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F1 And SIA: A Match Made In Heaven?

Now into its second year of the sponsorship deal between Singapore Airlines (SIA) and the Formula One Grand Prix, the national carrier said it is reaping the returns in both commercial and intangible terms.

Industry observers added that financially, the deal is estimated to have more than paid off the investment. SIA said its involvement is not just about advertising its name, it is about bringing the sport to the community.

But being the national carrier, SIA also benefits from higher ticket sales as fans from the region fly into Singapore to enjoy the only night race on the F1 calendar.

According to observers, while sponsorships tend to be a more integral part of business in the West, the landscape is less developed in Asia. So as one of the early movers, some said SIA is likely to have higher returns on investment.

Details of the sponsorship are kept confidential, and there are no numbers from SIA on how the F1 tie-up helps its bottomline.

But one industry watcher estimates that it is likely to have paid off financially.

Mr Jochen Wirtz, Professor of Marketing at NUS Business School, said: “Just from a financial point of view, a breakeven would be somewhere between 10,000 to 20,000 tickets. And if you look at the numbers, there are about 85,000 visitors to F1, of which about 40,000 fly in from other countries.

“That means for SIA to break even, they have to capture about 25 to 50 per cent of this incremental travel, and I think that is not an unreasonable number. So just on short-term financials, I think there is a good possibility for Singapore Airlines to break even.”

Mr Wirtz said this does not include the intangible benefits to SIA, such as marketing exposure and greater brand recognition globally.

SIA itself recognises that the partnership helps to enhance its brand image and international exposure.

Said Mr Sheldon Hee, vice president of marketing communications and development at Singapore Airlines: “The global economy goes through its cycles. And for us, building on a platform like the Formula One, the Singapore race is an opportunity for us to position Singapore and Singapore Airlines in the minds of consumers, be it now or be it in a couple of years when they can travel again.

“There will be opportunities for us to capture some of this interest, and hopefully bring them via Singapore or into Singapore on Singapore Airlines.”

SIA recently announced that it would extend its sponsorship of the Grand Prix event until 2017.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

September 19, 2015
Man Loses Hand And Legs To Infection

A GARDENER has had his two legs and left hand amputated after suffering from bacteria infection, which caused his limbs to turn black and put his life in danger if they were not quickly removed.

The 66-year-old man, who wants to be identified only by his surname Chew, has also been told by doctors that he would lose the fingertips of his right hand, which have turned black, Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported yesterday.

Mr Chew’s case began some two months before the widely reported one of technician Tan Whee Boon, whose hands and legs were cut off last month, after they turned gangrenous due to medical complications.

Three types of bacteria were found in Mr Tan’s body, and one was Group B Streptococcus (GBS), which may cause infections of the skin, joints, heart and brain.

Mr Tan, 50, had eaten raw fish just before his limbs turned black, and the Ministry of Health said there was a possible link between raw fish consumption and GBS infection.

Mr Chew told Wanbao that he has been hospitalised since mid-June when he suddenly experienced great pain in his stomach, a bout of vomiting and weakness in the limbs.

He was at home and had just eaten a packet of rice, which he had bought.

“The distress came after 9pm, and my limbs began to swell. Six hours later, I was lying unconscious in an intensive care ward,” Mr Chew said.

He was told by doctors the following day that he was infected by bacteria and his left leg had to be amputated immediately. His right leg was amputated two days later.

The last amputation, which removed his left hand, took place early this month.

Mr Chew’s case differs from Mr Tan’s in that he had not eaten raw fish before he suffered the same symptoms, reported Wanbao.

Doctors had also not explained to Mr Chew the exact cause of his complications, much to his chagrin, said the newspaper.

A family clinic doctor, Mark Low, told Wanbao that Mr Chew could also have been infected by GBS, as the bacteria is found not only in raw fish but practically anywhere.

So far it has not been determined why the bacteria infection has been rampant, said Dr Low, adding that he does not rule out mutation.

GBS could block blood flow and cause limbs to turn black, even in people who are not in the more vulnerable group, which includes diabetic patients and smokers, said the doctor.

Source: http://mypaper.sg

September 19, 2015
Debt Collector Who Harassed Debtors To Be Fined, Jailed And Caned

A debt collector who was also a loanshark runner was sentenced to four years and three months in jail and ordered to be given 15 strokes of the cane on Friday (Sept 18) for offences under the Moneylenders Act (MLA) and others.

Weng Jiajun, who was working for debt-collection company Double Ace Associates at the time of the offences,was also fined the maximum $5,000 for using threatening words and behaviour to harass the wife of a Korean restaurant owner and patrons at the restaurant.

He had gone there with two others on March 8 last year to ask for payment of an alleged debt from the owner of the restaurant and to harass the staff if his request was refused.

The 32-year-old repeat offender, who faced 19 charges, had pleaded guilty to eight charges with the rest taken into consideration in sentencing.

The court heard that Weng, who owed $2,000 to a loanshark called Lucas, began working for Lucas in late December last year by harassing debtors. Lucas promised to deduct $150 from Weng’s debt for each debtor he harassed. Lucas also threatened to burn hell notes at Weng’s parents’ house if he did not agree to help.

For about a month before his arrest on Jan 29 this year, Weng went around HDB estates locking the grill gates of debtors’ units with bicycle locks, splashing paint, writing graffiti on walls and leaving notes behind.

While working for Double Ace, he and his colleague trespassed into a flat in Pandan Gardens in June last year to threaten a debtor’s 66-year-old mother.

They had gone there to collect an alleged debt of about $28,000 on behalf of Lee’s Motor Trading.

One of Double Ace’s debt recovery tactics involved literally forcing debtors to pay.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Caleb Tan argued that a stiff sentence was warranted in this case. He said Weng and his colleagues from Double Ace operated in groups and caused public disquiet through their tactics which included shouting at debtors, putting up banners, chasing persons nearby away and resorting to physical violence at times.

“It must be highlighted that the accused is a persistent and habitual offender who has committed a total of 29 offences under the MLA in his lifetime, that these offences are ones which must be discouraged due to the pressing public concerns of safety and security, and the fact that multiple victims (both borrowers and innocent parties) were plunged into a state of fear due to the accused’s actions,” he said.

The maximum punishment for an enhanced moneylending harassment charge is nine years’ jail, a $60,000 fine and 10 strokes of the cane.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

September 19, 2015
Indonesia: 1 Month Needed To Fight Fires

Indonesia will take 30 days to bring smouldering forest fires under control, the national disaster management agency said on Friday (Sept 18), as smog from the fires pushes pollution in Southeast Asia to record highs.

The region has suffered for years from annual bouts of smog caused by slash-and-burn practices in Indonesia’s islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, but governments have failed to tackle the problem.

“We expect there will be a potential for haze because of the El Nino effect until the end of November, but we are targeting to put out the majority of the fires by mid-October,” agency spokesman Sutopo Nugroho told Reuters.

Indonesia has faced criticism from neighbours and green groups for not doing enough to prevent the fires, which cause millions of dollars worth of damage to health and the environment every year.

This week, Indonesia said it was investigating about 100 companies, including an unnamed Malaysian firm, in the latest crackdown to tackle smog worsened by a prolonged dry season. The rainy season usually begins in November.

Next week, authorities will name several companies likely to face sanctions for starting fires, including possible withdrawal of licenses, Indonesia’s environment and forestry minister, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, told a news conference on Friday.

Meanwhile, Malaysia on Friday announced plans to evacuate 173 of its citizens “badly affected by the haze surrounding Riau province”from provincial capital Pekanbaru, using two C-130 Hercules aircraft.

Plantation companies, some of which are listed in Singapore, and smallholder farmers often get blamed for using slash-and-burn practices to clear land for palm oil and agriculture.

Indonesian law allows smallholders to slash and burn up to 2ha of land, according to the disaster management agency, which has said the policy is being misused.

Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), one of the world’s biggest pulp and paper companies, says it is fighting fires on its large concession areas and that thousands of hectares of its plantations have been destroyed.

“We are just seeing the tip of the iceberg here. El Nino will last until March next year,” Aida Greenbury, managing director of sustainability at APP, told Reuters.

Indonesia has deployed nearly 3,000 troops and 24 aircraft to help fight the fires. Bakar said an offer of assistance from Singapore was turned down.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

September 19, 2015
Indranee Rajah: Building Economy While Maintaning Singaporean Core A Tricky Balancing Act

Building a strong economy with the help of foreign labour while keeping a Singaporean core is ‘a tricky balancing act’, said Senior Minister of State for Law and Education Indranee Rajah.

With low total fertility rates and an ageing population looming in the near future, the city-state may have fewer working individuals to drive the economy and support more seniors, Ms Indranee told some 300 students who attended the annual Polytechnic Forum held at Ngee Ann Polytechnic on Friday afternoon.

“If you don’t have enough of your own people, then you have to ask people from outside to come in,” she said. “And that is a very tricky balancing act to do, because you must not have so many people coming in from the outside that your own local, Singaporean core is eroded.”

She also acknowledged there are sectors that Singaporeans are not keen on working, such as construction. “So that is one area where we will still need to have people from abroad to help out with,” she said.

Ms Indranee said the Government had been tightening up on foreign labour in the last five years, but it had to be a gradual process. She cited the F&B sector, which faces a lack of waiters and waitresses.

“So for us in the Government, we’ve got to make sure we finely calibrate it,” she said. “But as far as possible, wherever Singaporeans can take up those positions, that’s what we want.”

The Polytechnic Forum, which started in 1996, is organised annually by the five polytechnics. It provides a platform for students to gain a deeper understanding of national issues through activities, discussions and dialogue with industry and government leaders.

During the two hour-long dialogue on Friday, students from all five polytechnics raised issues such as university education and National Service. A common concern was on permanent residency and citizenship.

Ms Indranee noted that foreigners do not automatically qualify to become Singapore permanent residents or citizens. “If we add to the Singaporean pool, (they) must be people who identify with us, share our values and can contribute to Singapore,” she said.

Urging Singaporeans not to be xenophobic, Ms Indranee added: “We should be willing to allow people to join the Singapore family.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

September 19, 2015