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COE bidding ends mixed; premium for Cat A falls

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SINGAPORE - Certificate of entitlement (COE) bidding ended mixed in September's first exercise, with significant changes in prices for Category A and Category C vehicles.

The premium in Cat A, for cars below 1,600 cc or 130 hp, fell by $1,828 to $51,506.

The price for goods vehicles in Cat C, however, increased by $1,800 to $49,801.

The price for Cat B cars above 1,600 cc and 130 hp ended slightly higher, from $56,500 to $57,002.

The premium for motorcycles also rose slightly from $6,352 to $6,452.

Cat E's premium remained mostly unchanged, registering a small dip of $67 to $56,889.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

 

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4 things you should know about the elected-presidency report

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The Singapore Government has accepted in principle the main recommendations of the Constitutional Commission, which released a report on Sept 7 on proposed changes to the Elected Presidency (EP).

These changes were proposed after months of deliberations by a committee chaired by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon.

Upon its release, president Tony Tan Keng Yam said that he was confident that the amendments "will be a milestone for Singapore in ensuring that the EP scheme stays relevant with time and our local context".

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The Constitutional Commission recently concluded its review on the Elected Presidency (EP) scheme and submitted its...

Posted by Dr Tony Tan on Wednesday, 7 September 2016

Here are four proposed changes you should know about:

Suggestion 1: Tighten eligibility criteria to ensure expertise and experience

The panel's report suggested that potential candidates must have served six years in a public or private sector position, up from the current requirement of three years, to qualify.

The candidate's qualifying tenure should also be within 15 years of the election, the report said.

Currently, the chairman or CEO of a company with at least $100 million in paid-up capital can qualify. The commission has suggested that only the most senior executive for a company with at least $500 million in shareholders equity can qualify.

This amount was derived after taking into consideration the confidence and experience the president must have in making decisions involving very large sums of money.

Suggestion 2: Reserve elections to ensure minority president

The paper suggested that the presidential election be reserved for a racial group if no president has come from that group for five continuous terms.

It is crucial to ensure that the highest office in the land can be held periodically by someone from a minority community because the presidency should reflect Singapore's multi-racialism, the panel said.

Suggestion 3: Greater role for Council of Presidential Advisers

In its report, the commission suggested simplifying and streamlining the processes of the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA).

It suggested that the role of the CPA be expanded, and that its views be given greater weight. It also suggested that the president should consult the CPA before exercising veto in all fiscal matters and public service appointments.

In a video statement, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said that the Government agrees in principle to the commission's recommendations, but added that the details will need to be studied carefully.

"We must ensure that whatever changes we make do not politicise the CPA," he said.

Suggestion 4: Implementing appointed presidency

The panel also suggested that the Government consider doing away with elections and having Parliament appoint a head of state to resolve the tension between the symbolic and custodial roles of the president.

The custodial role of the president in terms of safeguarding the reserves and the integrity of the Public Service could be assumed by a group of appointed experts instead, the panel said.

However, PM Lee said in his response: "While I appreciate the Commission's reasons for this suggestion, as the Government has pointed out even when the scheme was first conceived, it would be difficult for a President to exercise custodial powers over the reserves and public service appointments, and veto proposals by the Government, without an electoral mandate."

The Government will give its response to the recommendations via a White Paper on Sept 15.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

 

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Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - 20:37
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The EP scheme was implemented 25 years ago. Since then, Singapore's GDP has grown more than five times, and its CPF balances and official foreign reserves are now seven times larger. Over the past six months, the Constitutional Commission received over 100 written submissions and conducted four public hearings.

Safeguard to ensure minority president from time to time

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If Singapore has not had a president from a particular racial group for five continuous terms, the next presidential election should be reserved for candidates from that group, a high-level panel tasked to review the elected presidency proposed.

This ensures that the highest office in the land can be held periodically by someone from a minority community, which is crucial as the president symbolises the nation and should reflect its multiracialism, said the Constitutional Commission.

But it made clear that the eligibility criteria for candidates must not be lowered for anyone from particular racial groups to qualify.

The recommendation addresses a much-debated aspect which the commission was asked to look at by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong: whether there should be a special provision in the law to ensure that Singapore has minority presidents from time to time.

The commission, chaired by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, concluded that it is necessary as Singapore is still working towards the ideal of being race-blind, but is not there yet.

In the meantime, there is a pressing need to ensure that no racial group is shut out of the presidency, said the commission.

The country has not had a Malay president since Singapore's first president Yusof Ishak held the post from 1965 to 1970. Before independence, he had been Yang di-Pertuan Negara of the State of Singapore, the precursor to the presidency, from 1959 until 1965.

Read also: 4 things you need to know about the elected-presidency report

In its report to PM Lee, the commission said it is vital that minority candidates do not see the presidency as unattainable. So there are "strong justifications" for introducing safeguards that make sure the office "is not only accessible, but is seen to be accessible, to persons from all the major racial communities in Singapore", it added.

To achieve this, it proposed a safeguard that kicks in only when there has been no president from any racial group for five terms, which works out to 30 years.

But if no qualified candidate of the particular race emerges, then that election will be opened to candidates of all races. The subsequent election will then be reserved again for candidates of the particular race.

Asked about this proposal, Law Minister K. Shanmugam said the Government is asking the Attorney-General (A-G) for advice on aspects of the commission's recommendations to ensure representation of all the major races in the office of the president.

"The Government will announce its position once the A-G has given his advice and the Government has considered it," he said.

The commission, in recommending the model, said it is the least intrusive way of ensuring minority representation.

For one thing, the provision is race-neutral and does not single out any one racial group for protection. It also has a "natural sunset" as it may never be triggered if presidents from various racial groups are elected during open elections.

Said the commission: "It enables the representation of all racial groups in the presidency in a meaningful way while being minimally prescriptive."

There is also no danger of undermining meritocracy, as long as candidates are held to the same stringent qualifying standards for all elections, it added.

This was an area of concern raised during the commission's hearings in April and May, by some groups and individuals who felt that reserving elections for particular racial groups would result in a president being elected by virtue of his race and not his abilities.

Some others had been against having a special provision, saying it may lead to calls for similar safeguards for other public offices.

But this argument, the commission said, failed to recognise the unique symbolic function that the president plays. "No other public office - not that of the prime minister, the chief justice or the Speaker of Parliament - is intended to be a personification of the state and a symbol of the nation's unity in the way that the presidency is."

The commission also said that "placing undue focus on the custodial role, to the exclusion of the symbolic, would oversimplify what is in truth a multifaceted institution".

While a key role of the president, after the elected presidency was introduced in 1991, is to safeguard Singapore's reserves, this did not diminish the office's symbolic role.

Former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, in a 1999 interview with The Straits Times, said that "the convention of rotating the presidency among the races was important to remind Singaporeans that their country was multiracial", the commission pointed out. After Mr Yusof, Singapore's next presidents were Dr Benjamin Sheares, a Eurasian, then Mr Devan Nair, an Indian, followed by Mr Wee Kim Wee, a Chinese.

The elected presidency came into effect in 1991, and Mr Ong Teng Cheong, a Chinese, was the first Singapore president to be elected at the polls. He was followed by Mr S R Nathan, an Indian, who served for two terms, and current President Tony Tan Keng Yam, a Chinese.

Said the commission: "It is because of the crucial symbolic role performed by the president that the office should periodically be held by persons from minority races."

 


This article was first published on Sep 08, 2016.
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Proposed changes to elected presidency could lead to negative consequences

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Analysts and MPs yesterday welcomed a panel's proposed changes for the elected presidency, but cautioned that some might lead to negative consequences if enacted.

They point to three possible changes that worry them. One, the more stringent eligibility criteria could reduce the number of minority candidates from the private sector, especially among Malays.

Two, the higher financial threshold for those in the private sector means more of them would be kept out of the contest. And with the greater likelihood of a public-sector candidate being elected, some say such a president would find it harder to be a check on the Government.

Three, reserving elections for minority candidates from time to time may cause some Chinese to vote only for Chinese candidates. The reason: They feel that since minority races are already guaranteed a president of their own race, there is no need to vote for them in normal elections.

The reaction was most robust on the eligibility criteria of candidates.

The Constitutional Commission proposed in its report yesterday that private-sector candidates must have run large companies whose shareholders' equity is at least $500 million. This is a change from the current threshold of $100 million in paid-up capital.

The panel also recommended that if there was no president from a particular race for five terms, the next election should be reserved for candidates of that race.

Iseas - Yusof Ishak Institute fellow Norshahril Saat said the Malay community may find it hard to produce a private-sector candidate as there are relatively fewer of them compared with the other main races. Hence, its candidates would very likely be former ministers or Speakers of Parliament, unless the scheme is expanded to include junior ministers, he said.

But Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Zaqy Mohamad said there are "a number" of Malays in top positions in business. "It has always been about whether they want to step forward."

But since reserved elections would occur once every 30 years, he did not think it would be "that difficult to find such a candidate".

Workers' Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang said last night that he foresees a president with a public-sector background struggling to act as a check on the Government.

"At the end of the day, who is qualified to stand as a candidate? It has to be from the Government, right? So who are they checking? Who is checking whom?" Mr Low said, adding that WP MPs would respond to the proposals in Parliament.

Institute of Policy Studies' Dr Gillian Koh and law don Eugene Tan think some Chinese voters may deliberately vote only for a Chinese when previously they may not have given much thought to a candidate's race.

Analysts welcomed the call against any easing of the eligibility criteria. Dr Koh said this effectively counters any perception of tokenism, or that a race may need a handicap for its candidate to successfully become president.

 


This article was first published on Sep 08, 2016.
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Raising bar on eligibility to ensure experience, expertise for the job

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Broad changes to tighten the eligibility criteria for presidential candidates from the public and private sectors have been recommended by the Constitutional Commission.

The changes are to ensure that whoever is elected has the expertise and experience to carry out the president's duties as guardian of the national reserves, which will involve complex and highly technical issues, the commission said in its report made public yesterday.

The commission, chaired by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, was appointed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in February to review the institution of the elected presidency. It submitted its report to Mr Lee last month.

One key proposal is that potential candidates must have served six years in a public or private sector position which qualifies them to stand for election. This is double the current requirement of three years.

To ensure that a candidate's experience is current, the commission recommended that the entire period of the candidate's qualifying tenure must be within 15 years before the nomination day of the presidential election.

This means if the presidential election takes place in August next year, a potential candidate must have held his qualifying position for at least six years since 2002.

Another significant proposed change is to the current criterion that a candidate must have had experience running large, complex companies that have a paid-up capital of $100 million.

The commission suggests revising the amount to $500 million in shareholders' equity, as it is a better indicator of a company's size and complexity. "Unlike paid-up capital, shareholders' equity reflects the company's current (and not just its historical) recorded worth," the report explained.

The $500 million figure was derived after considering the magnitude of the decisions that a president may have to make, and the confidence he must have in making decisions involving very large sums of money, including from the reserves.

The $500 million figure should also be reviewed periodically. This could be done a year before every alternate presidential election, the commission proposed.

"Quantitative thresholds cannot remain fixed in perpetuity for the self-evident reason that the economic situation in a country, or, for that matter, even the value of money in real terms, does not remain static," the report said.

The commission also said that only the person holding the most senior executive position who "bears the ultimate weight of responsibility for the fate of a company" should be eligible. Current rules allow the chairman or chief executive of a qualifying company to stand.

Read also: 4 things you should know about the elected-presidency report

Read also: Changes to elected presidency needed as race still matters in politics: PM Lee

But this places "undue emphasis on form rather than substance", the commission said, noting that a non-executive chairman not actively running a company would not have the necessary expertise.

The commission also proposed a profitability requirement to show that a potential candidate performed acceptably while helming a company. The firm should have recorded a net profit during the candidate's time heading it. The company must also not go into liquidation or insolvency within three years of the candidate's departure.

The commission said public sector candidates should not be subject to a similar performance assessment, as it is harder to measure the performance of a public sector entity whose task is to advance the public interest and whose policies may bear fruit only in the long run.

But the commission said its proposal to double the duration which applicants must have served in the qualifying office will be an "indirect indication" of performance for public sector candidates, as it will "filter out those who were either removed or not reappointed because they had been found wanting".

Key public service appointment holders who qualify include ministers, the Chief Justice, Speaker of Parliament, Attorney-General and permanent secretaries.

The commission said the Accountant-General and Auditor-General should be removed from the list for automatic qualification as they do not deal with the pressures of government decision-making, and "play an indispensable but ultimately ancillary (and comparatively narrow) role" in public service.

The commission also noted that it received feedback that raising the eligibility criteria will shrink the pool of potential candidates.

But it said that "an undue focus on the size of the pool is a distraction from the real task at hand, which is to ensure that candidates possess the requisite qualifications to satisfactorily discharge the responsibilities of the office".

ziliang@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on September 08, 2016.
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Town council using anti-mosquito paint

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A paint is said to keep mosquitoes off your walls, and one town council is going to test it out.

Developed by Japanese firm Kansai Paint, the paint contains permethrin, a commonly used insecticide that could ward off the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that are able to spread both the Zika and dengue viruses. It can also keep at bay other small insects such as ants and small spiders, but it works only indoors.

After a successful trial in April and May this year, Nee Soon Town Council plans to use the paint for 18 residential blocks in Nee Soon by the year end.

A spokesman for the town council said it tried the paint at a block in Nee Soon after getting feedback from residents about cobwebs forming on the internal walls of the block. The trial showed it was effective in reducing cobwebs, she said.

But she added that the paint does not repel insects from the blocks completely as it is suitable only for use on internal walls, such as at void decks, and not exterior walls.

The chemical permethrin affects the nervous systems of mosquitoes and other insects.

It has been used as an insecticide for decades and also in insecticide- treated bed nets, for instance, said Associate Professor Roderick Wayland Bates from Nanyang Technological University's School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. "It is regarded as having very low toxicity to humans and so poses no hazard in normal use," he said, adding that permethrin is based on a natural compound found in chrysanthemums.

Kansai Paint (Singapore) chief operating officer Richard Leong said the paint costs about 10 per cent to 15 per cent more than conventional paint. He added that as mosquitoes like to rest on walls during the day, the paint would prevent them from coming indoors.

Nonetheless, the paint alone cannot be a solution to the dengue and Zika situations, said the town council spokesman. "It only deters insects from landing on the walls; it does not kill them."

She said the town council will continue urging residents to do the Mozzie Wipeout. It has also stepped up efforts to fight Zika transmission by cleaning and oiling drains. "We will monitor the effects of this paint and review whether to use it again when other blocks are scheduled for repair and redecoration."

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What proposals might mean for 2011 contenders

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Two of the three candidates who ran and lost in the last presidential election - Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Mr Tan Jee Say - will not make the cut for the next presidential polls under changes to the eligibility criteria proposed by the Constitutional Commission.

The other losing candidate, Mr Tan Kin Lian, will likely qualify, along with President Tony Tan Keng Yam, who won in 2011.

The commission recommended raising the bar to ensure candidates have the necessary experience and expertise to safeguard the country's reserves.

Among other things, they must have been, for at least six years, the most senior executive of a company with up to $500 million in shareholders' equity.

Dr Tan Cheng Bock, who said this year that he would make another presidential bid, will not qualify on both counts.

The former People's Action Party MP qualified in 2011 as he had been non-executive chairman of investment holding company Chuan Hup since 1991.

But the proposed "most senior executive position" requirement excludes non-executive chairmen, who usually lead the board but do not actively run the company. Candidates must have been chief executive officer, managing director or executive chairmen, for instance, to meet this criterion.

As at June 30, Chuan Hup did not meet the proposed shareholders' equity threshold as the company had $300.7 million in shareholders' equity then.

Dr Tan Cheng Bock declined to comment last night when The Straits Times visited his home.

As for Mr Tan Jee Say, he was regional managing director of asset management company AIB Govett Asia from 1997 to 2001, where he managed funds in excess of $100 million. But by the next presidential election, due next year, he would have left the post for more than 15 years. This means he will not meet another proposed criterion for a candidate's qualifying tenure to be within 15 years before nomination day of the election.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Tan Jee Say, the Singaporeans First party chief, said raising the threshold of a company's size to "$200 or $300 million" would be more reasonable. He had not ruled out contesting again, saying his options will become clearer after the Government decides which of the commission's proposals to accept.

Mr Tan Kin Lian, who also ran and lost in 2011, is likely to meet the proposed new criteria. He was head of insurance cooperative NTUC Income from 1977 to 2007. According to its 2015 annual report, it had some $2.6 billion in equity as at Dec 31 last year. Mr Tan Kin Lian, who now runs his own consultancy, could not be reached for comment.

As for President Tan, he is the incumbent.

After he left the Cabinet in 2005, he held key corporate posts, including deputy chairman and executive director of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation.

chiaym@sph.com.sg

Additional reporting by Charissa Yong and Rachel Au-Yong


This article was first published on September 08, 2016.
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Lawyer suspended for having affair with client

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A married lawyer, who had an affair with a former air stewardess he was representing in divorce-related matters, was given a three-month suspension by a Court of Three Judges yesterday.

Mr Lee Terk Yang, 41, a lawyer for 13 years, admitted to having a tryst with the client at a hotel over two days in January 2014.

Her boyfriend complained to the Law Society, which then convened a disciplinary tribunal, before referring the case to the apex court.

Yesterday, Law Society counsel Ajaib Haridass asked for a six- to 12-month suspension for Mr Lee.

"(Mr Lee) breached his fiduciary duty owed to the client when he advanced his personal interests... (He) took advantage of his client by... having sexual intercourse with her on three occasions over two days in January 2014."

He added that in deciding on punishment for Mr Lee, there was a need to protect the reputation of the legal profession and public confidence in it.

Mr Eugene Thuraisingam, counsel for Mr Lee, argued for a fine, saying Mr Lee did not do anything that affected the client's legal interests during their affair, from late December 2013 to early February 2014.

Mr Lee's suspension starts on Oct 1. He also has to pay $10,000 in costs.

After the hearing, he told reporters: "I'm very sorry that I've hurt the people around me. I hope to be given the space to recover."

 


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Singaporean allegedly involved in $2 billion Maldives money laundering plot: Al Jazeera

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A businessman from Singapore is purported to have been involved in a money laundering scheme in the Maldives, where up to US$1.5 billion (S$2 billion) was allegedly embezzled from the country's central bank.

Stealing Paradise, a documentary by Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit that was published on Tuesday (Sep 6), alleges that the plan, which involved high-ranking Maldivian officials and businessmen from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, was to fly in the cash, pass it through Maldives' central bank before transferring it back out.

According to the documentary, former Maldives vice president Ahmed Adib Abdul Ghafoor worked with three of president Abdulla Yameen's closest aides to set up a lucrative "tourism investment plan" in a country well known for its luxury tourist resorts.

In the report by Al Jazeera, Singaporean businessman Tan Kuan Yew allegedly acted as the "middleman" for the operation.

Tan was first named in a report by The New Indian Express in February this year, claiming that he flew ‘huge cash amounts’ into the Maldives, which was then allegedly laundered through official banking channels in the island country.

Al Jazeera's report included detailed timelines, text messages, e-mails, immigration records and documents between Tan and the Maldives tourism minister.

Three other businessmen were reported by Al Jazeera to have been involved. They are Indonesians Rosihan Yacub and Abdul Hakam Hadi, and Malaysian Faidzan Hassan, who was described as "the architect of the deal".

According to Al Jazeera, all four businessmen deny any wrongdoing and say no money was moved.

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No evidence Zika in Singapore more or less severe than strain in Americas

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There is no evidence that the Zika outbreak in Singapore is caused by a viral strain that is more or less severe than the strain circulating in Latin America, Singapore media reported on Thursday, citing the health ministry.

Singapore has so far detected more than 280 Zika infections since reporting its first case on Aug. 27.

Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause microcephaly - a severe birth defect in which the head and brain are undersized - as well as other brain abnormalities. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has since confirmed more than 1,800 cases of the birth defect.

In adults, Zika infections have also been linked to a rare neurological syndrome known as Guillain-Barre, as well as other neurological disorders.

An analysis of two locally infected patients showed the Zika strain in Singapore likely evolved from a strain already circulating in Southeast Asia since the 1960s, the Straits Times newspaper said on its website.

The analysis will be made available for the benefit of the global scientific community, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the newspaper said.

On Wednesday, the WHO updated its assessment of the Zika virus as a cause of congenital brain abnormalities in babies and the Guillian-Barre syndrome, after considering months of research into the mosquito-borne disease.

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New Tengah HDB estate to be built in the west of Singapore

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SINGAPORE - Singapore's 24th HDB town, Tengah, will be a "forest town" - integrated with the surrounding greenery and biodiversity.

A major attraction is an approximately 100m-wide and 5km-long forest corridor that will be planted with rainforest tree species "to transform it into a rich forest habitat". The Housing and Development Board (HDB) said that amenities such as hiking trails would be incorporated into the corridor.

The corridor will be part of a larger network of greenery connecting the Western Water Catchment Area and the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, HDB said.

The masterplan for Tengah, in the west of Singapore, was unveiled by Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong at the HDB Awards Ceremony today (Sept 8).

Tengah will also have a car-free town centre. This is accomplished by having "vehicles plying underneath the town centre", HDB said in a statement.

Artist's impression: HDB

Tengah is bounded by the Pan-Island Expressway, Kranji Expressway, Brickland Road and Bukit Batok Road.

Photo: Internet screengrab

The town will have five housing districts - Plantation, Garden, Park, Brickland and Forest Hill - "designed with community and nature in mind". There will be a large central park, about 20 hectares or the size of Ang Mo Kio's Town Garden West, filled with "ponds and canals".

The Jurong Innovation District, called "Singapore's next-generation industrial district housing learning, research, innovation and manufacturing activities" by the HDB, will be next to Tengah.

Artist's impression: HDB

The first batch of flats in Tengah will be launched from 2018 onwards in the Plantation District.

When completed, Tengah is estimated provide 42,000 new homes - 30,000 public housing and 12,000 private housing units.

HDB also said that the roads in Tengah are "designed to meet future needs" and "they could support future forms of mobility" like driverless vehicles.

A public exhibition on the key planning concepts for Tengah will be held from Sept 9 to 25 at HDB Hub in Toa Payoh, it will be open from 9am to 8pm daily.

sinsh@sph.com.sg

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The new Tengah "forest town" is supposed to raise the bar for public housing in Singapore.

Zika outbreak: Free insect repellent for pregnant women at community clubs

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SINGAPORE - The People's Association (PA) will be giving away bottles of insect repellents to pregnant women from Saturday (Sept 10) at all community clubs in Singapore.

PA said in a statement today (Sept 8) that it worked with the National Environment Agency and Ministry of Health to secure 30,000 bottles of 30ml travel-sized insect repellents to distribute to mums-to-be, after "many mothers-to-be shared their concerns with our grassroots leaders and volunteers at community events and during house visits" following the outbreak of the Zika virus here.

Each pregnant woman can redeem a bottle of insect repellent at any community club convenient to them, PA said.

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Each travel-sized bottle can last about three days of regular application by one person, it said. It's meant to "help tide pregnant women over" until insect repellents are replenished at retail stores.

The women will have to show their maternity appointment card to collect the repellent. Family members can also help these women collect the repellent by showing the mum-to-be's maternity appointment card.

sinsh@sph.com.sg

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Genting bus crash: Singaporean still in coma transferred to NUH

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Overwhelmed with worry, Madam Thanabagiyam, 70, had not eaten or slept well for more than a week, as her eldest child, Mr R. Manokaran, lay unconscious in a hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Still in a coma, he finally returned to Singapore yesterday.

The 52-year-old barber was one of nine Singaporean passengers hurt after a Grassland tour bus returning here from Genting Highlands crashed into a road divider along a highway on Sept 1. One of them, Mr Lim Sia Thian, a 62-year- old accountant, died of his injuries on Sunday.

Mr Manokaran arrived in a Malaysian ambulance at about 2pm at National University Hospital (NUH) after a five-hour journey from Kuala Lumpur General Hospital.

As he was wheeled into the emergency department, his mother kissed him gently on the cheek. She was in tears and had to be supported by two family members.

Madam Muniandy, Mr Manokaran’s wife, who was also in the crash, had a hairline fracture in her spine. Photo: The Straits Times

Mr Manokaran's wife, Madam Muniandy Barvathi, 48, was visibly worried while she waited for her husband. She had arrived about half an hour earlier by van from Kuala Lumpur. She sobbed after he was wheeled in for checks.

The couple and two of their three children were returning home from a four-day holiday in Genting Highlands when the accident took place.

It is the latest fatal bus accident along a Malaysian highway involving Singaporeans.

Mr Manokaran broke his arm and a wrist bone and punctured a lung. He damaged several ribs and both his kidneys have failed.

Doctors in Kuala Lumpur had said on Wednesday night that Mr Manokaran would be able to make the journey home for treatment, said his 21-year-old niece V. Chandralekha. The student added that he was put on breathing support.

Yesterday evening, she said: "Doctors here said he has serious infections in his elbow and lungs and are now treating him with antibiotics."

Madam Muniandy was found to have a hairline fracture in her spine yesterday after a check at NUH, but did not need to be hospitalised.

"My father's condition is not okay yet. But I'm glad we are back," said Mr Manokaran's elder son, who declined to be named.

His two siblings, who were on the trip, had returned earlier to be treated for their injuries at NUH, but they have been discharged, he said.

Ms Chandralekha said Grassland Express and Tours has paid for Mr Manokaran's medical costs in Kuala Lumpur, but the family will be talking to the agency about the expenses incurred here.

Grassland operations manager Steven Chew said the injured passengers have returned to Singapore. One other passenger remains hospitalised at NUH but her condition is stable.

nghuiwen@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on September 9, 2016.
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Chat with Nathan leads to poly journey

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An hour-long chat with the late Mr S R Nathan made Mr Santhiran Ezhavarasan realise the importance of furthering his studies.

Mr Nathan had encouraged the then Institute of Technical Education (ITE) student to get a place in a polytechnic after his ITE studies. That is precisely what Mr Santhiran has done.

Read also: A president with the personal touch

Last night, at a gathering of the Indian community here to remember the late former president, he told an audience of 800 that he had this week been accepted into Republic Polytechnic to pursue a diploma in sports coaching.

The 23-year-old was one of seven people who delivered eulogies to Mr Nathan last night at the PGP Hall in Serangoon Road, before an audience that included family members of Mr Nathan, who died at age 92 on Aug 22.

Mr Santhiran, who is currently doing national service, told The Straits Times that his hour-long meeting with Mr Nathan in January last year left a deep impression on him.

He had just received the S R Nathan Education Award, which helped pay for his school fees and gave him an allowance, and Mr Nathan had asked to meet all the recipients.

The award is provided by the S R Nathan Education Upliftment Fund, set up in 2011 to support programmes to raise the education levels of financially needy Singaporeans.

Read also: Nathan fund pledges $820,000 for needy ITE students

"We had a very good chat," said Mr Santhiran, who was then pursuing his Higher Nitec in sports management at ITE College West.

"Most importantly, he told me not to stop my education with ITE, as many people tend to finish ITE and go straight to work."

Mr Santhiran said those words motivated him a lot, especially as they were from a former president.

Read also: A social worker at heart who always tried to help, say community leaders

Last night's tribute event was organised by the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB), Narpani Pearavai - the coordinating body for the Indian Activity Executive Committees - and the Singapore Indian Development Association.

Attendees included current and former Indian ministers, such as Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and former Cabinet minister S. Dhanabalan, as well as Indian civil servants and community leaders.

In his eulogy, Mr R. Jayachandran, chairman of the HEB, recalled how Mr Nathan was still thinking about issues concerning the board even though he was then already in hospital.

At the event, Mr Tharman presented Mr Nathan's family with a memento - a book containing photographs of Mr Nathan interacting with the Indian community.

 

 


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'I campaigned on the people's voice, but that's not welcome': Tan Kin Lian

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Even if the bar is raised for presidential candidates, he is still likely to qualify to stand for office.

But Mr Tan Kin Lian, 68, is adamant he will not stand in the next Presidential Election (PE).

Mr Tan, who stood in the 2011 PE, told The New Paper yesterday: "Well, I didn't get many votes the last time... I don't see anything that will happen to make me change my mind.

"I'm sure there are many, many qualified people, so I don't think there's any need for me to come forward."

The Constitutional Commission, which was tasked by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to review the elected presidency, released its recommendations on Wednesday.

Among them were:

  • Unbundling the president's symbolic and custodial roles. An appointed president will play a symbolic role as head of state, while an appointed body of experts could take over the custodial functions;
  • Tightening the eligibility criteria for candidates;
  • Ensuring minority representation by triggering reserved elections; and
  • Requiring the president to consult the Council of Presidential Advisers before exercising his discretion in all fiscal matters touching on Singapore's reserves, and all public service appointments.

Read also: 4 things you should know about the elected-presidency report

Mr Tan, the former head of insurance cooperative NTUC Income, received the lowest number of votes - 4.9 per cent - in the 2011 PE, which was won by Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam with 35.2 per cent of the vote.

Former MP Dr Tan Cheng Bock placed second, followed by former civil servant Tan Jee Say.

IT CONSULTANCY

Mr Tan Kin Lian, who now runs his own IT consultancy, said he had hoped for the president's role to extend beyond its custodial and ceremonial duties.

Speaking to TNP in his office, he said: "I wanted the president to be more (of) an office for the views of the people to be heard. That's why I campaigned on the voice of the people, which, I think by now it's quite clear, is not welcome.

"That's the extra reason why I shouldn't be running. I might get into trouble," Mr Tan added before breaking into laughter.

Asked if he felt the president's role is too narrowly defined or limited, he said he had not read anything in the Constitution that said the president should not be allowed to comment on anything.

If that is the case, better to make the president's role a ceremonial one, he said, adding that he was in favour of the commission's idea to revert to an appointed president and then unbundle the president's custodial and ceremonial roles.

"But even a ceremonial president sometimes feels that there is moral duty to speak up. For instance, in Malaysia, the Sultan of Johor spoke out on issues which he thought were important... Even a president without powers should also be allowed to speak out.

"Unfortunately, not enough people supported my idea," said Mr Tan, alluding to his poor showing in 2011.

CONSTITUTION

Singapore Management University constitutional law expert Jack Lee told TNP that the Constitution does not expressly say the president cannot comment on matters.

But what it does say is that the powers of the president are split into two categories - those he may exercise in his own discretion over reserves and appointment of public service officers, and those he must act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet.

"(In the Constitution, it) sounds like the president can listen to the Cabinet's advice, but choose not to follow. But legally speaking, it means the president has to follow what the Cabinet says," Assistant Professor Lee explained.

This is contrary to what some of the 2011 presidential candidates did. Mr Tan, for instance, said he would introduce state pensions for the elderly, which is a breach of election rules.

Under the commission's recommendations, a criminal sanction could be imposed on candidates who breach election rules.

Asked about this, Mr Tan would only say: "I think it was targeted at me."

He declined to comment further.

To him, the most important is the commission's recommendation of returning to a system of appointed presidency, and unbundling the president's roles.

"I find the current system of elected presidency to be unworkable. Take a look at what happened to (former) president Ong Teng Cheong. He tried to understand what his duty was and tried to fulfil his duty. But he found it so difficult. So it's unworkable."

The late Mr Ong was involved in a dispute with the Cabinet over the access of information regarding Singapore's financial reserves. Mr Tan added that "25 years is a long time to realise that the elected presidency is not working well".

"You just cannot carry on because if one day the president decides to act against the wishes of the Government, how do you resolve that? That can be very difficult," he said.

Read also: What proposals might mean for 2011 contenders


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Doctors in uproar over third party administrators' charges

Provision for minority president 'protects our social fabric'

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The Government has a responsibility to draw up a system that anticipates future challenges, even if there are no major issues now, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing said yesterday.

This is why it cannot take a short- term view just to preserve its political capital, but must look at the long-term future of the country, he said at a dialogue in Mandarin in reply to questions on the proposed changes to the elected presidency.

"Being a young country, as we evolve, we have to continually think about whether our systems can meet our present needs and, more importantly, whether they can meet our future needs," he said.

He was explaining why changes to the elected presidency, including to make sure minorities get a chance to be elected from time to time, were necessary, to 120 participants at a dialogue on the National Day Rally by government feedback unit Reach and Lianhe Zaobao.

A Constitutional Commission, in its report released on Wednesday, recommended that a presidential election be reserved for a particular race if there has been no president from that racial group for five continuous terms, as the head of state is a symbol of Singapore and its multiracial society.

Reach chairman and Minister of State for Manpower Sam Tan, who was also at the dialogue, said Chinese people may not have considered how their friends of other races might feel if there is no president from their community for some time. He noted that there has not been a Malay president since Mr Yusof Ishak, who died in office in 1970.

Mr Chan said Singaporeans who are Chinese, as the majority, have a responsibility to bring to the fore issues that those in minority races may feel uncomfortable raising.

He recalled a conversation with a fellow soldier of a minority race during his time in the army. The soldier told Mr Chan "because you are the majority race, you are Chinese, you won't understand this feeling".

This blunt statement was probably made only because they knew each other well, said Mr Chan.

"If we can one day be better than other countries and reach a race- and language-blind society, and we don't need these rules, that's good.

"But before we reach that goal, what can we do to make our systems more robust, protect our social fabric, and not let people divide our society?" he added.

Read also: 4 things you should know about the elected-presidency report

The need for changes to the elected presidency was discussed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the National Day Rally. It was also among the topics that drew interest during online and face-to-face public engagement sessions Reach held in the two weeks after the Rally.

Reach said in a statement yesterday that among the 1,600 pieces of feedback it received were views for and against having safeguards to ensure minority representation.

Some people also felt that raising the minimum yardstick for the value of a private sector company would narrow the pool of potential candidates.

Reach will be organising a series of forums on the elected presidency scheme over the next two months.

joseow@sph.com.sg

 


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Tan Jee Say: Wrong to raise the bar and rule me out

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The idea of raising the bar for presidential candidates is not to prevent "difficult" people from running for office, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a televised interview on Sunday about the Elected Presidency.

But the PM's words did not sit well with ex-presidential hopeful Tan Jee Say.

If the Constitutional Commission's recommendations to tighten the qualifying criteria for candidates are accepted, Mr Tan, 62, will be ruled out.

The former civil servant, who stood in the 2011 Presidential Election (PE), had intended to stand again until he learnt of the recommendations.

Read also: 4 things you should know about the elected presidency report 

He told The New Paper yesterday: "I'm disappointed. The (new) rules are unnecessary. They should let me, Cheng Bock, and those who have run before (take part).

"If the PM says he has no ulterior motive, then make it very clear that he's not trying to get rid of competition."

Mr Tan won 25 per cent of votes in the 2011 PE to place third, behind Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, who is now the President, and former MP Tan Cheng Bock, in a four-way fight.

He had qualified in 2011 because of his regional managing director position at AIB Govett, an asset management company, from 1997 to 2001.

Calling the tightening of criteria a "wrong step", Mr Tan said: "They say that if we do not tighten the criteria, then the number of people qualifying will be so large.

"Why should that be a problem? Shouldn't we welcome it - a bigger pool, more choices?"

He added that candidates with higher qualifications may end up representing a smaller segment of the population.

"Will they understand the feelings of the people? After all, we are talking about an elected officer here."

He also had strong words for the recommendation of a "hiatus-triggered model", where a contest is reserved for candidates of a certain race if there has not been a president from that particular race for five terms.

This system will help ensure that the president, as the symbolic head of state, remains a multiracial institution.

Mr Tan said this was "totally unnecessary".

"We have been doing fine at racial integration since PAP (People's Action Party) came into power. We've been spending lots of time, effort, and it's been a success.

"Having a reserved election is like the Government admitting it has failed in bringing races together. To move from racial integration to entitlement... it's a backward step," he said.

Referring to US President Barack Obama, Mr Tan said the US did not need a reserved election to vote in its first African-American president in 2008.

"We don't have the kind of racial riots and all the racial trouble (in the US). Yet we are doing this. Why?"

Mr Tan saw the move as politicising the presidency and introducing racial issues.

"Race was never an issue. Why bring it out now?" he asked.

Read also: Proposed changes to elected presidency could lead to negative consquences


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Rebranded Lianhe Zaobao site to include content from evening tabloids

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SINGAPORE - Readers of Singapore Press Holdings' (SPH) Chinese papers can now access morning broadsheet Lianhe Zaobao alongside the evening tabloids on the new zaobao.sg website.

Content from Lianhe Zaobao, Lianhe Wanbao and Shin Min Daily News will be pooled on the website. Readers can access the content on desktop and mobile browsers as well as iOS and Android apps.

Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong May, who is also digital editor of the SPH Chinese Media Group (CMG), said: "By incorporating content from the three publications, zaobao.sg will now encompass the best of Chinese media content in Singapore and provide our audiences with a one-stop station for their daily news, lifestyle, and entertainment needs."

Subscribers will be able to read all three papers in electronic form.

The website also carries digital-exclusive videos and interactive content in its free section.

Ms Han said: "Besides providing more content to existing readers of the three Chinese papers, we aim to attract more young bilingual and bicultural readers to the upsized zaobao.sg."

The new website is accompanied by the "Gamsia365" initiative that CMG describes as a corporate social responsibility project.

Drawing on the word for "thank you" in Hokkien, the project was launched in August to encourage showing gratitude for small positive gestures every day.

See also: Lianhe Zaobao organises "Rediscovery" mass singing event to engage readers


This article was first published on Sept 8, 2016.
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Hairline cracks found on 11 first-generation Sengkang-Punggol LRT trains

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SINGAPORE - Hairline cracks have been found on 11 first-generation Sengkang-Punggol LRT trains, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Friday (Sept 9).

This comes just two months after hairline cracks were reportedly found on new MRT trains manufactured by the China Southern Railway (CSR) Qingdao Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company. In July, it was also reported that cracks were found on the underframe of 19 US-made Bombardier trains on the Bukit Panjang LRT.

The cracks on the LRT trains were found during SBS Transit's fleet-wide inspection in July this year. According to LTA, these trains have been in use since the Sengkang-Punggol LRT started in 2003.

The hairline cracks were found on the bogie frames, which are on the undercarriage and support the guidance system of the light rail vehicles, but do not compromise their ability to bear weight.

An independent assessor, TUV Rheinland, has established that the defects are not safety critical.

However, as a precautionary measure, these 11 trains were withdrawn from passenger service and scheduled to have their bogie frames replaced.

Six vehicles have since been restored and returned to service. The remaining five are expected to be reinstated by mid-October.

The authority added that LRT services have not been affected by the discovery as there are 57 light rail vehicles in the Sengkang-Punggol LRT fleet, and a maximum of 36 trains are deployed at any one time.

SBS Transit has also been inspecting all its light rail vehicles on a weekly basis.

A sample of the affected bogie frames have been sent to manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industry (MHI)'s R&D Centre in Japan for a detailed analysis.

LTA also said that it would be working with SBS Transit and MHI to redesign, strengthen and replace the bogie frame structures on all 57 LRVs.

MHI will bear the replacement costs.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

Read also:'Impurities in material' caused cracks on MRT trains

 

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