REACH » Discussion Forum

Grassroots Leaders Help To Strengthen Ties in the Community

19 May 2013

Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Swee Say said grassroots leaders are the "voice of the silent majority", helping to strengthen ties between the ground and the Government.

Mr Lim, who is also deputy chairman of the People's Association (PA), said this at the PA Awards Ceremony on Saturday afternoon (18 May). He cited the ongoing “Our Singapore Conversation”, which seeks to reach consensus among Singaporeans on the country's future, to illustrate the role of the grassroots movement in reaching out to residents.

He added that grassroots leaders reach out to some 1.7 million residents every year. Through the interactions, he said they give frank feedback to the Government as well as suggest ideas on how the Government can do better.

In addition, Mr Lim commented there are three areas that the PA could improve on in future. The first is to try new ideas, and be open to innovation as the movement widens its approach. The second is to do more to bridge an emerging social gap within the community. The third is to deepen the engagement among residents.

Read the Channel NewsAsia story, “Grassroots leaders are "voice of silent majority": Lim Swee Say”, and share your views on how grassroots leaders can be a bridge between the people and the Government.

More Elderly Care Centres To Be Built

18 May 2013

About seven elderly care centres will be built islandwide by early next year.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong announced this during the launch of the St Hilda’s Community Services Centre at Jalan Batu yesterday. The facilities will be sited within the community to make it convenient for patients and their caregivers.

“Part of the reason why we want to locate aged care facilities in the community, apart from making aged care more accessible, is also to tap on the energy and the ‘heartware’ already existing in the community, to foster a more inclusive environment for our seniors to age in,” shared Mr Gan.

In light of the Not-In-My-Backyard syndrome that had cropped up in some areas, Mr Gan said that his Ministry will be working closely with community leaders so as to meet the needs of residents.

Read the details in TODAY, “Govt to build seven elderly care centres islandwide” and share your thoughts on how we can create an inclusive environment for the elderly.

University Degree ‘Not Vital for Success’

17 May 2013

Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said that a good academic qualification alone “does not guarantee a good career”, especially in the current volatile and fast-changing economy.

Fairer, More Equitable ERP System

17 May 2013

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is studying for a fairer and more equitable satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system which can charge according to distance travelled, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew.

The new system will use global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) technology via an On-Board Unit (replacing the current In-vehicle Unit) to check the distance a vehicle travels along ERP-active roads and charge accordingly.

Currently, motorists driving the same vehicle type passing under the same ERP gantry pay the same rate, regardless of their distance travelled.

However, Mr Lui said that "it will be several more years" before the new-generation ERP system can be implemented. It will start only on roads currently with ERP and used as a congestion management tool. It will not be something that “charges the minute motorists start driving, and drivers will generally have the ‘same paying experience’.

He also stressed that the Government would “safeguard the confidentiality of motorists,” such as by anonymising any data collected and developing privacy safeguards.

Mr Lui was speaking during a visit to the site of the upcoming Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE), which is on track to open by the end of this year. The MCE will connect East Coast Parkway (ECP) and the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) with the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE). It will have nine new ERP gantries in the CBD to replace the seven which will be removed.

Find out more from The Straits Times’ infographic on the MCE “Undersea Highway Link” and read the full article “Satellite ERP still years away: Lui” on the new ERP system.

Do you agree that charging by distance rather than fixed points would be more equitable? What are your concerns?

Possible Tweaks to COE System

17 May 2013

To rebalance the “distribution of car ownership”, the Government is exploring ideas such as imposing surcharges on multiple-car owners, or re-categorising cars to better separate luxury vehicles from mass-market ones.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew highlighted these suggestions at a visit to the upcoming Marina Coastal Expressway site on Thursday, and announced that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) would be conducting a consultation with the public and industry players on these proposals before the changes are implemented.

Noting that car models “commonly viewed as higher-end options” such as the Mercedes C180 Kompressor and Audi A1 took up more than one-third of Category A Certificates of Entitlement (COE) meant for cars of up to 1,600cc last year compared to 7% in 2010, Mr Lui said that “while this is a reflection of increasing affluence and consumer preferences, we also want to make sure Cat A, which is intended for buyers of smaller, budget cars, retains its original purpose".

Thus, one of the options currently being considered are to create a new criterion for Cat A and Cat B, such as to classify cars by engine power. Another option is having an additional requirement — for example, a maximum engine power rating — for Cat A cars, on top of the existing engine capacity criterion.

“Whatever decision we make, the market will be given ample time to adjust,” Mr Lui said.

Citing public feedback that “individuals who own more than one car deprive others of opportunities to own cars given the limited COE supply”, he said the Government would be looking to spread out car ownership “more evenly”.

Mr Lui said: "I am open to considering sensible options that could possibly take the form of, for example, levying a surcharge for the second, third or more cars owned by the same individual. The rationale would be that in exchange for the privilege of owning several cars, these owners should pay proportionately more by way of levies."

He added: “There are ... downsides in such a proposal. Apart from the fact that some owners would circumvent the rule by registering the car in the name of a relative, such a policy could also fuel anti-wealth sentiments.”

Read the TODAY article ‘Possible COE tweaks could affect wealthy buyers, luxury cars’.

Contributors on REACH have also made similar suggestions to ease traffic and manage car ownership in Singapore. What are your thoughts on the Government’s consideration of these ideas, and do you have further views on making the vehicle quota system more socially equitable?

Car Camera Could Lower Motor Premiums

16 May 2013

A working group formed by the Traffic Police (TP) and the General Insurance Association (GIA) is studying ways to encourage better behaviour on the road. Possible moves include providing incentives for motorists who install video-recording devices in their vehicles and getting discounts on their motor insurance premiums and shortening the demerit-free period for motorists to get insurance rebates.

Another area of concern is the spate of serious accidents involving heavy vehicles. The TP will be enacting tougher rules for heavy vehicles caught speeding and will set a requirement for these vehicles to undergo inspections more often. Heavy vehicles might also be required to install in-vehicle “black boxes” to monitor its driving patterns.

These are part of a move to find a long-term strategy to change driver behaviour and lowering accident rates.

The Traffic Police have also beefed up enforcement. By the end of this year, the Traffic Police will add 70 more officers on patrol, bringing the number to 210 and by the end 2014 they will have 300 digital cameras to nab speedsters and those who run red lights.

Read more in The Straits Times’ report “Car camera could lower motor premiums”.

Do you think these measures can help improve motorist behaviour on the road and lower accident rates? Share with us your ideas!

Government to Boost Pool of Local Finance Experts

16 May 2013

Having Singaporeans fill more specialist and leadership positions in the financial industry is an important goal on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s to-do list.

“(The sector) creates good jobs for a better-educated workforce and a growing number of PMEs; it catalyses growth in other sectors, such as legal services and industry development … and it enhances Singapore’s position as a global trading and services hub,” he added.

To realise this goal, Monetary Authority of Singapore will groom more local talent, seek high- quality investments, maintain a pro-business environment and join efforts to reform the global financial system.

These paths to growth for the robust sector, which looks set to expand by 3 per cent this year, were set out by PM Lee at the official opening of the Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC).

PM Lee's call comes after DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s outline to achieve this goal less than a year ago. Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin also said in March that the Government will tackle discrimination against Singaporeans in the financial industry.

Read more on The Straits Times’ report “Government to Boost Pool of Local Finance Experts” and share your views with us!

SMRT and LTA Joint Briefing on measures to increase reliability of MRT network

15 May 2013

The SMRT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) have conducted a joint briefing to provide an update on the measures to reduce disruptions and increase the reliability of the MRT network. These include

Upgrading trains to provide more standing space and handrails, wider seats, non-slip floors and better ventilation
Replacing key parts such as propulsion systems on all 19 second-generation trains by 2016, and the 66 first-generation trains by 2019. SMRT is already using its fourth-generation trains
To speed up works, third-rail replacement, which was announced earlier to improve train reliability, will be coordinated with another programme to replace 188,000 wooden sleepers, which hold the metal rail track in place.

SMRT said that stretches of the North-South and East-West MRT lines could be partially closed till noon on Sundays for maintenance work, as SMRT seeks to complete the replacement of wooden sleepers by 2016, three years ahead of the original target, and carry out other works.

Bus bridging services will be provided and the public will be informed in advance to minimise the inconvenience to commuters. Details, including when the scheduled closures will start, are still being worked out.

LTA figures also showed that the number of trains withdrawn from service and incidents that led to delays of more than 10 minutes have dropped in the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year. However, incidents that cause delays of 30 minutes or more continue to be an area of concern that the joint LTA and SMRT team will work on.

Find out more on what to expect from The Straits Times’ ‘Older SMRT trains to get makeover for better ride’.

Debate on Khaw Boon Wan’s Ministerial statement on Town Councils

14 May 2013

Many contributors have shared feedback on the review of town councils (TC), following MND’s report on TCs released on 3 May.

Minister Khaw Boon Wan delivered a Ministerial statement on TCs yesterday, which was robustly debated in Parliament. He also delivered a closing statement to address the views of various MPs during the debate.

Mr Khaw noted that the MND report had identified gaps in the current rules on the handover of town councils from one political party to another. These gaps have led to difficulties and disagreements in cases such the handover of Potong Pasir TC in 2011 and Punggol East TC this year.

In his opening speech, he highlighted three broad areas to be looked into for the review:-

TCs’ duties and responsibilities, vis-à-vis HDB;
adequacy of TCs’ sinking funds and their long term financial sustainability; and
hand-over and transition arrangements when MPs change (and such change could take place between MPs of the same party or from different parties).

Mr Khaw also said, ‘Twenty four years after the formation of TCs, town management has been raised to a higher plane. The legislation to empower the elected MP to run the TC, so that he can respond more promptly to his residents’ needs and work with his voters to shape their town’s identity, has generally been a success.

‘The need to create a nexus between an elected MP and his voters, through his work in the TC which has a direct bearing on the daily life of the residents, is a strategic imperative which cannot be faulted. We should not return to status quo ante, where HDB administers estates all over Singa¬pore, and MPs have no authority or responsibility over what is done or how well things work,’ he added.

During the debate, various MP shared suggestions such as setting up of a code of conduct for MPs in the event of a handover and for MND to play a mediating role on issues that are "deadlocked or involve substantial costs to be apportioned".

In his wrap-up of the debate, Mr Khaw said that town councils should not incur unnecessary expenses, whether during handovers or for day-to-day operations, as this would involve spending residents' funds. While some costs may be incurred to suit the new MP's management style and operational preference", it should be minimised, an outcome that would need "some give and take" by the two parties involved.

Read more on The Straits Times’ reports “MPs should still have say over housing estates: Khaw” and “Ideas for smooth town council handover”

What are your suggestions on the 3 broad areas for the town council review?

Do you agree that we should not return to the status where HDB administers estates all over Singa¬pore, and MPs have no authority or responsibility over what is done or how well things work?

What rules do you think should be in place to ensure smooth handover of TCs when MPs change?

Singapore Better Prepared to Handle Epidemics

14 May 2013

Singapore is better prepared to handle infectious disease outbreaks, including the H7N9 strain of bird flu and a deadly new Sars-like virus, compared to the 2003 Sars epidemic, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong in Parliament on Monday.

The novel coronavirus (NCoV) is from the same family as Sars, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, and there have been 34 confirmed cases worldwide since last September, including in Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with 18 deaths. Its source remains unclear.

The first H7N9 infections were reported in China this March, and there have been 130 confirmed cases, including 35 deaths. Infected poultry and contaminated live poultry markets are the most likely sources of infection.

While the risk of an H7N9 or NCoV outbreak in Singapore currently remains low as there has been no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of both diseases worldwide, Mr Gan said that the health authorities, government agencies, hospitals and doctors remain vigilant.

Mr Gan added that hospitals are ready to respond to emergency cases, and have been working with his ministry to expand capacity at short notice, such as the freeing up of extra beds fast by deferring elective surgery operations and speeding up the discharge of medically stable patients.

All hospitals and doctors are also on alert to look out for suspect cases or infected travellers with such symptoms as fever, cough and signs of pneumonia, and previous travel to affected regions, and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority is also testing imported poultry, inspecting pet shops and monitoring birds in wetland reserves including migratory birds, Mr Gan said.

"Our health-care professionals, our health-care institutions are working together preparing for the possibility of the arrival of H7N9 or NCoV in Singapore."

"With each new infectious disease it will bring in new experiences, new challenges, new threats. Therefore it is a continuing journey of learning," he said.

Read the full Straits Times article ‘S'pore better prepared to deal with epidemics’ and share your views on how citizens can also do their part to deal with such epidemics.