Yaw Shin Leong @ WP

Shin Leong's Speech On Ministerial Salary Review

2012-01-17T21:58:00.004+08:00

Mr Speaker Sir,

In response to our Prime Minister, honorable members Mr Vikam Nair, Mdm Halimah and for the benefit for all, I shall repeat The Workers’ Party position on this debate.

The Workers’ Party does not endorse the white paper “Salaries for A capable and Committed Government”. We reject the white paper as the basis for setting salaries of the political appointment holders because we are of the view that the formula used to derive the benchmark for Ministerial salaries is flawed.

The basis of setting salaries benchmark based on the top 1000 private sector income earners is unsound. The outcome of the formula based on the salaries benchmark could potentially result in political appointment holders’ salaries become outliers to the general wage level over time.

On the surface, the fixed monthly pay out may between the WP & the White paper position may seem to differ little at this point of time. Yet it is a well known fact that the top earners’ rate of income rise will rise faster than that of ordinary Singaporeans, over time.

Even though the entry level benchmark for the MR4 is $55,000 now. If it is pegged to the top 1000 earners, we have estimated that it will increase by 51% by 2020. Under our WP formulae, our estimate is that the rate of increase will be about 41%, a more modest rate.

Also for bonuses, the committee’s recommended maximum bonus is 13.5 months. Whereas for the WP, we recommend not more than 5.5 months.

This means in a typical bonus scenario – the committee’s proposed pay cut benchmarked against 2010 levels for MP, Entry Grade Minister and Prime Minister would be just 3%, 31% and 28%. WP’s proposed cuts would have been more substantial at 28%, 46% and 50%.

In a maximum bonus scenario – the committee’s proposed pay cut benchmarked against 2010 levels for MP, Entry Grade Minister and Prime Minister would be merely 3%, 8% and 5%. Compare this toWP’s proposed cuts would have been consistently substantial at 28%, 37% and 42%.

The WP’s proposed cuts in the MP allowance and Ministerial salary would result in savings of about $21 million in a conservative estimate of the typical bonus scenario. The savings could be then be redirected to fund aids to our needy and elderly.

Mr Speaker Sir, in Mandarin

议长先生，

我的工人党国会同僚已经阐述了我党对政治职位薪金检讨委员会报告书的看法, 并提出建议；他们也对部长薪金的推算方式和其细节做了详细的说明。

我则将集中讨论，在决定政治职位的薪金数额时，政府应该遵从什么原则，以及如何向人民负责。我也会建议我们应该制订怎样的薪金检讨制度和国会的监督，以确保政府在以后要决定政治职位的薪金时，持续对人民负责。

大家都知道，我国的政治体制是采纳英国”西敏寺” (Westminster)政府的制度。薪金检讨委员会报告书中也提及在”西敏寺” 政府的制度下，属于行政体制的部长，他们除了领取薪金，也应该享有国会议员的津贴。 “西敏寺” 的政治体系以司法、立法和行政－也就是政府，三权分立为原则。国会的立法主权则是国家的最高权力机构。换言之，属于行政体制的部长所提出的动议和政策，必须经过立法机构－即是国会－的讨论和决议後才决定。

我们也都明白国会议员是各个选区选民所推选出来的代表。受了人民的委任，就得对人民负责。新加坡的立法机构和许多国家的结构不同，我们没有上议院可发挥另外的监督和平衡作用。行政体系的成员都来自立法体系，部长和总理都首先成为议员，然后才受委任成为部长。所以，

我认为我们立法体系的国会应该对政府行政机能有所制衡。总理在第十二届国会辩论总统施政方针的演讲中也说：“政府对国会负责，我们欢迎议员提出各种尖锐的问题，在国会里进行辩论。”

此外，我认为，政府的透明度也很重要，要有理性的辩论和有效的公众问责的制度，需要资讯公开。因此，公布政治领导人所获得的薪金应该是合理的要求。

[Mr Speaker Sir, I will continue the rest of my speech in English]

This is especially so given that the taxpayer pays for the salaries of our political leaders. Therefore how much they are paid and the process of how their pay is determined has to be open, transparent, and accessible to the general public. Members throughout the course of this debate also brought up these principles. Indeed the committee report also mentions on many occasions that transparency and accountability to the public is key in their determination of political compensation. This was also the guiding principle under which the Committee recommended a clean wage.

These principles are in line with practices common to the dozen countries and territories in our survey that my colleagues have already mentioned. Only with transparency and meaningful information available can Singaporeans be — and remain — convinced that changes to the pay of our political leaders are not undertaken solely to advance their material interests, and any changes must first be and always should remain respectful of the costs borne by taxpayers.

WP’s Proposals

Therefore we have three proposals to ensure that the twin towers of accountability and transparency are enhanced in the political compensation process.

FIRST, we call for an independent commission to be appointed each time the Prime Minister seeks to change the terms by which compensation is determined.

SECOND, that the findings of the independent commission be always made subject to debate and also approval of the Legislature.

THIRD, a complete list of political salaries should be published on an annual basis.

Keeping The Committee Independent

Taking each point in turn, we note that the committee has recommended that an independent Committee should be formed every five years to review the salary framework. The Prime Minister would determine the members of the Committee.
We would like to see this taken one step further. We think that it is important that an independent (by which I mean non-partisan) commission free from executive direction be appointed each time any changes to the formula for political compensation is sought by the Prime Minister. This is in line with practices in many jurisdictions. I will return to a detailed analysis of the practices in some of these countries later.

The Importance of Parliamentary Sovereignty

It is also not enough that such a committee is formed each time changes are proposed. The committee must be accountable to and take directions from Parliament. To response to Vikram’s point on WP’s contributions to this debate. I would like to reiterate that ‘all roads lead to Parliament’, and this is most true here. The principle of Parliamentary Sovereignty is of utmost importance: the report should be published to Parliament and thus to the public — not first for the Prime Minister’s eyes only, and certainly not first to a ruling-party caucus.

The findings of the independent commission must EACH TIME be subject to debate, modification and approval by Parliament.
As the Committee mentioned a Westminster system, we should take a look at some of the systems that evolved from a Westminster system of parliament.

In Australia, there is an independent Remuneration Tribunal which has three members appointed by the Governor-General. Its determinations are subject to Parliamentary oversight.

In Canada, a commission to review the salaries of Parliamentarians is formed within 2 months after each general election. The report of the Commission must be published within 6 months of its formation, and the report must be tabled in Parliament for debate and approval.

Finally, in the UK itself, in response to our Prime Minister, while it is true that a widespread abuse of expenses by MPs was uncovered in 2009, like all good leaders, politicians in the UK learnt lessons and sought to improve. The Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 was passed by the Westminster Parliament to reform the way MP expenses were dealt with, and to increase the transparency and accountability of the process in order to ensure that such an issue would not recur in the future. There is also a Senior Salary Review Board, which is an independent body that advises on the pay and benefits due to politicians. Because all of this is regulated by statute, Parliament ultimately retains oversight.

We propose that all reports from the committee should always be open to public scrutiny via the legislative process. Citizens can give their thoughts and feedback on it to their MPs — who are their elected representatives. Such public scrutiny would increase transparency and enhance public trust in the procedural rigour of determining political pay. It would also reinforce the position of the Legislature as the one of the gatekeepers for the nation’s finances. I would also like to emphasise that seeking public feedback before the report is published, is not the same as subjecting the report to public scrutiny via the legislative process before it is debated, amended if necessary, and finally approved by Parliament.

Upholding Transparency

Finally, I would like to bring us back to the committee’s proposal that we maintain a ‘clean wage’ for political salaries in Singapore, particularly to ensure transparency and accountability to the public. My colleagues have already spoken on how we think that a whole-of-government approach should be taken when determining a set of goals and bonuses for our political leaders. I will instead focus on the criteria to which we think transparency should be upheld.

We note the list of salaries published in the report, and it is a step in the right direction. Our proposal is however, that a list of political salaries should be published ON AN ANNUAL BASIS in the Government Gazette and/or on the Parliamentary website. There should also be a disclosure of the amounts of national bonuses paid to office-bearers. The list should also clearly state which categories the national bonuses relate to. This will be in line with the ‘clean wage’ principle.

Coming back to the three Westminster countries I spoke of before, all three publish detailed lists relating to political pay. While it is true that each country has a different system of remuneration, with a series of allowances and expenses, we are still able to find a common thread running through these systems. That is, a thread of transparency.

In Canada, one is able to easily retrieve information sorted by year on the amount of compensation each office-bearer is paid. Car, rent and other forms of salary and allowances are clearly laid out in one website.

For Australia, this information is available from the Remuneration Tribunal’s website. A series of annual reports from the Tribunal lay out the salaries, allowances and entitlements of each MP and office-holder.

The UK has in the last couple of years increased the scrutiny and transparency standards in relation to political pay. A full list of salaries and allowances for all office holders is available on the UK Parliament’s website.

The UK Parliament also recently set up a new independent body — the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority– to ensure that there is rigorous regulation of and oversight over MP’s expenses. With a few mouse-clicks, a complete list of all expenses claimed for each individual MP is downloadable from the website. Expenses are published on a bi-monthly basis.

Regardless of how the compensation of political leaders are determined by these countries, the bottom-line is that we have stringent disclosure rules relating to the use of taxpayer funds relating to the compensation of political leaders. It is this level of transparency that we are holding up to be the gold international standard. It should be the standard to which Singapore should hold itself up against.

The benefits to this approach are many-fold. First, it would help to ensure that misleading, speculative information is not circulated in the public domain about how much our leaders are paid. Second, this will keep lawmakers accountable to the electorate in respect of their compensation throughout their entire 5-year term in office, not just at the ballot box. Third, an annual publication of salaries with discloseable national bonuses will allow Singaporeans to be able to see in the, then-and-now how their leaders have performed, and how the pay of their leaders is tied to the fortunes of the nation.

Throughout the course of this debate, we have heard several members draw comparisons with other countries, which may not score very highly in terms of transparency and accountability of their political systems. Instead of using these countries as examples of how Singapore is different, is exceptional or is better than them, I think that we should instead be focusing on learning from them. We should use their experience, and add to it the rigorous standards from well-governed jurisdictions, in our quest to ensure our system is robustly and proportionately answerable to our people.

Conclusion

I would like to end by saying that we have a well-informed, intelligent electorate whom I trust will be able to draw their own sensible conclusions from meaningful data made available to them. Singaporeans are not clamouring to know how much the net worth of politicians are, but instead their chief motivation is to ensure that their wages are both fair and commensurate to the performance of their Government. And Singaporeans have a right to know how their leaders are being compensated — and rewarded — out of taxpayer monies. We in this house must have faith in our people that if we follow the proposals above to improve transparency of political pay, we will come out stronger for it, as a nation.

Above all, I think we are all in agreement that lawmakers should have a strong sense of responsibility, accountability and service towards all Singaporeans, and should work towards our common goal for our country to have an enhanced sense of inclusivity and sensitivity. What better means to start this than in a First-World Parliament?

Thank you.

Delivered in Parliament on 17th January 2012

MTE Charitable Concert 2012

2012-01-17T02:31:00.002+08:00

Yesterday evening, I was invited by Mr Roger Koh, (MTE Committee Chairman) to attend the MTE (Meet The Entrepreneurs) Charitable Concert 2012.

The MTE concert was to raise funds for Club Rainbow & Dignity Kitchen and to promote corporate social responsibility. It was organized in Serangoon Gardens Country Club and put together by local entrepreneurs.

It is really amazing when entrepreneurs of diverse background got together for worthy causes. It is also equally amazing when these entrepreneurs showcase their talents.

Dr Tan Cheng Bok was the GOH (Guest Of Honour). He sang his touching rendition ‘I Understand’ with his Ukulele. I was requested to sing the song ‘要拼才会赢’ with three others and I gamely did so. Subsequently I had the opportunity to chat with Dr Tan and several members of his dedicated PE campaign team.

MTE Charity Concert 2012 was a great success that was only possible as a result of the volunteerism and the hard work of entrepreneurs over many months. If more of our business community would to take lead in such initiatives to give back to society, our country can only become a better place.

More Photos here.

Enhanced EP Frame Work & Tightening EP Criteria

2012-01-16T19:13:00.000+08:00

Below is the question I filed in Parliament for oral answer on Enhanced Employment Pass Frame Work & Tightening Employment Pass Criteria (16th January 2012 sitting)

Yaw Shin Leong: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry: (i) is taking steps beyond the Enhanced Employment Pass Framework in moderating the number of EP/S-passes issued, given the expected slowdown in the economy 2012; (ii) will consider further tightening of Employment Pass criteria to protect Singaporeans' jobs if the economy worsens beyond expectations?

After the MOS replied to the above, I asked 2 supplementary questions respectively to his replies.

SQ1 -- During the last crisis in 2008 and 2009, retrenchment was high, but the stock of EPs and S-Passes increased by 54,000. This is a 20.8% of total net increase. Can the minister clarify if the Enhanced Employment Pass Framework is any different from the previous Framework in buffering resident PMETs against job loss during economic downturn?

SQ2 -- The government has always touted foreign labour accessibility as a key competitive advantage that creates jobs for Singaporeans. Has this accessibility come at the expense of retrenched Singaporeans? (Mr Eugene Wong's story, ST 16-12-2011 showed the general pain of retrenchment but it is not directly related to too much foreign labor accessibility)

The Minister's replies will be available in the Parliamentary Hansard online shortly.

Water And Energy Efficiency Labels (Impact Of Labels On Consumer Behaviour)

2012-01-16T19:03:00.000+08:00

Below is the question I filed in Parliament and the written answer for Water And Energy Efficiency Labels (Impact Of Labels On Consumer Behaviour) (16th January 2012 sitting)

Mr Yaw Shin Leong: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in respect of PUB's Water Efficiency Label and NEA's Energy Label and Fuel Economy Label (a) whether these green labels have been effective in influencing consumer choice for more environmentally-friendly products; (b) whether the relevant agencies have monitoring mechanisms in place to evaluate the effectiveness of the labels; (c) what are the plans to improve the effectiveness of the labels; (d) beyond labelling, what other initiatives have been undertaken to encourage the consumption of more environmentally-friendly products by the public.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan:

The government uses green labelling to provide information and raise public awareness, thereby influencing consumer choice towards more environmentally friendly products.

PUB’s Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (MWELS), NEA’s Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme (MELS) and Fuel Economy Labelling Scheme (FELS) are schemes that respectively provide water, energy and fuel efficiency information to consumers to encourage better-informed purchasing decisions that take into account the operating costs when household appliances and cars are purchased.

These labelling schemes have so far been effective in leading consumers to choose more water and energy efficient appliances. For instance, the share of water efficient water fittings (models that attained 1-tick or more) registered under MWELS has increased from 850 models by almost 8 times to 6,600 models as of Nov 2011, since its introduction in 2009. 75% of the 331 washing machine models registered under MWELS possess a water efficiency rating of 1-tick and above. The share of energy efficient refrigerator and air-conditioner models (3- and 4-tick models) registered under MELS have also increased from 46% to 79% and 30% to 57% respectively from 2008 to 2011.

From the recent public consultation exercise on climate change-related issues led by the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS), a number of suggestions have been received on improvements to existing energy labels. One of the suggestions was to include the estimated energy cost of operating the appliance. NEA is reviewing the design of the energy labels and will look into incorporating this cost into the energy labels in a way that balances between providing timely and accurate information, and the associated costs to suppliers and retailers when these energy labels have to be updated when household electricity tariffs change.

Green labelling has also been effective as a step towards the mandating of performance standards. After introducing the MELS in 2009, NEA subsequently implemented the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for household air-conditioners and refrigerators on 1 Sep 2011. MEPS remove the most inefficient models from the market by prohibiting the sale of appliances that fall short of a specified minimum energy efficiency level. They help consumers avoid being locked into the high operating cost of inefficient appliances. MEPS also encourage suppliers to bring in more energy efficient appliances as technology improves.

For vehicles, FELS has been complemented by the Green Vehicle Rebate (GVR) scheme. The scheme aims to encourage the purchase of green vehicles, which are more fuel efficient and emit less air pollutants than their conventional equivalents, by narrowing the cost differential between a green vehicle and a conventional equivalent model. The GVR scheme provides rebates for electric, petrol-electric hybrid and CNG vehicles and is valid until 31 Dec 2012. The government is currently undertaking a review of measures to promote the adoption of green vehicles, as part of efforts to promote sustainable development and reduce emissions. More details will be announced in due course.

Besides targeting the greater use of efficient products, PUB and NEA also shape consumer behaviour towards resource conservation through campaigns such as the 10-Litre Challenge for water and the 10% Energy Challenge. Roadshows, media publicity, a website and brochures are part of the campaign to raise public awareness, and encourage the public to choose water and energy efficient appliances and adopt water and energy efficient practices.

In implementing these various measures, the government has taken into consideration the success of similar practices in many other countries such as the US, EU states, Australia and Japan. The pace of implementation has been established through extensive consultations with stakeholders to ensure that they understand the objectives and that there is smooth implementation with no supply disruptions.

Beyond government actions, the community and industry will have to do their part for Singapore to achieve a higher level of environmentally friendly consumption. Ground-up programmes such as the “Simple Ways I Take to Change my Habits” (S.W.I.T.C.H) programme by the Central Singapore CDC and the “Environment & Community Plan” (ECo Plan) by the South West CDC bring the community and corporations together to improve energy and water efficiency. An example of an initiative under these programmes is the light bulb exchange programme, where volunteers help replace the light bulbs in the homes of low-income families with energy efficient ones. Such ground-up initiatives by the community and the corporations help raise environmental consciousness and promote resource conservation, and we encourage more of these.

Citizenship And Permanent Residence Applications (Profile of Applicants)

2012-01-16T18:57:00.000+08:00

Below is the question I filed in Parliament and the written answer for Citizenship And Permanent Residence Applications (Profile of Applicants) (16th January 2012 sitting)

Mr Yaw Shin Leong: To ask the Prime Minister from 2005 to 2010 what is the breakdown by age, detailed education profile, number of years of residency, and income level for the number of (i) citizenships that are granted each year; and (ii) permanent residence applications that are approved for EP/S pass holders in each year.

Mr Teo Chee Hean: Following the tightening of our immigration criteria in late 2009, the number of new Permanent Residence (PR) applications granted declined from 59,460 in 2009 to 29,265 in 2010, while the number of citizenship applications granted declined from 19,928 in 2009 to 18,758 in 2010.

PR applications from Employment Pass/S pass holders are typically assessed under the Professionals, Technical Personnel and Skilled Workers Scheme (PTS). The number of new PTS PR applications granted correspondingly declined from 27,042 in 2009 to 11,161 in 2010.

Each PR and SC application is evaluated holistically on a set of criteria which includes factors such as the individual’s economic contributions, qualifications, age and family profile to assess applicants’ ability to contribute, integrate well into society and commitment to sinking roots.

The profile of applicants granted citizenship or PTS PR from 2005 to 2010 is as follows:

a. Age. The majority of new Singapore citizens (SCs) and PTS PRs are working individuals and their dependants. More than half of new SCs and PTS PRs granted were aged 30 years and below (on average 55% and 56% respectively).

b. Number of Years of Residency. The majority (85%) of PTS PRs were granted PR within 5 years after their first long-term pass was issued, while the majority (73%) of SCs naturalised within 10 years after the issue of their first long-term pass.

c. Highest Education Qualification. The majority (83%) of new PTS PRs held diploma/degree-level qualifications or higher. The education profile of new SCs is more diverse, with 36% of new SCs holding diploma/degree-level qualifications or higher, as it includes new SCs granted on account of family ties. Children sponsored by their parents comprise a significant proportion of this group.

d. Income. Applicants earning more than $4,000 a month (i.e. the qualifying salary for a P2 Employment Pass prior to 1 January 2012), comprised 23% of PTS PRs and 28% of economically active new SCs granted from 2005 to 2010. The income profile of new SCs and PTS PRs has since improved following the tightening of our immigration criteria in late 2009. Those earning more than $4,000 a month constituted 43% of PTS PRs and 45% of economically active new SCs granted in 2010.

Dependants Of Employment Pass Holders

2012-01-16T18:49:00.000+08:00

Below is the question I filed in Parliament and the written answer for Dependants Of Employment Pass Holders. (16th January 2012 sitting)

Mr Yaw Shin Leong: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Manpower from 2005 to 2010 (a) what is the number of employment pass holders' dependants who are allowed entry into Singapore each year; and (b) what is the number of dependants who subsequently gained employment here each year.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: Please refer to the table which shows the a) average number of dependants of Employment Pass (EP) holders who were issued Dependant Pass (DP)/Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) from 2005 to 2010 and b) average number of DP/LTVP holders who gained employment to date.

No. of dependants of EP holders who were issued DP/LTVP: 35,000

No. of DP/LTVP holders who gained employment to date: 4,200

With Influence, Comes Responsibility

2012-01-15T23:34:00.000+08:00

In the Straits Times yesterday, there was a special report titled ‘The Social Politician’. (Part D, Saturday, 14th January 2012)

I read through the report and was a little surprised to find myself listed in all the eight categories. The eight categories & my respective rankings were:

1) Top 10 MPs who generated the most buzz on social media - 3rd Place
2) Top 10 MPs in terms of audience size on Facebook and Twitter - 2nd Place
3) Top 10 MPs who post most frequently on Facebook - 4th Place
4) Top 10 MPs who leave the most number of comments on FB wall - 3rd Place
5) MPs who got the most number of comments from Netizens - 6th Place
6) MPs who use social media most effectively are - 3rd Place (Joint)
7) Buzz per output ranking - 7th Place
8) Top 10 MPs in terms of share of positive comments out of all comments received - 4th Place

While these rankings don’t mean much to me and will not change the way how I interact with Singaporeans both online or offline, still understanding these categories and rankings means that every single word and action from me does have an influence to a varying degree, at least via the social media!

Of course we remember Uncle Ben Parker (from Spiderman) who said ‘With great power comes great responsibility’. As such I would like to take this opportunity to leverage upon the little influence I have to share some responsible words of encouragements with my fellow younger Singaporeans.

In life, we are unique beings and we must have purpose-driven convictions. Strong purpose driven convictions are the inextinguishable fuel that propels our passion.

Since we are imperfect beings, we must have the courage to admit mistakes. For the courage to admit mistakes, to apologize and to take corrective actions are the hallmarks of personal leadership.

If you have a passion for something, find out the reasons behind that something. Talk to your friends and loved ones, if those reasons are worthy. Pursue your passion with deep convictions unceasingly until success is to come.

Likewise, if you think you have made mistakes, talk to your friends and loved ones, even if those are serious mistakes, acknowledge them. Do not attempt to cover one mistake with another. Two wrongs do not make one right. Acknowledge them, take corrective actions and reconcile yourself with those around you.

Guess the above were too philosophical for the night. I will stop here and I better do so. This is because similar to my fellow WP MPs I’m also in the midst of finalizing my parliamentary speech on ministerial salaries for this week's sitting!

Lunar New Year Ang-Pow Give Away 2012

2012-01-15T13:47:00.001+08:00

This morning MP Yaw Shin Leong kept up with the annual traditions of WP Hougang Constituency Committee (HGCC)’s Lunar New Year Ang-Pow Give Away 2012. Forty elderly Hougang residents who are on the existing welfare list of Hougang Welfare Network were beneficiaries of the Ang-Pow Give-Away.

In his message to the elderly Hougang residents, MP Yaw extended Lunar New Year greetings to all. He wishes each beneficiary firstly good health, so that when other blessings are to bestow upon each, such blessings could then be enjoyed.

HGCC Lunar New Year Ang-Pow Give Away 2012 would not be possible if not of committed volunteers, generous sponsors, who sponsored mandarin oranges, Lunar New Year provisions and even cash donations to Hougang Welfare Fund (HWF).

Taking this opportunity, HGCC wishes all Singaporeans (especially Hougang residents!) a blessed 2012 Lunar New Year. May we overcome each new challenge and may all our dreams come through :)

More photos are available here.

'Ponding' Phenomenon in Orchard Road

2012-01-09T19:16:00.001+08:00

Below are the parliamentary questions I asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources for the 'ponding' phenomenon in Orchard Road (9th January 2012 sitting).

(a) What are the reasons for the 'ponding' phenomenon in Orchard Road and what are the technical differences between 'flash floods' and 'ponding'; (b) whether the drainage improvement projects scheduled for 2012 will have any impact on the flooding/ponding situation in Orchard Road; and (c) to what extent was due diligence done to ensure that Orchard Road's drainage systems were clear of debris that could obstruct the flow of water.

http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120109-0000088/PUB-to-increase-Stamford-Canal-capacity

After the MEWR Minister replied, I asked 3 supplementary questions.

SQ1) Would the minister agree that the introduction of large-scale developments in Singapore has potentially resulted in an acute loss of open space that could absorb rainwater into the ground water table, reducing excess run-off that could otherwise contribute to flooding?

SQ2) Would the Minister consider going further upstream to treat the problem at its source, by requiring developers to submit Environmental Impact Assessments prior to each new construction? This being a common best practice in liveable cities around the world.

SQ3) Is MEWR integrating and coordinating such studies as part of its routine and ongoing systemic review of PUB's drainage master plan?

The Minister's replies will be available in the Parliamentary Hansard online shortly.

Should our MRT train windows have emergency ventilation panes?

2012-01-09T19:12:00.001+08:00

Below are some clarifications I fielded in Parliament to Transport Minister’s Statement on Disruption of MRT Train Services on 15th & 17th December 2011 (9th January 2012 Sitting)

  Why do our MRT train windows not have emergency ventilation panes built in, that commuters can manually open in the event of an emergency like this one (or say if there was a chemical attack on the trains)? The Hong Kong MTR has such panes in every train window, which can be pulled open easily in the event of an emergency. Shouldn’t this have been part of the design specifications of the trains? Is LTA intending to require this feature in future train deliveries? Will it modify existing trains to implement this feature?  

The Minister's reply to the above will be available in the Parliamentary Hansard online shortly.

Preserving Jobs For Singaporeans

2012-01-09T18:57:00.000+08:00

Below is the question I filed in Parliament and the written answer for Preserving Jobs For Singaporeans (9th January 2012 Sitting)

Mr Yaw Shin Leong: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will preserve Singaporeans' jobs in light of the uncertain economic outlook for 2012 by (i) requiring employers to look for qualified candidates at agencies such as the WDA and e2i before issuing employment passes; (ii) slowing down the approval rate of employment passes for firms which have conducted retrenchment exercises in the past one year involving 5% or more of Singaporeans in their workforce.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam:

MTI has estimated that economic growth in 2012 will slow down to between 1-3%, below our medium term growth potential of 3-5%. While we may help companies weather a slowdown, we must also avoid moves that create unnecessary difficulties and uncertainty for businesses, and hence risk hurting the prospects for a recovery in growth and jobs for Singaporeans.

To enhance the employment of Singaporeans, both in periods of growth and slowdown, we have adopted a multi-pronged approach.

First, we seek to maintain a conducive environment for businesses to grow in order to create and sustain job opportunities in Singapore. At the same time, we invest heavily in education and training opportunities for Singaporeans to continuously upgrade their skill-sets to remain competitive and employable.

Second, we seek to progressively raise the quality of foreign manpower inflows and reduce over-reliance on foreign workers. From 1 January 2012, new Employment Pass applicants will have to meet more stringent eligibility criteria which include better educational qualifications and higher qualifying salaries. Foreign worker levies are also being raised every six months until 2013, to incentivise productivity improvements. We also refer companies seeking foreign manpower whose skills and expertise are available locally to the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) so that they can meet their manpower requirements.

Third, we utilise Tripartite Guidelines to help ensure that Singaporeans are not disadvantaged in their employment opportunities and that Singaporeans remain the core of our workforce. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) released a set of revised guidelines on Fair Employment Practices in October 2011. The guidelines, which all employers are expected to adhere to, call for employers to make reasonable efforts to attract and consider Singaporeans for job positions on merit, and to train and develop their potential and careers. Such efforts include ensuring that all jobs advertised are open to Singaporeans, working with educational institutions, career centres and recruitment agencies such as WDA and e2i to attract and recruit Singaporeans, and developing the skills and expertise of Singaporean employees and grooming them for higher level jobs.

During the last downturn in 2008/2009, we also developed a set of “Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower” to help guide companies facing a business downturn to manage their workforce flexibly through alternative measures (e.g. shorter workweek, training) instead of resorting to retrenchment. If the need arises, similar measures may be adopted to help employers and workers deal with the downturn.

The combined effect of the range of measures above is to help Singaporeans remain employed even during an economic slowdown. At the same time, we have to avoid measures which hinder companies’ ability to build up the skills and expertise of their teams. Doing that will reduce Singapore’s attractiveness to investors and businesses, limit our ability to respond quickly to changes in global market conditions, and ultimately dampen companies’ ability to create more and better jobs for Singaporeans.

Nevertheless, we will continue to monitor the economic and employment situation closely and make further refinements to our measures as necessary to help Singapore-based businesses and Singaporeans weather the impending economic slowdown.

Employment Passes Issued

2012-01-09T18:48:00.000+08:00

Below is the question I filed in Parliament and the written answer for Employment Passes Issued in 2011 (9th January 2012 Sitting)

Mr Yaw Shin Leong: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Manpower as at the end of 2011 what are the respective numbers of passes that have been issued for (i) P1 Employment Pass; (ii) P2 Employment Pass; (iii) Q1 Employment Pass; and (iv) S-Pass.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: The end 2011 statistics on Singapore’s foreign workforce will only be available in early February 2012. The table below provides the year-end stock of Employment Pass (P1, P2, Q1 and Personalised Employment Pass) and S Pass holders for 2010.

Year 2010
EP and S Pass: 240,000
EP: 142,000
S Pass: 98,000

Straits Times Interview - Informal Dialogues With Estate Agents

2012-01-07T13:10:00.004+08:00

Here is the report on the interview I did with ST's Tessa Wong on the informal dialogues with estate agents.

WORKERS' Party MP for Hougang Yaw Shin Leong has attracted brickbats for hosting two dialogues for estate agents to discuss ways to improve their profession.

The unhappiness centres on suggestions from the first dialogue, held on Nov14 last year, which Mr Yaw later posted on his blog.

Netizens have pounced on some suggestions, including one calling for the Council of Estate Agents (CEA) to ban individuals from transacting among themselves. Instead, the dialogue participants wanted home owners to transact only via property agents.

The CEA is the body that regulates real estate agents.

Other suggestions include: compensating agents for half of the deposit forfeited if a property deal falls through; converting the CEA's annual licence fee for agents into a one-off payment.

In criticising the proposals as unfair, netizens also asked why Mr Yaw seemed to be representing the interests of property agents instead of home buyers.

Yesterday, Mr Yaw told The Straits Times that he personally opposes the suggestion to ban individuals from transacting among themselves.

'I think the free market must prevail in this instance. You cannot insist that you must hire an agent to get the transaction done. I did make my view known to the agents that I disagree with them,' he said.

He initiated the dialogues after meeting a Hougang resident who is a real estate agent, during a house visit last year.

The dialogues he hosted covered issues of concern to a significant number of real estate agents who are Singaporeans, have families to feed, and want to be heard, Mr Yaw said. There are some 33,000 registered real estate agents.

The first-term opposition MP also said it was 'a good thing' his blog entry has generated discussion, as he had posted it to encourage public discourse on the proposals.

This week, he also posted on his blog transcripts of e-mail interviews he did with Chinese newspapers Shin Min and Lianhe Zaobao, in which he elaborated on his views.

He did this to 'make myself clear... let people read and understand what I'm doing as an MP. When a resident comes to me with a problem, I can help foster active citizenry'.

He added that the next time he posts estate agents' views, he may add a disclaimer that he is just a facilitator.

Lian He Zao Bao Interview - Informal Dialogues With Estate Agents

2012-01-06T13:47:00.002+08:00

Below is the full email interview I did with Lian He Zao Bao on informal dialogues with Estate Agents.

ZB: Dear Mr Yaw, we saw in your blog post that you have some recommendations on the practices of agents in Singapore and hence hope to interview you on this.  Can we either do a phone interview or face to face interview with you these two days?  Thanks for your help on this!

YSL: Hello Shu Xian, I am currently out of town & will only be back on the 4th Jan 2011. My idea is to give these agents an organic platform to discuss/ brainstorm of ideas on ways how to further professionalize the industry. The work in progress recommendations placed in the blog/ FB are collective ideas from agents themselves. These are not finalized yet. Once finalized, the collated recommendations will be forwarded to the relevant stakeholders in the industry, to further refine/ improve upon the ideas/ recommendations raised etc. Likewise these would be made available online too.The spirit is one that encourages fellow Singaporeans to step forward to discuss about policy issues that affect us. Hope the above helps. If need to, we can do a Facetime etc. I will be happy to assist.

ZB: Dear Mr Yaw, Thanks for your prompt reply. I hope you can answer a few of my queries if possible. I don't need it by today so you don't have to rush. :) For the recommendations raised, do you share the same views as well? Or are the recommendations from agents only?

YSL: These work-in-progress recommendations raised thus far are fully raised by the agents themselves. I do not necessarily share the same views for each recommendation.

ZB: On the part that "The Council should not permit sellers, buyers, landlord and tenants to transact any property deals themselves", do you feel that is unfair to consumers who wish to conduct the deals themselves? Their main aim should be to save on the commission.

YSL: I strongly agree that it is important that, for consumers who wish to conduct property deals themselves; they must be able to continue to do so.

ZB: On another point, "The real estate agents must be compensated half of the deposit that is forfeited by the sellers and the landlords when deals are aborted", do you feel that this protects the interests of the agents at the expense of the consumers?

YSL: In fact this is a valid concern. In my opinion consumer rights must come first. Also at the same time, I have heard of negative experiences shared by the agents. In view of the delicate circumstances, it is good for the agents involved in this journey to collectively deliberate & brainstorm recommendations that are acceptable to consumers-at-large and themselves.

ZB: Why do you feel there's a need to stand up for this group of agents? Did they approach you for help?

YSL: It is not an issue of 'standing up' for this group of agents. Rather it is about 'providing a platform' for this group of agents to brainstorm of ways to improve & further professionalize their industry. The informal dialogue session idea originated during one of my house visits sessions, where an estate agent & Hougang resident shared with me about the plight of estate agents in Singapore. I offered to host an informal discussion for this resident and likeminded agents to better appreciate the situation & also to provide a platform for these estate agents to organically brainstorm ways to further professionalize their industry.

ZB: Do you feel that this review might be seen as a politically motivated move against the authorities?

YSL: I sincerely don't think so. As mentioned, the spirit behind this informal dialogue is one that encourages fellow Singaporeans (in this instance estate agents) to step forward & to discuss about policy issues, hence ideas/ recommendations to improve the industry. Collectively, with a candid intention, robust debates, reasonable compromises and prudent discourses, I am highly positive that our Singapore society can only emerge stronger.

Shin Min Daily Interview - Informal Dialogues With Estate Agents

2012-01-05T13:20:00.004+08:00

Below is the full email interview I did with Shin Min Daily on informal dialogues with Estate Agents.

SM: Dear Shin Leong, sorry to trouble you when you are on a holiday.

YSL: It is ok :)

SM: This is a blog entry I saw that had some comments on your post:
http://unbrandedbreadnbutter.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/yaw-shin-leong-who-is-he-representing/ below are my questions: There are a number of negative comments against you, as reflected in the post. Do you think that by associating with the group of agents, others think that you are endorsing all their proposals which some may not be yours. What do you have to say? What do you think of this episode, as in you are just trying to help by providing a platform for the agents, but being "pointed fingers at" by Netizens.

YSL: I really think that it is okay. Freedom of expression/ speech must be upheld. It is a good thing that a mini-public discourse resulted from my informal dialogues with our estate agents. In this way, our estate agents would then be able to bear in mind the issues at hand & public sentiments as they formulate their recommendations to further professionalize their industry. I see an emergence of active citizenry & actually I am quite happy about it :)

SM: I quote the below from the blog "NOW Mr Yaw and his group of real estate agents is proposing that the CEA ban individual seller and buyer from any property transaction. .... this is the most ridiculous of suggestions, it is anti-consumer and gives an unfair unending meal ticket to real estate agents. 2. what are the proposals that you do not share the same view with the agent? in such a case, do they incorporate your ideas or you will merely facilitate and the views are all up to the agents?

YSL: All the views/ recommendations are up to the agents. As the estate agents have yet to put together the finalized version of their recommendations, meaning it is still work in progress. As it is important that agents themselves must steer the discussions/ recommendations, I did not contribute to the recommendations raised thus far. However I have made my objection known to the agents' proposal disussion group that consumers' right to sell/ purchase their own flats must be upheld.

SM: Some people take issue with the one off license as well, what is your take on this? the blogger mentioned that if the CEA license fee is only one-time payment then the long-term budget of the CEA would be borne by taxpayers.

YSL: Which regulatory body's body isn't borne by taxpayers? Why CEA should be excluded?

SM: The blogger suggested that the dialogue could be kept out of blogosphere and addressing it directly with the relevant interested parties together with perhaps the Institute of Estate Agents, a professional body of real estate agents. how do you view the suggestion?

YSL: It is a most ironic suggestion, had the spirit of this suggestion being upheld in the first place, we won't be even discussing this here ;)

SM: So far, are there other groups that you have helped to facilitate discussions? what was achieved? and going forward, how to you see yourself helping other groups other than the property agents?

YSL: Yes, (do check out the different groups I held informal discussions with from my blog). The spirit is one of encouraging fellow Singaporeans to step forward to discuss policies & issues that affect us. If possible, Singaporeans should organically organize ourselves and to come up with ideas/ recommendations to better our society. Collectively when ideas/ discussions & recommendations are made organically, we see active citizenry in motion, when more of such active citizenry take place, stake ownership in our country deepens, and the fibric of our nation can only become stronger. Yes, I will continue to play a role in this meaningful nation building process :)

Paying homage at the Tomb of 72 Martyrs in Guangzhou

2012-01-05T12:44:00.001+08:00

Earlier this week, during a trip to 广州 (Guangzhou), I took the opportunity to pay homage to the Tomb of 72 Martyrs in Guangzhou.

This tomb was built in 1918 in memory of the martyrs who died in the failed Guangzhou uprising led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen on April 1911.

The 72 Martyrs played an important contributory role in the eventual fall of imperialism in China.

Interview With Lian He Zao Bao - Hello 2012

2012-01-05T12:42:00.002+08:00

Below is the transcript of my email interview with Lian He Zao Bao’s reporter Yew Lun Tian for the article ‘Hello 2012’ published on the 1st January 2011. The segment on WP in the published article ‘Hello 2012’ is available below.

ZB: Dear Shin Leong,Hope this email finds you well. Would you be keen to be interviewed by Zaobao about your work as the Hougang Member of Parliament so far?

YSL: Ok

ZB: Zaobao is doing a "2012 Look Ahead" piece, focusing on first time members of parliament. My colleagues are interviewing the PAP MPs while I am tasked to write about the Workers' Party MPs. I plan to interview you and Pritam for this story. This way, I would have covered both Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC.I would like to ask you:1) How would you take stock of the constituency work you have done so far?

YSL: Being an MP in the constituency is liken to that of a village headman. Residents will reflect to you on both 'big things' (national issues) and 'small things' (municipal issues). The work is definitely purposeful, and fulfilling. There are also plentiful to be done. As I have limited hours each day, it is important to maintain a healthy pace to sustain the efforts of constituency work.

ZB: Looking forward, what visions or plans do you have in developing your constituency?

YSL: Developing a constituency can never be complete and is not done in '一朝一夕'. Being the elected MP, my vision is to continue the good work that Mr Low had done thus far, and to further build upon the strong foundation laid. We are always seeking ways to improve the Constituency and this process is a continuous one. Given the limited resources, being an opposition ward, I seek to achieve more for the Constituency through creative means, by being prudent and leveraging on the resources we have. The people of Hougang have a vision in their heart, and they had placed their hope and vision with their vote for the WP over the last 2 decades. This itself is a manifestation of a collective vision and the WP & I will do our best to serve our residents. This also means work in both Hougang and the larger context of Singapore is still in progress.

ZB: With a global economic crisis looming, how are your residents coping? How have their lives been affected? What are you doing to help?

YSL: Given that this is an integrated world, it is very real for Singaporeans to be affected by the issues that the world is facing economically. At this juncture, I have seen several hardship cases pertaining to housing, unemployment, cost of living and even educational issues. Lives are definitely being affected in many different ways. As a MP, while I may not able to solve every single issue, but the least I can do to help is to explore options and possible strategies in coping with the challenges residents face. This include working closely with governmental agencies, family service centers, welfare groups or even private companies to ensure that no Hougang resident get left behind. We have also started our own constituency welfare fund, supported by generous donors, to assist some of these residents who fall through the gaps.

ZB: How would you describe the relationship or rapport you have built up with your residents and grassroots leaders?

YSL: The rapport built up between myself with residents is one of trust, friendship and accessibility. For instance, every Hougang household would have my direct personal contact number (they can also contact me via email or even facebook). This had been useful especially for the elderly residents. Despite so, the residents had been understanding, and had only contacted me when really in need. With such understanding residents, how could I not give anything but my very best to Hougang? For WP Hougang's grassroots leaders, many are the same grassroots leaders who had served alongside Mr Low Thia Khiang, I am very thankful for their time, sacrifices and loyalty to the cause. I am also very heartened to see many younger Hougang residents stepping forward to volunteer their time. Many of them had fought alongside with me during the campaign period. Some of them are serving actively despite their full time job, and with no 'benefits' other than the intangible sense of meaning and purpose in being part of the process. This is what I call the 'Hougang Spirit' and the 'Hougang Pride'.

ZB: Any pressing ground issues?I would like to complete this story by the end of this week. Would you be able to give me some preliminary answers over email? If you don't mind, I would like to come down to your MPS this Wednesday to chat with your residents. We can chat more on Wednesday too.

YSL: MPS would not be appropriate because most of the residents are there to seek help, and would not want media coverage. Perhaps you would want to visit some of the coffee shops and chat with residents instead?

ZB: Please share with us any concrete plans to develop Hougang in 2012, eg are you building any new facilities or rolling out any new programs? Any interesting major community events planned for 2012?

YSL: The Hougang Welfare Fund (HWF), supported by generous donors, to assist some of these residents who fall through the gaps will turn operational in January 2012. The building of new facilities, LUP aside, I don't think so, unless HDB approve AHTC submitted nominations of Hougang for HIP/ NRP etc.

ZB: ‘Given the limited resources, being an opposition ward, I seek to achieve more for the Constituency through creative means, by being prudent and leveraging on the resources we have.’ -- Can you flesh out for me, perhaps by way of one example, what you mean by this sentence?

YSL: For instance, in our recent Christmas Children Party held last Saturday, the two Christmas trees were complimentarily t-loaned from an events company. The Christmas backdrop & decorations were recycled from previous years, first used when Mr Low was still the MP of Hougang. You may read more about our Christmas Party here: http://yawshinleong.blogspot.com/2011/12/hgcc-christmas-children-party-2011.html

ZB: Which long-serving grassroot leader would you recommend I interview? Could you give me his or her contact info please?

YSL: You may wish to contact Mr XXX (XX/m). He is an alternative (WP) grassroots leader in Hougang. This means, this person will never ever get his PBM or BBM, Neither will he get to park his car for free in the constituency ;) He is contactable via XXXXXXXX

Headline: 为居民伸出援手新议员做好准备

哈啰 2012

工人党：求助居民没有显著增加

另一方面，坚持照顾穷人是政府责任的工人党议员却表示，前来求助的居民并没有显著增加。尽管如此，它还是分别为阿裕尼集选区和后港区成立了福利基金，计划从今年起开始发放给有紧急需要的居民。

工人党主席林瑞莲不愿透露阿裕尼福利基金的数额多大，只说基金获得几位捐款者慷慨解囊。

“就算经济危机持续一年，我有信心我们有足够资源帮助选民渡过难关。”

后港区议员饶欣龙则延续前任刘程强的做法，将从刘程强之前所成立的教育信托基金拨款颁发助学金。

limhh@sph.com.sg
yewlt@sph.com.sg

Headline: 工人党：救济人民是政府责任不应由议员承担

哈啰 2012

虽然部分民众已开始受到经济趋软的影响，但这些冲击似乎还未来到由工人党议员管理的选区。阿裕尼集选区议员林瑞莲、毕丹星和后港区议员饶欣龙都表示，他们去年每周接见选民的个案保持平稳。

毕丹星每周接见二三十名选民。大选前阿裕尼集选区的行动党议员每周接见60至80名居民。

对此，毕丹星重申工人党立场：救济人民是政府的责任，不应由议员来承担。

“我们不希望陷入得自行推出福利计划的局面，因为这将让国人不去关注政府为什么没有帮助穷人，这也会把照顾穷人的责任放在反对党手中，那是不对的。”

碰到前来寻求经济援助的居民，这名负责友诺士区的议员会请他们到友诺士民众俱乐部，向那里的社区发展理会职员申请援助。

难道他不担心选民因此认为工人党议员帮不上忙，不投他一票吗？
毕丹星说：“这反映国人对社理会角色的误解。如果明天反对党执政，社理会还是得继续运作。选民无论把票投给了谁，政府的责任就是得照顾选民。”

他表示，反对党议员的作用之一是在国会里提出执政党议员因碍于党督限制，而没有提出的尖锐议题，而不是发放福利金。

林瑞莲指出，向议员求助的居民只占整个选区人口的少数。“如果我们把议员接见选民活动当成我们的政治基础，那是不具代表性的。”

她说，工人党议员过去几个月与多个政府部门或机构交涉时，并没有被怠慢。她对这种正常化的关系表示欣慰。

林瑞莲是阿裕尼—后港市镇理事会主席。她表示所有在大选前敲定的各类翻新计划，现在都如期展开。

Headline: 阿裕尼集选区居民：社区活动比以前少了
Publication: ZB

哈啰 2012
自从工人党接管阿裕尼集选区后，住在实龙岗北的家庭主妇林丽丽（53岁）发现社区活动比以前少了。

“以前人民行动党在的时候，基层组织经常举办一些社区活动，我也有参加。这些活动挺不错，小孩子在幸运抽奖抽到小礼物后会很开心。”

她期待工人党议员也能主办类似活动，不过也体谅地说：“他们上任不到一年，可能还不知道怎么办活动，没关系，我们再等等看。”

其实秘书长刘程强过去20年担任后港区议员期间，许多党员、党工和志工等也参与主办后港的社区活动。不过集选区的规模毕竟比单选区大好几倍，办活动所需的资金和人手也相对比较多。

工人党议员去年当选后的当务之急是搞好阿裕尼—后港市镇理事会，以证明他们也能把市镇管理妥当。

为加强组织能力，工人党去年6月成立了类似人民协会的基层组织的阿裕尼选区委员会（Aljunied Constituency Committee），安排志工协助议员接见选民或举办社区活动。

林瑞莲：打算增加社区活动

阿裕尼集选区议员、工人党主席林瑞莲受访时透露，目前每名议员有约三四十名志工帮忙，阿裕尼选区委员会的总人数至少有200人，包括工人党支持者及阿裕尼集选区的居民。
如今市镇会上轨道了，基层团体也壮大了，阿裕尼集选区议员更有条件举办社区活动。林瑞莲表示，他们打算从今年起增加举行社区活动的次数。

工人党也考虑从今年起举行“同楼共住联欢会”（block party），以拉近新议员与居民的距离。不少行动党议员近年来也透过这类联欢会加强与居民的联系。

阿裕尼集选区另一议员毕丹星上个月增设了一个接见选民的地点，并推出健康步行活动。

后港区议员饶欣龙为了方便居民联系他，把手机号码给了每一户居民。“对年长居民来说，这特别方便。居民都很体谅我，只在真的需要寻求援助时才联络我。”

Visit to Rao2 Clan’s Ancestral Hometown

2012-01-04T09:34:00.001+08:00

Earlier this week, during a trip to 广州 (Guangzhou), I took the opportunity to make a maiden visit to the 饶 (Rao2) clan ancestral hometown at 上西埔村 (Shan Xi Pu Village), 普宁市 (Pho Leng County) in 广东省 (Guangdong Province). Personally I have always being curious about the roots of my family tree.

This is partly due to my relatively rare family name 饶 (Rao2) and my desire of wanting to re-establish contacts with the Rao2 clan back in China. The ancestral hometown trip was made possible with a phone number that my 大伯 (First Uncle) passed to me. The number belongs to a distant Rao2 relative based in 汕头（Shantou).

From Guangzhou I made a trip to Shantou and visited this relative. We met up over tea and exchanged news of our respective families. She shared that her younger brother is the Secretary-General of the Shantou Provincial Government. Unfortunately he was out of the province on official duties and I was unable to meet up with him.

However she passed me the contact number of her uncle who is staying in Shan Xi Pu Village. Immediately I contacted him, introduced myself and arranged the would-be visit to the village for the very next day. Shan Xi Pu Village is about 75 minutes (via car) from Shantou.

When I reached the village, I saw several members of the Rao2 clan at the village’s junction waiting for me. The most senior amongst them (a 16th generation Rao2 clan uncle) immediately requested that I accompany them to worship at the Rao2 clan’s deity temple in the village.

My offer to observe clan traditions in respect of the deity without the worship elements was accepted. The male Rao2 clansmen lighted incense and offered prayers of thanks to the deity for bringing one of their own (me) back to the ancestral hometown safely. For me it was a very touching moment of family kinship, brotherly love and warmth.

Next, we proceeded to the home of the 16th generation uncle for tea. His family prepared a pot of 汤圆 (flour balls) with hometown eggs. According to Teochew tradition, this symbolized reunion and family unity.

One of the Rao2 clansman then showed me a work-in-progress 家谱 Jia Pu (Family tree records). Accordingly the Rao2 clan originated during the Spring & Autumn period. Specific to our immediate family branch, I am likely to be either Rao2 clan’s 17th or 18th generation.

The existing Rao2 clan generation count proper started only in AD1456, Ming dynasty. The reason why my generation count could not be immediately ascertained was because for some reasons, there were some missing gaps in the Rao2 clan’s family tree during the post Qing dynasty’s 康熙（KangXi） period. That was partly due to famine and family members migration to 南洋Nanyang (South East Asia) between late 1880s & early 1900s.

Due to zero communication with those who left for Nanyang, no further records could be entered into the family tree in Shan Xi Pu Village. To worsen the situation, original Rao2 clan’s records were destroyed during World War II’s Japanese bombardments, 1949 civil war & Cultural Revolution.

Fortunately, the existing Rao2 clan’s records are based on a transcribed copy of the family tree that survived the periods of wars and chaos. My curiosity is ignited when I noted that Rao2 clan’s descendants of migrants to Nanyang were not included in the family tree. As I know most of them, this means together with my Malayan/ Singaporean uncles & cousins, we can positively contribute towards a fuller branching of the Rao2 clan family tree.

The Rao2 clan’s clansman who is heavily involved in the family tree project was very glad when I agreed to do my part to assist in filling the missing gaps. Both of us will be working closely together to publish an updated Rao2 clan’s Jia Pu in due course.

Later in the day, after lunch my clansmen brought me on a very meaningful tour around Shan Xi Pu Village. Essentially there are 3 segments of the village, the 3rd segment sits the newer homes built in early 1990s. The 2nd segment sits the older homes built between 1950s-60s period. The 1st segment (and the most intriguing one) holds the ruins of the original Rao2 clan’s mansion built between the period of Kangxi and 乾隆 (Qianlong) era. According to my clansmen, my grandfather grew up in the mansion.

Given the state of the ruins, I could only imagine the former splendor and glory of the mansion, which also suggested the wealth of the Rao2 clan then. The way the mansion was built sported a distinctive feudal architectural style, rather similar to how Qing dynasty era mansions are being described in Chinese novels.

I had much fun exploring the ruins of the mansion and took lots of photographs. Interestingly I managed to take home a piece of roof tile that could be potentially 200 years old and sheltered several generations of the Rao2 family!

Towards the end of my visit, my relatives presented me with a beautiful panoramic photograph of Shan Xi Pu Village as a visual reminder of the ancestral hometown. It is pretty amazing how each of us could be inter-connected to each other via means of kinship.

Establishing and reconnecting to one’s roots is a highly meaningful pursuit. Such connectivity adds fresh dimensions to our understanding and enhances our understanding on the larger purposes of our lives.

Informal Dialogue With The Ex-Students of Brookes Business School Saga

2011-12-27T22:12:00.001+08:00

This saga happened in Year 2007. It was about the now defunct Brookes Business School (BBS) falsely associating itself with RMIT and offering fake RMIT degree programmes. A significant number of Singaporean students were affected.

To better appreciate the current circumstances of affected BBS students, the MP of Hougang hosted an informal dialogue this evening with them.

Moving forward, Shin Leong organized the students into 2 informal sub-groups:

a) BBS Students’ Testimonies Gathering Sub-Group
b) Communication & Outreach Sub-Group

The group is actively seeking out fellow ex-students of Business School Saga to share and to pen down their testimonies.

Below are the details of the 2nd dialogue:

Date: 31st January 2012 (Tuesday)
Time: 7.30pm – 9pm
Venue: To Be Confirmed

If you are keen to part of this informal dialogue, please email Edwin Yeow at (eylew1983@yahoo.com.sg) to indicate your attendance. Thank you.

Best Regards

Shin Leong

Shin Leong's Keynote Speech at The Book Launch of Veteran Chinese Author Tan Mui Hua

2011-12-19T18:08:00.002+08:00

KEYNOTE SPEECH BY YAW SHIN LEONG, AT THE BOOK LAUNCH OF VETERAN CHINESE AUTHOR TAN MUI HUA ON 18TH DECEMBER 2011 (SUNDAY), 2.15PM, AT 115, KENG LEE ROAD SINGAPORE 308401 (NANYANG PHO LENG HUI KUAN) - An English translation is provided below:

1）今天作为一位客人，我获邀出席《爱的足迹》和《戒烟》两部新著发布仪式。

2）对于华文文学我认识得不多，但我还是接受邀请，荣幸出席今天的盛会，这是因为：

ⅰ）陈美华先生（我亲切地称他美华叔）是南洋普宁会馆的宗亲。

ⅱ）美华叔也是我在武吉班让政府中学时的前辈，他就读于1961年O 水准班及1963年A 水准班。

ⅲ）美华叔作为社会主义阵线议员王连丁先生的助手，是武吉班让支部秘书及社会主义阵线组织秘书，同时也是我的政治偶像之一。

3）他在1966年10月26日接受任命到总部接受组织秘书的第一天，就被内部安全署逮捕，并在内部安全法令下被拘禁七年，直至1973年获得释放。

4）美华叔在被拘禁期间开始写作，并完成首部8万字的华文小说《阿秋的婚事》。在那期间，他同时完成了长达40万字的华文散文著作《长夜阝水笔》。

5) 自从他获释后，美华叔共完成了13部著作，获得无数华文文学奖项。事实上，美华叔的商界小说《窈窕淑女》是第一批在中国大陆销售的新加坡作品之一，他被誉为商界小说的始创者。

6）他也是新加坡第一位长篇小说超过100万字的作家，他的巨著《狮城记》详尽描述了从上个世纪50年代至1965年新加坡的发展历程。这部作品对新加坡当年的政治、经济、社会和文化有深入的探讨与描述。

7）《爱的足迹》这部长篇散文是新加坡首部超过15万字的散文作品。这部著作感人至深地追忆了美华对已故的女儿一份深爱。他32岁的女儿在仅仅新婚后一个月就不幸离世。

8）《戒烟》是包括《戒烟》这篇故事在内的17篇短篇故事的合集。

9）美华叔不仅是华文文坛，而且是新加坡不可多得的瑰宝。他给与我启示并激发着我，他是一位信念坚定不移的人，坚持不懈创作，战斗着。尤其是在新加坡的华文文坛现状下：
（一）文学创作不是赚钱的活动，向来没有得到应有的重视，没有得到官方的支持，华文文学更是如此。

（二）华文文学创作的道路更是一条崎岖曲折、艰苦难行的道路。华文文学的写作者不但刻苦耐劳、辛勤艰苦、埋头写作，还自掏腰包、花钱出书。这种不怕辛苦，不计个人得失的苦干精神是可贵的、是难得的、是值得学习。

（三）可是，这种艰苦经营、辛劳的付出却得不到应有的回报，甚至是：华文读者越来越少。面对这样的惨淡情况，在座的各位华文作家前辈们还是坚持理念，继续埋头苦干。你们的精神值得深深的敬佩。

（四）这次南洋普宁会馆资助美华出书，说明会馆对华文文学创作的重视和支持，这可以做为所有宗乡团体的楷模，希望所有宗乡团体仿效，让华文的创作得以在更顺通的道路前进。

10）对于目前英文背景下的年轻一代，了解这位华文前辈，感受他的思想和无畏的勇气尤为重要。我们中的文学巨匠，美华叔是我的英雄，他也一定是新加坡年轻一代学习的楷模，让我们向美华叔献上热烈的掌声。

11）谢谢大家。

饶欣龙在资深华文作家陈美华先生新书发布会的致辞（2011年12月18日星期天下午2时15分于庆利路115号南洋普宁会馆）

1) I have accepted this invitation as Guest-In-Attendance to speak at today’s books’ launches of:

a) 爱的足迹 (The Footsteps of Love)
b) 戒烟 (Quit Smoking)

2) I am not an expert in Chinese literature but the reasons why I accepted the invitation are:

i) Mr. Tan Mui Hua (whom I fondly call Uncle Mui Hua) is a fellow clansman of Nanyang Pho Leng Hui Kuan.

ii) Uncle Mei Hua is my senior of Bukit Panjang Government Hgh School (BPGHS ‘O’ Levels Class of 1961 & BPGHS ‘A’ Levels Class of 1963), &

iii) Uncle Mei Hua is also one of my political heroes, being the Branch Secretary to Barisan Socialist MP for Bukit Panjang, Mr. Ong Lian Ten & Organizing Secretary of Barisan Socialist.

3) However on the first day of his appointment In 1966 (26th October), he was arrested by the Internal Security Department (ISD), and was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for 7 years prior to his release in 1973.

4) Uncle Mui Hua started writing while he was in detention and completed his first 80,000 characters Chinese novel titled 阿秋的婚事(Ah Qiu’s Marriage). During that period, he also wrote the 40,000 characters Chinese Essay titled 长夜水笔 (Writings of the Night).

5) Since his release from ISA detention, Uncle Mui Hua has written a total of 13 books and is the winner of numerous Chinese literary prizes. In fact, Uncle Mui Hua was the author behind 1989’s 商界小说 (A Commercial World Novel) that was amongst the first Singaporeans’ works to be sold in Mainland China.

6) He was also the first Singaporean Chinese author to write a 长篇小说 (Lengthy Novel) that is more than a million characters. The title of this novel is 狮城记 (The Story of Singapore). This novella detailed the development of Singapore from 1950s-1965.

7) 爱的足迹 (The Footsteps of Love) is a 长篇散文 (long essay) and the first Singaporean Chinese long essay of more than 150,000 words. The Footsteps of Love is written in loving memory of Uncle Mui Hua’s late daughter (1976 – 2008) who passed away in her sleep at the age of 32, just one month after her marriage.

8) 戒烟 (Quit Smoking) is a collection of 17 short stories, including one on the subject matter itself.

9) Uncle Mui Hua is a rare gem of Singapore, not just in the Chinese literary world. I see him as an inspiration, a man who stood up for his convictions and kept on writing (fighting). Particularly, in Singapore’s Chinese literary scene:

i) Chinese creative writing is not a moneymaking enterprise and has never been given due recognition or much governmental support. Chinese literary is as such.

ii) The road of Chinese literary creation is a long, narrow and difficult path. Chinese writers not only have to work hard despite the difficulties, at times they have to even spend their own monies to get their books published. The spirit of overcoming obstacles and the willingness to accept and overcome obstacles is exemplary for many.

iii) Given such circumstances, the price of labor does not equate the fruits of labor. The truth is, Chinese readers are becoming lesser by the day. Given such sad state of affairs, I just want to give my deep respect and acknowledgement to the many Chinese literary greats, authors and artists in this room for your perseverance, conviction and spirit. Your fighting sprit has my deepest respect.

iv) The fact that Nanyang Pho Leng Hui Kuan is hosting and assisting Uncle Mui Hua in this book launch has made clear that the clan association’s support and role in Chinese literary creation. This possibly could be the model for all other Chinese clan associations to follow. I hope that, in so doing, collectively may our efforts to promote Chinese literary writings can enable a smoother path for current and aspiring writers.

10) It is important that our younger generation of English speaking Singaporeans know this Chinese gentleman, his ideas and his courage under fire. A chinese literary giant in our midst, Uncle Mui Hua is my hero and certainly a role model for Singapore’s younger generations. Let us give Uncle Mui Hua a big round of applause.

11) Thank you.

HGCC Christmas Children Party 2011

2011-12-18T03:49:00.004+08:00

The MP of Hougang, Hougang Constituency Committee’s (HGCC) networks’ volunteers & WP members celebrated ‘HGCC Christmas Children Party with the children of Hougang yesterday.

It was a fun filled evening, where more than 500 children & their parents participated in carnival games, watched the enchanting dance steps of Hougang’s very own private kindergarten (Sunshine kids), Ukulele performances (School of Ukulele), musical showcase by talented students (SOTA) and fabulous lucky draw prizes.

Our children were very fond of the funny magic show, they loved the helium balloons and the gifts inside the door gifts packs. Our very own HGCC Santa Claus and Uncle Clown were a hit and many took photos with both of them.

In his Christmas message, MP Yaw Shin Leong shared with the children of Hougang that Christmas is about, being kind, caring for one another and helping each other. He also shared that Christmas is also ‘not about what your friends can do for you’ but Christmas is about ‘what you can do for your friends.’

In the same spirit as the above, HGCC is honored to host World Vision (Singapore) during the celebrations. HGCC is very pleased to note that Hougang residents have responded generously to World Vision’s call for essential items sponsorships. These sponsorships are meant to help needy children living in distant lands.

The evening also saw the MP of Hougang disbursing 71 HCET (Hougang Constituency Education Trust) bursaries to the needy students of Hougang. HCET was founded in 1991 by Mr. Low Thia Khiang and the continual disbursement of this Trust is possible because of the vast generosities exhibited by kind donors over the decades.

HGCC Christmas Children Party 2011 would not have been possible if not of the dedication and passion of HGCC’s volunteers working very hard behind the scene in preparing the games stations, the programmes and logistics behind the very successful party.

Last but not least, the MP of Hougang and HGCC networks wish each Hougang resident a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Click to view more photos here.

Informal Dialogue on Purpose Driven Citizenry

2011-12-15T15:42:00.000+08:00

To share his perspectives and to better appreciate current thoughts on Purpose Driven Citizenry, the MP of Hougang will be hosting an informal dialogue with concerned Singaporeans.

Below are the details of the dialogue:

Date: 7th January 2012 (Saturday)
Time: 1.30 to 3pm
Venue: To Be Confirmed

If you are keen to part of the informal dialogue, please email Shaun Lee at (cheewai.lee.lcw@gmail.com) to indicate your attendance. Thank you.

Best Regards

Shin Leong

Discussion With Estate Agents (II)

2011-12-12T19:28:00.002+08:00

Earlier this afternoon, Shin Leong hosted the 2nd informal dialogue with real estate agents (across agencies) to better understand the current issues and challenges face by real estate agents.

This second informal dialogue built upon the foundations of the 1st informal dialogue and was attended by over 30-odd Estate Agents.

Moving forward, Shin Leong organized the participants into 3 informal discussion groups:

a) *Review & Proposal (Version 2.0) Discussion Group
b) Communication Discussion Group
c) Corporate Social Initiatives Discussion Group

As the review and proposals are still work in progress, the enthusiastic group is seeking out fellow like-minded estate agents (& legal professionals) to play a part in the review + proposal to further professionalize the industry.

The updated views will be complied in a finalized paper to be submitted to relevant channels. Please email yawshinleong@gmail.com if you are keen to be part of this journey.

* The original Comprehensive Review Of the Estate Agent’s Bill (CROEAB) & Proposals To Improve Our Real Estate Industry (PTIOREI) could be found here:

http://yawshinleong.blogspot.com/2011/11/comprehensive-review-of-estate-agents.html

A third informal dialogue will be hosted once CROEAB & PTIOREI (Version 2) are up and submitted to various institutional stakeholders. If you are keen to be part of the third informal dialogue, please email Ms Koh Wee Leng at kohweeleng@gmail.com to indicate your attendance. Thank you.

Chinese Author Mr Tan Mui Hua to Launch Two Books

2011-12-06T16:53:00.001+08:00

I have accepted an invitation as Guest-In-Attendance to speak at the books’ launches of veteran Chinese Author Mr. Tan Mui Hua (陈美华先生) on 18th December 2011 (Sunday), 2.15pm at 115, Keng Lee Road Singapore 308401 (HQ of Nanyang Pho Leng Hui Kuan).

The two books’ titles are:

1) 爱的足迹 (The Footsteps of Love)
2) 戒烟 (Quit Smoking)

I accepted the invitation to speak because:

a) Mr. Tan (whom I fondly call 美华叔－ Uncle Mui Hua) is my fellow clansman of Nanyang Pho Leng Hui Kuan (Teochew Clan Association)

b) He was my senior from Bukit Panjang Government Hgh School (BPGHS ‘O’ Levels Class of 1961 & BPGHS ‘A’ Levels Class of 1963)

c) He is one of my political heroes, being the Branch Secretary to Barisan Socialist MP for Bukit Panjang, Mr. Ong Lian Ten in the 1960s.

In 1966 (26th October), Uncle Mui Hua was appointed as Organizing Secretary of Barisan Socialist. However on the first day of his appointment, he was arrested by the Internal Security Department (ISD), and was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for 7 years prior to his release in 1973.

He was officially locked up for the reasons of being a pro-communist and for participating in the protest movement against USA bombardment of Indo-China during the Vietnam War.

Uncle Mui Hua started writing while he was in detention and completed his first 80,000 characters Chinese novel titled 阿秋的婚事(Ah Qiu’s Marriage). During that period, he also wrote the 40,000 characters Chinese Essay titled 长夜水笔 (Writings of the Night).

Since his release from ISA detention, Uncle Mui Hua has written a total of 13 books and is the winner of numerous Chinese literary prizes. In fact, Uncle Mui Hua was the author behind 1989’s 商界小说 (A Commercial World Novel) that was amongst the first Singaporeans’ works to be sold in Mainland China.

He was also the first Singaporean Chinese author to write a 长篇小说 (Lengthy Novel) that is more than a million characters. The title of this novel is 狮城记 (The Story of Singapore). This novella detailed the development of Singapore from 1950s-1965.

爱的足迹 (The Footsteps of Love) is a 长篇散文(long essay) and the first Singaporean Chinese long essay of more than 150,000 words. The Footsteps of Love is written in loving memory of Uncle Mui Hua’s late daughter (1976 – 2008) who passed away in her sleep at the age of 32, just one month after her marriage.

戒烟 (Quit Smoking) is a collection of 17 short stories, including one on the subject matter itself.

Uncle Mui Hua is a rare gem of Singapore, not just in the Chinese literary world. I see him as an inspiration, a man who stood up for his convictions and kept on writing (fighting). It is important that our younger generation of English speaking Singaporeans know this man, his ideas and his courage under fire.

Do join me at this book launch. You may RSVP via this Events Page or telephone 6-253-6282 (Receptionist speaks only Chinese or Teochew). All are welcome!

Best Regards

Yaw Shin Leong

Words Of Wisdom

2011-12-01T19:38:00.001+08:00

晨钟一击，警觉灵山方外客。
暮鼓三通，唤醒苦海梦中人

Raw Translation:
One strike of the morning bell stirs the hearts of reclusive individuals.
Three beats of the evening drum awaken the spirits of troubled souls.

Further Explanation:
The above is a profound inscription of wisdom found at doors of an old demolished temple in Singapore. The message is targeted at the capable but reluctant hearts who are unwilling to step forward to serve society. Concurrently, the message also offers a word of comfort and courage for the troubled to step out of their sadness.

Current Application:
Will you step forward to serve our country? Our country needs more willing, sincere & capable hearts to step forward. My WP comrades & I cannot do this alone. We welcome and look forward to hear from you. Do join us today at the Workers' Party!

Informal Dialogue on the Impact of Rising Public Transport Fares

2011-11-28T18:20:00.000+08:00

To better appreciate current ground sentiments on the impact of Rising Public Transport Fares (especially on middle-income Singaporeans), the MP of Hougang will be hosting an informal dialogue with concerned Singaporeans.

Below are the details of the dialogue:

Date: 17th December 2011 (Saturday)
Time: 1 to 3.30pm
Venue: To Be Confirmed

If you are keen to part of the informal dialogue, please email Ms. Jace Tang at (jacetang@hotmail.com) to indicate your attendance. Thank you.

Best Regards

Shin Leong

Comprehensive Review Of the Estate Agent’s Bill & Proposals To Improve Our Real Estate Industry

2011-11-28T16:12:00.000+08:00

On 14th November 2011, Hougang MP Yaw Shin Leong hosted an informal dialogue with a group of real estate agents (across agencies) to better understand the current issues and challenges face by real estate agents, after The Estate Agents Bill was passed on 15th September 2010 and the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), a statutory board that oversees the measures and put forward in the bill. Below contains:

a) Executive Summary of the Informal Dialogue (14th Nov 2011)
b) Comprehensive Review Of the Estate Agent’s Bill (CROEAB)
c) Proposals To Improve Our Real Estate Industry (PTIOREI)

As the the review and proposals are still work in progress, the enthusiastic group is seeking out fellow like-minded estate agents (& legal professionals) to play a part in the review + proposal to further professionalize the industry. The gathered views will be complied in a finalized paper to be submitted to relevant channels. Please email yawshinleong@gmail.com if you are keen to be part of this journey.

A second informal dialogue will be hosted shortly and details are as follows:

Date: 12th December 2011 (Monday)
Time: 4 to 6pm
Venue: To be confirmed

If you are keen to be part of the 2nd informal dialogue, please email Ms Koh Wee Leng at kohweeleng@gmail.com to indicate your attendance. Thank you.

Executive Summary of Informal Dialogue (14th Nov 2011)

1) Applaud on the formation of a council to regulate the real estate industry, to eradicate rogue agents. However, CEA was formed hastily;

2) The People-in-charge at the CEA do not seem to possess the industry domain knowledge and do not understand the practical process of the works of the real estate agents, thus the rules set, are impractical and cause hindrances to the real estate agents in carrying out their professional duties instead;

3) The agents are not ‘protected’ by the Council when they encounter rogue property sellers, buyers, landlords and tenants. CEA seems to be out there to punish the real estate agents, than to objectively improve the professionalism of the real estate industry.

4) Apart from creating agreement forms that encourage agents to impose service fee on their clients, CEA must educate the public on the need to engage their respective agents, and the need to commission their respective agents.

Comprehensive Review Of the Estate Agent’s Bill(CROEAB)

The current rule - 'No Dual Representation'

It is imperative for the Council to educate the public, for the potential buyers and tenants of properties, to appoint their respective agents prior to any viewing appointment. This means, only buyers' and tenants' representing agents will contact the listing agents for viewing appointments and thus, the respective agents will transact the deal, on behalf of their clients. This will resolve the 'No Dual Representation', as well as, ' No Co-broking' issues.

One of the objectives of the Council as stated in their official web page is to engage in public education efforts to help consumers in property transactions. In respect to the objective and the above situation, the Council must educate the public that clients must commission their respective agents. This, also ensure the feudal duties of the respective agents are intact, and there will be no situation where, due to single paymaster, collaboration between two agents in favor of the paymasters or buyers. This is akin to the clients commission their respective conveyance lawyers, there isn't a situation where the seller's conveyance lawyer, splitting the legal fee he receives from his client, with the buyers' conveyance lawyer.

The current rule - For Sale By Owners

The Council should not permit sellers, buyers, landlord and tenants to transact any property deals themselves, as they are not trained; they do not attend classes; they do not sit the examinations such as Common Examination for Housing Agents(CEHA), Common Examination for Salespersons(CES) etc, and they are not registered with the Council. Therefore, the seller, buyers, landlord and tenants are not licenced to transact any deal with regards to property transactions. If a seller who is not licenced, sells his property to a buyer, essentially, the buyer is not protected, he is not being served by a licence agent.

The current rule - GST

The Council provides an option to payment of Good and Services Tax(GST). Payment of GST to GST registered agencies is mandatory, not an option as stated in:
Form 1-Estate Agency Agreement for the Sale of Residential Property;
Form 2-Estate Agency Agreement for the Purchase of Purchase Property;
Form 3-Estate Agency Agreement for the Lease of Residential Property by a Landlord;
Form 4-Estate Agency Agreement for the Lease of Residential Property by a Tenant;
Form 5-Exclusive Agency Agreement for the Sale of Residential Property;
Form 6-Exclusive Agency Agreement for the Purchase of Residential Property;
Form 7-Exclusive Agency Agreement for the Lease of Residential Property by a Landlord;
Form 8- Exclusive Agency Agreement for the Lease of Residential Property by a Tenant

The current rule - No obligation to compensate agents on aborted deals

As stated in Form 1-Estate Agency Agreement for the Sale of Residential Property and Form 3-Estate Agency Agreement for the Lease of Residential Property by a Landlord. Sellers and landlords are not obligated to pay commission to the real estate agents if the sale and the leasing of the property fall through. The real estate agents must be compensated half of the deposit that is forfeited by the sellers and the landlords when deals are aborted, as the real estate agents have successfully secured the deals, and cost spent in marketing the property.

The current rule - Annual license fee

The Council imposes an annual licence fee of $246.10 including GST should be amended to a one-off license fee, as agents are paying fees for courses, examination as well as the yearly Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The fees of these courses, examination and CPD amount to more than $500. Currently, if a new agent obtains the relevant certification, say in October 2011, upon registration with CEA, he has to fulfill the full amount of $246.10 for the entire year of 2011. Come January 2012, which is just 3 months after his registration on October 2011, the same agent has to fulfill another payment of $246.10 for the entire 2012. The new agent should only make a full payment of $246.10 as a one-off licence fee regardless the date of registration.

The current rule - Fines & jail terms

The Council imposes punishments in the form of heavy fines and imprisonment which are outrageous. One of the many examples is the fine of $10,000 and jail term of 1 year for not wearing the agent name tag. To cite an example of a simple, economical and effective approach would be suspending the agent’s licence for about 1 month for this incident.

The current rule - Renewal of Tenancy Agreement

3rd party agents are not allowed to take over renewal of lease irrespective of the 3rd party agents relation to the landlords or appointed agents. Landlords must honour the efforts of the existing agents, unless the latter is proven to have failed his/her duties.

Proposals To Improve Our Real Estate Industry(PTIOREI)

1) Implementing a minimal service fee on customers prior to engaging the real estate agents. This will protect the real estate agents from being abused and taken advantage of their time and efforts. Such implementation of minimal service fee will eliminate pseudo property buyers and sellers. For lower income households, a similar set-up such as the Legal Aid Bureau which they can seek help from.

2) The Council should provide a crystal clear distinction between disbursements and professional fees. Items such as valuation reports, title searches, submission/registration fee to HDB etc should be clearly stated as disbursements and not part of agents’ professional fees.

3) The Estate Agents Act (Gazetted) Part II, Section 25 denotes that ‘The Council may invest its money in accordance with the standard investment power of statutory bodies as defined in section 33A of the Interpretation Act(Cap. 1)’. As depicted in The Council website:

‘CEA's principal functions are to license the estate agents (referring to the estate agencies) and register salespersons (referring to the property agents), promote the integrity and competence of estate agents and salespersons and engage in public education efforts to help consumers in property transactions.’ The Council should stay very focus in promoting integrity and competence of estate agents and salespersons, but not engage in any form of investments. Perhaps the annual licence renewal and the imposition of outrages fines, are the source of funds for the future investment plan of the Council.

4) Estate Agents (Appeals) Rule 2010 depicts that an appeal to the Appeals Board shall be made by lodging a notice of appeal. A non-refundable fee $1,000 when lodging an appeal. This is another hefty cost imposed upon the agents.

5) The Council’s principal functions are to licence the estate agents and register salespersons(formally known as property agents), promote integrity and competence of estate agents and salespersons.

To promote competency, we suggest the Council to provide a truly professional training center or, outsource to truly professional certified training centers, which focus on:
1) Residential Property training course;
2) Commercial Property training course;
3) Industrial Property training course;

not when property buyers manoeveur their investments to Commercial and Industrial Properties, we witness companies marketing their Commercial and Industrial Properties training programs.

Truly professional and certifications from:
1) National University of Singapore
- Bachelor of Science (Real Estate);
- Bachelor of Science (Estate Management);
- Bachelor of Real Estate(Property Management);
- Bachelor of Real Estate(Valuation);

2) Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic
- Diploma in Building Management;
- Diploma in Building and Real Estate Management;
- Diploma in Real Estate Management;
- Diploma in Real Estate Business;
- Diploma in Property Development & Facilities Management;
- Diploma in Building & Property Management

In Summary

The Council cited it had worked with the industry key stakeholders prior to formulating the rules and the penalties. There is an urgent need for the Council to re-look into the rules and penalties seriously and conscientiously, amend and or abolish the unacceptable ones.

Informal Dialogue on the Impact of GST

2011-11-24T12:51:00.001+08:00

The GST (Goods & Services Tax) is a broad-based value added tax levied on import of goods, as well as nearly all supplies of goods and services.

The only exemptions are for the sales and leases of residential properties and most financial services. Export of goods and international services are zero-rated.

Singapore's GST was introduced on April 1, 1994, at 3%. It was increased to 4% on 1 January 2003, and to 5% on 1 January 2004. It was increased to its current rate of 7% on 1 July 2007.

To better appreciate current ground sentiments on the impact of GST (especially on low-income Singaporeans), the MP of Hougang will be hosting an informal dialogue with concerned Singaporeans.

Below are the details of the dialogue:

Date: 10th December 2011 (Saturday)
Time: 1 to 3.30pm
Venue: To Be Confirmed

If you are keen to part of the informal dialogue, please email Mr. Haffiz Hani at (haffizhani@gmail.com) to indicate your attendance. Thank you.

Best Regards

Shin Leong

Shin Leong's Speech On Work Injury Compensation (Amendment) Bill

2011-11-21T19:15:00.002+08:00

Mr Speaker Sir, the Bill makes several improvements to the existing Act. The Act now covers exposure to chemical or biological agents and improves the insurance protection of the worker. This is commendable. To further safeguard the interests of our workers, I would like to suggest four changes to the Bill.

Let me begin with the proposed amendment of Section 11: removal of court action as a reasonable cause for delay in filing WICA claims. This amendment would effectively prevent injured workers from getting any compensation, if they go to court and lose or withdraw for various circumstances beyond their control. This amendment reverses the decision by the Court of Appeal in the case of Pang Chen Suan Vs Commissioner for Labour. The Court of Appeal made it clear that an injured worker can choose to withdraw his claim under WICA to pursue his claim under common law and still be allowed return to WICA later, if there is no prejudice to the employer and insurer. The worker’s choice to sue under common law is considered reasonable cause to make the WICA claim outside the 1 year period.

The Ministry of Manpower’s consultation paper states that they have, quote, “started to see an increase in WICA claims being re-filed more than 1 year after the accident, with some cases being re-filed even 6 years after the accident”, unquote. In fact, MOM’s intention is to discourage so-called forum shopping. Is this increase in re-filings so large that it overwhelms the WICA’s intention as a cap on liabilities? Why punish all workers just to prevent a small number of forum shoppers abusing the system? Why not preserve the current status quo of allowing MOM discretionary powers to decide the merits of each case? Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. In the interests of our workers, the current form of Section 11 need not be changed.

I will now touch on the proposed amendment of Section 3, which would exclude compensation for injuries sustained in work-related fights. The proposed wording gives exceptions on the exceptions for compensation. This is complicated and puts the onus on employees to prove that they are entitled to compensation. Does this not undermine the intent of WICA to be a no-fault claims? The amendment should really be in line with the other stipulations in Section 3 and be stated as an exception to compensation. it should simply state, quote, “if the employee is shown by the proper authorities to have started the assault or destruction of property that resulted in his/her injury then theemployer would not be liable”, unquote. This shifts the burden of proof from the employee to the proper authorities for exceptions for compensation like the other stipulations in Section 3. This will prevent anyone from making use of the law to deny compensation to all workers involved in a fight.

I would like to add that the fact this amendment has been proposed is very worrying. The amendment suggests that workplace fights are not uncommon occurrences today. Is workplace safety and security no longer a given in Singapore? Are our workers now more vulnerable to work-related fights? We hope that the MOM intends to address this problem beyond capping employer liabilities. I notice that the banners of the WSH Nation campaign are lining our streets. And I observe that thousands of our workers have gone online to create their 3D WSH Citizen (I am citizen No. 3005). Each citizen has an audio that says quote, “I pledge to end all risks at work”, unquote. The risks should also include work-related fights. Excluding compensation for injuries due to fights will only make workers more anxious of this particular risk. It is not an effective deterrent if it is meant to be one. I ask that the MOM take a more positive approach to tackling this problem.

Moving on to the next change, I support the expansion in coverage for occupational diseases that the amendment of Section 4 brings.However, the limitation period for exposure to chemical and biological agents needs to be made equivalent to other occupational diseases. The start of the limitation period should be, quote, “no longer employed in the occupation”, unquote, rather than, quote, “ceases to be exposed”, unquote. The limitation period for exposure to chemical and biological agents should be 3 years, given that some Second Schedule diseases have 3 years limitation periods.

Separately, the MOM is conducting a review on the limitation periods of occupational diseases to better align them with the actual disease development timeframe. What is the progress of the review? This should be a matter of urgency since more workers will be compromised by the current common standard of 1-year limitation period with the delay of the review.

My final point is on the Increase of WICA compensation limit in the Third Schedule. The MOM had agreed to this in the consultation paper. Could the Minister indicate when the new limits will be gazetted and when will they take effect?
In addition, in 2008, the Ministry Of Health has further increased the burden on injured workers when they removed hospital subsidies for industrial accidents. The removal is supposedly in line with the principle that it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the safety and health of their employees at the work place, yet any WICA compensation limit puts a price cap on this principle and transfers the employer’s responsibility to the workers’ burden instead.

For foreigners on S-Pass and Work Permit, the employer is fully liable for all medical treatment costs, even above the WICA limit. This is not so for injured Singaporean workers. After claiming from WICA, they are still liable for their own medical expenses above the WICA limit. Injured Singaporean workers with medical expenses above the limit have two choices. One, give up the WICA claim and take the risk of suing the employer under common law. Or two, apply through the hospital’s medical social workers for further assistance on a case-by-case basis. Why make this policy that results in Singaporean workers being worse off than foreign workers? With the interests of Singaporeans in mind, I propose the removal of the medical claims cap in Section 5 of the Third Schedule.

Mr Speaker, to re-iterate, I would like to say that the bill adds much needed protection for workers who’ve been exposed to chemical and biological agents. However, it still requires tweaks to further the interests of workers. Thank you.
—
Delivered in Parliament on 21 Nov 2011

Shin Leong’s Speech on CPF (Amendment) Bill

2011-11-21T19:14:00.002+08:00

Mr Speaker Sir, while I acknowledge the intent behind the Bill, there are two areas in which I wish to seek further clarity.

First, the Special Needs Savings Scheme introduced by this Billallows parents to nominate their children with special needs to draw a monthly cash payout, receive medisave transfers or a combination of the both after the parent has passed on. The statutory provisions as they are drafted give wide discretion to the CPF Board and MCYS to decide the amount and method of making the payouts to the nominee. Three parties – the parent, the Board and MCYS – could potentially be involved in the decision on how much to pay the SNSS nominee and how these payments should be made. It should be kept simple: the parent’s wishes expressed in the nomination should come first because parents will know the needs (which include financial needs) of their children best. If the parent’s nomination is unclear, only then should the MCYS be allowed to exercise its discretion. This will reduce the risk of slip-ups in coordination between the Board and MCYS. What areas of concern does the Board have that makes it necessary for the wide discretionary powers?

I also note that under the proposed S 25 (1C), the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports will decide whether the child qualifies as a nominee under this scheme. If the Minister does not issue the certificate of eligibility, the applicant can apply back to him for reconsideration under S 25 (1E). There is a concern that this avenue of re-consideration may not be effective since according to the Bill, the re-consideration is being done by the same person who made the decision in the first place i.e. the Minister. I note that the Minister can delegate one or both of these powers to others as allowed by section 25(1H). How does the government intend to ensure that the re-consideration is done with fresh eyes and is not just a formality?

Second, CPF Life payouts and Minimum Sum withdrawals are an important source of regular income to retired Singaporeans. However, the proposed changes to sections 27Q and 77(1)(o) allow the Board to pay the CPF Life payouts and the Minimum Sum withdrawals by a member who reaches 55 into that member’s account. Our retirees need their CPF Life payouts and Minimum Sum withdrawals in cash for their living expenses. Could the minister clarify why does the Board need the power to pay these payouts and withdrawals to the member’s CPF account instead of in cash? It is rather strange when a member can finally withdraw and enjoy his hard-earned savings from CPF at 55, only to have the Board put it back into his CPF account. Under what circumstances will theBoard exercise these powers?

Thank you.
—-
Delivered in Parliament on 21 Nov 2011

Relevance Of e2i Reskilling Programmes

2011-11-21T19:13:00.001+08:00

Below is the question I filed and the written answer for Relevance of e2i Reskilling Programmes (21st Nov 2011)

Mr Yaw Shin Leong: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Manpower since the inception of the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) in 2006 (a) what is the take-up rate for its reskilling programmes; (b) what is the placement rate of candidates in new jobs; (c) how are the sectors which are in dire need of local workers identified; (d) what are the root issues as to why these sectors are unable to attract local workers; and (e) whether these issues are being adequately addressed.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam:

A productivity-driven and innovative economy needs a strong and supportive Continuing Education and Training (CET) foundation to ensure that the workforce has the relevant skills to meet current and future needs. Over the years, WDA has developed a robust and comprehensive CET system based on the key tenets that training must meet the needs of employers and also lead to better jobs and improved employability for our workers. E2i is one of the multiple stakeholders in this national CET system.

To-date, about 700,000 workers have been trained in Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses[1]. This includes workers who were sent for training by their employers as well as individuals who participated in training on their own initiative. In a 2010 survey, 88% of respondents indicated that they were able to apply the skills learnt from WSQ training in their jobs. Similarly, more than 90% of 1,900 companies surveyed indicated that WSQ training had helped improve the work performance of employees.

WDA has also put in place Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs) to enable professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) to switch to a range of new occupations such as registered nurses, occupational therapists, preschool teachers and software developers. As at Dec 2010, about 3,600 PMETs had undergone or were undergoing training.

As training should lead to improved employment outcomes, our CET Centres also provide job placement services. WDA’s Career Centres at the Community Development Councils (CDCs) and e2i also play an integral role in placing workers in jobs. Where workers possess the requisite skills, the Career Centres can help to place them into job vacancies on hand. However, where skills gaps are identified, the Career Centres would encourage workers to go for relevant training before placing them in jobs. 6 in 10 job seekers were placed into jobs by WDA’s Career Centres and e2i in 2010. This translates to some 17,000 successful job placements.

Certain industries face continuing difficulties in attracting local manpower. This is particularly where the job entails shift work, outdoor work conditions or serving customers. A tight labour market also means that local workers have ample choices of jobs. However, there is also some mismatch of skills, with employers needing skills which those looking for jobs do not have. We have thus been working closely with industry to redesign jobs and train workers to meet the needs of these jobs.

Ultimately, the solution lies in upgrading jobs and productivity, and allowing employees to take pride in their work, no matter what the job. Higher productivity will enable employers to offer better pay and career prospects to local workers.

The Government is investing heavily to support companies and workers in this effort. This includes both generic and focused schemes. Amongst the focused approaches is the Inclusive Growth Programme (IGP) administered by e2i and funded by the National Productivity Fund. The $40 million scheme provides grants to help employers raise productivity by investing in training their workers and by leveraging on technology to reduce reliance on manpower.

[1] From 2009-2010, about 58,000 individuals participated in upgrading and re-skilling programmes administered by e2i. This includes WSQ programmes.

Number Of Employment Passes & Certificates Issued

2011-11-21T19:11:00.001+08:00

Below is the question I filed for written answer on the number of employment passes and certificates issued. (21st Nov 2011)

Mr Yaw Shin Leong: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Manpower for each of the past five years from 2006 to 2010 inclusive, how many of the following passes/certificates have been issued: (i) P1 Employment Pass; (ii) P2 Employment Pass; (iii) Q1 Employment Pass; (iv) Personalised Employment Pass; (v) S-Pass; and (vi) Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam:

The table below provides the year-end stock of Employment Pass (P1, P2, Q1 and Personalised Employment Pass) and S Pass holders from 2006 to 2010. These figures include Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate[1] (EPEC) holders who have converted their EPEC to an Employment Pass (EP) or S Pass.

EP and S Pass
06: 110,000
07: 143,000
08: 188,000
09: 197,000
10: 240,000

EP
06: 81,000
07: 99,000
08: 114,000
09: 115,000
10: 142,000

S Pass
06: 29,000
07: 44,000
08: 74,000
09: 82,000
10: 98,000

[1] The EPEC is a certificate which indicates that the holder is likely to qualify for an Employment Pass. It is not a work pass. The EPEC holder would still need to apply for a work pass from MOM to be able to stay in Singapore to work.

Compensation For Retrenched Daily-Rated Civil Servants

2011-11-21T19:10:00.001+08:00

Below is the question I filed and the written answer on the compensation for retrenched daily-rated civil servants in Singapore. (Monday, 21 Nov 2011)

Mr Yaw Shin Leong: To ask the Prime Minister in respect of Division 4 and daily-rated civil servants in the Civil Service, what is (i) the number of such workers who were retrenched from 2006 to 2010; (ii) the percentage of these workers who received compensation for retrenchment; (iii) the average number of months of salary paid as compensation; and (iv) the number of such workers who were upskilled to Division 3, from 2006 to 2010.

Mr Teo Chee Hean (Minister-in-charge of Civil Service):

The Civil Service’s Special Resignation Scheme (SRS) allows civil servants whose jobs are no longer needed and who cannot be deployed to other jobs within the Civil Service to leave with compensation.

From 2006 to 2010, 20 Division IV officers left the Civil Service through the SRS. All received compensation generally calculated at one month’s last drawn salary for each year of service and capped at 25 years.

72 Division IV officers were promoted to Division III jobs in the same period.

The Kindred Spirit Of Hougang Indians

2011-11-20T03:48:00.002+08:00

Last night was WP Hougang Deepam Nite 2011. It was Hougang Constituency Committee’s first Deepavali celebrations post-GE2011. Hougang Deepam Nite was a night of non-stop entertainment, splendid food and community bonding.

MP Yaw Shin Leong, MP Low Thia Khiang, MP Sylvia Lim, MP Chen Show-Mao, MP Muhamed Faisal & NCMP Yee Jenn Jong, WP members & volunteers joined 500-plus Hougang’s Indian community in the celebrations. (MP Pritam Singh was out of town and NCMP Gerald Giam had a prior commitment)

The WP MPs preset kick-start the event with the lighting up of the two Kuthuvelaku(s) (Traditional Light Lamps). Accordingly to the resident who loaned HGCC the Kuthuvelaku(s), he purchased them from Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1990. This was one year earlier than WP’s GE1991 victory in Hougang SMC!

The sub-committee that organized the ‘Hougang Deepam Nite’ was comprised of predominately Hougang residents and was helmed by Mr Manja Khaiyum. Shin Leong shared with the guests, that, he was very heartened by the unceasing passion and deep-rooted commitment displayed by sub-committee members.

Shin Leong shared that their passion is highly infectious and that energizes him. The kindred spirit displayed by Hougang’s Indian community (together with other communities) certainly makes the Hougang Spirit complete.

Hougang Deepam Nite was a culturally enriching night of Bollywood Dance, Indian 'Live' band, non-stop entertainment hosted by G.T. Mani (Vasantham Host) & performances by 'MGR', 'Sivaji' and several other artistes. Hougang residents were also treated to a sumptuous 9 dish buffet dinner, exciting lucky draw prizes and door gifts.

The event will not have been possible, if not because of generous sponsorships, which included a miniature kuthuvelaku, premium Sidhi café (50g Arabica instant coffee) and great lucky draw prizes that included a 32’inch flat screen TV, DVD players, Spa vouchers, fruit blenders and cash vouchers etc.

The night also saw WP MPs dancing alongside the beats of Bollywood music. It was particularly interesting when MP Low Thia Khiang gamely danced on stage!

The volunteers behind Deepam Nite were so jubilant with the event’s success that the team is already talking about the preparations for Hougang Deepam Nite 2012!

On Unlicensed Foreign Monks' Operations

2011-11-18T22:25:00.002+08:00

Two monks & a nun met up with me last night to express concerns regarding lax policing by the MOM (Ministry Of Manpower) despite being presented with evidences of unlicensed foreign monks' operations in Singapore. As Singaporeans (especially grieving families) which engage monks to do prayer chants will be affected, I will work closely with their Buddhist order & MOM to look into the matter.

On The Would-be Land Acquisition of NYPLHK Building

2011-11-16T11:19:00.004+08:00

Hougang MP Yaw Shin Leong, who is a member, said it would be a pity to lose the iconic building. But he added: “Community bonding, however is more important than the physical infrastructure, so I hope members can rally around the new site, wherever it may be.” (ST, Prime News, Page A12)

Above are my comments to the Straits Times on the would-be land acquisition of 40 years old Nanyang Pho Leng Huay Kuan (NYPLHK) Building. NYPLHK is a Teochew clan association for descendants of immigrants from Pho Leng county in China’s Guangdong Province.

Between the years 2008 – 2010, I served as an Auditor to NYPLHK’s 50th Working Committee. My late father served as a director of the Huay Kuan’s working committee member. In fact my first-uncle (大伯) is a current director and has been its Assistant-English Secretary (副英文书记) for many years.

As a child I have very fond memories of the time I spent at the Huay Kuan (Clan Association) premise, including those moments when I participated in festive dinners, lantern parades, dong zhi festivals, bursary awards and public speaking competitions etc.

In fact I had my first public speaking experience in NYPLHK at the age of 7 years old. I remembered I froze up like a stone, trying to recall what I was supposed to say! The situation however improved and I even managed to clinch a couple of public speaking first prize awards in subsequent years of participation ;)

First Photo: 1st row, 2nd from right! (Yaw Shin Leong), 1st from left (Yaw Ching Sing, late father of Shin Leong), 4th from left (Yaw Ching Sia, 1st-uncle of Shin Leong)

Second Photo Source: Google Street Map of 115 Keng Lee Road

Discussions With Estate Agents (I)

2011-11-14T19:19:00.001+08:00

Earlier this afternoon, Shin Leong hosted an informal dialogue with a group of Estate Agents from various realty agencies to discuss the effects of the Estate Agent’s Bill passed in Parliament on 15th September 2010.

The estate agents shared with Shin Leong the challenges they face in the course of carrying out their professional duties. It was a lively and candid session where good ideas on how to improve the real estate industry were generated and proposals flew freely.

Moving forward the dialogue, Shin Leong and the estate agents represented will be putting together the following papers in their private capacities:

1) Proposals To Improve Our Real Estate Industry (PTIOREI)
2) Comprehensive Review Of the Estate Agent’s Bill (CROEAB)

These two initiatives are independent of their respective real estate agencies and CEA (Council for Estate Agencies). They are ground breaking in the sense that both initiatives are amongst the rare organic industrial movements in Singapore, which will be put together by a group of professionals from a particular industry, for that industry and of that industry.

The enthusiastic group is seeking out fellow like-minded estate agents to be part of these two meaningful initiatives. The group welcomes more estate agents to join them in this meaningful journey to professionalize the industry. Please email yawshinleong@gmail.com if you are keen to be part of this journey.

Details of the second informal dialogue are as follows:

Date: 12th December 2011 (Monday)
Time: 4 to 6pm
Venue: To be confirmed

If you are keen to be part of the 2nd informal dialogue, please email Ms Koh Wee Leng at kohweeleng@gmail.com to indicate your attendance. Thank you.

Best Regards

Shin Leong

The First Step of A Political Breakthrough

2011-11-10T20:51:00.004+08:00

Shin Leong accepted a phone interview from the 'The Global Studies Journal'. This non-governmental organization is based in Hong Kong. It focuses on International politics research and global studies. Below is the full verbatim of Shin Leong's phone interview. This interview has been published in Issue 4, 2011, The Global Studies Journal. For a raw translation of the verbatim, please use Google Translate (Traditional Chinese to English).

專訪工人黨勝選人饒欣龍：突破政治現狀的第一步

訪問：馮智政（Roundtable研究員）
答：饒欣龍（新加坡工人黨黨員、後港單選區議員）

工人黨在2011年新加坡議會選舉取得6個議席，被視為新加坡突破人民行動黨威權管治的契機。工人黨秘書長劉程強自1991年以來穩佔後港單選區的國會議員席位，今年毅然率領名單轉戰阿裕尼集選區，成功創造歷史，首次由反對黨勝選集選區。而工人黨派出捍衛後港單選區席位的饒欣龍，也成功以64.81%得票率擊敗對手當選。無論2011年選舉中反對派工人黨的成績是否啓示新加坡政治生態將切實得到改變，工人黨是次選戰當中所採取的策略，以及往後如何把握此次成功進而展開步伐，都值得分析、前瞻。為此，我們專訪了饒欣龍，由他親身回顧工人黨選戰、解說該黨下一步策略以及分析新加坡政治新形勢。

新興網絡造就政客、選民雙向接觸

馮：在今次的選舉中，工人黨贏得了很好的成績。事實上，這個成績頗讓人感到驚訝，因為在過去新加坡的政治現實中，反對黨都很難贏得任何席位。作為工人黨勝選名單中的候選人之一，你可以說說在這次選舉當中所運用了的策略嗎？

饒：運用任何選舉策略也好，選舉競爭當中都沒有捷徑可言。我認為最重要的是當計劃了某個選舉策略以後，就矢志按着這個方向鋪路。勤勞是重要的，如果人民在對了解相關利益和認知某些議題感到困難時，我們就應該致力讓他們明白客觀的問題和我們的主張，從而讓他們能夠確定其所支持的參選人。我想，我們永遠在致力尋找正確的選戰策略，並循此作出努力。

馮：但當我們留意今次選舉，會發現很多反對黨派都以新加坡年輕一代和新興網絡媒體作為競選策略的主要對象和宣傳平台。工人黨在今次選舉是否利用了網絡媒體來達到競選成功？

饒：你說得對，新媒體的出現讓個人擁有Facebook、Twitter、Friendster等網絡平台。通過這些新興網絡平台，個別政治活動家能夠直接接觸選民；而任何選民只要對從政者感到興趣，也可以直接在電腦透過互聯網搜索有關他的演講、大會發言和宣傳短片等等。選民未必可能親身到競選宣傳活動的現場，但總可以使用YouTube等來收看讓他們感興趣的從政者的發言。

民主尚未成功，突破現狀只走了第一步

馮：你認為反對派在今年大選中所取得的成功，是否為人民行動黨傳遞警訊，告訴他們是時候改變政策，或者是時候在新加坡建立真正的民主？

饒：我認為，怎樣界定「成功」相當重要。在一個民主制度的選舉中，唯一識別所謂「成功」的，就是通過獲得50.00…1%的支持率，從而進入議會。在這次2011年選舉中，我們看到工人黨贏得了6個國會議席，還有2個非選區國會議員，這意味着總數共8個。反對派原本還有1席是來自新加坡人民黨的，在2008年初由於詹時中患病而由其妻子補上，可惜她先前失去了議席。換言之，議會中的反對派民選議員佔6席。回想1960年代，13位人民行動黨立法委員表態脫離該黨，並另組社會主義陣綫（Barisan Socialists），形成足可媲美人民行動黨的反對派力量；但從1960年代以來，當天的成功未有把握住，甚至導致了往後的倒退。因此，今天從數量上來看，2011年選舉或許算得上是反對派的成功，但從質量上是還有待觀察和跟進。更重要的是，工人黨必須以此次選舉作為基礎，進而籌備從2011年到2016年的躍進；真正的成功並未在這此選舉中達到，而還在前路。

馮：你是指這次競選表現並不如普遍輿論所指的那般成功嗎？

饒：這次選舉的成就僅在於為前路提供了基礎和信念。今年只是一個開始，與其慶祝當下的選舉成功，倒不如期待看到將來的成功。成功在前路及將來。

馮：你有甚麼計劃來繼續達到心目中真正的成功？

饒：我認為這將取決於選區的水平，最重要的是當選的國會議員如何表現。工人黨將繼續在選區的基礎設施、一般城市保養、綠化等各個方面盡可能爭取提升，我們認為跟社區的聯繫是重要的。工人黨在這次選舉遭遇失敗的選區中，應該加強與人民、社區的關係。對於我們來說，2011年的選區得票率並沒有超過我們的「45%基準」重要的是我們要繼續加強獲得的支持率，才可以在社區從5%、6%、7%…，如是一直提升，最終超越那個「45%基準」，長遠構成對整個國家的影響力。

馮：在新加坡的例子中，人民行動黨長期是國內的第一大黨。從反對黨的角度和定位，你如何看日後新加坡的民主化？

饒：我寧願工人黨着力於在民主化進程當中作出貢獻，而不單是坐着觀望新加坡步向民主。因為如果你不切實地把手、心和精力投入到推動民主，根本沒有資格對未來的成果有所期待和展望。首先，我們必要有一個更公平的議會辯論。在過去數十年，我們見證了新加坡最高決策機構──新加坡議會的辯論；然而，如何優化這個辯論平台還是值得期待的，尤其未來或會有更多反對派議員躋身議會、提出議題。另外，2011年選舉作為國內政治的覺醒，我覺得新加坡人開始變得更容易接受議會內出現代表他們的反對黨。新加坡人民一直生活在執政人民行動黨的威權統治下，任何超出執政黨統治的事情或活動都被標籤為「不尋常」，但事實上整個新加坡政治現實本身才是那個「不尋常」。所謂「民主國家」的本質不應該存有「一黨主政」的成份，新加坡這個事例在於整個世界來說是非常罕見的。

馮：似乎，人民行動黨長年以來的統治和意識形態正是新加坡政治現狀必須突破的關口。有甚麼因素能夠催生這個突破？

饒：還是互聯網吧。互聯網已經存在了十多年，近五年來尤其普及。在新加坡這樣細小密集的城市國家，互聯網所能發揮的連結和凝聚作用更為有力。互聯網在「Y世代」和「Z世代」之間特別流行，而他們將是能左右下屆2016年選舉大局的主要選民群組。依我估計，隨着愈來愈多的年輕一代、互聯網用戶在2016年選舉中加入成為選民，會讓互聯網之於新加坡政治的影響真正見效、更為顯著。

年輕人代政治覺醒值得期待

馮：對於即將在8月份舉行的新加坡總統選舉，工人黨有何主張？

饒：工人黨不支持總統選舉。

馮：為何不支持？

饒：現階段的總統選舉僅是一個保障制度，防止執政黨在民選議會之中完全地失去主事權力，為執政黨的統治護航。現在的總統選舉並沒有實踐制度的基礎目的，即讓總統權力與議會權力之間互相制衡，相反只是一個保障執政黨管治連續性的機制。你必須理解，現時新加坡政府把總統職位的合資格參選條件定得苛刻，門檻極高，如是者只有少數幾個人能符合參選總統的資格。許多合資格的候選人都不約而同地來自建制，正如當下正式宣布角逐、而且合符資格的三位總統候選人，都曾經是人民行動黨黨員，跟執政黨有密切的關係。

馮：相信未來幾年的新加坡政治生態，也是讀者相當關注的議題之一，你對此有何評論？

饒：我看到越來越多的新加坡的年輕人挺身而出，為我們的國家出力。特別是我看到國內的年輕人成為了工人黨的義工或成員。我認為這對於國家建設具正面作用，因為當越來越多的年輕人開始看到有需要為國家投資他們自己的時間，即年輕一代逐漸對政治覺醒，就意味着反對派，也包括工人黨的明天是頗為樂觀、值得期待的

Statement for Cultural Diplomacy Outlook Report 2011

2011-11-09T01:28:00.003+08:00

Below is Shin Leong's cultural diplomacy statement for Cultural Diplomacy Outlook Report 2011. Shin Leong is ICD's Advisory Board Member & President of ICD Singapore.

Preamble

Cultural Diplomacy has been in existence since time immemorial. Traders, pilgrims, explorers, musicians and artisans can be considered examples of informal ambassadors or cultural diplomats. The establishment of trade routes and trading centers enabled frequent exchanges of ideas, information and gifts between individuals. Perhaps in recent memory, the idea of ‘Cultural Diplomacy’ might be closely associated with the imageries of the Cold War. Yet ‘Cultural Diplomacy’ today differs vastly from the images of CIA and the US’s State department’s cultural relations unit funding American efforts at it.

Cultural Diplomacy: Singapore & ASEAN

As a small nation state, Singapore is fully aware of its size and recognizes that its security and stability depends largely on good relations with neighboring states, particularly members of ASEAN. Therefore it is important that Singapore to go beyond ‘relationship for relationship sake’ and cultivating ties beyond cultivating ties sake. One possible way forward is to appreciate and to internalize the cultural aspects of neighboring states.

The above calls for better understanding, interaction and exchanges across the ASEAN cultures. This cannot be done just at government-to-government levels but such cultural exchanges must cut across multiple spectrums and levels, such as people-to-people, businesses-to-business and civil societies-to-civil societies etc. Naturally ‘Cultural Diplomacy’ fits in. As it stands, cultural diplomacy calls for better understanding of respective cultures amongst us. While modern communication tools offer easy and fast access to information, still nothing beats a traditional handshake and face-to-face interactions between peoples and cultures.

Cultural Diplomacy: Beyond ASEAN

Cultural diplomacy is not just between Singapore & ASEAN. Rather the full effects of cultural diplomacy actually transcend over continents. Cultural diplomacy calls for the appreciation of global diversities. After all, building upon the foundations of such diversities across nationalities, religions, traditions and history, we can only conclude that there is only one human race. In this spirit, there are actually much underlying similarities in the shared goals across all cultures, which are the pursuit of health, peace, prosperity and happiness. The fact the appreciation of diversities and similarities is so much at the center of cultural-diplomatic activity that makes this a primary challenge for anyone who aspires to be a cultural-diplomat!

Yaw Shin Leong

8 Days Tour To Yunnan Province

2011-11-09T00:58:00.003+08:00

Residents of Hougang SMC and Aljunied GRC, together with MP Low Thia Khiang and MP Yaw Shin Leong arrived safely from an overseas tour to Yunnan Province, China last evening.

WP’s Aljunied Constituency Committee and Hougang Constituency Committee jointly organized this trip that brought residents from both constituencies to the ancient cities of Kunming, Dali and Lijiang.

It was a relaxing trip whereby residents of both constituencies in a very leisurely paced trip, covered part of an ancient caravan trade route (that was even earlier than the more famous Silk Road).

This lesser known ancient caravan trade route is known as ‘ 茶马古道’ (Tea-Horse Ancient Road), which was a skein of tracks, a network of paths and passages both difficult and diverse that passed through the immensely difficult terrain over some of the highest, coldest and most inhospitable regions in Asia. Of course the tour group had the luxury of travelling via coach along well-paved roads!

In a particularly memorable moment in Dali, Hougang residents had the opportunity to take a breath taking scenic group photo, that had the elements of苍山洱海 (Mountain ‘Cang’ & the ‘Er’ Sea) right behind them. Above them was 蓝天白云（Blue Sky White Clouds) and a visible moon in broad day light.

In Lijiang, the tour group was fortunate to sight the shy peak of ‘玉龙雪山’ (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) which would be typically be covered by the clouds during this season. Due to the higher altitude, the weather in Lijiang can be rather cold, even under a blazing noon sun.

Back in Kunming (via Dali), the group had the chance to sample the local delicacy ‘过桥米线’ (Cross Bridge Rice Noodles). By tradition, it was said that a wife crossed a bridge to her husband, carrying his meal in a basket. She tripped and accidentally poured hot broth into the bowl of raw meat. Since this dish originated from a trip on the bridge, hence the name of the dish.

Aljunied GRC & Hougang SMC residents & their MPs enjoyed their trip tremendously. It was so enjoyable that enquiries for AJCC/ HGCC 2012’s overseas trip have already emerged!

The New Media, Politics & Our Youths

2011-10-31T23:52:00.007+08:00

SPEECH BY YAW SHIN LEONG, AT NUS DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST CLUB’S FORUM “ IMPACT OF NEW MEDIA ON POLITICS AND THE YOUTHS” ON 31ST OCTOBER 2011, AT 8.15PM, IN LT18, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

INTRODUCTION

1) I would like to thank DSC for this invitation to speak. It feels really good to be back in NUS again. It always reminds me of the good old days when I was a student activist of the Democratic Socialist Club from 1997 to 1999.

2) In mid-1999, after I had stepped down as President of the DSC, the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in a display of political openness, welcomed tertiary students to organize themselves and align themselves to political parties. That year I penned a concept paper, titled 'Opposition 21', which proposed for the formation of a student club that allow pro-opposition NUS undergraduates to organize ourselves. Our NUS Student Liaison Office was horrified by the idea. One particular liaison officer was so worried that she strongly advised me 'not to do something like this'. As a result, Opposition 21 failed to take off. I wonder aloud what if New Media was available then?

3) In comparison, let me quote another example, this took place in 2008. My party colleague, Mr Bernard Chen (currently the Secretary of the Workers’ Party Youth Wing Executive Committee and an NUS Undergraduate from the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences) alongside some friends, organized a ‘National Petition for Fairer Transportation Fares for Polytechnic/ Tertiary Students’. He made use of new media, and managed to garner 5,200 signatures! This suggests the political mobilization potential of the new media.

4) Perhaps we may even compare how student forums are being organized now. Let’s compare how a DSC forum was being organized in 1997 with that of this forum in 2011. The fundamental differences that leveraged upon New Media platforms, include:

- Facebook Events page Vs Actual paper ticketing
- Email invitation Vs Formal letter invitation
- Email coordination Vs Telephone calls coordination
- Paper Posters Vs E-posters

5) My purpose is not to compare which platform is better. This is because new platforms aside (the New Media), the cause (Politics) and the people (our Youth) remain pretty much the same. Of course each generation will have different causes to champion and different battles to fight. Each generation will rise up new sets of leaders and I see many of you in the LT today, who will rise up to the call of our nation in time to come.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MODERN POLITICS IN SINGAPORE

6) To help us better appreciate politics in Singapore, allow me to briefly go through the milestones of modern politics in Singapore.

1955 to 1959: Labour Front in power. PAP in opposition (3 out of 25)
1959 to 1968: PAP enjoyed parliamentary majority.
1968 to 1980, PAP enjoyed political hegemony in Parliament.
1981: PAP Hegemony broken, Anson By-Elections won by WP’s JBJ,
1984: Potong Pasir won by CST.
1988: Group Representation Constituencies were introduced
1991: Opposition won 4 parliamentary seats.
1997: PAP regained 2 seats
2001: PAP secured 75.3%, best results in nearly 2 decades.
2006: PAP popular vote dipped to 66.6%
2011: WP won 6 parliamentary seats.

So is GE2011 really the start of the ‘New Normal’? I say ‘No’. Citing the famous words of Professor Chua Beng Huat, he said “ We are not so much moving to a new normal but re-normalising after a long period of the abnormal” and “we even accepted that abnormality to be the only way things should be.”

IMPACT OF MASS MEDIA ON POLITICS

7) Now I will share about the impact of mass media on politics in general. The mass media performs six major functions:

- providing entertainment,
- reporting news,
- identifying public problems,
- socializing new generations,
- creating discussion platforms, &
- making profits

8) The mass media are more effective with those who have not formed a stable political opinion, whether it is on issues or candidates. Studies in the United States show that commercials and debates aired just before polling day have the most effect on undecided viewers. Voters who have already formed their opinions are less influenced by the media to change their minds.

9) Needless to say, the mass media in Singapore has a great impact on politics here. So significant was the impact that Mr. Low Thia Khiang once quipped that he won Hougang SMC in GE1991 due to the lack of mass media coverage! During GE2001, the repeated replay TV imageries of Dr Chee Soon Juan’s robust verbal encounter with the then-PM Goh Chok Tong remained fresh in the minds of many Singaporeans.

IMPACT OF NEW MEDIA ON POLITICS

10) In a report from the United States Institute of Peace’s Centers of Innovation for Science, Technology, Media, Conflict, and Peace Building, a team of scholars critically assesses the impact of new media on political movements. It is said that new media, such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, have played a major role in episodes of contentious political action. They are often described as important tools for activists seeking to replace authoritarian regimes to promote freedom and democracy, and they have been lauded for their democratizing potential.

11) In New Media speak - the most well liked politician in Singapore is arguably Miss Nicole Seah, with 106,640 Facebook ‘likes’ on her public page. The second most ‘liked’ politician is Mr. Lee Kuan Yew with 96,031 Facebook ‘likes’ in his public page. Interestingly, Emeritus Senior Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong of Marine Parade GRC with just 2541 Facebook ‘likes’ on his public page, yet his team actually managed to win Miss Nicole Seah’s team with a majority of 18,300 votes during the recent GE2011. So what does this tell us?

12) A recent post GE2011 survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) has shown that those between the age of 21 and 35 spent more time getting their political news from traditional mass media. Among 447 respondents within that age bracket - who were polled between Polling Day on May 7 and July - television remained the top platform they turned to during the election period, spending an average of more than 28 minutes daily getting their political news. According to the survey results, those who voted for the Opposition (55 per cent) considered new media more important and more credible compared to those who voted for the ruling party (40 per cent).

13) In The Sunday Times’ Lifestyle yesterday (30th October 2011), the headline was ‘Getting to know you: Informal gatherings called meet ups arranged via the Internet, are increasingly popular with people’. From the article, examples of such informal group meet ups include:

- Story sharing & playdate meet up (for mums & kids)
- Speakers in Progress meet up
- The Singapore board games meet up
- Japanese meet up @ Singapore
- Sidewalk shutterbugs photography, and
- Singapore Friends Club

So is it possible for Singaporean ground up Political Meet up groups to emerge? My gut feel is ‘Yes’.

14) Also in the amazing world of YouTube, it is now possible for one to watch an event, say a Workers’ Party election rally in the comfort of one’s home, many months after the actual rally. This has revolutionized the way our politics can evolve over time. A speech, a remark or action captured and posted via YouTube, can be retrieved, reviewed and resurface on the new media like Facebook many months or even years later. Take for example, Ms Sylvia Lim’s speech on ministerial salary spoken in Parliament in 2007, the Youtube video resurfaced and went viral with over 79,000 views pre GE2011.

IMPACT OF NEW MEDIA ON YOUTH

15) Now I will touch upon the impact of New Media on Youth.

16) I refer to a joint research on digital youth project done by the University of Southern California and the University of California, Berkeley. Over a three years period, more than 800 youth and young adults were interviewed after 5000 hours of online observations. This was the most extensive U.S. study of youth media usage. They found that social network and video-sharing sites, online games, and gadgets such as iPods and mobile phones are now fixtures of youth culture. The research showed that today’s youth might be coming of age and they struggled for autonomy and identity amid new worlds for communication, friendship, play, and self-expression.

17) The new media has transformed how our youth interact and share their ideas. The ease of accessibility to new media tools, such as the ability to access Facebook via personal computers, iPhones, iPads, Android phones etc, also meant that youth nowadays can easily share their hobbies, thoughts, their personal photographs, and even their location with their friends online anytime.

18) With a ready audience of ‘friends’ and ‘friends of friends’ (when messages and quotes get reposted) online, our youth today find themselves drawn quickly and easily into new media platforms. Messages are spread easily. The ease of the sharing of messages and ideas, without restriction, also means that some popular ideas/ messages can get viral easily. For example, an article written by Onesingaporean during the GE period titled, ‘Tin Pei Ling vs Chen Show Mao – a very scary thought’ was posted and reposted on Facebook. This article went viral during the pre GE2011 campaign period. The same happened for Ms Sylvia Lim’s 2007 parliamentary speech mentioned earlier.

19) While popular messages may be spread easily via the new media, however, this does not mean that our youth will accept everything that had been shared over the new media. Take the latest ‘Occupy Raffles Place’ movement. (This was also been raised by TOC editor’s Mr Ravi Philemon during the CNA’s Talking Point last night) While the event was been publicized over Facebook, there was no turnout. The Facebook page had 844 ‘likes’. There were also many online critics about the movement. This merely shows that there is a spirit of discernment in our youth today, and this is encouraging.

CONCLUSION

20) In conclusion, during an IPS forum titled ‘What Youth Want’ held in June this year, I noted in my speech that youth in Singapore want to be heard, to be respected, to find meaning in their life and in the things they do. This suggests that our youth want engagement on the issues that matter to them. They want to express themselves differently, and they want to be heard. In this vein, I strongly believe that the new media can play a critical role in allowing our youth to be heard, to be respected and to find meaning in their lives.

21) The new media had become part and parcel of youth’s lifestyle today. ‘Facebooking’ is now ‘the’ activity. Popular sentiments and messages can now spread easily via the Internet that had became the platform for youth to express themselves. It forms an important part of the lives of our youth, and it is the platform to express themselves, to showcase their creativity, to share life experiences through photos, thoughts and ideas, comments and likes. The new media has a definite impact on youth today. But it is still a platform, a means to an end. And our youth, have to decide that they define the ‘end’ themselves.

22) Thank you.

REFERENCES:

01) http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/ips-post-ge2011-survey-part-2/
02) http://www.helium.com/items/745081-media-influence-on-politics-and-government
03) http://www.usip.org/publications/blogs-and-bullets-new-media-in-contentious-politics
04) http://www.facebook.com/nicoleseahnsp (accurate as of 1300hrs, 31st Oct 2011)
05) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lee-Kuan-Yew/21930037394 (accurate as of 1300hrs, 31st Oct 2011)
06) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Goh-Chok-Tong/103113093061961 (accurate as of 1300hrs, 31st Oct 2011)
07) http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC111005-0000207/Youths-relied-on-traditional-mass-media
08) The Sunday Times’ Lifestyle (30th October 2011), Page 4 & 5
09) http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/files/report/digitalyouth-TwoPageSummary.pdf
10) http://yawshinleong.blogspot.com/2011/06/what-youth-want.html

Informal Dialogue With Estate Agents

2011-10-28T13:09:00.001+08:00

The Estate Agent’s Bill was passed in Parliament on 15 September in 2010. The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) a statutory board oversees the measures put forward in the bill. The bill was passed after an increasing number of complaints about industry practices and estate agents’ behavior.

One year on, to better understand the current issues & challenges faced by Estate Agents, the MP of Hougang will be hosting an informal dialogue with estate agents across agencies. Below are the details of the dialogue:

Date: 14th November 2011 (Monday)
Time: 4 to 6pm
Venue: To Be Confirmed

If you are keen to part of the informal dialogue, please email Ms Koh Wee Leng at kohweeleng@gmail.com to indicate attendance. Thank you.

Best Regards

Shin Leong

A Sad Account By Mr A

2011-10-28T11:53:00.003+08:00

Below is an account by Mr A, a widower whose wife committed suicide while he was in prison. Mr A is in the midst of rebuilding his life but found that many obstacles are staked against him. I read his account with a very heavy heart. Especially it pained me to know that the prisons didn’t grant him compassionate leave to send off his wife (account highlighted in bold). With his permission, I am reproducing his email for our reading, so that we are in the know that there are fellow Singaporeans in our society who need compassionate policies and societal assistance.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mr A
Date: Thu, Oct 27, 2011 at 10:31 AM
Subject: Re: Amended 2nd letter to Mp
To: "yawsl@wp.sg"

Re: Seeking Kind Assistance From Your Office

Dear Sir,

This is the 2nd letter we have written to your office for assistance and we would like to seek your assistance to have an understanding from the HDB SALE DEPARTMENT. We had applied for the Sep 2011 Sale of Balance as we waited for more than a year to just have our HLE approved. Therefore this Sep 2011 Sale of Balance means a lot to our family, our HLE will expired on the 19th Dec 2011.

There are only 71 units available for the Punggol 3 room flat and we are shocked when we realized that our Q number is 215 whereby the units available were only 71. The most important factor is that my friend had also applied for this sale of balance under the same town and 3 rooms. He is first timer and he got himself a Q number at 60. Based on my friend Q number, we realized that HDB only release at the most 11 units for the 2nd timer to ballot for a flat. We feel like a fool, even thou with 8,000 units under the sale of balance but the application can only choose a single town and we could only afford this 3 room flat with the minimum price range at $169,000. We had already followed all the instruction given by HDB, we are citizens, we still go back for reservist, we contribute medi-save, pay our relevant taxes. But when it comes to housing, we are nothing.

We had been visiting and helping every friend of ours to shift new house. We had recently helped a friend to paint his house at Blk XXX #XX, we went to the management office to report defect but had given the wrong address and the officer immediately mentioned that the unit address we mentioned was vacant. Thru out the conversation we realized that Blk XXX had so many 3 rooms that are not taken. This is not the first time we see units not taken, even in Sengkang we had saw so many vacant units till date.

HDB always replied that vacant units are meant for SERS, we can understand if is in mature town. However in Punggol whereby 90% of the HDB flat is still under construction, why the SERS in Punggol 21 town?

We are not greedy people, we personally feel that HDB trying to make it difficult for us. My friend applied as first timer (Sep 2011 Sale of Balance at Punggol) – Got a Q number 60. Which means only 11 units available for 2nd timer? The mother applied as 2nd timer (Sep 2011 Sale of Balance at Tampines) – Got a Q number 25

The total units available are only 38 units. Which means only 13 units available for 1st timer?
From the figure stated on top, HDB mentioned that the percentage for the first timer and second timer is not accurate at all. We are homeless for nearly a year now. Even though both my brother and I both were once ex convict and we are not highly educated person. We are just merely common citizens earning a decent living and hoping able to look after our old aged mother whom was been forced to be homeless just due to our wrong planning and irresponsible acts in the past. We are not here to complain against anyone but just hoped to have your office or any kind soul to lend a helping hand.

Please kindly give us a chance to select a small little 3 room flat within our reach. Our funds are running low and so is our morale and trust. After year of attempts, we still cannot even get a decent rooftop. Despite all the letters and visits to the MP are of no use. The next BTO will be in Nov 2011, the result will be in Jan 2012? Can we still afford? Our HLE expired in Dec 2011, will we need another one year to get our HLE? Will we get to have a decent Q number? When is the flat ready, will my mother still live to see? If we cannot get a decent Q number again, have to wait for another year? How many years must we wander on the streets? We are not big time criminals, must we faced so much issues just for a rooftop.

Meanwhile we hoped that we would get the authority to allow us to publish our situation to the public. We wished to know how many people are facing such situation like us. At least we know we are not the only family facing such situation and will be able to balance our emotions if not we are really going to be under depression. Please kindly advise which authority should we seek from in order to publish our situation in the papers. We do not wished to go against the law just in case the authority is to claim against us.

In 2004 – My mother sold off her flat at Blk 4XX Bedok North #XX-XX (3room) to raise fund for my up coming wedding and a joint business venture with my fiancee. Therefore we shifted to stay with my fiancee after selling our Blk 4XX Bedok North flat. Everything seems well planned and wonderful.

In 2005 – My finacee and I was finally wed. Thus we had used all the sales proceed from the sale of my mother flat to finance our wedding and business venture. I suppose to jointly owned the flat at Blk 1XX Serangoon North Ave X with my spouse which I later realized that my newly wed spouse actually owned this flat along with her ex spouse. Therefore my mother and I do not have tenancy in this flat.

In 2005 – I was detained under Criminal Law Detainee. Everything seems well was crushed. My mother was chased out of the Blk 1XX Serangoon North Ave X flat not long after my imprisonment. My mother tried to apply for rental flat with me but HDB informed her that due to the fact that I was in the prison and there was no release date therefore she could not apply any rental flat. Therefore she had to shift from one place to another.

In 2008 – My spouse suddenly committed suicide while I was still in the prison. I was told that my family member had passed away by the prison officer in the late evening and I will be going on compassionate leave the next morning on the very day my mother went to the prison to request for compassionate leave to send my deceased spouse. I spent the most terrible night of my life wondering, whom in my family had passed away. In the next morning, I was informed that my spouse was the deceased but I was not given compassionate leave to send her off. I was shattered and I had sought for reason but no reason was given to me till I was released. I was told that at that point of time, the MND minister did not granted my compassionate leave.

In 2009 – I was released with no rooftop over my head. Even though all the sales proceeds was spent on the business venture, renovation and wedding but everything were gone when I was released. I was not even granted entry to Blk 1XX Serangoon North Ave X flat. My deceased spouse family feel that I was the one whom caused her to be depress and thus commit suicide and I was known as heartless cause I did not even want to attend her funeral to see her off. The prison authority actually caused a big miss communication for these matter, which I did not even seek for justice after my release. Even though I had tried to explain but was too late.

In 2009 – The same month I released, I had promised my mother that I would change over a new leaf. I found myself a job as dish cleaner the same month I released from prison. With my basic $900 payroll, I went to HDB with my mother to apply for the rental flat. But HDB ruling had changed, HDB rejected again but not because I am still in prison but because of my mother sales proceed even though we tried to explain and seek appeal from the MP back then. None of our appeal went thru.

In 2009 – I tried to apply for direct purchase HDB flat but was told that with my income no HLE will be granted to me for any purchase. I took up another job, which I worked for more than 15 hours a day. Both jobs will let me have a total payroll of $1,900 and I was given a loan of $157,000. I tried apply for the BTO flat but was rejected due to the Q number over 300% and then I apply for the Sale of balance launch but was rejected due to the Q number over 300% and then I tried again for the BTO flat, I was so happy that I was given a Q number to select flat. But then, I realized that my total CPF is not enough for the down payment and I was not entitled to any grant even though I was once married and I had never own any HDB rental or purchase flat but there are no grant available for people like me. I had to cancel my selection due to such reason and also the amount of loan granted to me was not even enough to purchase half of the unit to be selected. I realized that unless I applied with my immediate family member, which is my only brother for a decent loan but my brother already married and has his own family at this point of time.

In 2009 – I went to my ex MP again to seek assistance. I was told to join purchase with my family members but I had only 1 brother and my old aged mother. My brother came back from China after leaving my sister in law half year ago. He just got himself a new job and was supposed to prove to my sister in law he will be a changed man. Therefore we did not mentioned to my sister in law to allow me to join in the tenancy for their flat as my sister in law already very mad that my brother has been depending on her for the past years and now with my mother and I went to rely on her further.

In 2010 – My brother and sister in law relationship improved and she had agreed to join us to apply for a loan and purchase a bigger flat to accommodate each of us. But the application was rejected due to my brother and sister in law had an outstanding of $4000. Even though I had appeal to HDB branch office that I had savings and I willing to pay the sum could we had a higher loan amount to purchase, our application and appeal was turned down.

In 2010 – My sister in law demand that my mother and I find a lodging on our own. Thus my brother relationship with her fall apart as my sister in law hoped to fetch her mother whom was chased out of the house by her son to stay with her therefore cannot accommodate my mother and I.

In 2010 – My employer was not happy that I hold two jobs since both my jobs required me to operate machinery and my employer felt that it was too dangerous for me therefore I was told to select a full time job and not overworked myself. I happen to found a supplier for fresh chicken thru friend relative. I was given an opportunity by the company to run a wet market stall at Marine Parade, I gladly took up the offer since there are no overheads and set up cost for me.

In 2010 – I appeal to HDB and my ex MP to grant my brother and I a loan but was rejected as my brother divorce was under proceeding only.

In 2011 – My brother flat was sold off with my sister in law having the two children custody and she had requested for lump sum maintenance fees. The divorce was filed without chances for reconcile partially due to the MP session and I was advised that even my brother sold off his flat, he should used his sales proceed to maintain my mother and I even though we explain to the Ex MP of ours that he needs to support his two children whom is just 4 and 1 years old. That was why we need to seek our Ex MP assistance to assist us to appeal to HDB for loan while pending for divorce proceeding. But such remarks was taken serious by my sister in law that, we are trying to rob her and her children well being therefore we seek a lump sum maintenance fees.

In 2011 – I had to shift from a place to another till we finally found a place which can accommodate us for few months while waiting for the divorce papers to be finalize so that we could apply for the HDB loan again. Meanwhile we still tried to appeal to HDB based on our situation but was rejected again and again.

August 2011-My brother’s divorce final judgment was out. With the up coming sales launch by HDB, which mentioned that this is the largest numbers of flats put up by HDB. We sincerely hoped that our letter could reach any kind soul whom can help us appeal to HDB again to assist us in our application, please help to ask HDB do not keep reject our applications. Based on criteria, we had match. We also tried using the HDB website to qualify ourselves but the status only mentioned that we could only apply as 2nd timer. But with so many units launch, we could not have exceeded by 300% again. We are really worry and depressed now, would there any hidden ruling that we failed in our application again?

September 2011 – We applied for the Sale of Balance in September. We waited for the result with sleepless nights and my mother could not even rest well after the operation till now. We need to shift her every two months to stay with a friend.

October 2011 – Our lease expired again and we have to start moving from a place to another. We found out that there are so many 3-room units left on the shelves at Blk 6XX series at Punggol drive. Units left on the shelves for mature estate are meant for SERS but for a town, which is still 90% under construction, still need to left units for SERS? We thought maybe civil servants has more priority than ex convicts like us therefore units release are selected whereby units left on the shelves are not release.

The Sep 2011 Sale of Balance units release, include all the units under construction for the 3 room and below. Is this exercise just a show, people like us whom need a flat urgently and our income cannot afford bigger unit and was unable to match the market rental yet we could not even afford to get ourselves a decent Q number. I am Q number 215 which means there are at least 20 more 2nd timer behind me in Q number. We might not share the same plight. There are 3-room units and below for immediate occupancy at other town but the price range is way beyond for people like us to afford.
HDB favors the rich than the poor?

We have no ideal whether is it due to the fact that we are been pushed to the corner of the wall therefore we were so disappointed in this letter. Nevertheless, thank you for the time taken to read this letter and also we will appreciate if your office could reply us. We need to make our situation known in the papers so that we could get to know more people in the same situation like us. We could at least lend a shoulder for each other since there is nothing can be done on the end. We strongly think that it will help us to balance our emotions and mindset or else soon we might really under depression and we really find it a harsh to just have a decent life, the difference between the rich and poor is so clear. Please advise.

Thank you
Have a nice day ahead

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mr A
Date: Thu, Sep 29, 2011 at 1:55 PM
Subject: Re: HDB Ref no: 401-06-03-0001
To: Yaw Shin Leong

Dear Mr Yaw,

Thank you for your prompt reply.
As pertaining to my last my two emails sent to HDB, I've not gotten any reply yet.

Sir, I am grateful for your kindness shown in regards to our case. Even we are not resident of Hougang but yet you still take time to read our email.

We had met so many whom brush us aside, meantime we also met voice of citizen like you whom take us serious. Two thumbs up and you have shown us a different picture.

We sincerely appreciate all the kind assistance from your office and you personally. If there's chance, we would hoped to have you as our MP too.

Shin Leong's Interview with BlogTV

2011-10-27T00:25:00.001+08:00

Shin Leong's Interview With Dr Kieren James

2011-10-27T00:13:00.003+08:00

The following is an interview with Dr Kieren James’ (University of Southern Queensland):

Kieren James (KJ): Was the party happy with the results of the May general election?

Yaw Shin Leong (YSL): Before every single election the party sets out political objectives and I’m glad to say we achieved all the objectives set for this GE. If you examine from another perspective, SPP [Singapore People’s Party] deployed somewhat similar strategy [as WP] but the execution is different. (Both incumbent MPs stepped out of their respective SMCs). Uncle Chiam See Tong announced his intention to leave Potong Pasir two to three years before the GE but LTK [Low Thia Khiang] said nothing until the Nomination Day itself. The preparations took a long time though. The SG [Secretary-General LTK] had his own internal view.

KJ: When do you think the SG first had the intention to contest a GRC?

YSL: Preparations may be traceable as early as 2001 or 2002. He cannot just leave Hougang like that or we will see disastrous results, we need to build up mechanisms and grassroots.

KJ: This is a history question. Explain to me how and why you became politicised on the opposition side of the fence.

YSL: My late father used to share with me stories about Soong dynasty and Three Kingdoms so it led me to think about what it means serving your country, loving your country, [and] what does it mean to come forward to serve your country. As a young child I didn’t know how to serve my country. I realized later there are ways to serve your country. As a result of seeing a lack of political balance in Singapore I decided I must do something for my country. In 1997 I remember when Mr JBJ [Jeyaretnam] was at Cheng San Stadium. He said: ‘Here is the police report I made against Goh Chok Tong and his people’. For this sentence he got a legal suit. It made me wonder: What sort of system do we want to live in? [KJ: The 1997 GE was also a strong motivator for Goh Meng Seng of NSP.] This incident led me to decide which side camp I wanted to be in. In ’91, when (Low Thia Khiang) LTK won [Hougang SMC], I remember LTK said ‘this is the beginning of the next lap’. I was a 16-year-old boy, the warm and fuzzy feeling was I wanted to be part of that next lap although that was an abstract concept for me. In 2001 I was helping Mr JBJ (J B Jeyaretnam). JBJ offered me to join the WP. I declined at that time. I joined after JBJ handed the leadership over to LTK. He is a moderate. I can identify with his vision. I joined 24 June 2001. Aljunied GRC, my team was disqualified unfortunately [01 GE].

KJ: Can you give me some further comments on the 2011 election?

YSL: The results have met the Workers’ Party’s internal political objectives. The results are not even as important as what we can do now to strengthen the foundation of what is already built, to strengthen the democratization process beyond what has already been done. A seed has been sown; a break has been arrived at. For the first time in Singapore’s short political history we broke the PAP’s GRC hegemony. Those people involved need to be diligent and focused and serve with all our efforts for the betterment of the country.

KJ: The percentage increase in the vote in Hougang indicates the community there has a high opinion of you.

YSL: I attribute the percentage increase not so much to myself but to the very foundations which LTK has laid down for Singapore’s democratization process and all the things he has been doing all these years. The people in Hougang understand the importance of what the Workers’ Party is doing. They put the full support behind the candidate.

KJ: What are the Workers’ Party’s plans for the next five years?

YSL: It’s about deepening the connections between the people and the party; understanding local issues and national issues; entrenching the Workers’ Party’s particular gain this year; and leveraging the party for further gains next time. Within that there are detailed plans. The nation must address policies which are unjust. We have [seen] the HDB form a commercial entity with Keppel Land forming EM Services. With EM Services they took over management of some pre-booked housing and let out to foreigners and Singaporeans. I’m concerned about local Singaporeans. Workers’ Party must speak out against unjust policies. I spoke out on my blog. A journalist followed up on my blog piece with a well written news piece and HDB promised to review the rental model; this is progress before parliament even begins. I hope something good will come out of this. My concern is with Singaporeans needing to pay so much more for renting from EM Services not from HDB. My heart beat is for my local countrymen and women. The Government must put the interests of Singaporeans first following the slogan of Dr Tan Cheng Bock ‘Think Singaporeans First’!

KJ: Why was the Workers’ Party silent during the presidential election in August of this year?

YSL: In the first place the institutionalization of the elected presidency is to protect the incumbent Government if they lose power; they have a friendly force to check on the new government, that was the political intent. It should not be the case. The presidential system should revert back to its former ceremonial one. The party’s stand is not for an elected president. It seems Workers’ Party supporters voted either for Tan Cheng Bock, Tan Jee Say or Tan Kin Lian [KJ smiles at this statement], that is the sensitive thing to say.

KJ: Is Workers’ Party only interested to contest in its heartland in the north-east?

YSL: There is never a strong geographical area without decades of cultivation of the ground. In 1961 [by-election] David Marshall won Anson, that [effect] manifest again in 1981, we recaptured Anson. [Regarding] the geographical area for Workers’ Party there is a Hougang spill over effect as people understand the branding of the Workers’ Party vis a vis LTK’s strong showing as a parliamentarian. Heartlanders can identify with the style of Mr LTK and Workers’ Party.
Before we can learn how to fly we must learn how to run. From a natural strategic perspective it’s always good to have adjoining boundaries to our heartland. I stay in the west. My standard reply to my neighbours who ask ‘When will WP come to the west?’ is: ‘WP will not come soon to the west as we need time to build up infrastructure and support’. It will not happen overnight. In the east the people are familiar with the Workers’ Party over decades. If Anson had been kept there might have been an Anson spill over, call it Hougang effect and Anson effect rather than Hougang and Anson spill over. Let the people decide which seats can be won next time. It’s not for the Workers’ Party to say.

KJ: Why has LTK been so successful?

YSL: Mr LTK has been in politics for some 30 years, he was election agent of JBJ. Some might say his greatest achievement was Aljunied [GRC]. I think his greatest achievement is continuing to survive for 30 years in politics. People know the brand name of his style of politics. He is rational; he speaks when it is necessary to do so. His cautious style of building up Workers’ Party bit by bit and member by member has contributed to what he has built up. He survived the Government putting down his points, sometimes in condescending manners.

KJ: Did the Workers’ Party suffer from the loss of three key members Chia Ti Lik, Goh Meng Seng and James Gomez?

YSL: People come and go; organizations always have their forms of renewal. No individual is indispensable for any organization. An organization must be able to withstand loss of individuals due to different political aspirations. It is a fact that JG, GMS and CTL left Workers’ Party before 2011. In 2011 Aljunied [GRC] still gave ringing endorsement to the candidates, [this fact] speaks volumes.

KJ: Has the Workers’ Party restricted your online activities as GMS and JG claim this was the reason for them leaving the party?

YSL: It’s always easy to attribute reasons to courses of action but… I’m very active online with blog, Facebook and Twitter. There is no party regulation stopping me posting or engaging with people who post on my blog. I had no issues or problems with that. I consider myself an activist/ partisan activist rather than a politician. It’s important for every single movement to have a group of activists having a similar purpose who can galvanize the ground and attract volunteers who are not activists. The role of activists in any societal transformation is crucial.

KJ: Thank you very much for your time.

YSL: Thank you

Walkabout In Hougang SMC

2011-10-23T17:38:00.003+08:00

Shin Leong conducted his regular walkabout in Hougang SMC this morning. It was an interesting walkabout that saw him watching and learning the basics of cricket batting from foreign Indian workers.

Perhaps the most elated moment for the Hougang MP was when a resident (Mr. H) agreed to Shin Leong’s request for his memories & old photographs to be incorporated into the ‘Hougang Memories – Our Singapore Story’ oral history book project.

Mr. H gladly shared old photographs that captured precious memories and visual imageries of 6th milestone Hougang. He revealed to Shin Leong the reason why he has so many photographs of old Hougang was because his father was working for Kodak then!

This resident also showed Shin Leong a very rare group photograph taken together with Japanese military officers, (probably with his father within) outside the old Supreme Court. Do refer to the photos here :)

The Hougang MP also took time to enjoy a cup of aromatic coffee with residents, listening to their stories, hopes and aspirations for their families. He also shared with residents his experience in Parliament and shared with them about the progress of HDB’s LUP (Lift Upgrading Programme) that has finally arrived in Hougang.

Shin Leong's Maiden Speech In Parliament

2011-10-20T11:09:00.005+08:00

Mr Speaker Sir, I would like to begin with my heart-felt thanks to the voters of Hougang, for allowing me this opportunity to serve our country in Parliament. I also wish to express my gratitude towards Mr Low Thia Khiang for his guidance and having faith in me to carry on his work in Hougang. I aspire to and will work with great diligence to meet the high bar set by my predecessor.

Mr Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity today to address two main issues affecting Singaporean workers: First, we need to always put Singaporeans first when formulating our manpower policy. Second, we need to look at international best practices in addressing unemployment and retirement needs. I will conclude by sharing my vision how I will serve Singapore as a WP parliamentarian.

Putting Singaporeans First

Mr Speaker, I would first like to address the concerns many working Singaporeans have about our foreign manpower policy.

I read in the Straits Times on Saturday that there is -- quote -- a rare show of disagreement -- unquote -- between NTUC and the SNEF. We have noted this “new development” from the NTUC and are pleased that the NTUC is now in line with the Workers’ Party’s position on manpower policy, which we described in our Labour Day Message in 2008 as “Putting Singaporeans First”.

The WP is pro-Singaporean and recognises that immigrants and foreign workers have an important role to play in our country’s progress. We do not see this as a contradiction. Our goal should be to strike the right balance between an efficient system of manpower supply and to achieve the best outcome for employers, employees, and above all, Singaporeans.

I would like to discuss three areas we need to work on to achieve this balance.

First, we need more transparency and accountability in our employment and S-pass system.

Second, we need further tightening of the work pass system by adjusting the inflow of foreign manpower by industry.

Third, we need to enhance current workforce training in order to increase productivity.

The Employment and S-Pass system needs to be more transparent. Figures showing a breakdown of the different categories of passes issued, and across different industries are not released to the public. Why this secrecy? We need regular reports showing the relative standing of Singaporeans and Passholders. Singaporeans have expressed their concerns about losing their jobs to foreign workers. With the release of such detailed figures, it will help us better understand the need for foreign manpower across various industries. Analysis of these figures would help us calibrate foreign manpower recruitment across employment segments. Transparency will also go far in removing insecurity on the part of Singaporean workers and cool unwarranted anti-immigration sentiments. Transparency begets accountability.

Although the circumstances of labour supply are not made clear to us, it is evident that Singaporeans are at a disadvantage under the current system. Because Singaporean workers cost more to employ. The need for Singaporean males to serve National Service aside, employers are also required to make CPF contributions for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents but not for Passholders. In the recent move to tighten the Q1 pass criteria, the Ministry of Manpower estimated that it will increase the wage cost for about 20% of current Employment Pass holders or 30,000 foreign professionals by 1 to 2%.[1] This tiny amount does not level the playing field for Singaporeans as employers do not make CPF contributions for foreign employees while the CPF component of the wage cost of Singaporean workers amounts up to 16% of gross wages.

There needs to be measures in place to enable Singaporean workers to compete equally with foreign skilled workers. Already, letting in lower cost foreign skilled workers without consideration for different demand across industry sectors are putting our workers at a great disadvantage. The WP believes that the inflow of foreign workers should therefore be calibrated for each industry, considering FIRST the suitability and availability of Singaporean workers for these industries.

Mr President in his speech mentioned our shared goal is for every Singaporean worker to have a skilled, well-paid job. In order to achieve that, we must start from our formative years, and continue to ensure that there are effective training programmes to allow each worker to maximise his ability and to keep his skills up-to-date throughout the course of his working life.

The setting up of Continuing Education and Training Centres and big employment institutes is well and fine. But instead of waiting for employers and employees to flock to the classrooms, we should also be proactive and bring more training programmes to workplaces to encourage employers to retrain Singaporean workers. Existing and new training programmes should be enhanced to ensure that they would target increasing actual productivity in the workplace, and not just abstract ideas of improving productivity in the classroom.

WDA’s move in 2007 to focus on worker-based and outcome-based programmes has not made much progress lately. It is time we reconsider the principle guiding the operation of the Skills Development Fund. Right now the Fund operates on the principle that assistance is given as incentives and not as subsidies. It is time to move towards both subsidies and incentives. Payroll subsidies should be provided to help workers bear the costs of training. This is especially important for a worker-based approach since workers will not have their employers’ sponsorship and employers will naturally be reluctant to let workers select their own training programmes and take leave to complete them. All government-funded training programmes should have an outcome-based effectiveness measuring system tailored to industry requirements. Given that increasing productivity is our topmost concern, we need to develop quantitative performance indicators that evaluate the contribution of training programmes to increasing productivity over an appropriate time-frame. Monetary incentives pegged to the performance indicators should be awarded to top up the payroll subsidies and pay for course fees.

On this note, I urge the government to think twice before accepting Member for Ang Mo Kio GRC, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang’s proposal for a compulsory training framework for work permit and S Pass employees. As things stand, Singaporeans do not compete with foreign workers on a level playing field because foreign workers cost less. Let us make sure that the odds are not further stacked against Singaporean workers by subsidising foreigner workers' training using our tax payers' monies to increase their effectiveness and employability. This, I believe, would contradict WDA's chief objective to help Singaporean workers to improve our employability.

Unemployment and CPF: Learning from the World

Mr Speaker, I would like to now turn my attention to unemployment and the inadequacy of retirement provision.

The global financial crisis has highlighted problems in these areas. We need to be able to analyse these shortcomings, study international best practices, and learn from how other countries have dealt with such issues. We can then take these valuable lessons and apply them to ourselves, with the aim of recalibrating our own system always with our people’s interests at heart.

Our workers need better protection from involuntary unemployment. Singapore has a small open economy, susceptible to external forces of globalisation. The current sovereign debt crisis in the US and Europe, the problems faced by the Eurozone -- these affect us too. Our economy is maturing and growth is moderating in the context of the current prolonged global economic crisis. Cyclical and structural unemployment is a reality and our people are facing increasing risks of retrenchment.

Already, the resident unemployment rate for the second quarter of 2011 has crept back up to 3.9%, very close to 2010 levels.[2] Since the height of the financial crisis in 2008, only 50 and 58 percent of residents have been re-employed within six months of having been made redundant, compared with 66 to 78% before the crisis.[3] Yet, the government let in more Employment and S Pass professionals, increasing the number from 188,000 foreign skilled workers in 2008 to 240,000 in 2010. This is a 27% increase as half of our laid-off resident workers struggled to find work.[4]

Under these circumstances, the combined weight of financial commitments for laid-off workers -- be it rent, mortgage re-payments, utility bills, medical bills and educational expenses -- can be considerable. There must be some level of support for the unemployed to continue to live a decent and dignified life. It is also important that the involuntarily unemployed be provided with peace of mind to retrain, upskill and look for employment. We do not want unemployment to push our workers into the vicious circle of poverty. We note that there are Comcare Work Support and Transition programmes for the unemployed to tide them over periods of unemployment. The stringent criteria for these programmes include a household income of not more than $1,500. This will not help the unemployed from the sandwiched middle class with a household income that exceeds this ceiling; they too have many bills as well as mouths to feed and elderly to take care of.

For a long term solution to temporary and involuntary unemployment, we should very carefully study the feasibility of an unemployment insurance scheme. The Prime Minister dismissed this idea in 2006 on the basis of affordability. He said it will reduce a worker’s take-home pay or add to wage costs and reduce competitiveness.[5]

Five years on, global economic conditions have changed and the risk of unemployment faced by our workers has risen considerably. However, we now have the benefit of seeing mixed results from many unemployment insurance schemes around the world, particularly after they have been put through the crucible of the global financial crisis. Some schemes are costly and cannot be sustained, but there are also schemes that appear to have been successfully implemented.

Not all unemployment insurance schemes provide income without work. Unemployment insurance can encourage the unemployed to find work or even to retrain, for example by simply tying payouts to participation in WDA job placement and training programmes. We must therefore seriously study international best practices and consider whether they could be adapted to our context. We cannot dismiss it out of hand without due consideration and research, especially now that we are facing challenging economic conditions ahead.

Finally, I would like to address the adequacy of our CPF in providing for Singaporeans’ retirement needs. The Australian Centre for Financial Studies and Mercer have just released their Mercer Melbourne Global Pension Index report for 2011. Among 16 countries (which include developed countries and fast developing countries such as Brazil, India, China and Chile), Singapore is ranked 11 and received a ‘C’ grade. In terms of the three dimensions of the index, our CPF is doing well in terms of sustainability and integrity, but we fared badly for adequacy. In other words, our CPF is at risk of not delivering adequate retirement benefits for Singaporeans. We ranked second from the bottom for the adequacy index, scoring only 41.9 points when the average is 63 points. We scored 51.7 points in 2009 and have dropped nearly 10 points in just two years. This is very worrying.

The Melbourne Mercer report suggests six ways for us to improve our CPF system. I want to highlight three of them which echo what the WP has proposed.

Firstly, our CPF should raise -- quote -- the minimum level of support available to the poorest pensioners -- unquote. We have a duty to protect our senior citizens who have spent the better part of their lives contributing to Singapore’s growth. Not everyone turning 55 in 2013 will be covered by CPF Life, as only those with $40,000 or more in their Retirement Account will be automatically included in the scheme. The CPF board estimates that 70% of the cohort will be auto-included, while the rest with less than $40,000 in their Retirement Accounts would have to opt in. Ironically, the bottom 30% are the ones who need better support.[6]

Furthermore, we understand that the CPF Minimum Sum or CPF Life monthly payouts can be less than the prevailing Public Assistance allowance of $400 per month for a one-person household.[7] Those who are receiving less can therefore apply for Public Assistance. Even so, is $400 a month enough, in the words of MCYS to -- quote -- sustain basic living? -- unquote. I note too that CPF Life is not inflation indexed. If core inflation continues above 2% each year, and headline inflation above 5%, the purchasing power of each monthly payout will erode rapidly, at a rate of between 25% to 50% in 15 years. How is that insurance for longevity? The government should consider setting up a Longevity Fund to supplement the income of our senior citizens inadequately covered by the CPF Minimum Sum or CPF Life schemes.[8] The Fund could be built up through transfers from budget surpluses. This small but significant step by the government will go a long way in our goal to ensure that all our senior citizens will have adequate means to enjoy their golden years after spending their prime years contributing towards nation building.

I would deal with the second and third points together. The report states that our CPF should -- quote -- invest a portion of the CPF in growth assets and reduce the barrier to establishing tax-approved group corporate retirement plans -- unquote. We welcome the recent announcement that the SMRA interest rate will continue to be fixed at 4%. The extension of the 4% rate is only a temporary solution. In the first place, the aim of the 10-year SGS floating rate policy is to improve returns for Singaporeans beyond the 4% rate. It is cold comfort when the Minister of State for Manpower recently boasted that the 10-year average real rate of return is 2.6% for the Special Account in 2010, when the 10-year average real GDP growth is 5.6%.[9] Singaporeans deserve fair returns for what we work for. It has also been said that this portfolio is largely risk-free. It is only risk-free insofar as the government will pay out the amounts that have flown into the fund. The Minister should be reminded that risk includes present and future inflation risk, past real returns notwithstanding, and inflation risk has grown significantly in the past few years. Past performances are not indicative of future ones. The time has come for a comprehensive study drawing on international best practices to assess the feasibility of a pension fund model tailored to Singapore’s own circumstances to enhance CPF returns.

I would like to conclude by saying that the issues I have highlighted above are very real and pressing problems for my constituents and also for the people of Singapore, as we fight to find our footing in an ever-volatile and challenging environment.

It is my hope that in carrying out the business of this House, we will work together towards a better life for each and every single Singaporean.

On the cusp of what we are constantly told is a new era in our young country’s political development, I am energised by what I have seen in the past decade: the development and the gradual maturity of our political landscape. I look forward with much anticipation to my part in ensuring that reasoned, alternative voices continue to make ourselves heard in this honourable institution.

It is an honour and a privilege that I will preserve while serving the people of Hougang constituency and the Republic of Singapore. Thank you.

[1] Business Times, 17 Aug 2011.

[2] MOM Labour Market Report 2Q 2011, p. 4 (http://www.mom.gov.sg/Publications/mrsd_qtlmr112.pdf)

[3] MOM Labour Market Report 2Q 2011, pp. 8, 11.

[4] Straits Times, 19 July 2011.

[5] http://www.mof.gov.sg/budget_2006/roundup_speech/subsection8.3.htm

[6] Point 11, http://mycpf.cpf.gov.sg/NR/rdonlyres/F540570D-A107-488F-A295-67E128643210/0/CPFLIFE_FAQ.pdf.

[7] http://app1.mcys.gov.sg/Assistance/PublicAssistancePAScheme.aspx

[8] 18 Sep 2007 Speech by Low Thia Khiang in Parliament: WP statement on CPF changes: http://wp.sg/2008/01/cpf-changes-for-better-or-for-worse/

[9] http://mycpf.cpf.gov.sg/CPF/News/News-Release/N_9Oct2011_MF4.htm

Photo Source: http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5422289

Discussions With Canine Activists (IV)

2011-10-14T22:39:00.001+08:00

In a follow up meeting with a group of canine activists this evening (14th October 2011), representatives from the informal canine activists’ network ‘Save Our Street Dogs’ (SOSD) joined in the discussions.

One of the SOSD activists, Mrs Sim shared her recent experience with 5 AVA officials on 11th October 2011 while feeding street dogs along Lor Halus.

According to her, a particular AVA official ‘TTW’ without official identification was very rude and demanded her to produce her identity card and said that she had broken the law for feeding street dogs.

Mrs Sim refused to produce her identity card because to her knowledge there isn’t a ‘No feeding of street dogs’ law in the first place.

Her resistance resulted in the 5 AVA officials surrounding her and eventually calling in of the Police, which Mrs Sim complied and handed over her identity card over to the Police

According to her, the entire experience of dealing with the AVA officials traumatized her greatly.

She also shared that AVA officials told her to get her dog activists contacts to gather all Lorong Halus street dogs and re-home/ place them in dog shelters by next week. Failing so, the street dogs will be caught and culled.

Shin Leong encouraged the SOSD activists to use the points raised in ‘Community Dogs Management Programme’ (draft II) and to freely fuse them into SOSD’s existing papers, namely ‘Factors to the Stray Population’ & ‘The Contradictory Role of AVA’.

A K9 welfare symposium/ gathering is likely to be in the cards too.

The lively discussion ended at 9.45pm and the three major issues are:

1) Is it unlawful to feed street dogs in Singapore?
2) Existing AVA’s SOP to manage street dogs feeders
3) Urgent appeal for time extension for Lorong Halus streets dogs

Shin Leong will be writing to the AVA on the above to clarify (for No. 1 & 2) & to appeal (for No. 3). Details will be shared once there are updates.

The next canine activists’ discussion will take place on 25th November 2011 (Friday). Kindly email shinleong.yaw@wp.sg if you are keen to attend.

An Account By A HIV Ex-Inmate (II) Singapore Prisons' Reply

2011-10-07T14:00:00.001+08:00

Yesterday, I received a reply from the Singapre Prisons. Below is the content of Prisons' reply. I will be discussing with some HIV activists to formulate a way forward. Just for our information.

Best Regards

Shin Leong

------
Dear Mr Yaw,

I refer to your letter dated 8th September 2011.

1) The MOH susbsized 90% of the total volume of drugs dispensed at public hospitals and polyclinics. Prison is guided by prevailing MOH policy on drugs subsidies. The HIV drugs are not on the standard drug list and hence HIV medication is not subsidized. This is no different from all other non-standard drugs used to treat other diseases which are also not subsidized.

2) Notwithstanding the above, Prisons works with charitable oranizations to offer financial help for the purchase of HIV drugs to inmates who need financial support. We would like to clarify that all inmates who require financial or other assistance may make a request through their Personal Supervisors. These requests will be referred to the relevant agencies for the necessary assistance.

3) Pertaining to your question on separate housing and limited interactions for inmates with HIV. Prisons would like to clarify that inmates with HIV, like all other inmates are given out-of-cell activities to interact with one another. Given the Prisons is a closed environment with a high population density, inmates with HIV are housed separately from other inmates to ensure safety of all parties. Housing inmates with HIV together also allows Prisons to better manage their access to medical services.

4) Apart of the above, inmates with HIV are treated no differently from other inmates. They have access to recreation and reading materials, as well as to counseling and rehabilitation programmes

5) On the allegation of discriminatory remarks , we would like to assure you that our officers are trained to be firm and fair when interacting with inmates. Please provide us with more information so that we can look into the matter and address your concerns.

6) Thank you.

--

Do refer to: An Account by a HIV Ex-Inmate
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=165410583539572

Tour to Yunnan Province

2011-10-06T13:55:00.004+08:00

Aljunied Constituency Committee (AJCC) & Hougang Constituency Committee (HGCC) are co-organizing for their constituents a tour to Yunnan Province, China.

The tour will be held from 1st to 8th November 2011. MP Low Thia Khiang & MP Yaw Shin Leong will be participating in the tour.

Do register early as there are limited seats available :)

Photo 1: Itinerary of Tour
Photo 2: Shin Min Daily News (7th Oct 2011)

Conversations With Dr Kieran James

2011-10-05T16:12:00.004+08:00

I have the opportunity to meet Dr Kieran James over an interview earlier this afternoon.

He is a Senior Lecturer with the University of Southern Queensland.

Dr Kieran is doing primary research for his new book on Singapore's Opposition to be published next year.

O $ P $ Issue (V) – Launch of Project Nomad Eye (PNE)

2011-09-30T23:51:00.001+08:00

This evening both Shin Leong & Mr. Johnny Ang, President of ‘Goodwill Services’, a Voluntary Welfare Organization (VWO, Community Services) (ROS 2133/2008) went to Sim Lim Square to purchase their first 3 sets of CCTV for ‘Project Nomad Eye’ (PNE).

For details of PNE, do refer to: http://yawshinleong.blogspot.com/2011/09/o-p-issue-iv-launch-of-project-nomad.html

Informal Discussions With Ms Emily Lau

2011-09-30T01:09:00.002+08:00

Shin Leong held informal discussions with Ms. Emily Lau who is the Legislative Councillor & Vice-Chairman of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party last evening. Joining the informal discussions were fellow WP Central Executive Council members Dr John Yam & Ms. Frieda Chan.

Revisiting Profiteering From Public Housing (II)

2011-09-27T20:24:00.004+08:00

Dear Readers,

Below is a follow up email from a Hougang constituent (Mdm Y) regarding a concern which I had earlier raised (here) & reported by TODAY.

This is an important issue of concern. With Mdm Y's permission, I am reproducing the full contents of her email for our reading.

Do kindly share your thoughts, if you share similar concerns or have any suggestion(s) to offer. Thank you.

Best Regards

Shin Leong

-----------
Blk XXX Hougang Ave 5
#XX-XXX Singapore 530XXX

26 September 2011

MP of Hougang
(Attn : Mr. Yaw Shin Leong)

Dear Mr. Yaw

PROFITEERING COLLABORATION OF HDB & EM SERVICES PTE LTD USING PUBLIC PROPERTY (HDB FLATS)

In spite of the fact that our Prime Minister has made a "seemingly encouraging" National Day Rally Speech on 14 Aug 2011 with regards to the "housing issues", we wish to bring to your attention that there are more "hidden facts" that have been "buried" for a long...long.....time till to-date.

We hope that the MP of Hougang can somehow find a "possible" way to surface the following "severe injustice" being done to our family and our two young school-going children in the coming Parliament in October 2011.

We have sent several emails to the PMO, the new Minister of MND and the HDB, pertaining to our "housing problems" for the past six (6) years. Sad to say, HDB has disregarded the welfare and well-being of our "Future Generations", (eg. our two innocent children), as evidenced from HDB's constant refusal to give a direct and clear reply to ALL our legitimate queries and requests with regards to :- WHY both my husband and I have more than S$100,000 in our combined CPF Ordinary A/C still have to be subjected to face a truly unfair destiny. ie. our two innocent children may end up being separated from us (ie. their parents) and left stranded under the void deck soon, or be put in the Children's Home or in some VWO's Homes ?

Note that : This is suggested by HDB's business partner - ie. EM Services Pte Ltd in their email, in response to the reporters from MediaCorp in July 2011, when they were being queried for their inhumane act to fellow Singaporeans.

Although I have already approached my MP of Hougang - Mr. Yaw Shin Leong in June 2011 (twice) for his assistance. He had written two letters to HDB. Unfortunately, from what I know, there was no indication by HDB that they have sent any reply to my MP - Mr. Yaw or to me till to-date to reply to his letters, representing my family (ie. his constituent). Thus, we hope that Workers' Party can bring up this incident during the upcoming Parliament in October 2011.

At present, EM Services Pte Ltd vent their anger at me for exposing their "profiteering business using HDB Flats - Public Housing". This is evidenced from their reactions in Feb 2011 when they instructed their company's solicitors to issue an UNREASONABLE and SHORT "NOTICE TO QUIT" to my family to DEMAND MY WHOLE FAMILY to "vacate our HDB 3-Room Rental Flat" within six (6) days, using a lame excuse that we are in arrears of rental charges.

The HDB has obviously used this tactic to "push the ball" to the Subordinate Courts, so as to portray a false picture to whoever got to know about our family's situation that it appears AS IF "it has nothing to do with HDB .

We therefore appeal to Workers' Party to help us to raise queries in Parliament on the following:-

Our Prime Minister, together with the Minister of MND, have recently announced after the National Day Rally on 14 Aug 2011 that :- ".... SERS blocks of HDB flats can be used by HDB to meet the rising demand of Rental Flats from our own local Singaporeans families,...... Redevelopment can wait till later once such needs have been eased off in future......" Based on the above quotes from our PM, why do HDB allow EM Services Pte Ltd to "threaten" fellow Singaporeans with EVICTION, as evidenced from their service of the "Writ of Summons" on my family to chase for the money and they have also stated on their "court document" that they want the Subordinate Courts to :- (i) grant them their request to EVICT my family, as well as, (ii) to charge a "ridiculously unreasonable and hefty rental rate" of S$2,450 per month (with effect from April 2011) until "vacant possession of our HDB 3-Room Rental Flat".

Questions to the Government : -

(a) Why has MND conveniently allowed HDB to "make huge profits" from HDB FLATS, (which were builit using taxpayers' monies) in an indirect manner, by having this undeniably Joint Venture business with Keppel Land Limited, as reflected in the ACRA records.

For your info, I have indicated in my "Submissions" to the Courts that HDB is clearly the "SHAREHOLDERS" of E M Services Pte Ltd?

(b) Why does my family need to be in such a state of being heavily in-debt to a private company (ie. EM Services Pte Ltd - HDB's managing agent) and currently going through a Civil suit with HDB's business partner / managing agent?

This sort of "absurb" scenario only happens in Singapore and definitely would not have happened if , and only if, MND is really sincere in fulfilling their mission and vision of ensuring ALL eligible Singaporeans families SHOULD HAVE the legal and human rights to purchase a HDB Flat under the BTO scheme.

(c) If the Prime Minister and the Minister of MND are really sincere in helping Singaporeans to cope with their costs of living and housing problems, then why is my family still going through this civil suit? As the legal "owner" of the HDB Rental Flats (currently managed by their managing agents), we believe HDB have their rights to overwrite their so-called "ambiguous arrangement" with EM Services Pte Ltd, which are supposed to expire in March 2012 in any case.

So, why HDB has been given the luxury , by our Prime Minister and the Minister of MND, to use "lame excuses" for not showing any interest in resolving this long standing issues?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Yours faithfully

Mdm Y

Gender Inequality in Singapore

2011-09-26T20:03:00.001+08:00

Below is an article I wrote in 1999 on gender inequality in Singapore. 12 years on, even as our society progressed, some gender sterotypes are still being perpertuated, whether within contexts or out-of-contexts.

Letter to Singaporean For Democracy (SFD) 15 November 1999 - Gender Inequality in Singapore

Dear SFD,

The purpose of this article is to re-emphasise the ignored plight of women in Singapore. While it is true that Singapore has had advancements in many fields, not much institutionalized progress has been made in the gender field to alleviate the ignored plight of the average Singaporean woman.

This exists in the form of five pertinent areas:

1) Political representation,
2) Persistent wage gap,
3) Dual roles of women,
4) Asian values and the woman and
5) Government policies affecting women.

Political Representation

It is most interesting to note that we can easily count the number of female members in Parliament just by using the fingers on one hand. Why should this be so when women make up half of the island’s population! Is it because political representation is only for the male species? This cannot be so, and I believe many an enlightened soul, male or female, would agree with me on this. For there to be an increase in the number of
female candidates, a two- way process has to be in place. Firstly, political parties should play the initial and major role of inviting female candidates into the field. They should double their efforts to incorporate female representatives to stand for election.

Consequently, female candidates should themselves feel encouraged to take up the role of representing and speaking for the population.

If the case of minorities’ representation is considered significant enough to be made an election issue (by the compulsory inclusion of a minority candidate in a GRC slate of candidates), I do not see why the same cannot be done in the context of women. This should however, not be seen as a criticism of the unjust GRC concept, but as the highlighting of the issue: "Why is the ruling party of the day not doing more towards the
equality of female political representation in Singapore?"

At the same time, I must emphasise here is that it is essential that society break out of its mental mould that politics is not for women. As long as there is an intensified effort from both sides of the fence to make progress in this long-neglected problem, we will see an increase in the female representation in Parliament and a more balanced and equal working ground within the next few General Elections.

Persistent Wage Gap

It takes a wage council’s recommendation to help a minister decide the level of wages to be paid to each employee in the public service. Likewise, the persistent wage gap between the male and female in Singapore is justified via the actuality that the males serve their 2* years of National Service. However this is outmoded.

Does it occur to most of us that our mothers or wives are usually doing the bulk of housework at home? Is doing housework for 365 days a year a simpler task compared to 2* years of NS? Think again, the pain and suffering men are undergoing is nothing compared to the duties of housework, marketing, child-bearing and mothering! These are the real activities that keep our nation going!

Hence, it is important to note that women in our present binary division of work are in fact doing much more than the average male. It is important that the working woman, potentially a working mum, be given due acknowledgement, by raising her pay level to that of her male counterpart! Of course, if a champion of male rights is to stand up against this, it can be argued that equality can be sought via the work process
itself rather than pay scales. Examples are: Voluntary National Service for women and Voluntary housework for men.

Dual Roles of Women

As mentioned earlier, many a woman in the present times are both working professionals and working mothers. Such a dual role cannot be underestimated and the problems involved cannot simply be addressed by our present "pro-working women policies" alone. Even with the advent of childcare centers, the working mum remains central in the nurturing process of the child.

In other words, the working mum will still be the chief "in-charge" of the child after her long tiring work day. Of course the father does play a role too, however biological attributes and tradition has governed that it is "natural" that the mum is the one who will take care of the child.

Hence the present "pro-working mum" policies must be further improved and be institutionalized. A good start is to institutionalize adjustable work weeks, flexible work schedules, work at home, job sharing, year long unpaid leave (with no questions asked) for all employees, males included. In fact, the above recommendations have been implemented in Hewlett Packard by its chairperson, Lewis E. Platt, to great success.

Given its tight management and organized administration, I would suggest that the Public Sector will be a good pilot test ground for these proposed institutionalized programs.

The problem of the dual roles of women can only be addressed via the pushing towards egalitarianism in the context of a male-dominated world. The final product must be one that ends gender oppression, creates acceptance of the right of women’s self determination and results in mutual respect between the two genders.

Asian Values and the woman

In our increasingly globalized world, it is important to keep track of our roots and origin of traditions. However, when it comes to Asian Values, one cannot be too sure of what kind of values we are referring to. Is it Confucianism? Or is it a sum-it-all-up approach that gives a common platform to proponents of Asian Values such as loyalty, filial piety, thrift and diligence amongst others? As such, I would like to question the role of women as ascribed in Asian values with relation to the present realities of the working mum, which is unheard of in the days of "supposedly" Asian values.

It appears that in such a situation we must tread in a very cautious manner when applying the validity of all the Asian values to the present era of educated and working women. The proper application of Asian values must hence take into account gender equality and do away with gender discrimination. This will then lead to a more equal society.

Government Policies Affecting Women

In the light of the above arguments, it is crucial that the Singapore government takes into account the hitherto ignored plight of the average Singapore woman as she plays a significant part in the formulation of any workforce-related polices. It cannot be possible that on one hand, policymakers lament that Singaporean women are not conceiving enough babies, but on the other, they are encouraging women to join the workforce.

Sometimes it is inevitable to have contradictions in the formulation of public policies, however if there are in-built mechanisms which ensure an egalitarian approach to gender-related issues, many of the contradictions can be minimized to ensure optimal efficiency.

In Conclusion

If the above recommendations are taken into account, Singapore will definitely move one step closer towards gender equality. However, in the context of a huge historical baggage, such a movement towards equality takes time to happen; yet it is not impossible if we are willing to safeguard this process via various institutional processes to stamp out gender inequalities. Only then can Singaporeans hope for the transformation of a conservative, backdated outlook into an equal and enlightened mindset towards gender issues and gender equality.

Yaw Shin Leong

The original article can be found here:
http://groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.singapore/msg/eb453733365ac1ac?hl=en&dmode=source&output=gplain

Discussions With Canine Activists (III)

2011-09-22T17:00:00.004+08:00

In another meet up with a group of canine activists on 2nd September 2011, more ideas were generated amongst canine activists. The additional ideas were added to the original ‘Community Dogs Management Programme’ (draft I) paper.

We call this paper ‘Community Dogs Management Programme’ draft (II). Similar to draft I, Mr. Clifford Lum has kindly put this draft together after our earlier discussions. Please refer to our latest draft below.

The purpose is to encourage a mini-public discussion on community dogs management amongst animal lovers & if need be, a submission of the gathered ideas to the relevant authorities.

Shin Leong will be calling for another discussion with Canine activists on the 14th October 2011 (7pm, Friday) to further discuss + to fine-tune the draft below + to explore the possibility of organizing a dog walk in Hougang SMC.

Please email shinleong.yaw@wp.sg if you are keen to attend this discussion. Let's be part of this humane journey. We will start with Hougang & beyond!

COMMUNITY DOGS (STRAYS & PETS) MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME [DRAFT VER 2.0]
By: Clifford Lum

1. Reject culling, instead a sterilization cum rabies vaccination programme can be implemented for strays to prevent the spread of rabbies (one of the reasons citied by the authorities for culling although it has been non-existent here since 1953). Stray dog nuisance complain should be verified thoroughly before a stray dog is being culled. These "Singapore Specials" or mongrels are generally scared and wary of humans. Most of them tend to avoid human contact wherever possible. It would be very unfair for the unspoken ones if action is taken against them just because of complaints from selfish non-animal lovers. “We have always fought against the culling of dogs, not simply because it is inhumane from an animal welfare perspective, but more importantly, because it has never been shown to have any effect on rabies reduction.” - Janice Girardi, Founder of Bali Animal Welfare Association embarking on the government funded island-wide rabies vaccination programme, with soaring success.

2. Form 'Community Rescue & Adoption Network' (CRAN) whereby all existing animal welfare groups can come together as one and work towards the common objective of saving animals' lives. Animal lovers have seen before how animals have been put down due to the slightest health issues (skin conditions which can be treated with proper medication), mild behaviourial problems(can be worked out with proper behaviourial training) & even old age but still in good health. As the only animal welfare organisation that does not turn away any animals (strays, pets, birds and even terrapin) surrendered to them, it is inevitable that some has to be put down.

The SPCA takes in over 600 animals on average every month. If the CRAN can work closely with the SPCA to share the workload, the SPCA would not have to take in a large bulk of unwanted animals. For example, the SPCA can be tasked with handling only house pets while the CRAN can be tasked with handling only stray animals. In such a scenario, the SPCA would not be overloaded with having to manage all the unwanted animals thrown at them. The SPCA would then be able to reduce its manpower and other resources as its core focus will only be on house pets. As the SPCA has been around for a very long time with a regular donors' base firmly established, donations and funds from the public can be used for a more meaningful purpose in saving animals' lives instead of euthanasia.

Current founders/directors of existing animal welfare groups would be eligible to led CRAN. An elected director by the general public of animal lovers/ existing animal welfare shelters to run the network bonded together by a common cause. If all these people are able to put aside their differences for the sake of the animals, greater things can eventually be achieved with a collective group of enraged, tireless and committed individuals. A unified voice for the animals is currently lacking. A national animal adoption center can be set up if CRAN can eventually bid for a successful tender to secure a land space. Euthanasia rate can be reduced significantly if there is an even distribution of workload with stricter rules about surrendering of animals.

3. Discourage people importing pet dogs from overseas so as to discourage the operation of puppy mills. The best is to adopt. We can create an awareness programme by educating people about the plight of breeding dogs in puppy mills. Unethical breeding in puppy mills led to unhealthy puppies, which in the long term becomes a source of unexpected burden for the owners. This is especially so for impulsive first time owners who are not well equipped to manage the problems.

When the problem becomes too complicated and medical bills starts piling up, these heartless and irresponsible owners just simply choose to either abandon them or dump them at SPCA. Other reasons from impulsive owners include puppies outgrowing their cuteness, puppies pee and poo everywhere in the house, excessive barking, family members are allergic, maid has left etc. One of the most common excuses is when couples use a newborn baby as an excuse and simply choose to dump their pet at SPCA instead of re-homing it even before they start making a baby. Ample preparations before a baby arrives can help pets adapt to the new family member more easily.

4. Monitor the sales of puppies in local pet shops more strictly and to enforce the ruling of compulsory micro chipping. AVA can do monthly checks to pet shops selling puppies and ensure that they are licensed and registered with them. Having worked in a pet shop before, I am aware that one of the procedures required when purchasing a pup is the personal-particulars of each buyer. This information can be used by the AVA to take legal action against the person who abandoned or fail to microchip their pets.

5. Turning poop into gold ingots/shopping voucher program – This is a program to promote responsible pet ownership while providing people an opportunity to win prizes. It encourages people to pick up poops in public areas in exchange for shopping vouchers/ lucky draw coupons. Upon collection and verification from the authorities, shopping voucher/ lucky draw coupons can be exchanged. For sources and references, refer to appendix A.

6. More dog friendly facilities – With the number of pet ownership rising steadily, the idea of this concept is to create a more dog-friendly society & to integrate dog owners & non-dog owners together in our daily lifestyle. I hope this would help to create a basic level of acceptance among dog owners and non-dog owners alike. Currently, the number of dog-friendly facilities is sorely lacking. There are currently 3 dog runs in Singapore. Dog friendly cafes/ restaurants are also very hard to come by island wide. Some of them include Royal Petique on Upper Thomson Road, Urban Pooch at Balestier, Puppatoos’ Café at Telok Kurau and Brewerkz at the Indoor Stadium. More dog friendly facilities can be worked out in public places such as supermarkets, restaurants, food centers and even shopping centers. Respective areas currently on the cat sterilization program can be the areas to be targeted on for now.

Food centers and restaurants can allocate a section of the premises to cater for dog owners and their furry friend to dine together. Supermarkets can make some adjustments to allow dogs to do grocery shopping with their owners. This has to be enforced with certain strict rules and regulations such as keeping the dogs leashed at all times, picking up the poop, cleaning up of pee with mop provided and muzzling of potentially dangerous dog breeds. Nex Mall is currently the only shopping center with dog friendly facilities. Other shopping centers can also follow suit and take up the idea of having more dog friendly facilities.

7. Recognized & certified health test on breeding dog – The current rules and regulations do not strongly enforced the breeding standards. There is no requirement for breeders to bring the dogs to the vet for a proper health check prior to breeding them. In order to prevent headache and heartache for the owners in the future, we should raise the breeding standards to produce quality puppies. Some of the tests to be carried out include

a. Hips and Elbows Test: Your dog should have his/her hips tested and certified. This is important since hip dysplasia is a genetic condition. In the U.S. your dog can be tested and OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Inc.) certified when he/she reaches at least 2 years of age. Other countries have similar programs. Your veterinarian can check your dog's elbows at the same time. If you notice your dog limping regularly, or if his/her leg seems to be locked straight (a symptom of patellar luxation), please do not breed your dog.

b. Eye Test: The bad news - There are many genetic eye problems. The good news - most of these can be checked in ONE exam. A few things your dog's veterinary ophthalmologist will check for are cataracts, progressive degenerative retinas, ectropion, entropion, distichiasis, and other eye abnormalities. Some veterinarians recommend this test be performed annually as long as the dog is being used for breeding. Then it’s up to you and your vet to decide how often to perform the CERF exam.

c. Heart Test: Like the eye exam, it is recommended to have this test done yearly.

d. Brucellosis Test: This is a VERY NECESSARY test, even if you are having your bitch artificially inseminated. This is a very nasty disease. It can cause sterility, and in some cases can cause a litter of puppies to be aborted or die shortly after birth. An infected dog can pass the disease through intercourse, urine and feces. It is transmissible to humans and can infect an entire kennel. Please require this test before mating. The signs of this disease are not prominent or easily noticed. For more info, kindly refer to Appendix B.

8. Random spot checks on pet shops selling pups – There should be more random surprise spot checks on farm ways, pet shops and breeding farms. Instead of the usual informed monthly checks, the AVA should run random surprise spot checks regularly on these places to ensure that the rules & regulations are being adhered to.

9. ID spot checks for MC & poop patrol – The current microchip ruling for pet dogs is not strongly enforced. More work can be done by the AVA such as going on patrol to check for a MC that is registered with the AVA. Meanwhile, they can also fined & penalize errant owners who does not pick up after their pet dogs. Owners whose dogs are not micro-chipped are required to do so on the spot.

10. Owners to microchip their dogs and register it with AVA before boarding it – Presently, there are no compulsory ruling from pet shops to check on the personal particulars of owners and the valid details of their pets. This conveniently becomes another source of dumping ground for irresponsible owners who use boarding as an excuse to dump their pets and eventually deny ownership of their pets.

11. Responsible pet ownership certification – Potential owners would have to take up an examination on responsible pet ownership before being eligible to own a dog/cat/any other pets. This measure is taken to ensure that potential owners did their necessary homework to research and discuss the decision with their family members about owning a pet. The exam format consists of MCQs and short answer based questions. There are some people who purchase pets without knowing the level of commitment involved especially if it is a very young puppy.

At that point in time, they are not able to make a right decision about owning a pet as their thoughts are occupied by the sheer cuteness of the puppy and not whether they are able to afford such a lifelong commitment. The purpose of the exam is to highlight certain issues that potential pet owners may have overlooked during their consideration for a pet. Cost of veterinary expenses, importance of proper socialization, training, cost of grooming especially for certain high maintenance breeds like Poodle, Shetland, & Huskies etc.

The importance of socialization and training for dogs could not be more overstated because ultimately, we want good community dogs with good ‘petiquette’ and one that is good with both humans and dogs. Primary objective of this exam is to prevent buyers from buying pets on impulse.

12. Pet education – We can work on the future generations of Singaporeans to salvage the situation. At present, the schools are not taking the necessary steps to promote pet education and animal welfare. Too much emphasis has been placed on academic excellence to a point where a sense of care and kindness is lacking. There must be more educational talks on pet related topics in schools.

Such educational talks are important to teach the young how to care for animals so as to benefit the future of animal welfare. These talks help to make aware the plight of strays in Singapore and the importance of sterilizing cats and dogs. Educating students from young to be responsible pet owners is very important so that a sense of care and kindness towards animals can be instilled in them.

There is much importance in loving and respecting animals. We should teach our young to communicate with animals to understand their needs. Physically being there for one’s pet is definitely a must, but having a close relationship with it is of utmost importance. In this way, there can be a true bond and connection between humans and animals. Taking care of a pet requires time, money and tender loving care. If people are unable to provide these for their animals, they are likely to neglect or abandon them. Children must be taught from young to appreciate animals and grow up to be people who have that responsibility to care for their furry friends.

Older children can be taught the benefits of adopting mid-age dogs rather than buying puppies. Volunteers and adopters from various animal shelters can share various heart-warming stories on adopted dogs and their second chance in life. This will help the children understand that pets are their companions and they deserve a happy and pain-free life.

Schools can do more to invite personnel from different animal shelter to give such talks to garner the students’ interests in animal welfare or seek advice from them on how to start an animal welfare club in school. They would be glad to assist. To contribute to the animals, schools can organize pet day events to raise funds for the various animal welfare organizations. The young are much in need of understanding the importance of being the “voice” of the animals. It is hoped that our youth will respond to this call to be that “voice”.

13. Usefulness of dogs –Dogs can be used in a variety of therapy settings such as prisons, nursing homes, mental institutions and hospitals, in the home and in society.

14. Sterilization – Authorities can also work up a voucher programme to help lower cost of sterilization so as to encourage community dogs’ sterilization.

15. Ethics – (For further discussion) I personally feel that in order to be able to stop the current madness of pet abandonment and animal suffering. Commercial breeding of puppies should be banned. Yes, no doubt it provides a form of live hood for the people but we are also taking into consideration about the precious innocent lives of a sentient being that is just taken as a commodity. For consideration: AVA can regulate and set the number of breeding per breeder per year. They should also regulate the breeding standards, examined and certify the breeders. Only breeders that are certified by AVA should be allowed to sell puppies.

16. Adjustments of HDB ruling about medium sized/ large dogs – Medium sized/ large dogs of any breeds must be trained by AVA listed accredited trainers before they can be kept in HDB apartments. 1 medium sized/ large breed dogs can only be kept in 3 rooms flat and above. Alternatively, HDB can also do a survey among HDB residents to find out how many are fine with the idea of having big dogs in HDB units.

17. Sustainable funding for specialized animal shelters – Specialized shelters like these can focus more on generating funds through their own businesses; engaging in companies to secure sponsorship deals. Through this sponsorship deals, companies are able to further enhance their reputation for extending their compassion to animals. Eg. Mutts & Mittens Foundation, Noah’s Ark etc.

18. Monitor owners at risk who might abandon their pets – (For further discussion) With the number of animal welfare shelters rising, more volunteers can work together on this program to counsel/ provide assistance to owners who might have the possibility of dumping their pets.

19. Euthanizations in SPCA – Dogs in SPCA are euthanized immediately once they do not meet the adoption criteria. Having worked in SPCA, I felt that not all animals being put down are truly justified. For example, when a particular dog named QQ attempts to bite the vet who is performing a health checkup and feeding a de-worming tablet, QQ is deemed to have failed the temperament test and needs to be put down.

In this instance, we do not know exactly what causes QQ to snap at the vet, or whether the dog is just being fearful thus causing it to be defensive. As we do not know the actual history of QQ, whether it has certain bad experiences being handled in a particular manner or other underlying causes that needs time to be worked out. It would be fairer to QQ if there could have been a professional dog behaviorist to work with it. It is definitely an unfair to lay down a death sentence just because a dog bites during a routine checkup session.

SPCA should reduce the euthanasia rate to justify as a humane society, it should consider engaging a dog behaviorist/ trainer to work with the dogs. A dog is not born aggressive but rather how we humans nurture and train them to become well-socialized and well-mannered canine companions. Interacting with dogs in the wrong manner can lead to behavioral problems.
There can be a system whereby a dog is assigned a collar colour based on their temperaments. For example:

a) Green: Ok and good to go to a new home,
b) Yellow: Uncertain temperament, in the process of verification,
c) Red: Bad temperament, in the process of rehabilitation

A pet surrendered to the SPCA has about 72 hours to find a new family from the moment it has been drop off, sometimes a little longer if the shelter is not full and the surrendered animal manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it is euthanized. It will be confined to a small run/kennel with other barking animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. Little attention is given besides having a bowl of food and waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose.

Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the ‘sweetest’ dogs will turn aggressive in such an environment. Chances are it may get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be put down.

Appendix A: Yahoo News
Appendix B: www.askabreeder.com

Riang Ria Aidilfitri 2011

2011-09-20T18:05:00.002+08:00

Hougang residents celebrated Hari Raya with their MP Yaw Shin Leong last Saturday night. Dressed to the occasion in Malay traditional costume, Baju Melayu complete with samping and songkok, Mr Yaw gave a brief speech in Bahasa Melayu, welcoming the Malay residents to celebrate the special occasion.

Over 300 residents turned up for celebration of fun games, exciting performances and lucky draws. WP Aljunied MP Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap took time to share the joy of the celebration as well.

It was an exciting night. The hosts of events included a hip hop dance item put up by the boys of Anglo-Chinese School (Junior), Dikir Barat performance, song items by RIA FM DJ Tanty Yushida, and band performance by The Muzos.

The residents took turns to take the stage as well. There was a spontaneous competition of chatek. It’s hard to believe that there’ll still be people who know how to play this traditional malay game. A young Hougang resident won the spontaneous competition with over 29 continuous kicks!

Then we have the best dress competition, and the residents who dressed their best for the event had a chance to strut their stuff on stage.

Of course, the happiest of all was the Hougang family who won the lucky draw of 32’’ flatscreen TV, amongst other lucky draw prizes like Ipod shuffle, Philips Sound Cube and KDK electric fan.

Hougang Constituency Committee (HGCC, WP’s alternative grassroots arm in Hougang) would like to thank all our generous sponsors, who donated cash, and sponsored the lucky draw prizes.

Particularly, HGCC expresses appreciation and thanks to all volunteers who gave their time and effort to make the event a success and an enjoyable one.

HGCC wishes all Muslims Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

More Photos can be found here.

Should Medisave Withdrawal Limits Be Lifted?

2011-09-19T14:38:00.001+08:00

Dear Readers,

Singapore’s Ministry Of Health has put in place Medisave withdrawal limits to ensure that each Singaporean’s Medisave savings is conserved for future medical needs, especially during old age.

As such a patient or his/her family members usually has to pay cash out-of-pocket for part of the bill, which exceed the withdrawal possible from Medisave. On the same note, a Hougang constituent wrote me the following email. Please refer to below.

Hereby I am soliciting viewpoints. Do you think that there are valid grounds for our Medisave system to give in to requests similar to Miss K? This must take into consideration that Medisave savings ought to be conserved for future medical needs, especially during old age.

Thank you.

Best Regards

Shin Leong

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Miss K
Date: Mon, Jun 20, 2011 at 4:20 PM
Subject: Use of Medisave for hospital bills
To: Yaw Shin Leong

Dear Mr Yaw,

My mum had underwent surgery & seen a medical oncologist from the private practice in Gleneagles Medical Centre in XX 2008. Due to the very high cost of chemotherapy, we had requested for my mum to continue her treatment in a restructured hospital, National Cancer centre instead.

The average bill for each chemo by the private practice was $7k. Total deductible by both Medisave & Medishield = $1,900. So, the amount payable by cash was around $5k for each cycle of chemo. In total, she had completed 8 cycles of chemo by the private practice.

She then continued another 9 cycles of chemo at NCC. In total, we had incurred about $45k in hard cash for her medical fees before she was referred to NCC for further treatment.

The initial amount owing to NCC was made up of 2 invoices both dated XX 2008, totaled $2,XXX. Till to-date, we've settled $1k. The balance outstanding = $1,XXX.

At NCC, we had also sought financial assistance from Singapore Cancer Foundation. It had helped us paid for the rest of the invoices. Due to the long overdue amount owing, NCC has referred our case to a debt collection agent.

I understand that there are rules & regulations pertaining to the use of Medisave. Rules & regulations are guidelines for us to follow. However, why rules couldn’t be bent & flexibility in exceptional cases. Medisave is actually my own money / savings. The current balance in my Medisave account is about $20k +. Why is it so that I can't make use of it when I'm in need?

Thank You!

Miss K

Publichouse.sg Interview of Yaw Shin Leong

2011-09-19T12:08:00.002+08:00

EXCLUSIVE: Yaw Shin Leong - leading by example (publichouse.sg)
By: Andrew Loh

“All credit goes to Mr Low Thia Khiang,” says the new Workers’ Party (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Hougang Single-Member Constituency (SMC), Mr Yaw Shin Leong. He was replying to this writer’s question about his victory in Hougang in the May general elections. “If not for the foundation which Mr Low has laid in the last 20 years [in Hougang], I don’t think I would be even talking about this type of percentage,” Mr Yaw says, referring to the 64.8 per cent winning margin over his rival from the People’s Action Party (PAP), Mr Desmond Choo in GE 2011.

Mr Yaw, a Teochew, was his party’s choice to succeed Mr Low, who had helmed the ward for 20 years, in the general elections this year. In the event, Mr Yaw surpassed Mr Low’s best results, attained in the 2006 elections, of 62.74 per cent.

Having joined the WP in 2001 amidst one of the party’s most trying periods in its history when Mr JB Jeyaretnam stepped down after having been sued for defamation by PAP members, Mr Yaw has seen what some at that time believed to be the demise of the party to its present position as the most-recognized and best-supported opposition party in Singapore.

The WP has since chalked up another milestone in snatching the neighbouring Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) from the ruling PAP. The WP team was led by Mr Low who had made the “heavy decision” to leave Hougang in order to seek a breakthrough in the GRC system.

All these achievements of Mr Low perhaps raise questions of whether his successor will be able to fill his big shoes. While he may also be overshadowed by the more well-recognised names of other party MPs such as Ms Sylvia Lim and Mr Chen Show Mao, Mr Yaw’s motivation in his political path has been constant: to help achieve “a more balanced political society in Singapore”. “That pretty much drives my motivation,” he says. It keeps him going until there is a “sizeable number [of opposition MPs] in the House.” This has always been his belief since his entry into political activism in the 90s and will continue to be a goal.

“If I can do my part towards this change, I think I would have done my part as an individual,” says Mr Yaw who holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA, Merit) degree in Political Science & Sociology from National University of Singapore, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from University of Western Sydney.

It is a theme which he keeps coming back to during the one hour interview with publichouse.sg – that individuals can and should do their part for Singapore, to effect the change they want to see. And he is leading by example. His conviction in this belief goes back to his earlier student days when he would be involved in the organization of events, and in various political activities. When asked for specific examples from his younger days which have shaped his beliefs and thinking, Mr Yaw cited the “organization of a first-ever democratically elected student council for JJC [Jurong Junior College]” in 1993. Previously, council members were appointed by teachers. Mr Yaw spearheaded a campaign to bring direct elections to elect student representatives. “That was a milestone,” Mr Yaw says. That experience, among others, made him realize the effectiveness and importance of working as a team to change things but that it takes an individual to plant that seed for the idea to first take root.

His activism continued from there to his days in the university and in the army. One of his most memorable instances of political activism was to help organize the “Save JBJ” rally in April of 2001. Mr JB Jeyaretnam, who had been the secretary-general of the WP for some 30 years, was on the brink of bankruptcy after having been sued by several members of the PAP for defamation for an article in the party’s newspaper in 1995. The courts had ordered Mr Jeyaretnam to pay “total damages of S$465,000 and S$250,000 in court costs.” The rally was to raise funds for Mr Jeyaretnam and so to “save” him from bankruptcy, else he would be barred from contesting future elections.

“He was an inspiration to an entire new generation of (younger) activists, including myself,” Mr Yaw says. “The lion of Singapore. There can only be one lion. Sometimes I really wonder what kept him going. That is something people of our generation can never comprehend. Despite one setback after another, one obstacle after another, he just kept going. That itself is inspirational. He stayed, he fought, despite the obstacles placed in front of him… If a man of such dogged determination can conquer his obstacles one by one, there should no mountain too high for anyone of us.”

But Mr Jeyaretnam’s fiery public persona is not something which Mr Yaw will be emulating anytime soon. He prefers a more nuanced and moderate approach, compared to what some have called the “fire and brimstone” preferences of Mr Jeyaretnam. “I’m quite a balanced person in terms of my understanding of policies,” Mr Yaw says. It is a position which at times throws up situations which may seem odd to his constituents who approach him for help.

“Sometimes I find it very interesting when constituents come to me to complain about certain policies. I would need to put into perspective [for them] why certain policies are in place. This is sometimes amusing to the constituents. They’d say, ‘Eh, I thought you were suppose to oppose this particular policy?’ That’s an interesting aspect [of being an opposition MP],” Mr Yaw explains, laughing.

“It’s not so much of defending them,” he adds. “There are merits to some of the policies, why they are in place. Before even criticizing polices, we must understand why certain policies are in place. Like the cov issue,” he explains, referring to the cash-over-valuation used in housing transactions. “If you do not allow covs, you may drive such things underground. So, there are no easy solutions to these.”

His balanced approach, as he describes it, is perhaps borne out of events earlier in his life. Mr Yaw, who is now 35-years old, lists the passing of his father in 1990 as one of the main episodes in his life which have informed his personal philosophy. His father was 48-years old when he died.

“I remember I was 13-years old, secondary two. It was February, I remember, February 11, 1990, he passed away. That episode somewhat changed my perspective on life. [My father] was a university graduate. He died so young, chasing after money, so to speak, bringing bread to the table. [His passing at such a young age] made me think: what is it that I want in life? Should I be doing things I passionately believe in, or should I be doings things because I have to do them rather than because I believe in them?”

His mother, who had been a housewife, became the breadwinner after Mr Yaw’s father passed away. She first worked as a clerk and later as a room rental agent. Mr Yaw has one younger sister. They have been supportive of his political activities and have not treated him any differently even after he became an MP. The job, however, demands more of his time now. Apart from running his own enrichment company, he has to also spend time at the town council. “After all my morning and afternoon appointments, I need to come back to the town council [to do work],” says Mr Yaw. It was more challenging immediately following the results of the general elections when he had to reconstitute the Hougang grassroots and the Hougang Town Council (HGTC).

“After winning Aljunied, much of the Workers’ Party resources needed to be channeled to the building of grassroots functions and grassroots mechanisms from scratch,” Mr Yaw explains. “So interestingly, the entire HGCC is made up of very very new and inexperienced activists. But for the lack of experience, they make up for it with passion. So ok lah. Nevermind. Mistakes there will be, one or two, minor mistakes here and there. But otherwise, I think it’s fine. It’s a learning process. A lot of youthful dynamism in that sense. That was the biggest challenge – building up a grassroots to run and organize activities, which prior to that, nobody knew how to.” His five years of experience as a town councilor and secretary of the HGCC for Mr Low’s administration when Mr Low was MP for Hougang was helpful in helping him establish his own team.

As a WP MP now, however, his duties and responsibilities are not confined to just those of the constituency. At the party level, Mr Yaw has been appointed the party treasurer in the new WP Central Executive Council (CEC), a different role from his previous one of Organizing Secretary which he held for some five years.

While seeing his MP role in the constituency as that of a village chief, reflecting the kampong spirit of Hougang, Mr Yaw says it goes further than that, and encompasses a wider national role as well, especially for the eight WP MPs. The other opposition parliamentarian is Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP), Mrs Lina Chiam, from the Singapore People’s Party (SPP).

“Although I am the elected member of Hougang, from a national perspective, opposition members have an important role to play, in the context of Parliament,” he says. “The reason being that there are only that many of us. So it is important for Workers’ Party parliamentarians to be of one heartbeat, as we put forth our arguments. But that doesn’t mean that there will be group-think. I believe that a lot of intra-party democracy is needed when we talk about arguing for a certain position to take, be it a policy decision or be it a political position. And that must be done and when the party is to decide on a particular course of action, or course of position to take, I do expect the eight of us to rally behind the party position and debate them vigorously in the context of Parliament. That will also sound off certain viewpoints which very possibly will or could be the concern of our fellow countrymen. From that perspective, it’s not just a constituency role I am playing as an MP but also a national role which I need to assume and execute my duty well.”

Known by friends and members for his seemingly boundless store of energy, Mr Yaw is well aware that his work in Hougang is of utmost importance. During the election campaign, for example, away from the limelight, he was diligently making house visits in Hougang while the party took to the stadiums for its nightly rallies. It left some members of the public wondering where he was. “I only spoke at the first and last rallies,” Mr Yaw said. The first rally was held in his ward, while the last was at Serangoon Stadium. The seven days in-between, he was visiting residents in the 96 blocks in the constituency, even though previously he, together with Mr Low, had already covered the blocks twice.

Not resting on his laurels, Mr Yaw has hit the ground running after the elections. Besides taking over the running of the town council he has instituted several programmes for his residents. One of these is the Hougang Women Support Network which caters to women, such as widows, in the ward who needs help. Another initiative is the support group for the Hougang United Football Club which, incidentally, falls under Ang Mo Kio GRC.

“At the grassroots level, we have moved beyond just a committee-centric point of organization,” Mr Yaw explains. “While that has been very helpful, in terms of organizing manpower, organizing activities and events, increasingly there is this heartbeat for us to organize people around their passion. And when we do that, we form networks that are related to the areas of passion these constituents have a heartbeat for.” The support group for the football club is an example of this “passion-centric” organization. “There are young people coming forward and supporting this S-League club which is a good thing. So we organize people around their passion and their love for a particular interest or hobby.”

What about politics at the grassroots? Does Mr Yaw have any plans to, for example, initiate a political club in Hougang, to harness the energy of the increased number of politically-aware residents? While he does not feel there is a need for such clubs in the constituency, because “Hougang constituents are one of the most politically aware group of Singaporeans in our country”, Mr Yaw feels there is a need for the party to reach out to fellow Singaporeans beyond the boundaries of Hougang and Aljunied. “How will the end structure be like, I believe the Workers’ Party Central Executive Council [will look into this]. In the past we reached out to fellow Singaporeans outside Hougang via the area committees. We need to rethink our strategy as we build up towards 2016.”

In the meantime, as the world goes into an uncertain period with expectations of a global downturn in the coming months and lasting an extended period of time, Mr Yaw urges Singaporeans not to be discouraged. “Diligence is important, and the ability and the spirit to overcome adversity and obstacles is equally important, if not more important,” he says. “This perseverance spirit is very key. And this applies across the board for both Hougang residents and fellow Singaporeans. So you need to have this ability to adapt to local circumstances vis a vis international conditions. We must be agile, we must have this ability to look out for new opportunities for us to stay ahead of the game.”

While such downturns will not be easy for many, Mr Yaw says nonetheless “our antennaes must be up”. While we deal with the present circumstances, we must also be able “to size up… the global opportunities that present themselves.” “We may even turn out stronger if we manage to get our strategy right at the macro level or at the national level, or even at the private sector level,” he adds.

And if Singapore does well, it will perhaps be something to celebrate in four years’ time when the island-state turns 50 in 2015. “I do hope that our competitive spirit burn stronger, building upon the foundation of these last 50 years, such that Singapore can be propelled into yet another league of its own, unimaginable at this moment,” says Mr Yaw. “And it is important for fellow countrymen and women to come together and say, hey we are in a very very unique journey from now, 2011 to 2015. This part of history is definitely in the making. And the makers of history are none other than ourselves.”

It is perhaps with this in mind that Mr Yaw, who married three years ago, is leading by example, and he hopes that more Singaporeans, especially younger ones, will step forward. “I sincerely do hope that each individual will step forth, in whatever area – be it in cyber activism, be it in political activism, in social work, community involvement or even on the economic front, be the entrepreneur that you are, or as an employee. I believe there [is] this enterprising spirit in each individual.”

Mr Yaw’s motivation to help Singapore move towards a “more balanced political society” has now taken a step forward with his election as MP. Disagreeing with what Mr Lee Kuan Yew said recently – that national solidarity or unity may be negatively affected by political diversity in Parliament – Mr Yaw says, “On the contrary, as result of all this diversity, across our society, and particularly political diversity, the nation can only be stronger.”

While credit for the WP’s transformation indeed must be accorded to Mr Low, it is the younger MPs such as Mr Yaw who will help see Singapore through the next phase of progress.

Mr Yaw’s passion for Singapore is perhaps best seen in his signing up for the “Reservist on Voluntary Extended Reserve Service (ROVERS) Scheme.” The scheme is for NSmen who are keen to continue to serve NS after completing their training cycle, according to the Mindef website. Mr Yaw served as a 2SG combat medic during his National Service. He joined the ROVERS scheme soon after completing his MINDEF Reserve obligation in 2009, and says he is looking forward to his next in-camp training in November.

The village chief, in character, putting on the kampong spirit and leading by example.

GLOBAL STAKEHOLDERS AND THE SOARING DRAGON

2011-09-15T17:53:00.004+08:00

SPEECH BY YAW SHIN LEONG, AT THE INSTITUTE FOR CULTURAL DIPLOMACY’S BERLIN,INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “THE GROWING PROMINENCE OF CHINA ON THE WORLD STAGE: EXPLORING THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND CULTURAL RELATIONS OF CHINA AND GLOBAL STAKEHOLDERS” ON 15TH SEPTEMBER 2011, AT 10.45AM

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies & Gentlemen

Introduction

1) A very good morning to all of you. It gives me great pleasure to be here today at ‘The Sino-Global Discourse’ organized by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. My name is Yaw Shin Leong and I am from the Republic of Singapore. Singapore is a highly globalized city-state. Historically we share certain social, cultural and family connections with China. We host a large number of people from China who work in Singapore and large numbers of Singaporean businesses operate in China. Singapore is integrated in the open world economic system. Major trading partners and sources of investment come from all parts of the world, including Europe and North America. Strategically, this means that Singapore may have a feel for the complexities of having to work simultaneously with China, the US, Europe, our immediate neighbors and the wider world - including when the behavior of various actors may not be in full alignment. Being small, Singapore is particularly attuned to such dynamics.

Growing Prominence of China on The World Stage

2) Looking toward China and the world, it is evident that there are issues where spillover effects can be quite significant both in Asia and beyond. Examples include, the differences over the South China Sea, the Chinese Renminbi exchange rate, and issues surrounding US debt. The lack of clarity on these issues cast a shadow over both security and prosperity. Global economic growth clearly requires that the US get its economic house in order, but having a China that can provide capital through its pressured finance system as well as a market for goods may be no less important. Of course, we have to bear in mind concerns over Chinese local governments’ debt situations , as this will have adverse affect on its banking system.

3) At the same time, any potential instability in the South China Sea - a body of water that sees half of annual global commerce - can disrupt trade in both Southeast and Northeast Asia. If nothing else, the increased risks to communication and transport in the South China Sea had made shipping and air transport more expensive for business. It can also undermine energy security since the major Northeast Asian economies are net energy importers - and much of their energy needs have to cross the South China Sea. All this could have negative effects on the world economy. So, even for non-claimant states to the South China Sea, such as Singapore, peaceful, stable management of differences may be highly important. This is an insight that may be applicable to other areas where views diverge between China and others.

4) What may be key to managing challenges in a world where China is increasingly prominent may be an appreciation that all actors may have to work consciously and actively on coordination and mutual accommodation, even though this process can at times be trying. It may be the case that no power can go into it alone in Asia and perhaps the world. A rising China cannot full address major regional and global economic shocks on its own, and even if these issues may not originate from Asia, a slowdown in world economic growth affects everyone - not just in their pocketbooks, but politically and socially as well. China also may yet to possess the capacity or trust among its neighbors - being a claimant to several territorial disputes - for it to underwrite political stability and maritime security on a regional, much less global scale. After all, the US became the world's largest economy around 1870, but only became the world's leading state in 1945, and that was after two world wars had devastated other major centers of power.

Political, Economic & Cultural Relations Of China & Global Stakeholders

Political Relations of China & Global Stakeholders

5) Maintaining a rapid pace of economic development has traditionally been seen as a political imperative in China. However, a series of accidents and safety scandals have seen the People's Daily, the official mouthpiece of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), warning against a dash for "GDP that comes with blood" at the expense of human life. The caution came in the wake of a fatal collision in July involving two high-speed trains near the city of Wenzhou, in Zhejiang province. Some 40 people were killed in the incident, and nearly 200 others were injured. The roll out of high-speed rail had been trumpeted as a sign of China’s growing economic strength and prowess in high-technology spheres. Just before the crash, a government spokesman had rejected claims that China's high-speed trains were based on stolen Japanese technology, claiming that they were home grown and superior to Japan's models. The disaster was thus a huge embarrassment. This was compounded by the Ministry of Railways' handling of the aftermath, which saw parts of the wreckage buried, rather than being sent for examination for the crash's cause. The discovery of a survivor after the ministry’s claim that rescue work had ended, added further salt to the injury. The local media was quick to critique the government’s management of the incident. A reporter for China Central Television (CCTV), the main national TV network, gave an impassioned critique of rail safety and called for slower growth.

6) If the above incident could be an indication, China, despite it’s advances in technology and it’s status as the world’s second largest economy, may still find itself lacking to fully undertake the responsibilities of managing the world system and its region on its own. In this sense, the unique capacities that the United States, Europe, and others bring remain key, and it is important that leaders in these capitals continue their active presence in the Asia-Pacific and the world. It may be difficult to do so in the face of domestic political and economic pressure, but insufficient engagement may intensify these challenges over time. Working to further improve cooperation may not always be easy, but it may be the most practical way ahead.

7) Given the close integration of the world economy, actions by any party can have severe consequences not just for others but itself too. In this sense, all countries, including China, have little incentive to provoke others. What may be key is cooperative management of challenges such as the world economy and disputes to make sure that these issues remain under control. This may be especially important to do given the potential rise of more assertive forms of nationalism in China and elsewhere. Strong expressions of national pride may make compromise difficult, even on matters that may otherwise be quite reasonable. Containing such sentiments may be especially difficult during periods of leadership transition and when leaders feel less confident. This may be something to watch since both the US and China are moving into periods of leadership change over the next year or two.

8) Being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China is actively involved in handling regional issues, such as the nuclear situation in North Korea and in the anti-piracy task force off the coast of Africa. China is an active participant in many past and present UN peacekeeping missions , including Timor Leste, Haiti and the Middle East etc.

Economic Relations of China & Global Stakeholders

9) China is currently the world's second largest economy, even though the distribution of income remains very unequal given that it has the world's largest population. China is also a major investor, especially in the developing world, which also gives it significant political influence in these areas. Countries with substantial Chinese economic and political influence cover Africa, Latin America, the South Pacific, and Southeast Asia. Some countries have moved to use RMB rather than USD denominated transactions, especially in Asia. China is a major producer of greenhouse gases and consumer of fossil fuels in the world . Given the one-child policy and its social development, China may be facing a major demographic problem with a very rapidly ageing population over the next 20-30 years. This could put a damper on its economic development.

10) Controlling inflation will remain China's top priority even as the world economy wobbles, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao signaled in comments published recently. Although imported inflation is expected to remain elevated, he said the global recovery remained fragile and that sovereign debt problems in the United States and Europe would put a "drag" on world economic growth in the future. Noting that an economic slowdown in China is expected and even desirable, he said inflation remained unacceptably high. Mr Wen made the comments in an article in Qiu shi (求实), or Seeking Truth, a key journal published by the ruling Communist Party.

11) On the other hand, China's millionaires may account for about half of the rich people across 10 major economies in Asia and hold more than half of the wealth by 2015, according to a study by Julius Baer Group and CLSA Asia Pacific Markets. The millionaires will more than double in number to 2.8 million, with 1.4 million high networth people in China, according to the report that covered China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia. Mainland Chinese millionaires will hold US$8.76 trillion (S$10.55 trillion) of the US$15.81 trillion that these countries' rich are expected to have.

Cultural Relations of China & Global Stakeholders

12) On the cultural front, it is also important to understand that China is highly diverse and complex. There is great regional and linguistic variation – For instance, Han Chinese in Northern China may barely understand the daily speech of people in Southern China. There are also significant differences across administrative bureaucracies, which can sometimes manifest itself in difficulties in coordination or even seeming administrative ambivalence. Sometimes, there may be official pressure to conform to certain modes of behavior that may be difficult to go along with. Some point to the protection of sensitive technology and extra-contractual elements that may make for complicated business relationships. Of course, all this comes with the great economic and other opportunities that China offers.

13) Indeed, Singaporeans learnt many of these lessons the hard way through experience. One exercise to quote is the joint venture for the development of the Suzhou Industrial Park project. Perhaps it is not that these issues are insurmountable. In this regard more care to specific conditions - and how they change over time and space - may prove more helpful than looking at China as a whole. This can help inform decisions on the social as well as political costs and benefits of doing business in China, as well as potential ways to get around obstacles in ways that allow continued autonomy of action.

14) China is actively pushing public diplomacy through the establishment of its Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms around the world. Reportedly, there are more than 300 Confucius Institutes and 300 Confucius Classrooms around the world, including one in Singapore, hosted by Nanyang Technological University. The Confucius Institutes come under the Hanban or Office of the Chinese Language Council, under the PRC Ministry of Education. There are more than 40 million students studying Mandarin around the world as well as more than 260,000 foreign students studying in China. China is culturally diverse with more than 56 officially recognized minority groups and many smaller ones. Even within the largest Han ethnic group, there is significant difference, including over spoken languages.

Four Key Issues Involving China & Global Stakeholders

I) Obstacles to Continued Economic Prosperity

15) China is clearly on the rise and offers many economic opportunities and is a key driver of the world economy. Continued Chinese prosperity is key to the world economy especially at times when Europe and North American face economic pressures. However, China's economic growth is not without its downside risks. These include inadequate legal protections and welfare provisions for lower income groups, particularly in inadequate healthcare, denial of pay, poor working conditions, land grabs etc. There is also substantial income inequality. Minorities also sometimes can feel discriminated against. China also has severe environmental problems ranging from pollution to the severe reduction of water sources. As mentioned earlier, China faces a serious ageing problem in the medium term. These issues could hamper China's continued economic growth. They could even potentially develop into social unrest, which may negatively affect China's economic development and/or potentially drive greater nationalism in China as groups try to lay channel such unrest for their own aims.

II) Durability & Adaptability of Social-Political Institutions

16) China's political and social institutions are strong and helped it overcome unrest in the past, but questions about their durability and adaptability remain. According to a Tsinghua University sociology professor, Sun Li Ping, there were more than 180,000 mass protests in China last year . This reflects that at least a significant minority of people feel that the current system is unable to fully address their grievances. Among these problems include corruption, which could erode social stability and negatively affect the business climate. The relative lack of transparency in Chinese institutions can make dealing with Chinese officialdom and companies difficult. It can also foster suspicion of Chinese intentions among China's neighbors - perhaps even unnecessarily. Moreover, a seeming lack of coordination in China's bureaucracy may complicate relations with China and efforts to seek cooperation. Indeed, a number of scholars claim that the South China Sea tensions over the past few years are a consequence of a lack of bureaucratic coordination and even bureaucratic turf wars in China. China's diversity compounds these issues.

III) Environmental Concerns & Neighborliness

17) China's rapid economic growth and the benefits it offers to stakeholders may have wider economic externalities that may be worth deeper consideration. The pollution problems associated with China's economic development have almost as much to do with domestic Chinese consumption as producing for foreign firms and the world market. Pollution from China also those beyond its borders, an example being the flow of air particulates from China to Korea and Japan. China's extensive water and energy demands also relate to the development of its globally integrated economy. This has also led to the damming of rivers to the potential detriment of countries downstream - examples include India , Thailand , Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam .

IV) Fostering Transparency & Diffusing Tensions

18) It may be important to continually engage China to reinforce the understanding that other global actors do not wish China ill, but hope that China will remain open to discussion and even compromise on difficult issues. Given concerns about potential domestic unrest and possibly the rise of nationalism, there could be influential forces in China that see external actors as likely to be threatening. It is important to allay these concerns while at the same time spelling out the need to work with China peaceably on areas of difference. In this regard, encouraging greater transparency in China could go a long way in preventing tensions from rising and diffusing them when they do. Global stakeholders in China can also encourage greater coordination among different bodies responsible for a particular issue. It may be helpful to understand that working with China is a long-term process of engagement that may not always be smooth. There may be times when a strong stance may be necessary, as well others when walking away from an issue for a time can be crucial. These may be just as important as accommodation and compromise. Deciding when which approach might be most effective requires not only general expertise about China, but in-depth knowledge of the issues at hand.

Conclusion

19) China is clearly a central actor in the world whose importance is likely to increase going forward. However its development is not without significant risks for all stakeholders. As such it is important for all global stakeholders to soar with the dragon and work jointly in dealing with the risks China face, just as it is important for China to work with others to address challenges that face its neighbors and the world. In the light of the above, it is crucial for China and all stakeholders to recognize that addressing challenges can be difficult, but this does not always mean avoiding contentious issues. Transparency and being forthright is a key part of dealing effectively with the multiple challenges that face China and the world. Also friction is a natural part of dealing with difficult issues and differences with China - just as it is with other actors - even though provocation is in no one's interest, including China's. The reasoning underlying the above set of ideas aims to encourage China to take on an active, cooperative international role that can benefit all stakeholders. However, these ideas are also mindful of the domestic risks China faces, the rise of potentially disruptive nationalism, and its recent assertiveness, which some stakeholders see as unnecessarily provocative. They hope to encourage China to work with various stakeholders, as many of these issues need to be addressed cooperatively.

20) Thank you.

Bibliography
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2. Clinton, H. Remarks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa After Their Meeting. Ayodhya Hotel, Bali Indonesia. Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. July 24, 2011. Available from http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/07/168997.htm

3. Economist Intelligence Unit (2011). Country report, China. p.12. September 2011. Available from http://store.eiu.com/product/50000205CN-toc.html

4. McGregor, R. Obama hits campaign trail with jobs plan. Sep 9, 2011. Available from http://www.ft.com/intl/indepth/us-presidential-election-2012

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10. Todayonline (2011) Fighting inflation is Beijing’s top task, even as world economy wobbles. Sept 02, 2011. Available at http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC110902-0000263/Fighting-inflation-is-Beijings-top-task,-even-as-world-economy-wobbles (Accessed: 29 Aug 2011)

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12. Becky. (2011) Learn Chinese in China: The 10,000 Strong Initiative. 2011. Study Abroad. Available from http://www.thatsmandarin.com/2011/04/learn-chinese-in-china-the-100000-strong-initiative/ (Accessed: 29 Aug 2011)

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15. The Times of India (2011) No Threat from China dam on Brahmaputra: Manmohan Singh. Aug 4, 2011. Available at http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-04/india/29850081_1_brahmaputra-tsangpo-dam (Accessed: 20 Aug 2011)

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17. Lee, Yoolim, 2010. China Hydropower Dams in Mekong River Give Shocks to 60 miillion. Oct 27, 2010. Available at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-26/china-hydropower-dams-in-mekong-river-give-shocks-to-60-million.html (Accessed: 3 Sept 2011)

Celebrating Mid Autumn With Hougang Residents

2011-09-11T02:33:00.003+08:00

Hougang residents celebrated their first Lantern festival with their MP Yaw Shin Leong last night. More than 550 Hougang residents turned up for the celebration in anticipation of the exciting games, performances, and the lucky draw prizes. More importantly, it was a time to gather with their family, neighbours and their new MP for a time of tea, mooncake and fellowship on this mid autumn festival.

The night saw 3 great dance performances by 2 different dance groups, Pu Ti Buddhist Temple and J&A Dance Group. Both children and adults enjoyed the dance performance tremendously.

The slight drizzle interrupted an initial attempt for a lantern parade around the neighbourhood park. Eventually, the sky cleared, and everyone gathered enthusiastically, lit their lanterns and followed Mr Yaw for a parade round the park. It was a traditional lantern parade that would take place every year for HGCC organized lantern parade. This year was no exception. The children carried their lit up lanterns and joined the parade happily.

It was rumoured that the 1st prize was a 29” flatscreen TV, residents were more than glad to find out that it was a 32” Samsung flatscreen instead. There was also Ipod shuffle, Oto Foot Massager, and even a fully equipped 1 feet aquarium amongst other attractive prizes.

Everyone went home happy. Some with the memories of an enjoyable experience with their loved ones, others with goodie bags, yet others with their lucky draw prizes. The children were the greatest winners. The emcees humoured them with lots of fun games, and they get cute sculptured balloons, on top of goodie bags full of tidbits and lanterns.

Overheard from a resident: Next year I want to ‘chop’ tickets early!

Hougang Constituency Committee (HGCC, WP’s alternative grassroots arm in Hougang) would like to thank all their generous sponsors, who donated cash, the lucky draw prizes, mooncakes, piglet baskets, paper lanterns and drinks.

Also, HGCC expresses appreciation and thanks to all volunteers who gave their time and effort to make the event a success and an enjoyable one.

HGCC wishes everyone a Happy Mid Autumn!

View more photos here!

Using Generic Drugs To Fight HIV?

2011-09-10T13:29:00.010+08:00

Following my lunch with HIV ex-inmate (Mr. E), a week+ later, I met up over coffee with Mr. Shawn Lee, an advisory group member with the Global Network Of People Living with HIV (GNP+).

Shawn updated me about the fight against HIV in Singapore & the region. He shared with me his disappointment that in recent participation at an UN forum on HIV, Singapore did not send any official representative, whereas some other ASEAN countries did.

He said that he was there in his capacity as a member of the advisory group to GNP+. During our coffee He shared with me the following advocacies by GNP+:

1) Pre-enlistees to Singapore’s National Service ought to be pre-informed that the blood tests they are subjected to, will be screened for HIV.
2) To treat HIV as a chronic disease, as if it is something similar to other chronic illness, such as high blood pressure etc.
3) To make subsidy more readily available for HIV drugs.

According to Shawn, a delegate from Nepal during the conference quipped that ‘For a HIV+ patient, Singapore is one of the worst countries to live in’. Shawn explained that, the reason behind the observation is because, once diagnosed with HIV in Singapore, there would be lots of emotional & financial fear and unknowns for both the patients and society at large.

He said that there is a need for more awareness creation on HIV facts and living with HIV. Shawn said that people (both patients & the community) has to know, ‘what is in it for this person/ community, if this person turns out to be positive’

Shawn noted that the hefty price tag of patented HIV drugs and the relative limitations of using CPF monies to purchase HIV drugs (usage of CPF monies for the purchase of generic drugs are not permissible). As such patients’ options will be severely limited.

He shared that if cheaper and generic HIV drugs are made available, it will certainly encourage individuals with HIV to seek earlier access to medication/ treatment (early usage). Shawn shared that according to studies this will lower the transmission of ‘viral-load’. This is because suspected HIV individuals, who know about the affordability of the medications are not likely to delay the seeking of screening, treatment and medication. Hence knowing that one is infected, and on HIV medication early on, will likely and indirectly reduce the unknown transmission of the HIV virus. Refer to the news report which suggests that there can be a drastic drop of 96%.

He cited Malaysia as an example that permitting the usage of generic HIV drugs as first line medical treatment had yielded a downward trend on HIV statistics over the years, whereas Singapore is currently on the upward trend. Refer to the graphs.

I share Shawn Lee’s perspectives.

Photo 1: News Report
Photo 2: Malaysia's downward trend
Photo 3: Singapore's upward trend
Photo 4: With Shawn Lee (2nd from Left)

In Loving Memory of JBJ (II)

2011-09-08T18:17:00.002+08:00

Yesterday Dr. Michael Barr sent me an email with the attached photo. Dr. Barr asked if that was a photo of a younger me (10 years ago) with the late Uncle Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam (JBJ). Dr Barr shared that he just found it amongst his collections.

Fond memories of Uncle JBJ filled my mind as I recalled that particular moment of time. The photo was taken at the ‘Save JBJ Political Rally’ held on 28th April 2001 at Yio Chu Kang stadium organized by the Think Centre. The timing of Dr. Barr’s email was so apt. In another 22 days, it will be the 3rd anniversary of Uncle JBJ’s passing.

I am sure many of us do miss Uncle JBJ because the propensity to miss someone is only human, but deep down, we know that Uncle JBJ would want us press forward and to carry on this good fight for Singapore. Shall we be encouraged and be inspired in his loving memory? Do join me in this journey.

Read:
1) http://yawshinleong.blogspot.com/2008/09/tribute-to-uncle-joshua-benjamin.html
2) http://yawshinleong.blogspot.com/2008/04/unity-call.html
3) http://yawshinleong.blogspot.com/2008/10/in-loving-memory-of-jbj.html
4) http://yawshinleong.blogspot.com/2008/10/final-send-off.html
5) http://yawshinleong.blogspot.com/2007/11/lion-roars-on.html
6) http://www.thinkcentre.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=548

A Young Singaporean’s Concerns about Housing Loan Affordability

2011-09-07T19:01:00.002+08:00

Below is an impassionate email from Ms Z, a Hougang constituent regarding her concerns that housing loans are no longer affordable for young Singaporeans like herself. This is indeed an important issue of grave concerns for younger Singaporeans. With Ms Z's permission, I am reproducing the full contents of her email for our reading. Do kindly share your thoughts, if you share similar concerns or have any suggestion(s) to offer. Thank you.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Miss Z
Date: XXX, Sep X, 2011 at X:XX PM
Subject: Calculations show HDB loan is not affordable
To: Yaw Shin Leong

Hi Shin Leong,

I'm writing to you with concerns that the HDB loan is not affordable to an average Singaporean at all. Well, I think you know that already. Just to give you more numbers and my perspective.

Now in my mid-20s, my boyfriend and I are considering getting a HDB flat. I'm a local university graduate, earning about $4k a month. My boyfriend is starting his own business, the income is unstable and he does not contribute to CPF.

As I do my calculations based on HDB's July 2011 BTO Sales figures, it is appalling that I should expect all of our monthly CPF contribution to be used to pay for a 4-room flat in Sengkang and it's just Sengkang, that is just the 'typical' or average selling price, see reference below:

http://www101.hdb.gov.sg/hdbvsf/eampu07p.nsf/0/11JULBTOSK_page/$file/11JULBTOSK_about1.htm?open&ft=bto

Getting a 5-room flat would require me to not only empty my CPF, but also fork out cash! Ok, to be honest, this is possible. But I don't think being able to do it means that it is what HDB calls 'affordable'. There needs to be considerations for other and future expenses. So where do I have the money for raising kids and retirement?

Three concerns:

1. After paying the loan for 30 years, would I have the Minimum Sum required? Or, would I even have any CPF left?

The monthly CPF contribution, I've been taught, is the Government's tool to enforce savings for RETIREMENT. The current minimum sum is S$130k. I suppose it will be further raised by the time I reach 60 years old. Just using the figure of $130k, over 30 years, there should be savings of $360 per month. However for my peers & I, we're not going to have that! We are going to use all our CPF to pay for our HDB. What's left of my CPF, after paying the loan for 30 years? So should we expect not to retire? (Assuming wage growth is minimal, as it has been for the past decades).

Generally I agree that CPF is a feasible tool to enforce savings. However we need to seriously relook the acceptable installment to income ratio to ensure that there are still savings for someone who has paid the HDB loan using CPF for 30 years and have at least the minimum sum. If this is tough for a university grad, how much tougher it must be for other Singaporeans!

The other way is to shorten the loan period to 15 - 20 years so that at least the last 10 years of CPF contribution can be safely used for retirement. (May not be enough to save minimum sum). I believe that many Singaporeans are slaves to CPF and their housing loan. And we really need to change this.

2. Family planning.

Also, this high monthly loan installment forces me to have no choice but to continue working even after I have kids. There is no flexibility at all such as a year deferment for parents who want to take a year off to look after their infants. The housing loan burden for my generation is really too heavy for us to bear. No wonder young Singaporeans are putting off having kids.

3. Loan repayment. What if I lose my job?

I think maxing out the installment to income ratio to 25% is treading a very dangerous boundary, leaving no buffer every month to save for circumstances like this in which monthly contributions stop temporarily.

I also attached an excel file with a simple comparison of how resale flat prices have escalated by 60% in various towns over the past 4 years. I am only comparing 4-room and 5-room as I was doing it for my personal understanding of how the property market has changed.

All data are from HDB website. I am really alarmed and saddened after I keyed in all the numbers. Getting to stay at Bishan or Marine Parade is not even attainable for a University graduate, because each unit cost 500k and more!

In Parliament, please help all Singaporeans to ask what is the cost to build HDB, especially the land price. Pegging BTO to a 'subsidized' rate of resale flat prices is really not the way to go since resale prices are exposed to market volatility whereas BTO is buying from the Government at a subsidized price.

As my MP, I hope that you can raise these concerns when Parliament re-opens and fight to make HDB truly affordable again.

Thanks and regards

Miss Z

An Account by a HIV Ex-Inmate

2011-09-07T13:09:00.002+08:00

A few weeks ago, I met up a HIV ex-inmate (Mr. E) over lunch, who shared with me his concerns about the principles behind HIV drugs administration in Singapore prisons.

Mr. E who was in prison for 4 years (2006 – 2010) lamented that prisons do not provide HIV medications to the approximately 50 HIV inmates. According to him if not because of VWOs coming into the prison making available to inmates, cheap HIV generic drugs, he wondered what would have happened to them?

He took issue why isn't medication provided for HIV inmates whereas the rest of the inmates' medications for chronic illnesses are made easily accessible and affordable. He wondered from a prison health care perspective, why HIV drugs are not subsidized?

Mr. E revealed that each HIV inmate was housed in separate cell and social interaction is highly limited. He said during his time in prison, things have gotten slightly better as HIV inmates were subsequently permitted courtyard time after much requests. However he is of the view that treatment of HIV inmates ought to be fairer still (i.e.) whatever privileges other normal inmates have, HIV inmates should have too.

He shared that many HIV inmates cannot afford patented HIV medication and HIV inmates cannot visit social services for assistance. Mr. E said that similar to other HIV inmates, he never had the chance to see a social worker in his 4 years in prison. Mr. E shared that patented drugs cost between $600 to 1200, whereas generic drugs (from Thailand) cost only $100 to $800.

Mr. E shared that Medisave can be used for some drugs only and while his family members can buy HIV drugs from CDC but those would be the expensive patented HIV drugs. He is puzzled why cancer patients in prison have full access to drugs and is free of charge but not HIV inmates.

He also revealed that he is disturbed by some discriminatory remarks made by the prison officers. He questioned if such discriminatory remarks are a mirror of our larger society’s treatment of HIV patients?

The issues raised by Mr. E are valid concerns. To better appreciate the other side of the story and the current situation, I will be writing to Singapore Prison Service for addition information.

O $ P $ Issue (IV) – Launch of Project Nomad Eye (PNE)

2011-09-06T00:33:00.002+08:00

Yesterday afternoon, leaders of HGCC (Hougang Constituency Committee) met up with Mr. Johnny Ang (President) & Mr. Dennis Tan (Vice-President) of ‘Goodwill Services’, a Voluntary Welfare Organization (VWO, Community Services) (ROS 2133/2008) to seal a verbal MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) in launching ‘Project Nomad Eye’ (PNE).

This PNE initiative is believed to be the first of its kind in Singapore between a VWO & an alternative grassroots entity. PNE is anchored by 2 sets of roving CCTV systems that rely on Non-IP-based technologies to complement an earlier initiative that is based on IP-based Central Video Monitoring System (CVMS).

While PNE lacks real time video monitoring abilities of CVMS, still it enjoys the tactical advantage of being easily mountable and dismountable for households without Internet connections.

PNE is freely available for T-loan deployment across affected Hougang SMC households over a 2 months period per deployment. This FOC (Free of Charge) arrangement is made possible by ‘Goodwill Services’ because it will be fully sponsoring & coordinating each ‘Project Nomad Eye’ rollout in Hougang SMC.

Selection of the affected households for PNE will be based on:

1) Merits of the application
2) Severity of the situation &
3) First-come, first served basis

Please meet Shin Leong during his Meet the People Session (MPS) at Block 310, Hougang Ave 2 Void Deck on Wednesday nights to apply.

Kindly forward this note to any Hougang SMC resident(s) whom you think that might require this service. Thank you.

Read also:
‘O $ P $ Issue (III) – Central Video Monitoring System Pilot Run’

Photo (L to R): Wang Lin, Dennis Tan, Johnny Ang, Shin Leong, Benny Chua & Chris Chen

The Relevance & Future of OE in Singapore

2011-09-05T15:36:00.002+08:00

SELECTED PPT SLIDES POINTERS USED BY YAW SHIN LEONG, DURING THE 2ND OUTDOOR EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM, ON 3RD SEPTEMBER 2011, 9AM AT CAMPERS’ CORNER, 51 WATERLOO STREET

Shin Leong, the student
- Experiencing the Spirit of Adventure
- The Sun & the Sea & the Sand (Hills & Trees)
- Taste of Freedom (Cycling downslope at 45km/ hour!)
- Enjoying Comradeship & Teamwork
- Courage to overcome obstacles.
- Understanding that with no pain, there is no gain.

Shin Leong, the educator
- Inculcating a spirit of adventure
- Mentoring under the sun (with fun)
- Creating happy & fun memories.
- Cultivating hearts & minds
- Instilling courage to overcome obstacles
- Encouraging the process towards gain.

Aims of OE
Outdoor education covers three domains of self, others & the natural world. An outdoor education program can emphasize one (or more) of these objectives:
- Teach outdoor survival skills
- Improve problem solving skills
- Enhance teamwork
- Develop leadership skills
- Understand Mother Nature

Relevance of OE
OE’s potential extends to three domains: self, community & country:
- Mastering survival skills in the global setting
- Improving business problem solving skills
- Maximizing group ‘hunting’ capabilities
- Practicing business leadership skills
- Overcoming competitive global environment

Future of OE
- Increasing emphasis of OE across Singapore schools.
- Acquisition of knowledge beyond ‘immediate’ outdoors.
- Formal recognition of outdoors acquired knowledge? Similar to TAFE, BTEC certifications?
- Increasing role of private sector in outdoor education.
- Further age reduction for students experiencing outdoor education? Example: Hike up Bukit Timah Hill at 7 years old?
- Singapore as an Outdoor Education hub?

On Developing Local Sporting Talents

2011-09-01T21:58:00.001+08:00

Two weeks ago, a group of JC students interviewed Shin Leong for his thoughts on developing local sporting talents. As there is much potential in the discussion and ideas raised, produced below is a full transcript of the interview to encourage a mini-public discussion on this topic. Credit of this transcript goes to Daiki, Hazwani & Rahul of PJC.

Rahul: Our project is on developing local sporting talents and we found through research that the Singapore government is spending quite a bit on importing foreign talents thus we decided we thought that the money will be better spent on developing local athletes. Hence, we came up with two strategies. The first strategy is to build a junior sports school which is similar to the current sports school but for training young children between 7 and 12 years old while the second one is a series of governmental policies that will provide incentives for the athletes such as skipping National Service (NS) because we found that training for some sports are very specialised so NS activities may deteriorate their performance (in said sports). So, our first question is: what is your opinion towards Singapore’s current pool of athletes?

Mr Yaw: I guess it’s always “work in progress”. It’s important that when we talk about sports development in a context of a small nation state, some things cannot be rushed. It’s important that we do things step-by-step and if possible, get the fundamentals and foundation right. So right now, of course, much can be better in terms of the desired outcome and results, but then again, we can’t rush through that. We need to expose the athletes to not just regional sports meet but if possible, have interregional or better, truly international type of competitions so that they can gain experiences through their involvement via these competitions and such experiences, when brought back to the team or sporting fraternity, community or country, there will be filtered down positive effects and I think that will be quite good (to the local sports scene).

Rahul: Our second question is: do you think that athletic achievements and Olympic medals are relevant and important to Singapore in today’s academic-driven world?

Mr Yaw: We can’t discount the chase for an Olympic medal be the “utopia” for most sports because at the end of the day, that will put things in perspective, in terms in the amount of the spending, time, effort, sweat, sometimes even blood that each sportsman/sportswoman, sporting institution or sporting body put in place to chase after Olympic glory. Of course, having said that, not many of us are made in such a way such that we can enjoin sports at the highest level. So I guess we need to view sports from two perspectives- One if you’re talking about developing sportsman/sportswoman to his/her full potential, well I guess that chasing after the Olympic dream, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s fantastic because that this particular sportsman/sportswoman must have that particular goal so that they can keep improving themselves and comparing themselves with the world’s best. Two, on the other hand, if we’re talking about popular sports like a neighbourhood game of soccer or basketball, well, my take is that, let’s just enjoy the game. So it depends on which level you’re talking about.

Rahul: How important do you think it is for sporting talents to attain a balance between sports and studies?

Mr Yaw: This is always a very tough call because on one hand, the demands of sports training involves intensive type of sports training which requires a 110% commitment to the particular sport. Of course, in the context of our world- the modern world- whereby the chase after the paper qualification is of equal importance if not of more importance compared to the chase for sporting glory so I’m not surprised that parents would feel a little bit concerned and worried if students are to put sporting concerns and considerations first before schooling considerations. Then again, everything needs a balance because the number of years a sportsman/sportswoman can physically contribute to the sporting industry or arena is probably 10-15 years, at most 20 years because most sports do require the exertion of physical strength and agility, and the ability to be fit and healthy. Most sports expect the athlete to be at his/her peak at physique to win medals but you’re talking about enjoyment of sports for instance brisk walking, so that’s fine. So, how to strive this balance? I’ve no solution for that but my recommendation is that perhaps we do what we’ve already been doing this while and continue with that and finetune it. I know that at times, some sportsmen and sportswomen do require a time of one or two years off their studies to chase after their sporting vision and glory. I think that’s alright. Society should be in the position to encourage young Singaporeans to chase after their dreams. Whether or not, at the end of the day, there’s compensation but that’s another story altogether because is our society ready? Let’s say, we have someone who chase after golfing dreams to win the U.S. open, after 2 years to 3 years of intensive training, yes you win; that’s your crowning moment. However what will happen to the tens of thousands of people who might have suspended their studies to do so, and they fail to make it. What is society’s response to these individuals? What will be the systems and mechanisms place to ensure that they have also been taken care of and they will not be in a disadvantage as a result of chasing after sporting glory for the nation? It’s the same like when you play for Premiere League versus playing for the country, the pride of playing for the country will definitely surpass that that of playing for Premiere League, but the difference is that when you play for a country, you’re not paid well as when you’re paid (for Premiere League)- in fact you won’t even be paid because you’re just doing your country a duty so then again, it boils down to the individual to answer the question.

Rahul: One of our policies actually caters to this (point); it is to allow the athletes to perhaps take a break from studies after ‘O’-Levels and this policy will allow them to come back to their studies. For example, they get good results for ‘O’-levels and they wish to take a break to chase after their sporting dreams. This policy will allow them to easily to join the other students when they’re ready to join a JC. Do you think that this is a realistic goal?

Mr Yaw: Sometimes, it’s easier said than done because when it comes to socialization of expectations, societies have different expectations of certain individuals. At a certain age, you’ve expected to be doing certain things so if you have trodden the path less trodden, there will be an offset in terms of opportunity cost. Yes you may spend 3 or 4 years for that matter to chase after sporting dreams but in academic terms, say after ‘O’-levels, 4 years later, your peers, especially your female peers who won’t be serving NS will already be in their second or third year of our university undergraduate education. Yes you will be admitted to JC or poly for that matter and then everything will be in a way in ‘slowed down’ academic terms. That is the reason why earlier on, I mentioned to what extent the society is willing to accept this as the ‘new normal’ as the norm- the way forward for Singaporean sportsmen/sportswomen chasing after sporting dreams.

Rahul: The other day, I was talking to a friend who is an ex-student from the sports council and he commented that Singapore lacks a sporting culture because he said that when he went to Australia as part of the sports school, he noticed that when there is a marathon people would join in the thousands from the other side of their country to join in the marathon. We don’t see much of that in Singapore- do you think that there is a lack of sporting culture in Singapore?

Mr Yaw: Sporting culture has got to be cultivated and built up slowly. I remember that when I first ran my first half-marathon that was in the year 2000 and in 2000, the number of participants in this half-marathon were like, in terms of less than ten thousand? Or at most ten over thousand? I don’t have the figures with me, but all you need to do is to look at the number of participants who sign up for the standard Chartered marathon in 2010. The figure, if I remember correctly, was 50 or 60, 000. Over 11 years, between 2000 to 2011, if that is a way to measure sporting culture or sporting awareness, I guess we’ve seen a progress in development of sporting culture in terms of the number of people running for marathons. Of course, if you’re talking about some other sports like soccer. Soccer in Singapore has always been a long-time favourite of many people, be it your neighbourhood kampong boys or your school team etc. Or even at the third division, second division, the S-league over the last ten odd years, I guess there is always this level of awareness. As such I disagree that the sporting culture in Singapore was lacking because we’ve seen many, many examples of them.

Rahul: Do you feel that the reliance on foreign sporting talents affect the way Singaporeans view our athletic achievements?

Mr Yaw: Yes of course. There will always be a very fine balance when you deploy naturalized citizens. In fact, during recent football match with Singapore VS Malaysia, where the score was 1-1, a group of Malaysians was seen protesting against the employment of foreign-born players so they were making a mockery on our achievement, in terms of our tie with Malaysia. So yes when it comes to such matters, there will be some perceptions, well that was not your own effort etc. However let’s put things in another perspective. In the first place, the whole construct of Singapore, is such that 200 years ago, none of us, or for that matter, none of our parents, their parents, their grandparents or great-grandparents were even here. So if we put things to perspective, there will always be a process of people coming together to a place and forming up citizens of a particular country and representing a country. Well, I know the concern; I do have the same dilemma at times but at the end of the day, if it is a Singaporean effort, let’s rally ourselves behind our Singaporean banner.

Daiki: Should the government reform it’s polices in offering scholarships and incentives to our local sportsmen?

Mr Yaw: If I recall correctly, the Singapore Sports School does have various schemes and various forms of scholarships available for their sportsmen and sportswomen. In fact, our country has arranged incentives for top performers. For example, if you did well for the SEA games, the Commonwealth games or for that matter the Olympics, I think there is quite a fair bit of monetary incentives. If I recall correctly, $10,000 for gold for SEA games, $80 ,000 for Commonwealth gold and for Olympic Gold it will be $1,000,000. So if you’re talking about monetary incentives it’s definitely there. For scholarships, I’m sure there are many schemes available. If you have a particular sporting talent and you have been scouted for your talent, I think the nation should treasure such talents and cultivate upon those talents.

Rahul: But do you think there’s enough of such incentives?

Mr Yaw: More will always be better but we must bear in our mind that we need to have prudence in the way we spend our resources. Potentially the private sector should to be encouraged to play a part in this journey.

Daiki: However the incentive provided by our government is for those how excel very well in sports, how about those who struggle to excel in sports? They are also our national players.

Mr Yaw: So what’s the question for this?

Rahul: We found out that if you’re not that top player but if you’re the third top player, we don’t get any incentives or we get quite less incentives compared to the top player.

Mr Yaw: There is certainly room for improvement, in terms of the way how we administer our sports scholarship or sports incentive. Then again, from a small nation’s perspective, we need to be very prudent in our resources so it is always a dilemma because the best thing is that for anyone who love any particular sport, society or community on the hold should help these people to chase after his or her dreams but sometimes it really boils down to each individual like for example, Lance Armstrong who won the Tour de France (awards) seven times in a row. I’m not sure to what extent does the United States of America government would help him out in that aspect. Possibly the commercial and the sponsorship did help him quite fair bit. However way, way before that, before he even won his first Tour de France, I’m not sure whether twere there any commercials or sponsors which sponsored him. So it’s only when you get there, probably then the sporting arena would start to be more forthcoming but before you get there, society, community and the nation will probably need to improve upon this aspect.

Rahul: Then talking about this issue, do you feel that the lack of such incentives for the middle-class of athletes, do you think it’s (indirectly) causing the more potential talents to be reluctant in taking up a career in sports?

Mr Yaw: Let’s go back to another popular issue: In the past, when you share that you want to become an artist probably your parents will ask you why aim for this particular industry. Perhaps most Singaporean parents will frown upon this decision. Of course, at the end of the day, it’s a choice and their children probably would have to decide. And, for some of the artists or fashion designers who are making good money, many of them actually left Singapore and they based themselves in fashion capitals in Milan, London, Paris to get that type of exposure or projects. When they eventually went on to launch their fashion labels in those fashion capitals, instantaneously they become brand names in the context of our Singapore market and become acceptable by fellow Singaporeans. So from the perspective of sports, if let’s say due to the small size of our country, we’re unable to best develop to the max, the potential of these individuals, perhaps one way to look forth is that could there be ways for talent being spotted, to be nurtured locally and overseas in the areas where his talent can be blossomed. Of course, this will involve tremendous cost and this may not be practical to the bulk of the population. This is just like brainstorming of ideas to maximize the potential for our middle-class sportsmen, sportswomen, sportsgirl or sportsboy in the context of Singapore, should commercial entities or sporting associations spend precious resources to blossom these middle-class sporting talents to maximum their potential? Most of them will probably say no. Most of them will rationalize their resources and will not venture to this type of enterprise. So, maybe the way forward is to continue for us to promote sporting culture. This is not just about public education but inspirational type of learning and activities, exposing your youth and young ones very earlier on to sporting culture, when they were in playgroup, nursery or primary school to certain aspects of competitive sports but at a junior level. Yes, this has been done in the context of schools but the sustainance of such effort, like for example tchoukball is one good example. Some schools introduce tchoukball in the context of the local primary schools but the moment they leave priamary schools, not all secondary schools offer tchoukball. So it’d be good, if let’s say we have a tchoukball framework (which there is) but not very well-established, for kids to continue to play. So right now, most of our sporting framework are organised in a competition features which is good but it lacks some sort of a social component and the social platform whereby someone will ask “What is tchoukball ? Can I find out more about tchoukball? Can I play tchoukball? Is there a mechanism like that for someone who’s interested to find out more about the sport to be able to participate in that sport? So if we can overcome this part of curiosity, building up a group of community willing to assist individuals willing to participate in these sports, then I think we’ll be halfway there. However this is easier said than done because we need infrastructure, funds, people, time, effort so it is a very very daunting task for many.

Rahul: As previously mentioned, one of our strategies is a junior sports school which is for children between the ages of 7-12 and for this, we’ll be focusing more on instilling the passion on the sports rather than the training so do feel that this sports school will be a feasible idea- will it be sustainable in the long-term and whether it will be popular among Singaporean parents?

Mr Yaw: There is a concern among parents that if the emphasis for his or her child to be placed in the context of a sports school, then potentially the academic aspect may potentially be compromised. How to allay these concerns? Even right now, let’s look at the single session schools. If we’re talking about morning session schools from 7.20 am to about 1.30pm and sometimes students do stay back. In fact, it’s getting increasingly common for students to stay back for a variety of activities, such as tuition classes, make-up classes, sporting activites and CCA etc. So how can a sports school be designed to be palatable for parents, relatives, families and friends to find that- “Hey this is where my child will be and this is where it will develop my child to be into a kung-fu exponent or a soccer talent or basketball player!” Maybe, at this junction, this aspect is not as well-thought of yet. The way forward is to put in place mechanisms and assurance, in terms of a quality education with a sporting focus.

Daiki: So in your opinion how do you think we can get the message across? Because for the Singapore Sports School even though we know that the school does provide academic education for the athletics but there are people who believe that it is all just for show for the parents.

Mr Yaw: It’s always useful to have healthy dosages of scepticism, it makes a lot of sense for sporting institutions and academic institutions to reflect upon such feedback, to see whether or not we are doing things for the sake of doing. It will be a very sad state of affairs if our sports school is indeed doing things for the sake of doing things. Personally I don’t think so because at the end of the day, students’ results are hard facts to assess and examine whether or not this person/ institution is doing it for real. Or course everyone will have different strengths and potentials, if one is very much into the sporting arena, he or she may not excel as much as compared to his or her peers who spent 24 hours a day on books. Of course no one can spend 24 hours a day in their studies but that results in itself will be able to indicate that. If the school has possibily say 250 students and it seems that all the 250 students are not doing well” Then that is where you suspect that something is not correct about that school. However if on the average it is just 30%-40% in correlation with the bell curve well then I think it’s not so bad. Of course I do not have the statistics so I can’t help you with that.

Daiki: Should we scrap National Service for potential sporting talents, so that they can focus on their sports?

Mr Yaw: I truly frown upon this idea. This is because from a nation-building perspective, it is important for every single individual male regardless of their background, areas of expertise, whether you are a sporting genius or sporting talent, you must still be subjected to the rigour and training of National Service as it bonds our nation. The survival of our nation far exceeds and surpasses anything else. The importance of defending this country and getting everyone on board on the NS ship, it’s far, far more important than sporting glory for the nation. So, I disagree with that.
Rahul: Then, perhaps, do you feel that it is a good idea to instead of removing it completely for the athletes, perhaps postpone it to the age of 22?

Mr Yaw: Well, let’s day if you’re talking about the deferment, it is not unprecedented. The maximum number of years I’ve heard of late in terms of deferment is 12 years. If you do know what I mean. So if the nation feels that for this particular case, 12 years is justifiable then, it is the nation’s call whether or not this particular individual who has this sporting potential to be offered 5-6 years of NS deferment. I’m for deferment. However from a national point of view, we must treat this very carefully. More studies for this to be done, and more data and statistics to come in before we can actually make the concrete decision on whether or not to defer because otherwise, everyone will want to defer. There must be some cut-off points somewhere.

Rahul: We did find that at the age of 16, there is a huge drop of youth athletes from studies conducted in Singapore and Hungary. We are using the Soviet Union’s sporting program as our project’s case study because we found them efficient but it lacks some humane aspects and we plan to improve on that for our proposed sports school. We have taken their positive aspects to our strategies.

Mr Yaw: It is important that when we are formulating any policies or stratagems, the humane aspect of things must always be the anchor. That means the moral compass is such that you can’t chase sporting glory or goal for the sake of chasing after it. You need to take into consideration the individual’s family, loved ones and friends, the moral values of society will be very much be eroded if we say that for the sake of sporting glory, one must forsake all:- Let’s train this one-year-old boy to be Ironman of the future. Come on, give that boy or girl a childhood! I think that’s important. There must be some aspect in that child’s life where they can flashback and say, “Hey, I grew up in such an environment, had a fantastic childhood and I’m really proud to be called a Singaporean.” Imagine the psychological trauma or distress potentially a sportsman or sportswoman may suffer if you were to pluck him or her from the loving comfort of his/her family into a centralized sports institution training for a sole purpose plus, you train a thousand so that one will eventually become an Olympic champion. I don’t believe in such a system.

Rahul: We found out that the Soviet System actually trained a thousand to produce one to eventually become an Olympic champion regardless of their passion for sports, which is why for the junior sports school, we emphasize on the need to have the children to actually have a passion for the sport and not as if they were forced to.

Mr Yaw: It’s easier said than done, really. On how to foster passion, how to measure passion in sports unlike computer games. Loyalty,78%, Ability, 72%, Charisma 98%? It doesn’t really help much!

Daiki: So in your opinion how do you think we could instil passion into these young children?

Mr Yaw: Passion must come from the inside out and the best way on how to inspire and motivate each individual is through their immediate external environment, via love, support, encouragement, motivation by his or her parents, family, loved ones, siblings and even from their school friends and educators. There’s no shortcut on how to cultivate this passion. It’s not likened to a plug-and-play thing. You put your ear piece into the plug-and-play Ipod and there you go, you have music. It doesn’t work this way in sports. It’s not like the Matrix! Humans require cultivation and this cultivation requires time- years and decades to form impressions, a calling, a purpose. So passion must come along with purpose, calling, the love for the game or sport and nurturing, mentoring and coaching because you need to coach a sporting talent in the right direction in the terms of the certain strokes, certain throws, certain ways how you run or catch. These are all combined in one to develop the passion of each individual. And, sometimes, passion can go beyond the physical sporting years. For example, Sir Alex Ferguson, at the age of 70, his passion for soccer is so renowned- he speaks, thinks, lives, breathes football and that’s Sir Alex Ferguson. That’s passion!

Daiki: So do you think overtraining will cause impairments in the athletes?

Mr Yaw: It will certainly will. There are physical limitations. If you over-train and sprain your muscles, your ligaments, you will make your bones turn brittle...God bless you.

Rahul: So, going back to the high dropout of athletes at the age of 16, other than the two causes we found which are very high demanding about our academic achievements over the years and also on the oncoming national surveys, do you feel that there is any other reason for the high dropout rate at 16?

Mr Yaw: I need to look at the particular report before I can give a clear answer but my gut feeling is that at 16, probably that is the time of the GCE ‘O’ Level or ‘N’ Level which is a very important year. Probably because of that, young sporting boys or girls spend time and effort in chasing after good grades so that they can make it into the next academic level- but I’m not sure because we need to understand the context.

Rahul: We found out that at the age of 16, athletes have to make a choice in either to continue their athletic careers, which have a huge risk of not leaving and going back to their studies or continue on studying and therefore, not training and thus give up on their sporting careers. How we come up with the strategy of allowing the athletes to go back to studying easier, for example, an athlete who has finished his ‘O’ levels and has to go back to JC after 2-3 years, which is in our current system which we believe might not be possible but it’s quite hard for the person to go back to JC after two years after taking his/her O levels.

Mr Yaw: My recommendation is to further enhance or strengthen your value prospitions, should be this: To strive towards a humane education system, one with a heartbeat for the people. That means it must be one that is not across the board type but it must be one that offers bits of customisable components, such that each sportsman or sportswoman can decide on academic leave for a certain period of time to pursue post-sports dreams etc. Such a system must be the one that recognises the time, effort, perseverance, blood, sweat that an individual has put in this period of absence, that means from the time a person leaves school to pursue sporting dreams until he or she is to return back to school. In an education system that recognises this, the one that’s the closest, the one that I can think of is the Australian TAFE or the British’s BTEC system. In both system, there is something known as ‘RPL’ (Recognition of Prior Learning) or ‘APL’ (Acceptance of Prior Learning). Both RPL & APL take into consideration of prior learning, in the particular course that he or she might be pursuing. This could be in sports, nutrition or physical sports learning so it can be very much customisable and potentially even extend the passion beyond the physical sporting years for these particular sportsmen and sportswomen. That means you can become a specialist in this area for example, in the area of archery – you become an expert and not just you being a sporting practitioner but you are a knowledge expert in this area. This is because if we’re talking about building passion, so rather than putting this particular individual through a generic education program where you must have your nine A1s or A2s to get to the next level. Why not allow this person to pursue, eat, sleep, dream and be so passionate about a particular sport? I’m sure there’s a football academy where you can have a coaching certificate to coach soccer. I’m sure something like this can be in-built and the recognition where we will give this sports coaching certificate or diploma or degree must be of the same recognition that we give to other academic subjects. So, if we can do that, I believe the passion will be able to sustain itself. Society will be more ready to accept this person for what he or she can contribute to that sport as a sporting profession, not just in terms of the physical context but way, way beyond his or her physical years. He or she can still contribute in terms of ideas, experiences into developing and cultivating others’ sporting talents so maybe a system like that should be in place.

Daiki: So in your opinion, what do you suggest to the government that it should do to the students with poor academics and sports performances?

Mr Yaw: I think give them a third chance, fourth chance and then a fifth chance. The current system may not give this chance and that’s why earlier on, I was talking about RPL & APL, whereby you have this advance diploma and you can actually get a direct entry to any and British/ Australain universities. I’m sure this is relevant that you can pursue your degree in the second year. Also this will be able to mitigate the factors of losing out, say an individual took time off his/ her studies to spend 5 years in sports.

Rahul: Do you think that our strategy of building a sports school for the younger children is a feasible strategy?

Hazwani: Because we are training them from 7 years old.

Mr Yaw: So long as it is a humane system that takes into account the social, emotional being of the child, well, there is no harm exploring it. Of course these children must not be guinea pigs because we do not want to leave any child behind neither are this child a mere digit or a failed experiment. Prior to putting in place any of such ideas or initiatives, it is important to do a lot of comparative studies with other countries and cities to have a better understanding because if we rush into something like this, no matter how good or excitable the idea is at this moment, I don’t think we are being responsible. We’re talking about lives at stake and if you ruin someone’s life from the age of 7, 8 or 9 years old, I think we’re not doing humanity any good.

Rahul: We followed the current sport school very closely in certain aspects like the studies but we reduced the amount of training and we also allow the children to go home every night because we think that it is important. We also suggested about a programme about the graduating class of this sports school.

Mr Yaw: Possible. IP. Integrated Programme.

Daiki: Do you feel that the strategy could be further improved?

Mr Yaw: Of course to further improve upon such a possible programme it’s actually better to draw from nationwide rather than a selective group of students. Typically we can have 500-600 students per cohort of? We’re talking about a cohort whereby minimally 40,000 babies are born every year. Dragon babies could easily instantly hit 55,000. So how can a national programme be rolled out, in a sense that there will always be a sports school component in each neighbourhood school? Can there be a sports school component in every single corner in Singapore literally? That potentially will be so much more effective. That means you are decentralizing and delegating it down to many, many other service providers – “PE teachers” and “HODs” to identify any capable person who has the ability to throw the discus 50m by the age of 9?!

Rahul: We found that in the Soviet system, after the athletes finish their athletic careers, they could continue to carry on their careers as coaches and trainers for the next generation. Do you feel that such system is needed in Singapore?

Mr Yaw: Yes. Just now I was talking about not just igniting the passion and how to sustain the passion. You need the entire infrastructure, facility and framework for these sporting talents to be able to contribute into the areas of their expertise.

Rahul: I guess we’ve come to the end of our interview. Thank you.

Yahoo News!: Opposition parties criticise PA letter

2011-09-01T12:42:00.004+08:00

Two opposition parties have criticised a recent letter by the People's Association (PA) on why opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) cannot be advisers to grassroots organisations (GROs).

"I can only conclude that the PA is partisan," said Hougang SMC MP Yaw Shin Leong, pointing out that organisation seemed to be equating the government with the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) in its forum letter.

"The government and the said political party needs to be separated in terms of identity," Yaw said. "Over the decades, however, the two seem to have been increasingly seen as the same."

The Singapore People's Party echoed this view.

"By choosing not to work with duly elected Opposition MPs, the PA is confirming that it is working for the interest of the PAP, not Singapore," the party's central executive committee said in a statement.

In a forum letter to The Straits Times published on Wednesday, PA's director for corporate and marketing communications Ooi Hui Mei said that opposition MPs cannot be advisers to GROs because they "cannot be expected" to promote government activities.

"The government has to appoint grassroots advisers who support its programmes and can play this role well... Opposition MPs cannot be expected to do this and thus cannot become advisers to GROs," wrote Ooi.

She further explained that "besides connecting people to people, grassroots advisers are required to help the government connect with people and help promote government policies and programmes such as anti-dengue and active ageing."

Ooi was responding to a reader who felt grassroots advisers, who are appointed by the PA, should be elected MPs.

Yaw told Yahoo! Singapore that he found it strange for the PA to comment that an elected opposition MP, being one himself, is unable to fulfill the role of connecting with people and promoting programmes such as anti-dengue and active ageing.

When contacted, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and PAP MP Janil Puthucheary defended the PA's policy.

Dr Puthucheary, who sits on the PA's board of management, said that as a statutory board, the PA is "linked to government policy" and the grassroots adviser has to believe in the overall thrust of the government's approach.

"People who implement and operationalise these policies cannot oppose them. You simply can't have a situation where the adviser does not support the implementation of these policies," he noted.

Opposition MPs fundamentally oppose the government and so would not always be in support of its policies and programmes, he said.

"Even if they did support policies such as anti-dengue and active ageing programmes, it is possible that they could oppose methods of implementation of these policies," he added.
However, political observer Tan Ern Ser said that the PA's actions may erode the moral ground of the PAP and dilute its political capital.

While the PA is able to defend its practice of appointing PAP members as grassroots advisers on "logical grounds", the associate professor of sociology at the National University of Singapore suggested that Opposition MPs take matters into their own hands.

"I would argue on practical grounds that the WP may want to consider setting up its own grassroots organisations, since the ones set up by PA may not take to them as advisers in any case," he said.

The debate over the politicisation of the PA started when Workers' Party (WP) Aljunied GRC MP Chen Show Mao was uninvited from a Hungry Ghosts' Festival dinner organised by Hougang residents because they were told that approval for the venue would be withdrawn by the PA if they invited Chen.

It later emerged that 26 commonly-used spaces in the constituency had been leased to the PA by theHousing and Development Board in June. Following a public outcry, the PA revised its policy and relaxed its restrictions on event guest lists.

By Jeanette Tan for SingaporeScene (Yahoo News!)

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/pa-explains-why-opposition-mps-cannot-grassroots-advisers-161613082.html

Hougang Memories (II): A Collection of Your Favourite Home Cooked Recipes

2011-08-25T19:06:00.004+08:00

Preamble
This recipes book proposal aims to put together 50 home cooked recipes by residents of Hougang. It is a community project that aims to engage Hougang families and promote family bonding through the food they grow up with, supported by the Hougang Women Support Network (HWSN). The team will visit Hougang families and get them to share about food and fond memories on their dining tables.

Background
This recipe book was inspired via a chanced encounter with a Hougang resident during a community trip, the HGCC’s 2011 one-day Island Tour. While everyone was having packed lunch at the temple, an elderly lady walked around with a container filled with home made Blanchan (spicy chili paste). She was happily offering it to everyone to add spice and flavour to the meals.

I was concerned that the blanchan might be too spicy and the elderly aunty said in Mandarin, “Don't worry, it is not spicy. A little bit will add colour to your rice. The "red" colour is very nice!" She was lighthearted and very motherly. In my mind, chili's primary objective was to add the "spice" effect of a dish and I had never thought of my rice “looking pretty in red” until that day.

The above was my firsthand experience of the "Hougang Spirit" and I was truly amazed by that aunty’s willingness to share with people she knew and strangers, so their lunches could be tastier and more colourful.

Objectives
Without doubt, food is a necessity and an essential part of our life. Our mothers regardless of age, education level or financial positions will provide the best within their ability to feed and nurture their children.

The objectives of the would-be recipe book are:
1) Preserve our favourite home cooked recipes by women in the family.
2) Promote family bonding through recollection of their favourite home cooked dishes and why they feel that their mother’s or wife’s recipe is the best.
3) Encapsulate the love and devotion of a woman towards her family, through the 50 home cooked recipes.

Each recipe has a heartwarming story to tell!

Targeted Release Date
Mother’s Day next year (13 May 2012)

How to Participate?
We are inviting Hougang Residents to participate actively by contributing their mother / wife’s recipe and to write a short paragraph on why they feel that their mother / wife’s recipe is the best via email hgcc.enquiry@gmail.com. Each submission is subjected to review and a committee will request on-site visits, (if possible) a demonstration of the said recipe, food tasting and pictures will be taken during this whole process.

Subjected to individual preferences, the book would wish to acknowledge with contributor via surname and age. The book will categorize the recipes according to main ingredients such as fish, chicken, beef, vegetable, seafood, soup etc. This book is a multi racial fusion and will include recipes across ethnic groups in Hougang.

The above sharing is by Elayne Ang, our HGCC committee member, who is spearheading this project.

Second Media Release on Public Sites

2011-08-24T23:55:00.002+08:00

We welcome the decision by Peoples’ Association (PA) to lift the restriction imposed on permit applicants on who they can or cannot invite to functions at sites now controlled by the PA. The restriction had caused many Aljunied residents to feel torn and in an emotional dilemma.

HDB and PA’s political role
We note, however, that contrary to PA’s earlier response that the decision to lease sites for community activities was “not new, nor is it peculiar to Aljunied GRC”, it now emerges that HDB’s decision was indeed precipitated by the General Election results in Aljunied GRC and the desire to secure key sites for PA activities at which grassroots advisors would be guests.

HDB has also not given any reason why a total of 26 strategic sites in Aljunied GRC had to be given up to PA’s exclusive control.
Further, the remarks by Desmond Choo, the defeated PAP candidate for Hougang SMC, confirm that the key purpose of a request to PA to lease sites from HDB was to enable defeated PAP candidates to re-emerge at key community sites in the capacity of grassroots advisors, which in his case is to expand his outreach to residents in Hougang SMC.

If PA accedes to Mr Choo’s request for 6 sites at Hougang SMC, and HDB approves it, it will further confirm the partisan nature of this decision by these government bodies.

WP’s Open Policy on Guests
We are puzzled by PA’s claim that “there have been occasions when organisers of grassroots and community events applied to use sites managed by Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC), and were told that they were expected to invite the local MP.”

We took over the management of TC on 1st August and no instruction was given either by the Chairman and Vice-chairmen to the staff on the issue of who permit applicants should invite. If MND has any information to the contrary, we will investigate the matter. In any case, it should be clear to all that there has never been any policy in both the former Hougang Town Council (HGTC) and AHTC to set conditions on the guest list. This is not a `new position’ as claimed by the PA, and is self-evident from the presence of PAP grassroots advisors at events held on Town Council-managed land in Hougang over the last 20 years and in Aljunied GRC after the General Elections.

PA’s assertions against Hougang Town Council
The grassroots advisor of Hougang SMC, Desmond Choo was reported to complain about how HGTC has curbed the activities of PAP grassroots. I am perplexed by the complaint. Compared to opposition party candidates who lost at election with no “toe hold” at all at the constituency in which he/she contested, the PAP candidate re-emerges as advisor to the PA grassroots organization which has a big community club and RC offices and centres at every zone of the constituency to operate from. How could elected opposition curb such activities?

Desmond Choo has raised some specific issues about HGTC in the past. Our detailed response is in Mr Low Thia Khiang’s Media Release on Hougang Town Council Management of Public Sites issued today which will show that Hougang Town Council has acted fairly to all parties.

Nevertheless, I am prepared to work with Desmond Choo if he faces difficulty from town council in using the sites he wanted for activities.
PA’s assertions against Aljunied-Hougang Town Council

As for Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC), PA cited two incidents which reportedly occurred during the handover period of May to July 2011, before the transfer of management on 1 August. AHTC itself was only legally constituted on 27 May 2011.
During the handover period, the former Managing Agent continued to deal with these matters, without any instructions issued from the Chairman or Vice-Chairmen of AHTC.

The same open policy with respect to guest invitations applies. There have never been any conditions about who residents need to invite to use AHTC-managed land.

Specifically in relation to the use of the open plaza in front of Block 151A Serangoon North Avenue 1, it had already been answered by the Chairman of AHTC in the Straits Times interview of 19 August that the decision had been taken by the former Managing Agent for reasons stated then.

Till date, AHTC has only received 2 applications from RCs from Bedok Reservoir Division and duly approved both of them, pending the RCs’ fee payment. On 15th August 2011 the PA sent an email application to hold a Mini Workforce Training Support Scheme road show from 3rd to 4th September 2011. This application is being processed.

Apart from the above there were no other applications received by the current administration prior to 19 August 2011 for functions by the RCs. There were also no calls made by the PA or RCs to the AHTC to do enquiries of any sort.

Conclusion
This episode has clearly illustrated how key government agencies with intense outreach capabilities can be mobilized to advance the political interests of the ruling party, and to undermine the mandate of opposition MPs given by the electorate.

We trust Singaporeans can assess what is fair for themselves.

YAW SHIN LEONG
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT (HOUGANG)
VICE-CHAIRMAN, ALJUNIED-HOUGANG TOWN COUNCIL

Road Safety Along Hougang Ave 7 (II) - A Simple Idea

2011-08-24T17:48:00.001+08:00

Below is a simple idea to improve road safety along Hougang Ave 7.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Yaw Shin Leong
Date: Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 5:07 PM
Subject: Re: Another Accident along Hougang Ave 7 (NE-Hougang SMC)
To: feedback@lta.gov.sg

Dear LTA (Sir/ Mdm),

This is Yaw Shin Leong, MP-Elect for Hougang SMC. I refer to the below emails cc-ed to me by 'Mr C' (Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 12:13 PM). It is with grave concerns that I am raising this issue again.

Please refer to our earlier communication on this matter:
http://yawshinleong.blogspot.com/2011/08/road-safety-along-hougang-ave-7.html

In the spirit of continuing the monitoring of traffic situation and to introduce suitable measures whenever necessary to improve the condition along Hougang Ave 7, I would like to suggest a simple and workable idea.

Unlike the concerns raised about noise generated via speed strips, this idea integrates available traffic speed monitoring technologies and can be operationalized in 4 simple steps.

1) Install two speed cameras (integrated to a high end computing system) along both ends of the road.
2) Calculate the average speed each vehicle took to drive down this sketch of road.
3) Install a speedometer (at both ends) to display average speed took.
4) Send warning letter/ fine to the errant driver.

For our consideration please.

Best Regards

Yaw Shin Leong
Hougang SMC MP-Elect

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mr 'C'
Sent: Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 12:13 PM
Cc: yawsl@wp.sg
To: feedback@lta.gov.sg
Subject: Speeding of vehicle at Hougang Ave 7 (NE-Hougang SMC)

Dear Sir,

Would like to highlight again this stretch of road had occurred many accidents, please see the attached
photos of the accident that was happened yesterday. I would really want to see LTA can do something for the Hougang

Resident’s Safety on this prone accident area. There are many joggers, students, old folks and other people using this road.

Best regards

Mr C

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Mr 'C'
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 9:54 AM
To: feedback@lta.gov.sg
Subject: Speeding of vehicle at Hougang Ave 7 (NE-Hougang SMC)

Dear Sir

Thank you for the action taken, please also advise the Traffic Police to look for some modified cars as they always use the road for speeding (after midnight or early in the morning).

We understand that is not easy to track them as we do not know their timing, hope the traffic police able to spot them during their rounds of duty.

By the way, was a bit skeptical as you mentioned regulating strips tend to generate noise and cause disturbance , at Florida Condo, there are white strips on the road, will this affect the residents living there.

What timing does your officer conduct the observation, hope that observation is conducted at the right timing.

Thank you
'Mr C'

O $ P $ Issue (III) – Central Video Monitoring System Pilot Run

2011-08-24T11:01:00.000+08:00

To combat the issue of illegal loan sharking activities in Hougang SMC, Shin Leong has been in close discussion with the police and members of the private sector.

The police had promised to work closely with Shin Leong to roll out specific policing actions to counter the loan sharking menace.

Concurrently Shin Leong has been talking with several private sector companies to brainstorm of ways to improve the effectiveness in video recording/ monitoring.

One private sector company offers to roll out a 24/7 Central Video monitoring system (CVMS) service for affected household for a monthly fee. Shin Leong is willing to test out the effectiveness of such a 24/7 CVMS via a pilot run for three months in Hougang SMC.

This private sector company has agreed to Shin Leong’s request and will install the CVMS system free of charge for 4 affected Hougang SMC households. Selection of the 4 affected households for the free pilot run will be based on:

1) Merits of the application
2) Severity of the situation and
3) First-come, first served basis

Additional Information about the proposed CVMS:

a) CVMS must have existing Internet access to operate
b) CVMS monitoring is triggered by motion sensor
c) Service provider will immediately inform the Police on the culprit’s descriptions and specific location.
d) Video files (via CD) will be sent to the police for investigation/ evidence purposes.

Please meet Shin Leong during his Meet the People Session (MPS) at Block 310, Hougang Ave 2 Void Deck on Wednesday nights to apply.

Kindly forward this note to any Hougang SMC resident(s) whom you think that might require this service. Thank you.

Leasing Land for Activities in Hougang Need Not Be Difficult: Shin Leong

2011-08-24T01:36:00.001+08:00

Read below's CNA report on Shin Leong's responses to Mr Choo's comments.

Leasing land for activities in Hougang difficult: grassroots adviser
By Hoe Yeen Nie / Imelda Saad | Posted: 23 August 2011 2233 hrs

SINGAPORE: The adviser to the Hougang grassroots organisations, Desmond Choo, shared with the media some difficulties faced by grassroots volunteers there in leasing land managed by the town council of Hougang.

He is a member of the People's Action Party and had lost to the Workers' Party MP Yaw Shin Leong at the recent General Election.

Mr Choo said the scope of activities organised by grassroots volunteers have been curtailed since 1991, when Hougang came under the Workers' Party.

Volunteers have told him that they usually hold events at the Residents' Committee (RC) Centres and Community Clubs, which have smaller capacities. This is because applications for sites under the management of Hougang's town council, such as open fields, were often unsuccessful.

Mr Choo said: "(The volunteers) said sometimes they don't get approval to do so, and sometimes they don't get responses. Certainly, we have to expect that Hougang town council manages things from a whole-of-estate perspective, because there are different residents' needs to manage.

"But then they told me there are times whereby (they did not get approval for) the premises they had requested for...but at the (time of the) event, the [premises were not being used]."

Mr Daniel Neo, Chairman of the Hougang Zone 1 Residents' Committee, cited a case in December 2004 where an application to hold a joint Hari Raya-Christmas activity for residents at a void deck was turned down. The only explanation he received, "was that since 2002, they ceased to give these permits."

Mr Neo said: "We were disappointed, but we respect the town council's decision because they run the place."

As an alternative, activities were also sometimes held at other locations such as the Sunlove Home for the elderly and schools.

Mr Choo said he is in talks with the People's Association (PA) to lease six sites currently under the management of the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council and expects to conclude the talks in a few weeks. These are located near the six RC centres in Hougang constituency.

He hopes he can further his outreach by holding a bigger variety of events, such as basketball tournaments, and drumming activities. However, he rejected suggestions that he would benefit politically.

He also said he would be open to allowing MPs from the Workers' Party to attend the events, if they do so in their personal capacities.

Responding to Mr Choo's comments, Hougang MP Yaw Shin Leong has offered to meet Mr Choo to resolve difficulties residents may have in securing public sites to organise community events there.

Mr Yaw said the interests of Hougang residents must always come first and added that the more activities residents can participate in, be it organised by the PA or the Workers' Party, the better it will be.

Mr Yaw said the fact that Mr Choo is presently in discussions with PA to acquire six sites within Hougang for the purpose of organising grassroots and community events, showed that the HDB, as part of the government machinery, is "abusing its power as land owner of common property in HDB estates to help PA to achieve their political objectives."

"If the HDB is to permit Mr Choo and the PA to acquire the six sites in Hougang, it will merely confirm that HDB is abusing its power as land owner of common property in HDB estates to help PA achieve their politically motivated objectives." he said.

He added: "The PA is leveraging on HDB to enable PAP candidates who lost at the last elections to re-emerge at community events as advisers to PA grassroots organisations. The move to let PA control the sites previously managed by the town council would give PAP candidates a ground advantage and permanent presence, in advance preparation for the next elections.

"Contrast the above to opposition candidates who lost at general elections but will never ever have similar grassroots platforms to leverage upon, in preparations for their next elections."

"For the sake of Singapore, I urge both the PA and HDB to stop all these politically motivated bickering. If Mr Choo or his grassroots leaders are facing difficulties in organising activities in Hougang, please do let me know. I will be happy to sit down with them over coffee to resolve their difficulties," said Mr Yaw.

-CNA/ac

Intensive Free Mathematics Tuition

2011-08-23T20:11:00.002+08:00

To assist Hougang SMC students who need help in Mathematics for the upcoming O-Levels examinations, volunteers of HGCC (Hougang Constituency Committee) will be conducting intensive Mathematics tuition classes from 7.30pm to 9.30pm on the following dates (Fridays):

1) 02nd September 2011
2) 09th September 2011
3) 16th September 2011
4) 23rd September 2011
5) 30th September 2011
6) 07th October 2011
7) 14th October 2011
8) 21st October 2011

Tuition lessons will be for 2 hours each class and our tutor/s can have up to a maximum of 15 students each class. The focus is on getting each student to be exam-smart and the emphasis will be in getting students to practice past examination papers.

The location will be in the conference room of Block 701 Hougang Ave 2 #01-01 (Aljunied-Hougang Town Council). Please register today via hgcc@wp.sg if you are interested.

Kindly forward this message to any student (living in Hougang SMC) who requires assistance.

Thank you.

Media Release on Use of Public Sites at Aljunied GRC

2011-08-22T19:55:00.003+08:00

This release seeks to enlighten the public about what transpired in the weeks after the May General Election, which has led to the current controversy about use of public spaces by residents of Aljunied GRC to organise events.

Background Facts
On 21 June 2011, the interim Secretary of Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) received an email from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) entitled: “Sites Excluded from the Management of Aljunied-Hougang Town Council”. The email attached a list of sites to be excluded from AHTC management, including 26 sites commonly used for community activities which had previously been managed by the former Aljunied Town Council. No background nor rationale was given for the decision.

Upon further and repeated enquiries from AHTC, HDB revealed on 13 July 2011 that these sites had been leased to the People’s Association (PA), in 2 tranches – on 27 May 2011 and 13 June 2011. The AHTC had thus been informed retrospectively of this decision, which to our knowledge has not been published anywhere.

A check on the sites, which were part of the common property managed by the former Aljunied Town Council but now leased to PA, showed that many of them are strategically located, being hard courts or amphitheatres highly suitable for organising social activities. We were puzzled about the intention behind the move, which occurred before the new management took over the estate. We are left to conclude that the decision by the HDB to shift management of these common properties from the Town Council to the PA was precipitated by the victory of the Workers’ Party in Aljunied GRC in the General Elections.

In order not to subject residents to unnecessary inconvenience and confusion, I sought a meeting with the HDB for clarification, and on 13 July 2011 conveyed to the HDB AHTC’s willingness to discuss the matter further with the PA, to explore joint use of the excluded sites. HDB then followed up with the PA. In an email to me dated 15 Aug 2011, the PA indicated that “booking by WP will not be allowed”, which we assume includes bookings for activities organised by WP MPs for residents.

Effect of HDB’s Decision as Landowner
During the weeks in July / early August leading to the lunar Seventh Month festivities, residents of Paya Lebar Division gave feedback that they were informed by the PA grassroots organisations to apply for the use of the said sites to the Paya Lebar Citizens Consultative Committee (CCC) instead of to the Town Council as was the previous practice. We also received feedback that those who had applied to the CCC for the permits were told verbally that they could not invite the elected WP MP or they would risk their applications being turned down in subsequent years.

Residents have told us that they are confused by the new requirements of the CCC and annoyed by the intense politicking by the PA grassroots organizations. They felt torn and in an emotional dilemma.
Political Implications

It appears to us that the unilateral decision by the HDB to lease these sites to the PA and to have them excluded from common property under the management of AHTC without any consultation with the AHTC or its elected members is politically motivated and an abuse of power.

First, the HDB as part of the government machinery is abusing its power as land owner of common property in HDB estates to help PA to achieve the political objectives of a) preventing elected MPs from holding activities at the excluded sites which are strategically located and convenient to residents; and b) curtailing the ground presence of the elected MPs, by warning the residents that their applications for events at those sites may not be approved in subsequent years if WP MPs were invited.

Secondly, the PA, a statutory board funded by tax payers’ money and chaired by the Prime Minister, appears to capitalize on its close connection with the government to serve the political interests of the ruling party.

The PA is leveraging on HDB to enable PAP candidates who lost at the last elections to re-emerge at community events as “advisors” to PA grassroots organizations. The move to let PA control the sites previously managed by the Town Council would give PAP candidates a ground advantage and permanent presence, in advance preparation for the next elections.

Conclusion
The PM has just called for political harmony and national solidarity in Singapore, and said that “we must have a harmonious political system where we make important decisions in the best interests of Singapore and Singaporeans.”
Regrettably, there appears to be a dissonance between the language of national unity employed by the Prime Minister and the actions of the HDB and PA in Aljunied GRC.

SYLVIA LIM
CHAIRMAN,
WORKERS’ PARTY AND ALJUNIED-HOUGANG TOWN COUNCIL

Free OpenNet Installation After Lapse Of Offer?

2011-08-22T16:12:00.000+08:00

Below is an email exchange between the 'L' Family & OpenNet regarding a situation over free installation. With permission from Mr 'L', I am reproducing the contents for our reading.

Legally OpenNet has gotten itself covered. However do you think OpenNet/ IDA has an obligation to ensure that similarly affected families (such as the 'L' Family) should not be denied of free OpenNet installations?

Best Regards

Shin Leong

-----
Dear OpenNet,

We had recently took ownership of the unit at Hougang Ave 5 and understand that the free installation has been completed.

The flat had been vacant since Dec 2008. Hence we seek your kind understanding if you could make arrangement to provide for free opennet optical fibre installation for our unit.

Attached herewith the letter from HDB. Kindly connected myself at XXXXXXXX or Mr ABC at XXXXXXXX should you require further information.

Best regards,
Mrs L

-------
Dear Mrs L,

We refer to your request for free installation of the optical fibre after the lapse of the offer. We regret to inform you that we are unable to offer free installation to households after the installation period.

OpenNet is a commercial company. It had bidded for and secured the NG NBN project on commercial terms. As part of its terms, OpenNet offers home owners a free connection during a specific period. The offer lapses if this decision is not made within the specified period.

OpenNet will upon request make the connection after this period but will have to call in its contractors to carry out the task. There is a cost to this which OpenNet will have to recover as part of its commercial terms for the NG NBN project.

Best Regards,
OpenNet

Tour de Aljunied GRC

2011-08-21T18:45:00.003+08:00

This morning 5 friends gathered for cycling trip. The adventure was to cycle around the circumference of Aljunied GRC and to measure via GPS, a rough distance guesstimate of Aljunied GRC's boundaries.

We found out that the circumference of Aljunied GRC is guesstimated to be 34.33km (+/-) as we were unable to measure certain sketches on wheels (Eg: Expressways). The entire adventure took us 4 hours 16 minutes, as several pit stops were made to hydrate ourselves and to interact with residents.

The 5 friends had tremendous fun, despite slight muscular cramps, sun burns and severe perspirations!

Comments on Managing Constituents

2011-08-21T17:52:00.002+08:00

Below is a raw translation of Shin Leong's comments in ZB Sunday (21/08/2011) Page 10:

During a recent interview, Hougang SMC Member of Parliament, WP Treasurer Yaw Shin Leong shared that since he took charge of Hougang SMC's Meet The People Session (MPS) in May 2011, he has yet to encounter residents who are excessively impolite.

However Shin Leong emphasized that he will not blame the government (without basis) over its policies & discourses whenever a resident faced problems, just for the purpose of winning over that resident.

Yaw Shin Leong said that, while he has opinions over various aspects of policy matters, still he is of the view that some policies are necessary. When certain residents requested for special exemption from a prevailing policy, he will do his best to explain to them why that particular policy is necessary and concurrently analyze the probability for a successful appeal.

Yaw Shin Leong pointed out that in the course of dealing with various governmental departments, he find that governmental departments which he has encountered thus far, are objective, professional and will not give unequal treatment to him because he is an opposition MP.