Tengah Air Base to be expanded; more than 80,000 graves exhumed, 4 farms to be acquired

Graves, farms to make way for larger Tengah base
Area quarter the size of Clementi town will be added to take in Paya Lebar Air Base assets
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 19 Jul 2017

An air base in the north-western part of Singapore will get new facilities and a substantial injection of land to spread its wings.

To make way, some 80,000 graves will be exhumed, while six farms will be acquired or not have their leases renewed.

The exercise will yield more than 106ha of land - a quarter the size of Clementi town - to enable the 78-year-old Tengah Air Base to expand. It, together with Changi Air Base, will take in the assets of the Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB), which will move out from 2030.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said last night that the expansion will allow Tengah Air Base to house aircraft assets, operational flying and support squadrons and other facilities from PLAB.

There will also be a new runway at Tengah Air Base, he said, adding that there will be "net land savings" from the relocation.

The plan to move PLAB was first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2013 when he said it would free up 800ha in Paya Lebar for new homes, offices, factories and parks, and also remove height restrictions around the base.

To accommodate a bigger Tengah Air Base, Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, the only active burial ground and the biggest cemetery here, will lose 100ha, a third of its 318ha area.

Some 45,500 Chinese graves and 35,000 Muslim graves will be exhumed in several phases.

Graves older than 17 years will be exhumed first - from the last quarter of 2018 onwards - while newer graves will be exhumed from a date to be announced later.

The Government will bear the costs of exhumation, as well as cremation for Chinese remains and reinternment for Muslim ones.

Meanwhile, the owners of four plots of private land - affecting three fish farms and a nursery - were notified yesterday that they have been acquired, and will have to be handed over by January 2019. They will be compensated based on market value on the date of acquisition.

Auditor-General's Report FY 2016/17: Financial and IT lapses found in government agencies

Auditor-General raps government agencies for lapses
Government agencies taking action to fix lapses flagged by AGO
By Toh Yong Chuan, Manpower Correspondent, The Straits Times, 18 Jul 2017

Several government ministries and agencies have been rapped by the Auditor-General for weaknesses in controls over information technology (IT) systems, lack of financial controls and inadequate oversight over large-scale development projects.

These lapses were discovered by the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) in the latest annual audit of government accounts for Financial Year 2016/17.

In response, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said the public sector's overall system of managing public funds remains sound, but acknowledged there are areas where agencies can do better by strengthening their financial governance.

"The Public Service is taking a concerted effort to address the issues identified," it said.

"Heads of the agencies responsible have reviewed each case and where warranted, appropriate actions have been or will be taken against those responsible."

Singapore’s first First Lady: Puan Noor Aishah

New book launched on Puan Noor Aishah, wife of Singapore's first President Yusof Ishak
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, The Straits Times, 19 Jul 2017

When Japanese troops invaded Penang in 1941, Puan Noor Aishah left primary school and learnt instead to cook and sew to supplement her family's income.

She peddled nasi lemak with her mother, took orders for embroidery and tried to pick up new skills, hungry to make up for the abrupt end to her formal education. This eagerness to learn put her in good stead when her husband Yusof Ishak was made Yang di-Pertuan Negara in 1959. Puan Noor Aishah was just 26.

Her role as spouse of Singapore's head of state put her in completely uncharted waters, she recalls in a new 200-page biography Puan Noor Aishah: Singapore's First Lady, published by Straits Times Press and launched at The Arts House by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

Written by legal scholar and historian Kevin Y.L. Tan, the book also contains photos of Puan Noor Aishah and her family, including those from her private albums.

She said of her rapid adjustment: "I was not given any instructions or briefing at all; no guidelines. I had no task lists and no one briefed me on things like etiquette, dress codes and protocol. We had to learn and manage on our own."



She made her mark. She figured out the Istana's workings, and soon breathed new life into it by teaching its cooks - who were still preparing English classics like roast beef and Yorkshire pudding - her own recipes for local favourites like beef rendang.

She went for English lessons, organised events for dignitaries and became involved with voluntary organisations. And when her husband's health began to decline after a heart attack in 1968, she shouldered some of his social responsibilities.

PM Lee, who grew up playing with her three children, said of the book: "It will record for generations of Singaporeans her life story, the role she played and her contributions to our early nation-building days."

Since her husband died in 1970 of heart failure, Puan Noor Aishah, now 84, has largely kept out of the limelight, and the book offers a precious glimpse into her eventful life.

As a small state, Singapore must not be bullied: Vivian Balakrishnan

Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan outlines core principles guiding Singapore's foreign policy
Republic will be friends with all, and also advance own interests
By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 18 Jul 2017

The ultimate goals of Singapore's foreign policy are to protect its independence and sovereignty, and to expand opportunities for its citizens, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said yesterday.

To achieve this as a small country, Singapore will be friends with everyone and, at the same time, must also advance its own interests, he added.

He was speaking at a townhall with about 200 foreign service officers and other civil servants at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

"There is no contradiction between a realistic appreciation of realpolitik and doing whatever it takes to protect our sovereignty, maintain and expand our relevance, and to create political and economic space for ourselves," he said.

Dr Balakrishnan outlined five core principles that guide Singapore's foreign policy, underlining points Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had made recently.

He said the principles have served Singapore well since independence.

First, it is important to keep the economy vibrant and successful, and society stable and united.

Without this, Singapore will be completely irrelevant. "All of us in this room have all witnessed how delegations of less successful small states are ignored at international meetings," he said.

Second, Singapore must not be a vassal state and needs to show it cannot be bought or bullied.

For this reason, Singapore has built up a credible armed forces that is taken seriously, he said.



Third, Singapore must aim to be a friend to all, and an enemy to none.

This means working to ensure peace and stability in the immediate neighbourhood and also building political and economic relationships with superpowers and other regional powers so that "they will find our success in their own interest", said Dr Balakrishnan.

He added that this "delicate balancing act" becomes more difficult when the superpowers and regional powers "contend with one another", which is why it is important to avoid taking sides.

While Singapore spares no effort to develop a wide network of relations, he said, these must be based on mutual respect "for each other's sovereignty and the equality of nation states, regardless of size".

He added: "We don't compromise our national interests in order to have good relations... so when others make unreasonable demands that hurt or compromise our national interests, we need to state our position and stand our ground in a firm and principled manner."

Fourth, Singapore must promote a global order governed by the rule of law, international norms and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

Without such a system, small states like Singapore have "very little chance of survival", he said, stressing the importance of Singapore speaking with conviction on these issues.

That is why Singapore has always participated actively at the United Nations and in the formulation of international regimes and norms, he added.

Dr Balakrishnan also warned against appeasement, saying that Singapore must be clear about its long-term interests, and "have the gumption to make our foreign policy decisions accordingly".

Parents' Perceptions of the Singapore Primary School System: Institute of Policy Studies Survey

Parents happy with their children's schooling: IPS poll
Survey of 1,500 shows over 90% are satisfied with quality of schools, education system
By Amelia Teng, The Straits Times, 17 Jul 2017

Some people may doubt the slogan "Every school, a good school", but most parents in a recent poll do believe it.

More than 90 per cent of them felt that Singapore's education system is among the best worldwide and were satisfied with their children's primary schools, according to an Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) survey. But the results also show that about a quarter of parents had trouble enrolling their children into a school of their choice.

They also felt fairly stressed about helping their children with school examinations and syllabuses, and large amounts of homework.

IPS senior research fellow Mathew Mathews, who led the survey - the first of its kind here - said the findings dispelled the myth that many parents are very unhappy with the education system.

In his research on marriage, parenthood and singles, he had observed that people sometimes said they hesitate to have children partly because of the stress of the education system. He wanted to hear from parents if the school system is really as "daunting" as it is made out to be. The survey of 1,500 Singaporean and permanent resident parents conducted last year, however, found that most were contented with their children's primary schools, he said.

The sample of parents, whose median age was 42, had a proportionate number of children in almost all the 180 or so primary schools here.

Dr Mathews said: "Most people do feel that the school their kid goes to is a good school. Even if they didn't think so, they are satisfied with the (school) quality.

"(The results) also busted the myth that most parents are in a mad rush to get (their children) into a good school by volunteering and moving house to get a place in that school," he said. "Sometimes, we play up the notion that most of our parents are 'kiasu' (Hokkien for competitive). That may not be the case for many, at least now."

Close to three-quarters (73.6 per cent) of parents said they could enrol their child in a school of their choice. More than three in four respondents did not undertake activities such as volunteering to secure a school for their child.

However, about 28 per cent of parents said they had experienced challenges in enrolling their child in a school of their choice. Of this group, more than half said there were too many applications to the school. More than 30 per cent also felt places for children with no alumni links were limited and there were few "good" schools nearby.

Dr Mathews said the overall findings are a reflection of the gradual shift in parents' mindsets. "Many of us as parents grew up in a system that placed a lot of emphasis on examinations and grades, so that pattern is still prominent in our mind."

Early action to break cycle of poverty in Singapore: Tan Chuan-Jin

Disadvantaged children will get a leg up as pilot scheme KidStart is made permanent
By Priscilla Goy and Janice Tai, Social Affairs Correspondent, The Straits Times, 17 Jul 2017

A pilot scheme KidStart, which aims to level the playing field for disadvantaged children, will be made permanent in a bid by the Government to break the cycle of poverty in Singapore.

It is among a series of moves that the authorities want to make to intervene earlier to prevent social problems, such as inequality and family dysfunction, from becoming entrenched, said Social and Family Development Minister Tan Chuan-Jin in an interview with The Straits Times last week.

Another is to develop early intervention programmes for at-risk youth and adults.



The shift upstream to tackle social challenges comes as Mr Tan expressed concern about intergenerational poverty in Singapore.

While the Gini coefficient shrank slightly from 0.463 in 2015 to 0.458 last year - suggesting that the rich-poor gap is narrowing - it remains stubbornly among the highest in developed countries. Some children from poor families find it tough to move out of the poverty trap, said the minister.

"Certainly, anecdotally we see that (intergenerational poverty) happening," he said. "For certain family circumstances, we know it is challenging and the probability of perhaps poorer outcomes for the children as they grow up will be higher. So we want to make sure that we intervene."

Last year, his ministry piloted KidStart, a three-year scheme to help 1,000 disadvantaged children aged up to six. Mr Tan said he wants to expand it beyond the five locations where it is now in place even before the pilot ends, depending on resources available.

The Government is also stepping in earlier to help workers and families who are showing signs of financial struggle yet would not usually qualify for ComCare aid.

Last year, nearly half of approved applications for short- to medium-term aid were granted to such beneficiaries, said the Ministry of Social and Family Development. Some were offered a higher cash quantum or had their period of aid extended if they still could not find jobs.

Mr Tan said such flexibility is especially important today when many Singaporeans are finding their livelihoods affected by disruption due to technology. "I think we will continue to see this affecting us for years to come. Some jobs will disappear from the market."

PM Lee Hsien Loong dialogue at FutureChina Global Forum 2017

PM Lee underlines Singapore's policy towards superpowers
Being good friends with both China and US is the right position to take, he says
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 15 Jul 2017

Singapore is good friends with China and America, and this is the right position to take, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

"Those in the foreign policy establishments will appreciate where we stand even though they may wish us to tilt towards one end or the other," he told 700 business leaders, academics and policymakers last night.



Mr Lee laid out the principles behind Singapore's foreign policy on both superpowers, in a 30-minute dialogue at the FutureChina Global Forum.

Newly returned from the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Germany last weekend, he also gave his reading of global trade winds and the business opportunities Singapore can seize amid China's growth.

He recounted his meeting and "good discussion" with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit, during which they talked about bilateral issues and areas for cooperation, such as the large projects between both governments and in human resources.



China may be world-class in many areas, but Singapore can still find niches in which to work with China, Mr Lee said at the forum organised by Business China, which aims to connect Singaporean and Chinese businesses and marks its 10th anniversary this year.

"I do not accept the principle that anything I can do, they can do better. The world is not like that, he said. "If you are strong at something, you are relatively less strong at other things, and there are other centres of prosperity, ingenuity and energy in the world. It will be like that with China also."

For instance, Singapore as a financial services hub is a natural base for infrastructure financing needed under China's massive Belt and Road initiative, he said when asked to give advice to local businesses keen to get a piece of the action.

The proposed Belt and Road infrastructure network aims to create land and sea trade routes to link Asia with Europe and Africa.

Moderator and Business China board director Robin Hu noted that some observers saw it as China's attempt at creating a Chinese economy outside of China, making nations beholden to it. Mr Lee replied that the Belt and Road was a constructive way for China to grow its place and influence in the world.

"It is win-win, linking to the countries around the region with infrastructure projects... in a way which enables the region to benefit from China's prosperity but at the same time to maintain the region's links with the rest of the world," he said.

The initiative is also open, he noted. "China will enhance its links with other countries. At the same time, other countries can do business with anybody in the world. It is not a closed group. It is an open, welcoming, intensification of mutually beneficial linkages," he added.

But its success hinges on the free flow of trade and goods, said Mr Lee, stressing a point Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean made a day before at the same forum.

"Singapore depends on trade. It is our lifeblood. If the lines are cut, we die," he said, noting that Singapore's trade is more than 31/2 times its gross domestic product.

Singapore therefore has a vested interest in making sure the seas remain open, particularly narrow straits like the Strait of Malacca and Strait of Singapore.

"If any country tries to restrict or go through with (restrictions) unilaterally or selectively... we would be completely opposed to that," said Mr Lee.

Asked if there was a danger of this happening, he said: "I don't think we are at risk of it happening, but I think some countries do worry that it could happen to them."

Highway viaduct structure under construction collapses at Pan-Island Expressway worksite on 14 July 2017

Safety review at all road, rail sites after Changi viaduct collapse kills 1, injures 10
Work at Upper Changi Road East suspended after accident leaves 1 worker dead, 10 injured
By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 15 Jul 2017

Work at all public road and rail worksites was suspended for half a day yesterday after part of a new viaduct that was being built collapsed early in the morning, killing one worker and injuring 10.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) used this "timeout" to review safety measures at all its rail and road projects all morning, before work resumed at 1pm.

Work remains suspended, however, at the $94.6 million project to build the viaduct in Upper Changi Road East, where a portion of the structure collapsed in the early hours of yesterday morning. The Building and Construction Authority revoked the permit for works at the project as the authorities conducted their investigations.

The project had been awarded to Or Kim Peow (OKP) Contractors, which was expected to complete it by the first quarter of 2020.

Shares of the mainboard-listed OKP crashed 8 per cent in the wake of the accident, before trading was halted at 10.15am.

OKP has been pulled up for safety lapses previously, and was blacklisted between January and April this year.



The latest accident took place at around 3.30am, when a portion of the structure collapsed. Eleven workers who had been working on it fell from a height of around 4m.

Preliminary investigations by the LTA showed that corbels - structures put in place to support the weight of precast beams between two sections - had collapsed.

A 31-year-old Chinese national was pronounced dead at the scene, while 10 others were taken to Changi General Hospital. Seven remained warded, with two in intensive care, while three were discharged after treatment.

OKP, which has been in construction since the 1960s, said in a statement to the Singapore Exchange that it was "deeply saddened" by the accident. It said it would "assist and cooperate fully with the authorities in their investigations".

Just three days earlier, OKP was fined $250,000 in connection with another incident on Sept 22, 2015. Four workers fell 6.4m after a section of the working platform they were standing on - under a flyover being constructed in Yio Chu Kang - became dislodged.

Between January and April this year, OKP was put on a Ministry of Manpower blacklist after receiving 25 demerit points for lapses.

Yesterday's incident brought the number of reported worksite fatalities to 20 this year. There were 66 fatalities last year.

Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng said yesterday's incident was very unfortunate, and he was "saddened" by it.

NTUC Returners Programme: Help for PMETs who return to work after career break

NTUC to match 'latent talent pool' with firms offering job trials
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 14 Jul 2017

Mothers and other professionals who took a break from the workforce can look forward to getting more help to restart their careers.

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is trying out what it calls a Returners Programme to match economically inactive professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) with companies offering paid job trials.

These trials will lead to a permanent position if both parties agree, labour MP Desmond Choo said in a Facebook post yesterday, calling on employers to join the initiative.

The out-of-work PMETs are a "latent talent pool" who may have years of experience from their former careers, he said. "Additionally, they have also gained newfound perspectives and strengths - such as resourcefulness, resilience and heightened multi-tasking abilities - during the time they spent on personal commitments," he said.

Mr Choo, NTUC's spokesman on women and family matters, added that employers may need support to implement workplace practices and schemes to attract and retain the new hires. He said he hopes the Manpower Ministry, which NTUC is in discussions with, will give funding support to employers who offer permanent positions to those who successfully complete the job trials.

Second Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo also voiced support for the programme on Facebook, saying her ministry is looking into supporting companies which offer job-sharing opportunities.

The Straits Times understands NTUC's U Family unit has been approaching employers for the pilot run of the scheme since early this year, after the labour movement mooted the idea in its recommendations for this year's Budget. It also holds networking sessions for PMETs and potential employers.

Upgrading coffee-shop talk - and public policymaking in Singapore

A better grasp of economic thinking can help us come to better decisions, from understanding what is 'value' in a cost-benefit analysis of the MacRitchie MRT proposal, to public online input on broken street lamps
By Euston Quah and Jonathan Tan, Published The Straits Times, 13 Jul 2017

The Government has been increasing its engagement with the public. In turn, as a people, we have the responsibility to help make better decisions.

This is especially important as good public policy processes place value on social impact and seek to understand the behaviour of Singapore's diverse society, as well as make sense and use of increasingly abundant behavioural data.

As Singapore gets more complex, and citizens get better educated and informed, more public voices are able to offer more informed views, drawing from academic disciplines. However, this can be strengthened further through sound economic thinking. Singapore must move towards more rigorous reasoning across all levels of public choice, starting from the grassroots - including at the coffee-shop level.

Here are some principles, drawn from the study of economics, that show how public policymaking can be enhanced, including how the public's views and perceptions on an issue can be more informed in giving feedback.

1. WIN SOME, LOSE SOME

Should we tunnel the Cross Island MRT Line through MacRitchie Reservoir? Let's think beyond the cost of construction and service benefits of the new line. Soil investigations present the risk of pollution despite costly mitigation measures. Aquatic habitats and animals, including the globally vulnerable Johnson's freshwater crab found nowhere else on our planet, are at risk.

The systematic analytical technique of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) can be used to evaluate the desirability of alternatives - including building around MacRitchie - by comparing their costs and benefits in social welfare terms.

Indeed, CBA is fundamental to governmental decisions on how to use society's scarce resources, such as whether a project or programme is worthwhile, and its optimal scale or constraints. It steers our transportation, environmental, agricultural, land-use, urban-renewal, educational and health policy choices.

Monetary and non-monetary incentives drive economic decisions in households, organisations and public policy. The concept of welfare, rather than mere money, is the currency of economic analysis.

Good policy must recognise the trade-offs of available options.

Singapore has responsibility to speak up on key issues to secure its space in the world: PM Lee Hsien Loong in Munich, Germany, July 2017

This is especially crucial when Republic's security or interests are at stake, he says
By Royston Sim, Assistant Political Editor In Munich, The Straits Times, 12 Jul 2017

Singapore has a responsibility to highlight important issues of concern to the country, deal with them and push its position on them, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.

Doing so is particularly crucial when Singapore's security, safety or fundamental interests regarding its position in the world - such as the rule of international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes - are at stake, he added.

"If we don't stand up and be counted, you cannot lie low and hope that nobody will notice you.

"That is how Singapore must conduct our foreign policy," he told Singapore reporters on Monday when asked about the role of small states in processes like the Group of 20 (G-20) summit.

His comments, in an interview wrapping up his six-day work visit to Germany, come amid a debate in Singapore on how small states should behave, with one school of thought stating that they should not comment on issues that do not directly involve them. This was in reference to how Singapore could have handled better its comments on the South China Sea dispute.

Without citing the debate, Mr Lee made the point that even as Singapore, a small country, has to take the world as it is, it also has to protect its interests and do the best for itself in the world. "These two are complementary, they are not contradictory. We have to be aware of the realities, but at the same time that does not mean surrendering ourselves to our fate," he said.

Singapore can contribute by having "something to bring to the table" and working with other countries towards a common cause.

It can do it with other small and medium-sized countries in the Global Governance Group (3G), or big countries in the G-20, he added.

"That is to our advantage, and our voice is heard and we are able to protect and advance our interests."

How will global worries impact Singapore?

By Chia Yan Min, Economics Correspondent, The Straits Times, 10 Jul 2017

Singapore has been buffeted by a string of unexpected global developments in recent months - raising questions about prospects for the Republic's small, open economy.

The outlook has stabilised since the start of the year but a host of uncertainties are still looming on the horizon.

The Straits Times looks at some recent key events with potentially significant repercussions for the global outlook and examines their impact on the Singapore economy.

BREXIT

Britain's shock vote on June 23 last year to leave the European Union (EU) has so far generated more uncertainty than actual disruption to the global economic and political environments.

Britain has started the process of negotiating its exit from the EU, but since there is no precedent, it is unclear how the Brexit process will work and what the outcome will be.



The uncertainty deepened when Prime Minister Theresa May weakened her hand after a much-closer-than-expected snap election on June 8 - that she had intended to strengthen her negotiating position with the EU.

Britain is scheduled to leave in March 2019. An extension can be granted if all EU members agree.

Uncertainties over Brexit have played out largely in the currency markets.

The pound, which had already taken a battering in the wake of the Brexit vote, fell sharply against major currencies last month after the British election delivered no clear winner.

Currency fluctuations aside, economists largely believe Singapore and the rest of ASEAN will remain relatively insulated from the effects of Brexit, as most regional economies do not have significant trade exposure to Britain.

Britain is only No. 22 on the list of Singapore's trading partners. Non-oil domestic exports to Britain account for less than 1 per cent of the Republic's total shipments, while imports from Britain make up about 2 per cent of Singapore's total imports.

But Singapore companies with a presence in Britain, or those which use it as a gateway to the vast European single market, could be hurt if Brexit terms are unfavourable.