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Tag: Ang Hin Kee

  • GM Of Ang Mo Kio Town Council Under Lee Hsien Loong Suspended, Facing CPIB Probe

    GM Of Ang Mo Kio Town Council Under Lee Hsien Loong Suspended, Facing CPIB Probe

    Victor Wong, the general manager and secretary of Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) has been removed from his duties and is under investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

    He works for CPG Facilities Management, the managing agent of the town council, was asked to go on leave by his company after the town council received a complaint about him in September, town council chairman Ang Hin Kee told The Straits Times on Thursday (Dec 29).

    He added that the case had been referred to the CPIB and Mr Wong was removed from his positions at the town council last month.

    Mr Ang, who is an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, said the town council received a complaint in September about Mr Wong concerning “the way he handles contracts and dealings in the town council”.

    He added that the complaint “arose out of his dealings which relates to probable behaviour needing investigation done by CPIB”.

    “Needless to say, the town council ourselves will render all the assistance needed to ensure zero tolerance for corruption,” said Mr Ang.

    “There’s responsibility on the part of our contractors to do the job properly, if they do it inappropriately then we will take follow up actions with regards to getting them replaced (and) sending the case for investigation, making sure the necessary steps are taken.”

    Mr Ang declined to reveal details about the case, citing ongoing investigations, but said that the town council constantly reminded its staff to declare any interests concerning tenders that the town council was awarding.

    Staff from the managing agent were also reminded that “if there are declarations to be made, if there are interests to declare, the people involved (must) make those declarations”, he said.

    He added that the MPs of the GRC had made it a point to personally check on projects performed by its contractors, “so not 100 per cent is done by the managing agent with no oversight”.

    AMKTC is responsible for the housing estates in Ang Mo Kio GRC, which is helmed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

     

  • One In Three Taxi Drivers Suffer From Driver Fatigue

    One In Three Taxi Drivers Suffer From Driver Fatigue

    While waiting in line for passengers late one night, cabbie Han Poh Guan witnessed a taxi in front slide and hit a wall as its driver had fallen asleep without pulling up the handbrake.

    It is common for taxi drivers to doze off on the job because of prolonged driving without a good rest, said the 57-year-old.

    Long hours and sedentary conditions are perennial complaints among taxi drivers here, many of whom work beyond the 12-hours-per-day guideline suggested by the Manpower Ministry.

    A recent study among 231 cabbies here also found that one in three of them experience driver fatigue, with those who work longer hours — more than 10 hours a day — reporting a higher chance of dozing off inadvertently.

    More than half, or 55 per cent, of taxi drivers surveyed said they do not take any day off.

    The study — the first to look at risk factors of fatigue driving among taxi drivers here — was conducted by the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and published in this month’s issue of the Singapore Medical Journal.

    The researchers also observed that those who fall asleep at the wheel tend to report poor sleep quality, have another part-time job or consume more than three caffeinated drinks daily.

    There was also a higher proportion of cabbies, relative to the adult population in Singapore, who reported chronic ailments such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and high cholesterol.

    “Effort should be made to promote a healthier lifestyle in this high-risk group, so as to curb the development of medical conditions and to prevent further complications from existing (conditions),” said the researchers, who randomly surveyed cabbies from one of the largest local companies when they were queueing to pay rental fees or waiting for their cars to be serviced.

    While there are currently no official guidelines on taxi drivers’ work hours and rest periods, the researchers said their findings give cause to review existing policies and implement measures to address sleep-deprived driving, such as educating drivers to recognise when weariness creeps in.

    National Taxi Association (NTA) executive adviser Ang Hin Kee said cabbies drive for long hours to cover high overheads.

    The Land Transport Authority’s regulations requiring a minimum percentage of taxis to undertake a daily mileage of at least 250km also contribute to cabbies’ daily grind, he added.

    However, more has been done in recent years to care for the health of taxi drivers, Mr Ang said. For instance, the NTA has worked with the Health Promotion Board since late 2012 to bring free health screenings and workshops to cabbies, while also offering them stretch bands and pedometers.

    The association also organises weekly jogging and bowling exercises during off-peak hours to “get cabbies on their feet”, although drivers have been slow to take it up, Mr Ang said.

    He expects the introduction of third-party taxi applications and a widened pool of relief drivers to give cabbies some relief.

    Taxi drivers whom TODAY spoke to said they have to work long hours to make ends meet.

    “Rent and fuel costs can go up to S$190 a day and I have to take up to 30 trips to see net income growth,” said Mr Han, who drives from 6pm to 6am every day.

    While he tries to get at least eight hours of sleep daily, this is often affected by the time he reserves for his family. “I have no time and money to exercise or go for check-ups,” said the ComfortDelGro driver.

    Some, including Mr Kelvin Lim, still set aside time to work out. The 53-year-old TransCab driver dedicates three hours in between two driving shifts to playing basketball with his colleagues and neighbours.

    “I make a very conscious effort to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is a very high-risk job, so it is important to take care of ourselves,” Mr Lim said.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com