Tag: MINDEF

27 National Servicemen Struck By Stomach Ailment

A total of 27 servicemen were treated for symptoms of Gastro-Intestinal Disease on Thursday (Jan 22) at Clementi Camp Medical Centre, the Defence Ministry (MINDEF) confirmed on Friday.

MINDEF said the soldiers’ conditions are stable and all of them have been discharged from the medical centre. They have since been given light duties, MINDEF added.

The ministry said the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) takes the safety and well-being of its soldiers “very seriously”, and investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.

“The unit has also taken precautionary measures to prevent the spread of this disease by ceasing cookhouse operations, disinfecting dining and communal areas, and enforcing good personal hygiene practices. The SAF will continue to monitor the situation closely,” MINDEF said.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

January 24, 2015
Dr Ting Choon Meng – The David Who Took On The MINDEF Goliath

A doctor, a professor, a philanthropist, and an inventor. A man who believes in educating young Singaporeans to think and imagine, and not just to follow. A firm believe in putting Singaporeans first.

That’s Dr Ting Choon Meng. That’s the man that Singapore’s Ministry of Defence cruelly ripped off by stealing the rights to his design for a first-aid vehicle from right under his nose.

A short rags to riches story of Dr Ting

From young, he stood in for his seaman father, who was seldom home, while his seamstress mother toiled.

By age 11, he was cooking, ironing and tutoring his four younger siblings.

The Pearl’s Hill Primary, Gan Eng Seng Secondary and National Junior College student was the only one in his family to qualify for the University of Singapore medical school.

During National service, he attended Officer Cadet School as a medical officer, where his right index finger got sliced off by a bayonet.

He became a GP at a family health clinic, and later on invented a blood pressure monitoring watch that would shake up the medical world – the BPro.

In 2007, the device won a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer award, which counts Google and PayPal among previous winners. Today, all the hospitals here, including some clinics, widely use his wireless monitoring devices.

Dr Ting has given out some 30 scholarships to students from Singapore Management University and Pioneer Junior College. The only condition – they pay it forward and help other needy students when they are financially-capable.

A serial inventor, Dr Ting and his partner would go on to develop a mobile first-aid centre in 2004. It was patented in more than 9 countries, including Singapore. That is, until MinDef conspired with an external vendor, Syntech, in 2009 to run with the idea force him to revoke all rights to the invention. Read the full story here.

The Great MinDef Heist

What happens if ordinary citizens really do come up with something novel, and this can be taken away in a flash? Or in this case, after years of legal wrangling?

Dr Ting received intellectual property rights to his invention in more than 9 countries. Even the SCDF acknowledged this and played fair by demanding that its vendor give Dr Ting’s company, HealthStats, its dues.

But MinDef and its legal battalion was allowed to run roughshod over this.

Let’s not forget, this invention received IP rights in more than 9 countries, including Denmark, Britain and the US.

Are we truly that Uniquely Singapore?

No Country for Innovators

“All things being equal, we should get local brands. The Government should be the first and main customer of local enterprises, as in Japan and Germany.”

Sadly, this wasn’t the case for Dr Ting when he created his award-winning BPro blood pressure monitor.

Cardiologists here boycotted his talks. “I’ve been told countless times I’m only a GP… Re-learning is uncomfortable,” he concedes.

Economic Development Board officers asked him where he took the technology from, implying he copied it, and remarked: “You mean a Singaporean can do this?” Others took issue that he had no PhD, only a medical degree. And that his was a “local company, single product, with no track record”.

“But you got to start somewhere, isn’t it? It’s called colonisation of the mind.”

Dr Ting had to obtain patents from the US and other western nations, before the Singapore medical scene even bothered to take notice.

What does this spell for Singaporean innovators, then?

Can we blame Singaporeans for wanting to try their luck abroad, if their own country can’t even accept them?

And if they make it there, should we call them “quitters” or the reason for Singapore’s brain drain if they were to give Singapore the collective middle finger? Their homeland that refused to give them even the slightest of shots?

In Sum

The government continues to trumpet its desire for creativity and innovation in Singapore.

But following Dr Ting’s story, how can any Singaporean feel assured that anything they create will not be laid at the mercy of the bureaucratic meat-grinder, and they’ll be left with nothing except wounds to lick?

And even if they have the mind for invention, will they be given the support needed to develop their ideas without being stone-walled by unimaginative leaders who are grossly resistant to change?

It’s probably time to give this machine the collective middle finger.

Source: http://redwiretimes.com

January 21, 2015
MINDEF Rebuts Allegations By MobileStats Technologies

The Defence Ministry, in its online magazine CyberPioneer, has refuted what it said were false allegations in certain online articles that the mobile battalion casualty station (BCS) bought by Mindef had infringed MobileStats Technologies’ patent for its mobile clinic, “Mobile First Aid Post”.

CyberPioneer team writing in their Facebook post said the articles also wrongly suggested that Mindef was forcing MobileStats to close down, so as take over the patent rights.

The team members said they spoke to Mindef’s legal team to find out more, and decided to publish the facts to counter the “false and baseless” accusations in the online articles.

In its Facebook post, CyberPioneer said the recent allegations of patent infringement were not new.

It said: “Since 2011, the owner of MobileStats has repeatedly turned to the media to accuse Mindef of infringing its patent. Second, these accusations have been deliberated by the High Court and found to be untrue. In January 2014, the Court declared the patent invalid and revoked it.

“The Court also found that Mindef had not committed any Intellectual Property infringement. We are disappointed that the owner of MobileStats has disrespected the Court’s decision, and continues to make false and unsubstantiated accusations against Mindef.”

CyberPioneer has regarded the allegations “very seriously” and is referring the matter to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for advice.

CyberPioneer gave a point-by-point rebuttal to the allegations. The responses are reproduced below:

#1 Did MINDEF infringe MobileStats’ patent and try to get away with it?

The Court has considered all factors and ruled that the patent is invalid. Mindef did not infringe any patent as you can’t infringe a patent that was never valid in the first place. MobileStats had patented an idea that has existed since the 1970s (just Google the “mobile medical unit” concept, or see http://youtu.be/evcI-KcZw5E).

Just as there are many smartphone designs and manufacturers who do not infringe each other’s patents, there are also many ways to design and produce military equipment like the BCS.

Mindef respects Intellectual Property laws and honours patents that are valid. When there are disputes over the validity of patents, parties can bring the matter to court. Just as you can file patents to prevent unauthorised copying of your inventions, so can others challenge your patents if they do not involve new ideas.

Most importantly, MINDEF is just a buyer, not the manufacturer. If MobileStats believes it has a valid case, it should pursue the matter with the manufacturer, not the user.

#2 Did Mindef engage in unfair procurement practices?

The case was actually a commercial dispute between MobileStats Technologies and Syntech Engineers, which supplied the mobile BCS to Mindef. As the manufacturer of the mobile BCS, the supplier, not the consumer, is responsible for honouring valid patents. Mindef’s actions were correct and above board.

All of Mindef’s suppliers are required to uphold Intellectual Property laws and obtain the necessary licenses so that Mindef is free to use the products that we have paid for. Mindef simply wants the freedom to deploy our mobile BCS for training and operations and has no interest in acquiring MobileStats’ alleged patents.

It is unclear why the owners of MobileStats chose to take legal actions against the consumer, instead of the manufacturer. Imagine if Apple sued Samsung handphone users – instead of Samsung Electronics – for allegedly infringing Apple’s Intellectual Property rights.

#3 Is Mindef out to destroy MobileStats with the prolonged court case and the demand for the payment of $580K?

This is false. Mindef did not initiate the legal action. It was MobileStats who inexplicably chose to sue Mindef instead of the manufacturer. In defending ourselves, MINDEF’s conduct was in full compliance with court regulations and never found lacking.

$580K was the amount that the court decided MobileStats should reimburse Mindef for our legal fees. Not a single cent will be kept by Mindef. The money will go to Syntech, the BCS vendor, who honoured their legal obligation to Mindef and bore the cost of the legal proceedings.

When legal actions are initiated against government agencies like Mindef, these agencies need to respond. Public resources and monies are expended needlessly if such lawsuits are without merit.

As a government organisation, Mindef has a duty to protect our public monies. We regard such lawsuits taken against Mindef with the utmost seriousness.

Source: http://news.asiaone.com

January 21, 2015
NSmen Forced To Sign “Consent Form”

i’m writing in to unfold an standard protocol required by SAF for our annual FFI clearance, which is mandatory for NSmen upon reaching the age of 35 years old. I’m like all 35 years old, was scheduled for this liability, days after turning 35. So here goes with the standard procedures: blood test, eye test, ECG test, weight and height measurement and not forgotting, a declaration form on your wellbeing and personal details. And the final stage of the test, seeing the in-camp Medical Officer (MO).

I’m an avid runner and swimmer, who exercises regularly at least 5 to 6 days per week, but however I do have some bad habits in smoking and drinking (occasionally), therefore, as per the MO, standard protocol requires me to take the treadmill test, scheduled a few days later at the National Heart Centre.

So well, IPPT and NS is a man’s responsibility, therefore I do not even have the slightest complaint, and not to mention, I do not have any problem in clearing my IPPT. I only have problem getting GOLD! Silver to me is like a piece of cake.

A few days later and here I am, in the National Heart Centre, waiting for my turn to take the test. As the nurse was implanting all the “sockets” on my body, and explaining briefly to me about this test, a remark suddenly caught my full attention.

“Sir I need you to know that there’s a possibility of 1 in 10,000 of heart attack for this test and we need you to sign a consent form.”

Straight away, the answer in my mind was NO! For tons of reasons which I explained to the doctor when the nurse could not handle my queries.

Why should we be liable for something we did not ask for? If SAF needs us to do such test, it proves there’re some health risks after the age of 35, and why are they still implementing this and most importantly, how can they wash their hands off matters which they are forcing the citizens to do? Least they can do is to be liable in case NSmen suffer heart attack during the test.

I saw the MO again, he had no explanations for my concerns and quoted me an example:

“There’s risk to everything you do, like you chose to park your car there, there is risk of break-in.”

Any answer to him is simple, “I chose to park the car there and willing to take the risk. I did not choose to serve NS or IPPT, therefore I shouldn’t be liable for the risk.”

MO’s reply: This is standard protocol and nothing he can do about it. If I do not comply, I will get charged.

I ended the conversation immediately, and in any case, what can a Captain do to oppose such non-logical protocol?

It might sound like a small issue and I know many of you will tell me I am over reacting but I feel insulted that we are forced to sign a “consent form” or be charged. Like that, it’s not really consent since I have no choice.

The Truth

* Submitted by TRE reader.

Source: www.tremeritus.com

December 23, 2014
New Airborne Trooper Facility Launched

The SAF’s new airborne-trooper training facility (ATF) at Pasir Ris Camp was launched on Monday. The new training complex allows for all-weather, day-and-night training at its Parachute Training Facility (PTF) and Rappelling Training Facility (RTF), and aims to train about 640 trainees every year.

Where specific skills once required travelling and training at separate facilities across the island, the ATF offers a one-stop consolidation of various elements of training at a single location. These are taken care of at the RTF’s basic, intermediate and advanced training clusters, as well as the PTF’s landing, rotational and airborne trainer systems.

Most of the training is also no longer at the mercy of bad weather, with the RTF having several indoor elements, and the PTF entirely indoors. The SAF says these features make the ATF the first-of-its-kind in the world, with other military establishments still limited to specific skills training at different facilities, mostly located outdoors.

Colonel Simon Lim, Chief Commando Officer, Commander, Special Operations Task Force, said: “Having visited some of these foreign airborne schools, understanding our limited land space that we have, we wanted a one-stop integrated training facility. I think it is the whole idea of how we develop a design that is something that caters to our needs and our soldiers of this generation.”

COL Lim declined to comment about the cost to develop and build the facility.

The PTF also incorporates several automated elements, reducing the manpower requirements of training while improving on its effectiveness. For example, trainees using the new Rotational Trainer System no longer require another trainee’s assistance to simulate the complications and conditions of landing. The new system also helps to eliminate areas of human error – a trainee performing an incorrect procedure will encounter the same problems he would face in the air, where under the old system, his assistant might incorrectly judge the procedure to be correct and act accordingly.

AIRBORNE TRAINER SYSTEM SIMULATES LIVE DESCENT

Going a step further, the PTF’s Airborne Trainer System offers a complete experience closely simulating all elements of a live descent – from jumping off an aircraft to landing safely. This takes place along a monorail system designed in collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Agency, and draws inspiration from vehicle manufacturing plants.

Such a system also allows trainers control over simulated elements encountered in an actual jump, such as the speed of descent, wind direction and drag. Cameras installed at the facility also record each trainee’s jump on video, allowing for visual review and feedback.

The SAF said the ATF’s facilities allow soldiers to progressively build up confidence and competencies in their airborne-trooper skills, with the first batch of 80 Basic Airborne Course (BAC) trainees using the ATF since Nov 17. While the SAF said it has seen an improvement in the speed and effectiveness of training, it says it has no intention to reduce the current BAC duration nor change the batch size and instructor to student ratios. Instead, the time saved will be used to give trainees more opportunities for practice before they take their first leap in the air.

“When there’s a need for manpower, some of us tend to lose out on this kind of training,” said 2LT Muhammad Faris Asnin, Operational Trooper, 1st Commando Battalion. “So when there’s the automated system in place, more trainees are able to do the training. When they go through more training, they get a boost to their confidence for the real flight itself.”

The SAF added that it is open to allowing foreign forces to visit and examine the ATF, as well as inter-ministry use of its facilities.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

December 2, 2014