Blog

Shisha To Be Banned

SINGAPORE: Shisha is no less hamful than other forms of tobacco use, so the Ministry of Health (MOH) intends to prohibit the import, distribution and sale of shisha from later this month, said Parlimentary Secretary for MOH Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 4).

According to the National Health Survey 2010, 7.8 per cent of young adults aged 18-29 years smoke shisha at least occasionally, compared to 1 per cent among older adults. The Student Health Survey found that the proportion of students who used alternative tobacco products, including shisha, had increased from 2 per cent in 20009 to 9 per cent in 2012.

Dr Faishal said that in view of the health risks associated with shisha smoking, and to prevent the proliferation and entrenchment of shisha smoking in Singapore, the ban will be effected later this month.

“However, as a transitional measure, existing licensed tobacco importers and retailers who import or sell shisha tobacco will be allowed to continue importing and retailing shisha tobacco until Jul 31, 2016,” he said.

“This allows such importers and retailers ample time to deplete their stock and restructure their businesses away from the shisha business.”

Source: channelnewsasia.com

November 4, 2014
Reshuffling in the Civil Service

SINGAPORE – The Public Service Division has announced several changes in permanent secretary appointments, which will take effect from Dec 1.

Mr Leo Yip, chairman of the Economic Development Board (EDB), will be Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs.

He will take over from Mr Tan Tee How, who will be appointed Commissioner of Inland Revenue and chief executive officer of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.

Mr Tan replaces Dr Tan Kim Siew, who will be stepping down on the completion of his term of appointment.

Permanent Secretary for Law Dr Beh Swan Gin will take over as chairman of the EDB when Mr Yip assumes his new role.

Mr Ng How Yue will give up his position as Second Permanent Secretary for Trade and Industry to be the new Permanent Secretary for Law.

Filling Mr Ng’s shoes is Mr Chee Hong Tat, currently the chief executive of statutory board Energy Market Authority.

Source: http://news.asiaone.com

November 4, 2014
New Global Navigation Satellite System in Place of ERP

A new road pricing system that relies on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology can help traffic management in many ways, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew on Monday (Nov 3), who told Parliament that it would not financially prudent to continue with the current Electronic Road Pricing gantry system in the long term.

GNSS technology allows for distance-based pricing along congested roads, thus making it more equitable for motorists, Mr Lui said. Under such a system, every vehicle becomes a sensor, which will allow the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to develop a more accurate picture of the traffic situation and intervene if necessary.

The LTA can then broadcast this data to motorists to help them plan their journeys and avoid congested roads, he said. This data will also be aggregated and anonymised – which means it will not infringe on the privacy of motorists. LTA is planning to implement the system by around 2020, he noted.

Mr Lui was speaking in response to questions posed by MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Zainal Sapari about the new road pricing system.

Last month, the LTA called a tender to develop this system; the tender is still ongoing, Mr Lui said. What is clear is that maintaining the current gantry system – in place since 1998 – will not be financially prudent, he added.

“The annual operating cost has risen by 80 per cent over the last decade, and a large part of the system is coming to the end of its cycle, and it will have to be replaced, even if we do not move to a GNSS-based system,” said Mr Lui, adding that physical gantries also take up land that could otherwise be freed up for more roadside greenery.

But Mr Lui cautioned that while a GNSS-based road pricing system may improve traffic management, it alone cannot ensure that Singapore’s roads continue to be relatively smooth-flowing.

The minister said this would require a holistic approach involving vehicle growth, population controls, as well as enhancing and promoting public transport

Source: http://news.asiaone.com

November 4, 2014
Malay Language Could Face Extinction

THE Malay language could be heading towards extinction due to globalisation, warned the acting director of Language and Literature Bureau yesterday.

During the seventh Brunei Darussalam – Indonesia – Malaysia Language Council (MABBIM) Lecture, Hjh Nortijah Hj Mohd Hassan said the Malay language is being marginalised and overshadowed by other world languages.

“It is not impossible that the Malay language will reach the brink of extinction if we do not make serious efforts to protect it,” she said.

In the pursuit of learning other languages, the acting director said Malays have started to forget they need to uphold the Malay language.

Some individuals think that the language is one-dimensional, that it only aims to be spoken and not support the development of Malay as the official language, she added.

“The Malay language must be accompanied with a sense of spirituality and purity of the soul towards accepting the language so that it is able to shape the personality, character and intellect of an individual.

“It also depends on how we, the speakers, respond and act towards the native language…,” Hjh Nortijah added.

She went on to say that strategic plans and sustainable support from all parties need to be created to develop intensive efforts to realise the empowerment of the Malay language.

In his lecture, Director of Continuing Education at Universiti Brunei Darussalam Dr Yabit Alas said one of the main challenges of the Malay language in the globalisation and technological era is pressure from the English language.

“Even though I mentioned that the Malay/ Indonesian language had its glory days, however due to various political and cultural developments such as colonialism, the development of the Malay/Indonesian language had slowed down,” he said.

He added that other languages such as English had expanded and evolved, but the Malay language’s expansion process was halted for around 600 years during the British rule of Malaysia and Brunei, while Indonesia was under the Dutch.

To enhance the role of the Malay language, Dr Yabit suggested increasing the publication of scientific books, which is what gets universities ranked.

He also recommended the introduction of rules where publishers are required to have at least 50 per cent of what they publish a year in Malay, adding that Indonesia practises such rules.

“The correct and proper use of a language actually mirrors how civilised the country is,” he added.

About 300 government officers and students attended the lecture. MABBIM was established in 1972 to empower the use of Malay language.

Source: http://www.bt.com.bn/

November 4, 2014
Good News for Fresh Engineering Graduates

This year’s fresh graduates in Singapore can expect minimal pay rises in starting salaries for degree holders.

According to Hay Group’s annual Fresh Graduate Pay Survey – which is based on the salary expectations of 95 organisations in Singapore – local graduates can expect 2-3% increments in starting salaries, compared with last year.

The average monthly starting salary for degree holders in the three qualification categories — without Honors, with Honors (Second Lower) and with Honors (Second Upper) — is $2,741, $2,853 and $2,939 respectively, for 2014.

This is compared with 2013′s average starting salaries at $2,683 for Bachelor Degree (without honors), $2,795 for Bachelor Degree (honors, second lower) and $2,892 for Bachelor Degree (honors, second upper).

Additionally, one fifth of employers placed an average premium of $214 per month for local university graduates, compared with non-local university graduates.

As for diploma holders, they can look forward to a 2% increase in average starting salaries this year as well – increasing from $1,840 per month in 2013 to $1,878 this year.

The survey found the top paying jobs for degree holders (without honors) were mostly in engineering, which commanded the top average starting salary of $2,888 per month. This was followed by jobs in the legal sector at $2,856 per month and the IT sector at $2,816 per month.

Engineering jobs also topped the starting salaries for diploma holders at $1,976 per month, with marketing graduates coming in second at $1,938 per month and administration/ support/service graduates taking third place at $1,925 per month.

“Accelerated career development and not just money is the primary motivation for fresh graduates to work for a company. New entrants now have a wide spectrum of opportunities to choose from – from start-ups to entrepreneurial ventures to freelancing and contract work,” said Andrew How, managing director at Hay Group.

“With this widening range of choices, individuals are expecting acceptance and freedom to be themselves with the emphasis shifting to more cerebral needs, such as belonging, autonomy, and self-expression in the workplace.”

The research also showed employers are likely to pay up to 46% more in starting salaries for average degree holders versus diploma holders.

Top paying jobs for degree holders (without honours)

1. Engineering – $2,888
2. Legal – $2,856
3. Information Technology – $2,816
4. Project Management – $2,813
5. Production – $2,767
6. Finance and Accounting – $2,765
7. Corporate Affairs – $2,755
8. Property Management – $2,750
9. Research and Development – $2,738
10. Quality Assurance – $2,708

Top paying jobs for diploma holders

1. Engineering – $1,976
2. Marketing – $1,938
3. Administration/Support/Service – $1,925
4. Information Technology – $1,920
5. Finance and Accounting – $1,906
6. Logistics/Supply chain – $1,900
7. Property Management – $1,894
8. Human Resources – $1,884
9. Corporate Affairs – $1,881
10. Health and Environment – $1,865

Source: www.humanresourcesonline.net

November 4, 2014