More hotel rooms available The Straits Times 2 Jan, 2010 By Tan Dawn Wei WELL-HEELED, and budget, travellers will be spoilt for room options when they visit Singapore this year. Big players like Marina Bay Sands, Resorts World and The Fullerton Heritage are rolling out top-end hotels. Together, they alone will inject more than 4,000 rooms to the existing 44,000 in all classes of hotels. New hotels in the low and mid tiers also mean that the bulk of visitors - from China, Indonesia and Malaysia - will not be neglected. Tourism is expected to bounce back this year after the industry was hit by the global slump last year. November's visitor tally was up 8.4 per cent from a year earlier, to reach 830,000. Singapore is targeting 9 to 9.5 million visitors for 2009. Given the new supply of rooms, industry players do not expect a repeat of the severe room crunch that plagued the previous tourism peak in 2008. Then, many tour groups had to be diverted to hotels in Geylang and even chalets in the east. Big players like Marina Bay Sands, Resorts World and The Fullerton Heritage are rolling out top-end hotels. -- PHOTO: THE FULLERTON HOTEL
Loh, sorry if I were to appear to throw a spanner in the works about the trend of this thread. I believe the ground rule for Chit-Chat is for all off-topic (meaning non-badminton related) discussions. The key word is "discussions" but we are not getting any real discussions here, only endless reprints of newspaper cuttings. I think moderators may want to take a look at the objective of "Chit-Chat" column and decide if the original intent should be retained or amended to be a free-form format.
It is not only silly, it is childish. This applies to both countries, Malaysia and Singapore. Both countries try to build barriers to free trade-Singapore requiring their cars going into Malaysia to fill their cars 3/4 tankful and Malaysia restricting gas sales to Singapore cars within a 50 km radius. Is Malaysia aware that more than 50% of its tourists arrivals of 22 million/year are Singaporeans? And why is Singapore insisting that cars going over to Malaysia must fill up to 3/4 tankful at the Singapore end, if it is not for protectionism of its over-priced gas. This "kills" any arbitrage, a most vital mechanism to bring goods and services to the consumers at the cheapest prices, wherever they are.
I notice that tourist arrivals in Singapore has not kept pace with its neighbours or competitiors. Singapore's tourist arrivals were about 7 million in 1999 and projected to reach only 9 to 9.9 million for 2009. Malaysia's tourist arrivals went from 13.9 million in 1999 to 23 million for 2009. Hong Kong tops it with tourist arrivals sky-rocketing from 10.68 million in 1999 to close to 30 million for 2009. Maybe, the new casinos, F1 racing and other tourist friendly attractions in Singapore will swing the tide. It is going to be a tough act to follow, frankly.
Each side will try to claim how they contribute more to the other side as well as criticising each other. The truth is that both need each other, no one side contributes more than the other side. It is more at equilibrium. Re EPF or otherwise known as provident funds or social security in other countries, this is one gold pot each government salivates to get their hands on. This is one huge collection box where monies, based on certain percentages of wages or remuneration, from all employees and companies are collected. Very neat as it represents a sure source of income for the government to use or misuse for almost indefinitely until the employee retires. Now what happens if the government goes bankrupt? Surely, even the US government does not have enough money to pay for all these future payouts when they are due. Also, why is the government the only chosen one to manage your retirement funds? This means either the government is the best manager of your funds or they are abusing their power to give themselves the legal power to be the sole manager. What is not disputed is that any sole government managed fund is inefficient and not chosen based on performance. So why not privately managed provident funds by many well run fund management companies? This will breed competition and spread the risk. If the government tanks, there are no risks to such privately managed funds. One fund may go burst but it is unlikely all funds will go burst. In addition privately managed funds can provide a range of risks appropriate with returns for different people-younger people want more returns and can take higher risks whereas older people want something that is as safe as Fort Knox. For Malaysians who have worked in Singapore and have returned to Malaysia, the government of Singapore will not allow them to redeem their EPF entitlements until they reach retirement age. However, it is the norm that when you leave a country after having worked there you will be able to withdraw your EPF. But we are talking about Malaysia and Singapore, not other countries. Singapore, probably due to politics or maybe until concessions on water supply and Malaysian railway line/station are resolved, will never agree to this. Why should they as this is good money for them to further Singapore Can? That is why government run or managed EPF, CPF or social security stinks. Go private, everytime. Hong Kong is doing exactly that. All the EPFs and CPFs in Hong Kong are private.
Loh CLEARLY did not mention anything againts having a discussion. Loh is CLEARLY uncomfortable & unappreciative of YOUR DEROGATORY COMMENTS about Singapore & It's Neighbours. Who wouldn't be. Instead of Mods considering the fate of this Thread which is not doing any harm, The Mods should instead look into misconduct of certain members. However articulately a post is written, It's is of no good to a community if it is filled with disrespect aimed at certain groups.
keyword: discussion(s), however... endless barrage of 'paste its' spells ADMD. M for 'metacarpal' and even 'metatarsal' too if the the feet can do the keying of strokes, no doubt.
School of The Arts opens The Straits Times Jan 4, 2010 By Amelia Tan WHILE the School of The Arts (Sota) is set up to nurture future generation Singapore artists and creative professionals, it is also a place for the public to experience the arts and for practioners to hone their craft. Practioners can rent facilities such as the recital hall and theatre, which will be ready by the end of the year to stage plays and musicals, while the public can attend exhibitions and public performances which will be held regularly at the concourse. The school's cafe will also be opened to the public. The $145-million campus in Bras Basah was officially opened on Monday by Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Rear-Admiral (NS) Lui Tuck Yew. The 11-storey building, just beside The Cathay cineplex, is a product of three years of construction which began in January 2006. The school operated at a temporary location at Goodman Road in the last two years. Sota, Singapore's only pre-tertiary arts school, currently has about 580 year- one to year-four students, 200 of whom are in the first year. The school offers a six-year programme leading to the International Baccaluareate diploma for 13 to 18 year olds. From the SOTA's website: http://www.sota.edu.sg/TheSchool/tabid/36/Default.aspx In March 2004, the Singapore Government accepted the recommendations of a Committee on Specialised Arts School to set up Singapore's first independent pre-tertiary arts school to nurture youths talented in the arts, with the vision to groom the next generation of artists, creative professionals and individuals who are passionate for, and committed to the arts in a multi-cultural society. The School of the Arts will offer a unique connected arts and academic curriculum for youths aged 13 - 18 The school offers a six-year programme leading to the International Baccaluareate diploma for 13 to 18 year olds. --ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
IRs set to bring in the tourists Today 05:55 AM Jan 04, 2010 By Neo Chai Chin SINGAPORE - For all the millions of people who stop by the Lion City each year, only four in 10 do so on holiday. Now, with the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World at Sentosa to finally throw their doors open this year, will more travellers begin to view this as a vacation destination - and find reason to visit not just once, but twice? If there is a common refrain from inbound tour agencies, it is their optimism that the integrated resorts will boost their repeat leisure traveller clientele - by up to 50 per cent, Star Holiday Mart managing director Dennis Law reckons. He is already seeing customers, excited about the resorts, delaying their trips here until after the IRs open. And tourists whom MediaCorp spoke to last week at Changi Airport said they would make that return trip just to experience the resorts. Although Mr Raymond Tutupoly, 33, has been flying here frequently for work over the last five years, it was only last month that he finally took his family here for a holiday. When the IRs open, the chief executive of a mining company will return "for sure" for another break. "I think it's quite thrilling," he added. But beyond just the initial "novelty" factor, industry players are counting on the IRs to continue to draw a faithful stream of repeat visitors over the years, in a way other regular tourist attractions would not. According to the Singapore Tourism Board's Annual Report on Tourism Statistics 2008, less than half of Singapore's visitors have been leisure-seekers; business forms the next biggest purpose of visit, followed by 12 per cent who are visiting friends or relatives. Big Test For Budget Airlines Repeat travellers largely came from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Australia. Accounting for this in recent years has been the growth of low-cost carriers (LCCs) - but this year, more than any other previously, will be the "testing ground" for budget airlines to realise their full potential, believes Star Holiday's Mr Law. Though they arrived in Singapore in 2004, budget carriers' full potential was unrealised due to the hotel room supply crunch in 2006 and 2007, and the recent economic downturn. With more routes opening up, "LCCs will help in creating space and seats for future business (growth)", said Mr Law. Jetstar Asia, for example, flies from 19 destinations to Singapore. But only about three in 10 Jetstar Asia passengers are inbound and foreign, said a company spokesperson, who added that repeat travellers came from the corporate and short-break leisure markets. Resorts World at Sentosa is now working with major travel agencies here, issuing contracted rates for hotel stays and theme park visits for agents to sell to these and other overseas markets, several agencies told MediaCorp. The agents are also awaiting familiarisation visits to the resort, which they said usually takes place two weeks before a major theme park opens its doors to the public. High Hopes ... And A Caveat With the Marina Bay Sands complementing its rival by targeting visitors who come for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions, it is no wonder tour agencies are "upbeat and optimistic" about 2010, in the words of Ms Alicia Seah, senior vice-president of marketing and public relations at CTC Holidays. Barring any unexpected events, CTC expects inbound travel to grow by 15 per cent this year. And although the STB has not yet released its targets for this year, it has signalled that it would be more than the 9-to-9.5 million tourists last year. Nonetheless, Singaporeans should keep their desire for immediate tangible results in check, cautioned Standard Chartered economist Alvin Liew. "The first year, we shouldn't hold too high hopes that everything will run smoothly and that (the resorts) will be generating revenue like they've been (operating) for the last 10 years," he said. Still, the tourism industry - which officially accounts for 3 per cent of Singapore's gross domestic product - is "no longer so straightforward". An IR visitor could come here for a conference, like what he sees and eventually buy a property here, for instance - leading to a spillover effect to other sectors. Indeed, the intangible benefits of tourism and the IRs will be plenty - in the form of buzz generated, putting Singapore on more travellers' radar and raising its international profile like what the Formula 1 night race did. Eventually, the IRs could even tie up with the race to create a month with "extraordinarily high tourist arrivals" in September, said Mr Liew. The caveat to all this: "The backdrop of everything has to be without any ... big external shock, like a geopolitical crisis or a financial crisis. If that happens, the rosy picture of tourism may not pan out."
Slower growth but we will all do better Today 05:55 AM Jan 04, 2010 By Lin Yan Qin SINGAPORE - Annual economic growth of 7 to 10 per cent is a thing of the past, but does that mean the slice of the pie will get smaller for Singaporeans? The government will focus on improving the per capita performance of citizens, even if overall growth is lower, at around 3 to 5 per cent, as expected, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday. "So even if the economy is not growing bigger and bigger, for each one of us, we will be doing better and better and performing well," he said. Mr Lee was reiterating his New Year's message that the Republic needs to face up to the challenge of slower economic growth as it emerges from the downturn. He noted again that this could be done if Singaporeans are equipped with skills and education. Bursaries and the Edusave Scholarship, for example, are "one of the most important things we can do for our young people" and a good encouragement, he told several hundred recipients at the Teck Ghee Bursary Awards presentation ceremony. The award is for pupils in primary five and six as well as in secondary school, ranging between $350 and $650 in government schools, and given to the top 5 to 10 per cent in each academic level and stream. Mr Lee also shared plans to make unannounced visits to three or four schools a year to see how teachers and pupils are getting on and to encourage them. Last year he made such visits to Hwa Chong Institution, NorthLight School, School of the Arts and Pathlight School.
HDB prices hit new high The Straits Times Jan 4, 2010 By Jessica Cheam PRICES of Housing Board resale flats continued its relentless climb, rising 3.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year to hit a fresh record. The Resale Price Index (RPI) hit 150.7 in the fourth quarter, up from 145.2 in the third quarter, according to flash estimate released by the HDB on Monday. This means HDB resale flat prices rose about 8 per cent for 2009. Analysts say this is due to the nascent economic recovery and strong demand for resale flats. HDB said on Monday it will continue to launch more build-to-order flats in 2010 'if there is sustained demand for new flats',. It will ensure that there is an adequate supply of flats to meet prevailing housing needs, it said. About 1,300 new flats will be launched for sale tomorrow in Choa Chu Kang and Hougang. Full public housing data for the fourth quarter will be released on Jan 22. HDB resale flat prices rose about 8 per cent for 2009. -- ST PHOTO: STEPAHNIE YEOW
New housing ahead for Hougang, Choa Chu Kang and Woodlands Channel NewsAsia 05 January 2010 1120 hrs Singapore: A pair of new Build-to-Order (BTO) projects have been launched by the HDB in Choa Chu Kang and Hougang. Called Limbang Green and Buangkok Vale, the flats will cost from a low of $64,000 for a Studio flat to a high of $288,000 for a 4-room unit. The Housing and Development Board said in a news release Tuesday that the new flats are priced below their equivalent market prices and most of the 2-4 room flats will be set aside for first-time buyers. The latest BTO project will offer a total of 1,291 standard flats with 646 units being 4-room flats and the rest being Studio Apartments (276 units), 2-room flats (128 units) and 3-room flats (241 units). The development in Choa Chu Kang called Limbang Green will have 592 standard flats, comprising 276 Studio Apartments, 128 units of 3-room flats and 188 units of 4-room flats. The selling price for the Limbang Green flats range from $64,000 to $89,000 for a Studio Apartment; $140,000 to $169,000 for a 3-room flat; and $226,000 to $278,000 for a 4-room flat. At Hougang, the Buangkok Vale project offers 699 standard flats, comprising 128 units of 2-room flats, 113 units of 3-room flats and 458 units of 4-room flats. The Buangkok Vale units are priced from $88,000 to $111,000 for a 2-room flat; $142,000 to $182,000 for a 3-room flat; and $231,000 to $288,000 for a 4-room flat. The HDB said that it aims to keep public housing affordable for first-time homebuyers, and that the market prices take into account the prices of resale flats in the area, adjusted for factors such as location, flat attributes, project design and prevailing market conditions, as determined by professional valuers. In a month's time, the HDB also plans to launch another 1,500 flats in Punggol and Woodlands and if there is sustained demand, more BTO projects can be expected, bringing the number of new BTO flats to about 12,000 this year. In addition, tenders are being called for the sale of two Executive Condominum (EC) housing sites at Buangkok Drive and Yishun Ave 11. Introduced in 1995, the Executive Condominium Housing Scheme (ECHS) offers households with income of up to $10,000 a month, strata-titled apartments with facilities comparable to private condominiums but with initial eligibility and ownership restrictions similar to public housing. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has meanwhile put up for sale by public tender, its first residential site to be sold in 2010 through the Confirmed List under the Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme. The residential site at Choa Chu Kang Road / Woodlands Road is earmarked for an integrated commercial and residential development, that is co-located with the Ten Mile Junction LRT station. A 3-storey podium block comprising commercial space and the Ten Mile Junction LRT station is already built and in operation. The current sale will only include the existing commercial development and the future residential development to be built above the podium. Workers erect scaffolding at a construction site in Singapore (file picture)
River Hong Bao 2010 to feature cultural elements from Chengdu Channel NewsAsia 05 January 2010 0020 hrs By Seet Sok Hwee, SINGAPORE: River Hong Bao celebrations for 2010 look set to usher in the Lunar New Year in authentic Chinese fashion. This year's event is co-organised by China's Chengdu government, and will see a record 88 lanterns on display. Aside from the perennial favourites such as the God of Fortune and animals from the Chinese zodiac, visitors can also look forward to lanterns made of sugar and even ceramic spoons. Into its 24th year now, the River Hong Bao will also feature traditional handicrafts from Chengdu and the city's unique street food culture. The event will be held at the Marina Bay floating platform, with festivities carried out over nine days starting from February 12 (According to The Straits Times, there will be about 300 acts to welcome the Year of the Tiger, up from 200 for the Ox year. The number of foreign acts - traditionally a big draw - will also go up, to about 100, compared to 50 last year) People walk past a lantern of the God of Fortune
SingaporeSailing stay on course as Sanders bows out TODAY 05 January 2010 0626 hrs By Tan Yo-Hinn, SINGAPORE: At the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Singapore were crowned the continent's best sailing nation after the team returned with five gold, three silver and two bronze medals. While the medal target for this year's event has not been finalised, SingaporeSailing president Low Teo Ping is confident Andrew Sanders' decision to step down as the sport's chief executive officer will not affect their preparations for the Games, which will be held in Guangzhou, China, from Nov 12-27. SingaporeSailing announced on Monday that Sanders, 38, will relinquish his post next month but stay on as a consultant until May. Secretary-general Edwin Low will head the national sports association as their new executive director. "It will not affect our preparations for the Asian Games," Low told MediaCorp on Monday. "Besides, our high performance unit is under the purview of Mark Robinson, and all the necessary infrastructure is already in place." Sanders, the association's high performance chief from 2002 to 2005, agreed. "We're very much on track for the Asian Games," said the former sailor. The geologist from Perth, Australia, thinks the time is right to move on. He said: "SingaporeSailing now has an enduring, sustainable infrastructure where everyone knows their roles intimately." "I've also had offers in the past year, including from the mining sector, and spoken to Teo Ping over the past seven, eight months about a succession plan. I felt it was the right the time to move on." As if to reinforce the point that sailing remains in a robust state, Singapore's sailors tasted further success at the Australian Laser National Championships on Monday, with Koh Seng Leong and Today Athlete of the Year nominee Elizabeth Yin winning the men's and women's radial titles respectively. Sherman Cheng and Justin Liu had won the boys' 420 event on Sunday. Yin, 18, the byte (2007), Laser 4.7 (2008) and Laser Radial (2009) world champion, was also the regatta's overall top female sailor. Current SingaporeSailing secretary-general Edwin Low (L) receives the helm from outgoing CEO Andrew Sanders.
Resorts World Sentosa to open on Jan 20 Channel NewsAsia 05 January 2010 1821 hrs SINGAPORE : One of Singapore's integrated resorts, Resorts World Sentosa, will begin opening its doors in phases from January 20. The resort said its four hotels - Crockfords Tower, Hotel Michael, Festive Hotel and Hard Rock Hotel Singapore - will be opened on that day. Resorts World Sentosa began operations at two of its four hotels on Tuesday, and employees and their families were the resort's main guests before the hotels' public opening. Resorts World Sentosa's chief executive, Tan Hee Teck, said the phased schedule would allow the resort and its 10,000 employees to run in operations and deliver the expected guest experience. The integrated resort (IR) said it is working closely with the authorities to obtain approvals for Universal Studios Singapore, which will open next. As for the casino's opening date, it will be announced when the IR gets notice of its casino licence. Together, the four hotels offer a combined inventory of 1,350 rooms and 10 restaurant outlets at their opening. Another two hotels at the resort - Equarius Hotel and Spa Villas - will add another 500 rooms when they are launched in phase two after this year. The IR will also open the world's largest Marine Life Park and its Maritime Experiential Museum in the second phase Pictures show (1) Crockfords Tower Lounge, (2) Hotel Michael Lounge, (3) Festive Hotel Lounge and (4) Hard Rock Hotel Bar
Singaporean ranked top debater at world's biggest debating tournament TODAY 05 January 2010 2327 hrs By Lin Yanqin, SINGAPORE: Singaporean Li Shengwu has been ranked the top debater at the world's biggest debating tournament, beating more than 700 others to be ranked number one. Mr Li, who turns 25 this year, was part of the team representing Oxford University at the World Universities Debating Championships (Worlds) held this year at Koc University in Turkey. Mr Li, the son of Fraser & Neave chairman Lee Hsien Yang and lawyer Lee Suet Fern, is the third Singaporean to win the honour. He was also recently ranked the best speaker at the prestigious annual Cambridge IV international debating competition. One of three Singaporeans to top their respective courses at Oxford University last year, he is now pursuing his Masters in economics at the same university. His parents, who were thrilled with his performance in Turkey, told MediaCorp: "He is awesome. We gave up debating with him years ago!" Asked how he managed to top the 2010 championship with the highest individual score, Mr Li said: "It's partly just about quite consistent performance over nine rounds." The top debater, who returns to his alma mater, Raffles Institution, to help train younger debaters during his university vacation breaks several times a year, added: "I think partly it's to do with getting a lot of experience, and reading the kinds of things to do with philosophy and economics that are very helpful for debating." The motion at the Worlds' grand final was "The media should show the horrors of war". The University of Sydney beat the teams from Harvard, the London School of Economics and Oxford University to emerge winners. The week-long competition, which is based on British parliamentary debating and has been held annually since 1981, ended on Sunday with some 360 teams from universities worldwide taking part. Li Shengwu is the grandson of MM Lee.
Hope that Singapore can also do it . Loh, Heard that today, Wednesday 06-Jan-2010, Singapore is playing Iran in Soccer, for the Asian Cup 2011 Qualifier. It could be a very tough match for Singapore to win, IMHO. Hope that Singapore can do it. .
Come fly with us Today 05:55 AM Jan 06, 2010 By Alicia Wong SINGAPORE - Taking a local diploma could now come with a private pilot licence for some students. This is a new offering from Temasek Polytechnic under its three-year Diploma in Aviation Management and Services. The Aeronautical Science Option, a collaboration between the school and its aviation industry partners, allows selected students to go through a flying programme in their final year. They will pay less than five per cent of the $20,000 it would otherwise cost for the licence, apart from the tuition fees. Besides the practical flying training, advance modules in air navigation, flight planning and meteorological science will equip students with knowledge for the Airline Transport Pilot Licence papers. It is not necessary for graduation, but students can apply for the licence, which is the minimum requirement to fly for a local airline. Course manager Paul Yap said the new option aims to meet the projected industry shortfall and to cope with a "wave of retirements" from the baby boomer generation. Industry players have forecast a global shortfall of 18,000 pilots a year over the next 20 years, he noted. The new course also aims to reduce the training cycle and attrition rate in producing military and commercial pilots. If airlines find the programme up to scratch, said Mr Yap, they can shorten training time by up to six months for graduands who join them. Mr Yap expects about 30 students each year to make the cut in the industry-standard selection process done in the second year of the diploma course. Last year, 106 students enrolled for the diploma. Second-year students told MediaCorp they were glad the school has this new offering and that they would have taken the course if they could. Student Julian Tan, 18, said he still plans to get a private pilot licence, "but not so soon ... mainly because of the cost". Sajiv N Sekaran, 18, recalled fondly a 45-minute flying experience he had in Malaysia during a school trip: "We got to fly and turn left and right ... "We also experienced the G-Force, where you go really low and speed off."
Yes, we are playing Iran in Spore, I think, cause I don't really follow soccer as much as I do for badminton. I hope we will not lose by a big margin. I think Iran is much better. A draw would be a bonus for us.
Polytechnics unleash new offerings Today 05:55 AM Jan 06, 2010 By Alicia Wong SINGAPORE - It is that time of the year when the polytechnics roll out new diplomas, some of which are firsts here. But besides these, the institutions have been working on several unique teaching facilities, from laboratories to a "village" and even a "conglomerate" - to engage their industry partners as much as for the benefit of the 2010 student intake. One example is a training facility for both industry professionals and Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) students in digital and precision engineering. The first-of-its-kind $21-million Centre for Digital and Precision Engineering, was launched yesterday by NYP, Spring Singapore and the Economic Development Board. It is part of a $76-million initiative announced in 2007 to train 2,000 professionals over five years for the sector. Last month, Singapore Polytechnic also sought to keep pace with industry demands through the completion of its InnoVillage - a multi-disciplinary platform where students and partners in academia, industry and research and development all converge. It contains, for example, laboratories for industry partners to sponsor an emerging technology for a collaborative R&D project. And on Saturday, Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) will launch m:idea, its student-run media conglomerate, which has already worked with the Speak Good English Movement, Singapore Sports Council and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The centre, where students can spend their internship, allows some 30 students at any one time to work on services such as photography, public relations and radio production. But even without actively engaging industry players, the polytechnics' new facilities do provide students with industry-related training. For example, NP's Biopharma Lab, which opened this month, replicates industry cleanrooms and allows students hands-on training in making drugs out of micro-organisms. It is the only one of its kind among polytechnics here and is open to about 200 students each academic year. Meanwhile, Temasek Polytechnic (TP) has three new specialised culinary laboratories to simulate "real-world" commercial kitchen setting, so "students gain intensive hands-on training in fundamental baking and culinary skills", said the school. Some new facilities are meant to benefit the public, too. TP's Glycemic Index Research Unit, officially launched last month, conducts regular workships for the public. Given the limited GI information available for local Asian food, the unit aims to raise awareness on low-GI food, which releases glucose slower into bloodstream, and to also produce this healthier type of food. Other than facilities, some institutions are also rolling out new programmes. With the opening of its new centre, NYP, the only polytechnic to offer precision engineering training, has launched a scholarship programme to fund a three-year diploma in digital precision engineering for students and a five-year, in-employment upgrading programme for working adults. About 300 students have been awarded the scholarship, while 220 working adults from 71 companies have participated in the upgrading programme.
