Tag: Singapore

Getais, Other Forms Of Stage Performances Not Allowed Before, During Or After Election Rallies

There will be no getai performances and other forms of stage performances and entertainment allowed before, during or after election rallies, said the police on Friday (Aug 14).

Seventh Month event organisers should also ensure that no speeches intended to canvass support for election candidates or political parties are delivered during these events, it added in a press release, saying this is stipulated under the Public Order (Election Meetings) Regulations 2009.

Additionally, outdoor rallies for the upcoming General Election should be held only at designated rally sites, and the police will make available sufficient rally sites to contesting parties or independent candidates for this purpose, it said.

“The ballot method used to allocate rally sites in the 2012 and 2013 by-elections will also be used for the upcoming General Election to allocate rally sites,” said police.

“To ensure contesting parties and independent candidates have more opportunities to use their preferred rally sites on their preferred dates, a ‘give-way’ rule will be implemented. Parties that have been allocated a site will have to ‘give way’ to other applicants that apply for the same site at the same timeslot on the following day,” it added.

To ensure every GE contestant can hold at least one outdoor rally within the last two to three nights of campaigning, a “block ballot” method will be implemented in constituencies where the number of contesting parties and/or independent candidates is more than the number of rally sites, said the police.

Under the block ballot method, the last two to three nights for rally sites will be grouped together for application as a block. Contesting parties and independent candidates can only apply for one site on one night within the block, it explained.

The allocation of outdoor assembly centre sites on Counting Night will also be done via a ballot method, according to the press release.

Details on the application and allocation process for rally sites and assembly centre sites will be released after the Writ of Election is issued, police said.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

August 14, 2015
MOM: 38 Firms Identified For Closer Inspection Of EP Applications

There are 38 companies identified for closer scrutiny and about 100 more firms for “further engagement”, said Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say in an update on the Fair Consideration Framework introduced last year.

In a blogpost on Thursday (Aug 13), Mr Lim said the 38 are from the 150 firms the ministry has engaged with over the past year.

“MOM is committed to scrutinise the applications for Employment Pass (EP) by what I call ‘Double Weak’ firms: Weak in Singaporean Core and weak in commitment to fair consideration in hiring and developing Singaporeans,” Mr Lim wrote.

The Fair Consideration Framework was introduced last year to ensure that Singaporeans are considered fairly for job openings before firms apply to employ foreign PMEs.

On top of the 150, another 100 companies were identified for further engagement and these are considered “outliers” in their respective industries such as such as Admin and Support, Construction, Infocomm, Finance and Insurance, Professional Services, Transport and Storage and Wholesale Trade, the minister said.

“Being placed on the watchlist means that MOM will scrutinise their EP applications more closely. They will be asked to provide additional details, such as the number of Singaporeans who applied and were interviewed for the posts, and whether their existing Singaporean employees have been considered,” said Mr Lim.

He added his ministry will engage the firms to up their efforts in the training, development and upgrading of local Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs).

“In the event that we have a shortage of qualified Singaporeans in some specific areas, we will encourage them to transfer know-how from the foreign PMEs to their Singaporean staff so that, over time, more Singaporeans will be qualified to take on these opportunities and challenges,” Mr Lim wrote.

“Should there be Double Weak firms that are unresponsive or uncooperative, they will have their EP privileges curtailed,” he added.

That said, the minister believes “a majority” of the Double Weak firms will respond constructively to its call to strengthen their Singapore core. “I also believe that many of our local PMEs are willing to up-skill and re-skill, and are open to try out some of these jobs and careers we are creating for them,” he said.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

August 14, 2015
WP To Give National Day Rally A Miss

The Workers’ Party (WP) Members of Parliament (MPs) will not be attending the National Day Rally (NDR) because of a clash in timing with a grassroots event they have been planning since last year.

This is believed to be the first time that no WP representatives will attend the yearly event since the party’s parliamentary presence increased after the 2011 General Election.

In response to TODAY’s queries, the WP confirmed that its nine MPs, including its two Non-Constituency MPs (NCMPs), would not attend the rally on Aug 23.

The WP spokesperson noted that invitations to the rally are sent to individual MPs, not to the party, and said the MPs had “informed the organising committee accordingly”.

The date of the WP’s grassroots event — an SG50 celebration dinner for residents — was decided in December, added the spokesperson.

The rally usually takes place two Sundays after National Day, with the date confirmed closer to the NDR. Opposition and Nominated MPs have been attending it since 2007.

Before that, opposition MPs had never been invited to the rally, which is a platform for Singapore’s Prime Minister to explain policy directions and priorities, as well as challenges facing the nation.

In 2004, in reply to a parliamentary question, the Prime Minister said opposition MPs could not be expected to help the Government rally the ground to support its policies.

WP NCMP Yee Jenn Jong told TODAY this would be the first time he would be absent from the Rally since entering Parliament in 2011. “By the time we received the NDR invitation, we had already planned our National Day event,” said Mr Yee, who received the invitation in June.

“I think I need to commit my time to the residents who have supported us,” added Mr Yee, who had paid for a table for supporters and friends invited to the dinner.

Nevertheless, he said he intends to catch up on the NDR speech after that.

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 14, 2015
SPF: Senior Police Officer Melvin Yong Retiring on 16 Aug

Senior police officer Melvin Yong will be retiring from the force next week, adding to speculation that he may be fielded by the People’s Action Party (PAP) as a candidate at the coming general election.

A police spokesman confirmed on Wednesday that the 43-year-old Assistant Commissioner’s (AC) last day of work is August 16.

Mr Yong declined to comment on his post-retirement plans but said Thursday that he had “the privilege of serving constituents both as a police officer, as well as a grassroots volunteer for many years and found it richly rewarding”. He added: “I plan to continue doing so even after I retire from the force.”

The Straits Times understands that the PAP will introduce him sometime next week as a candidate for Tanjong Pagar GRC alongside Labour Chief Chan Chun Sing, Senior Minister of State for Education and Law Indranee Rajah, backbencher Chia Shi-Lu and another new face, former public servant Joan Pereira.

The five-member GRC was previously helmed by former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew until he died in March this year.

If Mr Yong is indeed fielded at the upcoming polls, he may be the first police officer to trade his blue uniform for the party’s white garb since Singapore’s independence.

Former police officers who are now in politics include Education Minister Heng Swee Keat, Senior Minister of State Heng Chee How, labour MP Patrick Tay and Workers’ Party chairman Sylvia Lim.

However, unlike Mr Yong, these MPs had moved on from law enforcement to positions in government, the private sector or labour movement, before entering politics.

NTUC deputy director Desmond Choo, who was fielded in WP-held Hougang single-member constituency in 2011 and the 2012 by-election, is also an ex-cop. He is widely expected to be fielded by the PAP in Tampines GRC.

Mr Yong, who is currently director of the police’s Public Affairs Department (PAD), will leave the force after 20 years in service. He was commander of Clementi Police Division from 2010 to 2014.

He has held key appointments such as deputy director for Planning & Organisation as well as director for Administration & Finance. He was also concurrently deputy director for Operations between November 2013 and June last year.

A police spokesman said Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Tan Hung Hooi, who is currently director for Manpower, will cover the duties of director PAD.

“The Singapore Police Force (SPF) thanks AC Melvin Yong for his leadership and many contributions during his service,” said the spokesman.

National Crime Prevention Council chairman Tan Kian Hoon, who has known Mr Yong since 2002, said Mr Yong was always able to hold “various appointments concurrently and yet do well in all of them, despite the constraint in time”.

“Apart from his clear and methodical thinking, he has the EQ to motivate and garner the support of those working with him, be they his work colleagues or fellow volunteers,” added Mr Tan.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

August 14, 2015
Yusof Ishak Chose To Stay, Thereby Convincing Other Malays

Post-Separation in August 1965, Mr Yusof Ishak’s steadfast loyalty to Singapore convinced many other Malays to stay instead of migrating across the Causeway where they would be part of the majority community.

As this fledgling nation’s first president, Mr Yusof, who was born in Malaysia, strived to build up people’s faith in Singapore as a multiracial nation.

The man and his ideals are the focus of a new 120-page monograph titled Yusof Ishak: Singapore’s First President by Iseas fellow Norshahril Saat.

“Had he left for Malaysia, like many other Malay elites at that time, many other Malays would have followed suit on seeing that their Yang di-Pertuan Negara no longer trusted the Singapore system,” wrote Dr Norshahril.

In the book, he also seeks to debunk the myth that Mr Yusof, who started Malay newspaper Utusan Melayu, was a “Malay chauvinist”.

Dr Norshahril explained that Mr Yusof “was not struggling for Malays because he was a Malay”. “He just wanted equality.”

Former president S R Nathan, who wrote the foreward, said he suggested the book be written so that young Singaporeans could learn more about their country’s history and its pioneers.

The monograph is not for sale as of now, but there are plans to distribute it to schools here.

Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim, who was interviewed for the book, told reporters yesterday that it could help younger generations understand how pioneers like Mr Yusof struggled to build a nation.

Second Minister for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Masagos Zulkifli said Mr Yusof was “the first among many significant Malay leaders who conveyed the message that this country is a country that belongs to everyone”.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

August 13, 2015