Water industry investments doubled in Singapore Channel NewsAsia By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted: 26 May 2011 1512 hrs The Marina Barrage creates Singapore's first reservoir in the city. Video Water industry investments doubled in Singapore SINGAPORE: Investments in Singapore's water industry have doubled in size in the last five years - up from S$660 million in GDP value-add in 2005. And the government is confident it can meet its target of S$1.7 billion in annual GDP value-add by 2015. Over the years, Singapore has turned what used to be a scarcity into its strength and now the water industry is seen as a growth area for the country. In 2006, the target was to grow the sector such that it will contribute S$1.7 billion in annual GDP value by 2015, and to create 11,000 jobs. Representatives from the Environment & Water Industry Programme Office (EWI) on Thursday expressed confidence that the target would be met. The EWI is an inter-agency office, led by national water agency PUB, the Economic Development Board and IE Singapore. They gave figures showing that investments by water companies in the last five years, when fully realised, will add about S$590 million in value add to the economy, as well as create about 2,300 professional and skilled jobs. Singapore is now home to about 70 local and international water companies. At the same time, Singapore companies have also secured overseas projects worth a total of S$8.4 billion. Key markets include the Middle East and China. For instance, the technology used to recycle water - similar to the technology behind Newater - is being applied to a plant in the Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment Plant in Queensland, Australia. The EDB said that Singapore's strength lies primarily in research and development as well as providing support for companies. Yeoh Keat Chuan, Assistant MD of the EDB, said: "The early part of the effort was focussed on rolling out a number of initiatives relating to R&D. That typically takes a longer gestation period. "We are at the point now where we're hoping to see some of those results, where technologies get rolled out into the marketplace after being test-bedded in Singapore, and that will generate higher value-added projects." One key activity is the test bedding of new technologies, which Singapore has made easier due to the infrastructure, accessibility and the willingness to take on these often capital-intensive projects. Singapore's willingness to take on capital-intensive test-bedding projects, is also a draw for foreign companies. PUB said since 2006, there have been 107 test-bedding projects conducted here in collaboration with PUB and private R&D firms and institutions. Ng Han Tong, Director of Industry Development at the PUB, said: "In their own country, they find difficulties finding test-bedding sites for their technologies to be tested. That's one reason. "Secondly, if they need to do test-bedding, they have to travel very far. But Singapore is so compact, so concentrated, they are always in close proximity to their test-bedding." Over the next few years, government agencies plan to continue Singapore's focus on research and development. They are also looking to expand their presence in markets like China and emerging ones such as India and Indonesia. One strategy would be to serve as matchmakers between water tech companies and financing companies. Goh Chee Kiong, Director of the Cleantech Division at the EDB, said: "They tend to be capital-intensive. And very often, financing is the bottle-neck. Because if they can't raise the financing, even at the governmental level, they'll find it difficult to implement their plans for their populations. "That will be what we hope could be the value that Singapore can provide to companies and countries in the region."
Readers' Pictures: Tanjong Pagar Railway Station May 28, 2011 Readers' Pictures: Tanjong Pagar Railway Station Straitstimes.com invited readers to share their pictures of this famous Singapore icon on Facebook. -- PHOTO BY DINIE RAZIN THE Tanjong Pagar Railway Station is set to be relocated to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint from July 1. Straitstimes.com invited readers to share their pictures of this famous Singapore icon on Facebook. Here are some of the submissions. Photo gallery Compiled By Priscilla Goi & M Kam
TP grad gains dentist school admission Channel NewsAsia By Sabrina Chan | Posted: 29 May 2011 2106 hrs Chen XiangLuan SINGAPORE: A Temasek Polytechnic veterinary technology graduate has become the first in her school to be admitted to the National University of Singapore's School of Dentistry. Traditionally, the path from diploma to dentistry is made through the biomedical sciences discipline. It was thus a surprise to many when 20-year-old Chen XiangLuan became the first veterinary technology graduate to be given a place in the programme. "During my attachment with the Singapore Institute of Clinical Science, I worked with monkeys," Ms Chen said. "And before any procedures (were) done (on) them, we had to check the dentition of these monkeys, to assess their health condition as well as to estimate their age. "It's really interesting to see the teeth grow, and you see... how the conditions of the teeth can affect the condition of the whole body." Just to be sure this was what she really wanted, Ms Chen decided to continue with her work attachment during the day and work her nights at a dental clinic. Her initiative and persistence paid off. "During the time that I worked with the dentist, I thought this is actually what I really wanted," she said. "It wasn't just a short-term interest; it's really what I want." Ms Chen said her dream after becoming a dentist is to educate people in underdeveloped countries about proper dental care and help them by providing dental care services.
Nagore Dargah officially opened Channel NewsAsia Posted: 29 May 2011 1958 hrs The Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre. SINGAPORE: The 180-year-old monument featuring the Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre was officially opened on Sunday by President SR Nathan. The Heritage Centre at Telok Ayer Street was opened after extensive restoration and redevelopment works. It showcases the unique story of Singapore's Indian Muslim community, includes its rich and distinct history, identity, heritage, belief and social life, as well as the community's contribution to the nation. With the assistance of MUIS, the Nagore Durgah Fundraising Committee raised enough money to restore the centre at a cost of some S$1.5 million. The Indian Muslim Heritage Centre is open to the public every day, except Sunday. Admission is free.
S'porean tennis players head to Spain for training stint Channel NewsAsi By Patwant Singh | Posted: 29 May 2011 0010 hrs Rohan Kamdar SINGAPORE : The Singapore Tennis Association (STA) has sent eight youngsters to train in Spain as part of its aim to develop future champions. The group left late on Friday night. Half a million dollars has been set aside for this batch, but already the association is looking at getting more recruits. 14-year-old Rohan Kamdar, the National under-18 boys champion is no stranger to Spain, having been to Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona. And the lanky teenager has packed his bag with more than just tennis gear. He said: "I have brought a lot of food to prepare myself as I am vegetarian, so that I have to bring along a lot of Indian food, (and) food to keep myself fit and healthy. I also try to up my physical fitness... so that I can last longer because I will be playing a lot there." His Singapore coach is fully behind Kamdar's trip to Spain. "When he goes there, he will be exposed to a totally different new environment, and they have a different game philosophy because I myself go there quite often and follow their curriculum. So for all the kids involved in this, it will be great learning experience," said tennis coach Boyan Hadjisotirov. Joshua Liu, based in Malaysia, is looking forward to his training stint in Madrid. STA is partnering the Madrid Tennis Federation, which helped select the final 8, and provided the expertise and infrastructure to train the players. "They have got like professional coaches who actually trained professional now like Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez. And I also heard they have got a lot of courts there," said Liu. Liu and the other Singaporeans will have a variety of surfaces to train on, as the Madrid Tennis Federation has more than 50 courts. Among them are clay courts, which require more physical effort, patience and a greater technical repertoire to play. After the one-month stint, they will take part in regional tournaments, with a final 4 shortlisted for an 18-month programme by STA. "The four players will probably drop school and focus on tennis as a career with the guidance of Madrid Tennis Federation and our own coaches. Based on their almost (being) full time, we expect them to be on distance learning programme," said Quek Tun Lin, VP of STA. The STA is already is looking ahead into the future with plans to expand this programme. More young players will be recruited by next year, which also means more fund-raising to ensure its sustainability.
Readers' Pictures: RSAF Open House 2011 The Straits Times May 31, 2011 The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) opened its doors to the public with the RSAF Open House 2011 over the weekend. -- PHOTO: Yu Sheng Yang The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) opened its doors to the public with the RSAF Open House 2011 over the weekend. Straitstimes.com invited readers to share their pictures of the event on Facebook. Here are some of the submissions. Photo gallery Compiled By Mareena
The "truth" about youths in Singapore Channel NewsAsia By Sara Grosse | Posted: 31 May 2011 1051 hrs Singapore youths SINGAPORE: A global study found that 53 per cent of 16-22 year olds said they would rather give up their sense of smell than give up their technology like laptops and mobile phones. It also found that justice is the second most important motivator for young people. The study has also shown that Singapore youths are increasingly rejecting material possessions such as the five C's and turning towards a new "C" of commune, focusing on the need for connection, relationships and community. This finding was part of a global study of 16-30 year-olds across 17 countries including Singapore, Malaysia and China. The research called "The Truth about Youths" also found that Singapore youths, despite the pressure to perform academically, were no longer attracted to the concept of winning at all costs. The research conducted by Global McCann Worldgroup examines the motivations of youth and seeks to uncover what makes them both similar and different from previous generations
Badminton: Young shuttlers take first steps in quest for glory Channel NewsAsia By Philip Goh Haw Hann, TODAY | Posted: 31 May 2011 0648 hrs Photos 1 of 1 SINGAPORE: The whiplash of venomous smashes and the frantic squeak of sneakers were the usual sounds coming out of the Singapore Sports School badminton hall on Monday. This time, though, it did not come from the school's players alone. Nineteen young shuttlers took their first steps on what they hope will be a journey that ends in glory, when the new National Intermediate Squad (NIS) was officially unveiled by the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA). The 11 boys and eight girls, aged between 12 and 16, were selected after a trial with 30 hopefuls in January. The group started training officially on Monday and they are in for hard work and will have to make a number of personal sacrifices. Former Sichuan province women's coach Liu Qingdong has been tasked to groom the youngsters, assisted by ex-national players Jiang Yanmei and Liu Fan. Referring to the demanding regimen they face, he said: "If Singapore badminton wants to reach great heights, they players will need to go through this strict training and the tough schedule. "We're observing their strengths, weaknesses and style of play right now. We will also focus on correcting their techniques, and enhance their range of skills, and even work on making them stronger mentally in order for them to become world class players." Shuttlers in the NIS will undergo three hours of on-court training from Monday to Saturday, with an extra two hours on Saturday for physical conditioning. They will get Sunday off. There will be two training blocks each year - 16 and 20 weeks - with time off during exams. Competitions both overseas and at home have also been factored in. Trainees need to attend at least 85 per cent of all sessions in order to stay in the squad. Ryan Ng, 13, is the youngest among the boys, and he's taking the challenge in his stride. "I just have to have good time management so that I can cope with studies and badminton," the Raffles Institution student said. "I think one has to sacrifice one's play time in order to become a better player." - TODAY
Weightlifting: Wong makes cut for SEA Games By Philip Goh Haw Hann, TODAY | Posted: 31 May 2011 0642 hrs Helena Wong (Getty Images) SINGAPORE: The Republic's top woman weightlifter, Helena Wong, is gunning for a medal at November's SEA Games in Indonesia after recovering from a back injury. An injury to her spine - a slipped disc and a degenerative disc - diagnosed last November forced the 23-year-old to ease off training, halting her progress after she picked up the sport two years ago. A month earlier, Wong had lifted a total of 146kg to finish eighth in the under 53kg weight class when she made her debut at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. Fully recovered now and back training and competing, the Loughborough University Sports and Exercise Science undergraduate wants to become the first Singaporean woman to win a SEA Games medal. Speaking to MediaCorp in a telephone interview from the UK on Monday, Wong said: "I'm getting back to where I was before the injury, I can only get better from here if nothing goes wrong. "I need to do well to prove myself and qualify for bigger competitions." Last Saturday, she competed at the Atlas Warehouse Open in Derbyshire, and she lifted a total of 148kg (63kg snatch, 85kg clean and jerk) to win the competition. The SEA Games will be held in Jakarta and Palembang from Nov 11 to 22. Wong's lift beat the Games' qualifying mark of 119kg, and Singapore Weightlifting Federation (SWF) president Tom Liaw hopes Wong can deliver at least a bronze medal at the end of the year. "Helena's main competition will come from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia," he said. "We're hoping to send three lifters to the SEA Games, and at the moment, she's the only one who has qualified on merit." Besides Helena, SWF are hoping to send 20-year-old Lewis Chua (men's over 105kg) and 31-year-old Ang Hwee (men's 77kg). The Singapore National Olympic Council's deadline for athletes to be nominated for the SEA Games is tomorrow, but Liaw is hoping to get both men in through the appeals process. "Lewis is heading to the World Junior Championships in Penang next month where he'll get another chance," said the SWF chief. "In any case, we'll be holding the Singapore Open in July as a final chance for both men." Wong is facing a different challenge. In the International Weightlifting Federation's 2010 year-end ranking, there are nine other South-east Asian lifters above her - four Thais, including 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medallist Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon, two Indonesians, Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Thuy and two Malaysians, including Raihan Yusoff, who won the bronze at last year's Commonwealth Games with a total lift of 175kg. Indeed the best in the 53kg class are currently lifting between 175kg and over 200kg, but Institute of Technical Education (ITE) scholarship holder Wong is unfazed. She will return to Singapore after graduating in July and will start work the same month with the ITE, and Wong believes being home will help her. "I need to be training almost every day, and being able to use the sports medicine and sports science facilities at the Singapore Sports Council will really help." - TODAY
Youths rank demographic trends as key issue that would impact Singapore Channel NewsAsia Posted: 31 May 2011 1544 hrs Photos 1 of 1 Singapore youth SINGAPORE: Singapore youths have ranked the ageing population as a key issue that would impact the country. More than 500 students at this year's pre-university seminar were asked to participate in a poll and were given four options: the economic rise of asia, climate change, urbanisation, and demographic trends. A majority went for the last option. This was one of many quick polls conducted during a keynote speech, given by Minister in Prime Minister's Office S Iswaran. He sought their views on issues ranging from the economy to new media. The students were then invited to respond by answering the multiple choice questions on a mobile keypad. The opening event, which lasted some two hours, also saw students asking a wide spectrum of questions to the minister during the dialogue, with topics ranging from entrepreneurship to politics. And Mr Iswaran, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry, said he was impressed. "I think the students were very engaged, the questions were very thoughtful. Clearly they were seized with trying to find out what is important from their point of view for Singapore and what are the broader issues they need to understand."
LinkedIn sets up admin and sales office in Singapore The Straits Times May 31, 2011 By Chua Hian Hou Arvind Rajan, Managing Director and Vice-President, Asia Pacific and Japan briefs reporters during a media event in Singapore on May 31, 2011. LinkedIn, the world?s largest professional network with more than 100 million members worldwide, announced may 31 that it is opening the company?s Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore. -- PHOTO: AFP LINKEDIN, the social networking site for white-collar job-seekers, is on a hiring drive for its new Singapore office. The United States-based company, which went public earlier this month, made headlines when its share price more than doubled following its Wall Street debut. This drove LinkedIn's valuation to more than US$9 billion - and prompted many to suggest that a new dot.com bubble was brewing. Touted as a social networking site for job-seekers and recruiters, the site has attracted more than 500,000 Singapore users since it was set up in 2003. The site has more than 18 million members in the region; it has more than 100 million accounts worldwide. These users can sign up at the site for free, posting their resumes and schmooze - virtually - with their business contacts. This pool of business contacts can also write testimonials and act as references for them, which gives their desirability a boost when recruiters for companies like Accenture and Standard Chartered Bank trawl it to look for candidates to fill positions here and overseas. Last year, said the company's managing director for Asia Pacific and Japan, Mr Arvind Rajan, LinkedIn decided to set up its regional headquarters in Singapore, because of the Republic's reputation as a talent magnet. LinkedIn, which has ambitions of becoming a 'worldwide network for professionals', knows it first 'needs to be local and relevant to them at home. Singapore is a hub for talent, and we are establishing our regional headquarters here to serve as a gateway to the rest of the region,' he said. Another reason was the presence of more than 4,000 multinationals here, which LinkedIn hopes to tap on - recruiters pay it a fee to search for potential hires. Recently, said Mr Rajan, it inked a lease for an office in the CBD, and he is now 'interviewing around the clock' for its first dozen employees here, who will primarily be involved in sales and marketing roles. The company intends to hire more staff over time, he said, although the Singapore office is expected to remain an administrative and sales office.
Singapore millionaires rise by almost 33% The Straits Times Jun 1, 2011 WASHINGTON - AROUND one per cent of households have 39 per cent of the globe's wealth according to a study published on Tuesday, with Singapore's millionaires rising by almost 33 per cent in 2010. Over 15 per cent of households in Singapore have over a million dollars in assets under management, well ahead of the Switzerland and the oil-rich Arabian Gulf states. The number of millionaire households across the globe increased 12 per cent in 2010, according to The Boston Consulting Group report, increasing millionaires' share of wealth from 37 per cent in 2009, pointing to increased inequalities in the wake of the global downturn. Despite being at the epicentre of the global financial meltdown, the United States had by far the most millionaires last year, with 5,220 millionaire households, and increase of 1.3 percent from the previous year. Japan was second with 1,530 and China third with 1,110. But it is emerging markets in Asia that can expect to see the biggest growth, increasing their share of wealth by 2.9 percentage points in 2010. -- AFP
Students lead cyber safety efforts in their schools Jun 1, 2011 By Amelia Tan Winners of the Cyber Wellness Student Ambassador Recognition (Star) Award from Yuhua Primaru, West View Primary and Radin Mas Primary. -- ST PHOTO: TED CHEN A GROUP of 16 pupils from Radin Mas Primary School got to be teachers for two weeks earlier this year when they went around classrooms in their school to explain to their peers how they can use the Internet safely and responsibly. The pupils made presentations on topics such as cyber bullying, hacking and online etiquette and then took questions from their schoolmates during the 10-minute sessions. They also directed and produced a cyber wellness video which was uploaded on the school's portal. Radin Mas Primary was among three primary schools which won the inaugural Cyber Wellness Student Ambassador Recognition (Star) Award for their efforts in spreading cyber wellness messages. The other two winning schools are : Yuhua Primary and West View Primary. The awards were given out as part of the Cyber Wellness Student Ambassador Programme, a joint initiative started in 2009 by the Ministry of Education, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and Microsoft Singapore. Under the programme, yearly conferences are organised to train students or student ambassadors to explain to their schoolmates issues ranging from copyright to password protection and cyber bullying. Microsoft staff teach the students how to plan and execute cyber wellness awareness projects in their schools during these conferences. So far about 1,000 student ambassadors have been trained.
They come from as far as the Middle East (for bone marrow transplants) By Neo Chai Chin, TODAY | Posted: 01 June 2011 0634 hrs SINGAPORE: They come from countries including Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia for bone marrow transplants, seeking treatment at both private and public hospitals. Consisting of both children and adults, some venture to Singapore because their countries do not have the facilities to treat their condition, while others have already undergone treatment in their home countries unsuccessfully. The recent deaths of Saudi children at Mount Elizabeth Hospital - which prompted the Saudi Health Ministry to order a stop to all medical treatment of its citizens at the private hospital - has thrown the spotlight on patients undergoing bone marrow transplants here. The children - one died in March and the others in May - were critically ill and their cases were complex, said the hospital in a statement last week. A medical concierge firm told MediaCorp that its foreign clients seeking bone marrow transplants are from Indonesia and the Middle East. Mr Borhan Saini, Managing Director of Wellcare Medical and Executive Concierge Services, said his company began seeing bone marrow patients from the Middle East from the middle of last year and has had fewer than five such clients so far. Another medical concierge firm, Medi-Connect Singapore, ventured into the Middle East market in the last six months and has had one bone marrow client from that region so far, who was cured successfully. The patient, a 32-year-old from the United Arab Emirates, discovered he had leukaemia back home when he accompanied his children to the doctor and decided to do a blood test. With his brother as the bone marrow donor, the patient came to Singapore in December, stayed for about a month and has since returned home, said Mr Syed Munir Iqbal, Medi-Connect's executive director. FOREIGN PATIENTS TEND TO BE HIGHER RISK: DOCTOR Two public hospitals - whose patients are mostly Singaporean - said the severity of cases they encounter varies. The Singapore General Hospital (SGH) sees only adult bone marrow transplant cases and handles over 60 transplants a year. The average survival rate is 50 per cent, said Dr William Hwang, director of SGH's Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Programme. For higher-risk patients such as those with multiple relapses or pre-existing medical conditions, chances for successful treatment can be just 10 to 20 per cent. For lower-risk patients such as those in their first remission of disease, chances for success can be 70 to 80 per cent, said Dr Hwang. Bone marrow transplants are needed when one's own bone marrow cells fail, or need to be replaced. They are used to treat conditions including blood cancers such as lymphoma and leukaemia, and blood disorders such as aplastic anaemia. Dr Hwang estimates that three in four transplant patients here are adults. About half his patients have acute myeloid leukaemia. At the University Children's Medical Institute at the National University Hospital (NUH), bone marrow transplant patients range from six months to 21 years of age, said its senior consultant, Dr Tan Poh Lin. She said the success of a transplant is measured in different ways - such as whether the patient survives the transplant (regardless of whether his disease is cured), and whether the patient survives and is cured of the disease. The NUH saw 109 paediatric bone marrow transplant cases from 2000 to last year, and its doctors are due to publish a paper on survival rates for paediatric cases in a peer-reviewed journal, said Dr Tan. The SGH's Dr Hwang said his foreign patients tend to be higher risk, as "they would have undergone treatment in their own country, or may have failed treatment in their own country". To communicate with foreign patients, both the NUH and SGH arrange for their own translators, and check back with patients and their families during consultations to ensure they understand what is being said. "We always try to double-check to see if the patient really understands," said Dr Hwang. - TODAY
German Chancellor on official visit to S'pore from Wednesday Posted: 31 May 2011 1758 hrs Angela Merkel SINGAPORE : German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be in Singapore from Wednesday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. She will be accompanied by several German leaders including Parliamentary State Secretary of Trade and Industry Hans-Joachim Otto, members of Parliament and business leaders. This is Dr Merkel's first visit to Singapore as Chancellor. As part of her trip here, she will also call on President SR Nathan and deliver the 31st Singapore Lecture.
National Library launches bibliography of Singapore Chinese, Malay, Tamil literature Channel NewsAsia By Vicneswary Subramanian | Posted: 31 May 2011 2045 hrs Singapore Chinese, Malay, Tamil literature SINGAPORE : The National Library has launched bibliographies of literary works by Singaporean Chinese, Malay and Tamil writers. It's the first such comprehensive list to be compiled. Speaking at the launch on Tuesday, the National Library's Chief Executive Office, Mrs Elaine Ng said the list is an important record of Singapore's national literary heritage. This is because it helps to trace the development of Singapore literature. The lists of Chinese and Malay literary works are from 1965 to 2009, while the Tamil works date back from as early as 1872. Research for the bibliographies was done by the Lee Kong Chian Reference library, and they are available for reference and research from the National Library.
Healthcare institutions feed back concerns to Minister Gan Channel NewsAsia By Vimita Mohandas | Posted: 31 May 2011 2120 hrs A hospital in Singapore SINGAPORE: Health Minister Gan Kim Yong says stakeholders he met have stressed the need for an efficient and quality healthcare system. They also flagged various concerns amid a changing healthcare landscape, like delivering quality healthcare services in an affordable manner and the availability of manpower. As such, capacity planning is one area the new minister for health is studying carefully. "There are some common challenges like manpower needs but in terms of operation, each of them will also have a unique challenge and we will be engaging them and see how the Ministry of Health will be able to provide greater support so that they are more effective in delivering healthcare services which will benefit the patients in the long term," said Mr Gan. He was speaking to reporters at the Healthcare Humanity Awards at the Istana on Tuesday. Mr Gan said there's a need to plan ahead not only in terms of physical capacity but also human resource development to ensure sufficient supply of healthcare professionals and workers. He said his ministry will continue to provide quality healthcare services. It will also recognise those who have gone the extra mile - like the 60 workers honoured for their dedication at the Healthcare Humanity Awards. They were selected from a pool of 118 nominations from 28 hospitals and institutions. The Humanity Awards were launched in 2004 to continue the legacy of the Courage Awards which were first given out in 2003 to honour healthcare workers who fought the SARS virus. The Humanity Awards recognise healthcare professionals who display values such as dedication, compassion and courage. Jasmine Kang, an Advanced Practice Nurse at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, is one of those recognised. Her role - which is a mix of doctor and nurse - sees her diagnosing patients and planning their treatment. She also helps seek out affordable elderly care equipment for those financially strapped and visits them after they are discharged. Amid her heavy responsibilities, it's the simple gestures that go a long way. She said: "There was once when I was caring for this patient....she was dying. She told me she wanted to eat a 'muah chee'. So I went to find a 'muah chee' for her and I gave it to her. And she told me it was the best 'muah chee' she has ever eaten. "Eventually she was discharged....which I was glad. And it feels really good. I feel that I have helped someone and it makes me want to do more, especially for other more unfortunate patients." Each of the Healthcare Humanity Awards winners receives S$1,500 and a silver medallion.
Strength of 3G army lies in ability to network: Defence Minister Channel NewsAsia By Dylan Loh | Posted: 31 May 2011 1214 hrs Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen (2nd R) & Snr Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Maliki Osman (2nd L) being briefed on the capabilities of the first Motorised Infantry Battalion. (MINDEF Photo) SINGAPORE: Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the strength of Singapore's third generation military lies in its ability to network an array of systems, not just individual hardware. He was speaking at a parade to mark the operational readiness of Singapore's first motorised infantry battalion - the 2nd Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment. This marks the first time in 54 years that the country's infantry forces are officially riding into battle with armour. The unit uses the Terrex armoured vehicle to transport troops into the battlefield. It can be used for urban as well as conventional warfare. The vehicle offers greater mobility and protection for soldiers in the heat of war. The unit can also call on other air and land forces for support to deliver a bigger fight in the battlefield. There are plans to equip more army units with this fighting capability. Dr Ng said: "The army's motorised infantry battalion can now function at much higher tempo and longer ranges, covering a wider area of operations. Specifically, the Terrex enhances the army's capabilities in intelligence gathering of the battlefield as well as precision manoeuvre and firepower."
OCBC Bank scores with plain English The Straits Times Jun 1, 2011 Its efforts to kill 'bank-speak' in documents pay off By Lorna Tan, Senior Correspondent 'Bank-speak' 'The facility shall cease to be available upon the expiry of four months from the date of this letter of offer or three months from the issuance of separate title to the property, whichever is the later, or on such other date/period as the bank may approve, failing which the bank shall be at liberty to cancel the undisbursed portion of the facility and a fee shall be paid by you to the bank immediately.' Plain English 'You have four months from the date of this letter or three months from the date the separate title to the property is issued, whichever is later, or any other period we may approve, to draw down the facility. After this, we may cancel any part you have not drawn down and charge you the cancellation fee.' Mr David McQuillen, who led the OCBC team pursuing the Crystal Mark, holding up a marketing document that the bank has simplified. He had heard about the Plain English Campaign while at his previous job with Credit Suisse in Switzerland. -- PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO SOME may call it achieving the impossible. But OCBC Bank has taken its Housing Board mortgage application documents and shaken the 'bank-speak' out of them. The result: customers taking OCBC loans to buy HDB flats can read the documents in plain language without tripping over mystifying jargon and technicalities that only bankers and lawyers understand. For trying to make its documents easily understood by just about anyone, the bank has become the first financial institution in South-east Asia to receive the Crystal Mark. This is an internationally-recognised standard for plain English, used by many leading financial institutions in Britain and Australia. It is given by a British-based body, the Plain English Campaign, set up in 1979 to persuade organisations to communicate to the public in plain language. OCBC's success with its HDB documents was several months in the making. As part of its efforts to be more customer-friendly, the bank has a 14-strong team, set up last year, scrutinising all aspects of the customer experience to spot areas for improvement. The group's projects range from redesigning product brochures to how the furniture is arranged at a branch. There is even a customer lab where clients can be interviewed to find out how their banking experience can be improved.
S'pore an 'ideal vantage point' for German firms Jun 2, 2011 IN THE ST NEWSPAPER TODAY 'Vast potential' of EU-Asean ties also still to be tapped, says Merkel during visit here By Cassandra Chew Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Istana yesterday, where they had an hour-long meeting. -- ST PHOTO: BRYAN VAN DER BEEK SINGAPORE'S considerable economic clout and reach into South-east Asia makes it an ideal vantage point for German companies, visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday. Following discussions with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shortly after she arrived here, the German leader said she also saw a need to enhance cooperation between the European Union and Asean. 'We see it as a vast potential that has yet to be fully realised,' she said after their hour-long meeting at the Istana. 'The relationship between the EU and Asean needs to be further developed because these are two economic regions that wield quite considerable economic clout and therefore lend themselves ideally to cooperate even more in the future.' PM Lee, recalling that he was Dr Merkel's first foreign visitor in 2005 when she became Chancellor, said he was pleased to welcome her, in turn, as his first foreign guest following his May 7 re-election. Dr Merkel arrived from India for a two-day visit, and also called on President S R Nathan and met former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew on Wednesday.
