Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam assured Bukit Batok residents last night that their needs would be tended to even though their MP had resigned.

"We will make sure that problems are solved, that their needs are taken care of, that all the projects that are ongoing carry on smoothly and are completed," he told reporters.

He also said that the People's Action Party (PAP) had a few "very strong candidates" it was looking at to replace Mr David Ong, who stepped down two days ago over an alleged affair.

"We are quite fortunate to be in that position. When we finally announce the candidate, I can assure you it will be someone committed to the interest of Bukit Batok residents, and who will be able to also speak for them and Singaporeans in Parliament," he added.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had, in announcing Mr Ong's resignation last Saturday, also said he would call a by-election for the single seat "in due course".

Speaker Halimah Yacob also confirmed she had received Mr Ong's resignation and declared his seat vacant at the start of yesterday's Parliament sitting.

Yesterday, Mr Tharman, an MP for neighbouring Jurong GRC, turned up at the weekly Monday night Meet-the-People Session at the PAP Bukit Batok branch, which began at 7.30pm as usual.

Jurong GRC MP Ang Wei Neng was there to see to residents who needed help, accompanied by PAP Bukit Batok branch secretary Leow Boon Swee, who some see as a possible candidate.

Senior Minister of State Desmond Lee, who has been tasked to look after the constituency for now, is abroad for work.

At least 30 residents turned up at the Meet-the-People Session last night, some of whom were not aware that Mr Ong had resigned.

One of them was factory worker Aesha Amat, 64, who said: "If you made a mistake, you should come out and say 'sorry'. You cannot just suddenly quit and then go missing in action."

Technician Francis Ng, 51, however, noted that he had approached Mr Ong in person a few times.

"He's very polite, quite easy to talk to and can connect with residents. He doesn't give off a haughty vibe," he said in Mandarin.

But Mr Ng added that he did not think Mr Ong handled the matter well, and that he should have come out to apologise publicly.

Told that some residents had hoped Mr Ong would address them and explain his actions, Mr Tharman said Mr Ong needed his privacy now and would have to decide for himself when to reappear in public.

Mr Ong yesterday told The Straits Times via e-mail: "I have expressed my deep regret and acknowledged my personal indiscretion. It would be best to leave it at that."

He also thanked the Bukit Batok residents for the strong support they had given him.

"I have done my best to perform my responsibilities, and deeply apologise to them for having to step down prematurely," he added.

Yesterday, Workers' Party (WP) chairman Sylvia Lim told reporters at her Meet-the-People Session in Aljunied GRC's Serangoon ward that her party will not contest the Bukit Batok by-election.

She cited two reasons: The WP is not active in that area, and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) had declared at the weekend its intention to run, having contested the single-member constituency in last year's general election.

The SDP received 26.4 per cent of the vote in that contest.

It held a walkabout on Sunday in Bukit Batok, and party chief Chee Soon Juan said there was a possibility he might run as the SDP was still considering who to field.

This article was first published on March 15, 2016.
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Less than half of Singapore residents have read at least one "literary book" a year, the first National Literary Reading and Writing Survey by the National Arts Council (NAC) has found.

Out of the 1,015 Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs) aged 15 and above interviewed, only 44 per cent said they read at least one such book between March 2014 and March last year.

The NAC said literary books include fiction, poetry, drama, graphic novels, creative non-fiction, critical writing and anthologies.

Singapore's reading rate falls far behind that of other countries. For example, a 2014 survey by market research firm YouGov showed that 75 per cent of Britons aged 18 and above have finished reading a book for pleasure over a one-year period.

In the Singapore survey, over 90 per cent of readers said they read in English. On average, only a quarter of respondents who read said they read books in their mother tongue.

The NAC survey, which was conducted via street interviews based on a sample representative of the population by age, gender and ethnicity, also found that about 11 per cent of those polled read books by Singaporean writers. The most popular local writers were Catherine Lim; Russell Lee, the creator of True Singapore Ghost Stories; and Low Kay Hwa, who is known for his teen romance novels.

Close to half of the respondents said they did not read local literature because of lack of exposure or awareness, while 12 per cent said they did creative writing for self-expression and relaxation.

National Book Development Council of Singapore executive director R. Ramachandran said the survey "affirms (the council's) thinking that Singaporeans have limited exposure to Singaporean authors and Singapore published titles".

He said the council has recently reorganised its programmes to focus on promoting Singapore writers and books, particularly fiction.

"This effort, together with similar programmes organised by related professional literary institutions, would help towards developing Singapore into a mature and an avid reading society," he said.

yuensin@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 15, 2016.
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MPs yesterday welcomed as timely the changes to strengthen the law to better protect those who lose their mental capacity.

But several of them called for more to be done to make sure those appointed as professional donees and deputies to safeguard the well-being of these individuals are properly regulated and trained.

They also wanted to know whether the fees charged by these entrusted persons will be regulated.

"The role as a donee and deputy is a serious obligation and may require the professional to make complex decisions," said Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong GRC), who suggested they be given training.

Responding to MPs during the debate on changes to the Mental Capacity Act, Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin said he fully agreed with better training and regulation.

"Through that process of a training programme, we can possibly also detect that if individuals are not suitable, we may then not register them accordingly," he said.

Mr Tan also said controlling fees might not be the best way to keep prices affordable. In fact, it might deter competent service providers from taking up such roles.

He added that his ministry will also work with partners to ensure that free or low-cost services and financial assistance is made available to low-income earners, to engage others to safeguard their interests.

Parliament yesterday approved amendments to the Mental Capacity Act to better protect those who lose the ability to make decisions for themselves.

Key changes include the introduction of professional donees and deputies who are paid to make key decisions on behalf of the mentally incapacitated. The courts will also have more powers to revoke or suspend a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA).

MPs welcomed the pre-emptive provision to revoke an LPA should the donor appear at risk of being exploited. But some wondered whether LPA appointments should be made more stringent.

Ms Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC) cited the case of former China tour guide Yang Yin and wealthy widow Chung Khin Chun, saying: "It is alarming that a foreign citizen who is not related to the donor can be granted an LPA that effectively gave him control of more than $35 million of her assets."

Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC) said: "It is far better to choose a suitable one than to go through the process of getting rid of an unsuitable donee or deputy."

She asked if a red flag will be raised when a person with children appoints an unrelated donee, and if the donee is a foreigner.

Mr Tan, in reply, said the law must respect the choice a person has made while he has mental capacity. "We may not always agree with the decision, we may think that the decision is unwise, but if they still retain their full mental faculties, that is something that we have to respect," he said.

Mr Tan added that the Office of the Public Guardian will step in only when there is abuse, but the officer should not "act as an arbiter of another's choices".

Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC) asked if applications for parents to be appointed deputies for their disabled children can be simplified, citing the high cost of applications.

Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) asked if parents can be appointed as deputies by default. Not all parents are suitable for the role, said Mr Tan, citing those who are abusive, or seriously ill.

As for costs, Mr Tan said a pilot project with the Movement for the Intellectually-Disabled Singapore and the National University of Singapore Law Faculty has seen costs average $300 a family, compared with $5,000 if lawyers were involved.

The next phase involves children with special needswho have left school and have other forms of intellectual disabilities and autism.

MPs also called for greater publicity on LPAs, given the low take-up rate. Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang GRC) said he did a straw poll of some MPs and was sorry to report that none, himself included, had executed their LPAs yet.

Some 20,000 LPA applications have been made since the scheme began in 2010, and over 17,000 have been accepted. Mr Tan said the figure grew from 480 in 2010 to 8,400 last year, but this "is still not enough". He said he would consider a proposal to have Pioneer Generation Ambassadors promote LPAs to the elderly.

KEY AMENDMENTS

INTRODUCTION OF PROFESSIONAL DONEES, PROFESSIONAL DEPUTIES

These persons are appointed and paid to make key decisions on behalf of those who are mentally incapacitated, in response to a rising number of elderly singles and elderly couples without children

BETTER PROTECTION FROM ABUSE

It will be easier for the court to revoke or suspend a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) when there is a high risk of donors or deputies exploiting the person, such as when he is charged or convicted of offences involving fraud or dishonesty. This will prevent him from using any assets while investigations are ongoing

GREATER CERTAINTY

Commercial transactions made by a donee or third party who did not know that an LPA had been revoked or suspended will be protected. Previously, only transactions made on LPAs that were not validly created were covered

MORE HELP FOR PUBLIC GUARDIAN

Operations of the Office of the Public Guardian will be improved with the appointment of an Assistant Public Guardian.

The Public Guardian will also be allowed to appoint auditors and replace the Public Guardian Board with an administrative Advisory Panel

kxinghui@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 15, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Seldom has the Government been accused of having too much trust in Singaporeans' ability to make their own decisions.

Which made it all the more striking, in yesterday's Parliament sitting, when officeholders gently rejected MPs' calls for more paternalistic approaches.

Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin said it clearest: "We respect the choices of a person who has mental capacity."

Granted, he was speaking in the context of the debate on changes to the Mental Capacity Act.

In 2008, the Act introduced the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA).

This is a legal instrument allowing individuals - known as "donors" - to nominate "donees" to make decisions on their behalf, if and when they are unable to do so.

Among other things, yesterday's amendment Bill aimed to better protect donors from unscrupulous donees - while stopping short of paternalism.

Mr Tan began by setting out three fundamental principles behind the Mental Capacity Act. The first: Respect for donors' choices.

"We cannot assume a donor lacks capacity just because we think he or she could have made a better decision." This extends to their choice of donee, he added.

Not all the nine MPs who spoke in the debate seemed satisfied with that approach. Ms Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC) wanted stronger safeguards: audits, whistle-blowing procedures and stricter due diligence in granting LPAs "when the stakes are higher".

Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC) asked if there were parameters against which LPA applications are checked.

"For example, if the donee is not closely related or unrelated to the donor despite the donor being married with children, would red flags be raised? What if the donee is a foreigner?" she asked.

Their fears were not unfounded. Hanging over yesterday's debate was the shadow of an ongoing court case in which Chinese national Yang Yin stands accused of manipulating wealthy widow, Madam Chung Khin Chu, to gain control of her assets.

Yang became Madam Chung's donee under an LPA signed in 2011. The LPA was revoked after a court hearing in November 2014.

Mr Tan, too, recognised this case in his opening speech. But his reply to the MPs made it clear that donors' choices remained supreme.

It would not be appropriate for the Public Guardian - who oversees LPA-related matters - to raise red flags just because the donee is a foreigner or not a relative, he said. "The Public Guardian should not act as an arbiter of another's choices."

Here was a government, criticised more often for paternalism than permissiveness, turning down calls for greater intervention.

This dynamic had also surfaced in the earlier debate on the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) (Amendment) Bill.

Proposed changes included tighter rules on displaying cigarettes. Two MPs, both medical doctors, had a more radical idea.

Completely ban the sale of cigarettes to those born after a specific date, suggested Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC) and Associate Professor Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade GRC).

Thankfully, this ultimate example of paternalism - taking choice away completely - was also rejected.

The rationale was a pragmatic one. Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor gave practical reasons not to have a cohort ban: It would be easy to circumvent, enforcement would be challenging and costly, and it might not even reduce smoking rates.

It was good to see the Government giving such leeway, at least in the two very specific policy areas raised yesterday - even if, in the case of tobacco, it seemed to be acting more out of pragmatism rather than principle. Doing otherwise - by heeding the MPs' calls - would have seemed at odds with the trend in the Government's policy-making approach in recent years, of seeking to get people to bear greater responsibility for their decisions, while also respecting their choices in more policy areas.

Indeed, one would have thought that MPs would serve as a check on paternalism, rather than its advocate.

In electing politicians, voters entrust them with the power to make decisions on their behalf, where they might lack capacity or expertise.

But where they do have the ability to decide - in their personal and social lives - most would surely not want to give up the freedom to make their own decisions, even if they turn out to be mistakes.

janiceh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 15, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - Some worshippers at Sultan Mosque near Arab Street were "chased out" of its public praying area because a minister was visiting, a netizen claimed on Facebook.

Mr Saifudean Mead said in a  Facebook post on Saturday (March 12) that he and four other friends were seated in the public praying area of the mosque and having a religious discussion when one of the mosque's staff told them to leave the premises.

Mr Saifudean said the staff told him that "five or more people sitting in the prayer hall is an offence". He said the staff then went "on and on about ISIS and illegal gathering".

He said that as he and his friends were getting ready to leave, the staff added that "as there will be a minister visiting this mosque, it is advisable for you guys to leave because this might be an ugly sight for the minister and the mosque".

The mosque has since issued a statement denying that its staff chased away the congregant and his group, and has invited Mr Saifudean for a meet-up to resolve the matter.

In an update to his Facebook post, Mr Saifudean said that he has yet to give the mosque an answer over the invitation to meet. However, he took issue with the mosque's denial over chasing his group out - calling it a "fabricated announcement".

He also implied that the mosque had told him that the staff member has been "counselled".

sinsh@sph.com.sg

Singapore's Sultan Mosque completes $3.65 million upgrading and restoration works

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The Straits Times, Berita Harian

Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers have put out a fire which broke out at Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel on Tuesday morning (March 15). 

SCDF said in a statement that it was alerted to the fire at around 9.10am and dispatched a firefighting team to the scene.

A security staff first spotted the fire outside the third storey roof of the building and alerted the premises' Fire Command Centre, which deployed its Company Emergency Response Team (CERT) for initial firefighting operations.

SCDF officers put out the fire within 20 minutes.

About 100 people self-evacuated from the building before SCDF's arrival, and no injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

minlee@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - People's Action Party (PAP) grassroots member, Wendy Lim, has "voluntarily resigned" from the party.

Ms Lim is believed to be involved in the extramarital affair with former Bukit Batok SMC member of Parliament (MP) David Ong who stepped from his position last Saturday (Mar 12).

According to a Channel NewsAsia report, Ms Lim, 41,  is "currently on a leave of absence" from her company, logistics firm Pacific Integrated Logistics, where she is the sales director.

The company had addressed the media yesterday (Mar 14) and said her leave of absence is due to a "private personal matter", said the Channel NewsAsia report.

TODAY Online reported that when they asked the PAP about Ms Lim's status of membership, a spokesman for the PAP responded in e-mail that "as the matter is undergoing investigations, we are unable to provide further details at the moment".

Mr Ong had said, on Saturday, in his letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is also Secretary General of the PAP, that he was resigning for personal reasons and "with a heavy heart". He had also told The Straits Times that there is "personal indiscretion" on his part which he deeply regrets.

Speaker of Parliament, Halimah Yacob acknowledged that she received Mr Ong's resignation from the PAP in Parliament yesterday (Mar 14). A by-election for the SMC will happen "in due course", said Ms Yaacob.

Opposition parties such as the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have expressed their interest in contesting the ward. Independent candidate Samir Salim Neji, who had run during the previous General Elections, has also expressed interest in running again.

Last night, Workers' Party (WP) chairman Sylvia Lim had said that the party will not contest the upcoming by-election for Bukit Batok because "the party has been inactive in Bukit Batok".

spanaech@sph.com.sg

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The Straits Times, Berita Harian, Shin Min Daily News

SINGAPORE - Mount Elizabeth Hospital (MEH) will fully sponsor 120 financially needy Singaporean women who need cancer treatment.

The first phase of the programme will provide diagnosis, treatment and/or surgery for these women with breast cancer over the next two years, said a press statement from MEH today.

Singaporean women who hold a valid blue Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) card and have tested positive in breast cancer screening or are in need of breast cancer treatment can apply for the sponsorship.

"Breast cancer is the number one cancer among Singaporean women. Close to 9,300 women in Singapore were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2010 and 2014. Over 400 women fail to overcome the disease each year. We believe the mortality rates can be lowered with early diagnosis and treatment. Our efforts can make a difference, especially among women who may have deferred medical attention due to financial difficulties," said Mr Phua Tien Beng, chief executive officer of MEH.

The programme was lauched today with a $1.2 million fund that is under its Life Renewed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.

Besides partnering with Parkway Cancer Centre (PCC) to provide treatment to the beneficiaries, MEH is also in talks with voluntary welfare organisations to identify suitable potential beneficiaries.

A multidisciplinary team of oncologists and surgeons from MEH and PCC have so far opted into the programme to treat successful applicants.

One of these doctors, Dr Tan Yah Yuen, general surgeon at MEH, said: "Depending on the patient's cancer stage and subtype, breast cancer survival rates can be over 90 per cent if discovered and treated early. It is therefore very important to seek prompt medical advice if you discover a breast lump or if your mammogram results turn up positive. Putting off immediate medical attention can worsen the condition, necessitating more complex or prolonged treatment and reducing cure rate."

Dr Tan recently operated on 83-year-old Mdm Lim, the programme's first beneficiary. The patient was discharged two days after surgery and is now recovering well.

"While the majority of abnormalities picked up at mammogram screenings turn out to be benign, there is a small group of patients who would require further diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately, there are some women who delay seeking medical advice due to lack of financial means," said Dr See Hui Ti, senior consultant in medical oncology at PCC.

"We hope that through this programme, we can help this group of patients."

Interested applicants can write in to mpac@parkway.sg or call 6250 0000 during office hours for further enquiry. Details on subsequent phases of the Life Renewed programme will be announced when ready.

spanaech@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - Do you think it has been hot since the start of March 2016? Well, it's going to get hotter.

The next fortnight is expected to be drier and warmer than that experienced in the first fortnight of this month, said a media advisory by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

During this period, the daily maximum temperatures are expected to range between 33°C and 34°C, and could reach a high of around 36°C on a few days.

The mean monthly temperature for March 2016 is likely to be comparable to that for the warmest March on record - 29.5°C in 1998.

The warmer conditions are due the continuing influence of the El Nino and the presence of a dry and warm air mass over the region. The occurrence of the equinox is another contributing factor to the warm temperatures during this time of the year.

An equinox occurs twice a year around Mar 20 and Sep 22. During an equinox, with the sun directly overhead around noon, sunlight reaching the earth's surface is most intense and contributes to higher daytime temperatures.

Despite the drier conditions, short-duration thundery showers in the afternoon on four to six days can still be expected over parts of Singapore, due to strong solar heating of land areas and convergence of winds in the surrounding vicinity.

The rainfall for March is expected to be significantly below-normal.

In the first week of March, Singapore experienced occasionally windy conditions with short-duration thundery showers in the afternoon on some days.

Dry and warm conditions were experienced in the second week of the month where the daily maximum temperature recorded was between 34.5°C and 35.0°C.

Almost all areas of Singapore received below average rainfall in the first half of March.

Rainfall was lowest over the eastern part of the island around Pasir Ris, where 4mm (95 per cent below average) was recorded. The highest rainfall of 119mm (15 per cent above average) was recorded over the southwest-central part of Singapore around Queenstown.

spanaech@sph.com.sg

For weather updates from AsiaOne, click here:

SINGAPORE - Dr (Rev) Robert Balhetchet, who is well-known as Singapore's 'Mr Moral Education', died on Tuesday from pneumonia. He was 76 years old.

Dr Balhetchet's contribution to the education system here began in 1979 when he was tasked by the then Minister for Education Goh Keng Swee, to craft a moral education programme for schools. However, Dr Balhetchet lamented years later in an interview that he failed to create a stronger moral fabric in Singapore.

He had told The New Paper in a 2002: "Sadly, nobody gives a damn about moral education. Yet, the society still bemoans about everything and doesn't realise it's due to a lack of moral principles.

"But there was nothing wrong with my programme. A new one can be devised and it will still fail."

Dr Balhetchet had put the failure down to a stronger emphasis on academic subjects in the education system. He worked with the Ministry of Education up till the 1990s.

"Many grow up to become smart crooks instead, like those CEOs behind all these corporate swindles around the world," said the former rector of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, where he served between 1979 and 2001.

But he also had good things to say about his experience.

He said in the interview: "My 22 years as a civil servant was a very precious experience. I got to know first-hand what it was like to work in a secular place. Suddenly I knew what the man in the street meant by retrenchment, performance appraisal, discipline. As a priest, it helped me understand the lay person's family problems better."

Also known as "Father Bob" to his parish, Dr Balhetchet was ordained as a priest in 1964. A brilliant student of St Joseph's Institution, he passed his A levels at 14. He surprised many with his mastery of nine languages, including Spanish, French and Tamil.

A heavy smoker, he had to rely on an oxygen tank and respirator in his later years.

Mr Alex Yam, MP for Marsiling-YewTee GRC, recalled his first meeting with Dr Balhetchet when he was a primary school pupil at Maris Stella High School, where the priest conducted mass.

"His wonderful singing voice and famous drawl that would fill a hall with wit and wisdom was one of the reasons drawing me to the mystery of the faith," said the MP in his Facebook post yesterday.

In its obituary note, the Catholic Church acknowledged the role Father Balhetchet played as the overall coordinator for Pope John Paul II's historic visit to Singapore in 1986.

Archbishop William Goh will preside over his funeral this Saturday (March 19) at 9.30am at the Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Tanjong Katong, where his body is resting.

chenj@sph.com.sg

Singapore's 'Mr Moral Education' dies at 76

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The Straits Times, The New Paper, Catholic Church Singapore, Cathedral of the Good Shepherd

Before the year began, Punggol resident Sue Bing Hao was concerned about whether he could find convenient childcare options for his four-year-old daughter.

"There are a lot of young families here and I've heard of cases where parents had to travel up to 40 minutes to take their kids to childcare," said the 30-year-old interior designer.

But the opening last month of a new jumbo childcare centre at Punggol Waterway Point that can accommodate 375 children made the question moot. His daughter now goes to NTUC's My First Skool (MFS), a five-minute LRT ride from their home.

Most childcare centres set up in HDB void decks can usually admit only about 100 children but this one in the neighbourhood mall is bigger - and means a shorter waiting time for parents. Mr Sue waited six months to enrol his daughter at this childcare centre, while other parents in Punggol, a new estate with many young families, had to wait one to two years.

It was officially launched yesterday by NTUC secretary-general Chan Chun Sing, who first brought up the idea last year of opening bigger childcare centres to cater to growing demand.

MFS also said yesterday it would be expanding enrolment from the current 13,000 to 20,000 by 2020. It currently has 123 centres and plans to build more. This is in tandem with the Government's plans to add 20,000 more childcare places between 2013 and 2017.

The new childcare centre, for children aged between two months and six years, is the anchor operator's largest centre to date. Anchor operators receive government grants and priority in securing Housing Board sites for centres in exchange for keeping fees below $720 a month, among other things.

Three jumbo MFS childcare centres are slated to open in Edgefield Plains in Punggol, Jurong West and Sengkang by the third quarter of this year. They each can take in between 200 and 500 children.

NTUC First Campus chief executive officer Chan Tee Seng said that the number of staff will grow from the current 3,500 to around 5,000 by 2020. The staff-to-child ratio depends on the age group, and is 1:20 for six-year-olds and 1:8 for two-year-olds.

Mr Chan Chun Sing said he was heartened to see the concept bear fruit. "I've never understood why we used to constrain ourselves with the void-deck structure with small centres of 50 to 100 each... (This is) a tremendous opportunity for us to convert (retail) space for community use and have the children closely integrated into the community."

yuensin@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 16, 2016.
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Singaporeans could each, in future, be issued with an e-identity card (e-IC) that can be used for all online transactions, including those with government agencies and commercial firms such as banks.

The Government is mulling over advanced technologies, believing that an e-IC would better protect online identities, as threats of fraud and identity theft mount.

The Straits Times understands that the e-IC, which would sit in the cellphone SIM card, does not replace the physical identity card.

An e-IC would also allow people to ditch their multiple e-banking tokens with different banks, and remove the hassle of remembering different usernames and passwords.

It would be similar to the kind of e-IC that is in use in places such as Hong Kong, Estonia and Finland.

In tender documents seen by The Straits Times, the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) said: "Digital identification and authentication are growing in importance. Today, identity is a core enabler for a wide range of services." The Mobile Digital ID, as the e-IC project is now called, would sit in the cellphone SIM card, according to details in the tender, which closes on March 31.

The Mobile Digital ID will be based on advanced encryption techniques, known as public key infrastructure (PKI), that are more secure than and could supersede the use of one-time passwords (OTPs), which are delivered via SMS or generated by a security token.

The IDA believes the idea has potential to work in Singapore, which has among the highest mobile penetration rates in the world, hovering at 150 per cent.

This means each individual has at least one cellphone.

The IDA is looking for contractors to design and build the system for a four-month trial with the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Ministry of Health.

While no timeframe was given for the project, a trial will begin as early as next month to assess its ease of use and whether it meets needs.

Today, people need to remember their usernames and passwords to log into a website. For some transactions, they need to enter an OTP.

With the proposed system, authentication is done by entering and sending a personal identification number (PIN) tied to the Mobile Digital ID account via SMS.

With PKI, hackers will not be able to capture the PIN even if they intercept an SMS. Fraudulent transactions on fake websites will also not be possible as the encrypted PIN must match the user's record in the central system.

If the owner loses his cellphone, he will have to report its loss as he would a lost identity card.

Scammers will only be able to use the e-IC on the cellphone if they know the owner's PIN.

Mr Aloysius Cheang, Asia-Pacific managing director of global computing security association Cloud Security Alliance, said: "The investment will be huge for such a system, although it seems much easier for even the uninitiated and promotes e-commerce on the go."

This article was first published on March 16, 2016.
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Fires hit two prominent buildings in Orchard Road yesterday as well as as a coffeeshop in Bukit Panjang this morning.

Late last night, 350 hotel guests were evacuated after a fire broke out at the Mandarin Orchard hotel at 11.30pm.

The fire is said to have involved the contents of a kitchen on the sixth floor, reported Channel NewsAsia.

A 69-year-old Caucasian man who suffered injuries to his left arm and head, was taken to the Singapore General Hospital, according to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

The fire was put out by firefighters within 30 minutes, said an SCDF spokesman. Hotel guests, who were evacuated to the nearby *Scape compound, were escorted back to their respective floors in the hotel by 1.20am, reported The Straits Times.

Earlier yesterday morning, a fire broke out at Tang Plaza in Orchard Road at about 9.10am. It was also quickly extinguished by firefighters by 9.35am.

The incident saw about 100 people fleeing the building, which houses Tangs department store and is adjoining Marriott Singapore hotel.

The third and latest fire occured at a coffee shop in Bukit Panjang this morning. An explosion was heard when a fire broke out at the coffee shop situated at Block 257, Bangkit Road.

Eyewitnesses told The Straits Times that the fire which began at around 10.30am, started at a stall selling rice and assorted dishes.

SCDF sent a fire engine, two red rhinos, three fire bikes, a support vehicle and an ambulance to the scene. The fire was extinguished within 20 minutes.

Residents living on the second and third floors of the block were evacuated. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is being investigated.

chenj@sph.com.sg

Explosion at Bukit Panjang coffeeshop fire

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The Straits Times

Even on the day of his wife's funeral, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew had not stopped thinking of Singapore.

In a new book of essays about Singapore's founding Prime Minister, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat revealed that Mr Lee had sent an e-mail to the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) on Oct 6, 2010, the day of Mrs Lee's funeral.

The late Mr Lee had been sleepless and in deep grief the night before, and was walking along the Singapore River when he spotted trash floating in the river.

He asked his security officers to take a photograph of the trash, then another photograph of himself marking the spot where he saw it, and sent these pictures to the ministry the next day for the trash to be removed.

Along with the photographs was a short note: "I asked for photos to be taken of the flotsam and of my position against the UOB (United Overseas Bank) backdrop so you know where it was."

These photographs are included in a foreward written for the book by Mr Heng, who was Mr Lee's principal private secretary from 1997 to 2000.

He writes: "Even in his deepest grief, Mr Lee never stopped caring for Singapore... That photo of Mr Lee is bittersweet. He was grief-stricken that he had lost his wife of over 60 years, but he sat upright and friendly, to put his trusted security officers, who remained by his side at his lower point, at ease."

Lee Kuan Yew cremated in private ceremony at Mandai

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The Straits Times, YouTube screengrabs

Officers from MEWR had forwarded the e-mail to Mr Heng after they read an essay he published last March about the red box Mr Lee used until shortly before his death.

Mr Heng had published the essay about the briefcase, in which the late Mr Lee kept his working documents and instructions for his staff, after Mr Lee's death on March 23 last year.

Mr Heng's essay is one of 37 in the book titled Up Close With Lee Kuan Yew, launched on Tuesday night (March 15) at the National Gallery Singapore.

The essays are written by the late Mr Lee's former colleagues and friends. They include Hong Kong's Kerry Group chairman Robert Kuok, who was Mr Lee's schoolmate in Raffles College; Madam Yeong Yoon Ying, who had served as his press secretary from 1993 to 2015; and Mr Liew Mun Leong, chairman of Changi Airport Group, who had met Mr Lee for the first time when he was a mid-level engineer in 1975.

The idea for such a book came about in 2014, when Mr Liew was chatting with property tycoon Ong Beng Seng about Mr Lee while on a flight back to Singapore. It dawned on them that much had been said and written about Mr Lee's accomplishment, but there was no book that told the personal, more intimate side of him.

They then approached Mr Lee's friends and colleagues to put the book together.

Talented sand artist creates touching SG50 tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew

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YouTube screengrabs

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said at the launch that Mr Heng's anecdote showed that Mr Lee was a visionary leader who also paid attention to fine details.

"Minister Heng Swee Keat's story of how Mr Lee sent an e-mail about trash in the Singapore River to MEWR on the day of Mrs Lee's funeral is a poignant example of how Mr Lee never let the smallest detail go - even when he was going through such a difficult time emotionally," said Mr Teo to a crowd of more than 100 guests, including MPs, union leaders and grassroots volunteers.

He, too, shared a personal anecdote about Mr Lee.

Mr Teo said he once received a phone call from Mr Lee, who had wanted to give him some feedback.

"He told me: 'Don't wave your hands so much when speaking', because he found it rather distracting," said Mr Teo.

"So if you noticed that I have not moved my hands much during my speech, it is because he noticed this small detail about myself, which I had not even been conscious of."

The book is available at major bookstores from Wednesday (March 16). Proceeds from the book will go to 20 pre-schools run by voluntary welfare organisations. They will help fund language programmes for pre-schoolers.

PM Lee launches Zaobao's commemorative book "A Tribute to Lee Kuan Yew"

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Berita Harian, The Straits Times

This article was first published on March 15, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - Mr Samir Salim Neji, who contested in Bukit Batok as an independent candidate in last year's General Election, has said that he will not contest the upcoming by-election in the single member constituency.

Replying to Lianhe Zaobao yesterday (March 15), he said that he made the decision after much consideration.

The parliamentary seat in Bukit Batok is now vacant after its Member of Parliament, Mr David Ong from the People's Action Party (PAP), resigned from the PAP on Saturday (March 12). He was allegedly involved in an extramarital affair with a PAP grassroots volunteer.

In last year's election, Mr Samir Salim, who was in a three-way battle against Mr Ong and Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP's) Mr Sadasivam Veriyah, received only 150 votes. He lost his election deposit of $14,500 as a result, Zaobao reported.

Two opposition parties have said that they intend to contest the by-election in Bukit Batok - SDP and the Democratic Progressive Party.

The Workers' Party has previously said that they will not contest the by-election.

sinsh@sph.com.sg

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The Straits Times, Berita Harian, Shin Min Daily News

The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council will get a new chairman on April 1 when Mr Lee Tzu Yang relinquishes his role.

Replacing him is Mr Heng Chiang Gnee, who currently serves as deputy chairman of the council. Mr Lee had been chairman since the council was formed in April 2008.

Thanking Mr Lee for his contributions, Minister for Manpower Mr Lim Swee Say said: "He has been instrumental in laying a solid foundation to strengthen industry ownership of safety and health in workplaces. I thank Tzu Yang and I also welcome Chiang Gnee as the new Chairman of WSH Council.

"He is an established leader in the WSH field, and I am confident that he will build on the firm foundation put in place over the years under the leadership of Tzu Yang and bring Singapore's WSH performance to greater heights."

Other changes

Ms Kala Anandarajah, currently chairperson of WSH Council's Engagement and Outreach Committee will take on the additional role of deputy chairman.

Two new members will be appointed to the council.

Mr Khoo Teng Chye, chairman of WSH Institute Governing Board and executive director of Centre for Liveable Cities in the Ministry of National Development, will be appointed as a WSH council member.

Mr Yam Ah Mee, managing director of Sembcorp Design and Construction, will be appointed as a council member too and will chair its construction and landscape committee.

chenj@sph.com.sg

Supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice is the first to pilot a new cigarette sales machine which does not display any cigarette products or labels, to adhere to new laws which ban cigarette retailers from displaying tobacco products from next year.

The machine was rolled out at the FairPrice Xpress outlet at Peace Centre on Wednesday (March 16) and not only securely stores tobacco products, it also automatically tracks inventory, eliminating the need for manual stock-taking daily. The outlet is also the first FairPrice store to remove all tobacco product displays.

In order to buy cigarettes, customers specify the brand and type of cigarette they want to the cashier, who then prints out a ticket and scans it at the machine, which dispenses the cigarette pack, reported The Straits Times.

Each machine can carry up to 80 varieties of cigarettes, and 20 types of each variety.

The pilot is expected to last three months, after which, FairPrice will assess the feasibility to extend the system to its various outlets covering both convenience and supermarket stores located islandwide.

On Monday, Parliament approved a ban on the point-of-sale display of all tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, beedies (thin cigarettes wrapped in leaf) and ang hoon (loose tobacco leaves) from early next year.

The ban on the display of such products is meant to prevent impulse buys, especially among young people who have not yet picked up smoking.

sujint@sph.com.sg

A local breakdancer with a troubled past, a single father who transformed his life and body for his kids, and a tour of local personality Steven Lim's home which has been regularly featured in his controversial videos.

These are some of the stories featured in a new video series called Realife, which aims to uncover real stories as told by real people.

Produced by Singapore Press Holdings' citizen journalism website Stomp, the series was launched in February this year and showcases the true life stories of individuals with interesting experiences or professions - in their own words.

The first webisode features local breakdancer Felix Huang who was convicted in 2013 after a brush with the law.

Huang shares how the lessons he learnt from his time behind bars has helped him drive his career as an owner of a dance studio.

In a more recent webisode, Steven Lim who is infamous for his online videos which many feel are crude or distasteful, gives Stomp a tour of his house and shares insights on how his own family views him and his antics.

He also tells viewers what kind of woman he hopes to marry.

Go to Realife to view the webisodes.

sujint@sph.com.sg