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Punggol East By-Election Later News Update
- Thread starter sengkang
- Start date
来 ah 我在等你
15-08-15: Tea With Li Lian
Updated about an hour ago · Taken at Blk 181 Rivervale Crescent
Probably the last session before the GE is called.
Photo Credit: Jacky Koh Chee Koon
So nice of you Sengkang to give out infraction! Gloves are off!
If WP town council has a big problem, MND should call in the CPIB to investigate. Why wait till GE is coming then start the smearing campaign.
besides, the high court verdict is already out, why care to appeal. PAP should let go the $14million to AHPETC.
with due respect, MND should also conduct audit for all PAP town councils and see what happens.
PAP should call in CPIB if they think AHPETC has criminal activities, if not, then call Wooden goh to contest Aljunied instead of being a chaperon.
You are wasting resources nitpicking AHPETC, do something meaningful, help your PAP to win votes on the ground when you can.
Let sinkapore have a fair and just GE for the highest good.
[h=2]Parliamentary Questions (Oral & Written) Jan - May 2015[/h]
August 17, 2015 at 10:03am
REGULATOR’S ASSESSMENT OF M1’S SERVICE OUTAGES IN RECENT YEARS
Ms Lee Li Lian asked the Minister for Communications and Information with regard to M1's outages in February 2014 and October 2013 and IDA's assessment that M1 has “taken all reasonable measures” to test the RNC software upgrade before implementing it and that there has been “no undue delay” to the service restoration (a) what are all the reasonable measures that had been undertaken by M1; (b) whether IDA's assessment of the investigation into the outages is publicly available online; (c) whether there is any roll-back plan and whether a roll-back has been effected; and (d) if so, how long did it take to make the decision to do the roll-back.
The Minister for Communications and Information (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim):
Madam, IDA has completed its investigation into the two M1 service disruptions which occurred on 16 October 2013 and 4 February 2014. Summaries of the cases, the investigation outcomes, and IDA’s determinations were published on IDA’s website on 5 January 2015.
Mdm Speaker, allow me to explain to the House what happened in both incidents. The first service disruption occurred on 16 October 2013. New software was being installed onto one of M1’s core network elements, called the Radio Network Controller (RNC). Upon installation, M1 observed abnormalities in the network and immediately started investigations. After carrying out initial diagnostics with its vendors, M1 could not identify the cause. Hence, M1 decided to uninstall the new software in the RNC and to “roll-back” to the original version. This step is a common industry practice when trying to isolate a problem that could arise from new software installation. The “roll-back” was done about two hours from the time of the disruption. However, I understand that the problem persisted and so, logically, M1 started to troubleshoot the other network components associated with the RNC. M1 subsequently established that there was a software bug in the Media Gateway and the disruption was subsequently resolved within an hour thereafter.
IDA assessed that the preventive measures undertaken by M1 for this incident were reasonable. Firstly, M1 had carried out thorough testing of the software, including interoperability and compatibility, prior to the installation. Secondly, M1 successfully attempted the same software upgrade on another RNC in September 2013. Thirdly, the test cases adopted by M1 were extensive and comprehensive as M1 combined different test scenarios into each test case. This assessment was corroborated by IDA’s third-party external consultant, whose advice IDA had sought for this case. Mdm Speaker, on service restoration which I elaborated upon earlier, IDA also assessed that there was no undue delay by M1 in troubleshooting, isolating and restoring services.
For the 4 February 2014 incident, investigations started as soon as M1 received feedback from some subscribers that they were unable to make calls and send messages. M1 found a software bug which caused the mobile site switches to perform in an unstable manner. This, in turn, led to congestion at the various network layers. As this incident was not triggered by any network changes or recent software installation, roll-back was not necessary. To rectify the situation, M1 re-initialised the switches as well as other critical network elements, and services were fully restored thereafter.
In its assessment, IDA also found that there was “no undue delay” in service restoration during the 4 February 2014 incident. M1 promptly activated its vendors upon discovery of the incident. Given that neither M1 nor its vendor encountered similar issues previously, there was no workaround solution readily available. This meant that M1 needed time to locate the cause of the incident, before deciding on the correct restoration action. It should also be noted that until the disruption on 4 February 2014, the same set of mobile site switches were deployed in many overseas operators’ networks, and were also deployed in M1’s network for several years without incident.
Madam, both my Ministry and IDA fully appreciate the critical nature of mobile services and the importance that people place on these services for their everyday communication. This is why I have asked IDA to continue to ensure that our telco networks function optimally. I would like to assure the House that we remain committed to strengthen the resiliency of these networks, together with the operators. We expect operators to make sound technical decisions when designing and operating their networks. At the same time, we do not assess their culpability with perfect 100% hindsight. That would not be fair. Instead, we look at whether the decisions taken at the time were reasonable, based on the information available then to the decision-makers.
While no network service is immune to failure, telcos can definitely improve the way they update and assist their customers when disruptions occur. We should expect better service, and I have told IDA that M1’s public communications during the incidents should have been better managed. Operators must provide early and timely updates to its customers when outages occur.
Ms Lee Li Lian (Punggol East): Madam, it is good to know that a roll-back plan was in place and had been activated. One supplementary question: does the Minister think that two hours is a good timeframe?
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: I think under the circumstances, M1 did the best that they could, given the information they had. There is no standard in this world for us to judge whether two hours were adequate or inadequate. On hindsight, looking at all the actions they have taken, IDA and the Ministry are quite satisfied that two hours were a reasonable time for them.
NEW REQUIREMENT IN BUILDING CODE FOR MINIMUM CLEARANCE ALONG CORRIDORS
Ms Lee Li Lian asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the revision to the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment requiring 1.5 metres of minimum clearance along common corridors applies to buildings built before 1 April 2014; (b) if so, whether there are plans to align SCDF guidelines with this; and (c) if not, whether Town Councils will need to have two sets of by-laws for flats built before and after 1 April 2014.
The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Mr Lee Yi Shyan) (for the Minister for National Development):
Madam, to prepare for an ageing population and to provide wider access routes for people using mobility aids such as wheelchairs and walking frames, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) revised the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment in 2013 to require a minimum corridor width of 1.5 metres for all residential buildings. This applies to new buildings and existing buildings undergoing major retrofitting works, with plans submitted for regulatory approval on or after 1 April 2014.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) guidelines, on the other hand, stipulate that there must be a clear passage of at least 1.2 metres along the corridors, so as not to impede fire-fighting and rescue operations. SCDF also does not allow the storage of combustible materials along the corridors.
Town Councils (TCs) have a duty to keep the corridors free from obstructions and comply with both BCA’s accessibility requirements and SCDF’s guidelines. There is no need for two sets of by-laws as TCs can exercise their discretion in the wording of the by-laws to meet the prevailing requirements and guidelines.
Residents can also do their part in removing corridor clutter to ensure that passages are clear for a safe and pleasant living environment for all.
EXTENSION OF BICYCLE CROSSINGS AT TRAFFIC JUNCTIONS
Ms Lee Li Lian asked the Minister for Transport whether there are plans to extend bicycle crossings at traffic junctions to other parts of Singapore.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim) (for the Minister for Transport):
Madam, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has implemented 14 signalised bicycle crossings so far, and has firm plans to build a further 38, mostly in areas with existing cycling path networks. LTA is studying where else these crossings should be implemented and we welcome suggestions from Members.
EX-OFFENDERS APPLYING FOR TAXI VOCATIONAL LICENCE
Ms Lee Li Lian asked the Minister for Transport whether ex-offenders qualify to apply for the taxi vocational licence and, if not, what are the reasons.
Mr Lui Tuck Yew:
LTA takes into account offences that may affect an individual’s suitability to be a taxi driver. Ex-offenders who have committed extremely serious offences, such as rape, are debarred from obtaining a Taxi Driver’s Vocational Licence (TDVL) for life. Those who have committed less serious offences, such as housebreaking, are debarred for three to five years, after which they can apply. Other offences, such as being a member of an unlawful assembly, do not result in debarment. This calibrated approach is needed to maintain public confidence in the safety of our taxi services, especially as it is common for taxi passengers to travel alone and sometimes late in the night. At the same time, it provides ex-offenders with a second chance.
August 17, 2015 at 10:03am
REGULATOR’S ASSESSMENT OF M1’S SERVICE OUTAGES IN RECENT YEARS
Ms Lee Li Lian asked the Minister for Communications and Information with regard to M1's outages in February 2014 and October 2013 and IDA's assessment that M1 has “taken all reasonable measures” to test the RNC software upgrade before implementing it and that there has been “no undue delay” to the service restoration (a) what are all the reasonable measures that had been undertaken by M1; (b) whether IDA's assessment of the investigation into the outages is publicly available online; (c) whether there is any roll-back plan and whether a roll-back has been effected; and (d) if so, how long did it take to make the decision to do the roll-back.
The Minister for Communications and Information (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim):
Madam, IDA has completed its investigation into the two M1 service disruptions which occurred on 16 October 2013 and 4 February 2014. Summaries of the cases, the investigation outcomes, and IDA’s determinations were published on IDA’s website on 5 January 2015.
Mdm Speaker, allow me to explain to the House what happened in both incidents. The first service disruption occurred on 16 October 2013. New software was being installed onto one of M1’s core network elements, called the Radio Network Controller (RNC). Upon installation, M1 observed abnormalities in the network and immediately started investigations. After carrying out initial diagnostics with its vendors, M1 could not identify the cause. Hence, M1 decided to uninstall the new software in the RNC and to “roll-back” to the original version. This step is a common industry practice when trying to isolate a problem that could arise from new software installation. The “roll-back” was done about two hours from the time of the disruption. However, I understand that the problem persisted and so, logically, M1 started to troubleshoot the other network components associated with the RNC. M1 subsequently established that there was a software bug in the Media Gateway and the disruption was subsequently resolved within an hour thereafter.
IDA assessed that the preventive measures undertaken by M1 for this incident were reasonable. Firstly, M1 had carried out thorough testing of the software, including interoperability and compatibility, prior to the installation. Secondly, M1 successfully attempted the same software upgrade on another RNC in September 2013. Thirdly, the test cases adopted by M1 were extensive and comprehensive as M1 combined different test scenarios into each test case. This assessment was corroborated by IDA’s third-party external consultant, whose advice IDA had sought for this case. Mdm Speaker, on service restoration which I elaborated upon earlier, IDA also assessed that there was no undue delay by M1 in troubleshooting, isolating and restoring services.
For the 4 February 2014 incident, investigations started as soon as M1 received feedback from some subscribers that they were unable to make calls and send messages. M1 found a software bug which caused the mobile site switches to perform in an unstable manner. This, in turn, led to congestion at the various network layers. As this incident was not triggered by any network changes or recent software installation, roll-back was not necessary. To rectify the situation, M1 re-initialised the switches as well as other critical network elements, and services were fully restored thereafter.
In its assessment, IDA also found that there was “no undue delay” in service restoration during the 4 February 2014 incident. M1 promptly activated its vendors upon discovery of the incident. Given that neither M1 nor its vendor encountered similar issues previously, there was no workaround solution readily available. This meant that M1 needed time to locate the cause of the incident, before deciding on the correct restoration action. It should also be noted that until the disruption on 4 February 2014, the same set of mobile site switches were deployed in many overseas operators’ networks, and were also deployed in M1’s network for several years without incident.
Madam, both my Ministry and IDA fully appreciate the critical nature of mobile services and the importance that people place on these services for their everyday communication. This is why I have asked IDA to continue to ensure that our telco networks function optimally. I would like to assure the House that we remain committed to strengthen the resiliency of these networks, together with the operators. We expect operators to make sound technical decisions when designing and operating their networks. At the same time, we do not assess their culpability with perfect 100% hindsight. That would not be fair. Instead, we look at whether the decisions taken at the time were reasonable, based on the information available then to the decision-makers.
While no network service is immune to failure, telcos can definitely improve the way they update and assist their customers when disruptions occur. We should expect better service, and I have told IDA that M1’s public communications during the incidents should have been better managed. Operators must provide early and timely updates to its customers when outages occur.
Ms Lee Li Lian (Punggol East): Madam, it is good to know that a roll-back plan was in place and had been activated. One supplementary question: does the Minister think that two hours is a good timeframe?
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: I think under the circumstances, M1 did the best that they could, given the information they had. There is no standard in this world for us to judge whether two hours were adequate or inadequate. On hindsight, looking at all the actions they have taken, IDA and the Ministry are quite satisfied that two hours were a reasonable time for them.
NEW REQUIREMENT IN BUILDING CODE FOR MINIMUM CLEARANCE ALONG CORRIDORS
Ms Lee Li Lian asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the revision to the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment requiring 1.5 metres of minimum clearance along common corridors applies to buildings built before 1 April 2014; (b) if so, whether there are plans to align SCDF guidelines with this; and (c) if not, whether Town Councils will need to have two sets of by-laws for flats built before and after 1 April 2014.
The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Mr Lee Yi Shyan) (for the Minister for National Development):
Madam, to prepare for an ageing population and to provide wider access routes for people using mobility aids such as wheelchairs and walking frames, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) revised the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment in 2013 to require a minimum corridor width of 1.5 metres for all residential buildings. This applies to new buildings and existing buildings undergoing major retrofitting works, with plans submitted for regulatory approval on or after 1 April 2014.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) guidelines, on the other hand, stipulate that there must be a clear passage of at least 1.2 metres along the corridors, so as not to impede fire-fighting and rescue operations. SCDF also does not allow the storage of combustible materials along the corridors.
Town Councils (TCs) have a duty to keep the corridors free from obstructions and comply with both BCA’s accessibility requirements and SCDF’s guidelines. There is no need for two sets of by-laws as TCs can exercise their discretion in the wording of the by-laws to meet the prevailing requirements and guidelines.
Residents can also do their part in removing corridor clutter to ensure that passages are clear for a safe and pleasant living environment for all.
EXTENSION OF BICYCLE CROSSINGS AT TRAFFIC JUNCTIONS
Ms Lee Li Lian asked the Minister for Transport whether there are plans to extend bicycle crossings at traffic junctions to other parts of Singapore.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim) (for the Minister for Transport):
Madam, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has implemented 14 signalised bicycle crossings so far, and has firm plans to build a further 38, mostly in areas with existing cycling path networks. LTA is studying where else these crossings should be implemented and we welcome suggestions from Members.
EX-OFFENDERS APPLYING FOR TAXI VOCATIONAL LICENCE
Ms Lee Li Lian asked the Minister for Transport whether ex-offenders qualify to apply for the taxi vocational licence and, if not, what are the reasons.
Mr Lui Tuck Yew:
LTA takes into account offences that may affect an individual’s suitability to be a taxi driver. Ex-offenders who have committed extremely serious offences, such as rape, are debarred from obtaining a Taxi Driver’s Vocational Licence (TDVL) for life. Those who have committed less serious offences, such as housebreaking, are debarred for three to five years, after which they can apply. Other offences, such as being a member of an unlawful assembly, do not result in debarment. This calibrated approach is needed to maintain public confidence in the safety of our taxi services, especially as it is common for taxi passengers to travel alone and sometimes late in the night. At the same time, it provides ex-offenders with a second chance.
A picture taken from the chambers. This is probably the last session before #GE2015
Off to my weekly house visits
Off to my weekly house visits
[h=5]Lee Li Lian 李丽连 added 3 new photos to the album: Faces of Punggol East.
[/h]Yesterday at 9:31am ·
This is an album dedicated to some of the residents in Punggol East whom I managed to pose with for pictures despite a hectic campaign schedule the past 9 days. Thank you for your support!
Will continue to add pictures to this album during my term as MP in Punggol East SMC.
[/h]Yesterday at 9:31am ·
This is an album dedicated to some of the residents in Punggol East whom I managed to pose with for pictures despite a hectic campaign schedule the past 9 days. Thank you for your support!
Will continue to add pictures to this album during my term as MP in Punggol East SMC.
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