Tag: Singapore

Lee Hsien Loong: Electoral Boundaries Committe Formed Two Months Ago

The committee that reviews electoral boundaries was formed two months ago, a sign that the general election is round the corner.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the formation of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee on Monday, in response to questions in Parliament.

The forming of the committee, which redraws constituency boundaries ahead of a general election, is the first formal step towards calling a GE.

Leading up to the polls in 2006 and 2011, the committee had taken four months to do its work before issuing its report.

While there is no fixed date for the election to be called after the report is submitted, it has taken as short as one day and as long as one month and 26 days in the past.

Mr Lee told the House that he had asked the Committee in its review to consider the population shifts and housing developments since the last boundary delineation exercise.

He also asked them to consider having smaller group representation constituencies, so as to reduce the average size of such constituencies to below five members, and have at least 12 single member constituencies. There are currently 15 group representation constituencies and 12 single-seat constituencies.

“As per past practice, the Committee is chaired by the Secretary to Prime Minister. It is now in the midst of its deliberations and will make its recommendations to me when it is ready,” said Mr Lee.

He was responding to questions from People’s Action Party MP Arthur Fong (West Coast GRC) and Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong of the Workers’ Party on whether the committee has been formed.

Mr Lee added that he could not promise a minimum period between the publication of the report and the calling of a general election, which Mr Yee had asked for.

The reason is that “it depends very much on the exigencies of the situation, and … on when elections become necessary,” said the Prime Minister.

The committee’s work is to split or shrink group representation constituencies, and absorb or create more single-member constituencies, based largely on population shifts.

It is appointed by the Prime Minister and is usually made up of five civil servants.

Mr Yee had asked if the committee’s members can be drawn from various political parties as well, as it was done before Singapore became independent.

Mr Lee said the committee has, for many years, comprised civil servants with experience and domain knowledge.

This allows them to make considered decisions on how to divide up the constituencies, taking into account population shifts and housing developments in Singapore, and prevents “complete upheaval” each time the boundaries are redrawn, he added.

“As for bringing political parties in, I’m not sure that’s an entirely good idea,” he said, adding that this is the practice in the United States.

In America, members of the House of Representatives decide on the demarcation of electoral boundaries, said Mr Lee, and “what happens is they carve it up among themselves”.

“It’s a political deal. I think that’s not a good arrangement. I think it’s best we leave this to the civil servants to work at,” he added.

Furthermore, Mr Lee said that he would leave the committee to decide whether it would open its meeting minutes to the public, as Mr Yee had requested.

But he added: “I don’t believe that it is helpful to have every twist and turn in the minutes reported and published. I think the committee’s report is the final word.”

After the committee’s report is released, Parliament is dissolved and the writ of election issued. Nomination Day – which must take place no earlier than five days and no later than one month after the writ is issued – then signals the start of the campaign period, leading up to Polling Day.

This process took between two and seven months in the past GEs.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 13, 2015
Former HDB CEO: Singapore Must Plan For 10 Million Population

Singapore must start planning for a population that could possibly hit 10 million, Liu Thai Ker, the man often credited as the architect of modern Singapore, told CNBC.

The bold number suggested by Liu, who served as the chief executive of the Housing Board from 1979-1989 and then as CEO and chief planner of the Urban Development Authority from 1989-1992, is nearly double the current 5.3 million population and significantly higher than the 6.9 million figure proposed by the Singapore government in its 2013 Population White Paper.

In the white paper, the government described its vision of raising the country’s population by as much as 30 percent in the next two decades to ensure the economy remains dynamic. However, the move sparked strong objections amid rising discontent in the land-scarce nation over soaring housing costs and an influx of immigrants.

But Liu stands by his theory, saying that population growth is pivotal to Singapore’s future.

“One fundamental thing about urban planning is, don’t try to stop or control or curb population growth,” Liu, who is now chairman at the Centre for Liveable Cities and senior director at RSP Architects Planners and Engineering, said.

Read MoreHow Singapore can stay relevant after 50th

“We should allow Singapore to grow and plan for a much bigger population… like 10 million people. We should ask ourselves: How long do we want Singapore to remain as a sovereign country? Even at 10 million people and assuming a population growth rate of 1 percent, we will only last slightly over 100 years and that’s not a long time,” he added.

The country, which is battling worrying demographic changes, also needs immigrants to keep its economic engines running. With a fertility rate of only 1.2, far below the replacement rate of 2.1 and one of the lowest in the world, an ageing population would lead to profound problems for Singapore, the country’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at a conference earlier this month.

Liu agrees: “Being such a tiny place, there is a propensity toward homogeneity of ideas and concepts. For us to nurture a creative society, we need people from outside. In fact, one of the reasons why Singapore could succeed was because we were a heterogeneous society at the beginning, with people from all over the world.”

But even as population numbers accelerate, Singapore’s achievements in urban development and innovation must be maintained.

“We must continue to keep the city green and attractive for businesses, as well as good talent to come,” Liu told CNBC.

Lessons from Singapore

Apart from being well-known as a ‘garden city’ where flora and fauna is weaved into the urban fabric, the stability and efficiency of Singapore’s urban infrastructure serves as a role model for many developing nations.

To emulate the success of the Southeast Asian city-state, governments in these developing countries will need to take the lead, according to 77-year-old Liu.

“It may not sound democratic in a Western sense but in Asia or even Africa, the government must play a big role when there’s a great need for development. Because if you leave it to the businesses or private sector, they will inevitably focus more on the business side of things.”

For that reason, it is imperative that government leaders educate themselves on urban development, the architect-planner added.

“Leaders must be humble enough to learn what makes a good city. Mr Lee understood what made a good city from his days in Cambridge, but he spent all his life learning from urban success stories,” said Liu, referring to Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew.

Singapore ‘needs entrepreneurs’ in the post-LKY era

“Leaders must also be ruthlessly rational… and I often explain to foreign dignitaries that the highest authority in Singapore is something called the truth. The Prime Minister and President will listen [even if it was] a lowly civil servant who said the truth. That, to me, is an important aspect of Singapore’s success story.”

Liu retold the story of Lee ‘s decision to construct low-cost flats in high-rise buildings – known as HDBs – even though such high-density housing was condemned by experts in the 1960s. Towering skyscrapers have since become a symbol of the nation’s successful public housing strategy and urban landscape.

“We must subscribe to ‘clarity equals courage.’ It is not good enough to have courage and charge ahead blindly. it is also not good enough to just follow the world. You need to think what your city needs and have the courage to move ahead even [if it is] against the world’s trends,” he added.

Lee Kuan Yew was Singapore’s first and longest-serving prime minister, who oversaw Singapore’s transformation from a sleepy British colonial outpost into a global metropolis within a single generation. He died on March 23 at the age of 91.

Source: www.cnbc.com

July 13, 2015
Some Hospitals Seeing Increase In Baby Deliveries In 2015

With about a month to go to the nation’s 50th birthday, some hospitals are already seeing an increase in the number of babies delivered this year, compared to last year.

NATIONAL DAY BABIES

Couple Fiona and Xavier Yang got married in early-2014 and were eager to start a family. They were keen to have a child born in 2015, as they felt it would be special to have a SG50 baby, and they soon found out they were expecting a girl on Aug 24.

But due to her baby’s size, Mrs Yang was medically advised to have a C-section earlier, which falls on Aug 9.

“We feel very excited and are looking forward to this day, because we are going to celebrate the nation’s birthday with the newborn,” she said. “It marks a new chapter of our life. By giving birth on National Day, it marks a memorable day for her.”

The delivery suite at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. (Photo: Sara Grosse)

Similarly, Dr Sim Wen Shan, who works in a delivery suite at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), will also be having her own SG50 baby, with her estimated date of delivery on Aug 9.

“Of course we were very excited about it,” she said. “However, we do understand that we may not be able to deliver on National Day itself. We look forward to the progress of events in August, and hopefully it will just happen on National Day.”

RISE IN 2015 BABIES

As National Day approaches, some hospitals Channel NewsAsia spoke with, say they have already seen a rise in deliveries in the first half of this year, compared to the previous years.

They speculate it could be due to more parents wanting to have their babies born in the SG50 year. But regardless of whether there will be a spike of deliveries in August, hospitals say they are well-equipped to manage the patient load.

The National University Hospital (NUH) says it has delivered more than 1,800 babies from January to June 2015, a 7.6 per cent increase, compared to the same period in 2014. NUH added that about 86 women are due to deliver in the first two weeks of August, of which 7 women have their projected due dates falling on Aug 9.

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital commemorative coin and plush toy for the first 50 babies born on Aug 9. (Photo: Sara Grosse)

Meanwhile, KKH has seen a slight bump in deliveries for the first six months of this year. It estimates an increase in deliveries of 5 per cent by the end of the year and says they are well prepared to manage patient load, especially in August.

“In expectation of this bumper crop this year, we have increased the number of doctors who are on duty, as well as the number of nurses and midwives on duty in the labour ward,” said Associate Professor Tan Thiam Chye, Head of Inpatient Service at the Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at KKH.

COMPARABLE TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR

On the other hand, there are hospitals who say the number of deliveries they have had this year so far is comparable to the previous year. Raffles Hospital says it sees an average of 1,000 to 1,100 deliveries each year.

“We don’t see a rise at this point,” said Director of Inpatient Operations at Raffles Hospital Lilian Yew. “In terms of the surge in the month of August, and in terms of managing these patients, we will be able to handle them. We will increase our manpower in terms of managing them.”

Raffles Hospital says so far, they have two patients who are due to deliver on Aug 9, and an average of 30 patients who are due within the first two weeks of August this year. This is the same compared to previous years.

Gleneagles Hospital also says its numbers are comparable to last year, and expects to close the year with close to 3,000 deliveries. So far, the hospital has close to 100 patients who are due to give birth in August.

A suite at Gleneagles Hospital. (Photo: Sara Grosse)

Said Gleneagles Hospital CEO, Dr Vincent Chia: “Currently looking at the picture, there doesn’t seem to be a sharp climb or sharp increase, but we are keeping close watch. We have staff on standby and they will be recalled back to help out with the current operations or the present operations if needed.

“Moreover, if our labour ward rooms are full, then our post-natal wards can be converted to actual labour wards to be used as well.”

GOODIES

Nonetheless, hospitals are giving out additional goodies to parents who have a baby on National Day.

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital commemorative coin for the first 50 babies born on Aug 9. (Photo: Sara Grosse)

For Gleneagles Hospital, this includes a free upgrade to a suite, a gift hamper, a fresh bouquet of flowers and a celebratory meal, while Raffles Hospital is offering a hamper and celebratory meal, as well as a suite upgrade.

To mark SG50, KKH is giving a special coin and a plush toy to the first 50 babies born on Aug 9.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

July 13, 2015
Man Arrested For Attempting To Bribe Two Police Officers

A 31-year-old man has been arrested for attempting to bribe two police officers.

On Friday (Jul 10), Staff Sergeant Noor Ramdan and Sergeant Mohammad Nazri from Ang Mo Kio Division responded to a case of a drunken passenger who refused to alight from a taxi at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.

The man made indecent hand gestures and refused to heed the officers’ advice despite repeated warnings. He was eventually placed under arrest for disorderly behaviour and for insulting public servants.

Police said in a statement that on the way back to the police station, the man offered to introduce the officers to paid sexual services, and gratification of S$50 as inducements to let him go.

The officers rejected the bribes and the man was subsequently arrested for attempting to bribe police officers.

The man will be charged in court on Monday (Jul 13).

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

July 13, 2015
Think Before You Rush For A Degree

Parents and students eyeing a berth in one of the six local universities cheered the news that a record number of applicants was admitted this year.

Some 15,000 polytechnic graduates and A-level school leavers won a place for the new academic year, 1,000 more than last year, raising the age group’s rate of entry into university to 32 per cent.

The Ministry of Education said it was on track to reach its target cohort participation rate of 40 per cent by 2020.

No doubt, having a degree has always increased the prospects of better-paying jobs. The latest graduate employment survey released early this year showed median salary levels for the class of 2013 rose to $3,200 from $3,050 the year before.

The employment rate of degree holders also remained high, with close to nine in 10 finding jobs within six months of graduation.

Whether this will still be the case a few years from now remains to be seen.

Elsewhere, such as in South Korea and Taiwan, a glut of graduates followed the liberalisation of universities, resulting in increasing under- and unemployment of degree holders.

Social economists like Mr Phillip Brown from the United Kingdom argue that the conventional wisdom that a degree equals higher earnings does not hold true any more, when employers can scour the world to find the highest skills they can get for the least amount of money. This creates a sort of worldwide auction for high-skill, low-wage work.

As government officials have stressed, school leavers would do well not to blindly rush into a degree course before they figure out where their interests and talents lie. Some may even want to go out to work to hone their skills and understand the demands of the marketplace first.

Then, when they finally enter university, they would be better able to match their education with their career goals. When their talent can align with real-world needs, graduates would find that they have a better chance of success.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 13, 2015