Singapore Also Can

NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED

We have made much progress in our push into the Myanmar market.

Apart from completing alteration works at a shopping centre called The Parasol, we are also in the midst of building two condominium projects and a hotel.

It is still early days but the signs are positive and we believe that expanding overseas was the right call to make. We have seen our revenue increase, and we expect to see further growth in the long run.

At the same time, by building our brand overseas, we have opened the doors to more regional projects and further expansion. Partners have already expressed interest to work with us in other regional projects.

So here is my advice to SME owners out there: Gear up and move out. Everything you heard about overseas markets is true. It is challenging, it is difficult, but it is also worth doing.



Construction in Myanmar by Singapore company Soilbuild, taken in March 2018. (Photo: Soilbuild)


Other companies which have taken the step to expand outside of Singapore are also reaping gains. Findings from IE Singapore’s 2017 internationalisation survey showed that Singapore companies’ total overseas revenue grew by 4.2 per cent in 2016 compared to 2015, outpacing growth in total revenue of 1.3 per cent.

There will be stumbles and even falls. But learning is about making mistakes and you can move up after you fall down.

As the old saying goes, “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. Internationalisation is a confidence-building process – you just need to take that first step.

Ho Toon Bah was appointed executive director of Soilbuild Construction Group in 2013. He supports the strategic growth of the group’s operations and drives the development and execution of its business strategies.​

 

US microbiologist wins Lee Kuan Yew prize for work in fighting waterborne diseases

Professor Rita Colwell will receive the prize at an awards ceremony on Jul 9 in Singapore, during the Singapore International Water Week.



American microbiologist Professor Rita Colwell. (Photo: PUB)

By Cheryl Goh
22 Mar 2018 03:00AM (Updated: 22 Mar 2018 08:45AM)

SINGAPORE: American microbiologist Professor Rita Colwell has been awarded the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize for her life-saving work in fighting waterborne diseases.

This was announced on World Water Day on Thursday (Mar 22) in New York City in a side event, ahead of a speech to be delivered by chief executive of national water agency PUB Ng Joo Hee at the United Nations General Assembly to mark the launch of the International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028.

Launched in 2008, the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize recognises outstanding contributions by individuals or organisations towards solving global water challenges with technologies, policies or programmes which benefit humanity.

Prof Colwell will receive the prize at an awards ceremony on Jul 9 in Singapore, during the Singapore International Water Week.

LIFE-SAVING WORK IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

The 83-year-old was honoured for her pioneering insights into microbial water quality surveillance, and efforts to transform the control of cholera and other waterborne diseases, PUB said in a press release.

"Prof Colwell has dedicated her life to the advancement of our fundamental understanding of water microbiology science," it said. "(This) has proven to be a tremendous technology enabler in the mission to protect public health through more accurate water quality monitoring."

With 2.1 billion people worldwide, or three in 10 people, lacking access to safe water at home, the impact of Prof Colwell's research has been felt especially in cholera-endemic countries. This is the result of a key discovery she made in the 1970s in the area of cholera-causing bacteria, known as Vibrio cholera.

Previously thought to be incapable of surviving more than a few hours outside a human host, Prof Colwell found that the bacteria occurs naturally in the aquatic environment associated with plankton. This discovery highlighted the critical link between the environment and cholera.

This led to her subsequent application of satellite imagery and modelling to predict cholera outbreaks, as well as her innovative use of sari cloths as filters to greatly reduce contamination in drinking water.

Her discovery helped to reduce cholera cases by 48 per cent in 65 villages in Bangladesh, and has also been used in other cholera-prone areas in India and South America.

BREAKTHROUGH DISCOVERIES

Prof Colwell was also the first to coin the term "viable but non-culturable", which refers to disease-causing bacteria that are alive and harmful in water, even though they cannot be cultivated by traditional laboratory methods.



Professor Rita Colwell received the prize for her pioneering insights into microbial water quality surveillance, and efforts to transform the control of cholera and other waterborne diseases. (Photo: PUB)


Her discovery was initially met with scepticism from the scientific community in the 1980s, where culture-based methods were widely accepted as the gold standard for determining if disease-causing bacteria were alive, PUB said.

But Prof Colwell challenged this norm and highlighted that such traditional methods used to determine water safety were inadequate.

She then went on to invent a new molecular approach to more accurately detect the presence of disease-causing bacteria in water. It uses genome sequencing to identify different strains of bacteria, and determine their virulence and resistance to antibiotics.

WATER RESEARCH "IMPORTANT"

Prof Colwell says water research is crucial, even in Singapore, which has one of the world's safest water supplies.

"Singapore is really a model, the water here is the safest I would wager, (in) any country in the world, but it always can improve," she said.

"As we move into an era where water is going to be more of a problem, we're going to have to be very clever in how we reuse it, the sources that we tapped, that we haven't traditionally tapped, and to be able to show that it is microbiologically safe and hence human health safe."

She added that the award is both a recognition of her life's work, as well as a nod to fellow female scientists in the field.

"This award means a lot to me, I'm the first woman to receive it. I think the water industry, which is now pretty much male-dominated, can benefit from lots of smart women, who can contribute to the health and welfare of the population," she said.

And her work has not ended – Prof Colwell intends to use the S$300,000 cash prize from the award to fund her current research on fighting cholera in Africa.

 

Singapore’s ‘king of the throne’ receives Royal endorsement


Singaporean Jack Sim received a ringing endorsement from the Queen of the United Kingdom, no less, who awarded him the Commonwealth Points of Light award. Photo: Jack Sim

Published22 March, 2018
Updated 22 March, 2018
SINGAPORE — For 20 years, Singaporean Jack Sim has been known as the “Toilet man” for his efforts in improving sanitation around the world.

On Thursday (March 22) evening, the founder of the World Toilet Organisation (WTO) received a ringing endorsement from the Queen of the United Kingdom, no less, who awarded him the Commonwealth Points of Light award.

The award recognises outstanding volunteers everyday of the week whose service is making a difference in their communities and whose story can inspire others to have creative innovative solutions to social challenges in their own communities and beyond.

Mr Sim received the award — a personalised certificate signed by Queen Elizabeth II — from Deputy British High Commissioner to Singapore Mrs Alexandra McKenzie at the SG100 Foundation Anniversary Dinner at Singapore Expo.

British High Commissioner to Singapore Scott Wightman said Mr Sim is recognised for his outstanding work promoting sanitation around the world.

Mr Sim, 61, has been advocating for cleaner toilets here and convincing politicians to do more to provide proper toilets for their people.

“This is an issue of crucial importance to public health and human dignity, but one that is not discussed enough,” he said. “Singapore has a wealth of talented and skilled people and I am delighted to see more and more Singaporeans going beyond their borders to assist those in need throughout the Commonwealth, and beyond”.

The Commonwealth Points of Light award is the latest recognition Mr Sim has earned for his initiative.

In 1998, he established the Restroom Association of Singapore, to raise the standards of public toilets in Singapore and globally. He founded the WTO three years later.

Through the WTO, Mr Sim has brought together 235 organisations across 58 countries to tackle the neglected issues of toilets and sanitation.

“Humans are designed to love, to give and to serve,” he said of his mission. “When we care for others, our consciousness opens up and we become joyful. When we think selfishly, our consciousness narrows up and we become miserable”.

In 2013, WTO was given a big boost for his mission: The Nov 19 World Toilet Day that Mr Sim started in 2001 was endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly.

The Commonwealth Points of Light awards are presented ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London on April 19-20, as the Queen is thanking volunteers across the 53 Commonwealth nations for the difference that they have made in their communities and beyond. Singapore is one of the Commonwealth nations.

By sharing the stories of the volunteers, the Heads of Government meeting will celebrate the acts of volunteering across the Commonwealth and help inspire others to make their own contributions.

“As volunteers, we do not do our work to win awards,” said Mr Sim. “But awards help endorse and legitmise our work to mobilise more people to join in the effort for a better world”.

 

For a 3rd year, SUTD fresh graduates earn higher starting salaries than peers

By Jeremy Lee


The median gross monthly salary for fresh graduates from Singapore’s fourth autonomous university employed in full-time permanent jobs was S$3,700 in 2017 — up 1.4 per cent from S$3,650 in 2016. TODAY file photo

Published22 March, 2018
Updated 22 March, 2018

SINGAPORE — Graduates from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) kept up their record of earning higher starting salaries than their peers from other autonomous universities, with its third batch also continuing to sustain high overall employment rates, the university said in a media release on Thursday (March 22).

The median gross monthly salary for fresh graduates from Singapore’s fourth autonomous university employed in full-time permanent jobs was S$3,700 in 2017 — up 1.4 per cent from S$3,650 in 2016. The figure for SUTD’s pioneer batch in 2015 was S$3,600.

Releasing the results of its graduate employment survey a month after Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the National University of Singapore (NUS), and the Singapore Management University (SMU), SUTD also reported that overall employment rate for its graduates went up by 0.4 percentage points, from 91.0 per cent in 2016 to 91.4 per cent in 2017.

In February, TODAY reported that the median gross monthly starting pay for fresh graduates from NUS, NTU and SMU was S$3,400 in 2017, up S$100 from the year before. That survey, which was released on Feb 26, was conducted by NTU, NUS, and SMU, which collectively polled more than 80 per cent, or 11,628 out of 14,287 of their full-time fresh graduates.

The three universities also found that the proportion of their graduates who started work within six months of completing their final examinations dipped to 88.9 per cent last year, from 89.5 per cent in 2016. This figure was the lowest since the survey was first carried out for the 2012 cohort.

More fresh graduates from SMU, NTU and NUS also chose to work on a part-time or temporary basis, as the percentage rose from 3.9 per cent in 2016 to 4.4 per cent last year.

For SUTD, more than nine in 10 SUTD fresh graduates were employed within six months of completing their final examinations, a figure similar to 2016’s.

Some 86.2 per cent of its graduates secured full-time permanent employment in 2017, an increase from 84 per cent in 2016. In particular for engineering graduates, the full-time permanent employment rate was 89.6 per cent in 2017, a 3.5 percentage point increase compared with 2016.

The mean gross monthly salary for SUTD’s fresh graduates in full-time permanent employment also remained consistently high, at S$3,859 in 2017 compared with S$3,853 in 2016, the university said.

Some of the top hiring sectors for SUTD graduates include information and communication, scientific research and development, and financial and insurance, with graduates from SUTD’s information systems technology and design pillar again achieving a 100 per cent full-time employment rate and a median salary of $4,000.

SUTD surveyed around 85 per cent – 228 fresh graduates – from its third cohort of 267 between mid-February and March 2018. Students from NUS, NTU and SMU usually graduate in May, while students from SUTD graduate in late August or early September.

On the results, Professor Chong Tow Chong, SUTD’s acting president and provost, said: “SUTD students have been carefully nurtured within SUTD’s multi-disciplinary technology and design ecosystem to hone their critical thinking and problem solving skills. By equipping every student with industry experience through internships, coupled with overseas exposure to provide them with a global perspective, SUTD graduates are industry-, region- and future-ready.

“We are pleased that for the third-consecutive year, employers continue to recognise these invaluable qualities, and our graduates continue to enjoy a high employment rate and starting salary.”

 

Sorry double posting

 

CNA Insider

From floating solar farms, to HDB rooftops: Where Singapore's sun-powered future lies

Different ways of harnessing it are being explored, as the programme Powering the Future finds out. But how realistic is the goal of having solar energy meet a far larger share of electricity demand, given the constraints?

Just 2 per cent of Singapore is powered by the sun now. But the goal is to ramp that up to 15 per cent. Here are four ways which are being explored.

By Derrick A Paulo
By Daniel Heng

24 Mar 2018 06:15AM

SINGAPORE: It might seem obvious that in sunny Singapore, there's an abundance of a natural resource to be tapped for our energy needs, and a more sustainable future.

So one might wonder: Why does the island currently draw only about 2 per cent of its electricity from solar energy?

Tapping the sun's energy is more complex an issue than it might seem, beginning with at least two constraints that Singapore faces: Limited land, for solar energy generation requires large areas for photovoltaic panels to be laid; and intermittent sunshine, because of cloud movements and rain.

But a push is underway to overcome or at least mitigate these constraints, with the goal of one day having solar energy meet 15 per cent of peak electricity demand during the day.



Several projects and innovative programmes are in the works – ranging from an initiative since 2008 to install solar panels on Housing and Development Board rooftops, to floating solar 'farms' on our reservoirs.

MAKING PUBLIC HOUSING SUSTAINABLE

Before the current solar power output of 140 megawatt-peak (MWp) can be bumped up to the eventual target, the plan is to reach 350 MWp by 2020. This will be about 5 per cent of Singapore’s projected peak electricity demand.

And the HDB has a role to play as the largest housing developer here. It has about 10,000 residential blocks, providing "ample" roof space.

“Aspirationally, we want to install solar panels in every block that we can,” HDB deputy director (Energy Research) Ng Bingrong told Channel NewsAsia’s two-part special, Powering The Future.



Solar panels on HDB rooftops.

But retrofitting rooftops with a solar energy system can be a tall order, and can take up to 40 days on each block.

“We’ve to take into consideration the block configuration and how to place the panels, to maximise solar generation; and looking at the existing roof structure design, how to lay the structural support and the trunking of the wiring,” he said.

In 2014, the HDB and the Economic Development Board launched the SolarNova programme to accelerate the deployment of solar panels across government agencies. It will have an estimated capacity sufficient to power 88,000 four-room flats annually.

In housing estates, this electricity generated can be used to power the gamut of services needed, from water pumps to corridor lights to lifts.

Across the island, there are over 2,000 solar panel installations on commercial and residential buildings. That number is rising. But since solar energy generation is dependent on surface area, Singapore’s land constraints remain a challenge.

 

FLOATING SOLAR PANELS

One solution is to tap water surfaces.

This is being done at Tengeh Reservoir in Tuas, home to the world’s largest floating solar-cell test bed. It measures 1.5 times the size of a football field.

Here, 10 different systems are being assessed, so that “we learn as much as possible before we go into a larger deployment”, said Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (Seris) deputy chief executive officer Thomas Reindl.




In principle, a floating solar farm is not that different from traditional ones on land. “You can put solar panels wherever they face the sun,” noted Dr Reindl. And in this case, the panels are placed on pontoons.

But Singapore must first test the techniques and economic feasibility of using this “interesting option” for enhancing its solar power capacity.

The EDB and national water agency PUB built the S$11-million test bed in 2016. And it generates one MWp of energy - enough to power 250 four-room flats for a year.

More importantly, the floating panels have performed 5 to 15 per cent better than Singapore’s rooftop installations.

PUB chief sustainability officer Tan Nguan Sen said: “This is mainly due to the cooler temperature of the reservoir environment.

Also, we have found no significant impact on water quality and biodiversity.

Based on these results, the PUB is exploring how to scale up the deployment of floating panels. For example, it is doing engineering and environmental studies at both Tengeh Reservoir and Upper Peirce Reservoir.


Kranji reservoir, one of 17 around Singapore.

With 17 reservoirs dotted around the island, there is the potential to add “a few hundred” megawatts of power, reckoned Dr Reindl.

There is, however, another consideration: Many of the reservoirs are designated for water activities. Said Mr Tan: “We would then have to plan together how we can allocate space for the solar panels and the water activities.”

NOT JUST A FACADE

To install panels on more surface areas, Singapore is also turning to building facades. This requires special panels known as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs), which can be placed on buildings in many ways.

“BIPVs can be structurally integrated into balconies. They can be used as a window facade, as cladding … and as a prefabricated system that can be easily plugged into the facade,” said Seris research fellow Veronika Shabunko.



Solar panels on a building facade in France.

​

 

Last year, a Seris team installed solar panels on the side of a building at the National University of Singapore to see how they would fare in different weather conditions.

It is important to do such tests also because the panels must comply with Singapore’s building codes. And apart from the regulators, BIPVs must meet the standards of another group: Architects.

Dr Shabunko explained: “The aesthetic of building-integrated photovoltaics is also very important because architects have to accept them. And engineers have to work with architects in order to integrate such systems into the building facades.”



Building in Taiwan incorporating BIPVs.

So, for instance, BIPVs can be blue, golden, black, white or semi-transparent. “There are lots of newly developed BIPV modules that are flexible and can be placed on any curved surface,” she added.

So, for instance, BIPVs can be blue, golden, black, white or semi-transparent. “There are lots of newly developed BIPV modules that are flexible and can be placed on any curved surface,” she added.

NOT SUNNY ALL THE TIME

For all these efforts to mitigate land constraints, one fact will not change: Even in tropical Singapore, it is not always sunny. On average, the city state enjoys 5.5 hours of sunshine daily.

There are cloud movements. There is heavy rainfall up to five months in a year. And haze from forest fires in the region can reduce solar energy yield by up to a quarter.


(File photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)
All these cause an occurrence called solar intermittency and thus the energy produced would fluctuate. Hence, a team of researchers are developing solar storage technologies that will smooth out the fluctuations.

And they are doing it on Pulau Semakau.

“Semakau Island is not inhabited, and this allows us to test various kinds of technologies and different scenarios before we can deploy them in a more densely populated area,” said Renewable Energy Integration Demonstrator director Choo Fook Hoong.
​

 

The microgrid being tested integrates renewable energy sources with battery storage. Such a system can supply electricity to urban consumers or to remote communities, which means it could also be an affordable energy solution within the region.

Currently in its first phase, the project features over 4,500 square metres of solar panels, lithium batteries and a hydrogen refuelling station for electric cars.

It is also harnessing another element that Singapore benefits from even at night: Wind. Noted Professor Choo,

The combined effect (of wind and solar energy) is that you have electricity supply during the day and night.

When fully completed in five years’ time, the system will cover the size of eight to nine football fields.


Singapore's first long-span wind turbine was installed at Semakau Landfill. (Photo: Lee Li Ying)

EYES ON THE SKIES

On Pulau Ubin, another microgrid is already being put through its paces, benefiting some 30 businesses.

Before the Energy Market Authority implemented this project in 2013, diesel generators were the only source of fuel on the island, which is not on the national power grid.

And it was “quite difficult” to rely on the generators because if one malfunctioned, there had to be another on standby, said Ubin resident Koh Bee Choo, who runs a bicycle rental shop there.

“Now the solar-powered system is excellent. There’s no power cut, no problem at all,” said Ms Koh, who saves S$100 to S$200 a month from the switch.



While integrating such a solar grid into a small community may be straightforward, a more complex solution will be needed for the mainland.

As Dr Reindl noted, solar energy must be added to Singapore’s power grid without jeopardising its stability.

That is why a control system is also being tested to forecast solar intermittency across the country. It measures the sunlight intensity at any given solar installation site, and how well the system is converting sunlight into electricity.

Any deviation from the projected numbers should trigger an alert, and action can be taken to ensure an even power supply.

 

To increase predictive accuracy, more cameras are now being added to aid in the understanding of cloud movements.

“Our vision going forward is to use this real-time monitoring system and eventually make it into an autopilot,” said Dr Reindl.

IT’S ABOUT A SOLAR ECOSYSTEM

Even as all these technologies are being developed, the country’s size is still a factor limiting their application. So the Republic is looking to become a solar hub for the region - where cutting-edge ideas can originate and take flight.

Singapore will need an ecosystem of solar energy players. And so far, more than 50 companies, local and global, have set up base here, across the manufacturing, project development and financing segments.

Electrify.sg is one example. The local start-up is building a peer-to-peer energy trading platform ahead of the full liberalisation of the energy market later this year.

This platform will allow owners of solar panels to sell the surplus power produced in the daytime to other owners and consumers. If it takes off, this trading platform might be the first of its kind in the world.

Electrify.sg co-founder and CEO Julius Tan said: “We hope that we can encourage a livelier community of both consumers and producers. They can possibly discuss how best they can optimise their solar energy systems.”

Meanwhile, Norwegian manufacturer REC Solar has already won an international award for the performance and reliability of its TwinPeak 2 Series solar panels – whose research and development, design and launch were all done here.


REC solar.
The company has also been inspired by Singapore’s land scarcity to develop more flexible solar installations.

“We’re working with the Singapore government on movable solutions so we can deploy solar PVs on vacant land until it’s ready for development,” said CEO Steve O’Neil.

“It’s this kind of ecosystem where so many people are working together to bring clean energy to Singapore and to the world.”

Reducing the nation’s carbon footprint remains a big undertaking, but people like him and Mr Tan are optimistic that at least the future of solar energy here looks bright.


Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...ingapore-testbed-energy-photovoltaic-10064656

 

One-hour flight from Singapore to KL is world's busiest overseas route


REUTERS

Planes made 30,537 trips between the island-state and the Malaysian capital in the 12 months to February 2018.

Published04 May, 2018
Updated 04 May, 2018

SINGAPORE — A one-hour flight linking Singapore with Kuala Lumpur is the world’s busiest international route.

Planes made 30,537 trips between the island-state and the Malaysian capital in the 12 months to February, according to a report by OAG Aviation Worldwide Ltd. That is the equivalent of 84 flights a day in one of the world's smallest countries with a population of just 5.6 million.



In a top-20 list dominated by Asia, the highest-ranking route outside the region ran between New York and Toronto. There were 16,956 flights on that leg. The trip between Dublin and London Heathrow ranked 14th and was the busiest European entry with 14,390 flights.

In terms of passenger numbers, Hong Kong-Taipei tops the list with 6.5 million people flying that route in the 12-month period, the report showed. That is followed by Jakarta-Singapore with 4.7 million and Kuala Lumpur-Singapore with 4 million.

Asia is the world’s fastest-growing travel market. But even the most frantic international routes do not come close to the most popular domestic flights.

The world’s busiest air route, bar none, is between Seoul and a tiny island off the coast of South Korea. Planes made 65,000 trips between the South Korean capital and Jeju island in 2017, according to OAG. BLOOMBERG

 

Singapore must keep its doors open to talent: Chan Chun Sing

By Siau Ming En


TODAY file photo

The need to welcome talent is Singapore's "reality as a small country, given that it has no natural resources and a maturing workforce", says Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing.

SINGAPORE — Apart from building a pro-business environment and pursuing ways to foster connectivity, Singapore must remain open to talent, Mr Chan Chun Sing said on Friday (May 4).

The need to welcome talent is Singapore's "reality as a small country with no natural resources and a maturing workforce", he said in his first public appearance as Trade and Industry Minister at a luncheon organised by the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham).

He noted that Singapore has always "invested significantly" in its people to ensure that the workforce is "competitive and right-skilled", thus allowing higher value-added activities to be brought into the market.

"Moving forward, talent will be an increasingly important part of the economic equation as Singapore embarks on our next phase of growth through the Industry Transformation Maps and transitions into an innovation-driven economy," he said.

He reiterated that there are programmes such as SkillsFuture to help Singaporeans reach their full potential and allow them to go overseas to explore opportunities and build networks in the region.

Even as the authorities build up "the Singaporean core" in the workforce, Mr Chan stressed that the country must continue to attract the best people "to come and take part in the Singapore growth story".

"Foreign labour complements Singaporean workers and brings along relevant skills and create new industries and job opportunities. This is crucial to our longer-term competitiveness, and ensures that we stay relevant to a dynamic region that is fast evolving," he added.

As part of the Cabinet reshuffle announced last week, Mr Chan stepped down as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office to head the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He is also expected to hand over the baton as labour chief to fellow Cabinet Minister Ng Chee Meng.

Last month, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat told reporters during an interview that Singapore needs to review its foreign manpower policy in the coming years, but the inflow of foreign workers must remain "well-calibrated" to encourage firms to continue improving productivity.

In January, Singapore's central bank chief Ravi Menon devoted much of his speech at a high-profile conference to the same topic. The managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore said then that the country "must reframe our question on foreign workers", given the limited scope in raising birth rates and labour force participation rate.

STAYING CONNECTED

To make up for the limitations in human and natural resources, Singapore has actively pursued greater connectivity to regional and global economies to keep the economy resilient.

In his keynote speech on Friday, Mr Chan said: "We see the world as our hinterland, and doing so has allowed us to transcend our physical constraints and avoid being circumscribed by our geography."

Much like the European Union (EU), Singapore is a firm believer in a rules-based multilateral trading system, which has allowed economies around the world to trade and grow together "based on agreed rules, norms, and on an equal basis", he noted.

Singapore now has a network of 22 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) that have been implemented with 33 trading partners.

It also signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) with 10 other countries in March this year.

To remain relevant and competitive in an increasingly connected world, Singapore will have to work on new dimensions of connectivity, including data, finance, talent and technology, Mr Chan said.

Addressing the guests at the luncheon held in the St Regis Singapore hotel, which included Ms Barbara Plinkert, the EU Ambassador to Singapore, and Mr Stefano Poli, president of EuroCham, Mr Chan said it was timely that the occasion marked the 68th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, which was a plan then for France and Germany to pool coal and steel production, and this later led to the European Coal and Steel Community.

He spoke about the anti-globalisation and protectionist sentiments that dominate political discourse in some parts of the world today, that despite this challenging environment for global trade, "the EU remains a staunch proponent for free trade".

On the recent news from the EU that the ratification of the EU-Singapore FTA was moving forward, Mr Chan expressed hope for its "expeditious ratification" and "early implementation".

Among other things, this agreement will lower tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade and improve market access for trade in services.

"Businesses are rightfully excited about the benefits and opportunities the agreement will bring," Mr Chan said.

It will also send "an important and powerful signal" to the global trading community on where the EU and Singapore stand on FTAs, economic integration and partnership, he added.

Speaking to reporters after the luncheon, Mr Chan said Singapore will continue to try to find the correct mix of people, moving away from the reliance on lower productivity and wage sectors towards the higher productivity and wage sectors.

"That will, on the whole, create more opportunities for Singapore (and) it is about how we balance the entire portfolio of our partnership with the foreign companies and also the foreign labour," he said, without going into the specifics.

While Singapore must continue to provide the opportunities and groom Singaporeans to succeed, it must also be able to tap into global networks to partner others to grow the industries, he added.

Helping companies spread their wings 'a priority'

Newly minted Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said one of his top priorities in his latest portfolio is to ensure that Singapore companies have continued access to good opportunities overseas.

While there will be anti-globalisation sentiments in other parts of the world, Singapore needs to continuously explore new markets and deepen connections with some of the existing markets to create more opportunities for Singapore businesses, which in turn create better jobs for Singaporeans, noted Mr Chan.

Another priority is to help Singaporean companies transform their business models and adopt new technology to improve their products and services regardless of cyclical economic upturns and downturns.

This involves executing the industry transformation maps well and growing the local talent pool.

To enable Singaporeans to "continue to compete with the best in the rest of the world", Mr Chan stressed the need to help them reach their full potential so that they "understand not just the Singapore market but also have an extensive network, deep understanding of the regional and global markets".

 

BT EXCLUSIVE

26-year-old shining example of Singapore craftsmanship
John Chung runs a shoe-shine bar, and is the world champion in latest edition of World Shoe-Shining Competition

Sat, Apr 28, 2018 - 5:50 AM
Elyssa Tan


John Chung, owner of Mason and Smith, pulls long days. He plans to launch a bespoke shoe label in 2022.
PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
Singapore

WHERE do some CBD suits go if their leather wingtips or brogues need a polish or a spot of repair?

They go to a shoe shine bar called Mason and Smith in Telok Ayer Street. His well-dressed staff deliver a shoe shine starting at S$18. (Want a military-grade mirror shine from 50 layers of wax? That's S$60.) Repairs can cost up to S$450.

The owner of the establishment, John Chung, comes with relevant credentials: he is the world shoe-shine champ.

Yes, there is such a thing as the World Shoe-Shining Competition. It is organised annually by Shoegazing and The Shoe Snob, which cast themselves as leading authorities on classic shoes for men.

Mr Chung, all of 26 years old, beat two other experienced shoe-shining specialists in the finals of that competition just this month. His winner's plaque in glass sits on the counter top in his shop, along with a gleaming pair of tan lace-ups - the very pair he worked on that won him the prize.

When asked why he took part in the competition to go toe-to-toe with other more experienced shoe-shiners, he answered simply that he wanted to see where he stood on the global level.

"It was also an opportunity for me to learn from other artisans and people in the shoe industry," he said. He said he has been in the trade for just four years (officially), and says he has lots more to learn.

His secret to a high shine lies in technique, he said. The other finalists typically applied the wax on their shoes and polished them immediately, but he spent a good 10 minutes applying wax - with his bare hands, and then polishing the leather with his cloth only after that.

He said of his unconventional method, which puzzled many: "The technique that I used is not widely recognised and not many people use it. It is quite a unique technique, and I think with that, I was able to get it shiny."

Rewind back to 2013, the year the former Victoria Junior College alumnus first stepped into the shoe-shine industry. What he had to learn of the craft aside, it didn't help that he was taking the path less travelled.

He had earned a place at Nanyang Technological University's Art, Design and Media course, but after his national service, he knew it wasn't what he wanted to do.

His parents weren't happy, of course, when they realised that their son wanted to dabble in selling second-hand vintage shoes for a living. They would have preferred him to get a university degree.

"My parents were very against it. They are quite conservative, not that liberal," he said.

But why shoes?

Mr Chung replied that his delving into the craft behind shoes exposed him to the technical side of the trade.

"There wasn't a specific point in time when I became obsessed. The love for shoes just grew stronger and stronger by each passing day."

With S$700 from his savings, he started procuring second-hand shoes to sell in local vintage flea markets, running pop-ups once or twice a month.

He no longer sells these shoes, but still has a small collection of "six or seven pairs of rare shoes" of his own. They cost between S$500 and S$4,000 a pair, and because of their high price, he does his buying only once or twice a year.

He said of his collection: "These shoes are very rare… Some are already out of production, and some have been around for 30 to 40 years."

When he started out as a professional shoe-shiner, the work was back-breaking. It was a one-man operation, and he did not have the luxury of undergoing an apprenticeship to hone his skills.

He is thus largely self-taught.

"I did not have a specific teacher when it came to shoe-shining. Most of the stuff and techniques, I picked up from the Internet such as YouTube videos, Facebook and Instagram, as well as other shoe-shine artistes."

The other hurdle was his status as a novice, which came bundled with anonymity.

"Nobody knows who you are… Nobody knows about shoe-shining."

To spread the word about shoe shining, he started running hour-long workshops on the craft.

Another problem he faced was in the lack of distributors selling shoe-shine products. Products such as Saphir, a French brand he regards as one of the best among shoe waxes, and Boot Black (from Japan) had to be sourced from overseas.

He went to Japan for Boot Black, which is hardly sold in Asia, and met with the suppliers to discuss getting the wax delivered to him in Singapore.

He had no financial backers, so he had to use his own funds to buy the other tools of the trade - shoe brushes and cloths.

He works long, hard hours. A typical day starts at around 7am and ends at around midnight. He said that wanting to do well in all areas of his life, not just his chosen vocation, is what drives him.

He is no longer a one-man operation. His crew of three full-timers and four part-timers clock 10 to 12 hours a day.

"Shoe-shining is quite tough on the body," said Mr Chung. "When I first started, I did not think about how strenuous it would be. It was more of making a good living out of it and I thought it would be fine."

He has abiding memories of some customers. One is of a customer whose shoes he was shining at his stand in Marina Bay Sands (MBS) during the Christmas season.

"He gave me a S$50 tip when the service was only S$10 and asked me to enjoy the holidays," he said, chuckling at the memory.

His service has intrigued other customers to the point they get into conversation about shoe-shining.

His interactions with these customers at MBS made him realise the market potential of his business. He moved into a shared shop space in Boat Quay, where he stayed for three years.

This year, Mason and Smith opened at its current premises on Telok Ayer Street.

Mr Chung isn't done.

He is now learning the art of shoe-making - he has teachers from Hong Kong and Japan - he plans to open his own flagship store next year and to launch his own bespoke label in 2022.

Ask what he has learned so far, he replied: "Be prepared to put in the hours. It is a marathon and you got to be prepared to be in it for a long time before you find some kind of accomplishment or result.

"The more you enjoy it, the longer you can work. You've got to really love it."

Oh, by the way, his parents are now fully behind him.

 

@Cheung: Not sure which are the ones. Some of them relate to government which can be difficult to define.

 

Noted.

 

No need for aircon, as NUS researchers invent gel that lowers humidity, produces electricity

By Justin Ong Guang-xi


NUS

The gel was invented by a four-member research team from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering.

Published28 May, 2018
Updated 28 May, 2018
SINGAPORE — Being in a tropical country means living with higher humidity levels, especially on warm days. Now, a group of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) may have found a way to get around the physical discomfort without the use of air-conditioners.

They have invented a special hydrogel, a gel-like material that harnesses the moisture in the air to reduce ambient temperature, or the temperature of a person's immediate surroundings. Upon absorbing the moisture, the hydrogel can be used for a wide range of practical applications as well — most interestingly, to generate electricity.

The water-absorbing hydrogel is eight times more efficient than previously known drying agents, and can quickly reduce the relative humidity of a small room from 80 to 60 per cent in a matter of minutes.

Unlike traditional cooling agents such as air-conditioners and fans, it does not depend on an external power source and can be simply coated onto walls and furniture, where it will perform its dehumidifying function.

The gel was invented by a four-member research team from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering. The team had been working on this project for one-and-a-half years.

Assistant Professor Tan Swee Ching, who led the research, said: "Singapore, like many tropical countries, experience high levels of relative humidity between 70 and 80 per cent. In a humid environment, the air is saturated with water and as a result, perspiration on our body evaporates more slowly. This causes us to feel hotter than the real ambient temperature, leading to great discomfort. Our novel hydrogel aims to achieve a cooling effect by removing moisture from ambient air very efficiently."

Hydrogels are not unheard of, such as its ability to hold large amounts of waters crucial for products including contact lenses and wound dressings. However, this is the first time hydrogels are being researched and engineered for its ability to absorb water from the surrounding air.

Besides just lowering ambient temperature, research has uncovered other practical applications.

After taking in water from the environment, the hydrogel becomes opaque and is able to block infrared light by 50 per cent. This means that if coated on windows, the hydrogel can reduce the relative humidity of a room while also blocking off the heat from natural sunlight.

The researchers also discovered that the hydrogel can generate small amounts of electricity of about 1.8 volts, similar to an AA battery. This means that it could power small electronic devices such as wall clocks and could be important in emergency situations where no power source or sunlight is available.

The development of the novel hydrogel is supported by NUS and the Ministry of Education. The research team has received substantial funding from Temasek Foundation Ecosperity (TFE) to test the application of the hydrogel to reduce relative humidity on a larger scale in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

Mr Lim Hock Chuan, chief executive of TFE, said that the organisation provides funding to projects and research that champion sustainability and liveability.

The NUS research team will conduct more studies to further advance the application of the different properties of the hydrogel and has since filed a patent for the invention.

 

Singapore the world’s best country for children to grow up in: NGO report

By Chen Lin


TODAY file photo

Published01 June, 2018
Updated 01 June, 2018

SINGAPORE — Singapore is the joint-best country in the world — along with Slovenia — for children to grow up in, according to a report published by non-governmental organisation Save the Children.

The report on 175 countries saw Singapore faring well across the eight indicators: Under-five mortality rate, child stunting, out-of-school children and youth, child labour, child marriage, adolescent birth rate, population displaced by conflict, and child homicide rate.

Singapore scored 987 points out of a possible 1,000 in the report’s End of Childhood Index, and performed particularly well in areas such as adolescent birth rate, with only 3.8 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19, as compared the world’s average at 50.4.

Singapore, which finished in top spot ahead of European countries such as Norway, Sweden and Finland, also scored higher than the world’s average for under-five mortality rate.

This is a significant jump in rankings from last year, when Singapore was ranked 33rd. However, Save the Children clarified that there were some inconsistencies with the data sources used in its inaugural report in 2017. Their methodology has since been rectified for greater accuracy, said the NGO.

Three Asian countries made it into the top 20, with South Korea, and Japan ranked eighth and 19th respectively. China was the next highest ranked Asian country at 40th, while Malaysia was the second highest ranked in South-east Asia at 67th.

“This is a stunning result for Singapore, where children enjoy some of the healthiest childhoods possible,” said Mr Hassan Noor Saadi, Save the Children’s Asia Regional Director.

“Singapore is a great place for children to grow up with good access to high quality education and medical care services, while also being one of the safest countries in the world. Threats to childhood that plague other countries – like early marriage, poor access to education and war – simply don’t exist in Singapore, or at extremely low levels.”

While Singapore emerged as the top nation in the report, Mr Michel Anglade, Save the Children’s Campaigns and Advocacy Director for Asia, told TODAY that it did not incorporate indicators such as academic stress and childhood obesity, which are areas of concerns in Singapore. While he acknowledged that these factors could have physical and mental consequences for children, they were not included in the report as there are no surveys to measure the level of stress across all the countries in a consistent manner.

Childhood obesity could potentially be an indicator to further refine the index. Mr Anglade added: “Childhood obesity is definitely a rising problem, both in developing and in developed countries.”

While most Asian countries improved on their scores, stunting and malnutrition remain major problems, said the report. Four countries from the region ranked among the bottom 10 for the percentage of under-five children suffering stunted growth: Laos (44 per cent), Pakistan (45), Papua New Guinea (50), and Timor Leste (50).

Mr Saadi also noted that stunting levels among children under five had “slightly increased” in the Philippines, and that it now affects more than a third of the children. Calling it “particularly worrying, he said that more needs to be done to improve nutrition standards.

Forty per cent of all child labourers – or some 62 million – are in Asia, and South Asia has the highest rate of child marriage of all the regions.

For a second year in a row, Afghan children faced the gravest threats to childhood outside of Africa. The country’s score dipped by 10 points – one of the biggest declines in Asia – mostly due to increases in conflict related displacement and children out of school. It also had a high rate of child mortality, and a very high rate of stunting.

Eight of the bottom 10 countries were in West and Central Africa, with Niger ranked last for the second year running.

The report also found that more than half of all children globally – over 1.2 billion – live in countries plagued by conflict, widespread poverty or discrimination against girls.

End of Childhood Index Rankings 2018 (top 20):

1 Singapore, Slovenia (987 points)

3 Norway, Sweden (985)

5 Finland (984)

6 Ireland, Netherlands (981)

8 Iceland, Italy, South Korea (980)

11 Portugal (979)

12 Cyprus, Germany (978)

14 France, Spain (977)

16 Belgium (976)

17 Australia, Switzerland (975)

19 Israel, Japan, Luxembourg (973)

 

Government aiming for ‘best of Singapore and Swiss’ education system: Ong Ye Kung

By Kelly Ng


TODAY file photo

Graduation ceremony of the inaugural class of Yale-NUS College. Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said that the traditional emphasis on academic excellence may have inadvertently made our students too book smart.

Published07 June, 2018
Updated 07 June, 2018

SINGAPORE/ZURICH — The education system which the Government is aiming to develop will be a “combination of the best parts of the Singapore and Swiss systems”, said Education Minister Ong Ye Kung on Thursday (June 7).

Mr Ong, who is visiting Switzerland as Education Minister for the third time in as many years, cited the Swiss “dual study system”, which combines classroom study with workplace apprenticeship training, as of particular interest to Singapore.

The participation of industries is another “admirable feature” of the Swiss education system, he added.
He was speaking at the 3rd International Congress for Vocation and Professional Education and Training in Winterthur, Switzerland.

In his keynote address, Mr Ong said that to prepare young Singaporeans for the future, the Government is looking to incorporate part of Switzerland’s education system into its current approach towards education, which has shown strong outcomes in literacy, numeracy and critical soft skills.

He noted the Swiss system’s emphasis on vocational training and “alternate pathways” for nurturing talent have created a more egalitarian society — one where parents and children pick either the academic or apprenticeship route based on a child’s interests, talent and aptitudes.

The Swiss society also “embraces and celebrates many forms of achievements and success”, said Mr Ong.
He also highlighted the strong relationship between education and industries in Switzerland.

For example, Swiss watchmaker Swatch had “put aside intra-industry competition” and trained craftsmen for the entire watch industry. Such “national ethos” is rarely seen in other countries, Mr Ong said.

In Switzerland, youths are required to complete nine years of education before they opt for either the vocational education or the academic path. Both options allow students to eventually enroll in universities or professional colleges providing advanced vocational training.

In Singapore, the traditional emphasis on academic excellence may have “inadvertently made our students too ‘book smart’, and lacking the innovative spirit, entrepreneurial zest and survival instinct needed in the real world”, said Mr Ong.

The Singapore society has also placed great focus on the attainment of higher academic qualifications. This in turn shaped an education system which seeks to help as many young Singaporeans as possible go through a university education, he noted.

However, he pointed out that education systems should guide students to recognise and uncover various interests, which may or may not involve a university education.

If a student has his sights on a technical or craft-based profession — such as being a coder, cyber-security expert, chef, designer or entrepreneur — he or she may instead have to undergo the requisite technical training and industry practice.

“A system that is driven by guidance, passion and mastery needs to be more variegated, catering to the varying strengths and interests of students, helping each student go as far as they can,” he said.

The university landscape also cannot be “overly-dominated” by academic programmes, said Mr Ong. It should include other professional studies, applied learning pathways and work-learn degree programmes modelled after the Swiss system, he added.

Over the years, the Republic has tried to shift the emphasis of education from qualifications to skills, and to encourage Singaporeans to embrace a broader definition of success.

Under the watch of Cabinet Minister Heng Swee Keat, who helmed the education portfolio from 2011 to 2015, the Ministry of Education undertook a major review of the higher education sector which led to a more diversified university education.

For instance, the Singapore Institute of Technology and SIM University — which became Singapore’s fifth and sixth autonomous universities in 2014 and last year respectively — adopt an applied, hands-on learning approach to equip graduates with deep knowledge and skills.

Currently, all secondary schools and post-secondary education institutions in the Republic also have counsellors to help students make better choices about their future.

During Mr Heng’s tenure, the ministry also embarked on a nine-month review of career and academic prospects for graduates from the polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

Among other things, the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review committee — which comprised senior civil servants, school principals and corporate leaders — recommended more opportunities for internships, work-study options, and clearer pathways for career advancement for these students.

But Singapore is “still some way from the Swiss standard of practice”, said Mr Ong.

Nevertheless, he stressed that while the Swiss model offers lessons for Singapore, each country must devise its own solution to suit its culture and circumstances.

“Other countries can emulate your system, but we cannot adopt your culture,” he said.

Whether a specific approach succeeds or not hinges primarily on societal norms, beliefs and culture, said the minister.

Reiterating the call for society to “broaden its notion of success”, Mr Ong said: “Meritocracy must also take on an enlarged meaning that represents opportunities and social mobility, and be commensurate with the multiple pathways offered by the education system.”