Ownself check ownself

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#1 Ownself praise ownself

Facts show task force has handled Covid-19 situation well, but fight goes on, says Lawrence Wong

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on July 7, 2020.PHOTO: MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION
PUBLISHED JUL 7, 2020, 6:43 PM SGT

Toh Ting Wei

SINGAPORE - The Covid-19 task force has handled the current crisis well in terms of numbers relating to community infection, fatality rate and how it has helped migrant workers, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Tuesday (July 7).

But at the end of the day, the fight against the coronavirus is still ongoing, and Singaporeans will have to judge the task force's performance, he said.

Mr Wong, who co-chairs the task force combating the Covid-19 outbreak, was responding to a question during a virtual briefing about the virus situation in Singapore.

A reporter had asked Mr Wong about his thoughts on how voters will assess the task force's performance, and whether this will affect the People's Action Party vote share in the July 10 general election.

"If you looked at what we have achieved up till now, the outcomes are quite clear," said Mr Wong.
"We have been able to bring down infection rates in the community significantly and protected many Singaporeans, especially the vulnerable ones. We have been able to achieve a fatality rate which is amongst the lowest in the world.

"Where the cases in the dormitory are concerned... I do not know of any other country that has mounted as significant an operation as Singapore has in taking care of its migrant workers."

On the migrant worker situation, Mr Wong said the task force is currently in the process of testing all the workers.

He added that beyond taking care of their health, the Government has also taken care of their well-being, their food and their salaries.


"We have done everything we can to ensure the overall well-being of these workers because we know that they are an important part of our society," he said.

The Government's management of the Covid-19 situation has become a political issue in recent days, with opposition candidates questioning whether the situation could have been handled better.

Among those include Professor Paul Tambyah, an infectious diseases expert and a candidate from the Singapore Democratic Party.

Prof Tambyah had flagged the Ministry of Manpower's advisory to warn employers against sending asymptomatic workers for Covid-19 testing earlier this year as a mistake.

But Mr Wong and the relevant authorities have subsequently rebutted the allegation.

On Tuesday, even as Mr Wong defended the Government's handling of the situation, he also thanked all those who have helped in Singapore's fight against Covid-19 so far.

He added: "This fight is far from over, there is still so much that we need to do and that's why we have asked for everyone to focus their minds on what is critical."

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#2 Ownself praise ownself

Singapore GE2020: 4G leaders stepped up, and did very well in Covid-19 crisis, says PM Lee

The pandemic was a baptism of fire for the 4G leadership, who helmed the country's response.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
PUBLISHED JUL 1, 2020, 5:00 AM SGT

Danson Cheong
Correspondent

The PAP's fourth-generation leaders have acquitted themselves well in leading the fight against Covid-19, and shown Singaporeans what they can do, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

PM Lee, the PAP's secretary-general, asked Singaporeans to support the party in the upcoming general election, so that the 4G team would have a "good start to establish themselves and take Singapore the next step forward".

Asked for his assessment of the 4G leadership's handling of the pandemic at a virtual press conference after the nomination of candidates for the coming election, PM Lee said it was a "serious fight", and the 4G leaders had stepped up and kept Singapore safe.

"I would say that in handling Covid-19, the 4G leaders have done very well," said PM Lee.

"They've been on the front line. They've been chairing the ministerial task force. They've been directing the whole-of-government response, the public communications, the presentation, the explanations, the mobilisation of our people to understand, to accept the very many intrusive and inconvenient measures which we have to take to keep ourselves safe from Covid-19."

The pandemic was a baptism of fire for the 4G leadership who helmed the country's response. Some observers have noted that the opposition could find fault with their handling of the crisis and turn it into an election issue.

The Government's multi-ministry task force directing Singapore's response against the disease is co-chaired by National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, and advised by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.


Various other 4G leaders, including Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, have taken charge of other aspects of the nation's response.

PM Lee said the coming GE will be an "important step" in the PAP's renewal process.

He added that a good result for the PAP would be an endorsement for the 4G team, the party's strategies, and its renewal process.

PM Lee has stated his intention for his successor to take over in the next term of government, before he turns 70 in 2022.

This is the ninth election that PM Lee will be contesting since he was elected in 1984.

But when asked if the disruption caused by Covid-19 would cause a change in that timeline, he replied: "I very much hope that Covid-19 will not disturb my plans, but Covid-19 is a very wily and dangerous virus, and we will have to see how things develop on that front."

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#3 Ownself support ownself

NTUC reaffirms support for Ng Chee Meng to stay on as labour chief despite Sengkang election loss

Questions have been raised about Mr Ng Chee Meng's position in the labour movement.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Joanna Seow
Assistant Business Editor


SINGAPORE - The labour movement's top leadership has reaffirmed its support for labour chief Ng Chee Meng and said he will remain secretary-general of NTUC.
Questions have been raised about Mr Ng's position in the labour movement after the PAP team he led in Sengkang GRC lost to the Workers' Party in last Friday's (July 10) election.

In a statement on Tuesday, NTUC president Mary Liew said Mr Ng will retain his position in NTUC.

She said: "As an NTUC elected position, it is a position which stands independent of political appointments. The members of the NTUC central committee stand in unanimous support for Brother Ng Chee Meng as secretary-general of NTUC."

A Cabinet minister has held the secretary-general post for the last 40 years. Mr Lim Chee Onn was the first labour chief to be appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Office in 1980.

NTUC's central committee elects among themselves the president, secretary-general and other principal office bearers, and the committee members themselves are elected by union delegates at a conference once every four years.

Ms Liew said that it is upon the central committee's request and mutual agreement with the Government that a minister is seconded to NTUC.

She said: "While the two roles have been inextricably linked, they are in fact independent of each other.

"As we head into more challenging times ahead, we remain resolute in our mission to help workers. Brother Ng Chee Meng has over the last two years pushed for many good initiatives for workers and this is work that must continue. We stand in solidarity as we continue this journey together."

The most recent National Delegates' Conference was held in October last year, where the 21-member central committee was chosen, with Ms Liew and Mr Ng at the helm.

Mr Ng became labour chief on May 22, 2018, taking over from Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing.

Before that, Mr Ng and Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon had been co-opted into the labour movement as deputy secretaries-general on April 23.

Mr Koh, who was elected as MP for Tampines GRC last Friday, remains one of two deputy secretaries-general, together with Ms Cham Hui Fong, a former Nominated MP.

Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How, an MP for Jalan Besar GRC, was co-opted into the central committee as a third deputy secretary-general last year.
Ms Liew said in her statement that Mr Ng has played an instrumental role in pushing forward initiatives to help secure workers' livelihoods.

He championed workers' training through the setting up of company training committees, through which union leaders and company management work together to plan and operationalise training for workers. Mr Ng said in April last year that the aim is to have 1,000 such committees within the next three years, reaching 330,000 workers.

He also launched the NTUC Job Security Council this year to match retrenched workers and those at risk of losing their jobs amid the Covid-19 pandemic to opportunities in other companies.

To date, some 12,000 workers have been matched to new roles, said Ms Liew.

"Time and again, (Mr Ng) has shown his heart in caring for workers and proven his mettle," she said.

 

[bobby]

They all should get Order of Temasek (1st Class) & presented by Macik on 9 Aug 2020.....

 

[spotter542]

#3 Ownself support ownself

NTUC reaffirms support for Ng Chee Meng to stay on as labour chief despite Sengkang election loss

Questions have been raised about Mr Ng Chee Meng's position in the labour movement.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Joanna Seow
Assistant Business Editor


SINGAPORE - The labour movement's top leadership has reaffirmed its support for labour chief Ng Chee Meng and said he will remain secretary-general of NTUC.
Questions have been raised about Mr Ng's position in the labour movement after the PAP team he led in Sengkang GRC lost to the Workers' Party in last Friday's (July 10) election.

In a statement on Tuesday, NTUC president Mary Liew said Mr Ng will retain his position in NTUC.

She said: "As an NTUC elected position, it is a position which stands independent of political appointments. The members of the NTUC central committee stand in unanimous support for Brother Ng Chee Meng as secretary-general of NTUC."

A Cabinet minister has held the secretary-general post for the last 40 years. Mr Lim Chee Onn was the first labour chief to be appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Office in 1980.

NTUC's central committee elects among themselves the president, secretary-general and other principal office bearers, and the committee members themselves are elected by union delegates at a conference once every four years.

Ms Liew said that it is upon the central committee's request and mutual agreement with the Government that a minister is seconded to NTUC.

She said: "While the two roles have been inextricably linked, they are in fact independent of each other.

"As we head into more challenging times ahead, we remain resolute in our mission to help workers. Brother Ng Chee Meng has over the last two years pushed for many good initiatives for workers and this is work that must continue. We stand in solidarity as we continue this journey together."

The most recent National Delegates' Conference was held in October last year, where the 21-member central committee was chosen, with Ms Liew and Mr Ng at the helm.

Mr Ng became labour chief on May 22, 2018, taking over from Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing.

Before that, Mr Ng and Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon had been co-opted into the labour movement as deputy secretaries-general on April 23.

Mr Koh, who was elected as MP for Tampines GRC last Friday, remains one of two deputy secretaries-general, together with Ms Cham Hui Fong, a former Nominated MP.

Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How, an MP for Jalan Besar GRC, was co-opted into the central committee as a third deputy secretary-general last year.
Ms Liew said in her statement that Mr Ng has played an instrumental role in pushing forward initiatives to help secure workers' livelihoods.

He championed workers' training through the setting up of company training committees, through which union leaders and company management work together to plan and operationalise training for workers. Mr Ng said in April last year that the aim is to have 1,000 such committees within the next three years, reaching 330,000 workers.

He also launched the NTUC Job Security Council this year to match retrenched workers and those at risk of losing their jobs amid the Covid-19 pandemic to opportunities in other companies.

To date, some 12,000 workers have been matched to new roles, said Ms Liew.

"Time and again, (Mr Ng) has shown his heart in caring for workers and proven his mettle," she said.

This fucker got no shame at all

 

[shittypore]

After 60 yrs of education they can't find a replacement.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#4
Ownself don't know how to check ownself

Parliament: AGC developing guidelines for valuation of items after Liew family inflated prices of allegedly stolen items

Cara Wong

SINGAPORE - The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) is developing guidelines on how to properly value allegedly stolen items after it emerged during the Parti Liyani trial that the prices of certain items were inflated by the complainants.

Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam told Parliament this is one of two areas the AGC has identified that need rectification, after reviewing its actions in the Parti Liyani trial, where the maid was acquitted of all theft charges on Sept 4.

He also stressed that the prosecution's overarching role is to ensure that justice is done, and not to "win the case at all costs".

"This point is not being made by reference to this case - it is a general point," said Mr Shanmugam. He noted that Attorney-General Lucien Wong has publicly stressed this on many occasions.

"AGC has consistently emphasised this point to all its officers, and will continue to do so."

Delivering a ministerial statement on the case of Ms Parti, Mr Shanmugam acknowledged that independent assessment of the value of items "may have helped" in some of the items in this case, as prosecutors had derived the value of items by relying on the Liew family's estimates.

This has been the general practice for the valuation of items and there are no formal guidelines, said Mr Shanmugam, adding that prosecutors are expected to use their "judgment and discretion".

During the trial, the courts had found that the values of some of the items had been "overestimated", including a Gerald Genta watch that was originally priced at $25,000 by the prosecution.

Mr Karl Liew, the son of the former Changi Airport Group chairman, had claimed the watch was worth that much, based on his own "impression", even though the strap was broken and it had a missing button knob.

A witness called by the defence placed its current value at $500 instead, adding that the date function was faulty. The worth of the watch was eventually reduced by the courts to $10,000.

Mr Liew also told prosecutors that a Helix watch was worth $50, but a horologist who was called to the stand testified that the watch was a free gift from the petrol company Shell.

The second area that AGC will improve on is that all such relevant physical exhibits should have been shown to witnesses before they take the stand, said Mr Shanmugam.

He noted that the Liew family was mostly shown photographs of the exhibits during witness interviews.

On exhibits, the High Court judge also said prosecutors should have fully disclosed the defect found in a $1,000 DVD player Ms Parti was accused of stealing during the trial. The prosecution only conceded that they had some difficulties playing a DVD disc with the machine in the appeal stage.

This element proved crucial in supporting Ms Parti's point that the DVD player was "spoilt" and the High Court judge found that it was likely that the Liews no longer wanted the player as it was partially spoilt.

Mr Shanmugam said the matter is now the subject of disciplinary proceedings, where a full account of what the prosecutors did will be given, and as such he would refrain from commenting on it.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#5
Ownself confirm ownself. How to verify if these are the truth?

• When Attorney-General (AG) Lucien Wong resigned from the board of CapitaLand in 2006, it was over differences of viewpoints with Mr Liew Mun Leong who was then the president and chief executive officer of the listed real estate group.
• "We have checked with the IO, his senior officer and the DPPs, they have confirmed there was no pressure or influence exerted on them by Liew Mun Leong or anyone acting on his behalf."

Parliament: Review of Parti Liyani case shows no improper influence by Liew Mun Leong at any point, says Shanmugam

High Court Judge Chan Seng Onn said in his judgement that there was reasonable doubt about Mr Liew's (right) motive for making a police report against Ms Parti (left).PHOTOS: ST FILE

Tham Yuen-C
Senior Political Correspondent


SINGAPORE - When Attorney-General (AG) Lucien Wong resigned from the board of CapitaLand in 2006, it was over differences of viewpoints with Mr Liew Mun Leong who was then the president and chief executive officer of the listed real estate group.

Given this history, Mr Wong had recused himself from the Attorney-General's Chambers' (AGC) recent internal review of the case involving Mr Liew's former maid Parti Liyani.

Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam on Wednesday (Nov 4) disclosed this information in a ministerial statement in Parliament as he emphasised that the reviews by the police and the AGC have confirmed that there was no improper influence at any point in the case.

"I can be categorical, there was no influence by Liew Mun Leong. It was treated as any other theft case and handled accordingly," he said.

Questions on propriety had cropped up after High Court Judge Chan Seng Onn overturned Ms Parti's conviction and said in his judgment that there was reasonable doubt about Mr Liew's motive for making a police report against his former maid.

Mr Liew is a prominent businessman and was the chairman of Changi Airport Group as well as Surbana Jurong. He was also senior international business adviser at Singapore investment company Temasek and a board member of Temasek Foundation.

He resigned from these positions following public outcry after Justice Chan overturned Ms Parti's conviction.

The relationship between the AG and Mr Liew came under scrutiny particularly after the AGC announced that the AG would not be involved in the review of the case.
Some had suggested that the two men were close given that Mr Wong had been on CapitaLand's board of directors.

On Wednesday, Mr Shanmugam said the decision on whether to prosecute the maid was dealt with at the level of the deputy public prosecutors and their directors in AGC, and the AG did not know of the proceedings against Ms Parti until the case went for trial.

Setting out how such cases are handled, he said typically when AGC receives a file from the police, prosecutors will assess whether or not to charge or if any action has to be taken.

This assessment and the decisions are usually cleared by a director, and are not brought to the attention of the deputy chief prosecutor, chief prosecutor, deputy AG or AG unless they involve more serious or sensitive crimes, or where the AG's consent to prosecute is expressly required.

He added that neither Mr Liew, his family members or any intermediaries had approached the AGC on the case.

On why the AG recused himself from the AGC's internal review, the minister said: "The AG felt that given the history of difference between him and Liew Mun Leong, the perception of fairness may be affected if he oversaw the review."

"Thus, the AG had nothing to do with this case at any stage."

Similarly for the Police, its internal review shows decisions on the case were taken by the investigation officer (IO) and his immediate supervisor, and no one had lobbied or exerted pressure on them or anyone in a position to influence the investigations, he said.

"It didn't come to the attention of the senior management either at the Police or in the Ministry," he added.

Mr Shanmugam also pointed out that the case had been heard in open court in the State Courts in accordance with the rules.

"We have checked with the IO, his senior officer and the DPPs, they have confirmed there was no pressure or influence exerted on them by Liew Mun Leong or anyone acting on his behalf."

"And they handled this as they have handled other theft cases."

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#6

Forum: Govt could have been more transparent on TraceTogether
6 JAN 2021


I do not disagree with the Government using TraceTogether data for criminal investigations, and there is nothing for me to worry about when I am a law-abiding citizen.

However, I wish the Government could have been more upfront about this when it was first asked months ago (Police can use TraceTogether data for criminal investigations, Jan 5).

Back then, the multi-ministry task force insisted the data would not be used for purposes other than Covid-19 contact tracing.

However, now that Singaporeans are being told that the data can also be used for police investigation under the Criminal Procedure Code, I cannot help but feel misled.

I'm not against the Government doing it for legitimate purposes such as criminal investigations, but the way it does so matters.

It is important for the Government to build trust among Singaporeans with transparency where necessary.

If Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Christopher de Souza had not filed a parliamentary question on this, none of us would have been the wiser.

Sean Lim

 

[bobby]

 

[worcer]

In Singapore, everything is done to better elites interest...

If u are not part of it... too bad!

 

[Travelickb]

In Singapore, everything is done to better elites interest...

If u are not part of it... too bad!

It's pretty much the same as with other countries, I bet.

 

[shittypore]

Shanmugam really good in convincing himself, tat he is always right!!!!!

 

[Cottonmouth]

Done well and keep importing filthy indians.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#7

Parliamentary watchdog urges Government to fix root causes of lapses in public agencies

Parliament's public accounts watchdog consists of eight MPs.PHOTO: ST FILE

Rei Kurohi

9 FEB 2021

SINGAPORE - Parliament's public accounts watchdog has urged the Government to examine the root causes of lapses and weaknesses identified in various public agencies, so that the problems can be fixed across the public sector.

In a report released on Monday (Feb 8), the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said: "It is important for agencies to examine and investigate the root causes for the lapses so that appropriate remedial actions can be taken at the whole-of-government level and by the respective public sector agencies."

The committee, consisting of eight MPs, reviewed the report by the Auditor-General's Office on the public sector audit for the financial year 2019/2020.

The AGO had highlighted lapses in procurement and contract management at the National Library Board (NLB) and gaps in the management of business grant programmes at Workforce Singapore (WSG) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG), among others.

The PAC wanted to know if there was a framework in place at the whole-of-government level, and within the respective agencies, to examine the problems and ensure that remedial measures are effective.

To this, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said the departments which oversee the policies, whether on procurement or information technology, for instance, regularly work with government agencies to get to the bottom of lapses identified by systemic audit, and to ensure compliance.

It added that a grants management review was completed in 2019 to thoroughly examine lapses relating to the management of grants, and an inter-agency committee was set up to put in place measures to prevent such mistakes.

MOF had also issued a new grants governance framework to all agencies in July last year - which sets out rules on the management of business grants from start to end - and aims to ensure that all agencies acquire a baseline level of capabilities in this area by the end of the 2021 financial year.

Meanwhile, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group has also worked to strengthen IT governance and enhance IT security at the government-wide level.

On the specific lapses identified by the AGO, the PAC said the NLB's internal review had found that "weakness in duty of care on the part of NLB officers" had contributed to the lapses.

NLB was found to have poorly managed its revamp of the National Archives of Singapore building, resulting in the project exceeding its approved cost by $1.72 million. Approvals were given for variations without compelling reasons or cost estimates provided, among other things.

The Ministry of Communications and Information, which NLB comes under, told the PAC that disciplinary actions have been taken against the officers found to be negligent in discharging their duties.

The NLB has also stepped up briefings and enhanced guidance on the roles and responsibilities of officers involved in each stage of the procurement cycle.

The WSG and ESG, meanwhile, had been found to have mismanaged six business grant programmes which disbursed a total of $333.40 million between April 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019.

In some cases, there were double claims and double funding across different WSG grants. The WSG also did not recover unused grant money in a timely manner.

In ESG's case, the funds disbursed for certain grants were not in line with guidelines, resulting in either an excess or a shortfall. Its officers also had inconsistent practices when assessing companies' eligibility.

The PAC called for the review and monitoring of the grants to be strengthened, especially when the administration of such grants is outsourced to external programme partners.

It also stressed that the need to process and disburse grants timeously must be balanced with proper controls and governance.

The Ministry of Manpower, which is the parent ministry of WSG, said the WSG has developed a new guide for its professional conversion programme partners to ensure consistency of practices, and these partners will also have to comply with new guidelines from this year.

The MTI, which ESG comes under, said the ESG has strengthened its checks to ensure programme partners like trade associations and chambers comply with grant conditions.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#8
Quote: "MOM noted that employers have the primary responsibility of ensuring the authenticity of academic qualifications of the foreigners they wish to hire."

This is so naive. If the HR is also Indian (and worse, also got the job using a fake degree), would the HR expose the applicants with fake degrees?

Quote: "One layer of checks can be if workers who suspect that their new colleagues are unqualified for their positions report this to their superiors, Mr Tan said."

Ownself check ownself! Snakes don't squeal on their own kind.

Quote: "Universities can also help by publishing the names of their graduates online, he added."

MOM is living in an unreal world where all the universities in the world publish the names of their graduates to help ministries like MOM do checks.
Wait until the cows come home.

MOM probing 15 work pass holders for links to Indian university fake degree scandal

The Indian university in the state of Himachal Pradesh had sold 36,000 fake degrees over 11 years.
PHOTO: MANAV BHARTI UNIVERSITY/FACEBOOK
Wong Shiying and Aw Cheng Wei

18 FEB 2021

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Manpower is investigating 15 work pass holders working here who had declared qualifications from Manav Bharti University in their work pass applications.

The Indian university in the state of Himachal Pradesh had sold 36,000 fake degrees over 11 years, the Times of India (TOI) reported earlier this month.

Of the 41,000 degrees issued by the university, only 5,000 are genuine so far, a special investigating team in India has found.

MOM said on Wednesday (Feb 17) that if the work pass holders were found to have falsely declared their educational qualifications, their work passes will be immediately revoked and they will be permanently barred from employment in Singapore.

"We may also prosecute them under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. The offence carries a fine of up to $20,000, up to two years' imprisonment or both," said the ministry.

In the last five years, an average of 660 foreigners were permanently barred each year from working in Singapore because they had submitted fake educational qualifications in their work pass applications.

Over the same period, an average of eight foreigners each year were convicted and penalised for false declarations of educational qualifications.

MOM noted that employers have the primary responsibility of ensuring the authenticity of academic qualifications of the foreigners they wish to hire.

This means that employers should have evaluated the candidate, including his qualifications, to ensure that he has the right skills and qualifications needed, said the ministry.

MOM said it also conducts its own checks after the employer submits the academic documents, as an additional safeguard.

Singapore Human Resources Institute president Erman Tan told The Straits Times that companies can do more stringent checks on their prospective employees, but they may not have sufficient resources to conduct thorough due diligence.

"This is especially so when companies are rushing to fill out positions," he said, adding that incidences of fake credentials tend to occur more frequently among lower level executives than those in higher offices.

One layer of checks can be if workers who suspect that their new colleagues are unqualified for their positions report this to their superiors, Mr Tan said.

Universities can also help by publishing the names of their graduates online, he added.

According to TOI, the police in India have initiated the process to extradite the chairman of the Manav Bharti Charitable Trust - Raj Kumar Rana - from Australia.

The trust operates private universities, including Manav Bharti University, in the states of Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan in India.

The Indian authorities estimated that the trust chairman and his family had amassed property worth 3.87 billion rupees (S$71 million) from the proceeds of the racket.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#9

Cleared Kranji woodland: All agencies reviewing land clearance projects to 'avoid repeat of mistakes'

The incident has prompted a review of how agencies work, both internally and with each other.
ST PHOTO
Audrey Tan and Ang Qing

21 FEB 2021

SINGAPORE - Development works on a Kranji woodland plot that was cleared by mistake remain stalled, as the authorities get to the bottom of what went wrong.

The incident - where 4.5 ha of greenery was cleared before a biodiversity study was completed - has also prompted a review of how agencies work, both internally and with each other, said Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing on Monday (Feb 22).

"The public service will learn from this and improve," he said, adding that he had instructed all agencies involved in land clearance projects to immediately check and make sure that their processes were in order, "so as to avoid any repeat of the mistakes made".

Originally scrubland with scattered non-native trees, the site of the former KTM railway line where the clearing took place did not require an Environmental Impact Assessment, although other studies were required.

Mr Chan spoke during a virtual press conference also attended by National Development Minister Desmond Lee as well as JTC chief executive Tan Boon Khai and Dr Leong Chee Chiew, commissioner of parks and recreation at the National Parks Board (NParks).

Calling the situation "regrettable and deeply concerning", Mr Lee stressed that a thorough investigation would be done, with the findings made public.


Mr Joseph Leong, permanent secretary for defence development and second permanent secretary for communications and information, will lead the review of processes, which will take about three months.

Said Mr Chan: "We take a very serious view of this incident. It is clear to us that there were gaps in the way that the project was managed and supervised. And that we must do better."

Chain of events

On Feb 14, aerial footage circulating on social media showed that swathes of the vegetation flanking the Rail Corridor in Sungei Kadut had been cleared.

On Feb 14, aerial footage circulating on social media showed that swathes of the vegetation flanking the Rail Corridor in Sungei Kadut had been cleared.
PHOTO: BRICE LI/FACEBOOK

JTC said two days later on Feb 16 that the area had been cleared erroneously by its contractor before a biodiversity survey was completed, and that the green patches had been cleared at the end of December.

However, satellite footage showed that the land clearance in the area started earlier, since March 2020.

Kranji Woodlands in aerial pictures taken in May 2019 (left) and February 2021.
PHOTOS: BRICE LI/FACEBOOK

On Monday, site developer JTC clarified that land clearance for the 25ha Agri-Food Innovation Park - which will be part of the larger Sungei Kadut Eco-District - had started in March 2020. Most of this clearance had been approved.

But the work was supposed to be done in phases. The land cleared in December had been outside of plots approved for clearance, JTC said.

So far, about 11ha of land in the 25ha plot has been cleared. Of this, 4.5ha was cleared mistakenly.

The Rail Corridor, as well as an additional green buffer of between 15m and 20m on either side of it, will be retained, totalling 6ha.

The 25ha Agri-Food Innovation Park will be part of the larger Sungei Kadut Eco-District.
PHOTO: JTC

JTC said it accepted supervisory responsibilities and that it will look into whether its own officers and the private contractors involved had followed due process, and how JTC can better supervise the various agencies and qualified personnel as they implement the project.

All parties have agreed to provide full cooperation, JTC said.

Meanwhile, NParks, which is the custodian of native biodiversity here, will also be conducting an investigation to determine if there were breaches to the Parks and Trees Act and Wildlife Act.

NParks' Dr Leong said the Board's role is to assess requests for tree felling, provide approvals where appropriate, and also look into potential impacts on wildlife.

"So, our investigation will be thorough in looking at whether there were breaches to the Parks and Trees Act, and the Wildlife Act," Dr Leong said.

"What JTC has uncovered in its chronological order will be referenced when we carry out our investigation. So, at this point in time, I need to clarify that as far as NParks goes, we do not make any assumptions on who did what and when and so on and so forth. Because our investigation needs to be thorough," he added.

Under the Parks and Trees Act, those found guilty of felling a tree larger than 1m in girth without the approval of the commissioner could face a fine of up to $50,000.
Those who breach the Wildlife Act can also face a penalty of up to $50,000, with the possibility of a six-month imprisonment, Dr Leong said.

"This is serious, and I will not make any assumptions at this point in time," he said.

Mr Tan, the JTC chief executive, said that as the project and site developer, JTC acknowledged that it has overall responsibility of the site.

He added: "We do not run away from this responsibility. We will not and nor do we intend to."

The need for a biodiversity study

The affected site was occupied by the former railway line operated by the Malaysian company Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), but was returned to Singapore on July 1, 2011.

With the rail line no longer in use, and the site left unmanaged, pending redevelopment works, vegetation had sprouted up over the past few years.

JTC said Albizia trees - a non-native tree species that is fast-growing - now dominate the site.

With the rail line no longer in use, and the site left unmanaged pending redevelopment works, vegetation had sprouted up over the past few years.
PHOTO: JTC

As the site was also not located close to any sensitive nature areas, an environmental impact assessment was not deemed necessary, JTC added.

Last March, land clearance work started, following NParks' approval of tree felling in some areas.

However, in August, the consultants engaged to carry out planning and design works for the area resubmitted a new building plan that showed a new proposed drain.

This drain would discharge into the Pang Sua River - and could eventually end up in the Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat, which is slated to open as a nature park in 2022.

The Pang Sua River in the Sungei Kadut area.
ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

An earlier study had pointed to the Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat, located about 3km east of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, as being the main "seeding source" for mangrove propagules for many other mangrove areas.

At that point, the Wildlife Act had come into effect.

This Act empowers NParks' director-general of wildlife management to issue directions to developers to carry out wildlife-related measures to safeguard wildlife, public health or safety, or the health of the ecosystem.

So in response to the resubmission, NParks had required a fauna baseline study - essentially a checklist of the types of animals found in the area - and an environmental monitoring and management plan to be done.

This study, as well as the environmental monitoring and management programme, will likely be completed in April.

JTC said it will engage stakeholders on the findings of the studies, and that the results of the baseline study and consultation will be publicly shared.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#10

Obviously a mayor would defend the relevance of CDCs and mayors.
Shouldn't an independent body be the one to evaluate the relevance of CDCs and the salary of a mayor?

Budget debate: Mayor Denise Phua rebuts Pritam Singh on relevance of CDCs and mayors

Central Singapore District Mayor Denise Phua thanked Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh for raising the subject of CDCs.PHOTOS: GOV.SG

Hariz Baharudin

FEB 25, 2021

SINGAPORE - Central Singapore District Mayor Denise Phua on Thursday (Feb 25) roundly rejected the suggestion by Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh that a voucher scheme in this year's Budget was aimed at making Community Development Councils (CDCs) relevant.

"Mr Singh's accusation that the Government is trying to find some way for the CDCs to be relevant by asking them to manage the CDC vouchers scheme, is belittling the CDCs and our partners," she said.

"There is nothing to be ashamed about making sure one is always relevant," she added, giving an overview of the work of the five councils in assisting citizens who need help, supporting national initiatives like lifelong learning, and mobilising resources from businesses and the community to help residents in need.

Under the latest voucher scheme announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat in the Feb 16 Budget to help households, all Singaporean households will get $100 worth of CDC vouchers for use in heartland shops and hawker centres.

This would help them defray the cost of living and support local businesses affected by the pandemic.

The five CDCs are still working on the details of the $150 million scheme, and will announce them once ready, Ms Phua said.

Their function in the voucher scheme is clear, she added. "We organise the resources, communicate the scheme, and get as many merchants as possible to sign up and make full use of this well-intended help scheme," she said.

In his speech at the start of the Budget debate on Wednesday, Mr Singh, who is Leader of the Opposition, noted that the CDCs came under the spotlight after last July's general election, with some viewing the salaries of mayors as outrageous.

He said the need for CDCs and full-time mayors continues to be widely questioned, as their work could be done by other agencies, and that their role in the voucher scheme was "potentially superfluous".

"It would appear to me as if the Government is trying to find some way to make the CDCs relevant in view of their relative absence in the public mindshare," Mr Singh had said.

In rebutting these points on Thursday, Ms Phua cited how Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had, after the election, "graciously" created the role of Leader of the Opposition, much to Mr Singh's surprise himself.

She added: "Did Mr Singh not accept the role when asked - and the office, and the research assistant, and the salary - and try his best to be relevant too? Singaporeans too ask what the role of the Leader of the Opposition in our Parliament is."

Ms Phua also thanked Mr Singh for raising the subject of CDCs, adding that perhaps the biggest mistake the councils made was not to have better publicised the work they do.

CDCs, which were mooted by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1996 and established in 1997, complement the work of other grassroots groups and help manage programmes to bring people in the community together.

Their roles have evolved over the years, Ms Phua noted, citing how the administration of national financial assistance schemes which they did for many years has since been taken over by social service offices in over 20 towns.

But because CDCs operate at the district level, they continue to support national initiatives such as lifelong learning and SkillsFuture, she added, noting that in the last three years, the five councils ran 4,819 SkillsFuture Advice workshops that reached over 127,000 participants in the last three years.

And during the Covid-19 pandemic, they brought together resources from various agencies and private training companies to help residents find training and jobs. The mayors also got together soon after the circuit breaker began to garner resources and ensure students who used to get free meals in school continued to get e-vouchers for meals, she said.

"The value of the CDC structure... is its relative agility and ability to respond and develop programmes in the district faster than a bigger government machinery," said Ms Phua.

Mr Singh had also suggested that Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCCs) in the constituencies could administer the voucher scheme instead.

To this, Ms Phua said that local bodies like the CCCs do not always have market and shop representatives sitting in the committees, whereas the CDCs reach out to merchant and hawker associations by tapping a network that includes volunteers and national bodies such as the Singapore Federation of Merchants' Associations and its subsidiary, the Heartlands Enterprise Singapore.

"Mr Singh's suggestion to have the CCCs or grassroots volunteers run this multi-million help scheme is either ignorant of or insensitive to the reality on the ground," she said.

Responding to Ms Phua on Thursday, Mr Singh clarified that in calling for a review of full-time mayors, he did not harbour any personal vendetta against mayors and was not trying to indict the CDCs' programmes. Instead, he was trying to ask if there is still a need for them to be full-time, given how many roles they once performed are now handled by different bodies, like social service organisations.

Ms Phua replied that she was the only full-time mayor.

"And that's, I think, because the Prime Minister feels that I'm running the largest district here - 23 divisions. My fellow mayors are all double-hatting, or triple-hatting sometimes," she said. "But I do know that they only get one pay."

South West District mayor Low Yen Ling is a minister of state, North East District and South East District mayors Desmond Choo and Fahmi Aliman are with the National Trades Union Congress, and North West District mayor Alex Yam is executive director of the People's Action Party.

Ms Phua said the CDCs should be assessed by the work they do on the ground and residents they benefit: "Would Singapore society be worse or better off without the CDCs? This is a question that is best answered by the beneficiaries of the work done by the CDCs."

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#11

Forum: Improve quality of personnel responsible for workplace safety

3 MAR 2021


I refer to National Trades Union Congress assistant secretary-general Melvin Yong's call for a dedicated workplace safety and health monitor at each worksite (Tuas explosion: 3 workers dead, 5 in critical condition, Feb 26).

He said having this person would be more effective than the inspections conducted by the Manpower Ministry now.

I have been a certified safety practitioner in the construction industry for more than 20 years and I would like to share some observations.

In the construction industry, there is already a dedicated safety officer at each worksite. Yet every year, the construction sector contributes one of the highest numbers of fatal accidents.

In the construction industry, many of the safety officers are Employment Pass holders, and in some companies, even S Pass holders. Such officers would be beholden to the company that employs them, making it hard for them to perform to the best of their ability.

The company could decide to terminate or not renew their work passes should they recommend measures that are effective but costly to implement, and engage a "more obedient" safety practitioner.

Another related factor would be communication skills of safety officers who are S Pass holders. In many instances, they are not able to articulate themselves well, and cannot carry out an effective safety programme to address lapses at the worksite. How then can they command the respect and authority needed to effectively implement safety programmes on site?

The current Workforce Skills Qualifications pathway has helped to generate more safety professionals, but it is time for the authorities to review the system and raise the standard and quality of workplace safety and health personnel.

But workplace safety is not the sole responsibility of the safety and health officer. If we are to improve safety at workplaces, we must address the root causes of injuries and fatalities.

To that end, I am glad that an inquiry committee will be convened to look into the Tuas blast. Hopefully, this will help raise safety standards.

Bernard Chua

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#12
Ownself check ownself.
Ownself praise ownself.

See Chandler Institute of Governance in next post.

Singapore ranked top in financial stewardship, third overall in new govt effectiveness index

The country also ranked top in marketplace attractiveness.PHOTO: ST FILE

Grace Ho
Senior Political Correspondent

Apr 26, 2021


SINGAPORE - A new league table evaluating the effectiveness of government has Singapore in the top spot for financial stewardship and marketplace attractiveness, and overall third in the global index.
The ranking comes amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which has revealed strengths and weaknesses in institutions, laws, and leadership, said the Chandler Institute of Governance, which added that governance is the deciding factor in whether countries succeed.
The non-profit organisation works with governments to build capabilities and is headquartered in Singapore.
The Chandler Good Government Index 2021 report is the first edition of an annual stock-take of government effectiveness in 104 countries.
Explaining the index, which was launched on Monday (April 26), the institute's executive director, Mr Wu Wei Neng, said it measures good government in a way which is "practical, relevant, and focused on capabilities".
"Capabilities (in governments) are key to outcomes that matter. The world needs to invest in more capable and trusted governments," said Mr Wu.


The index uses 34 indicators, which are organised into seven pillars: leadership and foresight; robust laws and policies; strong institutions; financial stewardship; attractive marketplace; global influence and reputation; and helping people rise.
It taps over 50 publicly available global data sources such as the World Trade Organisation, United Nations and World Bank.
The data is aggregated to produce a score on a scale of 0 (lowest) to 1 (highest).
Singapore ranked top in financial stewardship, measured using four indicators: government debt, budget surplus, spending efficiency and country risk premium - or the risk of investing in a country due to its economic governance and ability to repay sovereign debt.

"Despite an apparently high government debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio of 120 per cent in 2019, Singapore's net government debt-to-GDP ratio was actually zero per cent.
"This is due largely to the fact that the government has assets far in excess of its liabilities, and borrows only for investment or market-making purposes, rather than to fund operational spending," the report noted.
It added that Singapore's strong public balance sheet is widely acknowledged by international credit rating agencies and financial markets, and its government is one of only a few accorded the strongest credit rating worldwide.

The country also ranked top in marketplace attractiveness - ahead of Switzerland, and the only Asian country in this pillar's top 10, with Japan ranking 12th.
The report noted that countries which have done well under this pillar are all market economies with sound property rights and stable business regulations.
"These governments do not simply limit themselves to fixing problems, but play active roles in facilitating and welcoming business, trade, innovation, and investment."
Overall, the Republic ranked third, behind Finland and Switzerland; and ahead of the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway.
Noting the presence of several Nordic countries in the top overall rankings, the report attributed this to their comprehensive social safety nets and systems, and effective national institutions which reinforce public trust in government.
It added that the ability to effectively tackle corruption is the indicator with the strongest correlation with overall good government rankings.
Georgetown University professor Kent Weaver, an advisory panel member for the index, said: "The Covid-19 pandemic shows us that trust is a vital part of good governance.
"When citizens trust their leaders and institutions to deliver effectively, governments can be more ambitious, and can work closely with communities to create opportunities and prosperity."