The standard of service from the civil/government services

[sweetiepie]

So executive summary for this smart nation becomes stupid nation.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: More reliable trackers needed for fitness challenge​

Mar 31, 2022

I refer to the reply from the Health Promotion Board (HPB), "More fitness trackers being procured" (March 28).
I have been taking part in the National Steps Challenge since its first season, and received a new fitness tracker in December.
After less than two months, it malfunctioned - the bottom plate had fallen off during use and water from washing or perspiration seeped in, damaging it.
When I collected the tracker from HPB, I was informed that the warranty does not cover wear and tear, excessive abuse, or misuse and damage arising from failure to follow instructions relating to the product's use. This means decreased battery life due to constant overcharging, scratches, broken straps, screen cracks, water seepage and breakage are not covered.
However, I had been very careful in my use and ensured that I did not wear the tracker in the shower.
I gave feedback to the HPB that it was a manufacturing defect which caused the plate to fall off, and not negligence on my part. But my warranty claim was rejected. This means I have to buy a new tracker on my own.
My experience with the HPB fitness trackers over the years has been disappointing. The straps of some previous trackers broke after a year of use, and some failed to work after repeated charging.

Does HPB conduct customer surveys or feedback on the trackers?
It would be a pity if the quality of the trackers affected participation in the challenge.

Gary Teo Teck Chye

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: How is compensation determined when surrendering flat?​

Apr 5, 2022

My daughter was required to surrender to the Housing Board the flat she had bought with her then boyfriend from the resale market two years ago, as they are not allowed to sell it on the open market.
After they applied to surrender the flat, HDB responded to offer compensation at 95 per cent of the original purchase value. She was later told that HDB had made a mistake and it should be 90 per cent of current market value.
She checked recent transactions and a bank's indicative valuation, and she found that there are big differences in the valuation.
She appealed to HDB for a re-evaluation and offered to pay for her own valuation, but was rejected.
Upon further appeals, she was told that the compensation value is 90 per cent of the valuation amount when she bought the flat two years ago.
We are confused with all the different explanations on how HDB determines the compensation value for such surrendered flats.
We could not find any explanation of how compensation is calculated on HDB's website.

In most cases, surrendering a flat is an unpleasant situation. HDB could help by making the process transparent and less stressful for the owners.

Tan Gek Hong

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Extend ICA's efficiency to submission of passport photos​

Apr 6, 2022

As many Singaporeans now head for the airport, I think many may have found obtaining the correct photo for the passport as frustrating as I did.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will refuse the photo if the background is not a pure featureless white.
I used my phone to take five different photos around the house and even against a sunlit white wall outside. None was accepted.
In the end I went out and found a photo booth, where I took four photos with a white background, then used my phone to take a digital picture of the photo to submit with my passport application.
This seems like a waste of time, expense and trouble.
In contrast, getting an Electronic Travel Authority to travel to Australia was a breeze. An app scans my passport, reads the microchip to fill in details, and prompts me to take a nice selfie with my phone, any plain light background will do.
Singapore is an outstanding leader in digital public services, one example being the efficient system for collecting passports. I hope ICA can extend the same efficiency to the submission of passport photos.

Stella Kon

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Your picture: Beauty of dam ruined by plastic waste, littering​

Plastic debris littering Yishun dam. PHOTO: KOH HING HAW

Apr 8, 2022

The beauty of Yishun Dam has been ruined by the large amount of mostly plastic waste found at the beach there.
On one side of the dam is a pristine reservoir, but on the other side is this sad and ugly sight.
Some of the plastic waste may have been brought by waves to the shore, but the rest seems to have been discarded on land, judging by the bottles found on the rocks well above the water line.
Can the authorities please look into clearing this and other sea fronts filled with rubbish?

Koh Hing Haw

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Problem with ez-link cards as a tourist​

Apr 16, 2022

I had not been able to visit Singapore for two years due to the pandemic, but returned as a tourist recently.
I brought with me two ez-link cards that I had bought and topped up with reasonable sums on previous visits.
When boarding a bus, I was embarrassed and disappointed to find that my two cards could not work and were now "out of date".
Fortunately, my bank card and some helpful advice from the bus driver allowed me to continue my journey.
I later called the TransitLink ticket office in Raffles Place and was told I would need to buy new ez-link cards to access the value stored in the old cards. It is like being charged to access my own money.
It should not be beyond the card issuer's technical abilities to work out which cards have not been used for 24 months and to extend their operating life.
The Singapore Tourism Board should also look into this as part of its push to revive the tourism sector in Singapore.

D. Sayers-Mensley

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

SCDF looking into incident where 995 responder allegedly hung up on caller​

The caller said she dialled 995 after coming across an accident involving a motorcyclist and a car. PHOTOS: PAM KAUR/SINGAPORE ROADS ACCIDENT.COM/FACEBOOK

May 10, 2022

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is looking into an incident in which one of its 995 call responders is said to have hung up on a caller reporting a road accident.
The caller, known only as "Pam Kaur", posted about the alleged incident on Facebook group Singapore roads accident.com on Sunday (May 8), and claimed the 995 responder said she did not like her tone and hung up.
"SCDF is aware of a social media post highlighting the manner in which one of our personnel handled a phone call clarifying the location of a road traffic accident. SCDF is looking into the matter," said SCDF.
The caller said that she dialled 995 after coming across the accident involving a car and a motorcyclist on the Central Expressway before the Braddell Road exit at 2.40am on Sunday.
Over the phone, the caller claimed that the responder had repeatedly questioned the location of the incident and the number on the nearest lamp post, even though she had already provided the responder with the information.
"This was infuriating. It stinks of incompetence, lack of urgency and stupidity," wrote the caller in the post that has since garnered over 100 comments and 180 shares.
She added: "Yes, okay I snapped at you. But aren't you trained to deal with frantic calls which may sometimes involve people losing patience with you? And how many times do I have to repeat my location."

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Calls to organisations, agencies not getting through​

May 11, 2022

Last week, I tried calling the National University Health System to ask about a bill. I called several times, and each time was either put on hold after the answering machine sent me from one department to another, or the call was abruptly terminated.
It is a similar story when I call various government agencies. The answering machine directs me to different departments until I reach the correct one. I am then put on hold and finally told to call again due to the high volume of calls.
I am in my 70s and find it a challenge to navigate organisations' websites to communicate with them.

Tan Siew Leng

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: SIA customer service standards far from expected​

May 11, 2022

I recently flew to Jakarta on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight, and was glad to find that the company's high service standards have not dropped.
However, trying to call SIA's call centre or send a query using its online forms results in a very different experience.
On the phone, I was put on hold for a very long time. I was pleasantly surprised, though, that yesterday I was put on hold for less than five minutes.
As for the query I submitted online on April 19, I received a standard response informing me that SIA is "overwhelmed" and that I could expect a reply in 15 days. It has been more than three weeks and I have yet to hear from SIA.
When I visited SIA's service centre, I had to join a long queue and the way in which I was screened made me feel like an unwanted guest.
This has been going on for months, and is probably going to get worse as travel picks up.
This is really unbecoming of our highly reputable national airline.

Aren't there service standards that SIA has to meet?

Francis Edwin Nevis

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

At least six weeks’ wait for new Singapore passports, with more than 7,000 applications daily​

Singaporeans who apply for a new passport will now have to wait for at least six weeks. PHOTO: ST FILE
Jessie Lim and Isabelle Liew


MAY 11, 2022,

SINGAPORE - Singaporeans who apply for a new passport will now have to wait for at least six weeks, according to the latest update from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
In response to queries from The Straits Times, ICA said on Wednesday night (May 11) that the number of passport applications has increased to more than 7,000 a day, compared with 2,000 daily before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The highest number of passport applications it received in a single day recently was 14,000.
ICA said: “Since the easing of travel measures, there has been overwhelming demand for passports.
“It could take even longer if there is a greater surge in the number of applications or there are issues with the application, such as (if) the photograph submitted does not meet the requirements.”
Many people who submitted their passport applications from mid-March to April have been heading down to the ICA Building in Lavender since Monday (May 9), leading to snaking queues.
In April, the estimated waiting time for a new passport was at least a month.

​

When The Straits Times visited the ICA Building on Tuesday afternoon, there was a queue of about 25 people outside at about 3pm. Those interviewed upon leaving said the line in the building was about 300 people long.
A retired insurance manager, who wanted to be known only as Madam Lee, 65, left disappointed as she was told her passport was still being printed even though she had submitted her passport application on April 11. She had planned to drive to her home in Johor Bahru on April 5 but had misplaced her passport.
Last Friday, she waited for six hours at ICA only to be told her passport photo was rejected. She submitted a new photo online on Saturday.


"I have to go to JB as soon as possible. My neighbours told me my landed home there suffered water damage and the roof caved in."
But Mr Kumar, 33, who goes by one name, got his passport on Tuesday after showing proof of travel. The surveyor had submitted his passport application on April 1.
"I decided to walk in and ask them to expedite my passport as I'm flying to Nepal for work on May 25," he said.
There was a queue when he arrived at 7.30am, and he collected his passport around 4pm.

People queueing to enter ICA Building on May 11, 2022. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
Others who made appointments and were at ICA on Tuesday said they had applied for new passports in mid- to end-March, but there were no available collection slots until May.
Teacher He Chang Jing, 38, said he received an e-mail on April 8 informing him that his passport was ready for collection, after applying on March 20.
"I was able to book an appointment in May, but I collected it within 30 minutes," he said.
Mr Sebastian Goh, a manager who is waiting for his passport to be renewed before his family flies to Bangkok on May 27, added: "The delay cannot be helped. There are one million passports expiring and everyone has their urgent reasons - whether it is leisure, work, or family - to travel out of Singapore."
The surge in passport renewals comes as travel demand continues to rise.
On Monday, The Straits Times reported that airlines have raised their fares by between 20 per cent and 80 per cent, fuelled by pent-up demand and school holidays that start on May 28.
In late March, ICA had advised Singaporeans who have plans to travel in the next few months and need to renew their passports to do so early via its website. The application fee is $70.
When ready, applicants can make an appointment to collect their passports at any of the 27 designated post offices, or at the ICA Building.
ICA noted that there are still many appointment slots available at the post offices for passport collection.

A notice on the ICA website said: "Due to overwhelming passport applications, please expect a longer processing time of at least six weeks." PHOTO: SCREENGRAB OF ICA WEBSITE
On Tuesday, some people who turned up at the ICA Building at 4.30pm or later were turned away as they did not have a prior appointment.
Among them was Mr Delvin Lim, 27, who submitted his application in early April.
"I called ICA many times. Someone finally answered (on Tuesday) and said I could come down," said Mr Lim, who runs an online business.
He had bought bus tickets to Kuala Lumpur for Thursday, where he will visit his ancestor's tomb with his family.
"It is frustrating as it's cutting so close," he added.
ICA said it understands that many Singaporeans are eager to start travelling again, especially during the coming June school holidays.
It added: “We are doing our best to handle the high demand and our officers are working longer hours during this period.”
More passport counters have been made available on other floors in the ICA Building.
ICA said: “We have also set up additional queue areas and conducted triaging to direct members of public to the right location. They are advised to follow the signage placed on site and instructions given by officers.”


Dr Michael Chiam, a senior tourism lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said that the longer waiting time could be due to a snowball effect, as more Singaporeans see others renewing their passports.
He said: "They jump onto the bandwagon to do the same. With the further relaxation of border controls, this could have escalated the momentum."
Mr Aaron Wong, 34, who runs travel website The MileLion, added that the scrapping of the previous Vaccinated Travel Lane arrangement and the impending start of the school holidays has likely played a part in spurring travel demand.
Dr Chiam advised travellers to buy tickets only when they have a valid passport.
He said: "Those willing to take the risk should at least purchase airline tickets that allow the flexibility of a change in dates."
ICA said Singaporeans need not renew their passports now if they are in Singapore and do not have plans to travel for the next six months.
“The Singapore passport is not a mandatory identity document, and there is no penalty for not renewing passports which have expired.”
It added: “For Singaporeans who need to travel urgently, they are required to produce supporting documents in person at ICA Building for assessment on a case-by-case basis.”

 

[Confuseous]

With so many SDAs and other related jobs going out of fashion, why can't they
allocate to cater to the needs. Or is it a case of delaying the issueing of passports
to keep citizens on the island longer, to spend their money here? Citizens flyng
out only benefit taxi drivers on the airport run.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Camp did not allow me to use digital IC for IPPT registration​

JUN 8, 2022

On Sunday, I was disappointed when I was not allowed to attempt my individual physical proficiency test (IPPT) at Khatib Camp without displaying my physical NRIC.
I was under the impression that the digital IC in the Singpass app could be used to access public services, but this was not the case at this camp.
The staff there said other servicemen had raised the same issue.
The staff also told me that due to safety reasons, my physical IC was needed in case there was an emergency and I required medical assistance while attempting my IPPT.
I had to postpone my IPPT, and feel that administrative hurdles should be minimised so servicemen can serve our nation in the most time-efficient manner possible.

Nathaniel Cheong Jun Kang

 

[Confuseous]

Passports need six weeks to renew, due to "lack of manpower".
How smart is that? Cannot get temps process until the rush is over?
Or intentional delays to minimise people from spending their money
overseas?

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: MOH to study how to help GPs access cheaper drugs​

June 15, 2022

We thank Mr Chan Chong Leong, Dr Desmond Wai and Mr Lim Kok Keong for their letters, "Non-standard drugs should not cost so much" (May 23), "Can Govt help family physicians procure drugs for cheaper price?" (May 23), and "Steps can be taken to help family physicians with medication costs" (May 25).
A range of strategies helps to keep medicines affordable for patients. For example, we have established a centralised public healthcare drug procurement agency called ALPS to achieve economies of scale and negotiating leverage.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) shares the concerns on higher drug prices at general practitioner (GP) clinics compared with polyclinics.
As part of Healthier SG's move to anchor care with family physicians, we will study the suggestions made to help GP clinics access cheaper sources of commonly used drugs.
To help keep medications affordable for subsidised patients, MOH provides substantial subsidies for a list of drugs that are endorsed by the Drug Advisory Committee to be clinically- and cost-effective.
These include both generic and non-generic drugs, which are used to manage various conditions, including metabolic disorders and skin conditions.
Many generic drugs are as effective as branded ones, and patients are encouraged to use generic drugs where they are suitable.

MOH reviews this list regularly to ensure it stays relevant to changes in local population needs, medical practice and evidence on clinical- and cost-effectiveness.
We will continue to review our policies to ensure that healthcare remains affordable for Singaporeans.

Teh Shi-Hua
Director (Subsidy and Subvention)
Healthcare Finance Division
Ministry of Health

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Different agencies should cooperate to make things happen​

June 15, 2022

In his 2014 National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told the story of how a discarded fishball stick was removed only after more than a day because parts of the walkway it was on came under different agencies.
I've found that this situation still happens, especially between the National Parks Board (NParks), the National Environment Agency (NEA) and town councils.
A group of us volunteers had wanted to hold a light-up at a garden in a park to celebrate National Day.
NParks agreed to supply a power source for the garden light-up. However, it was not economical to tap power from that source, which was a distance away. The cheapest alternative was to tap power from the nearby HDB block, just next to the garden.
However, the town council was reluctant to help, citing various obstacles including the bylaws.
This seemed to me to be just an excuse as void-deck functions have no issue tapping the power.
This is just an example of how different agencies can draw lines and not serve a common interest.

This is frustrating for volunteers who are trying to do something for the residents.
I suggest that for any situation, there must be a lead agency from which other agencies take cues from.
For example, for all matters regarding parks, NParks should be the lead agency, and others such as NEA and town councils should take the cue from it.
So if NParks wants to tap power or water from the nearest HDB point, then the town council must help to make it happen.
Public servants should serve the people by doing right by the people and for the people. Passing the buck, drawing lines and working in silos should not happen.

Yeow Hwee Ming

 

[Confuseous]

Forum: MOH to study how to help GPs access cheaper drugs​

June 15, 2022

We thank Mr Chan Chong Leong, Dr Desmond Wai and Mr Lim Kok Keong for their letters, "Non-standard drugs should not cost so much" (May 23), "Can Govt help family physicians procure drugs for cheaper price?" (May 23), and "Steps can be taken to help family physicians with medication costs" (May 25).
A range of strategies helps to keep medicines affordable for patients. For example, we have established a centralised public healthcare drug procurement agency called ALPS to achieve economies of scale and negotiating leverage.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) shares the concerns on higher drug prices at general practitioner (GP) clinics compared with polyclinics.
As part of Healthier SG's move to anchor care with family physicians, we will study the suggestions made to help GP clinics access cheaper sources of commonly used drugs.
To help keep medications affordable for subsidised patients, MOH provides substantial subsidies for a list of drugs that are endorsed by the Drug Advisory Committee to be clinically- and cost-effective.
These include both generic and non-generic drugs, which are used to manage various conditions, including metabolic disorders and skin conditions.
Many generic drugs are as effective as branded ones, and patients are encouraged to use generic drugs where they are suitable.

MOH reviews this list regularly to ensure it stays relevant to changes in local population needs, medical practice and evidence on clinical- and cost-effectiveness.
We will continue to review our policies to ensure that healthcare remains affordable for Singaporeans.

Teh Shi-Hua
Director (Subsidy and Subvention)
Healthcare Finance Division
Ministry of Health

This kind of important matter not discussed with the doctors before they make new major announcement.
OKY said something about the neighbourhood doctors being spines of the healthcare system in SG.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Wrong deductions made from 20,000 ez-link cards​

EZ-Link said there was a technical issue with a payment network and 99 per cent of affected commuters had been refunded. PHOTO: ST FILE
Nellie Toh


JUN 17, 2022

SINGAPORE - A total of 20,000 commuters were affected during a glitch earlier this month which led to wrong deductions from their ez-link cards, said EZ-Link on Friday (June 17).
In response to queries from The Straits Times, EZ-Link said there was a technical issue with a payment network it uses on June 7 and that 99 per cent of affected commuters had been refunded by June 9.
It added that there have been delays to refunds for the remaining commuters due to issues with their ez-link cards. It did not give the amount of money the deductions involved.
Some of the 20,000 affected commuters, which form about 1 per cent of EZ-Link's customers, had complained about the wrong deductions on its Facebook page.
The company apologised for the erroneous deductions in a Facebook post on June 9 and said those affected would be refunded by June 10.
Ms Xie Yanting is among those who have yet to receive a refund.
The 35-year-old accounts assistant said she has contacted EZ-Link's customer service team but has yet to receive a reply.


She said $20 had been deducted from her bank account using EZ-Link's SimplyGo automatic top-up function, but the money has not been credited to her ez-link keychain charm. An ez-link charm comes in the form of a trinket and is used for contactless payments and commutes.
Another commuter, Facebook user Matthew Seah, said EZ-Link's customer service team took three working days to respond to his complaint about his delayed refund.
The SimplyGo system, which was launched in 2019, allows its users to commute using contactless payments which are directly charged to their bank accounts and credit or debit cards, removing the need for upfront top-ups.
From January 2021, EZ-Link updated the system to allow commuters to update or purchase ez-link cards and charms on board the SimplyGo system as well.
Following the incident, some users said they would switch to topping up their ez-link cards manually.
Mrs Nararat Nura Saisood, 37, an art enrichment instructor, received her refund of $22.04 but said she ended up taking a private-hire car ride when her ez-link card could not be used.
She added: "The incident caused me a lot of inconvenience, and I'm afraid to use any online top-up system now."
Ms Xie said: "A full review and upgrade of the system is needed. For now, I would rather queue to use the manual top-up machines at the MRT stations."
EZ-Link said it is working to tighten the SimplyGo processing system to prevent future recurrences.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Why check boarding passes at Changi Airport twice?​

June 20, 2022

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of commenting on how smooth and painless the entry to Singapore was at Changi Airport (Arrival process at Changi Airport was very smooth after VTL flight, Nov 4, 2021).
Unfortunately, this was not my experience on my departure to Bangkok via Terminal 1.
There were two queues of 100 people each to have their boarding pass manually checked before going to use the electronic gantry for immigration procedures. The wait in this queue was 30 minutes.
Using the gantry took only a few seconds but after that, all travellers immediately had to join another queue to have their boarding pass manually checked a second time. As there was limited space in the area, this second queue snaked around several times, with strangers pressed against one another with no social distancing at all.
The entire procedure to get through immigration took nearly an hour, and I had to rush to make my flight.
Why was it necessary to have two manual checks of boarding passes, especially with the second check taking place almost immediately after the first?
Terminal 4 has a fully automated Fast and Seamless Travel service which can read boarding passes and eliminate the need for both manual checks. Why has this not been expanded to all other terminals?

I hope departure procedures can be improved and with more social distancing in place.

Eric Rosenkranz

 

[Confuseous]

Wrong deductions made from 20,000 ez-link cards​

EZ-Link said there was a technical issue with a payment network and 99 per cent of affected commuters had been refunded. PHOTO: ST FILE
Nellie Toh


JUN 17, 2022

SINGAPORE - A total of 20,000 commuters were affected during a glitch earlier this month which led to wrong deductions from their ez-link cards, said EZ-Link on Friday (June 17).
In response to queries from The Straits Times, EZ-Link said there was a technical issue with a payment network it uses on June 7 and that 99 per cent of affected commuters had been refunded by June 9.
It added that there have been delays to refunds for the remaining commuters due to issues with their ez-link cards. It did not give the amount of money the deductions involved.
Some of the 20,000 affected commuters, which form about 1 per cent of EZ-Link's customers, had complained about the wrong deductions on its Facebook page.
The company apologised for the erroneous deductions in a Facebook post on June 9 and said those affected would be refunded by June 10.
Ms Xie Yanting is among those who have yet to receive a refund.
The 35-year-old accounts assistant said she has contacted EZ-Link's customer service team but has yet to receive a reply.


She said $20 had been deducted from her bank account using EZ-Link's SimplyGo automatic top-up function, but the money has not been credited to her ez-link keychain charm. An ez-link charm comes in the form of a trinket and is used for contactless payments and commutes.
Another commuter, Facebook user Matthew Seah, said EZ-Link's customer service team took three working days to respond to his complaint about his delayed refund.
The SimplyGo system, which was launched in 2019, allows its users to commute using contactless payments which are directly charged to their bank accounts and credit or debit cards, removing the need for upfront top-ups.
From January 2021, EZ-Link updated the system to allow commuters to update or purchase ez-link cards and charms on board the SimplyGo system as well.
Following the incident, some users said they would switch to topping up their ez-link cards manually.
Mrs Nararat Nura Saisood, 37, an art enrichment instructor, received her refund of $22.04 but said she ended up taking a private-hire car ride when her ez-link card could not be used.
She added: "The incident caused me a lot of inconvenience, and I'm afraid to use any online top-up system now."
Ms Xie said: "A full review and upgrade of the system is needed. For now, I would rather queue to use the manual top-up machines at the MRT stations."
EZ-Link said it is working to tighten the SimplyGo processing system to prevent future recurrences.

Apologies are so cheap nowsdays.

Just say "sorry lor

 

[Leckmichamarsch]

PeeM. no service, you expect service below his balls?