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Tag: SG50

  • Qantas: 23-Hr Flight Delay Due To Jubilee Celebrations

    Qantas: 23-Hr Flight Delay Due To Jubilee Celebrations

    Australia’s national airline Qantas yesterday blamed Singapore’s Jubilee celebrations for the 23-hour delay of one of its flights which left dozens of passengers stranded here on Sunday night.

    Flight QF36 had been due to depart from Singapore for Melbourne at 7.55pm on Sunday but did not leave until 6.54pm yesterday.

    Singapore’s airspace was closed from 6.25pm to 7.10pm on Sunday during the National Day Parade (NDP) aerial displays over the Marina Bay area.

    Qantas said this meant that its inbound flight from Brisbane had to be diverted to Batam.

    The Straits Times understands that the plane had to re-fuel on the Indonesian island, around 20km away from the Republic.

    But before it could take off for the short flight to Singapore, its cabin crew had exceeded their maximum flying hours.

    The plane was forced to remain there until a new crew could be flown over. It arrived in Singapore only at 4.39am yesterday.

    The delay held up Flight QF36, as well as Flight QF6 – a Qantas flight to Sydney that had been due to depart at 11.50pm on Sunday, but finally left at 10.18am yesterday.

    The airline did not say how many passengers were affected by the delays, but a spokesman said that they were due to “congestion at Changi Airport as a result of the airport’s closure for SG50 flyover celebrations”.

    The Straits Times counted more than 50 people in the queue for the retimed QF36 flight yesterday. One passenger estimated that about 300 had been affected.

    The retimed flight was also unable to fly directly to Melbourne and had to transit in Darwin, although Qantas did not say why.

    The airline gave those affected accommodation at hotels or the airport lounge and meal vouchers, although this was considered meagre compensation by many.

    Australian housewife Melanie Dobson, 42, was due to fly home on QF36 with her husband and four-year-old daughter and said they were not told until 1.15am yesterday that they would have to spend the night in a hotel. “We are just exhausted,” she said.

    Her husband Andrew, 49, had to sleep on the floor so that his wife and daughter could share the bed. “It’s a bit of a disappointing end to the (Jubilee) weekend,” said the businessman.

    Other major airlines also had to reschedule flights in advance due to the NDP.

    A Singapore Airlines spokesman said: “Several Singapore Airlines and SilkAir flights were retimed as Singapore’s airspace was closed.”

    A Cathay Pacific airport duty supervisor said that while the airline had experienced some minor delays on Sunday, these were “all operational” and the flights affected by the airspace closure were “rescheduled months ago”.

    Meanwhile, yesterday’s QF36 flight to Melbourne was also delayed – and retimed to depart at 3pm today. A queue of confused passengers formed at the Qantas customer service desk at 5.30pm.

    Singaporean Adly Mohd Sham, 26, said he and a friend had arrived at the airport at 4pm, only to discover their flight was delayed.

    The customer service officer, who will miss his transfer flight to Tasmania, added that nobody had explained to him why the delay had arisen. “So far we’ve had no e-mail messages or calls, nothing.”

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Aide Debunks Picture Of Rosmah ‘Bossing’ Najib At SG50 Parade

    Aide Debunks Picture Of Rosmah ‘Bossing’ Najib At SG50 Parade

    Rizal Mansor, the aide to the prime minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor, has debunked a photograph of Rosmah apparently ‘leading’ her husband Najib Abdul Razak during the Singapore National Day celebration last Sunday.

    The photograph, which has gone viral, was used to claim it to be an example of Rosmah “bossing” her husband as she is seen walking ahead of Najib.

    They were seen walking past Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Iskandar and Johor Crown Prince Ismail Ibrahim, both of whom have been subtly critical of Najib, without any acknowledgement.

    Rizal said there were more important issues to be concerned about, but nonetheless he still addressed the photograph after noting that many people had played up the matter.

    He pointed out that Rosmah had to walk ahead as she was supposed to sit on the inside.

    “Rosmah walking in front of Najib, have a look at the arrangement sitting. It was like going to the movies, who is seated on the inside must go in first.

    “The seating and the position she enters is determined by Singapore’s protocol. We are guest, we have to follow,” he says in his Facebook posting.

    Rizal also addressed another photograph taken from an angle that apparently showed Rosmah as the only head of government’s wife present at the celebration.

    Other leaders too had their wives present…

    The aide posted a separate photograph, pointing out that there were also other heads of states or governments who were accompanied by their wives.

    “Rosmah was the only head of government’s wife?

    “Have a look at today’s (yesterday’s) Utusan Malaysia photograph. The wife of Indonesia’s vice-president was present, Vietnam and New Zealand too.

    “Out of eight head of states or representatives present, four of them brought their spouses.

    “Singapore prime minister’s wife was also there,” Rizal said.

    Social media has often made fun of Rosmah’s alleged influence over Najib, despite the prime minister denying that his wife plays any role in his administration.

    Najib is also suing Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming on his claim that Rosmah was present in a cabinet meeting, based on a photograph that Najib said was merely a regular meeting between him and a few ministers, at which his wife was present.

     

    Source: www.malaysiakini.com

  • Financial Times Claims Singapore Better Than Malaysia Despite Authoritarian Government

    Financial Times Claims Singapore Better Than Malaysia Despite Authoritarian Government

    A hard-hitting opinion piece by international business daily Financial Times (FT) has compared Singapore’s achievements with Malaysia’s, saying that despite the city-state’s tightly controlled society, its ruling party is largely appreciated by Singaporeans due to the success of its socio-economic policies.

    In comments on Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebrations yesterday, which marked 50 years since it separation from Malaysia, FT said the difficulties faced by Singapore “paled in comparison with those in Malaysia”.

    “Not only is Malaysia going through its worst political crisis in years after hundreds of millions of dollars found their way into the bank accounts of (Datuk Seri) Najib Razak, the prime minister,” said FT, referring to allegations surrounding Najib in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) saga.

    “More critically, Malaysia has been undergoing a long-term meltdown in which the political, religious and ethnic compact that has underpinned the country since independence groans under its own rotten contradictions,” said the paper, noting that Singapore’s per capita gross domestic product is five times that of Malaysia’s.

    FT said Malaysia could learn from Singapore, adding that its fight against corruption should start with Najib coming clean on the 1MDB affair, or stepping down.

    Drawing comparisons between PAP and Umno, the two political parties which have dominated Singapore and Malaysia respectively since independence, FT said Singaporeans still regarded PAP as “honest and competent”, despite recent inroads by opposition parties in the republic.

    On the other hand, it said the Malaysian public “senses” that Umno has long fronted a corrupt system.

    But the paper acknowledged that both countries are vastly different in terms of demography, and that Singapore’s micromanagement style might not work for Malaysia.

    “Still, both countries have potentially combustible ethnic mixes. Singapore has done better at forging a sense of fairness and national unity, through language, meritocracy and incorruptibility.

    “Malaysia, in the name of protecting Malays through positive discrimination, has by contrast created a crony capitalist state,” said FT, calling for the dismantling of religion and race-based policies.

     

    Source: www.themalaysianinsider.com

  • NDP Smashes Record For Most Number Of Tweets For One Event In Singapore

    NDP Smashes Record For Most Number Of Tweets For One Event In Singapore

    Twitter users have smashed the record for tweets related to a one-day event in Singapore, sending out more than 230,000 tweets about yesterday’s (Aug 9) National Day Parade (NDP) including those with the hashtag #NDP2015.

    Tweets also included other terms related to the Parade, such as #SG50, Majulah Singapura, and Golden Jubilee as well as Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Hsien Loong, and NDP performers Kit Chan and JJ Lin.

    This was twice the previous record held by the One Direction concert on March 11, where there were more than 100,000 tweets about the event.

    According to data released by Twitter today, there were 570 tweets sent per minute as it neared the 8.30pm mark yesterday, just as the Parade culminated in a massive fireworks display.

    Yesterday’s Golden Jubilee celebrations saw more than 26,000 people gathered at the Padang, where the first National Day Parade took place in 1966. Thousands more packed areas such as the Marina Barrage and Marina Bay.

    Here are some of the most shared tweets from Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebrations

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Calculating The Cost Of Singapore’s SG50 Jubilee

    Calculating The Cost Of Singapore’s SG50 Jubilee

    Singapore is celebrating 50 years of independence and everywhere you look in the city, there are posters, banners, bus ads and post boxes marking the event.

    The government-led brand sums up the jubilee with the acronym SG50.

    It is the city state’s biggest and most expensive effort to drum up nationalist fervour.

    The celebrations will culminate on 9 August, National Day, the date of Singapore’s independence 50 years ago.

    An extravaganza costing nearly $15m (£9.6m) will take place on the historic Padang – the large field in the middle of the city – as well as on a platform that overlooks the picturesque waterfront where 150,000 people are expected to fill the stands and watch from the city centre.

    The show has been put together by 12,000 participants and crew – among the highlights will be 20 fighter jets forming the number 50 in the sky.

    Jets displaying '50' in the sky
    Fighter jets were rehearsing their formation ahead of the big day
    SG 50 bag
    National Day ‘fun packs’ are being sent to 1.5m households

     

    Companies have also piled in, desperate to be associated with the “feel-good” factor.

    Honav Singapore is one small firm hoping to do this. They’ve produced around 300,000 flag-themed temporary tattoos, as well as more than a million mini Singapore flags, erasers and games for the National Day ‘fun packs’.

    Around 1.5m of these packs are being distributed free to households and to spectators of the national day parade rehearsal shows over the last few weeks. The fun packs are estimated to have cost the government around $7m, though part of this cost is picked up by sponsors such as Honav Singapore.

    Marketing director Marilyn Lim says it’s a chance too for her firm to get more exposure and be associated with a ‘memorable once in a lifetime event’.

    SG50 planes, cars and whisky

    Jubilee branding has also turned up on Singapore Airline’s A380 planes. Two of these have been flying the globe since July, flanked in the red and white colours of the Singaporean flag with SG50 on the turbochargers of its wings.

    Singapore Airlines, who were the first to fly the A380 planes when they debuted in 2007, says one of these flag themed planes will be flying past over the parade on the day.

    The airline says that its growth has been so closely linked to the development of Singapore that having the special Singapore-flag themed livery would be a ‘unique way to help celebrate Singapore’s 50th birthday’.

    Singapore Airlines A380 plane with SG50 branding
    Singapore airlines put the SG50 logo on two of its A380 planes

     

    Even supermarkets are in nationalistic overdrive, trying to sell shoppers everything from 50 grams more bacon and fishcakes shaped in the number 50 for their noodles.

    It’s not just Singaporean companies, the fervour has hit big multi-national firms too.

    Real patriots can order a bespoke SG50 Rolls Royce. The car company says it is the first time anywhere in the world Rolls-Royce has commissioned a car to commemorate the anniversary of a country.

    Price is upon application for the one of a kind Ghost Series II which has hand painted details of Singapore’s famous Merlion – a creature with a lion’s head and fish body .

    According to Paul Harris, the regional director of Rolls Royce Motor Cars, they did this because Singapore is an important market for the firm. It had its first Asian dealership there and it is where most of their regional employees are based.

    It is one of the “top five markets in Asia for the Ghost Series II” and has a “loyal base of customers dedicated to the brand”, he adds.

    The Merlion turns up too on Johnny Walker’s high end Blue Label whisky. Diageo has commissioned 888 gold silk screen printed bottles for the nation’s jubilee. The number 8 is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture as it sounds like the word for ‘wealth’. Gold printing them is an intricate process involving a dedicated staff of up to 10 and curing for 48 hours before it’s shipped off for sale.

    The president of Diageo for the region, Sam Fischer, also says that Singapore is an important base for them. It’s where their regional and logistical headquarters is based.

    Singapore has “logistics efficiency” and “manufacturing excellence” he says.

    “It’s such an important part of Diageo and we felt the need to commemorate such an important occasion for Singapore.”

    Johnny Walker bottle with Merlion branding
    The true patriot’s dram – Johnny Walker’s special SG50 whisky

    Nation branding

    But does this sort of patriotic branding work? Brand expert Samir Dixit, managing director of Brand Finance Asia Pacific, says the jury is out.

    “Looking at our economic analysis, there’s nothing to suggest that the companies will see any benefit. There’s nothing to say that if they put the SG50 logo on the product, that they will sell more than before or if they are not using it, they will sell less.”

    Just how much is too much? SG50 has become so ubiquitous that it’s spawned web sites mocking these efforts.

    Search the acronym and you’ll uncover them, including one called ‘Simi Sai, also SG50’ which describes the latest SG50 branding effort and tries to get online users to rate them as ‘sai’ (which translates as ‘rubbish’) or ‘not sai’ (not rubbish).

    Singaporeans, too, feel that these SG50 marketing campaigns are aimed not so much at playing up their patriotism, but parting them from their cash.

    ‘Overdone’ and ‘over the top’ are what most of them said when asked about SG50. Yet many admit that it’s a special time to look back at the nation’s progress as one of the great economic successes of the 20th century.

    While the effect on businesses may be limited, there may be some benefit for the nation.

    “Events like this put the country through a rejuvenation mode, so that may be good going forward in the next two or three years,” admits Mr Dixit. But he says those economic effects can only accurately be measured after the fact.

    So the impact of Singapore’s golden jubilee will most likely only be felt long after the last SG50 signs are taken down.

     

    Source: www.bbc.com