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SEA Games Organising Committe Chairman Calls Singapore Football Fans Fair Weather Fans

Recent results for Singapore’s SEA Games football team have made for grim reading. But the Republic’s top sports executive called on fans to “show your mettle and come out in force” to support the struggling national Under-23 squad.

SEA Games Organising Committee (Singsoc) exco chairman Lim Teck Yin, who is also Sport Singapore’s CEO, admitted that Aide Iskandar’s charges are under “a lot of pressure” following a 1-8 mauling by Japan’s Olympic team, a 1-2 defeat by Syria’s U-23s and a 1-3 loss to regional minnows Cambodia’s U-22 side this year. Coupled with poor displays from the senior Lions and their U-22 counterparts, Singapore’s national teams are still searching for their first win this year.

Yet Lim, a former national water polo player, is urging true fans of Singapore football to back the Young Lions. He told The Straits Times on Wednesday: “Our SEA Games team is training hard and trying to do their best. For fans, it’s your turn now to step up.

“For a fan to say ‘you perform then I come’, it’s sort of saying you’re not quite a fan. Fans are there for the highs and lows – they lift the team when they are low.

“Singapore’s pride is at stake and regardless of how good or bad they are, this is our team.”

Lim was speaking after leading President Tony Tan Keng Yam on his first tour of the Sports Hub in Kallang, where they met national athletes who are training for the Games.

The Young Lions have been grouped with Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Philippines for the June 5-16 extravaganza. The football tournament will kick off on May 29, with tickets going on sale on May 6.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

April 16, 2015
Lions Gold Medal Hunt Begins

There is no doubt Aide Iskandar’s job is a tough one. His SEA Games-bound squad have been handed an easier group for the Under-23 football competition but the irony is that expectations will be higher for them to deliver a better result than their bronze medal performance in 2013.

Singapore will host the 28th edition of the Games from June 5 to 16 and playing on home soil in front of a partisan crowd, the pressure will be massive.

During today’s (April 15) draw for the competition at the Sports Hub, Aide’s under-23 side were placed in Group A with 2013 silver medallists Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines.

The tougher Group B consists of defending champions Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei and Timor-Leste. The top two teams of each group will advance to the semi-finals but Singapore’s passage to the last four is anything but assured.

In six friendly matches they played from January to March in their preparation for the Games, they lost five and drew one. Two of the losses were during a training stint in Turkey, including a 1-1 draw with Uzbekistan’s Under-21 side.

On their return they were handed an 8-1 drubbing by Japan’s under-22 team, and they suffered a 3-1 defeat by Cambodia’s Under-22 side last month.

With Indonesia a perennial threat and Myanmar also in the mix, Aide has his work cut out to whip the team into shape.

He will only be able to assemble the entire team in May because the squad, made up of players from LionsXII and Courts Young Lions, have Malaysian Super League and S-League commitments.

“As hosts we want to do well and we have to challenge ourselves to qualify for the semi-final,” said Aide. “But our final phase of training will only kick off from May 1, which is an important and critical period when we can work on team bonding and cohesiveness.”

Team unity is an issue for the national Under-23 coach, particularly with talk among the fraternity that the poor attitude of some players is disrupting the team. Aide has engaged the help of former fellow Lions defender Kadir Yahaya, a reputed task master who steered Singapore’s Youth Olympics side to bronze in 2010.

“He is a no-nonsense guy who is focused on results and won’t stand for prima donnas,” said former international Lim Tong Hai. “The team needs to be consolidated before the Games and between Aide and Kadir, they could probably do it.”

Added former Lions midfielder Malek Awab: “The performance of the team during pre-Games matches in the last few months has not been encouraging.

“We had stars like Fandi Ahmad and Sundram (ex-striker V Sundramoorthy) during my time in the national team and none of them were prima donnas. if they want to make anything of themselves, they must follow the instructions of the coaches. If not, it is going to be tough for them.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

April 16, 2015
LTA Unveils Tender For Bus Routes In Punggol And Pasir Ris

The second package of bus routes under the government contracting model was today (April 15) put up for tender by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). But in contrast to the enthusiastic response that greeted the first package, the foreign and local operators that TODAY spoke to had little to say when asked about their interest. Of the six operators contacted, two said they plan to bid, two others were non-commital and the rest declined to comment.

Analysts said this was because the operators are awaiting the results of the first package, which would have a significant bearing on the operators’ plans. The results are expected to be announced by June, while the tender for the second package will close in August.

Last May, the Government announced the transition to this new model of operations, where it owns the bus operating assets while private operators compete for contracts to run routes.

The newly released package comprises 25 bus services — including three new routes — that mainly cover the Punggol and Pasir Ris areas, and will be operating out of the new Loyang Bus Depot.

The winning bidder will run the services for five years with the possibility of a two-year extension for good performance. It will also be required to operate, manage and maintain the government-owned buses, interchanges and Centralised Bus Fleet Management System.

Of those contacted today, SMRT Buses and French firm RATP Dev Transdev Asia (RDTA) expressed their interest.

Mr Tan Kian Heong, SMRT Buses’ vice president said: “SMRT Buses is pleased to participate in the Loyang package. We look forward to delivering a positive commuter experience to all residents served by the Loyang bus services.”

RDTA’s bid director, Mark Harbridge, said it is “very interested” in the package, which it is now studying.

“The bid process for the first package, which is being considered at the moment, was a very positive experience and it is one of many reasons that we are excited about the Loyang bus package,” he added.

Incumbent operator SBS Transit’s senior vice president for corporate communication, Tammy Tan, said it is unable to comment since it is a competitive tender. Mr Roger Wong, General Manager of Woodlands Transport, said it will evaluate the tender requirements before deciding whether to bid.

Transport analysts said operators could be waiting for the tender results of the first bus package to serve as a benchmark.

SIM University transport analyst Park Byung Joon said SMRT’s low bid price could have surprised its rivals. “If SMRT is going to win the first bid for that price, foreign companies may find that it may not be as profitable as they thought,” he said.

Eight of the 11 bids for the first package were shortlisted last month. Incumbent bus operators SMRT and ComfortDelGro — via its subsidiary SBS Transit — had the lowest bidding prices of S$93.7 million and S$125.2 million, respectively. The six remaining bids ranged from S$125.6 million to S$153.5 million.

National University of Singapore transport expert Lee Der Horng believes that interest in the second package is still strong among operators, adding that those who participated in the first tender are likely to throw their hats in the ring again.

“They just need to make some tweaks. Most of the content material (for the first bid) can still be applicable for the second bid. It wouldn’t make sense to walk away,” he said.

Source: www.todayonline.com

April 16, 2015
Hotter And Wetter Singapore Expected In The Future

In the latter part of the 21st century, Singapore could face hotter and wetter days, if no global action is taken to curb greenhouse gas emissions. In a worst-case scenario, daily temperatures could spike to 32°C, while sea levels could rise by more than a metre.

This is according to findings from the first phase of the Second National Climate Change Study, which was released by the Meteorological Service Singapore’s (MSS) Centre for Climate Research Singapore on Wednesday (Apr 15).

The study made use of models from the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report and scaled it down for it to be relevant to Singapore. It used a baseline period of 1980 to 2009 and projected it on the period between 2070 and 2099.

Daily temperatures, for example, could increase from the baseline average of 27.4°C to as much as 32°C – or a 4.6°C rise – should there be no concerted effort to tackle the greenhouse gas emission issue, according to the report.

The study also showed that the hot weather commonly experienced here between February and May could be exacerbated.

In the historical baseline period, there were about 25 days when temperatures hit or exceeded 34.1°C. In a less aggressive projection, Singapore could see between 74 and 108 days with such temperatures, but the worst-case scenario would see such temperatures become the norm here, the study found. Higher temperatures, coupled with the humidity, could result in more heat stress incidents for those working outdoors.

Singapore could also see more rainfall during the wet months of November to January. The percentage of contribution to annual rainfall from very wet days for the less aggressive projection is between 21 per cent and 35.3 per cent, while the other scenario would see a contribution of between 21.5 per cent to 44.1 per cent, the study found.

Meanwhile, the dry Southwest monsoon season could see between 12 and 30 per cent decrease in rainfall under the two scenarios.

February 2014 was the driest month for Singapore in 145 years, with little rain and parched weather conditions. Going forward, while experts said Singapore will not experience this on a yearly basis, such conditions may become more frequent.

Experts point out that rainfall patterns can also be affected by naturally occurring weather cycles.

“Not many people would doubt that some part of the temperature change we have seen for Singapore is due to climate change. But for rainfall, it is a tricky question to say how much of this can be attributed to climate change. It wouldn’t ever be saying it is due to climate change. It would be more of a question of a certain amount of that trend could be due to climate change.”

The findings will go towards the study’s second phase, which will examine the impact of climate change on infrastructure and water resources.

The study was commissioned by the National Environment Agency (NEA) together with the Met Office Hadley Centre in the UK. MSS said the second phase of the study is expected to be ready by the end of the year.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

April 16, 2015
HDB Survey Finds More Eyeing Bigger Flats Or Private Homes

Upgrading aspirations have risen over the years, with fewer Housing Board (HDB) households content with smaller flats and more aspiring to bigger flats or private property.

But even as they wanted bigger homes, most were happy with the state of public housing here, with nine in 10 saying their flats were value for money.

These findings were captured in the latest HDB Sample Household Survey, which is conducted once every five years.

The report, which surveyed 7,800 HDB households in 2013, tackled issues related to public housing ranging from HDB residents’ satisfaction with their physical surroundings, to their family ties and aspirations.

Of those surveyed, 57.5 per cent said they were content with their present flat type.

But 35 per cent would be content only with better housing, up from 28.6 per cent in 2008.

Households headed by someone younger than 35 had the highest aspirations.

Three in 10 of such households aspired to own private property, compared with the overall average of 15.9 per cent.

Existing home owners’ aspirations may have risen along with house prices, said R’ST Research director Ong Kah Seng.

“Many buyers understand that the flats they own have seen paper gains due to increases in flat prices, so they would like to cash out and top up ‘a bit more’ for a better living experience.”

But while many continued to believe that flats were good value for money, pride in their homes slipped. Seven in 10 said they were proud of their homes, down from eight in 10 five years before.

The study also found that one in five young married couples under the age of 35 chose to rent instead of buying their first home.

Experts said this could be due to couples waiting for flats to be completed or to be able to afford an ideal home, and did not indicate that they were shunning home ownership.

With about 3.06 million Singaporeans living in public housing – or about eight in 10 Singaporeans – the survey findings closely tracked the overall demographics of the country.

Households were getting older, with the median age of HDB residents at 39, up from 37 in 2008.

Households also had more income earners. On average, there were 1.8 income earners per household in 2013, slightly higher than the 1.7 in 2008.

Four-room units were the most common type of flat sold, making up 41 per cent of the total stock.

The study also showed that bonds in families staying in HDB estates remained strong.

Nine in 10 married children visited their parents at least once a month, with 19.5 per cent doing so on a daily basis.

Similarly, filial piety in the form of financial support for parents remains a virtue in many households.

Nearly three in four younger married residents provided regular financial support to their parents in 2013, up from 70.2 per cent in 2008. The average quantum given to their parents went up from $336 to $400.

The generally positive reviews of public housing come even though the population density has risen, noted the HDB.

“Despite the increase, survey findings showed that residents liked most aspects about the HDB living environment,” it said.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

April 16, 2015