Singapore Changi site for fourth university?

Singapore Changi site for fourth university?

THE fourth university here will very probably rise on a plot of land in Changi South that was to house the aborted Asian campus of the University of New South Wales, education sources told The Straits Times.

They identified the 20ha site as the logical choice in Changi, which Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday would be the locale for the new university.

Mr Lee, in his National Day message last night, said the Government had approved plans for a new publicly funded university.

‘Its campus will be in Changi, with good bus and train access from around the island. It will admit its first intake in 2011.’

The Changi South site was being prepared for the Sydney-based university when it unexpectedly pulled out in 2007.

However, the site had already been fortified by steel and concrete pilings. So, building on it will possibly ease building costs and even hasten the completion of the university, said the sources.

In his message, Mr Lee underlined the vital role education plays in Singapore’s drive to develop the economy. He said the polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education, where most students go, are being improved.

Source : Straits Times - 09 Aug 2008

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Why they hate S’pore

Why they hate S’pore

Western detractors are getting the jitters as others copy our model

By Chua Lee Hoong, Political Editor

SINGAPORE is small enough to be a suburb in Beijing, but it has something in common with the mammoth People’s Republic. The little red dot and Red China are both countries the West loves to hate.

There are those who wish bad things to happen to the Beijing Olympics. Likewise, there are those who have had it in for the Lion City for years.

What’s eating them? The easy answer is that both China and Singapore are authoritarian states. The freedoms taken for granted in the West - freedom of speech and assembly - come with more caveats in these two places.

But things are not so simple. There are plenty of authoritarian states around, but most do not attract as much attention as Singapore and China.

The real sin: Singapore and China are examples of countries which are taking a different route to development, and look to be succeeding.

Success grates, especially when it cocks a snook at much-cherished liberal values.

As Madam Yeong Yoon Ying, press secretary to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, said last month: ‘Singapore is an example to other countries of how the free market plus the rule of law, and stable macro-economic policies, can lead to progress and success, but without Western-style ‘liberal’ democracy.’

Don’t believe her words? Read these lines from British journalist John Kampfner, writing in The Guardian last month, lamenting the spread of what he calls the Singapore model.

‘Why is it that a growing number of highly-educated and well-travelled people are willing to hand over several of their freedoms in return for prosperity or security? This question has been exercising me for months as I work on a book about what I call the ‘pact’.

‘The model for this is Singapore, where repression is highly selective. It is confined to those who take a conscious decision openly to challenge the authorities. If you do not, you enjoy freedom to travel, to live more or less as you wish, and - perhaps most important - to make money. Under Lee Kuan Yew, this city-state built on a swamp has flourished economically.

‘I was born in Singapore and have over the years been fascinated by my Chinese Singaporean friends. Doctors, financiers and lawyers, they have studied in London, Oxford, Harvard and Sydney. They have travelled across all continents; they are well-versed in international politics, but are perfectly content with the situation back home. I used to reassure myself with the old certainty that this model was not applicable to larger, more diverse states. I now believe this to be incorrect.

‘Provincial governments in China send their brightest officials to Singapore to learn the secrets of its ’success’. For Russian politicians it too provides a useful model. These countries, and others in Asia and the Middle East are proving that the free market does not require a free society in which to thrive, and that in any battle between politics and economics, it is the latter that will win out.’

Mr Kampfner seems in a genuine intellectual funk. He cannot quite understand why otherwise normal, intelligent Singaporeans would trade certain freedoms for economic progress, and accept the Singapore political system for what it is.

But perhaps he has got the wrong end of the stick. The problem lies not in the Singaporeans, but in his own assumptions. Namely: If you speak English, if you are well-educated and well-travelled, you must also believe in Western-style democracy. They are a package.

I was on the receiving end of similar assumptions when I was in the United States in 1991-1992. When Americans asked me, ‘Why is your English so good?’, often it was not out of admiration but bewilderment. Their next question revealed all: ‘Why then do you (i.e. your Government) ban chewing gum?’

Another telling indicator of Western assumptions about Singapore comes from a remark by Singapore’s Ambassador to Washington, Professor Chan Heng Chee, who went to the US at the tail end of the Michael Fay saga.

One year into her posting there, in 1997, she arranged for a retrospective of the late choreographer Goh Choo San’s works. Her Washington audience was awed.

‘People suddenly remembered Choo San was a Singaporean. They may have known about Goh Choo San, but to connect him with Singapore was not so obvious for them,’ she said.

Sub-text: World-class choreography does not fit their image of a country with corporal punishment.

So the real difficulty for the West is this: We are so like them, and yet so not like them. We speak, dress, do business and do up our homes very much the same way as them. Yet when it comes to political values, we settle - apparently - for much less.

One observer draws an analogy with Pavlovian behavioural conditioning. So conditioned have Westerners become to associating cosmopolitan progress with certain political parameters, they do not know how to react when they encounter a creature - Singapore - that has one but not the other.

So they chide and berate us, as if we have betrayed a sacred covenant.

Adding to the iniquity is the fact that countries - rich and powerful ones too, like Russia and the Gulf states - are looking to the Singaporean way of doing things to pick up a tip or two.

I can imagine the shudders of Singapore’s Western detractors should they read about a suggestion made by Mr Kenichi Ohmae this week.

In an interview with Business Times, the Japanese management consultant who first became famous as author of The Borderless World, said Singapore should ‘replicate’ itself in other parts of the world.

What he meant was that Singapore should use its IQ, and IT prowess, to help organise effective economies in other regions, as its own had succeeded so well.

To be sure, his reasoning was economic, not political. But for those who hate Singapore, a Pax Singaporeana would be something to work against and head off.

Source : Straits Times - 09 Aug 2008

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Wow! China dazzles

Wow! China dazzles

BEIJING: At precisely 8 last night, the dreams of 1.3 billion Chinese became a reality.

The 29th Olympic Games were declared open in a dazzling spectacle, showcasing both the richness of Chinese culture, and the elaborate lengths the host has gone through to stage the planet’s biggest sporting extravaganza.

Almost $60 billion - treble the budget of the 2004 Athens Olympics - has been pumped into the Beijing Games.

These are the biggest Games in every respect, from the record 204 nations and territories competing, to the more than 10,500 athletes and 100,000 volunteers expected to feature over the next two weeks.

China’s party attracted more than 80 world leaders, including United States President George W. Bush, French President Nicholas Sarkozy and Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

Packed into the new ‘Bird’s Nest’ National Stadium were some 91,000 spectators waving Chinese flags, enthralled by the 31/2-hr multimedia feast choreographed by acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou.

Exactly 2,008 musicians kicked off the show, beating ancient Chinese drums in perfect timing to welcome athletes and spectators to the Games. For the next hour, 15,000 musicians, acrobats and trapeze artists in lavish costumes staged a celebration of China’s history.

The crowd’s loudest applause was reserved for the true stars: the athletes.

Among them was Singapore flagbearer Li Jiawei, who turns 27 today. She is part of the women’s table tennis team hoping to end a 48-year medal drought.

The ceremony ended with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron and a seemingly endless burst of fireworks.

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 09 Aug 2008

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Hundreds of Singapore Commonwealth Drive households to get new flats

Hundreds of Singapore Commonwealth Drive households to get new flats

By Michelle Tay

HUNDREDS of households in Commonwealth Drive will be offered new flats as part of the Housing Board’s latest redevelopment exercise.

The 669 households in the 44-year-old precinct near Tanglin Halt can opt to move to a new site across the road when their current homes are ‘developed for residential use’ next year, the HDB announced yesterday.

Mr Baey Yam Keng, the adviser to Tanjong Pagar’s grassroots organisations, told residents of the plans during the Queenstown National Day celebration dinner last night.

Blocks 74 to 80 in Commonwealth Drive will be vacated, and about 730 two- to five-room replacement flats will be built on the other side of the road under the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers).

The old blocks have 10 floors. The new ones will go as high as 40 floors.

Eligible flat owners can register for their replacement flats in about a year.

Construction will start at the end of next year and be completed by late 2012 or early 2013.

Sers involves redeveloping selected old blocks of flats, with residents rehoused in new and better units nearby.

Owners are compensated for their homes at the prevailing market rate. They get a 20 per cent discount on their new flats. They are also assured of flats at the new site, so they can continue living with the same neighbours.

If a resident opts to move elsewhere, he can sell the rehousing benefits to an eligible buyer and use the proceeds to buy a resale flat in his preferred location.

This Sers plan will also involve 24 rental shops and two rental eating houses at the affected blocks.

Eligible shop and eating house tenants will get an ex-gratia payment of $60,000 per tenancy and a 10 per cent discount on their successful bids for other HDB rental commercial properties.

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 09 Aug 2008

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S’pore cuts 2008 GDP growth forecast to 4%-5%

S’pore cuts 2008 GDP growth forecast to 4%-5%

By S Ramesh/Lee Siew Hoon,

Singapore cuts 2008 GDP growth forecast to 4%-5%
National Day Message filmed in HD format at Sri Temasek for the first time
Special Report
• National Day 2008

SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his National Day message, has cut the 2008 GDP growth forecast to between 4 per cent and 5 per cent from an earlier estimate of between 4 per cent and 6 per cent.

He also said the country faces a tough year ahead as it is beginning to feel the impact of a US slowdown.

“For the whole year, we expect growth to be between 4 and 5 per cent,” Mr Lee said in his annual message, which was televised on the eve of Singapore’s 43rd birthday.

Mr Lee said the Singapore economy had expanded by 4.5 per cent in the first six months of 2008.

“Singapore’s economy has so far been partly buffered, because we’ve been carried along by the vibrancy of the Asian region. But Asian economies are starting to feel the impact of America’s problems, and so are we. We must therefore prepare ourselves for a bumpy year ahead,” he said.

Mr Lee acknowledged the problems Singaporeans are facing are due to global inflation. And while the government cannot prevent prices from going up as they are worldwide, it is trying to lighten the burden on Singaporeans through schemes like Workfare and ComCare.

“We are doing the next best thing: to put in place effective relief measures, and provide the poor and the needy with the help they need. We must look beyond immediate problems like the cost of living, to understand what is happening in the world around us, discover new opportunities and tackle our longer-term challenges,” he said.

The annual message is seen as a prelude to the National Day Rally, where the Prime Minister goes into further detail on the long-term challenges facing the country.

In the televised message on Friday, Mr Lee highlighted three other points.

First, the upgrading of Singapore’s economy: to do so, there must be investment in its people. One way is through education. To that end, Singapore is building a fourth university which will take its first batch of students in 2011, well ahead of the original target of 2015. The publicly-funded university will have its campus in Changi.

The second point Mr Lee highlighted was how to encourage Singaporeans to have more children to boost the country’s total fertility rate, which currently stands at only 1.29

PM Lee said: “We can create an environment where Singaporeans see them (children) as a natural and important part of life, and where young couples get support in starting families. We have looked at this comprehensively and will take further steps to address the practical problems which couples face.”

Mr Lee also spoke of adapting Singapore to be able to educate and engage what he called “cyber-citizens”.

He said: “We must adapt ourselves to it, and use it to educate and engage our cyber-citizens. We will evolve our policies and rules, our economy and society, to take full advantage. We will continue to open up our system progressively.”

Mr Lee hinted that the country will continue to open up space for political and societal debate, saying it is the “right way to go”. But he also said that as the country continues to open up, its new generation of citizens need to understand that all freedoms come with responsibilities.

For the first time, this year’s National Day Message was shot on high-definition video.

Another first - it was filmed at Sri Temasek, located within the Istana grounds in Singapore. The building is the Prime Minister’s official residence, though none of Singapore’s prime ministers has ever lived there.

Viewers of MediaCorp’s HD5 - Singapore’s free-to-air high-definition channel - were able to catch the National Day Message broadcast in true high-definition. Standard definition TV viewers also enjoyed sharper image quality than previously.

- CNA/ir

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 09 Aug 2008

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Slowing economy but government can create good jobs for Singaporeans

Slowing economy but government can create good jobs for Singaporeans

By Ca-Mie De Souza,

Singaporean office workers read newspapers during a lunch break at the financial district of Raffles Place.

SINGAPORE: Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong has said that barring unforeseen circumstances, the government is confident of creating good jobs for Singaporeans.

This is despite clear signs that the Singapore economy is grinding towards a slowdown.

Mr Gan was speaking at a National Day mini parade at the Sembawang housing estate on Friday.

He said the economic outlook this National Day is less certain compared to last year’s. But he noted that Singapore has had a few years of good growth and that it is in a strong position to address the challenges ahead.

As to whether the slowing economy may translate into job cuts, the minister said it will vary from sector to sector. Construction looks good, but some within the services sector may be hit.

He said as the economy continues to restructure, employers and employees have to brace themselves.

Mr Gan said: “What is important is for employers, on the one hand, to be mindful that wage increases, built-in wages increases, should be in line with (and) should not exceed productivity growth.

“But at the same time, from the employees’ point of view, they should continue to upgrade themselves, re-skill themselves.”

At a dialogue session - which is part of the community visit - residents raised a range of issues including the integration of foreign talents, pro-family policies and the Youth Olympic Games.

- CNA/ir

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 09 Aug 2008

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Singapore GDP growth forecast revision in line with private-sector expectations

Singapore GDP growth forecast revision in line with private-sector expectations

By Ng Baoying,

2008 GDP growth forecast revision in line with private-sector expectations

SINGAPORE: The Singapore government has narrowed its full-year GDP growth forecast to 4%-5% and expects a bumpy year ahead.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his National Day Message, said Singapore’s economy can expect a bumpy ride ahead as the US slowdown spills over into Asian economies.

Singapore’s economic growth for the first half of the year came in at 4.5 per cent. For the full year, GDP growth forecast was downgraded to 4 to 5 per cent. The downward revision is largely in line with private-sector expectations.

Economists think the Singapore government’s initial full-year growth forecast of 4 to 6 percent may not be so realistic now, as the effects of a slowing US economy and its sub-prime crisis weigh on economies around the world, including Singapore.

David Cohen, an economist with Action Economics, said: “The high end of that range was a little out of reach now, given the fact that the global economy looks to be sputtering a little bit.”

Analysts also said there are unresolved problems in the US mortgage market and they could have a negative impact on world economies.

For now, Singapore is grappling with the inflationary effects of higher food and fuel prices.

Economists also think the Singapore economy is holding up well in the long term, despite some recent setbacks as a result of a volatile pharmaceutical sector.

Cohen said: “Even though we talk about the ups and downs in the pharmaceutical sector… (the sector) is a helpful diversification for the Singapore manufacturing. It’s less dependent on ups and downs in global electronics demand and continues on an expanding trajectory.”

Economists also said the financial services sector will be a source of growth for Singapore in the long term.

- CNA/ir

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 09 Aug 2008

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Singapore Heeton Holdings reports 94% plunge in H1 net profit

Singapore Heeton Holdings reports 94% plunge in H1 net profit

By Nicholas Fang,

SINGAPORE : Heeton Holdings on Friday said its net profit for the six months ended June 30 plummeted 94 per cent to S$4.2 million due in part to losses from associated companies and higher operating expenses.

The company reported a 40 per cent improvement in revenues to S$27 million, which it attributed to higher turnover from its property development segment and the sales of residential projects.

Despite the weaker first-half earnings, Heeton expects the contributions from its property investment and wet market operations to remain relatively stable in the months ahead.

It also expects to remain profitable for the current financial year. - CNA/ms

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 09 Aug 2008

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Singapore Government growth revision in line with business expectations

Singapore Government growth revision in line with business expectations

By Rachel Kelly,

SINGAPORE: The government’s revision of its economic growth forecast has come in higher than expected, at least where the business community is concerned.

Companies speaking to Channel NewsAsia were looking at a three to four per cent growth for the year.

Still, they are bracing themselves for the difficult times ahead, but are optimistic that the economy is turning around.

Rising costs and a slowing global economy have made this year a turbulent one for businesses in Singapore and around the world.

This has caused the Singapore government to revise down its growth forecast from four to six per cent, to four to five per cent.

Businesses said that revised figure was expected given the difficult economic environment.

Teo Siong Seng, managing director, Pacific International Lines, said: “First, I think the revision is expected. In fact, looking at the figures, I think the revision downward was not as much as we thought, so it gives some confidence to us.

“But as a business we have to be prepared for the slower growth, especially the government highlighted the inflation pressure.”

Singapore companies are all too aware that a bumpy ride awaits them and are bracing themselves.

Charles Ho, vice chairman of General Affairs Committee, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “Going forward, I think it is inevitable that oil prices will keep rising and inflation and business cost will not stay down for the moment.

“So, especially for small and medium size businesses, they really need to prepare for the worst and try to cut costs and increase the volume of production, increase productivity in order to combat this inflation.”

At the same time, the business community is also keeping an eye out for potential growth opportunities created by the current economic situation. - CNA/vm

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 09 Aug 2008

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Singapore Marina Bay hotels in demand for National Day Parade

Singapore Marina Bay hotels in demand for National Day Parade

By Patwant Singh

SINGAPORE: Demand for hotel rooms around the Marina Bay area this weekend is high as many Singaporeans will be checking in to watch the National Day parade.

Many view the hotels as vantage points to watch the parade in air-conditioned comfort.

Some Singaporeans are willing to splurge, as rooms with a view at the Mandarin Oriental are going for a minimum of US$564.

Demand for such rooms is also strong for Ritz Carlton, Marina Mandarin and Pan Pacific. Bookings had started as early as May.

Aiden Mcauley, general manager of Swissotel The Stamford, said: “This year, we did something (different) for the first time - which is an early bird offer where we offered 15 per cent discount to early bird bookings, which is quite successful… we ended up achieving 25 to 30 per cent of our booking through that booking window.”

Some of the hotels are also having special buffets to enhance the package this year.

However, rooms will not be the only popular places at these hotels during the National Day Parade.

Food and beverage outlets, like restaurants and bars, are also expected to be packed as they also provide an excellent view of the parade and fireworks.

- CNA/yb

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 09 Aug 2008

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