Jul 8) attended by 900 school leaders and teachers.

“I think that is something that we ought to consider so that over a period of years, as our students go through the primary school all the way to secondary school and then JC, ITE and polytechnics, there can be some continuity in how we mould their understanding,” he said.

“I think that will be a useful idea because today a lot of these materials are already embedded in the different Character and Citizenship Education material as well as in social studies and history and so on. If we can pool it together, in order to give it a focus, I think that is something that we should consider.”

Singapore has enjoyed racial and religious harmony in the last 50 years but the young should be reminded that it is a delicate asset that should not be taken for granted, Mr Heng said. He pointed out that fault lines can emerge, if misinformation about other races and religions are allowed to spread.

The minister said efforts to maintain harmony must be doubled, given several challenges. For instance, the internet makes it easier to post careless remarks about other races and religions, with wide-reaching repercussions.

Radicalism, the ISIS threat as well as increasing religiosity, also raise the need to facilitate understanding between people of different beliefs even more. “We first need to be aware of these issues, consider what they might mean for our students, and prepare to engage them meaningfully,” Mr Heng said.

“It also means that we need to keep a watchful eye on our charges, helping our young find meaning and purpose in their school and community, so that they will not fall prey to radical and extremist religious beliefs,” he added.

“With high internet connectivity, it has become easier to connect with others of similar beliefs from across the world, and for people to congregate around causes and movements. If you look at some of the videos produced by the ISIS, they are highly sophisticated. There is great need today for our young to be discerning, responsible users of information, as well as to navigate this terrain wisely. Now, we have to work a lot harder to keep the ideals of our nation.”

To promote inter-racial understanding among students, schools mark Racial Harmony Day on Jul 21 annually.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

July 9, 2015
More Checks On Firms Hiring Foreign PMEs Among Measures To Support Singapore Workers

A slew of measures to enhance support for local Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs) was announced by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Wednesday (Jul 8), as part of ongoing efforts to “strengthen the Singaporean core”. The measures do not apply to Singapore PRs.

MORE SCRUTINY OF FIRMS

Starting Oct 1, firms will be required to publish the salary range of job vacancies they post in the Jobs Bank to comply with the Fair Consideration Framework’s advertising requirement.

From October as well, Employers who apply for Employment Passes (EP) where the job advertisement did not state a salary range will have their applications rejected, MOM said.

The ministry said it will also step up its scrutiny of EP applications for selected firms which have a “weaker Singaporean core” of PMEs relative to others in their industry. These employers will be required to submit more information to check whether Singaporeans were considered fairly, MOM said.

About 150 firms from industries such as IT, finance and services are currently on a watchlist Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say said, with more firms expected to be under additional scrutiny. The watchlist includes firms which have received complaints of discriminatory hiring practices.

“With this closer scrutiny, it will take longer, they will have to answer more questions, and the outcome is, they are more likely to face greater difficulties to get their EPs approved,” said Mr Lim.

However, the minister admitted that for some sectors, there are just not enough skilled Singaporean professionals. For this, the ministry is working on a plan to bring skilled foreigners in, and then for the knowledge to be transferred to the local workforce.

“We work with the economic agencies and say: ‘Okay what can we do, under SkillsFuture, to strengthen the supply’,” he said. “In some sectors, where things are moving very fast, we have to look at the skills development, in the short term, we are prepared to live with a weaker (Singaporean) core but there must still be efforts to transfer the knowhow to strengthen the Singaporean core.”

WAGE SUPPORT FOR MATURE PMES

Under a two-year pilot scheme, employers who employ mature PMEs who have been out of work for at least six months, in mid-level jobs that pay at least S$4,000, will receive wage support. The tiered subsidies will cover up to 40 per cent of the employee’s gross monthly salary, with a subsidy cap of S$2,800 a month.

Named the Career Support Programme, the scheme aims to encourage employers to tap on the wealth of experience that mature Singaporean PMEs can bring to the workplace, MOM said.

PMEs who register with the Workforce Development Agency’s Career Centres and e2i will be eligible for the programme, which will also be launched on Oct 1.

REFINING WORK PASS CONTROLS

With immediate effect, the authorities will reject work pass applications that contain “doubtful” qualifications such as those from degree mills. This is to ensure that foreign PMEs are of a “suitable quality and experience”, MOM said.

“‘Doubtful’ means I don’t really know: Did you study for your degree?” Mr Lim said. “Maybe the institute just asked you to pay for your degree, and pretended to conduct the lesson. You pretend to study, and at the end of the day, you all pretend that you graduated. That to us is doubtful.”

DISPUTE RESOLUTION EXPANDED

From the first quarter of next year, dispute resolution for local PMEs will be stepped up with the establishment of the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT). PMEs who earn more than S$4,500 a month and are not covered by the Employment Act will then have an avenue to resolve statutory and contractual salary-related disputes, the ministry said.

In addition, the tripartite partners have agreed to enhance coverage under the Tripartite Mediation Framework to cover re-employment and employment statutory issues, remove the salary cap of S$4,500 to cover all PME union members and to include rank-and-file union members in non-unionised companies.

NTUC ‘HEARTENED’ BY ANNOUNCEMENT

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said it welcomes MOM’s enhanced support for Singaporean PMEs, and added it was “heartened” to see its recommendations and feedback reflected in the announcement.

For instance, it had suggested that a salary range be published on the National Jobs Bank, the removal of a salary ceiling for tripartite mediation, as well as more support for mature PMEs – all of which were implemented by MOM.

“We look forward to working closely with the tripartite partners to reach out to more workers who require the necessary assistance, and for the changes to have a positive impact on Singaporean PMEs,” said Mr Patrick Tay, assistant secretary-general of the Labour Movement.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

July 9, 2015
School Bus Provider Charged With Cheating

A schoool bus provider who allegedly failed to provide transport services to several primary schools and pre-schools as he had promised was charged in court on Wednesday with four counts of cheating.

Adrian Lee Chong Boon, 38, the director of Sindoz Group Pte Ltd, collected at least $50,000 in bus fees from five schools, according to a report by The Straits Times in January.

Parents of children at Red Swastika School told The Straits Times they had been unable to reach Lee to finalise details of the transport for their children, after they had paid him their deposits.

On the first day of school, some primary school children from Coral Primary School waited for an hour for the bus to pick them up.

Following concerns raised by parents, the two schools terminated their contracts with Sindoz, citing its unsatisfactory services.

Three pre-schools later came forward to say they had paid deposits ranging from $3,000 to $7,000 to the company but were similarly left in the lurch.

Lee has been released on a $15, 000 bail and his case will be mentioned in court again on Aug 6.

If convicted of cheating, Lee will face up to three years’ jail, a fine or both.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 9, 2015