Better insurance coverage for maids from 1 Oct 2017

Foreign domestic workers to be better insured against accidents under new rules starting Oct 1
Premiums likely to rise by between $7 and $15; coverage across insurers will be standardised
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, The Straits Times, 8 May 2017

Employers will have to provide better insurance coverage for their foreign maids under new rules that kick in on Oct 1.

They will need to buy personal accident insurance policies with coverage of at least $60,000, up from $40,000 now, Minister of State for Manpower Sam Tan said yesterday at a May Day carnival for maids organised by the labour movement.

With the higher coverage, annual insurance premiums are expected to go up by between $7 and $15.

Coverage across insurers will also be standardised to ensure all maids get the same protection throughout their employment in Singapore.

Personal accident protection for maids was last reviewed in 2008. Mr Tan said the NTUC's Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) - set up last year - had been asking the Government to do another review as domestic helpers' salaries, as well as the cost of living in their home countries, have increased since then.

"The current level of protection... is no longer sufficient in the event that an accident happens and the foreign domestic worker is no longer able to provide for her family," said Mr Tan. Some employers have also asked if more can be done to protect the families of injured maids.

Investment Scheme or Scam: Better safe than sorry

Resist urge to invest in too-good-to-be-true schemes that promise unsustainable returns
By Lorna Tan, Invest Editor/Senior Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 7 May 2017

It sounds like a surefire winner - buy plots of cheap land overseas and get your money back, plus a tidy profit once they are sold off to developers.

Or this one: Buy agarwood trees that would eventually be harvested for their valuable timber and oud oil that is used in fragrances and spas.

Yet another is a so-called oil bunkering scheme that probably had nothing to do with oil. It was sold as a financing arrangement with promises of high, regular payouts and capital back after a specified period that could be as short as eight months.

And in another investment scheme that turned sour, retail investors were persuaded to park their hard-earned savings with financial experts who would trade stocks or forex on their behalf.

Besides the above, several firms, including Genneva Gold, Gold Guarantee, Profitable Plots and Sunshine Empire, have surfaced in recent years at the shady end of the Singapore financial service sector.

All these schemes were offered with low initial investment sums and attractive returns over short periods.

But big losses can also come with the territory, as many Singaporeans can attest.

The uncertainty and high risks of such schemes seem obvious, yet many here come a cropper when their investments in these schemes turn sour.

The increasing number of retail investors caught out and the millions of dollars lost have caught the attention of the authorities.



A "Beware! Investment Scams" programme organised by MoneySense and the Securities Investors Association Singapore was launched last month to alert investors about the pitfalls of too-good-to-be-true schemes.

The authorities in the United States, Canada and other jurisdictions have also warned of the risks involved in fraudulent binary option trading, reflecting a growing worldwide problem.

New NKF hotline 1800-KIDNEYS launched to help spread awareness

NKF hotline to spur early action to avoid kidney failure
One-stop resource centre to raise awareness as part of war on diabetes
By Ng Jun Sen, The Sunday Times, 7 May 2017

With five people in Singapore losing the use of their kidneys every day, simply building new dialysis centres is not enough to cope with the growing number of patients.

The key, instead, says National Kidney Foundation (NKF) chairman Koh Poh Tiong, is education and early intervention - so patients do not reach that stage at all.

To help Singaporeans take charge of their health, the NKF yesterday launched a new hotline as a "one-stop resource centre" to spread awareness about kidney failure, part of the measures it is collaborating on with the Government to support the war on diabetes.

The hotline - 1800-KIDNEYS (5436397) - is manned by four operators who speak the four main languages, as well as dialects.

Mr Koh revealed this new initiative at the opening ceremony of the new Le Champ-NKF Dialysis Centre in Bukit Panjang. The new centre's 16 dialysis beds will be able to serve 96 kidney failure patients, helping to relieve the crunch in the other centres nearby.

"At the current rate, it will be a far greater challenge for us in the future to build more centres, especially with an ageing population," he said. "I would prefer if Singaporeans can look after themselves better by watching their health and exercising regularly... Prevention is better than cure."

North West District Mayor and Bukit Panjang MP Teo Ho Pin, who attended the event, said this centre will help improve the quality of life of patients living in the area, but the overall outlook is worrying.

He pointed out that there were more than 6,200 patients in 2015, compared with 3,700 in 2006. And the NKF's 31 dialysis centres, which help around 4,000 patients, are operating at full capacity.

Singapore ranks first in the world for diabetes-induced kidney failure, as well as fourth and fifth for the number of existing and new cases respectively, he added. "With more than one million seniors aged 65 and above by 2030, many of whom have one of three chronic illnesses - high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, it is indeed a very worrying trend," said Dr Teo.

Diabetes, which every two out of three NKF patients suffer from, and high blood pressure are the two leading causes of kidney failure, while cholesterol can also clog the renal arteries.

Singapore Navy's 50th Annivesary: PM Lee Commissions First Littoral Mission Vessel RSS Independence

Strong navy needed to keep trade flowing: PM Lee
He says Singapore has built a maritime force that is admired at home and respected abroad
By Charmaine Ng, The Straits Times, 6 May 2017

Singapore needs a strong maritime force as an island nation that depends on trade as its lifeblood, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday, as the navy celebrated its 50th anniversary and commissioned a new warship.

That was why Singapore's pioneers decided to build up the navy soon after the Republic gained independence in 1965.

"Because we traded with the world, and the sea was - and still is - our lifeline," said PM Lee, before commissioning the navy's first littoral mission vessel (LMV) at Changi Naval Base.

"We needed a strong maritime force to protect our sovereignty, defend us from seaborne threats, and keep trade - our lifeblood - flowing."

Singapore's maritime sector contributes about 7 per cent to the nation's gross domestic product. It is home to over 130 international shipping groups and more than 5,000 maritime establishments, making it one of the world's busiest ports.



PM Lee noted how the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is now a fighting force equipped with technologically advanced hardware, including submarines, frigates, maritime patrol aircraft, and unmanned vessels and aircraft - a far cry from its inception on May 5, 1967, at Telok Ayer Basin with just two seaworthy wooden ships and a third ship moored as its headquarters. "(It is now) a navy that is admired at home and respected beyond our shores," he said.



Joining the fleet was the first locally designed and built LMV, RSS Independence, which became fully operational after a ceremony witnessed by some 1,700 past and present navy personnel and guests.

These included Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Chief of Defence Force Perry Lim, Chief of Navy Lai Chung Han and eight former navy chiefs, including DPM Teo.

The warship - launched in July 2015 - is the first of eight LMVs to be commissioned and tasked to replace the fleet of 11 Fearless-class patrol vessels by 2020.

Remote rehab removes hassle of visiting therapist: Smart Health TeleRehab

Pilot scheme lets patient do prescribed drills at home, with data transmitted to therapist
By Audrey Tan, The Straits Times, 6 May 2017

With a sensor strapped to his arm, Mr Chin Tian Loke, 72, mimics a video playing on an iPad and lifts his arm above his head. At this, the voice from the iPad congratulates him: "Sensational!"

Mr Chin, a retired odd-job worker, is not playing a game. He is undergoing physiotherapy to strengthen his limbs after a fall that broke his tailbone last November.

The Touch Home Care patient is among the first to try out a novel healthcare system - Smart Health TeleRehab - announced yesterday by healthcare technology agency Integrated Health Information Systems (IHiS).



The system aims to make physiotherapy as convenient as possible by allowing patients to exercise at any time of the day, in the comfort of their homes.

This could encourage more of them to attend rehabilitative therapy and reduce their chances of getting readmitted to hospital.

All that is required are an iPad and two sets of sensors - which will be loaned to the patient by the healthcare institution - and an open mind.

Believed to be the first of its kind, Smart Health TeleRehab will enable Mr Chin's physiotherapist to keep tabs on his exercise regime remotely. Each exercise session is recorded and saved to a digital cloud, which his therapist views within two working days.

Depending on how Mr Chin performs the exercises, his therapist can either increase the level or difficulty or video call to guide him. If required, she will pay him a home visit within the week.

Say you're sorry: How to suss out an insincere apology

A chicken rice chain owner, airline CEO and church pastor have been in the news recently, apologising for their own or their organisations' mistakes. How do you say sorry like you really mean it?
By David Chan, Published The Straits Times, 6 May 2017

Many countries, Singapore included, have seen celebrities, politicians and other public figures apologising for causing hurt and violating public trust.

Ordinary folk and leaders of organisations too may find themselves having to apologise - for inappropriate behaviour, making claims that turn out to be false or misleading, or for insensitive remarks.

As the recent slew of social media episodes (a chicken rice chain owner who insulted a taxi driver, a couple's outburst at an elderly man at a hawker centre) show, offending acts and comments can be caught on video and shared rapidly, generating public outrage.

Conversely, when someone caught in such an episode apologises and tries to make amends, as the chicken rice chain boss did by giving away packets of chicken rice to taxi drivers, that apology is also likely to receive wide public exposure.

Then there is the case of the United Airlines chief executive, whose initial apology after a passenger was dragged off a flight earned him only opprobrium, and the church pastor who apologised to his congregation for "all the hurt, all the disappointment and all the painful ordeals you've been through" and for his "unwise decisions".



So what is the psychology of an apology, and how does one decide whether, how, where and what to do to apologise?

First, some common-sense observations. Whether publicly or in private, it is difficult to say sorry sincerely to someone we have offended or wronged. Being sincere requires us to say what we mean, and mean what we say. Many of us procrastinate, and then we regret not apologising earlier or at all, adding to the regret from offending in the first place.

Some apologies are effective while others are disastrous. Then, too, there is the response to the apology: Some are accepted. But others we have wronged and apologised to may be unable or unwilling to let go and move on.

'New model of governance needed' for Singapore to thrive: Peter Ho

IPS-Nathan Lectures 2016.17: Lecture III - The Paradox of Singapore and the Dialectic of Governance

Ex-civil service head says success depends on Govt working well with businesses, society
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 4 May 2017

Unlike the top-down approach taken in the past, Singapore's future success hinges on the Government working well with businesses and society, said former head of the civil service Peter Ho yesterday.

"The view that 'the Government knows best'... is increasingly challenged in today's world, in which citizens and businesses can easily gain access to much of the information that governments used to monopolise in the past," he noted.

Given the new situation and other changes in the environment, Mr Ho argued that a new model of governance is needed.

He made the point in his third lecture as a Institute of Policy Studies' S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore, a position that requires fellows to give their ideas on public policy and governance in a series of lectures.



Singapore is already a leader in public policy, so it is no longer enough for policymakers to simply copy and adapt a model of governance from elsewhere, he said.

"For many of the emergent issues that we have to deal with, Singapore will have to evolve its own strategies and approaches."

He boiled down the reason for a new governance model to three factors.

One, the unfavourable conditions at Singapore's birth continue today, despite its success as a sovereign city-state.

"Our success in overcoming them may well have masked the deep challenges that remain, and remain mostly undiminished. This is the paradox of Singapore," said Mr Ho, a senior adviser at the think-tank called Centre for Strategic Futures.

These include Singapore's small size, making it vulnerable to climate change and rising seas, and its water scarcity, which not many Singaporeans grasp fully, he said.

Even Singapore's status as the world's second busiest container port is not secure, he told an audience of about 200 officials and students at the National University of Singapore.

Polytechnic Foundation Programme: Fast-track poly scheme gives students a boost

First batch of Polytechnic Foundation Programme graduates delivers encouraging results, says MOE
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 2 May 2017

The pioneer batch of students who got into polytechnics through a fast-track scheme has set the bar high for its juniors.

Some have gone on to top their cohorts, while others have won awards for outstanding performance in various fields.

They are the pioneers of the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP), which is offered by all five polytechnics to prepare Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) students for direct entry into diploma courses.

The year-long programme offers a practice-oriented curriculum with modules taught by polytechnic lecturers and allows students to skip Secondary 5 and the O levels.

The first batch of some 800 PFP students, who were placed on the programme four years ago, will graduate at various polytechnic ceremonies this month.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) told The Straits Times that the first PFP batch has performed well. It added that some students will be receiving institution-level awards and prizes in recognition of their holistic achievements.

While it would not give figures on how the cohort performed, the ministry cited "encouraging results from our pioneer PFP batch".

MOE said "students enjoy similar education and development opportunities in the polytechnics", regardless of their admissions pathway.

Among the many PFP graduates who have done well is Republic Polytechnic's Clive Chia Chun. The 21-year-old, who studied electrical and electronic engineering, topped his cohort with a perfect 4.0 grade point average (GPA). He will receive the Lee Kuan Yew Award for Mathematics and Science given to the top technology or computer science graduates.

It was not all rosy, though. At the end of Secondary 2, he had to transfer from the Express to the Normal (Academic) stream at Chung Cheng High School (Yishun).

"I failed my exams and I hated going to school," he said.

In fact, he got through the N levels five years ago "by memorising everything". He later applied for the PFP, allowing him to skip Secondary 5.

Mr Chia, who hopes to enter a university after his national service, said the programme was a fresh start for him. "I was determined to do my best and not be a failure like I was in secondary school," he added.

PFP students are given provisional places in diploma courses. They will secure their places if they pass all their PFP modules.

Mental health cases treated at polyclinics

They make mental health or dementia care accessible and reduce the stigma for those afraid to go to IMH
By Joyce Teo, The Straits Times, 2 May 2017

Housewife Ng Guat Hua, 64, who suffers from anxiety, had previously sought help at a hospital whenever she had an anxiety attack.

But now, she goes to a polyclinic near her home for help.

Meanwhile, Mr Steven Tan (not his real name), 63, seeks treatment for depression at Queenstown Polyclinic.

Though the service at the polyclinic is run by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), he said it felt more reassuring to go to a neighbourhood clinic rather than a hospital.

In recent years, it has become easier for people with mental conditions, whatever their age, to seek help at a polyclinic nearby.

By 2021, one in two polyclinics will have mental health or dementia clinics or both, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced in March. This is part of its plan to strengthen community mental health care over the next five years.

This expansion will make mental health and dementia care more accessible, said a joint statement from MOH and the Agency for Integrated Care.

Polyclinics offer subsidised primary care. There are two healthcare groups - National Healthcare Group and SingHealth - which run polyclinics.

Currently, seven out of the 18 polyclinics in Singapore offer mental health services. The first such clinic opened at Geylang Polyclinic in 2003, followed by Queenstown Polyclinic in 2008.

More mental health clinics, as well as five clinics offering dementia care services, have opened at various polyclinics since 2012.

The latest polyclinic to do so is in Jurong, which started its Health & Mind Service last year.

It is clear that there is demand for such services at polyclinics.

For instance, the two mental health clinics in Outram and Tampines saw more than 3,000 cases from July 2013 to the end of last year.

May Day Rally 2017: Jobs, jobs, jobs

PM Lee: Jobs must be a key focus for Singapore to thrive
Next generation of ministers to work as a team and lead drive to transform economy
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 2 May 2017

Jobs must be a key focus for Singapore to stay relevant and thrive in a more challenging global economy, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at the May Day Rally.

He outlined three key strategies yesterday: Creating new jobs, finding alternative jobs for displaced workers, and training workers to grow in their jobs to prepare for the future.

Leading the charge to implement plans to ensure key industries can transform and create jobs is the next generation of ministers.

Mr Lee announced that Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat will be chairman of a Future Economy Council. On it are ministers S. Iswaran, Chan Chun Sing, Ong Ye Kung and Lawrence Wong, and a number of younger ministers.

Their task is to implement the recommendations of the Committee on the Future Economy, which in February released its report on how Singapore can prepare for the long term, including through Industry Transformation Maps.

Mr Lee said the council's work will take time, beyond the current Government's term. It is also a chance for younger ministers to work as a team, as their generation will be leading Singapore forward.

He noted that while the mood for Labour Day celebrations was better than last year's, risks remained, like that of a global trade war.

Singapore's unemployment rate may rise further as the country faces pressures similar to those in other developed countries - industries restructuring, the workforce ageing, and older workers who lose jobs taking longer to find new ones.

"We have got to understand this trend but, at the same time, we have to work hard to resist it, to keep our workers in jobs," he said.

The first strategy of creating new jobs entails bringing in new businesses and investments and upgrading existing companies. This has been Singapore's winning formula for 50 years, for without a business-friendly climate, there will be no new jobs, Mr Lee noted.

He cited recent projects like Google's new campus and its work to help train small and medium- sized enterprises to go digital.

Second, workers who lose their jobs, especially professionals, managers, executives and technicians, must be helped to find alternative ones. Various schemes have been expanded to match workers to jobs and help them switch, but workers should be open-minded and flexible, he said. Employers have to be open to hiring mature workers too.

Third, workers must get support to upgrade their skills and knowledge, as fellow workers elsewhere are catching up fast.

Age of golden workers: Many seniors working into 80s and 90s to stay active

Many seniors are working into their 80s and 90s in a bid to stay mentally and physically active
By Benson Ang, Lifestyle Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 30 Apr 2017

Mr Henry Lim, 81, hangs out by the swimming pool and tennis courts four to five days a week, but instead of lounging around, he is working.

A facilities assistant at Mandarin Gardens condominium in Siglap, he registers residents who want to use facilities such as the gym, swimming pool and tennis and squash courts.

“I like my job because it lets me meet people. I treat my colleagues and the residents like my friends and I like to make friends,” he says.

In the past, he was a transportation and taxi coordinator as well as an operations assistant at a local sports club. The grandfather of three and father of two daughters started his current job in November. Mr Lim, whose wife, 78, is retired, says: “I work to keep myself busy. I don’t need the money.”

Like him, many seniors are working beyond retirement age – some into their 80s and 90s. While some need the money to survive, others work to stay mentally and physically active.

Currently, the retirement age is 62, but employers must offer re-employment to eligible staff who turn 62, up to the age of 65.

From July, the re-employment age will be raised to 67 to provide more opportunities for workers who want to continue working as long as they are healthy.

The workforce in many countries is getting older and Singapore is no exception. According to Ministry of Manpower figures, the number of employed residents aged 70 and older has risen from about 16,000 in 2006 to about 43,000 last year.

The Sunday Times found six people aged 80 and older who are still working. Among them are Madam Goh Gwek Eng, 93, a McDonald’s employee; Mr Seng Lee Fong, 90, a part-time bartender at Tanglin Club in Stevens Road; and Madam Chan Woh Hoong, 88, a kitchen assistant with restaurant chain Han’s Cafe, who joined as a cleaner about 30 years ago.

The seniors who agreed to be interviewed said they did not need the money and chose to work because they wanted to stay active.

Migrant worker goes from painting condos to boss of own company

He went from penniless migrant worker painting condos, to living in one as boss of his own company
By Wong Kim Hoh, Senior Writer, The Sunday Times, 30 Apr 2017

Mani Malaichamy proudly surveys his Kaki Bukit office, filled with barrels of paint in different colours, before opening the door to show me his new 2.4 litre, white Toyota Harrier.

"I really believe God gave me everything," he says, eyes darting to a poster of Ganesha, the Hindu elephant god, pinned to a wall.



The 47-year-old, who shelled out $420,000 to buy the office two years ago, is referring to the glorious way his life has panned out: An Indian migrant worker who arrived penniless in Singapore 20 years ago but defied great odds to found a painting company which pulled in $2.6 million in revenue last year.

"But I have a second 'god', Mr Ang Ah Teng," says the managing director of MMM Contract Services.

Mr Ang is his former employer, a man who, he says, taught him everything he knows and encouraged him to spread his wings.

The youthful looking Mr Mani speaks fractured English in an almost Singaporean accent.

The youngest of seven children, he is originally from a small village near the town of Tirrupatur in Tamil Nadu.

His parents were poor rice farmers who often had to borrow money when droughts destroyed their crop. To supplement their income, the family also reared goats.

Growing up, he remembers going to the fields with his school books to be a human scarecrow to frighten birds. "I finished school at 17. After that, no more studies. One thing, no money. Another thing, have to help the family," says Mr Mani who completed his secondary education at a village schol.

Jobs were not easy to come by.

For some time, he worked as an assistant in a provision shop in Chennai. He also had a stint teaching illiterate seniors to read and write under a programme by India's Ministry of Education.

When there was no work, he helped out on the farm.

"In a kampung, no need much money because no need to spend. We planted our own rice and vegetables; we didn't need to buy a lot of things," he says.

But he dreamt of getting a job which would pay well enough for him to build a house and help his parents pay off their loans.

"My two elder brothers did not help the family after they got married. I wanted to make money to help my parents and so that my sister could get married," says Mr Mani, who has four sisters.

He wanted badly to come to Singapore.