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NEA says Singaporeans are wasting food on a colossal scale

The Independent
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NEA says Singaporeans are wasting food on a colossal scale

The National Environment Agency (NEA) recently cited that food wastage in Singapore is one of the growing concerns in the country.

According to NEA’s statistics, 85% of Singaporean households are fond of eating out on a weekly basis. This means one family out of 10 chooses to eat out daily.

Hawker centres, coffee shops, and food courts are the most popular dining options.

The other types of waste sources include construction debris (1,609,300 tonnes), ferrous metal (1,378,800 tonnes), paper/cardboard (1,144,800 tonnes), and plastic (815,200 tonnes).

To prevent wastage, NEA is making an effort to convince the public to order only what they can consume to reduce waste.

To respond to the food waste problem, Amy Khor, senior minister of state for the Environment and Water Resources, rolled out a year-long campaign as part of the Year Towards Zero Waste drive.

This campaign calls for citizens dining out to order what they can consume. The are advised to eat less rice or noodles if they cannot finish the food and do not ask for side dishes that they don’t like or do not intend to eat.

With a total of food wastage of 809,000 tonnes recorded in 2017, this has become a big problem in Singapore.

Both household and eateries outside the home are major contributors to the country’s food wastage.

More rice and noodles put to waste
NEA observed that carbohydrate-rich products such as rice and noodles are the most common food items that are being wasted by diners.

When asked why some are not able to finish their food, customers cited that the servings were too big to handle while others did not like some of the ingredients.

Some claimed they are fond of over-ordering so there is more choice.

In its campaign to combat food wastage, NEA will be providing visual reminders to engage consumers at 25 hawker centres and partner groups such as Dairy Farm Singapore, NTUC FairPrice, schools and universities about the zero waste drive.

The agency will be using wobblers, table-top stickers, wallscapes, and pillar wrap to strengthen the drive.

To intensify awareness on the campaign, outdoor and digital platforms, along with an edutainment web series that showcases public personalities will be screened promoting the reduction of food wastage.

In recent years, NEA and other organisations have launched related initiatives to reduce food wastage in Singapore.

In 2017, an initiative was rolled out that created community fridges at void decks in Nee Soon South and Tampines, enabling residents to donate edible items instead of throwing them away.

In the previous year, Electrolux, a Swedish home appliance firm, had a similar campaign called the Social Food Swap. This is where firms encouraged the staff to swap food items in the office.

The Food Waste Reduction Ambassadors (FWRAs) programme is one of NEA’s early initiatives with 400 ambassadors trained to provide tips on minimizing food wastage.

In 2018, over 150 schools participated in the campaign implementing their own food wastage reduction initiatives.

“We are helping older Singaporeans stay in the workforce, so that they can earn and save more for retirement” – Heng Swee Keat

Jewel Stolarchuk
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“We are helping older Singaporeans stay in the workforce, so that they can earn and save more for retirement” – Heng Swee Keat

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat revealed today that the Government is “helping older Singaporeans stay in the workforce, so that they can earn and save more for retirement,” as he delivered his budget speech in Parliament, today.

Asserting that some older Singaporeans “wish to continue working,” Heng said in his speech:

“With increasing lifespans, we are also helping older Singaporeans stay in the workforce, so that they can earn and save more for retirement…We are doing more to help older Singaporeans earn more, save more, and have greater peace of mind during their retirement years.”

To this end Heng said that the Government is initiating the following:

  • A Tripartite Workgroup “to study the concerns of older workers” and review “policies such as the retirement and re-employment age, and the CPF contribution rates of older workers”;
  • Changes to the Special Employment Credit (SEC) scheme “in response to labour market and economic conditions”; and
  • The new Additional SEC (ASEC) scheme “to encourage employers to hire workers who are above the re-employment age”; and
  • Extension of the SEC and ASEC until 31 December 2020. Heng said that he is topping up the SEC Fund by S$366 million to support these extensions.

Heng said that he is “happy that companies have responded by hiring older workers, tapping on their experiences, and supporting them in upgrading their skills.” He added:

“With a tighter labour market, and more Singaporeans choosing to work longer, more companies will be hiring older workers. The Government will study better forms of support to continue to help workers to remain productive, earn more, and save more for retirement.”

He further characterised welfare schemes to help Singaporeans as forces that “weaken people’s sense of agency and independence”:

“We are improving the lives of our people, by enabling them to be the best that they can be. We enhance our people’s sense of well-being and dignity, without the burden of welfare schemes elsewhere, which weaken people’s sense of agency and independence.

Heng’s comment that seniors choose to work longer mirrors Manpower Minister Josephine Teo’s remarks last month that the Payout Eligibility Age for CPF will not be lowered because employees seem to prefer to work longer and save more than take out their CPF earlier.

This article is part of The Independent’s Budget 2019 coverage. Please send your feedback and enquiries to [email protected].

Budget 2019 – Ensuring a Sustainable Environment for All

The Independent
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Budget 2019 – Ensuring a Sustainable Environment for All

Singapore – One of the key points covered by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat on Monday (February 18) during the Budget 2019 statement was about ensuring a sustainable environment for all. He focused on developing long term plans with investments in infrastructure that will prepare the country against the effects of global warming.

According to the Finance Minister, “we must plan for climate change and rising sea levels that threaten our very existence. As a low-lying island nation, there is nowhere to hide when sea levels rise.” He noted the severe implications this global occurrence brings and that the government is studying them carefully to come up with measures to adequately prepare the island-nation.

Climate action plan

The Climate Action Plan, which was launched in 2016, is one example of the government’s initiatives. It seeks a strategy for mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change with a focus on infrastructure. Through this, low lying roads near coastal areas have been raised and Changi airport’s Terminal 5 is being built at 5.5 metres above mean sea level, among others.

“We will have to invest more. Our total bid for infrastructure will increase significantly,” said Mr. Heng. He added that the ministries had done their preliminary estimations although it is difficult to gauge spending budgets way into the future.

The Finance Minister urged for a collective effort as “tackling climate change requires global cooperation, but Singapore is committed and willing to do its share in addressing this because this is the responsible thing to do for our children and the next generations.”

Zero Waste Master Plan

It is the government’s goal to become a zero-waste nation which will rely on the citizens’ willingness in a change of lifestyle such as adopting the “3 Rs” (reducing consumption, reusing and recycling). The full initiative, called the Zero Waste Masterplan, will be launched in the second half of the year.

Included in this master plan is the better management of issues such as foot waste, e-waste and packaging waste including plastic. The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) will provide more details at the Committee of Supply (COS).

“Given the dense urban environment, air quality and greenery are very important,” said Mr. Heng. The health and quality of Singaporean life benefit from the country’s 40% green cover although more steps must be taken to reduce diesel consumption, similar to what other European nations are doing. From here, he focused on the carbon tax being applied to this year’s emissions. This is to urge the country to opt for environmentally friendly engines such as hybrid cars.

To help businesses adjust, the government will provide 100% road tax rebates for one year and partial for another two years for commercial diesel vehicles. They will also provide over three years additional cash rebates up to S$3200 for diesel buses faring school children.

“Building a more sustainable environment makes our quality of life better and also creates economic opportunities,” noted Mr. Heng.

Waste Loop

After the water loop, the Finance Minister brought everyone’s attention to the waste loop and mentioned two startups, UglyGood and Tris who are discovering innovative ways to convert food-related waste into useful products. He wishes that more similar initiatives will be enforced.

Smart Nation

Mr. Heng also talked about the smart use of technology as one of the country’s efforts in becoming a Smart Nation. The example mentioned was the use of district cooling in the Marina Bay area and the construction of environmentally-friendly buildings with low energy consumption. He added that The National Research Foundation would continue to fund the R&D for these plans.

Housing and improvement programmes

The government aims to continuously maintain and improve the standard of living of every Singaporean through rejuvenation and home improvement programmes which must start with Housing Board estates. He said, “Many cities have large tracts that slip into disrepair over time – we must avoid that. We must strive to make every town in Singapore green and liveable.” Examples of these programmes are the URA Master Plan 2019, which will guide the country’s urban development over a 10 to 15-year time frame, the Home Improvement Programme, which will help address common maintenance problems of ageing flats, and the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme, which will focus on block and precinct improvements.

Through a sound fiscal plan, these “will keep our living environment first-class over the coming years,” said Mr. Heng.

Here is an update by the Ministry of Finance

https://www.facebook.com/MOFsg/photos/a.438726952818245/2372994156058172/?type=3&theater

Watch the full statement below:

For further feedback, concerns or queries, do write in to our news team at [email protected]

Govt chooses potential election year to cut foreign worker quota to 35%

Jewel Stolarchuk
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Govt chooses potential election year to cut foreign worker quota to 35%

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat delivered his budget speech today and announced that the Government will significantly reduce the foreign worker quota and S Pass worker ratio for the services sector.

The Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC), which prescribes the maximum permitted ratio of foreign workers to the total workforce that an organisation is allowed to employ, presently stands at 40 per cent for the services sector.

The Government has promised to reduce the DRC for the services sector by five per cent in two years. The DRC will be reduced from 40 per cent to 38 per cent by January 2020 and then to 35 per cent by January 2021.

Further, the S Pass worker ratio in the services sector will also be slashed by five per cent in two years. The S Pass Sub-DRC in the services sector will drop from the current 15 per cent to 13 per cent by January 2020, before dropping to 10 per cent from January 2021.

The Finance Minister said that foreign manpower growth could be on “an unsustainable path” if current trends persists as he announced the impending changes to the foreign worker quota.

Earlier in his speech, he had said that the Government wants to invest in Singaporeans. As he covered the changes to the DRC in the services sector, Heng said: “Relying on more and more foreign workers is not the long-term solution.”

It is curious that the Government is only now making the decision to slash the foreign worker quota and S-Pass worker ratio for the services sector – a sector that many Singaporeans have the skills to be employed in.

It is also unclear whether these changes mean that excessive S-passes and work permits were given to foreigners who applied to work in the local services sector in the past.

The timing of the foreign worker quota changes is also notable, especially given speculation that the Government may call the next General Election as early as this year.

Heng, however, claimed that these changes are not divergent from the Government’s approach to foreign worker policies. He said, today:

“The basic approach to our foreign worker policies has remained consistent. Based on evidence on the pace of foreign worker inflows, and the progress being made in raising productivity across sectors, we need to calibrate our policies.
“The Government recognises the economic headwinds and cost pressures ahead of us. But if we do not take action early, our firms will find it harder to compete in the years ahead, and our workers will be left behind.”

The Finance Minister’s comment that the Government seeks to “calibrate” policies to protect local workers who may otherwise be left behind brings Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s remarks made to People’s Action Party (PAP) cadres a year after the watershed 2011 election.

Public support for the PAP slipped during the 2011 General Election and the the ruling party lost a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) to the opposition. The PAP also received its lowest vote share since independence, in 2011.

Addressing PAP cadres at the ruling party’s biennial party conference, PM Lee spoke about the importance of re-evaluating its national priorities without going “overboard” or over-correcting. He said:

“We will calibrate to the left a bit, to the right a bit, but don’t flip-flop and turn (everything) upside down.”

 

—

This article is part of The Independent’s Budget 2019 coverage. Please send your feedback and enquiries to [email protected].

Malaysia to push SG for review of water price, current rate ‘unreasonable’

The Independent
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Malaysia to push SG for review of water price, current rate ‘unreasonable’

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently cited that Malaysia will be negotiating with Singapore to pay a more realistic water price with regard to current economic conditions.

In the current situation, the Malaysian prime minister noted Singapore’s water payment of 3 sen per 1,000 gallons (3,785l) is no longer viable.

Malaysia will continue to urge Singapore to pay for a ‘more realistic’ price for water according to the current economic costs.

Dr Mahathir shared that a group of the Johor government led by Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah will head the re-negotiation with Singapore regarding what they deemed an unreasonable water price.

He stressed that it is unreasonable that the water price rate never increased and has been fixed since 1926 or for less than a century already.

He added that with 1 sen during that time anyone could buy things.

In an earlier report, sometime in August 2018, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has started the call to Singapore to review the existing price of raw water supply.

He said increasing the price to 10 times more is acceptable to reflect today’s higher cost of living.

Based on the existing water agreement between the two countries, which will end in 2061, Singapore takes 250 million gallons daily (mgd) of raw water from the Johor River while Singapore provides Johor with 5mgd of treated water in return.

For over nine decades, Singapore is only paying 3 sen (1 Singapore cent) per 1,000 gallons of raw water.

When the treated water is sold to Malaysia, Singapore sells it at 50 sen per 1,000 gallons. The latter noted the increased selling price of treated is heavily subsidised and way too low for the water treatment cost.

When given the opportunity to review the water price in 1987, Malaysia declined. Talks to increase water price began to arise when Tun Mahathir, then Prime Minister, made an inquiry on the issue in 1998. However, the discussion did not flourish.

In a previous interview with Dr Mahathir, he noted Johor’s selling raw water to Melaka at 30 sen per 1,000 gallons was a “charitable” act.

He added when selling to a foreign neighboring country, we need to earn more than that.

In July 2018, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) noted that Malaysia’s inability to act on the situation at the proper time lost its right for a price water review as stipulated in the 1962 Water Agreement in 1987.

The statement came in an interview with Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah stressing “the agreement says the content of the agreement can be reviewed after 25 years.”

In July 2018, the MFA noted Singapore’s position was set out in Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan’s remarks in the Parliament.

Balakrishnan cited Dr Mohamad refused in 2002 to ask for a water pact review when it was due, thinking any changes to the price will impact the treated water’s cost sold by Singapore to Malaysia.

Singapore must embrace digital age to boost SMEs’, says communications minister

The Independent
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Singapore must embrace digital age to boost SMEs’, says communications minister

To increase the impact and contribute positively to Singapore’s overall growth, it is critical that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt digital technology.

This is the view of the Minister for communications and information, S. Iswaran, speaking on Feb 17 when he discussed the Singaporean government’s efforts to support current enterprises in the digital space.

Iswaran, who also acts as the minister-in-charge of trade relations, noted the government is not only focused on improving the operations of the big business but also SMEs.

The SMEs role in the business community is vital as they push forward our economic stability as a whole, especially as they become plugged into the digital economy to mobilise their daily operations and automate their business transactions.

Other government agencies have suggested businesses make full use of digital technology to increase their productivity and enterprise competitiveness.

In recent years, SMEs are seen as key drivers of the country’s economy. As cited by the Department of Statistics, SMEs posted 65% contribution towards providing Singapore’s jobs.

In 2017 alone, SMEs contributed 49% or $196.8 billion to the country’s economy.

The agency defined SMEs as enterprises that have operating receipts of not more than $100 million or employs about 200 members of the workforce.

Iswaran said that the country’s digital readiness programme is designed to promote the welfare of both the workers and businesses.

He added when society is aware of digital technology, Singaporean citizens can easily access and enjoy the e-government’s benefits and the advantages of other digital services.

He was speaking to reporters on Sunday morning on the sidelines of a Chinese New Year community event in West Coast GRC, where he is an MP.

On Sunday, he attended the relaunch of the West Coast Cares programme, which began in 2015, at the West Coast Market Square in Clementi. Under this initiative, over 150 domestic businesses are helping in providing daily necessities for households who need them most.

Iswaran led the People’s Association Community Spirit Awards among partner organisations such as West Coast 726 Hawkers’ Association, Clementi Town Shop-Owners’ Association, and West Coast Drive Merchants’ Association, recognising their assistance.

Several packs of oranges were given to the Square’s food centre’s residents, diners, and hawkers.

Singapore’s Budget 2019: Overview and highlights

Anna Maria Romero
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Singapore’s Budget 2019: Overview and highlights

Singapore’s Finance Minister delivered the national Budget for 2019 in Parliament on the afternoon of February 18, Monday.

Heng Swee Keat said this “is an opportune time to reflect on our history so that we can chart an even better future for our people.”

Before going into the specifics Mr Heng acknowledged the global situation, particularly the decline in support for globalization, as well as the ongoing trade dispute between the two biggest economies in the world, the US and China. However, on the regional front, he underlined that there are abundant opportunities for growth within ASEAN.

The Finance Minister then discussed the issues that the country must address, namely, ageing, social mobility, inequality, economic transformation, and climate change.

Heng called Budget 2019 “a strategic plan to build a Strong, United Singapore” and pledged to do the following: “Keep Singapore safe and secure; Continue to transform our economy; Build a caring and inclusive society; Build a globally connected, smart and sustainable global city and home for all; and Do this in a responsible and fiscally-sustainable manner.”

Highlights of the 2019 Budget:

Security

With security being a high priority at present, Mr. Heng said that 30 per cent of the total expenditures for this year will go towards supporting defence, security and diplomacy efforts. The Finance Minister deemed this as “indispensable.”

Additionally, the Ministry of Home Affairs will be setting up a Home Team Science & Technology agency for the purpose of transforming the private security industry through innovation and technology.

Economic Growth

The country’s economy grew by 3.2% in 2018, and the real median income of Singaporeans has grown by 3.6% per year over the past five years.
But the Finance Minister also said economic growth around the world may slow down this year due to greater uncertainties and downside risks.

Economic Competitiveness

The country is endeavoring to keep a stable environment for investors to stay in the long-term, and this year’s budget focuses on three main areas to support industry transformation and foster economic competitiveness:
a) Building deep enterprise capabilities;
b) Building deep worker capabilities; and
c) Encouraging strong partnerships, within Singapore and across the world

Supporting Start-ups and Enabling Firms To Scale

This year, the Government will render greater assistance in the following ways:

  1. Customised assistance through launching a Scale-up SG programme and Innovation Agents scheme.
  2. Better financing options through setting aside additional $100m to establish the SME Co-Investment Fund III.
  3. Technological adoption through expanding the SMEs Go Digital programme to more sectors, as well as expand the number and range of cost-effective digital solutions under it.

Mr Heng also announced that the Automation Support Package (ASP) will be extended by two years.

Manpower Growth in Services

Mr Heng added that the services sector Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) will be reduced in two steps from 40% to 38% on 1 January 2020, and to 35% on 1 January 2021; the services sector S Pass Sub-DRC will be reduced in two steps from 15% to 13% on 1 January 2020, and to 10% on 1 January 2021.

For the purpose of supporting companies as they get used to these changes, the 70% funding support level for the Enterprise Development Grant and the Productivity Solutions Grant will see a three-year extension.

Additionally, the increase in Foreign Worker Levy rates for the Marine Shipyard and Process sectors will be deferred another year, to give the sector a longer time to recover.

Promoting the country as a global tech hub

The Government continues to encourage the country to become the global tech hub in Asia, with new chances for Singaporeans to take advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Mr. Heng announced that the Government will continue to invest in Research and Development and that a Centre of Innovation in Aquaculture at Temasek Polytechnic and Centre of Innovation in Energy at NTU will be established.

Also, the government is setting aside $4.6 billion over the next three years for new economic capability-building measures in #SGBudget2019, and to support Singaporean workers.

A Caring and Inclusive Society

In building a caring and inclusive Singapore, this year’s budget will concentrate on (1) uplifting Singaporeans to maximise their potential and providing access to opportunities through stages of life, (2) providing greater assurance for healthcare, and (3) fostering a community of care and contribution through strong partnerships.

The Finance Minister made special mention of the bottom 20 percent of workers, for whom the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Scheme is going to be enhanced.

Starting from January of next year, the qualifying income cap will be raised from the current $2,000 to $2,300 per month, and maximum annual payouts will be raised by up to $400.

For workers who are older, the Government will review the relevance and structure of the Special Employment Credit (SEC) and the Additional Special Employment Credit (ASEC). Additionally, the SEC and ASEC will be extended another year, until the end of 2020.

Healthcare

These are the changes the Government is implementing in the area of healthcare:
Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) subsidies for GP clinics will be enhanced in various ways. One, HAS will be extended to cover all Singaporeans for chronic conditions, regardless of one’s income. Then, CHAS Orange cardholders (lower to middle-income Singaporeans) will also be receiving subsidies for common illnesses. And finally, subsidies will increase for complex chronic conditions.

Additionally, $5.1 billion will be put into a new Long-Term Care Support Fund, to help fund the CareShield Life subsidies as well as other long-term care support initiatives, such as ElderFund.

Merdeka Generation Package (MGP)

Mr. Heng introduced the Merdeka Generation Package (MGP), “as a gesture of our nation’s gratitude for the Merdeka Generation’s contributions, and a way to show care for them in their silver years. It supports them in staying active and healthy, while providing greater peace of mind over future healthcare costs, for the Merdeka Generation and their families.”

Here are the 5 key benefits of the MGP
1. One-time $100 top-up to their PAssion Silver cards to support their active lifestyles.
2. MediSave top-up of $200 per year for five years, starting this year until 2023.
3. Additional subsidies for outpatient treatment, for life.
– Special CHAS subsidies at CHAS GPs and dental clinics.
- Additional 25% off subsidised bills at Polyclinics and public Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs).
4. Additional MediShield Life premium subsidies, for life. This will start from 5% of their MediShield Life premiums, and increase to 10% after they reach 75 years of age.
5. Additional participation incentive of $1,500 to join CareShield Life, when it becomes available for existing cohorts in 2021.

Care for Seniors and other vulnerable groups

Here are the provisions within this year’s budget for senior citizens and other groups.

Cash assistance rates for the ComCare Long-Term Assistance scheme will be increased.

Additionally, the SG Cares movement will grow through the following endeavors: 1) encouraging volunteerism among the youth and nurturing young community leaders 2) encouraging volunteerism among older employees in companies, and 3) encouraging volunteerism among public officers under the Public Service Cares initiative.

Bicentennial commemoration

For Singapore’s Bicentennial Year, $200 million has been allotted for a Bicentennial Community Fund for dollar-for-dollar matching for donations made to all Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs) in FY2019.

Singaporeans will also partake of a $1.1 billion Bicentennial Bonus, with lower-income citizens receiving up to $300 through a GST Voucher (Bicentennial Payment), and WIS payment recipients will be receiving a Workfare Bicentennial Bonus equivalent to an additional 10% of their WIS payment for work done in 2018.

Mr. Heng added the additional bonuses because of this historic moment
“Personal income taxpayers can look forward to a 50% personal income tax rebate, subject to a cap of $200, for the Year of Assessment 2019.

Parents with children in schools can look out for a $150 top-up to the Edusave accounts of their children in primary and secondary school. Those who are aged 17 to 20 will also receive up to $500 in their Post-Secondary Education Accounts (PSEA).

Older Singaporeans aged 50 to 64 who have less than $60,000 in their CPF accounts will receive CPF top-up of up to $1,000.”

Also, the Government will also provide another year of Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) rebate, and an additional $10 million is going toward the Public Transport Fund.

Here are the other items that the Finance Minister announced for Budget 2019

Climate Change— the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) will introduce the Zero Waste Masterplan in the second half of 2019.

Diesel Taxes— The Government will raise the excise duty for diesel by $0.10 per litre to $0.20 per litre. The annual Special Tax on diesel cars and taxis will be permanently reduced by $100 and $850 respectively.

GST Import Relief for travellers—For travellers who spend less than 48 hours outside Singapore, the relief limit will be reduced from $150 to $100. For 48 hours or more, the relief quantum will be reduced from $600 to $500. The alcohol duty-free concession for travellers will be tightened from three litres to two litres from 1 April.

Mr. Heng ended his speech with an eye toward the future: “There are three lessons for us to learn from our past in order to chart our future as we commemorate our Bicentennial year.

First, Singapore and Singaporeans will have our place in the world as long as we stay relevant and useful. We must stay open and connected, drawing ideas and people from across the globe.

Second, external events around us will shape and re-shape our lives. We must take the long-view, adapt with the times and thrive.

Third, we must draw strength from our diversity, by focusing on what we have in common.

The changes ahead will be faster and deeper, #SGBudget2019highlights the key challenges we are facing, and how we are preparing to ride on the changes, to turn challenges into opportunities, for Singaporeans and for our partners in the global community.”

Read related: As anticipated, booming Merdeka Generation Package for the elderly unveiled

https://theindependent.sg.sg/as-anticipated-booming-merdeka-generation-package-for-the-elderly-unveiled/

 

Revival of water talks, price of raw water to S’pore still too cheap, says Malaysian PM

Anna Maria Romero
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Revival of water talks, price of raw water to S’pore still too cheap, says Malaysian PM

Malaysian PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad said, “We are of the view that the price of 3 sen for 1,000 gallons of raw water was decided in 1926. At that time, the value of 1 sen could buy a lot of goods, but now with 1 sen we can’t buy anything, even with 3 sens we can’t buy anything.”

He made these comments to the press after he launched the National Community Policy in Puchong.

He added, “By right, price of goods should be current. Today we are not talking about millionaires, but billionaires because income has increased tremendously. So, if you think that the price set in 1926 still remains until the year 3000 — another millennium — is it reasonable? I feel it is unreasonable. Until when?”

The price of water between Malaysia and Singapore has been a bone of contention for many years now.

An agreement on this issue that was signed in 1961, expired in 2011, a subsequent agreement signed in 1962 will be expiring in 2061.

Malaysia guaranteed these pacts under the Separation Agreement, which confirmed Singapore’s sovereignty in 1965.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Sunday (Feb 17) that the official talks concerning the price of raw water between Singapore and Malaysia will be conducted by Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah.

The location and schedule for the discussion have not yet been disclosed.

During the Financial Crisis in Asia, Singapore and Malaysia commenced negotiations on the water issue which lasted for 6 years and was later halted by Malaysia.

However, when Mahathir was elected Prime Minister last year the issue resurfaced.  Mahathir said that the price of the raw water was “manifestly ridiculous.”

He also announced that Malaysia would pursue a renegotiation of the terms of the previous agreement, which states that Singapore can receive up to 250 million gallons a day of raw water from the Johor river.

Singapore pays Malaysia 3 sen price for every 1,000 gallons of raw water and then resells treated water to Johor at 50 sen for every 1,000 gallons.

The steep hike in the price of water is justified by the fact that Singapore pays for the water treatment infrastructural costs, dams and treatment plants, pumps and pipelines, including construction, operation, and maintenance costs of these, as explained in a booklet entitled Water Talks, which was put out in 2003.

For example, in one 2003 project Singapore paid S$1 billion, while Malaysia shouldered none of the costs.

According to the government, the real cost of treating the water is RM2.40 (S$ .80) per thousand gallons, which means that Singapore pays for RM1.90 (S$ .63) per thousand gallons.

The Malaysian Prime Minister talked to Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, last November, wherein the leaders of the two countries were able to air out their differing perspectives about the “right to review the price of water under the 1962 Water Agreement,” but also said they were both willing to proceed with officials from both countries talking about the matter, to “better understand each other’s positions”.

Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Singapore, said in Parliament that the Prime Ministers of both countries have agreed for their respective Attorneys-General to talk about if Malaysia has the right to negotiate the 1962 Water Agreement water prices.

He said, “The Attorneys-General subsequently met in December 2018. Unfortunately, their discussions were overshadowed by the new issues that had arisen over the Johor Baru port limits and the Seletar ILS (Instrument Landing System) procedures.

But the two Attorneys-General will meet again to continue their discussions.”

Read related: Dr Mahathir in relentless pursuit of water deal revision with Singapore

https://theindependent.sg.sg/dr-mahathir-in-relentless-pursuit-of-water-deal-revision-with-singapore/

 

Shanmugam defends Lee Bee Wah on cats issue saying she was doing her civic duty as an MP

Anna Maria Romero
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0
Shanmugam defends Lee Bee Wah on cats issue saying she was doing her civic duty as an MP

Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam took to Facebook to defend Member of Parliament (MP) Lee Bee Wah.

The Nee Soon GRC MP has been mocked for drawing attention to the problems that community cat feeders have inadvertently caused since they are supposedly responsible for the proliferation of big rats in her ward because of the food they leave out for the cats.

According to Shanmugam, Lee was merely “doing her duty as a responsible MP.”

The Home Affairs Minister said that Lee “has been subjected to ‘free speech’ abuse from avatar accounts and trolls,” which he says make up the majority of the comments against her, and suggested that these comments be ignored. Instead, comments from “genuine, concerned people” should be addressed.

Lee had made a speech in Parliament concerning animal management in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates.

Her speech drew flack from animal rights groups such as the Cat Welfare Society (CWS), who felt that she was treating community caregivers and the cats they care for unfairly.

However, according to Shanmugam, Lee brought up issues that are of concern to residents and that her speech must be looked at carefully.

The Home Affairs Minister said that he knew that problems regarding hygiene are a priority for residents, but at the same time he was conscious of the concerns of animal rights groups.

Shanmugan wrote about the project of CWS at Nee Soon in the past, wherein he had helped with funding for the project, as well as obtained the cooperation of the Town Council and other agencies to push for responsible cat feeding.

But he acknowledged that “at the same time, I know the issues residents have, particularly when our good work is derailed by irresponsible feeders … Their actions cause hygiene problems for residents – rats and cockroaches and so on.”

Shanmugam also sought to clarify the impression that Lee wants to stop the two-hour feeding period for community cats, where food must be taken away within two hours from being put out for the animals and noted that the MP is not, in fact, against proper and supervised cat feeding.

The Home Affairs Minister reiterated that if needed, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority “AVA and NEA (National Environment Agency) will work with CWS to tighten processes, for instance, to ask the feeders to stay close to the cats during feeding time and clear all unfinished food immediately.”

Shanmugam also took aim at those who criticized Members of Parliament who laughed when Lee made her speech.

He maintained that laughter arose because the MPs could relate to the problems Lee was recounting.

“They laughed when she shared the response she received about the snake in the drain – ‘it is part of the habitat’.

Try telling that to the residents whose flats are a few metres away. And they laughed when Dr Lee spoke about forming a rat-taskforce. MPs saw the lighter side of having to form a rat-taskforce.”

The Home Affairs Minister defended Lee unequivocally.

“Dr Lee was doing her duty as a responsible MP – to look after her residents and speak up for them.

Anyone who thinks that there is no problem with the issue, ought to visit and talk to residents.

In the last ten years, the animal rights cause in Singapore has grown from strength to strength. We have had many positive rule changes, to support the cause.

Government agencies regularly engage animal welfare groups and both sides try to work in partnership.”

He also reminded that a balance must be taken in such issues. “At the same time, I have always recognised that we need to strike a balance between a cause we passionately believe in, and the sentiments of residents, who have to face disamenities.

I have always given priority to residents’ concerns (which is any MP’s primary duty), while educating them on animal welfare, and working to advance the cause of animal welfare.”

The Home Affairs Minister’s post can be found in full here.

https://www.facebook.com/k.shanmugam.page/posts/2096508653728987?__tn__=C-R

Read related: ‘Catty’ comments not funny at all, Cat Welfare Society strikes back at Lee Bee Wah

https://theindependent.sg.sg/catty-comments-not-funny-at-all-cat-welfare-society-strikes-back-at-lee-bee-wah/

 

 

Co-founder Affi Assegaf leaves Female Daily Network management team

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Co-founder Affi Assegaf leaves Female Daily Network management team

Having been non-active in the past one year, Assegaf left Female Daily Network due to personal reason

female_daily_network_cofounder (1)

Left to right: Female Daily Network co-founders Affi Assegaf, Novita Imelda, Hanifa Ambadar

Following collaboration with Co-Founder and CEO Hanifa Ambadar, Female Daily Network Co-Founder and Business Director Affi Assegaf announced her resignation from the company’s management team.

Ambadar told DailySocial that Assegaf’s decision to leave the company had been made two years ago. In the past one year, Assegaf no longer actively working at the Female Daily Network office.

“The point is that Assegaf’s decision to leave the company is due to personal reasons. Assegaf, who was in charge of content on the Female Daily Network platform, could no longer contribute fulltime to the platform,” Ambadar said.

When asked about whether Assegaf’s resignation will affect operations at the company, Ambadar stressed that her resignation will not disrupt business and managerial activities. The CEO also stated that the company currently has no plan to recruit a new executive to replace Assegaf’s position as Business Director.

“We will remain focussed on recruiting young talents to host the Female Daily segment on YouTube and our own site,” she added.

Also Read: Indonesia’s women lifestyle portal Female Daily Network acquires mobile developer JTECH

Gaining popularity among Gen-Z

While the platform maintains its focus on beauty information, Female Daily Network claimed that it has begun to be visited by users of Gen-Z.

Millennials are no longer the target of startups and major brands; secondary school students have started reading and enjoying the content on Female Daily.

The Female Daily app itself is currently available on both Android and iOS apps.

“At the moment we have two million users, in line with our commitment to focus on 99 per cent beauty content since 2014. It is expected that the number of our users will continue to increase,” Ambadar said.

Female Daily also plans to announce its most recent business plans and updates in the year 2019.

—

The article Affi Assegaf Keluar dari Jajaran Manajemen Female Daily Network was written in Bahasa Indonesia by Yenny Yusra for DailySocial. English translation and editing by e27.

The post Co-founder Affi Assegaf leaves Female Daily Network management team appeared first on e27.

Source: E27

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