Transport Minister asks SMRT for update on rail incidents in January 2014, conveys concern

Minister 'disappointed' over train disruptions

Lui Tuck Yew wants operator to get back to him on spate of breakdowns

By Royston Sim, The Straits Times, 24 Jan 2014

A RECENT spate of train disruptions has left Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew disappointed and concerned, and he told SMRT so yesterday.

He asked the rail operator's chiefs to get to the bottom of the breakdowns, check how it dealt with affected commuters, and let him know next week the outcome of their investigations and the actions taken.

"I share the frustrations of train commuters affected by these incidents, and I empathise with them on the anxiety and uncertainty that they may experience," he said yesterday, following the latest breakdown on Wednesday night.

"I am also very concerned about SMRT's service recovery efforts, particularly in reaching out to affected commuters promptly and keeping them updated during these incidents."

There have been several incidents recently. Among them:

- On Wednesday night, an error by a train driver led to an hour-long disruption on the East-West Line.

- On Monday morning, a signal fault caused a train to stall and affected 19,000 North-South Line commuters during the rush hour.

- And on Jan 11, some commuters had to get off their train and walk on the tracks after a section of the track between Kranji and Yew Tee stations lost traction power.

Mr Lui was briefed on ongoing investigations when he met SMRT chief executive Desmond Kuek and senior management yesterday.

He urged them to identify the root causes quickly and determine if the incidents resulted from technical or procedural shortcomings.

Defusing terror threats from Sheik Google

By M. Nirmala, The Straits Times, 24 Jan 2014

JUST when Muslim cleric Leyaket Ali Mohamed Omar felt he was getting a handle on rehabilitating detainees from militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), he found himself sitting with a different type of detainee - a lone wolf, brainwashed by "Sheik Google".

Sheik Google is a personification of the way charismatic Islamic ideologues use fiery speeches on jihadist websites to poison minds and entice converts to join them in a war against the United States and its allies.

Ustaz Leyaket, who used the term Sheik Google as a convenient shorthand, says that Sheik Google's terror footprints are easily found on the Internet.

"The Sheik Google becomes the lone wolf's guru, his teacher. The individual then upholds these deviant teachings as the right ideology," says Ustaz Leyaket.

"We need to spread the message that Sheik Google is dangerous," he adds.

Muslims need to seek answers to their religious queries from a good Islamic teacher with credentials recognised by the mainstream Muslim religious leaders. Singapore has about 1,200 accredited religious teachers or asatizah.

Lone wolves, as they are known in security circles, are difficult to detect as they do not belong to any militant group.

Singapore detained its first do-it-yourself terrorist in 2007, six years after the first wave of arrests of JI members.

Five self-radicalised Muslims have been detained since, and three have been released.

Another group of six self-radicalised individuals have been placed on restriction orders. Under this order, a person is not detained, but his movement and activities are regulated.

Those detained are between the ages of 20 and 30. A few planned to go to battle fronts in the Middle East and South-east Asia to take part in the fighting.

New motor insurance policy targets drivers aged over 65

Seniors will pay stagnant premium rate from age 65 to 75, after which their policies will be reviewed

By Woo Sian Boon, TODAY, 24 Jan 2014

As the number of senior drivers aged over 65 increases amid a greying population, so have their motor insurance premiums.

As a result, the Automobile Association of Singapore (AA) has partnered Liberty Insurance to launch a new motor insurance policy aimed at senior drivers aged over 65.

The introduction of the AA Senior Motor Plus policy follows a rise in the number of complaints among senior drivers about having to pay higher motor insurance premiums after they turned 65.

Some were even denied coverage because of their age.

Speaking at the policy’s launch yesterday, AA President Bernard Tay said: “This oft-neglected group of drivers is often perceived by insurers as having slower reflexes, reduced concentration, impaired vision and motor functions, rendering them at a higher risk of accidents on the road.”

He pointed out that senior drivers, in fact, have many years of driving experience, are more stable and are less likely to speed or take unnecessary risks.

Liberty Insurance Chief Executive Officer Luiz Campos said research into the driving patterns of senior drivers showed that since many of them were retired, they usually drove during off-peak hours when the traffic was lighter.

Currently, senior drivers make up about 14 per cent of AA’s 83,000 members. Under AA’s new policy, those insured will pay a stagnant premium rate from age 65 to 75, after which their policies will be reviewed based on factors such as driving experience, claims record and type of car driven.

Drivers must have four or more years of driving experience and will be provided with S$50,000 in personal accident benefits. A 5 per cent discount will also be given to eligible policyholders with 30 or more years of driving experience and who have made no claims in the last three years.

New legislation not targeted against Indians: Shanmugam

Minister holds dialogue with foreign workers

By Yeo Sam Jo, The Straits Times, 23 Jan 2014

THE Government has a duty to do what it can to prevent last month's Little India riot from happening again, said Minister for Law and Foreign Affairs K. Shanmugam last night.

Referring to the Public Order (Additional Temporary Measures) Bill proposed in Parliament on Monday to give law enforcement officers more powers in Little India for a year, Mr Shanmugam stressed that this was just a "temporary measure to try and nip things in the bud".

He also assured the public they had little to worry about.

"If you are coming in, taking in the air, going into the restaurants, enjoying the open air, walking about - none of these powers would impact on you."

He added that confining the new Bill to Little India was not discriminatory. "We are trying to restrict it, to keep it contained. The incident took place there. There is where you get a large concentration of foreign workers coming on weekends. We haven't yet seen a similar situation in other places.

"To classify this as discriminatory, I think, is ignoring the facts."

The minister was speaking to the press at the Terusan Lodge workers' dormitory in Jurong.

He was there to follow up on his earlier visit on Dec 17, in the wake of the Dec 8 riot. Also present were seven visiting journalists from India, who are in town for a six-day visit programme which ends today.

More than 400 workers showed up for the dialogue, which was in Tamil. Issues such as inadequate lighting and high costs within the dormitories were raised, and Mr Shanmugam assured the workers that action will be taken to improve their welfare.

He also noted that the mood of the workers was "much more positive" compared with before.

"They were concerned about themselves, as to... whether they would be sent back," he said, recalling his previous visit.

"I assured them that if they did nothing wrong, nothing would be done... Now they know that that assurance is true... so they feel a certain sense of confidence."

Nordic welfare state gets a revamp

Cash-strapped countries scale back on public sector

The Straits Times, 23 Jan 2014

COPENHAGEN - The Nordic model, known for high taxes and its cradle-to-grave welfare system, is getting a radical makeover as nations find themselves cash-strapped.

During the post-war period, the Scandinavian economies became famous for a "softer" version of capitalism that placed more importance on social equality than other Western nations, such as Britain and the United States, did.

But globalisation, economic necessity and an ideological shift to the right has led to a scaling back of the public sector.

In Sweden, visitors are sometimes surprised to learn about year-long waiting times for cancer patients, rioting in low-income suburbs and train derailments amid lagging infrastructure investment. In the wake of a banking crisis in the early 1990s, it scrapped housing subsidies, reformed the pension system and slashed the health-care budget.

In 2006, conservative Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's government accelerated the pace of reform, tightening the criteria for unemployment benefits and sick pay while lowering taxes. Income tax in Sweden is now lower than in France, Belgium and Denmark, and public spending as a share of gross domestic product has declined from a record 71 per cent in 1993 to 53.3 per cent last year.

Although polls show strong support among Swedes for the income tax cuts of the past few years, the leftist opposition looks set to win this year's general election. The Social Democrats have been boosted by a string of scandals in private elderly care homes and by plummeting school results in international rankings.

However, it is unclear how they will finance an improvement of public services, having already pledged to keep the popular income tax cuts.

If Sweden is the Nordic country to have gone the furthest in shrinking its welfare state, Denmark has moved the fastest.

When her Social Democratic government took power in 2011, there was little to suggest Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt would make any dramatic changes to the country's cherished welfare state - funded by the world's highest tax burden.

But after a centre-right government had raised the retirement age and cut the unemployment benefits period from four to two years, she went on to cut corporate taxes from 25 to 22 per cent. Other reforms have included requiring young people on benefits to undertake training, and withdrawing aid to those taking too long to finish their studies.

It has left her deeply unpopular in some quarters. At last year's May Day speeches she was met by jeers while last November, her minority government had to seek support from the main opposition parties to pass this year's budget.

Review committee to chart future of Sports School

It will study ways to ensure students progress in both sports and studies

By May Chen, The Straits Times, 23 Jan 2014

EVEN as Singapore's sporting starlets strive to become world-beaters, efforts will also be made to ensure student-athletes at the Singapore Sports School (SSP) continue to progress in their academic pursuits.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday announced a review that will help chart the future direction of the SSP, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Co-chaired by Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) permanent secretary Yeoh Chee Yan and Singapore Sports Council chairman Richard Seow, the review committee will study ways to ensure that its students continue to be equipped with the best, both in sports and studies.

"The school has done well, but you need to continually review your work to stay relevant in the changing sporting landscape," PM Lee said in his speech at the institution's annual awards night in its Woodlands campus yesterday.

"The competition is getting stronger. Even in South-east Asia, other countries are investing significant resources to develop their athletes and they're closing the gap with us, even in sports where traditionally we have done well."

At last month's SEA Games, swimmers from Vietnam and Thailand dethroned Singapore champions en route to winning golds.

The committee, which will gather members and is expected to submit a proposal by the end of the year, will look at how the world's best sports academies design their academic curricula around training regimes.

It will also build partnerships with polytechnics and universities both locally and abroad to give students more academic options.

Mr Lee added that with the Sports Hub due for completion soon and Singapore hosting the SEA Games next year, the next few years will be exciting, and will give Singapore a chance to show what it is as a sporting nation.

"Let's take a fresh look. We've come a long way. (Let's see) how we can do better, and what should we do next," said Mr Lee, as he challenged the SSP to become a national sports academy of excellence in its next decade.

Adding diversity to the university scene

First there were two. Then the third came along in 2000. Today, there are six universities. With stiffer competition for students, each is now building up niche strengths, with some offering residential and overseas stints to all students.

By Sandra Davie, The Straits Times, 23 Jan 2014

A-LEVEL school leavers and polytechnic graduates applying for a university place this year are faced with the difficult but happy problem of having to choose from a range of higher education options.

Parents are also struck by the myriad of choices available. Madam R. Saroja, an alumnus of National University of Singapore whose son is applying for a university place this year said: "When I applied to university in the 80s, it was just NUS or NTU (Nanyang Technological University), which was then Nanyang Technological Institute, and did only engineering.

"And since I wanted to do an arts degree, the only university I could go to was NUS.

"Compare that to my son who wants to do engineering or business, or combine both. He has six universities and 12 different degrees to choose from and all of them sound good. I wish I was back in university."

As recently as 14 years ago, there were only NUS and NTU. Singapore's third university, Singapore Management University, began taking in students in 2000.

Student apologises after YouTube clip shows him shouting at teacher

By Pearl Lee, The Straits Times, 22 Jan 2014

A secondary school student has apologised to his teacher after being filmed shouting at him in class.

Spectra Secondary principal Krishnan Aravinthan said on Wednesday that the student "has reflected on his actions and is very remorseful", adding: "He has apologised to the teacher concerned."

Mr Aravinthan added that the school "takes a serious view with regard to student discipline and has high expectations of our students' behaviour". He has counselled the student involved.

The school is also using the incident - which was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday - "as a teachable moment for students".

The clip showed the student walking around the classroom talking to his classmates. When the teacher asked the boy to return to his seat, the student then shouted at his teacher and demanded an apology.

Spectra Secondary is Singapore's second specialised school for students eligible for the Normal (Technical) stream. It took in its first batch of students this month, with each getting a tablet computer to assist their learning.

The only other specialised school is Crest Secondary. At both these schools, students get to learn vocational skills such as mechanical servicing and retail services on top of English, their mother-tongue language and mathematics.

Expat Anton Casey apologises for calling public transport users "poor people"

By Yeo Sam Jo, The Straits Times, 22 Jan 2014

A BRITISH expat who referred to public transport commuters in Singapore as "poor people" in a Facebook post has apologised for his remarks.

Wealth manager Anton Casey, 39, said in a statement last night: "I deeply regret having offended and disrespected the people of Singapore.

"I wish for nothing more than to be forgiven for my poor judgment and given a second chance to rebuild the trust people have had in me as a resident of this wonderful country."



Two of his Facebook posts began circulating on the Internet on Monday, sparking fury among local netizens.

In one, a picture of his five-year-old son on an MRT train was accompanied by the caption: "Daddy where is your car & who are all these poor people?"

In the other post, his son is pictured in a silver Porsche with the comment: "...Normal service can resume, once I have washed the stench of public transport off me..."



A YouTube video of Mr Casey was later posted in what seemed like a taunting response to his detractors, but he insisted in his statement that this was a "misuse of an old video by unknown sources".

He claimed the video was "not posted in response to any recent events".

Mr Casey, who is married to former Miss Singapore Universe Bernice Wong, 36, added that his family has suffered "extreme emotional and verbal abuse online" - and has even received death threats.

The Straits Times understands that he has filed a police report about the threats and that investigations are ongoing.

ICA Woodlands Checkpoint breach on 17 Jan 2014

 
* Checkpoint breach: Poor responses, judgment - DPM Teo

MFA trespasser slips past ICA checkpoint in serious lapse in security
By Ashley Chia, TODAY, 22 Jan 2014

In what has been described as a very serious lapse in border security, a 27-year-old Malaysian woman drove past the Woodlands Checkpoint last Friday afternoon in a Malaysia-registered red Perodua without being stopped by the immigration authorities and gave them the slip despite a lockdown of the car arrival zone.

Three days later, police officers failed to recognise the woman or her car despite an islandwide alert, when they encountered her while helping a taxi driver whom she tailgated all the way to the Police Cantonment Complex. Barely an hour later on the same day, the woman drove her car into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Sherwood Road premises and drove around the compound without authorisation, after slipping past the security post by tailgating a vehicle in front.

She was stopped when her car was boxed in by two vehicles driven by MFA security officers.

The woman, who is said to be a teacher from Kuala Lumpur, was arrested on Monday for criminal trespass after the MFA called the police.

In a joint statement yesterday, the police and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said the woman is also being investigated for not having cleared immigration. They added that the woman, whose name was not revealed by the authorities, has a history of mental illness.

She is in police custody and investigations are in progress. “With the assistance of the Malaysian High Commission and the Royal Malaysia Police, we have contacted her next of kin in Malaysia, who are on their way to Singapore to assist in our investigation,” said the police and ICA.

In a press statement, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean made clear his unhappiness with the breach, which he noted could have had more serious consequences. “This case should have been prevented and dealt with more urgently and decisively. I have expressed my dissatisfaction to the Commissioner of ICA and Commissioner of Police over the breach at the Woodlands Checkpoint and the subsequent response actions,” he said.

Protecting and sharing personal data

By Simon Chesterman, Published The Straits Times, 22 Jan 2014

BY THE time Singapore's Do-Not-Call (DNC) Registry came into effect earlier this month, more than 400,000 numbers had already been entered online, by SMS, and by phone. Many Singaporeans, it is clear, are not particularly interested in unsolicited offers of investment advice, "exclusive" property offers, and so on.

But the reaction to the last-minute amendments to the DNC regime, in which a limited exemption was created for text messages, shows how hard it is to balance the theory and the practice of what is loosely called "privacy".

In theory, people do not want to be bothered by voice calls, SMS messages, and spam e-mail. The higher you raise that threshold, however, the more likely it is in practice that you will miss out on something you actually want or need.

In the case of spam, for example (which is not covered by the new law), it only takes a few seconds to delete unwanted messages. But it can take weeks to realise that an important e-mail was filtered out by over-enthusiastic software.

Such was the thinking behind the DNC compromise - which, admittedly, came too late and should have been addressed at a far earlier stage of the public consultations.

By creating a limited exemption for text messages where there is an ongoing commercial relationship, it was hoped that companies and consumers would still be able to share relevant information while screening out the most annoying way of offering it.

WP welcomes grassroots' bid to secure govt funds for wards

By Andrea Ong, The Straits Times, 22 Jan 2014

THE Workers' Party (WP) yesterday welcomed the rare move, by grassroots bodies in the three constituencies under its charge, to get government funds for 17 estate improvement projects.

Said Ms Sylvia Lim, chairman of the town council (TC) that runs Aljunied GRC, Hougang and Punggol East: "We welcome the intended submission of the projects for approval, and look forward to providing the TC's professional input on the projects for the benefit of our residents."

Her response comes a day after the Citizens Consultative Committees (CCCs) of the three constituencies said they will ask the National Development Ministry to let them draw on funds from the CIPC, or Community Improvement Projects Committee, for the projects.

The CIPC funds have been a point of contention in opposition wards as the ministry disburses the money to town councils through the CCCs, which are grassroots bodies under the People's Association (PA).

The adviser to these grassroots bodies, usually the People's Action Party electoral candidate, has to apply for the grant.

This process has led to friction in the past when opposition MPs accused these advisers of denying them use of the CIPC funds.

But in the latest move, the CCCs said they had consulted the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) before finalising the list of 17 projects. These include covered walkways, barrier-free access and fitness corners.

Asked how many of the 17 were AHPETC's ideas, Mr Sim Wai Chin, chairman of Eunos CCC, said it had "exclusively suggested" six. Eunos is a ward in Aljunied GRC.

Yesterday, Ms Lim said AHPETC vice-chairman Pritam Singh, the MP for Eunos ward, had been liaising with PA grassroots in his ward since 2012 on possible CIPC projects.

Late last year, CCC representatives gave the town council a list of their proposals as AHPETC "needed to confirm that the projects were feasible for TC to maintain and would not become a financial burden to the TC in the future", she added.

AHPETC gave the CCC its own project list.

Mr Sim said AHPETC proposed 52 of the 90 projects the CCCs collated.

To whittle down the list, the CCCs focused on providing new facilities, with an eye on the cost of building and maintenance and benefit to residents.

They did not support proposals that "verged on maintenance in nature", such as upgrading existing bicycle racks and providing block number signs.