Tuas to have mega port for all container shipments

Long-term plan will raise efficiency of port operations and free up prime land

By Alvin Foo, The Straits Times, 2 Oct 2012

SINGAPORE has officially decided to consolidate all its container port activities at Tuas over the long term with the first berths to be built there in 10 years.

Announcing the decision yesterday, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said the move would free up prime land occupied by the terminals in the city area for redevelopment and result in more efficient port operations.

The announcement came at a launch ceremony at which PSA Singapore Terminals (PSA) said it is investing $3.5 billion to develop Phases 3 and 4 of its Pasir Panjang Terminal.

This will be spent on leading infrastructure and the latest port technology, such as an automated container yard and unmanned cranes.

The idea of a mega port at Tuas was proposed by the Government's Economic Strategies Committee in 2010.

Yesterday, Mr Lui said: "We will work towards consolidating all our container port activities at Tuas over the longer term."

This means that the city terminals at Tanjong Pagar, Keppel and Brani, plus those at Pasir Panjang will eventually be merged at Tuas. The port leases at Tanjong Pagar, Keppel and Brani will end in 2027.

S'pore on right track to cut foreign labour dependency

But pace must be managed or local jobs may be affected: Tan Chuan-Jin

By Daryl Chin, The Straits Times, 1 Oct 2012

EFFORTS to wean Singapore off excessive use of foreign labour have borne fruit, according to Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin yesterday.

But, he cautioned in the blog post, the pace must be managed to avoid prompting firms to relocate which may cause retrenchment and higher unemployment among Singaporeans.

According to manpower statistics for the first half of this year, the number of Employment Pass (EP) holders dipped from 175,400 to 174,700 - the first half-yearly reduction since recession hit in 2009.

However, the number of work permit holders, excluding maids, rose by 20,600.

Overall, the growth in foreign manpower, excluding maids, slowed to 34,100, a 7 per cent drop from the growth registered in the first half of last year.

Small states 'need rule-based global system to survive': Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam at the United Nations General Assembly

They must be mindful to speak up against violation of rule of law: Shanmugam

The Straits Times, 1 Oct 2012

WASHINGTON - In a fast-changing world troubled by economic and political uncertainties, small states such as Singapore are particularly vulnerable.

For small states to survive and thrive, "a predictable and stable, rule-based international system is crucial", Singapore Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam said in an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York last Saturday.

"Small states such as Singapore are vulnerable even at the best of times. And these are not the best of times," said Mr Shanmugam, who is also Law Minister.

He cited the recession in Europe and slowing growth elsewhere in the world, saying the combination of weak consumer demand in developing countries and the euro zone crisis could lead to a global recession. Increased protectionism is also a danger to small states dependent on global trade.

"It is, therefore, particularly important for small states to be in an international environment where international law and institutions based on law can flourish," he told the world body.

But as beneficiaries of a stable international system, small states must be mindful not only to support the international rule of law, but to "also speak up against its violation", Mr Shanmugam noted.

Support new facilities for seniors: PM Lee Hsien Loong

They will benefit everyone; govt plans only part of solution, he says

By Robin Chan, The Straits Times, 1 Oct 2012

TWO days after plans were unveiled for more facilities for senior citizens to be built across Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged residents to support them, saying that they would ultimately benefit everyone.

But he also stressed that such government programmes can be only part of the solution to the challenge posed by an ageing population, and called on Singaporeans to do their part in taking care of seniors.

"I ask you all please support these plans, because they are for ourselves, for our own families, for the old people in our families, and for ourselves one day when we grow old - because one day we will all grow old," he said at a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration held by his Teck Ghee ward last night.



The Government announced last Friday that more than 100 facilities for seniors would be built within communities over the next three years at a cost of $500 million.

The plan is for every neighbourhood to have its own facilities for the elderly, to cater to a population in which one in every five people will be above the age of 65 in 20 years' time.

Thoughtful wisdom from Lee Hsien Loong, a leader with proven record

By Greg Sheridan, The Australian, 29 Sep 2012

LEE Hsien Loong has a reputation something like that of his father, the legendary Lee Kuan Yew. It's a reputation for speaking his mind, sometimes bluntly.

Singapore's Prime Minister is 60 now, long out of his father's shadow. Like his father, though, he sometimes sounds like a lord mayor, when discussing Singapore's new casino, and at other times like a great strategic thinker, a Southeast Asian Henry Kissinger.

It is part of Singapore's unique identity to have transformed a tiny island - 500sq km - into the richest society in Southeast Asia, with a per capita income above Australia's, while establishing a reputation for strategic sagacity pretty much unrivalled in the region. Big picture, small picture, macro or micro - Lee has a view, and a strategy, at all levels.

He is coming to Australia next week for his second official visit as Prime Minister. Australians will not be in any doubt about his views on any big issues. As James Packer recently pointed out, Singapore has excellent relations with the US and China. He suggested Australia might emulate Singapore in achieving this happy double. But if we do, it won't be by distancing ourselves from the US.

Government will help manufacturing firms: PM Lee

But they must do their part to upgrade by tapping schemes and working together

By Goh Chin Lian, The Straits Times, 30 Sep 2012

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last night promised to help manufacturing firms adapt to a changing economic landscape, but urged them to also do their part by upgrading themselves and working together to overcome their size constraints.

He also acknowledged the challenges they faced, such as a labour crunch and the tightening of foreign worker inflows.

"We can't guarantee that every single company will always succeed, but we are committed to help every company find a way forward," he told 1,500 business leaders at the Singapore Manufacturing Federation's (SMF) 80th anniversary dinner at Marina Bay Sands.

The federation, which has more than 3,000 corporate members, was formed in 1932 to champion the manufacturing sector.

In recent months, many companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises have raised concerns about difficulties finding manpower, just as the country continues to make moves to tighten the tap on foreign workers.

Last night, PM Lee noted that the manufacturing sector fuels more than 20 per cent of the economy, and assured them: "We want manufacturing to remain a major pillar of our economy."

1,000 ITE students hired during F1

They received training as part of tie-up between ITE and race organisers

By Royston Sim, The Straits Times, 30 Sep 2012

During the Singapore Grand Prix last Saturday, ITE student Muhammad Saiful was tasked with ensuring no patrons sat on the grandstand stairwells during the Maroon 5 concert, so that access to entry points was clear.

But a Caucasian patron insisted on doing so and refused to budge even when security staff and the police were called in.

Said Mr Saiful, 18: "He insisted that we show him the law stating that he could not sit at the stairwell... it showed me people can be very stubborn, and you need a lot of patience."

The ITE College Central student, who is studying event management, carried the title of grandstand access official during the Formula One event.

He said: "In event management, we must know how to handle people from different places. F1 gave us the chance to interact with different people and learn how they behave."

Mr Saiful was one of some 1,000 Institute of Technical Education (ITE) students who got to work for race organisers Singapore GP during the race weekend.

Chosen from 3,000 ITE applicants, they received Workforce Skills Qualifications-certified training in areas such as customer service, and were then deployed in eight different jobs during the three-day event, including as information booth ambassador and merchandise crew.

Apart from funding their training, Singapore GP also paid them allowances of up to almost $400 for the three days.

An ITE spokesman said Singapore GP first approached the ITE in 2008 and both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2009 for ITE to support the race.

A place for exams as social leveller

Assessment modes like projects, interviews tend to handicap working-class children

By Chua Mui Hoong, The Straits Times, 30 Sep 2012

At 18 going on 19, back in those days before the Internet when 18 meant you were still gawky and green and wet behind the ears, I faced an interview panel of adults who fired various questions at me.

I can't recall the specifics of what they asked. But I felt I was doing all right until one of them asked: "Do you read The Straits Times every day?"

I replied: "No."

The atmosphere in the room shifted. At 18, I couldn't have told you what Singapore's level of exports was, or discussed the impact of the Chernobyl disaster that year. But a lifetime of reading books and body language sensitised me to changes in moods and emotions.

I felt I had blown the interview with that one candid answer.

I didn't get the scholarship I was applying for to fund my undergraduate studies. It was a competitive award and there were more impressive candidates.

But I think my answer did not work in my favour either. Particularly since the folks interviewing me were from Singapore Press Holdings, and the newspaper I had confessed to not reading every day was its flagship daily. (Ironically, even though I didn't get that SPH scholarship, I went on to make a career in SPH as a journalist, where I still love my job after 21 years.)

Later, reviewing that moment in my mind, I wondered why no one had bothered to ask the follow-up question: "Why?"

I also kicked myself for not having had the presence of mind to explain why I didn't read The Straits Times every day: "My father reads only Chinese and subscribes to the Lianhe Zaobao. I buy The Sunday Times with my own pocket money - and I read it cover to cover."

It didn't occur to me that not reading the paper daily could be taken as a sign of intellectual dullness, lack of interest in current affairs, or disdain for the outside world.

I don't know if it occurred to the adult interviewees that an 18-year-old might not read the paper daily simply because she couldn't afford to buy it every day. It probably wouldn't have made a difference anyway.

I remember that incident when I hear calls from parents, teachers and others for Singapore to broaden assessment modes in schools. Scrap the Primary School Leaving Examination. Don't let children do the O levels. Don't admit students to university just on grades.

Instead, introduce broad-based assessment modes like project work, interviews, oral presentations, group work. Build leadership skills, social skills, confidence and self-esteem.

I understand the sentiment behind those calls. I also agree that the PSLE in its current form is not ideal. Too much is at stake in a single high-stakes exam. What if pupils fall ill that week? Tweaks to split it over two years, as some have suggested, can be considered.

But in reviewing the education system, we must be careful not to scrap one tested assessment mode for others that will create their own set of problems.

Redistributing the stakes placed on PSLE

By Sandra Davie, The Straits Times, 30 Sep 2012

The Government is still ignoring the "10,000-pound elephant in the room", a parent wrote to me on Friday in response to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong saying no to calls for scrapping the Primary School Leaving Examination.

A Singapolitics reader had asked if Singapore could reduce the reliance on exams and even do away with the PSLE.

This emerged among the 10 most pressing questions readers wanted the Prime Minister to answer, after a week-long poll on the website.

In answering that question, Mr Lee said the examination is still needed to assess pupils' educational standards and provide a fair basis for secondary school admission.

To be fair to him, he did not completely ignore the elephant in the room.

He acknowledged that parents were feeling much pressure on account of the PSLE and said the Education Ministry will look into how "over-pressure" can be reduced.

Reinventing education with video

by Angela Lin, Published TODAY, 27 Sep 2012

Growing up, my mother always said: "You'll learn more from a journey of 10,000 miles than from reading 10,000 books."

For years I thought it was a saying she had invented, to justify taking me out of school for weeks at a time to satisfy her love of travel.

I later realised she was quoting an old Chinese proverb that summed up the importance of gaining first-hand experience when learning about new ideas, people and cultures.

Of course, when it comes to learning in a classroom, first-hand experience is not always possible. That is where video comes into play, giving teachers a way to transport students to ancient lands or recreate dangerous science experiments. Videos can help break down difficult concepts while still capturing the imagination.

Take Mr Sal Khan, a gifted teacher, and one of 2011's most inspiring TED speakers. Mr Sal has digested dense textbook material into deceptively simple educational videos, gaining well over a hundred million views from students around the world.

Along with bringing lessons to life, video has its own unique educational properties. It lends itself to self-paced, customised learning.

There is no need to feel embarrassed if you do not understand a concept - just rewind and replay.

The Web has exploded the possibilities for video in education. It comes down to one important word: Access.

More mixed unions and remarriages

Data shows S'poreans are increasingly marrying outside their own ethnic groups

By Theresa Tan, The Straits Times, 30 Sep 2012

Love conquers all, even formidable obstacles such as racial differences and previous failed unions. This picture emerges from Singapore's latest marriage data, released in July.

The trends suggest that Singaporeans are becoming more liberal in their choice of mates, with more marrying outside their ethnic groups or tying the knot with divorcees.

Academics and counsellors expect some of these trends to continue, promising more diverse families.

Take, for example, mixed marriages with partners of different ethnic groups. Last year, one in five marriages (19.8 per cent) was an inter-ethnic union, up from one in eight (12.6 per cent) in 2001. There were 5,388 such marriages last year, almost double the 2,814 in 2001.

This sharp rise was largely driven by Singaporeans marrying foreigners rather than Singaporeans of a different race - and these numbers are likely to keep rising with globalisation.

And if parents object? Well, most now have less say in whom their children marry.

Mr Leng Chin Fai, director of Fei Yue Community Services, said: "Parents may discourage their children from finding a partner of another race, but they seldom object to their child's choice. Parents do respect their children's wishes now, unlike in the past."

Centre of fun for the elderly

Eldercare venues keep senior folks active and some even offer rehabilitation help

By Eve Yap, The Straits Times, 30 Sep 2012

As she sits blindfolded, 79- year-old Madam Tay Ann Soon is handed a clove of garlic, an onion and a piece of coriander.

She feels and smells each item, correctly calling out its name.

When it comes to a chilli, therapy aide Aye Aye Kway, 34, asks her: "Is it a big or small chilli?"

"Big," says Madam Tay, a grandmother of nine.

"Very good," chirps Ms Kway, a Myanmar national.

They are at the Sasco Day Activity Centre for the Elderly in Telok Blangah Rise. Madam Tay has been going to the centre on weekdays from 10am to 4pm since last October.

She is no longer listless like she was following several falls three years ago, says her daughter Low Hian Lay, the fifth of six children.

Madam Tay lives with Ms Low, a bank officer in her 40s, two other daughters and her 88-year-old husband, who does not attend the centre, in an Alexandra Road condominium.

"It gives us peace of mind that she's in good hands at the centre. We don't have to worry about her when we are at work," says Ms Low.

Madam Tay adds in English and Hokkien: "My daughters are scared that I may become 'gong' (Hokkien for vacant) if I just sit at home."