Hurrah for sport's transforming power

By Chan U-Gene, The Straits Times, 5 May 2014

IT WAS June 24, 1995. A warm wintry afternoon in Johannesburg, South Africa, before the start of the 1995 Rugby World Cup final between the hosts and the seemingly indomitable New Zealand All Blacks.

A proud black man strolled onto the Ellis Park stadium pitch, in full sight of the 63,000 in attendance and millions of TV viewers worldwide. An oversized green jersey was draped on his sinewy frame and, on its back, printed in gold, was the revered No. 6 of Springbok captain Francois Pienaar.

That man was the late Nelson Mandela, the first black president of his nation. His gesture that day was a pivotal moment in South Africa's path to reconciliation and post-apartheid democracy.

By embracing the prancing antelope of the white Afrikaners, he signalled to his countrymen, and the world, that it was time to leave behind the decades of hatred and racism. On that day, many believe, the "rainbow nation" began to bond as one.

Mr Mandela, who spent years training as a youth amateur boxer, instinctively understood the importance of competitive sport. No other platform possesses its unique capacity for gathering a disparate people and uniting them with a common purpose.

With its great, captive audiences, competitive sport at the highest level evolves from a mere game into a vehicle with the potential to inspire and drive people towards bigger causes.

PSLE will stay as an important benchmark of students' achievements: Heng Swee Keat

By Amelia Teng, The Straits Times, 4 May 2014

The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is here to stay, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Sunday.

"We're not about to abolish it," he said, adding that the PSLE is an important in setting a local and international benchmark for what 12-year-olds can achieve.

Rather, the change to use letter grades instead of precise scores, which had been announced last year, is a way to plan for the next stage of a student's learning journey, he said, in response to a question posed to him at The Straits Times' inaugural Education Forum.

By using these grades, students who do well in particular subjects can take the same subject in secondary school at a higher level. "It's really how we regard (the exam)," he said, whether parents see it as a "do-or-die" high-stakes exam or one of the many checkpoints in life.

Mr Heng encouraged the 300-strong audience at the Singapore Management University's Mochtar Riady Auditorium to instead focus on the "intangibles" of education, like character and socio-emotional development. Getting the academic foundation right is important for children, but parents' conversations with their children must go beyond grades and exams, he said.

"It is our responsibility as parents and an education system to bring out the best in every child," he added, and his Ministry is committed to ensure that every school provides opportunities for children to do that.

The goal, he said, is to "help every child succeed, not just in school... but to succeed in life, not just in career, but in own lives, so they can go on to lead happy, meaningful and fulfilling lives," he said.

At the hour-long dialogue session moderated by Straits Times' editor Warren Fernandez, parents posed questions on a range of issues, from the relevance of streaming and the reason behind not naming the top scorers of national examinations to home-schooling and special education.

Do our kids get off too easy?

By Alfie Kohn, Published The Straits Times, 5 May 2014

THE conventional wisdom these days is that children come by everything too easily - stickers, praise, As, trophies. It's outrageous, we're told, that all children on the field may get a thanks-for-playing token, in contrast to the good old days, when recognition was reserved for the conquering heroes.

Children are said to be indulged and overcelebrated, spared from having to confront the full impact of their inadequacy. There are ringing declarations about the benefits of frustration and the need for grit.

These themes are sounded with numbing regularity, yet those who sound them often adopt a self-congratulatory tone, as if it took extraordinary gumption to say pretty much what everyone else is saying. Indeed, this fundamentally conservative stance on children and parenting has become common even for people who are liberal on other issues.

But seriously, has any child who received a trinket after losing a contest walked away believing that he (or his team) won - or that achievement doesn't matter? Giving trophies to all the children is a well-meaning and mostly innocuous attempt to appreciate everyone's effort.

Even so, I'm not really making a case for doing so, because it distracts us from rethinking competition itself and the belief that people can succeed only if others fail.

Rather, my intent is to probe the underlying cluster of mostly undefended beliefs about what life is like (awful), what teaches resilience (experiences with failure), what motivates people to excel (rewards) and what produces excellence (competition).

Most of all, it's assumed that the best way to get children ready for the miserable "real world" that awaits them is to make sure they have plenty of miserable experiences while they're young. Conversely, if they're spared any unhappiness, they'll be ill-prepared.

Chinglish becoming more popular in China

But not everyone sees the trend as 'gelivable' (fantastic or cool)
By Kor Kian Beng, The Straits Times, 5 May 2014

A CHINESE office worker exasperated with a colleague who keeps finding fault with his report might well retort: "You can you up, no can no BB!"

Welcome to the world of Chinglish. But first, the translation: "You do it if you are so capable; otherwise keep quiet!"

Just as Singaporeans love their Singlish and Thais have Tinglish, English with very strong Chinese characteristics has become increasingly popular in China.

"No zuo no die", often seen on social media, is used to warn others against doing something foolish that may land them in trouble. Popular words include "tuhao" (people who have lots of money but no taste or manners) and "diaosi" (geeks or losers).

Of late, more Chinglish phrases have entered the English lexicon, a development that, to many in China, underscores their country's growing influence on the world, especially with Chinese slowly becoming the language of choice in the Western world.

On April 9, "you can you up, no can no BB" became the latest entry in the online Urban Dictionary, which has 7.7 million definitions for slang and buzzwords not found in standard dictionaries.

Earlier entries included "gelivable" (fantastic or cool), derived from gei li, or "to give strength or energy". There is "erbility" - not to be mistaken for "ability" - used on someone who does something stupid. Similarly, "zhuangbility" (boastfulness) and "shability" (foolishness).

The latest entry was reported in an almost celebratory tone by Chinese state media. Xinhua news agency, on April 18, said "English speakers may soon be saying 'you can you up, no can no BB' in response to criticism".

The Global Times tabloid, in a commentary on April 26, noted that the popularity of a language is likely the best gauge of how much influence the country of origin has on the rest of the world.

"It is possible that Chinglish will be treated less as a negative example of English misuse, since an increasing number of Chinglish words and expressions are being accepted by mainstream native speakers," wrote reporter Liu Zhun.

This positive tone contrasts starkly with how Chinglish used to be frowned upon. In the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China ordered signs and menus with Chinglish to be removed.

Still, the debate on the pros and cons of Chinglish continues.

Singlish shows up a Singapore failure

Author Lee Hui Min covers a range of topics in her book, Growing Up In Lee Kuan Yew's Era. This edited excerpt is from a chapter on language.

The Sunday Times, 4 May 2014

Nowadays, Singlish can be heard everywhere in public. Even foreigners can say a word or two in Singlish if they have lived in Singapore long enough.

Many think that by adding a lah or a leh it's Singlish. As Singlish is not a standard form of language, everyone has his own view on this very Singaporean form of spoken language.

There are some commonly-used Singlish words and phrases, including these examples:

Why you lai that? (The speaker is too lazy to pronounce the word, like, properly.)

What he talking ah? I catch no ball! (Catch no ball is a direct translation from a Hokkien phrase meaning "cannot understand".)

Want go makan? (Makan means 'eat' in Malay.)

Ask so much for what? So kaypoh! (Kaypoh is Hokkien for busybody.)

Singlish has become a language for communication among Singaporeans and a reflection of their identity.

Some people use Singlish out of sheer laziness, as there are no grammatical rules to follow. And some can switch to using proper standard English at formal occasions if they chose to do so.

But others can speak only Singlish because they have not mastered good English. And when they step out of the country, they realise immediately that no one understands them. With their inadequate vocabulary, they usually also fail to express their deeper thoughts well in English and give others the impression that they are shallow thinkers.

In television news programmes we often see the man in the street being interviewed. Whether in English or Chinese, the person speaks so poorly he often does not make sense.

Maybe people are just too nervous before the camera. But this problem with expressing themselves clearly seems to be more serious among Singaporeans.

Important for Geylang Serai to maintain character: Tan Chuan-Jin

By Kok Xing Hui, TODAY, 4 May 2014

It is important for Geylang Serai to maintain its character and spirit even as it undergoes redevelopment, said Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin today (May 4).

He said this at the closing ceremony cum community lunch for Pasar Geylang Serai, where 5,000 gathered for a nasi biryani lunch.

Mr Tan said: “So, as you evolve you can have new physical forms but how do you keep the character, how do you keep the cultural heritage, how do you keep the spirit and how do you continue to make this place a good place where the Malay community continue to gather every day, every weekend – and that’s really the key. You know building things is easy, but it’s really the software part, the people part. And that takes the community to come together.”

He told reporters alongside the event that this spirit can be retained by continuing to provide good food through the hawker centre, and by making sure that there are diverse products available at competitive prices so that the reasons for visiting the area remain.

“But when people naturally come (to Pasar Geylang Serai), they will also become to establish activities of their own,” he said.

Pasar Geylang Serai, one of Singapore’s oldest markets, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The area is set to have its own civic centre called Wisma Geylang Serai by 2017, a building that will be linked to the market via a pedestrian bridge.

Foreign workers to get four more recreation centres

They will be built by the end of next year as an alternative to Little India

By Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 5 May 2014

FOREIGN workers will be able to rest and relax at four more activity centres by the end of next year.

Recreation centres for foreign workers will be doubled from four to eight, in a bid to draw them away from Little India.

The expansion was announced by then Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin in Parliament in January, when he gave a statement on the Little India riot.

He said these centres will provide alternative options for foreign workers who need places to gather and relax, but acknowledged that they "can never totally replace popular spots like Little India".

Mr Tan did not disclose the numbers or locations then, but The Straits Times has learnt that four centres will be built in Tuas South, Kranji, Simpang and Jalan Terusan off Jurong Port Road.

The Jalan Terusan centre's building cost is estimated to be $15 million and the one in Tuas South, $18 million, said JTC Corporation. No estimates were given for the other two centres.

There are four such centres now in Jurong, Penjuru Road, Woodlands and Kaki Bukit.

The new centres will have a combined size of more than nine soccer fields, according to JTC plans seen by The Straits Times.

"These recreation centres will be venues for the workers to gather, rest and relax," said JTC in its plans. Their facilities include basketball and volleyball courts, soccer and cricket fields, fitness corners, foodcourts, supermarkets and even Internet cafes.

The centre in Kranji is next to a site earmarked for a new dormitory, while the Tuas South centre is opposite a new 9,200-bed dormitory for marine and manufacturing workers.

On track to solve public transport woes?

The Government is making changes to public transport but can it do so fast enough and in a way that will leave many more commuters impressed? Experts say that even as various initiatives are taken to improve the situation, the answer may lie in radically reforming how the industry is structured.
By Royston Sim, The Straits Times, 3 May 2014

Although measures such as free travel have moved some people from the peak period, their impact has ultimately been muted by steady ridership growth. There were 2.62 million train rides a day last year, up from 2.29 million in 2011.

WHEN train services on the North-South Line broke down on Dec 15 of 2011, crippling the network for five hours, and again for seven hours two days later, the reputation of Singapore's public transport took a big hit overnight.

Those two breakdowns, followed by a flurry of six disruptions in a six-week span from March 2012, swiftly turned public focus from congestion to how unreliable Singapore's rail network had become.

Luckily for the ruling party, these embarrassing episodes did not happen before the elections, or they might well have narrowed its winning margin further, say some experts.

Crowded trains had emerged as one of the sore points among voters during the General Election in May 2011. Opposition parties jumped on how overburdened the transport system had become, even as the Prime Minister apologised for the shortfall in infrastructure.

When the elections were over, newly-appointed Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew, who took over from Mr Raymond Lim, wasted no time in rolling out a slew of measures aimed at easing the peak-hour crush.

Along with that, the Government also tackled the issue of the influx of foreign workers, which had been blamed for the overcrowding problem on public transport.

Recognising that new trains and new MRT lines would take years to come into effect, the Government pushed for a billion-dollar bus programme to increase bus capacity.

That programme put four new parallel bus services and seven new City Direct routes on the road, to offer commuters an alternative to the MRT. The services had a combined daily ridership of about 2,700 as of March.

"These are commuters who would have otherwise taken the trains," said Land Transport Authority (LTA) group director for public transport Yeo Teck Guan.

The full opening of the Circle Line in October 2011 helped decant commuters from other lines, said observers. About 70 per cent of Circle Line ridership comes from commuters who transfer from other lines.

The LTA also spent $9.7 million to remove grab poles and add more handrails on trains to increase standing space.

And in a first, it set aside $10 million to fund free rides for commuters who exit at 18 stations in the city area by 7.45am. This has led to about 6 to 7 per cent of commuters shifting their journeys.

'I am the customer, I have the right to call you stupid'

Dealing with ungracious customers is all in a day's work for employees in the service industry
By Kezia Toh, The Sunday Times, 4 May 2014

Upon hearing that he could not pay for his purchases with an unsigned credit card, a customer at OG department store started swearing and called the staff "stupid".

When they tried to placate him, he retorted: "I am the customer, I have the right to call you stupid."

He later relented and paid cash, says an OG spokesman. "Perhaps the customer felt he was superior," he adds.

Staff usually try to mollify customers who throw hissy fits - such as threatening to get service staff sacked - while attempting to exchange undergarments, altered clothing and even an unused bag that had been stowed away for two years, says the spokesman.

Labour chief Lim Swee Say called for a "nation of better customers" last week, saying overly demanding customers would aggravate the labour crunch.

A check with 18 F&B and retail outlets here showed that Singaporeans still have some way to go to meet this goal. While they often gripe about bad service, there are just as many examples of ungracious customer behaviour.

Frontline staff have come across customers who hurl profanities, insist on eating food bought from elsewhere in a restaurant and ask shop staff to run errands. Other common gripes include no-shows at restaurants after making reservations and clicking one's fingers to summon the waiter, says Ms Janet Lim, 34, senior group public relations manager of Spa Esprit Group, who has seen diners do this at its Skinny Pizza eateries.

Handling such behaviour is all in a day's work for those in the service industry, says Mr Tan Ken Loon, 39, who owns seafood restaurant The Naked Finn. He recounts an incident where a man pushed his restaurant's general manager and shouted profanities when he was told there were no baby chairs available.

Another man came to dine with his children and helper toting takeaway fast food. When told that food from elsewhere could not be consumed on the premises, he took out portable chairs and a table from his car and plonked them by the door of the restaurant for his children and helper.

Bosses doing more to attract part-timers

Employers facing manpower crunch give bonuses and other perks to show staff they are valued

By Amelia Tan, The Sunday Times, 4 May 2014

Companies faced with a manpower crunch are offering bonuses, medical benefits and even supermarket vouchers to attract and retain part-time workers.

They are competing to hire students, housewives and older people to help make up for foreign workers who have become costlier to hire since the Government raised levies and imposed higher salary criteria for foreigners to qualify for work passes.

The past year has also seen the average hourly rate for part-time work rise from around $6.50 to $9, recruitment experts told The Sunday Times. It has even hit $10 in industries such as food and beverage and telephone customer support, which are highly dependent on foreign workers.

Part-timers work less than 35 hours a week and are entitled by law to rest days, overtime pay and pro-rated leave. But several firms told The Sunday Times they are doing even more.

Delivery firm Network Courier extends full-time benefits, such as performance bonuses and reimbursement of medical bills, to part-timers. "We want all our workers, part- or full-time, to feel they're part of the company," said managing director V.S. Kumar.

Coffee and toast chain Ya Kun Kaya Toast executive chairman Adrin Loi agrees it is important to make part-timers feel they belong.

His company offers them Chinese New Year hongbao, performance bonuses and salary increments. They are also invited to the annual company dinner. "Part-timers work hard too,"said Mr Loi.

Catering company Rasel pays its part-time service crew about $12 an hour - above the industry norm. Its pool of about 10 regular part-timers, mostly students, get taxi fare reimbursements, and chartered coaches send them to MRT stations after work.

Said the firm's managing director, Mr Alan Tan: "Paying good salaries is the main reason why our part-timers stay and even recommend friends."

Less pay is okay, say older workers

70% of those polled want to work beyond 65, even with salary cuts
By Toh Yong Chuan And Amelia Tan, The Straits Times, 3 May 2014

FORMER superintendent of prisons Lim Chong Teng used to earn more than $8,000 a month running a cell block at Changi.

The 66-year-old, who left the Prisons Service 11 years ago, is now getting $3,000 as a site operations manager for security firm Soverus. But he is not bitter about the pay cut.

"What is past is past," said the father of two grown-up children. "When we do different work, it is very fair that the salary changes."

Such a view is shared by many older Singaporean workers.

Of the 50 workers aged above 55 interviewed by The Straits Times yesterday, 70 per cent said they want to work beyond 65, even it means getting less pay. The rest want to retire by that age to spend more time with their families and on their hobbies.

In his May Day Rally speech on Thursday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong gave the clearest indication yet that the Government will extend the re-employment age.

Currently, healthy workers who hit the retirement age of 62 must be offered re-employment until 65, or a one-off payment.

"We will get there," he said, referring to current talks with unions and employers to extend the ceiling, possibly to 67.

No timeline was mentioned, although union leaders hope to conclude talks by the end of this year.

Older workers are eagerly anticipating the extension, for different reasons. Close to 60 per cent of those who told ST they are willing to work beyond 65 said they enjoy working as it keeps them connected with society.

Stockbroker Dave Chan, who is 60, said: "I look forward to work every day. Meeting colleagues and clients keeps me happy."

Mrs S.M. Chia, a 57-year-old sales manager at a financial services firm, added: "I would like to be a mentor to the younger staff and pass on what I learnt."

Social service office opens in Bukit Merah

Closer and more coordinated aid for needy residents
By Priscilla Goy, The Straits Times, 3 May 2014

RESIDENTS of Bukit Merah will have better access to help, with the launch of a new social service office in the estate yesterday.

Located at Block 105 Jalan Bukit Merah, it is one of 10 such offices set up since the middle of last year. Nine more will be rolled out this year.

These offices bring help closer to needy residents and enable voluntary welfare organisations and community partners in their areas to provide more coordinated social services.

The official opening of the Bukit Merah office brings the Ministry of Social and Family Development closer to its target of setting up 20 such offices in HDB towns across the island.

The offices, together with family service centres, will form a network that puts help within 2km of where 95 per cent of needy residents live or work.

NTUC FairPrice Foundation yesterday announced an inaugural donation of $1 million to beneficiaries of ComCare Long Term Assistance, previously the Public Assistance scheme.

ComCare is the Government's main fund to help the needy, and provides short- to long-term aid to low-income families.

About 3,000 beneficiaries get long-term help under ComCare. They cannot work because of old age, illness or disability, and have no family support.