Singapore Red Cross completes reconstruction project in Japan

By Michiyo Ishida, Channel NewsAsia, 16 Nov 2011

Miyako, Iwate Prefecture Japan: Foreign aid of more than 17.5 billion yen poured into Japan in response to the massive disaster which happened in March.

Singapore is one of the countries quick to provide support to the areas badly affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

And eight months on, it's continuing to commit to the recovery efforts with the opening of a facility for the elderly.

A ribbon cutting ceremony marked the opening of a new temporary facility for the elderly in the tsunami hit district of Taro.

It was attended by officials from the Singapore Red Cross, the Singapore Embassy in Tokyo, Iwate Prefecture and Miyako City.

The facility was built at a cost of S$1 million, out of a total S$35 million collected in Singapore between March and April. It's equipped with a kitchen, bathing areas, a toilet, a massage chair and bed for those who are disabled.

Eastern Health Alliance - All-rounded care under one grouping

Eastern Health Alliance set up to provide integrated patient care

By Melissa Pang, The Straits Times, 18 Nov 2011

Residents living in the eastern part of Singapore can now look forward to seamless care with the setting up of the Eastern Health Alliance (EHA).

The first-of-its-kind regional health system sees Changi General Hospital, St Andrew's Community Hospital, SingHealth Polyclinics and The Salvation Army Peacehaven Nursing Home, working together to provide integrated patient care.

Founding members of the alliance signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding on Friday morning at Changi General Hospital, with Health Minister Gan Kim Yong launching the alliance.

As part of this collaboration, a new programme known as the Grace Corner Transitional Convalescent Facility at Peachhaven will start next month, with the objective of helping patients with debilitating hip fractures recover in a home-like environment.

Chairman of the EHA, Mr Gerard Ee, said that as Singapore's population ages and chronic disease incidence rise, patient care has become more complex and requires a 'collective, integrated response'.

'The Eastern Health Alliance aims to reshape current models of healthcare to meet these challenges... Ultimately, we aim to deliver quality care that is seamless, and empowers patients and caregivers to manage their health well for as long as possible.'

In search of a new narrative - People's Action Party

What story of the PAP's role in society can help it better connect with Singaporeans today? Insight identifies themes that might form part of its new narrative.

By Janice Heng & Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 18 Nov 2011

COME next Sunday, over a thousand People's Action Party (PAP) cadres will gather for their first party convention since the May General Election.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will make a keynote speech, which is expected to answer some of the questions that have surrounded the ruling party since former foreign minister George Yeo said in May that it was in need of 'transformation'.

Two days later, he lost his Aljunied GRC seat. The PAP would see its national vote share fall to 60.1 per cent, the lowest since Independence.

In the early hours of the morning, after the electoral scorecard was released in full, Mr Lee told the press that 'soul-searching' was on the cards for the PAP.

Some of the conclusions that exhaustive rumination over the last six months have yielded will be made known to the party rank-and-file - and the public - next week at the convention.

Mr Lee is likely to reveal key findings from the PAP's post-mortem report of the GE, put together by a 12-man committee headed by National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan.

The document, the culmination of ground reports from its 87 branches, followed up with face-to-face interviews with key activists, will not be made public.

But party sources say that Mr Lee's speech will outline the PAP's next steps, and in so doing, aim to boost morale among cadres after a trying and, at times divisive, year.

The post-mortem reportedly dwells on the PAP's core challenge in the aftermath of the 2011 GE: forging a new emotional connection with Singaporeans.

Insight understands that one topic that has surfaced often in party caucuses - closed-door sessions attended by its 81 MPs - is what narrative this new emotional connection can be based on.

The PAP's track record, and its stature as the party that took Singapore from 'Third World to First' has served it well in election after election.

But in the 'new normal' of Singapore politics, PAP MPs say that a message of inclusiveness, compassion and humility must grow in its stead.

'A party that cares,' muses Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Zainudin Nordin, of the PAP's new image. 'It's not about Singapore's economy, but about Singapore. The new narrative will be how to move forward well, and how to do it together.'

Narrative 1: Open and inclusive

SINCE Mr Lee became Prime Minister, the notion of an 'inclusive and open society' has been the key narrative of his government.

His first speech as PM, at his swearing-in in 2004, was known for that phrase, and for a vision of progress that went beyond the material.

Seven years later, MPs bring up inclusiveness time and again as the bedrock of the party's new narrative.

Aspects of this have loomed large in public discourse. Last month, President Tony Tan Keng Yam outlined the priorities of the new PAP Government over the next five years.

'A better life for all' would be the goal, he said. 'We want a fair and just society that ensures the well-being of every citizen; a gracious and compassionate community whose members care for one another; and a truly special Singapore, where our children can grow to be the best that they can be.'

He emphasised that the Government would help all strata of Singapore society: the lower-income will receive social assistance and job training, the middle-income would benefit from skills upgrading, education opportunities for their children and the ability to own a home, and those at the top will be able to use Singapore as a 'base camp' to conquer the world.

In Parliament last month, PM Lee also dwelt at length on the need to preserve social mobility in a maturing - and stratifying - society.

While more social assistance will preserve opportunities for those at the bottom to rise up, he also emphasised that Singapore's success has always been due to self-reliance.

The Government will increase and enhance opportunities in education and training - from providing good-quality, affordable preschool education to improving access to higher education.

But MPs and observers say that two obstacles stand in the way of the PAP becoming known as the party of inclusiveness.

The first is that a small country in a turbulent world cannot deflect global economic forces.

'The income gap has gone up over the last four or five years. That's a global phenomenon,' notes Sembawang GRC MP Vikram Nair, adding that one of the challenges of globalisation is its impact on low-wage workers. Initiatives like the Workfare Income Supplement scheme, he points out, can only ameliorate globalisation's impact on such workers, but not reverse it. Started in 2007, the scheme tops up the incomes of older workers who earn below a certain threshold.

The second is a perennial cynicism among some regarding the ruling party.

'It boils down to the feeling on the ground that the PAP represents the elites,' says Nee Soon GRC MP Lim Wee Kiak. 'Ministerial pay didn't help the issue. It seems that you are enriching yourself and that impression is very difficult to correct.'

One of the first things that Mr Lee did after the May GE was set up a committee to review political salaries, a topic he said was the subject of 'genuine concern' for many.

The eight-man committee, headed by National Kidney Foundation chairman Gerard Ee, was asked to bear in mind that ministerial salaries should have a 'significant discount to comparable private sector salaries to signify the value and ethos of political service'.

Several MPs chafe at the 'elitist' characterisation, arguing that it ignores the magnitude of assistance they provide for the worst-off among their constituents.

'What I find interesting is that a lot of the people who identify issues with (the lack of) inclusive growth and so on, ironically, they are young professionals in the middle class,' notes Mr Nair. 'We've put in a lot to help people at the very bottom.'

The Government has made clear that more resources will be committed to widening and strengthening the social safety net over the next few years.

MPs have also pushed for more help for other groups, like the middle class, and those just keeping their heads above water - the 'at risk' group, as Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing puts it - and not only the 'in risk' group.

On their part, PAP backbenchers suspect that their community work must be more visible, and their successes better publicised.

Says Sembawang GRC MP Ellen Lee: 'We have to continue to do the good things we are doing, and also not be too shy about telling people we are doing good things.'

Narrative 2: Active citizens, servant leaders

TWO pairs of buzzwords have emerged this year, from two major speeches Mr Lee has made.

The first is 'servant leadership', which he spoke about at a Young PAP anniversary celebration in April, during which the ruling party's manifesto for the May GE was unveiled.

'Never forget we are servants of the people, not their masters,' he said. 'Never lord it over the people we are looking after and serving.'

'Active citizenry', the informal theme of Mr Lee's National Day Rally speech in August, is the second. 'Don't just tell us what to do, but help us do it,' was how he put his vision of Singaporeans stepping up.

Active citizenship has been part of the national discourse for well over a decade. In 1998, a report that emerged from a massive public consultation exercise launched by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong identified empowered and involved citizens as key to forging a new Singapore.

In the 13 years since, the number of Singaporeans prepared to speak up and get organised behind causes they champion, has grown.

Together, the two ideas of active citizens and servant leaders conjure up a fundamentally different power dynamic between the ruling party and voters from that of earlier decades. It marks a shift from a society where the Government is the primary mover of change, to one in which there is room for grassroots movements to also exercise influence.

MPs, though, are careful to draw a distinction between active citizens and demanding ones. Several tell Insight they do not appreciate unreasonable residents taking the 'servant' aspect of servant leadership too literally.

'It doesn't mean bending over backwards to accommodate every demand,' Dr Lim points out. 'The leadership aspect is having courage to make unpopular, but fair, decisions.'

Mr Eugene Tan, an assistant professor of law at Singapore Management University, notes that the PAP, while no longer able to rest on its laurels of rapid economic progress, cannot escape the unhappier aspects of its governance legacy.

'It has ruled Singapore since 1959. Whatever problems that Singaporeans face, the finger-pointing at the Government is inevitable,' says Mr Tan.

Thus, there are some who will continue to pin the blame on the PAP for a society in which citizens must be cajoled to be active; for politicians who must now be reminded to be humble.

When it comes to a new party narrative, some, like Tampines GRC MP Irene Ng, want to practise what she preaches about Singaporeans taking the wheel.

The narrative should not be dictated by the PAP, she says - a move that can embed its new attitude.

'It is not just about the party knowing what's best for the people, telling people what's good for them and what it wants to do for them. It is about the PAP listening to the people on what they want and hope to see in a new Singapore, and working with them to get there.'

Why the PAP story needs updating

By Janice Heng & Rachel Chang

IT IS a story invoked in mass rally speeches and internal party events alike: how the People's Action Party (PAP) led Singapore to prosperity over the past 40 years.

Yet mention the phrase 'Third World to First' and the response of many young people may well be, 'so what?'

That is the concern of Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Zainudin Nordin. He worries that they may turn around and say: 'That's not my story, that's your story.'

That is why he and several other PAP MPs tell Insight the party is in need of a new narrative, to help it better connect with voters who have grown up in a different Singapore.

Take as an example the group who reached voting age at this year's election. They would have been born at the end of the 1980s, into a Singapore already prospering.

They are too young to have seen the country's transformation from rags to riches.

For them, the old story lacks resonance, says Radin Mas MP Sam Tan. Worse, when repeated year after year, the 'Third World to First' narrative has started to sound like a 'broken record', he adds.

The party needs to cut a new record, he concludes. Indeed, Mr Tan believes that 'the most pressing issue facing the PAP now is to find a new narrative'.

Singapore Management University (SMU) assistant professor of law Eugene Tan believes that when the party employs the 'Third World to First' narrative, it does so not expecting voters to feel grateful to it, but to make clear the party's track record.

Yet, among some voters, that cuts little ice.

Sembawang GRC MP Vikram Nair says: 'A lot of young people would say, yes, great work in the 1980s and 1970s, but we're going to assess you on what happens going forward.'

Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng says the upcoming party convention is a chance to address the question of how the PAP can 'evolve and respond to the changing demographics'.

Realignment needed

YET the search for a new narrative, if it does take place, does not mean the party is fundamentally changing, several MPs are quick to add. What is needed is not a change in party values, but the realignment of public perceptions with what the PAP has long stood for, they say.

As Tampines GRC MP Irene Ng puts it: 'The PAP always stood for inclusive growth, fair play.' When the party was fighting the election that would bring it to power in 1959, those ideals were spelt out, 'although not in these words'.

'The words then were a 'fair and just' society, and 'an honest and efficient government' that would give priority to solving people's problems,' says Ms Ng.

The caring, down-to-earth image that the current PAP might hope to build is thus not a departure from its origins. But perhaps the PAP's early history, and the political battles it had to wage, have 'hardened its stance and its image', she suggests.

Mr Nair notes that the PAP's historical origins were 'socialist' rather than capitalist. In that sense, the current narrative of inclusive growth does not mark a departure but a return to its roots.

Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing observes that in earlier decades, the party was preoccupied with meeting the stark challenges of development.

Their attention was focused on 'developing good policies to take the country forward', and not on its public image.

Now, though, the PAP has to work on both.

'I think we shouldn't be shy to say what we stand for,' he says. 'If we don't say it, then people might paint us in a different perspective.'

Party MPs acknowledge a need to 'listen better' to citizens, and connect on a more personal level.

Mr Baey cites the recent public involvement in deciding the fate of Bukit Brown cemetery and the use of former Malayan Railway land as two examples of how the PAP Government has involved citizens.

'People would feel that the Government stance is quite different from the past,' says Mr Baey.

He hopes that citizens 'are heartened that their views are taken into account'.

Political observer Derek da Cunha suggests that party MPs have to make themselves more visible at community functions, participate in academic forums, 'and in all instances carry themselves with a greater degree of humility than they have done in the past'.

'The PAP has to connect with Singaporeans at that localised and individual level first if it wants to connect at a national level,' he adds.

Keeping to core values

THE PAP's vision and values have not changed since its founding, and are not about to do so now, say its members.

The party's vision, says Mr Chan, has always been 'to deliver a better life for Singaporeans'. And it will not relinquish values such as service to Singapore, pragmatism, meritocracy and diversity.

In decision-making, the party is welcoming different views in a process that allows for divergence. But there is a necessary second process, explains Mr Chan: 'to converge the ideas for action'.

'At the end of the day, you're still the 'Action Party', which means you have to deliver.'

For Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Yeo Guat Kwang, the party has 'got the fundamentals right', and what needs to change is the party's communication and engagement. Mr Sam Tan maintains that the PAP's principles for Singapore are sound - principles like economic competitiveness, hard work and clean government.

'While we try to change the form so as to make the party more understood and appreciated, we have to keep to our principles,' he says.

One core principle, though, is intertwined with the story of Singapore's rise from poverty to prosperity. That is the constant awareness of Singapore's vulnerability - a reality that young Singaporeans may find hard to swallow but which the PAP cannot afford to stop emphasising, its MPs say.

'We are always fighting the odds of history,' says Mr Chan.

Nee Soon GRC MP Lim Wee Kiak accepts that it might be hard for younger Singaporeans to identify with the country's past.

'But it is still important to inculcate, educate, teach the young ones about actual history before we lose it completely,' Dr Lim says.

'They still must understand how Singapore started, how vulnerable it is.'

Mr Chan is more sanguine. He believes it is not that young Singaporeans do not understand the past, but merely that the country's existential issues do not occupy their minds - which is as it should be.

'You don't have to think about it every day,' he says with a laugh.

'But once in while, you should.'

Threats in the Digital Age - Cyber-baiting & Cyber-bullying

The Norton Online Family Report 2011, which surveyed children, parents and teachers from 24 countries including Singapore, has identified a new phenomenon of “cyberbaiting”. This form of online bullying has students annoying their teachers, capturing their reactions via mobile phones and uploading the video on the Internet with the aim of embarrassing the teacher and the school. 

According to the report, three in 10 teachers in Singapore have personally experienced or know of a colleague who has experienced cyberbaiting. Although 60% of the 100 teachers in Singapore surveyed acknowledged that being friends with their students on social networks exposes them to risks, 75% continue to do so as it is a way to reach out to their students. 68% also said that their schools have a code of conduct for online interactions with students. 

The study also suggested that children are being exposed to dangers such as cyber-bullying and *****ually explicit images. 16% of the 200 children in Singapore, between the ages of eight and 17-years, who took part in the survey, reported negative experiences such as receiving taunting text messages or nude pictures. This is above the global average of 13%, and experts attribute this to the fact that the Republic has one of the world's highest rates of mobile phone use.

Meanwhile, the Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee has launched a third call for organisations to submit proposals that encourage the positive use of the Internet and mobile technologies among youths. Interested organisations can visit the MOE website or the MICA website for more details.

'16% of S'pore kids encounter cyber threats on cellphones'

By Irene Tham, The Straits Times, 18 Nov 2011

CHILDREN are being exposed to dangers such as cyber-bullying and sexually explicit images due to the growing popularity of mobile phones, a study suggests.

Sixteen per cent of eight- to 17-year-olds polled in Singapore reported negative experiences such as receiving taunting text messages or nude pictures.

This is above the global average of 13 per cent, and experts point to the fact that the Republic has one of the world's highest rates of mobile phone use.

The findings were released yesterday as part of the Norton Online Family Report 2011. Internet security firm Symantec polled 200 children and 500 parents in Singapore, one of 24 countries surveyed.

'More than six in 10 children in Singapore own a mobile phone,' said Mr Effendy Ibrahim, the firm's Internet safety advocate and director for Asia. 'Cyber criminals will continue to capitalise on the rising adoption of these mobile platforms, and it is important to have adequate safety measures.'

This was the first time mobile phones were included in the annual study, which involved more than 4,500 children and 12,700 parents from around the world.

It also asked respondents about negative experiences on the Net, including on computers. Seven in 10 youngsters in Singapore had encountered this problem. The most common issue was strangers trying to befriend them on social networking sites.

Another complaint was the number of violent images found online. The study found the combined impact of these negative experiences left children feeling angry, fearful and upset. Nevertheless, a third of youngsters said they would not tell their mother and father in case their parents overreacted.

Psychologist Sheena Jebal of NuLife Care and Counselling Services said: 'Parents should always have two-way conversations with their children instead of interrogating them or engaging in a monologue,' At the same time, they should set clear rules and limits.

Only 58 per cent of parents talk to their children about online safety, said the study. It also found that a child who follows rules set by parents is less likely to come to harm online.

Psychologist Carol Balhetchet of the Singapore Children's Society said the best way to keep youngsters safe is to avoid being too protective. She added: 'Information is power if you know how to use it.'

Meanwhile, the Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee yesterday launched a third call for organisations to submit proposals on how to help youngsters use the Internet and mobile technology in a positive way.

The committee, formed in 2009 to coordinate the Government's cyber wellness efforts by working with the private sector, is looking for ideas that could include campaigns promoting Internet etiquette and new methods of handling harmful material such as pornography or racial hatred websites. Successful proposals will receive seed funding.

Cyber-baiting happens to 3 in 10 teachers here

by Sumita Sreedharan, TODAY, 18 Nov 2011

Taunt, capture, post. Cyber-baiting, the latest trend in online bullying, has students targeting their teachers. And three in 10 teachers in Singapore have personally experienced cyber-baiting or know a colleague who has, according to the latest Norton Online Family Report.

Cyber-baiting works like this: A student will irritate his teacher until the latter loses his temper. The student will film the incident on his mobile phone and then upload the video onto the Internet, with the aim of embarrassing the teacher and the school.

This new phenomenon is not peculiar to Singapore. In the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, one in five teachers was also reported to have experienced or have known a colleague who had experienced cyber-baiting.

The Norton report also found that 75 per cent of teachers here are friends with their students on social networking sites, even though 60 per cent of them acknowledge that it would expose them to risks.

Teachers recognise that social networks are a way to reach out to their students.

One teacher told Today that she has two separate accounts and uses one of them solely for sending encouraging messages to her students.

She acknowledged that there are risks, such as being cyber-stalked by students or having them checking on her private life. She tries to minimse such risks by posting only school-related photos and messages, thus keeping everything on a professional level.

Another teacher, who was told of her school's Internet policy when she first started teaching, said she was advised to maintain a professional distance when dealing with students in online situations.

Of the 100 teachers in Singapore who took part in the Norton survey, 68 per cent said their schools have a code of conduct in place for interacting with students via social networks.

And out of the 501 parents here who took part in the survey, 91 per cent said they know what their children are doing online.

On the other hand, only 68 per cent of the 200 children in Singapore who responded said their parents know what they are doing online. The figure is lower than the global tally, where 83 per cent of children believe that their parents know what they are doing online.

The Norton Online Family Report is based on almost 20,000 online surveys conducted in 24 countries, including Singapore, between February and March. Respondents included about 4,500 children aged between 8 and 17.

Removing hurdles in the way of elderly

Marine Parade town levelling kerbs, steps to help seniors get around in pilot project

By Janice Tai, The Straits Times, 18 Nov 2011

WHEELCHAIR-BOUND Lim Chew Kee used to look for ramps whenever she made her way around Marine Parade estate.

Now, with the estate embarking on a project to level most of its kerbs and steps, the 70-year-old need no longer plan her routes beforehand when she goes out for meals.

'I can be wheeled anywhere now. There are no fixed points which I have to go to, to get around,' said Madam Lim, a housewife, who has been living in Marine Parade for the past 26 years.

The improvement works mark the beginning of the second phase of a Marine Parade pilot scheme which looks into the needs of elderly residents and how to support them better.

Ideas that work may be replicated in other towns. Marine Parade was selected for the pilot - announced last December - because it has a high proportion of elderly Housing Board residents. According to HDB figures in 2008, 23.4 per cent of Marine Parade residents were aged 65 or older.



During the first phase, which has been completed, surveys, focus-group discussions and audits were carried out to understand the needs of senior residents. During the second phase, ideas and recommendations will be implemented.

The levelling of the kerbs is among suggestions from 2,600 elderly residents polled. Over the past three months, steps and kerbs around seven blocks in Marine Drive and Marine Terrace have been levelled. Work will be completed at 17 other blocks by the end of next March. By the end of 2015, most of the estate's 73 blocks will have been covered.

More improvement works will be carried out in the months ahead. About 500 homes will be retrofitted with elderly-friendly features. Work is expected to commence next year.

More Bukit Brown

Bukit Brown road project 'can't wait'
LTA says it is needed to ease Lornie Road traffic, though estate will be built only later
By Christopher Tan, The Straits Times, 20 Nov 2011

THE controversial four-lane dual carriageway through Bukit Brown cemetery is slated to be one of two crucial backbones of a road network that will serve the residential estate to be developed there.

Although this future estate that spans more than 200ha - bigger than Serangoon and slated to have a mix of private and public housing - will be developed only in 30 to 40 years, the new road is necessary today to bring relief to the increasingly congested Lornie Road.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said Lornie Road, which forms an outer ring road system designed to allow traffic to bypass the Central Business District, already sees 6,000 to 7,000 vehicles an hour during peak periods.

That is equivalent to the peak load on expressways. And the LTA sees demand rising by 20 per cent to 30 per cent by 2020.

So, instead of building alternative roads that may spare Bukit Brown in the short term, the LTA decided to kill two birds with one stone - by building a road through Bukit Brown that will be an arterial carriageway to be joined by smaller roads in the future estate.

'We would not have to waste money building one road now to take some load off Lornie, and then another in 30 years' time when Bukit Brown is developed,' said LTA group director of engineering Paul Fok.

Also, the LTA said, alternatives such as building a viaduct or an underground road were found to be unfeasible, and might even be more detrimental to the environment.

The LTA held a joint briefing with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) last Friday to explain why the four-lane dual carriageway had to be built now, and why it will cut through Bukit Brown.

It was the first time the two agencies had come out together to elaborate on the plan which has caused unhappiness among conservationists, the Singapore Heritage Society and ordinary citizens.

Opponents wanted the site preserved as it is the resting place of many early migrants, including prominent ones. They added that the site is also an important green lung and home to several species of birds and plants.

Strangely, the URA said, no one raised a ruckus when plans highlighting the area's intended future use were displayed for feedback.

URA deputy director Zulkiflee Mohd Zaki said: 'We showed it in the 1991 and 2001 (*Press release) Concept Plans, and it was also in the 2008 Master Plan (*Master Plan legend).'

No one came forward to object, he said.

It was only after the URA reaffirmed its development plans to the media in May that the protests began. The outcry intensified when the LTA said in September that a new road will run through the cemetery.

BlogTV: Face to face with Tin Pei Ling & Vikram Nair

Having spend more than 170 days in office, was the job of an MP what they had expected it to be?

BlogTV invites Tin Pei Ling and Vikram Nair to studio to tell their tales. Also featuring Workers' Party Yaw Shin Leong on an recorded interview.

This episode of BlogTV was aired on 26 Oct 2011

Help on the doorstep for seniors - Seniors Service Centre

Centre at void deck of studio apartments for elderly offers free and paid care services

By Cheryl Ong & Janice Tai, The Straits Times, 17 Nov 2011

MS SUSAN Low, 60, struggled to care for her 90-year-old father after she suffered a stroke in 2008 that paralysed the left half of her body.

Ms Low, who is single and lives with her father, was worried that one of them might fall at home and there would be no one around to help them.

But she rests easy now, knowing that there is a seniors service centre at the void deck of her Housing Board studio apartment block in Bishan, ready to respond if they need help.

'It isn't easy, being a senior citizen myself with my father to care for, so that's why I feel more secure living in this studio apartment with the centre downstairs,' said Ms Low, a former HewlettPackard employee. She has a younger sister who supports them financially.

The centre is one of several solutions that the Government is exploring to help Singaporeans who are unable to rely on their families for support when they grow older.

Opened in January, it is the first such commercially run centre which offers free and paid services to residents of Bishan's Golden Jasmine studio apartments, which are designed for the elderly.

Three of such centres will be built at studio apartment projects in Queenstown, Jurong and Ang Mo Kio next year.

New elder-care options like these will be needed as the profile of the elderly changes, said experts.

At an active ageing conference last week, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing singled out three emerging groups of seniors who may not have family as their 'first line of support'.

They are seniors with aged parents to care for, those whose children live abroad and those who have never married or do not have children.

In 2009, 8 per cent of those aged 65 and above - or 26,400 of them - were living with one child aged above 55, said the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).

Last year, those living alone made up 8 per cent of the elderly. Singles now make up 5 per cent of the elderly, but the number is expected to rise.

More first-time HDB buyers getting flats

73% invited to pick unit in July; second-timers have lower success rate

By Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, 17 Nov 2011

FIRST-TIME buyers of Housing Board (HDB) flats are finding it easier to get their new homes, according to figures released yesterday by National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan.

The numbers from a July build-to-order (BTO) sales launch by the HDB show that at least seven out of 10 first-time buyers - or 73 per cent of those who applied - were invited to select a flat.

The HDB received 12,116 applications for 3,556 flats launched across towns such as Yishun, Bukit Panjang, Sengkang, Tampines and Jurong West.

This means there were 3.4 applicants for every flat available.

Mr Khaw also cited figures to show that second-timers had a relatively low success rate of 11 per cent, as only 5 per cent of new flats are kept for this group.

While first-time buyers remain the priority for now, Mr Khaw said that second-timers can expect more flats to be made available to them in the near future.

Writing on his housing blog yesterday, Mr Khaw said: 'After we have cleared most of the first-timer queue, we will tweak the balloting rules to enhance the chances for second-timers. This should be towards the end of next year. I seek their patience and understanding.'

The success rate for the July launch was higher than in the HDB's May BTO exercise. The percentage of first-time applicants who were asked to select a flat then was 45 per cent. In the February launch, which was oversubscribed by five times, the success rate ranged from 37 per cent to 59 per cent for first-timers, according to Mr Khaw's previous blog posts.

Mr Khaw added that since he joined the ministry in May, the HDB has launched 16,000 new flats - of which nearly 14,000 were reserved for newlywed first-timers.

'With this ramped-up construction programme and priority in treatment, newlyweds now stand a very high chance of succeeding in BTO selection,' he wrote.

Mr Khaw said yesterday that he was confident the situation at the September launch of more than 8,000 flats would show further improvement. He also noted that not all who were invited to select a flat did so.

About three in five couples - or 62 per cent - who were invited to select a flat bought one in the end.

Among them were sales executive Yvonne Koh, 26, and her partner, who were third time lucky when they applied for a flat in Sengkang in the July BTO launch.

They received the queue number 820 for the 700 units available for the project.

'We didn't think we would get one, but we got invited to select a flat. Although the flat was not our first choice, we got one on a high floor that we are happy with,' she said.

The couple paid $360,000 for a five-room flat on the 13th floor.

Analysts The Straits Times spoke to yesterday said the HDB's aggressive ramping-up of supply seems to be soaking up strong demand from first-time buyers in the market.

ERA Realty key executive officer Eugene Lim said the move to bunch projects together in large launches instead of launching them one-by-one looks like it is paying off.

'With a bigger pool of flats to choose from, the buyers' success rate is higher,' he noted, adding that the big sales launches have helped to alleviate demand in the red-hot public housing market.

However, PropNex chief executive Mohamed Ismail said that while the bumper supply has had a significant impact on the new-flat market, it has had a limited influence on buyers in the resale market, who cannot wait three years for a BTO flat to be built.

How PAP is perceived on the Internet ...

How PAP is perceived on the Internet ...

by Ng Jing Yng, TODAY, 17 Nov 2011

New media made its presence felt during the May General Election, and Minister of State (Trade and Industry) Teo Ser Luck yesterday drew attention to how the People's Action Party (PAP) and Opposition parties come in for different treatment on the Internet even when they deliver the same message.

One of four panellists invited by the Project Reach team to discuss the strategic engagement of new media, Mr Teo said a Facebook post on housing by someone from an opposition party gathered "a lot of likes and hero worshipping". But a similar message posted by a PAP member resulted in criticism.

And a fellow PAP colleague was labelled "wayang" and "unreal" after posting a Facebook message, even though it was genuinely meant.

Speaking to Today later, Mr Teo said such occurrences boiled down to how different groups of supporters perceive the PAP differently and some might look at the party behind the individual.

But the negative responses could also reflect real sentiments on the ground, as some policies could be affecting some people adversely, he added.

Politicians have to expect and be receptive to "different, unexpected trend of behaviour" when they use social media.

"It could be cathartic to some people, it sort of cleanse and give them a way to vent. For us, we have to expect them, you cannot expect all positives," he said.

While a local survey concluded that the recent GE was not an "Internet election", Mr Teo felt that social media and new media had a hand in the results, which saw the PAP gather its lowest vote share since independence.

"I do think that there was some impact because it does viral out some of the comments and opinions that influence the thinking of some segments of our population," he said. "Different age groups read them and interpret differently."

The Government is now learning to use new media effectively, but Mr Teo believes it is still essential to balance with the usage of traditional media like newspapers to tap into different communities.

Leaders who will not lead

Afraid of their people, none in the US, India or Europe will take hard decisions needed to improve living standards

by Thomas L Friedman

Driving to the covered bazaar in the exotic western Indian town of Jodhpur last week, our Indian guide stopped to point out a modern landmark. "Do you see that stoplight?" he asked, pointing to a standard green-yellow-red stoplight in the busy intersection. "It's the only stoplight in Jodhpur. There are 1.2 million people living here."

The more you travel around India, the more you notice just how lightly the hand of government rests on this country. Somehow, it all sort of works. The traffic does move but for the first time in all my years visiting India, I've started to wonder whether India's "good enough" approach to government will really be good enough much longer.

Huge corruption scandals have stripped the government of billions of dollars of needed resources and, as much as I'm impressed by the innovative prowess of India's young technologists, without a government to enable them with the roads, ports, bandwidth, electricity, airports and smart regulations they need to thrive, they will never realise their full potential.

This isn't just a theoretical matter. The air in India's biggest cities is unhealthy. You rarely see a body of water here - a river, lake or pond - that is not polluted. The sheer crush of people - India will soon have more than China - on an unprotected environment really seems to be taking its toll.

Without better governance, how will India avoid becoming an ecological disaster area in 10 years? Eventually the law of large numbers - 1.2 billion people - just starts to devour every minimalist step forward that India makes. India doesn't need to become China, and isn't going to. But it still needs to prove that its democracy can make and implement big decisions with the same focus, authority and stick-to-itiveness as China's autocracy.

Mr Azim Premji, the chairman of Wipro, one of India's premier technology companies, did not mince words about the future when he announced his company's earnings two weeks ago: "There is a complete absence of decision-making among leaders in the government. If prompt action is not taken, the country will face a setback. You must appreciate how serious it is."

Sound familiar? Mr Premji could have been speaking about the European Union or the United States. No leaders want to take hard decisions anymore, except when forced to. Everyone - even China's leaders - seems more afraid of their own people than ever.

One wonders whether the Internet, blogging, Twitter, texting and micro-blogging, as in China's case, has made participatory democracy and autocracy so participatory and leaders so finely attuned to every nuance of public opinion, that they find it hard to make any big decision that requires sacrifice. They have too many voices in their heads other than their own.

Here we are in America again on the eve of a major budgetary decision by yet another bipartisan "supercommittee", and does anyone know what President Obama's preferred outcome is? Exactly which taxes does he want raised, and which spending does he want cut? The President's politics on this issue seems to be a bowl of poll-tested mush.

At a time when, from India to America, democracies have never had more big decisions to make, if they want to deliver better living standards for their people, this epidemic of not deciding is a troubling trend.

It means that we are abdicating more and more leadership to technocrats or supercommittees - or just letting the market and Mother Nature impose on us decisions that we cannot make ourselves. The latter rarely yields optimal outcomes.

The European Union has a particularly acute version of leaders-who-will-not-lead, which is why both Greece and Italy have now turned to unelected technocrats to run their governments. Writing in The Financial Times on Saturday, Mr Tony Barber noted, "In effect, euro zone policymakers have decided to suspend politics as normal in two countries because they judge it to be a mortal threat to Europe's monetary union. They have ruled that European unity, a project more than 50 years in the making, is of such overriding importance that politicians accountable to the people must give way to unelected experts who can keep the show on the road. "If so far there is little public outrage in Athens and Rome, it is surely because millions of Greeks and Italians hold their political classes in such contempt."

Yes, it's true that in the hyperconnected world, in the age of Facebook and Twitter, the people are more empowered and a lot more innovation and ideas will come from the bottom up, not just the top down. That's a good thing - in theory.

But at the end of the day - whether you are a President, Senator, Mayor or on the steering committee of your local Occupy Wall Street - someone needs to meld those ideas into a vision of how to move forward, sculpt them into policies that can make a difference in peoples' lives and then build a majority to deliver on them.

Those are called leaders. Leaders shape polls. They don't just read polls. And, today, across the globe and across all political systems, leaders are in dangerously short supply. 

Published in The New York Times, 15 Nov 2011

Thomas L Friedman is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner

Singapore's Changing Healthcare Landscape

By Chee Jia Yi, YP member, 16 Nov 2011

Current State of Healthcare in Singapore

Singapore has a well-established healthcare system and prides itself on its focus of providing quality healthcare. In education, it seeks to empower and train the next generation of healthcare professionals, as well as conduct research for advancement in technology. It has in place the necessary infrastructure and expertise for a successful healthcare system. Singapore’s world-class building and infrastructure has put it at the forefront of the race. However there is no room for complacency as this is an ongoing process of revamping and renewing the infrastructure. The standards of healthcare professionals are also maintained and there is a move to increase their numbers by both beefing up the local intake as well as introducing more foreign-trained professionals.

The crux of the matter is whether the current healthcare system will be able to cope with the changes that will follow in coming years.

State of Flux- The Future and Beyond

Cynics paint a bleak picture of the impending silver tsunami, where the proportion of elderly is set to triple within the next 25 years. Singapore is the second most rapidly ageing population in the world today and needs to be well-equipped in order to face the economic and social demands that this phenomenon poses. With the changing demographic profile, an emphasis has to be made on management of chronic conditions, caregiver support and provision of aged care facilities.

Singapore faces a growing population, which has crossed the 5 million mark, a substantial number of which consists of foreigners. This would place a significant strain on healthcare resources to provide for the ever-burgeoning number of residents.

Although Singapore has made leaps and bounds in economic progress, there is still an apparent rich-poor divide. Those at the bottom half of the spectrum will worry about the ever-increasing healthcare costs. In view of this growing income inequality, much must be done to ensure that healthcare is made affordable, available and accessible to all. It is imperative to ensure that the needy do not get left behind and that they are able to receive adequate treatment, regardless of financial ability.

Of course, quality of healthcare cannot be compromised, and neither can cost-efficiency. This represents a quandary of sorts; after all, a fine balance between quality and cost-efficiency has to be sought.