The standard of service from the civil/government services

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#60
Quote: "When she reached her stop, the netizen alighted and headed to the Tampines MRT passenger service centre to inform someone about the issue and to seek help. However, the person manning the passenger service centre did not hear her out or take any action to help her. He advised the netizen to go to a police station to file a report about the incident instead."

You die, your business!

Shocked netizen films man who aggressively yells at her in MRT​

Is the police station the only place to go for protection?


AUTHOR Zi Xuan You
DATE June 30, 2021

Singapore — A netizen has taken to Facebook to share about an encounter she had with a man while she was on the MRT.
The netizen says that she had been travelling home from work and that she was on the MRT that was passing through the Tanah Merah transit. While waiting for her transit, she was playing mobile games on her phone.
Suddenly, she noticed that someone else in the same carriage was shouting, which prompted her to remove her earphones to find the source of the commotion. She then realized that the shouting came from a man who was sitting opposite of her and that the shouting was being directed towards her.
The netizen then started filming the man. She alleges that the man continued raising his voice at her and even became a bit aggressive and charged towards her to pick a fight.
When she reached her stop, the netizen alighted and headed to the Tampines MRT passenger service centre to inform someone about the issue and to seek help.
However, the person manning the passenger service centre did not hear her out or take any action to help her. He advised the netizen to go to a police station to file a report about the incident instead.
Towards the end of her post, the netizen remarks that she had viewed Singapore as a safe country where safety is prioritized but was disappointed that her plea for help was not heeded. She also added that she hopes figures of authority in Singapore will not look past such behaviour if a commotion breaks out in public transport and that they will look into such matters.
Some assured the netizen that she was indeed safe since many public places in Singapore have CCTVs installed.

Photo: Facebook Screengrab
Some others wondered what set the man off and were curious about his side of the story.

Photo: Facebook Screengrab
A few other netizens advised the poster to walk away if she encountered such a situation again.

Photo: Facebook Screengrab
Meanwhile, some questioned why the staff had failed to render any help to the poster.

Photo: Facebook Screengrab

 

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#61

Forum: Sorry, Mr Ang, your vaccination reminders have come to me

JUL 1, 2021

I have been receiving texts regarding vaccination for a Mr Ang Cheo Kuan for a few months. That is not me.
First, a text saying thank you for registering for the vaccination.
As I did not want him to miss out on his vaccination, I called the Ministry of Health's hotline and was told to simply ignore the erroneous SMS.
I told the person on the line that Mr Ang needed to get the message, and asked that she pass the message on to the relevant department.
A few weeks later, I again received a text regarding Mr Ang's vaccination.
This time, I e-mailed the ministry, received a reply and believed the matter was settled.

But on Tuesday, I got another text reminding Mr Ang to get his vaccination.
I am writing in as I have a moral obligation to resolve the matter, in case Mr Ang is wondering what happened to his notifications.
The Government is rightly ramping up its vaccination drive to combat the pandemic.
But if this sort of recurrent notification errors persist, our vaccination drive would not be as effective as we want it to be.

Chen Chih Min (Dr)

 

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#62

Your picture: Which signpost should we follow?​

COURTESY OF ONG KIAN THENG

July 24,2021


These two signposts (above), at a pedestrian path at a junction near Downtown East in Pasir Ris, seem contradictory.
"Dismount and push" means cycling is not allowed, but the other sign seems to indicate that it is.
Which of these two signs should cyclists follow?

Ong Kian Theng

 

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Teen, 17, dies after basketball backboard structure falls on him in Bedok​

Fallen basketball structure near Block 18 Bedok South Road on July 27, 2021.ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

Jean Iau

July 27, 2021

SINGAPORE - A 17-year-old died after a basketball backboard structure in Bedok fell on him on Monday (July 26) night.
The police said they were called at about 8.45pm and found the injured teen next to the fallen structure near Block 18 Bedok South Road.
"A 17-year-old male teenager was unconscious when conveyed to the hospital, where he subsequently died from his injuries," the police told ST on Tuesday.
They are investigating the case of unnatural death.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were also called and they took the boy to Changi General Hospital (CGH).
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was conducted on him while he was being taken to CGH, said SCDF.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, the East Coast Town Council said: “Based on the initial information received, a basketball hoop structure had collapsed and fell onto one of the users of the court. For the safety of our residents, we have closed the basketball court with immediate effect so as to conduct a thorough check on the integrity of all structures there.
“Our heart goes out to the victim and his family. We will work closely with the relevant agencies to provide support and assistance to them.”
The town council said it is cooperating with police investigations and urged those with more information on what had happened to contact Bedok Police Division on 1800-244-0000.

Fallen basketball structure near Block 18 Bedok South Road on July 27, 2021. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

In a video uploaded by Facebook user Ak Ong onto the Chinese Daily Lianhe Wanbao’s page last night, the basketball hoop structure can be seen completely uprooted from the ground.
Several onlookers watched as paramedics administered CPR to the boy lying on the court.

 

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This is more than 2 cases every working day. And these are only the ones that are caught.
Imagine how many more on work pass that are working illegally and not caught.

Average of 160 work pass holders banned from S'pore yearly for illegal work​

Work pass holders found guilty of illegal employment can be fined up to $20,000 and jailed up to two years.PHOTO: ST FILE

Justin Ong
Political Correspondent

Aug 2, 2021

SINGAPORE - An average of 160 work pass holders have been debarred from working in Singapore each year between 2016 and 2020 for working illegally.
Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon gave this figure on Monday (Aug 2) in response to Workers' Party MP Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC).
Dr Koh told Parliament that under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, work pass holders are allowed to work only for the official employer specified on their work pass card. It is an offence to work for any other person or business entity.
He said the Manpower Ministry (MOM) looks into complaints, tip-offs and referrals from the public as well as other public agencies on possible illegal employment of work pass holders.
"At the same time, MOM also carries out proactive inspections based on our own analysis and triggers," Dr Koh added.
Mr Chua then asked how MOM has improved its processes to pick up such cases.


"A lot of them would be part-time in nature, without necessarily any documentation involved, and a very recent example would be the KTV cluster where a number of them would have committed offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act," he noted.
A Covid-19 cluster involving foreign hostesses in KTV lounges and bars has grown to 251 cases as at Monday. It is linked to Singapore's largest community outbreak at Jurong Fishery Port, which has 1,045 infections as at Monday.
In response, Dr Koh said MOM also undertakes educational efforts to make sure that foreign workers in Singapore understand what constitutes illegal employment or violation of their work permit conditions.
It also does engagement through other initiatives and platforms like a mandatory settling-in programme, roadshows, mobile apps and social media.
"If we do have enforcement actions being taken, especially against companies who are egregious, we do publicise them," said Dr Koh. "Because this raises awareness and serves as a deterrence to other would-be offenders, whether it's employers or employees."
He noted that work pass holders found guilty of illegal employment can be fined up to $20,000 and jailed up to two years. MOM will also debar them from working in Singapore.
Employers who employ foreigners without a valid work pass can be fined up to $30,000 and jailed up to 12 months. Their work pass privileges will also be suspended.

 

[birdie69]

This is more than 2 cases every working day. And these are only the ones that are caught.
Imagine how many more on work pass that are working illegally and not caught.

Average of 160 work pass holders banned from S'pore yearly for illegal work​

Work pass holders found guilty of illegal employment can be fined up to $20,000 and jailed up to two years.PHOTO: ST FILE

Justin Ong
Political Correspondent

Aug 2, 2021

SINGAPORE - An average of 160 work pass holders have been debarred from working in Singapore each year between 2016 and 2020 for working illegally.
Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon gave this figure on Monday (Aug 2) in response to Workers' Party MP Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC).
Dr Koh told Parliament that under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, work pass holders are allowed to work only for the official employer specified on their work pass card. It is an offence to work for any other person or business entity.
He said the Manpower Ministry (MOM) looks into complaints, tip-offs and referrals from the public as well as other public agencies on possible illegal employment of work pass holders.
"At the same time, MOM also carries out proactive inspections based on our own analysis and triggers," Dr Koh added.
Mr Chua then asked how MOM has improved its processes to pick up such cases.


"A lot of them would be part-time in nature, without necessarily any documentation involved, and a very recent example would be the KTV cluster where a number of them would have committed offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act," he noted.
A Covid-19 cluster involving foreign hostesses in KTV lounges and bars has grown to 251 cases as at Monday. It is linked to Singapore's largest community outbreak at Jurong Fishery Port, which has 1,045 infections as at Monday.
In response, Dr Koh said MOM also undertakes educational efforts to make sure that foreign workers in Singapore understand what constitutes illegal employment or violation of their work permit conditions.
It also does engagement through other initiatives and platforms like a mandatory settling-in programme, roadshows, mobile apps and social media.
"If we do have enforcement actions being taken, especially against companies who are egregious, we do publicise them," said Dr Koh. "Because this raises awareness and serves as a deterrence to other would-be offenders, whether it's employers or employees."
He noted that work pass holders found guilty of illegal employment can be fined up to $20,000 and jailed up to two years. MOM will also debar them from working in Singapore.
Employers who employ foreigners without a valid work pass can be fined up to $30,000 and jailed up to 12 months. Their work pass privileges will also be suspended.

Only 11 were caught with fake certificates submitted in the past 3 years.
Wondering how many hundreds of thousands CECA Indians working here with genuine certificates

 

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You go mad, your business

Six months wait for first appointment. Can go mad while waiting...

Forum: Enable faster, easier access to mental health services​

Aug 4, 2021

I welcome the Ministry of Education's plan to increase the number of counsellors in schools (Steps taken to ease student stress and keep schools safe, July 28).
However, I also urge the Government to urgently increase the number of mental health professionals and improve access to related allied health services within the public healthcare systems - at child development and intervention clinics at public hospitals.
Having teachers and counsellors who are adequately trained in mental health literacy will help schools to more effectively identify students at risk of mental health challenges and make timely referrals to qualified professionals for more comprehensive care.
An individual with mental health challenges very often requires more than one type of professional support. For example, he may need support from both a psychiatrist and an allied health professional such as a psychologist, family therapist or medical social worker.
Therefore, the Government should also examine how the public healthcare systems are funded, resourced and equipped, to provide timely, easier and regular access to mental health services.
It must also ensure that mental health professionals are not overworked and that their own mental well-being is cared for. Access to regular counselling, therapy and other forms of mental healthcare should feature as part of basic staff welfare.

I am an educational therapist and learning coach, and from my experience in supporting parents, the wait time for a child or teen who requires access to professional support for mental health issues - with no immediate risk of self-harm - via the subsidised route is about six months for the first appointment. There can also be a long wait time of more than a month between therapy sessions.
Our public healthcare system is overloaded because the demand for services outpaces the number of healthcare professionals.
As with physical illness, timely access to the right professionals for mental health conditions can be a critical factor in improving outcomes for the individuals concerned and their families.
Improved access to comprehensive mental health support needs to go beyond schools to include public healthcare systems.
Other than looking at how to boost manpower at public hospitals, the Government could also consider expanding the Community Health Assist Scheme to include more allied health services and service providers for mental healthcare. This could enable individuals to access the mental health services they need at private clinics faster and at subsidised rates.

Sarah Lee-Wong Mayfern

 

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Civil servants so naive

Husband-wife masterminds of $39.9 million SkillsFuture scam get 31 years' jail collectively​

Ng Cheng Kwee was sentenced to more than 17 years jail, while his wife, Lee Lai Leng, was given a 14-year jail sentence.
PHOTOS: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

Hariz Baharudin

Aug 16, 2021


SINGAPORE - The two masterminds behind a $39.9 million SkillsFuture scam, the largest fraud against a public institution here, have been sentenced to a jail term of more than 31 years combined for cheating, forgery and money laundering offences, among others.
Ng Cheng Kwee was sentenced to more than 17 years jail, while his wife, Lee Lai Leng, was given a 14-year jail sentence on Monday (Aug 16), said the Police.
The scam targeted SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), which oversees an initiative aimed at promoting lifelong learning. The SSG scheme pays subsidies to Singapore businesses when they send an employee for skills training courses with registered training providers if certain conditions are met.
This subsidy reimburses some of the course fees and is paid either to the training provider or the business, depending on the claim method used.
The scammers used nine Singapore-registered firms that submitted 8,386 fraudulent course fee grant applications and a corresponding 8,391 claims to SSG between May and October 2017.
These submissions involved 25,141 employees purportedly working for six applicant entities, who had purportedly attended training courses conducted by three training providers.

All nine firms were in fact dormant entities that Ng, Lee and other co-conspirators had registered as applicant companies and training providers with SSG between January and July 2017.
To prevent their own names from appearing in the claims, they paid three persons to act as nominee directors of the nine entities.
"The syndicate's scheme resulted in SSG disbursing approximately $39.9 million of training grants in total to the corporate bank accounts of eight entities," said the police in a statement on Monday.
When SSG flagged some of the course fee grant applications and claims for manual checks, Ng and Lee submitted forged and/or falsified documents to SSG between May 2017 and August 2017.
"These documents include employment contracts and attendance records of training courses, which were never conducted," the police said.
Ng enlisted an acquaintance, a Vincent Peter, to arrange for someone to encash cheques from the corporate accounts of the nine entities in August and September 201. The chequeshad been pre-signed by the nominee directors.
Vincent Peter in turn approached Manickam Pragasam and Nathan Muniandy to encash the cheques.
The cash was placed in a safe at the flat of Lee's brother, Lee Chi Wai.

Ng and Lee used some of the proceeds to purchase 11kg of gold.
Lee was arrested on Nov 2, 2017, while Ng was arrested a month later on Dec 4 when he returned from China.
The six men who were part of Ng and Lee's syndicate, including Lee's brother, were convicted in 2018 and 2019 and sentenced to jail terms ranging from 33 to 104 months. Court proceedings against three other alleged members of the syndicate are ongoing.

 

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Resident infuriated by ceiling leakage that has been persisting for years​

Calls to the Ministry of National Development (MND) and HDB went unheeded. She and her family have also called and written letters to members of parliament, HD, several ministries, as well as the Prime Minister's office. However, there was no response from any of the recipients.

AUTHOR Zi Xuan You
DATE August 20, 2021

Singapore — A member of the public has taken to Facebook to speak up about the ceiling leakage that had been persisting in her unit for years.
According to the netizen’s post, the leakage had started in 2017 after the unit above hers underwent some renovations. Due to the leakage, the netizen had to carry out ceiling hacking and painting on a yearly basis.
The last time the ceiling was painted was during the Chinese New Year festivities near the start of 2021. Apparently, the leakage worsened in 2019 and 2020. Before May 2021, two rounds of flood tests were carried out and failed.
A flood test was conducted by the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) team at the upper-floor unit in Apr 2021. The flood test failed, but the residents belonging to the upper-floor unit allegedly refused to respond to the HIP’s suggestion to waterproof the unit.
In May 2021, the HIP team renovated the netizen’s own unit. Two months later on Jul 1, HDB carried out a flood test using leak detection dyes on the upper-floor unit without first obtaining the permission of the netizen and her family.
While the HIP team secured evidence of the leakage on Jul 9, HDB replied on Jul 13 that it was discussing the issue with the residents on the upper-floor unit.
Several employees from HDB then visited the netizen’s unit but did not comment on the extent of the leakage and damage, saying they needed to assess the upper-floor unit first.
“It is puzzling that the leakage is to my unit, yet their professional engineer cannot comment on the bad state of leakage,” the netizen wrote.
Those residing in the upper-floor unit stated that they were unavailable on the day. However, on the same day that the HDB employees visited the netizen’s unit, they actually met the residents from the upper-floor unit, according to the netizen’s post. They allegedly noted that his car was parked in the area and also met the resident at the lift.
The netizen shared that she and her family have called and written letters to members of parliament, HD, several ministries, as well as the Prime Minister’s office. However, there was no response from any of the recipients.
The netizen also alleges that HDB has been delaying visiting its visit to the upper-floor unit since the 2nd flood test that was performed on Jul 1 2021. While HDB informed her that it would be carrying out a check on 13 Jul, it was delayed several times. Calls to the Ministry of National Development (MND) and HDB went unheeded.
According to the netizen, all the units within the same column opted into the HIP scheme, except for the residents living in the unit above hers. She adds that the flooring is thin to the point where her family can hear what the residents above are doing. The residents above also walk loudly in the middle of the night and shower between 11:30 pm to 5:30 am.
“Under HIP requirement, isn’t the upper-floor unit required to opt in and address the problem of their poor water proofing when all their so-called infusion have failed repeatedly so many times?” the netizen questioned.
She calls the stains caused by the leakage heartbreaking, especially since the leakage started just a few days after her unit was renovated.
Having felt angry without a way to address the issue, she took to Facebook to request help and advice from other netizens.
The netizen had several questions in mind:

1. Are residents allowed to refuse to opt into the HIP scheme when the flood test has already failed?
2. When can HDB help to address the leakage issue? Can a letter not be given to the residents living in the upper-floor unit so that HDB can view their unit?
3. The resident previously split costs with the upper-floor unit for waterproofing. However, the flooring in the upper-floor unit was removed in 2017 during renovations works which resulted in the leakage. Will the netizen then have to split costs with the upper-floor unit again when those living there decided not to opt into the HIP scheme and failed to solve the leakage problem?

She hopes that other netizens can offer help and advice so that she can solve this issue, which has persisted for several years now.

 

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Forum: ActiveSG gyms’ booking cancellation requirement is too rigid​

Aug 23, 2021

Before the last heightened alert kicked in and gym capacity was capped at 50 people, ActiveSG gym slots were already a precious commodity, with most filled within the first 15 minutes of the portal opening for booking.
To compound matters, where before, users could cancel their bookings up to even half an hour after their gym session starts, now cancellations are accepted only if made at least two hours before the session. I don't understand the rationale for this.
The weather these days is capricious, with sudden thunderstorms occurring where barely half an hour earlier, all was sunny and balmy. How is it possible to cancel a booking when, as one is about to set out for the gym, the skies open up in a torrential downpour, but the last cancellation hour has long passed?
Besides, if one is suddenly indisposed an hour or less before the session starts, isn't it a shame that the precious slot cannot be given up to the next person in the online queue? What an inefficient but easily remediable use of resources.
Yes, all must be considerate and cancel reservations way in advance, if possible. But where exigencies happen, the new system is overly rigid.
Nearly all the times I have been inside ActiveSG gyms an hour into the 100-minute time slot, I have observed the vast expanse of gym space occupied by far fewer than the maximum of 30 users, but with the sports app still showing full capacity, denying others the chance of entry.


Yik Keng Yeong (Dr)

 

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Quote: "The Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) senior group director of rail, Mr Sim Wee Meng, said: "A lot of old folks say our signs are cluttered, and that when they try to look for the station entrances, it’s actually very challenging. Our entrances used to be labelled A, B, C, D. And the feedback was that some people can’t read English, so we decided to use numbers instead since it’s a universal language."

It took SMRT 30 years to realise this and to act on this!

Signs at MRT stations to be upgraded to make them more user-friendly​

New signs will have larger fonts and exits indicated by numbers instead of letters.ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

Toh Ting Wei

Aug 23, 2021

SINGAPORE - Commuters will find it easier to make their way around all MRT stations in time to come, with signs at stations to be improved to make them easier to understand.
For example, the new signs will have larger fonts and exits indicated by numbers instead of letters.
These signs have been installed at the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). They will also be in new MRT stations in the future.
The Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) senior group director of rail, Mr Sim Wee Meng, said: "A lot of old folks say our signs are cluttered, and that when they try to look for the station entrances, it’s actually very challenging.
"Our entrances used to be labelled A, B, C, D. And the feedback was that some people can’t read English, so we decided to use numbers instead since it’s a universal language."
He said LTA will upgrade the signs at MRT stations that have more than one line, such as Caldecott, which serves both the TEL and the Circle Line. For the remaining stations, LTA will find a suitable time to upgrade all of them, he said.

The 67-year-old, who has almost 40 years of experience in the rail industry, said that the focus on improving commuter experience is one of the additions to rail builders’ remit since Singapore built its first MRT line in the 1980s.
He had joined LTA’s predecessor, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority, in 1983, He has been involved in rail projects here since, starting with the construction of the first MRT stations from Yio Chu Kang to Toa Payoh on the North-South Line.
Mr Sim said the key priority when building the earliest stations was to meet the necessary safety requirements.
But, over the years, beyond improving commuter experience, Mr Sim said, engagement of stakeholders such as residents has become a critical task.

"The more MRT lines we build, the nearer we are getting to shops, condominiums and houses, so that’s why we have to carry out more outreach," he said.
"Sometimes when people see the heavy machinery so close to their house, they are also worried. So we have to go to explain to them that there are precautions in place."
From an engineering perspective, the difficulty of constructing MRT lines has multiplied as well. This is due to growing space constraints.
For example, engineers have to divert more underground telecommunications cables, power cables, sewage pipes and water pipes to build new rail lines.
"In the early days, we can get it done sometimes in six to seven months... but generally diversions take in the region of 18 to 30 months now,” said Mr Sim. He noted that the shortage of construction workers due to the Covid-19 pandemic has also contributed to delays in these works.

Mr Sim Wee Meng said that the focus on improving commuter experience is one of the additions to rail builders’ remit. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

As more rail lines are built, engineers also have to make space by building tunnels and stations deeper, he added.
On what his expectations are for the future MRT system 30 years down the road, Mr Sim said it is unlikely there will be drastic changes.
He said the MRT tunnels are built to last about 100 years. This means that even the oldest North-South and East-West lines will still be able to run for a long time, given that they have been in operation for about 30 years, said Mr Sim.
"We will buy new trains to change out the old trains at the end of their life cycles... but it’s still a train running in the tunnel," added Mr Sim.
"But I think modern technology will ensure there are more safety features compared to what there are in the past."

 

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Forum: No explanation for why noise barrier can't be put up at construction site​

Oct 9, 2021


There is upgrading work being done at the premises of the old Mayflower Primary School which involves a lot of piling, drilling and hacking. The site is directly opposite and about 100m away from Block 649, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5.
As a resident of Block 649, I have asked a few times for a noise barrier to be built, but the National Environment Agency (NEA) replied four times that it is not mandatory for noise barriers to be erected at construction sites. But it did not explain why a barrier is not needed.
Because of the pandemic, many residents are working from home and suffering because of the noise.
I happened to drive by Lentor Avenue and saw another construction site which has a noise barrier. The nearest homes are in a condominium opposite the site, about 1km away.
I am puzzled by the fact that this construction site has a noise barrier but not the one opposite my home.

Kang Kim Seng

 

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Forum: Not clear what towns' abbreviations refer to on property website​

Oct 9, 2021

The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has a public register that shows information on transactions done by property agents.
Previously, if an agent made a transaction in an HDB town, for example Kallang/Whampoa, this would be reflected in the public register as Kallang/Whampoa.
Recently, there seems to have been a shift in the way transactions are recorded, and the town is instead given an abbreviation like KL.
There are abbreviations such as PRC, TAP, TP, BD and WL. This creates ambiguity as not everyone knows the town names behind the abbreviations. I, for one, am trying to figure out which town PRC is.
This could also affect the search results as the user is unable to find the towns by typing in the town names.
The naming is also inconsistent as some towns are named fully and some are given abbreviations.

I hope CEA addresses this as these abbreviations are ambiguous and there is also inconsistency in how the information is recorded.

Brandon Zheng

 

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THE SCDF reply is beating around the bush and has not addressed the issue of how ambulances can be available for emergencies.

Forum: SCDF prioritises life-threatening emergencies​

Oct 15, 2021


We thank Ms Tan Kexin for the feedback on Singapore Civil Defence Force's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (995 operator said all ambulances out covering Covid-19 cases, Oct 7).
We understand the anxiety of Ms Tan and her family, and agree that every second counts during critical medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest, stroke and trauma. We have since spoken to Ms Tan about her concerns.
SCDF would like to assure the public that our EMS response prioritises life-threatening emergencies. Since 2017, SCDF has put in place the 995 call triaging system to assess and differentiate medical cases based on their severity. The system helps us better manage our resources by dispatching the most appropriate resources for each case.
The Covid-19 situation, however, has put a tremendous strain on our healthcare system, including SCDF's EMS. To ensure the safety of the patients we convey, we have introduced infection control measures for EMS, including decontaminating our ambulances after conveying every Covid-19 patient.
In addition, in the last three weeks, SCDF has seen an increase of about 35 per cent in the number of calls requiring EMS, from an average of about 550 calls a day to about 750 calls a day.
To address this, SCDF has implemented various measures to ensure that we continue to be able to respond swiftly to life-threatening emergencies.

SCDF would like to assure the public that we remain committed to attending to day-to-day medical emergencies, while helping the national effort to manage the Covid-19 situation.

Leslie Williams (Colonel)
Deputy Director, Corporate Communications
Singapore Civil Defence Force

 

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No one, absolutely no one, from the minister to the CEO, would have the common sense to expect that queues would grow as the number of flights increase and therefore plan ahead accordingly.

ICA looking at streamlining processes to speed up immigration clearance at Changi Airport: Shanmugam​

Some passengers have complained about long waiting times to go through immigration, while others said the process was swift.ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

Toh Ting Wei

Oct 29, 2021

SINGAPORE - The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will work with Changi Airport Group to divert arriving passengers to another immigration hall within Terminal 3 to alleviate congestion should several flights land around the same time.
The move comes after some passengers complained about long waiting times to go through immigration as the number of travellers grows due to the expansion of a quarantine-free travel scheme.
ICA has also reopened automated check-in lanes at Changi Airport from Friday (Oct 29) to speed up faster immigration clearance for travellers.
These automated lanes were closed due to new clearance processes arising from the pandemic. For example, immigration officers had to conduct manual checks to ensure a passenger’s declared travel history tallied with the travel lane he was on, ICA said in response to queries.
But ICA has since integrated these checks into its entry application and immigration processes, which allowed it to reopen the automated lanes.
For instance, the integration of the verification digital vaccination certificate via the SafeTravel portal has enabled officers to verify the vaccination status of travellers before they arrive in Singapore.

While ICA is streamlining its processes, the overall time needed before a passenger can leave the airport will still be longer compared with before the Covid-19 pandemic, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam told reporters in a virtual interview after his visit to the airport on Friday morning.
“With increase in traveller volume, requirement for testing, clearances may take longer, and particularly if several flights arrive in quick succession,” he said.
Changi has seen passenger arrivals grow following the start of eight new Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) this month with countries such as the United States and Britain.
Mr Shanmugam, who observed the process to clear passengers from four VTL flights, said passengers who submitted their declarations online took about 20 to 30 seconds to clear immigration using the automated lanes.

It will take about eight to 10 minutes for those who cannot use the automated lanes and have to go through immigration counters, such as very young children or tourists, he noted.
But the process could take a lot longer should a cluster of flights arrive together, a situation known as bunching-up.
There was an instance last week when travellers took about 90 minutes to clear immigration after five flights arrived at around the same time.
Shanmugam gives update on recent congestion at Changi Airport | THE BIG STORY

Mr Shanmugam said many passengers had not pre-filled their immigration forms.
"They queued up, they added to that time, they had to be pulled out, questions had to be asked of them, they had to fill up the forms, they had to be helped, they had to rejoin the queues," he said. "So, all these added up."
The minister added that travellers are now more aware of the need to fill up the necessary forms before arrival.
He noted that, pre-pandemic, ICA had the flexibility of moving passengers to different immigration lanes or parts of the airport when flights bunched up. Clearing immigration took about 40 to 45 minutes in such instances.
There are more constraints now, he said.

Passengers from Amsterdam arrive at Changi Airport under Singapore’s expanded VTL travel scheme, on Oct 20, 2021. PHOTO: REUTERS

Currently, only Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 are opened. Terminal 2 and Terminal 4 have been closed since May last year, in part due to the low passenger numbers caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
There are also measures in place at the airport to segregate arrivals from countries deemed to have higher risk of infections.
The additional requirements in the immigration process are also linked to a country's risk tolerance, he said.

Passengers in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 3 on Oct 26, 2021. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Citing Singapore's requirement for VTL passengers to take a Covid-19 test upon arrival at the airport, he said this can take 20 to 30 minutes.
"There are other countries, other airports which don't do it. Heathrow, for example, does not do on-arrival testing, so of course the experience for the traveller is better. But you go home, you make an appointment.
"But, there is a difference in risk tolerance."
Mr Shanmugam said ICA officers have been taking the brunt of complaints from some travellers. He commended the officers for their hard work in various front-line roles.
"I spoke with some officers, told them to keep in good cheer, not to let some complaints affect them, do their work, and we will continue to look at processes to see how we can improve," he said.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

So many highly-paid ministers, perm secretaries and senior civil servants but nobody thought of this?

Forum: Protect all digital IC data with Singpass passcode​

Nov 18, 2021

In replying to my earlier letter expressing dismay at the unprotected display of my personal data (name and digital IC) on the home page of the Singpass app, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) said that users of the app should safeguard their devices instead (Safeguard phones, devices used to access Singpass, Nov 13).
SNDGO explained that the digital IC was moved to the app's home page "to improve usability". It added: "To safeguard users' privacy, full details are masked, and can be viewed only after fingerprint, face or passcode authentication."
The digital IC displayed on the home page includes a barcode that requires only a tap of the finger, and no further authentication, to access.
This can be captured on the phone camera of any miscreant who chances upon an unlocked device temporarily left unattended.
A cheap barcode reader will yield the full IC number, thus overcoming the masking SNDGO referred to.
A lot of damage can be wreaked online with my name, full IC number and photo.

Interestingly, in a separate letter published on the same day, the Infocomm Media Development Authority warned that "the risk of data breaches must be taken seriously… Organisations must also establish a level of cyber security appropriate for the types of data they have collected. When national identifiers like NRIC numbers need to be collected, organisations must protect them well" (Government uses only personal data it needs to carry out public functions, Nov 13).
I would argue that leaving my national identifier on the Singpass app home page, protected only by the phone's password, falls short of that standard.
Once again, I ask the authorities to remove my name, digital IC and barcode from the Singpass app's home page.
The advantage of "improved usability" simply cannot justify the terrible disruption from unauthorised use of this personal data if stolen.
If removal is impossible, I ask that this personal data be placed behind the protection of the existing Singpass passcode, instead of being left exposed as at present.

Tan Yia Swam (Dr)

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Issues with address when dining out​

NOV 19, 2021

Parents' long-term visit passes have no address​

Now that Covid-19 restrictions have been relaxed to allow up to five fully vaccinated persons from the same household to dine out together, my family took my parents out to a neighbourhood restaurant recently.
However, we were not aware that my parents' long-term visit passes have no address printed on them, and had a hard time trying to prove that they live under the same roof as us. Unfortunately, we could not convince the restaurant of this, and my aged parents were told to dine separately or we all had to leave. What was to be a happy night out turned out to be a nightmare.
Out of desperation, I went to a police station for help to print our address to use together with my parents' long-term passes but was referred to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
At ICA, an officer told me to refer the matter to the Ministry of Health, but did not explain why addresses are not shown on the passes.
I don't think I'm the only person facing this problem.

Lim Cheng Kooi

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Mosquitoes still a problem in estate​

DEC 18, 2021

Two months ago, I brought up the issue of mosquito infestation in my estate to the National Environment Agency (NEA).
NEA officers visited the area, and told me last month that the mosquito problem in the estate had been eliminated as they had destroyed the breeding habitats and issued advisories to the stakeholders.
But my family was still discovering Aedes mosquitoes in the house, and I highlighted the issue to NEA again by e-mailing the agency three times and attaching date-stamped photos of killed Aedes mosquitoes.
On Dec 8, NEA officers did a "misting" of insecticide outside my house and we were mosquito-free for two days. But lately, the problem has worsened and I have been killing at least seven Aedes mosquitoes in my home daily.
I hope NEA can conduct an estatewide fumigation exercise to eradicate the problem and prevent a dengue cluster from forming.
Likely reasons for the mosquito problem include the construction work going on in the estate, as well as dead leaves not being cleared from drains and collecting rainwater.

Thio Keng Thok

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Case can do little if a firm doesn't respond​

JAN 3, 2022

My wife and I engaged the services of an interior designer in August last year to help in the design, layout and project management of renovation works for our home. It turned out to be a disappointing experience due to delayed responses to requests and lack of transparency in the provision of costings.
In October, just when work was supposed to start on-site, the designer proposed that we terminate her services. I accepted and then tried to negotiate a fair settlement for the refund of my deposit, but she insisted on her method of computation.
We approached the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) for help as the design firm was a CaseTrust accredited entity, and we thought that it would be easier for Case to pursue the matter. After evaluating our situation, Case wrote to the firm.
But after Case had written to the firm three times without receiving a response, officers informed us on Dec 23 that they were unable to assist us further since they cannot compel the firm to respond.
Instead, Case suggested that we pursue our case via the Small Claims Tribunal, while cautioning that there was no guarantee of getting any refund via the tribunal, so we should consider accepting any refund on the table from the firm.
If businesses refuse to respond to Case, and Case has no power to compel a response, how effective is the organisation?
It is sad for Case to act merely as a messenger, with both Case and consumers at the mercy of a firm choosing whether to respond.

Alfred Ng

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Your picture: Items strewn around choked recycling bins are a common sight​

PHOTO: LOH YING BEI

JAN 8, 2022

With the growth of online shopping, it is common to see packaging waste carelessly strewn all around rubbish bins, and the blue recycling bins choked with bulky items.
These ugly sights have become common enough to make me wonder if this is already something that is socially acceptable. If so, it reflects a lack of responsibility and a low level of civic-mindedness.
Choking up recycling bins with bulky items, such as unflattened cardboard, causes many problems.
First, residents who bother to sort out their waste and want to use the recycling bins cannot do so and might be discouraged from future recycling efforts.
Some people choose to leave items beside the blue bins, ignoring how rain would soak through the items or collect within them, attracting and creating breeding grounds for pests.
Second, bulky materials take up space in the bins, and that inefficiently used space is a waste of transportation and sorting efforts. The carbon output from transporting the contents of a partially filled recycling bin may outweigh the benefits of recycling those materials, which defeats the entire purpose of recycling.
Those who want to make a difference to the environment may feel helpless and be discouraged by such poor social norms. People respond to social cues, and if a community exhibits better recycling behaviours, residents are more likely to participate.

All it takes is for everyone to do his part - simply flatten that cardboard box.

Loh Ying Bei