Interpol's new centre to counter cybercrime

By Amir Hussain, The Straits Times, 4 Nov 2014

A NEW digital crime centre to be set up in Singapore next year by the International Criminal Police Organisation, or Interpol, will help in the fight against cybercrime worldwide, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.

Speaking at Interpol's 83rd General Assembly in Monaco yesterday, Mr Teo said the centre "will allow law enforcement agencies to share information, understand emerging trends, and forge strong partnerships to combat cybercrime at the global scale".

"It will provide tools and techniques for member countries to counter the latest trends, and set global standards and protocols in investigation and forensics," added Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs.

Singapore to join coalition in global fight against ISIS

Singapore to send officers, equipment to anti-ISIS coalition
Move is part of country's ongoing efforts to fight terrorism: Ng Eng Hen
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 4 Nov 2014

SINGAPORE will contribute military personnel and equipment to the multi-national coalition battling the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a move that makes it the first South-east Asian nation to join the international campaign against the militant group.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, in announcing the contribution in Parliament yesterday, said it was part and parcel of Singapore's ongoing efforts to combat terrorism.



It was similar to what Singapore gave to fight the terrorist threat from Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiah (JI) in the past 10 years.

The aid will comprise Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) liaison and planning officers being sent to the United States Central Command and the Combined Joint Task Force headquarters, a tanker aircraft for air-to-air refuelling, and an imagery analysis team.

All were previously deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But no SAF combat troops will be on the ground in Iraq and Syria. Instead, SAF soldiers will operate from surrounding countries with other coalition forces, he said.

In making the move, Singapore contributes directly to its own security, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean in a statement.

"The threat posed by ISIS affects all of us, in all countries. Singapore is not immune. Singapore needs to play its part and support international efforts to contain the threat posed," said Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and Home Affairs Minister.

His comments came in the wake of the latest wave of killings by ISIS fighters, who executed about 200 members of an Iraqi tribe that had taken up arms against them.

The two ministers urged Singaporeans of all races and religions to be united, to effectively combat the ISIS threat.

Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim also told Singaporeans not to interpret the move against ISIS as one against Islam, because the radical teachings of the terror group and its wanton waging of war are not Islamic.

Call on youth to help shape Singapore in 2065

By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 3 Nov 2014

EVEN as Singapore marks its 50th anniversary next year, youth should look further to when their country turns 100, and consider how they can shape what it would be like by 2065, Social and Family Development Minister Chan Chun Sing said.

But to do so, they need to be aware of developments in the outside world, for Singapore is heavily affected by what happens elsewhere, he told 130 youth at a dialogue in Woodlands yesterday.

Mr Chan suggested they adopt four As to help make sense of what they see and read: be aware, analyse the issues, apply lessons from elsewhere to Singapore's context and think of alternatives.

"Never be a frog in the well, concerned with only our own issues," he said, citing a Chinese proverb. "Never keep our eyes off the ball of what is happening elsewhere which may impact us."

Several students brought up melting polar ice caps and the Ebola pandemic in West Africa as current matters they were aware of.

Mr Chan welcomed their interest, noting that these can affect Singapore if a new Arctic route shifts shipping away from Singapore's port, or if Ebola turns into a global pandemic.

Turning to another scenario, he said a severe global economic crisis may see Singaporeans lose their jobs, which would affect whether the young could achieve their dreams and ambitions. This is why, he said, it was "important to keep abreast of events elsewhere, try to pre-empt their impact on Singapore and make sure we can ride the tide of the world and continue to succeed".

Mr Chan also made the point that people's success depended not just on hard work and talent but also on the opportunities they were given by society, and this was why those who are more successful should help those who are less successful.

Game-changers for the PAP

The Straits Times, 1 Nov 2014

ON NOV 21, the People's Action Party will mark its 60th anniversary, after a record 55 years in power.

The Men in White - as the party is sometimes known, after adopting the white-on-white uniform to signal its corruption-free emphasis - has ruled continuously since Independence, transforming the country into a modern metropolis. Only one other democratically elected political party, Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party, has been able to maintain a longer unbroken reign, of 71 years.

But the last General Election in 2011, when the PAP garnered its lowest winning vote share since Independence - 60.1 per cent - still looms large. As the PAP prepares to celebrate its 60th birthday, the big question is: Will it remain the dominant party?

The Singapore of today faces quite different challenges, compared with the issues of independence from colonial rule and sheer day-to-day survival that were paramount concerns when the PAP was formed back in 1954.

Some 1,500 men and women, locals chafing under post-war British rule, packed the Victoria Concert Hall on that momentous day to choose leaders for their fledgling party - one that went on to form the government in 1955 and that would guide the country through a series of crises in those early years. In 1965 came the greatest of these - Singapore was booted out of Malaysia. It had become a country, and the PAP rose to the challenge of this landmark event - it has been in charge ever since, and confounded the doubters who thought that Singapore could not stand on its own two feet.

However, even though Singapore is now a financial powerhouse, and Singaporeans enjoy one of the highest GDP per capita rates in the world, it is not a time for the PAP to rest on its laurels.

A recent lecture on governance and politics by public intellectual Ho Kwon Ping had him pointing to historical trends elsewhere that suggest a potential election loss for the PAP. This, he predicted, would not happen in the next three elections, but could occur sometime well after that.

He sketched out three ways that the party could lose power: through an accidental or freak election that throws out the PAP; a split within the PAP because of internal differences; or an anticipated, outright loss, because of the loss of legitimacy and trust, for example, due to corruption.

Insight examines three factors that will determine the party's hold on power - the changing electorate, the need for it to remain dynamic, and the state of the opposition.

Iskandar Ismail: A music man till the end

He helped write a lot of the soundtrack of Singapore
By Christopher Toh, TODAY, 3 Nov 2014

There’s a lot to be said about the late Iskandar Ismail (not to be confused with the much younger singer of the same name).

I can’t claim to be the best person to say those things. I was inspired by him - and having spoken to those who knew him, I realise that they too found that Iskandar had this ability to touch, inspire, motivate, enthuse those around him.

Dick Lee said: “I am sad that I will no longer make music with Is; sad that is good nature and calm demeanour will no longer inspire the studios, stages and rehearsal rooms he once ruled; sad that Singapore has lost a shining star, the orchestrator of the sound of our nation. Hang loose my dear friend.”

“Maestro Iskandar Ismail was a humble and passionate musician who was also a great composer and music director,” said drummer Tama Goh. “Every day is our last day. We will perform as if it’s our last concert. That is how I would make music with the late Iskandar.”

For jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro, Iskandar was a inspiration when he was starting out. “When he first came back from Berklee he was the hottest pianist around. After I finished work at the Shangri-La, I would rush to the Hilton where he was playing and listen to him play. In the early ’80s, I must have gone down to listen to him at least 50 times a year. Part of my musical psyche was influenced by Iskandar. Many people don’t realise what a great jazz pianist - he was one of the best in this part of Asia - because he later did pop and became an arranger.”

I couldn’t believe at first that Iskandar passed away on Saturday morning. Sure, I knew his was battling cancer, but somehow, I always thought he’d pulled through. I don’t know why. Maybe it was because he’d been contracted for this year’s New Year’s Eve countdown show. (And if there’s one thing I do know about Iskandar - it’s that he will always do his darnedest to get the job done.)

Local studio gumi Asia behind game for Disney's Big Hero 6

By Irene Tham Technology Correspondent, The Straits Times, 3 Nov 2014

SINGAPORE has grabbed a slice of the action for Disney's latest animated movie, Big Hero 6, set to open in the United States on Friday, and here a week later.

The mobile game for the superhero comedy was developed right here - the first time a top global brand has engaged a local studio for game creation.

Big Hero 6: Bot Fight is being released today for mobile download. In the reel world of San Fransokyo (a mash-up of San Francisco and Tokyo), players collect robots for quests and battle other bots to defend the city.

The studio that landed the coveted contract, whose value is undisclosed, is gumi Asia.

Said chief executive David Ng, 47, of the coup: "It's simply magical... it's Disney!"

Lee Kuan Yew keeps tradition of planting a tree at Tanjong Pagar's annual Tree Planting Day

Mr Lee joins constituency for Tree Planting Day
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 3 Nov 2014

THERE were games and snacks galore to enjoy, but the 1,500 Tanglin-Cairnhill residents who attended an environmental awareness carnival held yesterday afternoon were more interested in the arrival of former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

In a rare public appearance, Mr Lee visited the ward in Tanjong Pagar GRC, where he is an MP, for its annual Tree Planting Day.

Smartphone cameras flashed as he stepped out of his car and made his way to a garden plot where seven sea teak trees had been planted.

Flanked by the four other MPs for Tanjong Pagar GRC, Mr Lee pressed a sphere that activated water sprinklers and bathed the trees in a kaleidoscope of lights.

It was the first time that the system had been used for such tree-planting ceremonies.

Mr Lee started planting trees 51 years ago as part of his efforts to keep Singapore green, and he has an unbroken record of planting a tree every year since then.

Tree planting is carried out across the island every November, as it is the start of the rainy season and watering can be minimised.

Yesterday, Senior Minister of State for Law and Education and MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Indranee Rajah said the ward was honoured to have Mr Lee back.

She said the annual tree planting was a reminder of the importance of the environment and the need to take care of it. She also spoke about her ward's defining trait - a spirit of caring for residents through regular activities for the elderly and barrier-free access to shared spaces.

Retiree Mak Tin Tee, 77, who last saw Mr Lee about five years ago, said in Teochew: "He looks older and more tired, but it only reminds me of the sacrifices he has made for our ward and our country."

Recycling, energy-saving to figure in green plan

PM says Sustainable S'pore Blueprint will help create a home 'all can be proud of'
By Lim Yan Liang, The Sunday Times, 2 Nov 2014

An updated blueprint to keep Singapore clean and green in the years ahead will be unveiled this week, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

Mr Lee said he would withhold details till the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint is out, but hinted at what it might involve at his constituency's annual Tree Planting Day and start of its environmental awareness campaign.

Residents ought to be more conscious about recycling what they use and conserving energy, from using less air-conditioning to turning off the lights and even broadband when not at home, he added.

"The 'Cleaner, Greener, Together' campaign we are launching here in Ang Mo Kio GRC and Sengkang West SMC will contribute to our national vision," he said in a speech.

The revised blueprint will outline Singapore's environmental priorities and guide its sustainable development until 2030. The original blueprint in 2009 set targets for things like energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

Mr Lee said the new blueprint was "a plan which all Singaporeans will be part of. It's the way to create a home that we can all be proud of".

Yesterday, he harked back to Singapore's original greening efforts, and urged everyone to play their part, noting that it has been more than 50 years since Mr Lee Kuan Yew planted a tree at Farrer Circus for the first Tree Planting Day, which has since become a regular event in all constituencies.

"That was 1963. Fifty years later, we've planted millions of trees all over Singapore," PM Lee said.

Springleaf Nature Park: First of four new parks near Central Catchment Nature Reserve opens

Go birdwatching at new nature park
By Feng Zengkun, The Sunday Times, 2 Nov 2014

Residents near the Upper Thomson side of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve can now go to a new nature park for birdwatching, table tennis and other activities.

The 6ha Springleaf Nature Park officially opened yesterday and is the first of four new nature parks to be built around the reserve.

By providing alternative venues for people to enjoy activities in nature, the National Parks Board (NParks) hopes to reduce the number of visitors to the reserve to minimise the impact on its vegetation and wildlife.

Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee, who was the guest of honour, noted that Singapore's four nature reserves safeguard key ecosystems here, such as tropical rainforests, freshwater swamp forests, mangroves and coastal hill forests.

"Even as we become more urbanised, we will continue to protect our nature reserves by establishing green buffers around them," he said.

Want to be happy? Lower your expectations

By Gary Hayden, Mind Your Body, The Straits Times, 30 Oct 2014

I am a big fan of the British television show, Bargain Hunt, in which competing teams try to make profits buying and selling antiques.

Yesterday, while introducing a husband-and-wife team, the show's host said: "You've been married for 35 years. So tell me, what do you think is the secret of a happy marriage?"

The couple considered the question for a moment. Then the woman replied: "Low expectations!"

It was a cheeky answer: one that poked a little good-natured fun at her husband.

But anyone who has been married for a long time will know that there is a lot of truth in it.

All good relationships require, if not exactly low expectations, then at least realistic ones.

KEY TO HAPPINESS

A recent study conducted by researchers at University College in the United Kingdom suggests that low expectations may be the key, not only to happy marriages but also to happy lives.

The study consisted of two parts.

In the first part, 26 people were required to make decisions that led to financial gains or losses while a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scanner monitored their mood.

In the second part, more than 18,000 people self-reported their levels of happiness while playing a game called The Great Brain Experiment in which their decisions led to them winning or losing points.

The researchers found that the subjects' happiness levels did not depend on the total amount of money or points they gained or lost but, rather, upon how those gains or losses matched up to their expectations.

Overspend first, be sorry later

MORE SINGAPOREANS IN DEBT TRAP
Big spenders chalk up debts of more than a year's salary from splurging non-stop
By Yasmine Yahya, The Sunday Times, 2 Nov 2014

It is so easy these days to shop online 24 hours a day, book a trip to Europe on an instalment plan or even make an appointment for cosmetic surgery in Seoul.

So easy, in fact, that more Singaporeans are falling into the trap of overspending and chalking up massive debts.

Just over half of those who sought help at Credit Counselling Singapore (CCS) last year landed in debt after splurging on brand- name goods, holidays and clubbing, among other things.

"Debtors usually have more than one reason. They may overspend and then become more vulnerable to get-rich-quick schemes, time shares or gambling, and one thing leads to another and the debt gets bigger and bigger," said CCS president Kuo How Nam.

"But the first cause is usually overspending because many people are living lifestyles not justified by their incomes."

There may be more than 40,000 people who owe more than a year's income from credit cards and other unsecured loans such as personal lines of credit or overdrafts.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore estimates that 3 per cent of unsecured credit borrowers' debts exceed their annual incomes. Based on Credit Bureau (Singapore) data showing that 1.44 million people had at least one credit card account at the end of last year, The Sunday Times estimates there to be 43,000 people who had debts of more than a year's salary.

Last year, the average debtor who turned to CCS for help owed $84,447 to seven creditors, but Mr Kuo said that figure is skewed by gamblers, who owe the biggest sums. Most others have debts in the tens of thousands of dollars, and they make up a big group.

"A lot of it has to do with peer pressure or their own values. Some people say they feel they deserve to indulge themselves - they've worked hard, so they deserve to take more cab rides or a holiday even if they can't afford it," he said.

"I asked a debtor once, 'Why did you carry on spending like this?' And the answer was that he was hopeful that some day his income would rise to a level where he could pay off his debt."

Financial advisers say that is a common problem.

More flats for parenthood as couples await housing

Popular rental scheme has delivered results - and babies - says minister
By Janice Heng, The Straits Times, 1 Nov 2014

MORE temporary flats will be set aside for couples waiting for their new Housing Board flats under a rental programme which, as National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan put it, has been "delivering results, and babies".

Post by Ministry of National Development.

Under the rental programme, called the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), more than 100 babies were born to those living in 1,000 or so flats - a hit rate of 10 per cent.

This result was not bad, said Mr Khaw.

The popularity of the scheme - and its success in raising fertility - has prompted the Government to allocate another 800 temporary flats for couples from next year.

And to ease costs, couples can co-rent these flats.

"Helping young couples set up their first home so that they can start their family early is our top priority," Mr Khaw said in a blog post yesterday.