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SG advances to 9th spot after a decade for its best female workers’ performance among OECD countries

The Independent
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SG advances to 9th spot after a decade for its best female workers’ performance among OECD countries

In a recent parliamentary inquiry of Ang Hin Kee, Member of Parliament (MP), to Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower (MOM), regarding the female labour force participation rate (LFPR), the latter cited the country’s female LFPR aged 15 and above has shown a steady growth for the past 10 years.

Teo cited from 56% in 2008, it had increased to 60% in 2018. Since 2015, it has maintained its fixed percentage growth rate at 60%.

The agency shared that around 6% of female workers are self-employed. The Ministry noted these working moms are those who have chosen to work on their own or run their own business without any paid staff.

Many of these working women consisted of around 70% who are self-employed with regular jobs. They selected this type of work and preferred working using this set-up.

For the past decade, Teo boasted that among the OECD countries, Singapore had jumped from 17th place to the 9th position for the female LFPR, which was a milestone for the country.

Despite the good news, Teo stressed that one of the key issues that most workers, both men and women, in the labor force encounter are the lack of experience, qualifications, and skills.

Compared to male workers, a growing number of working women also complain about the absence of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) for them as one challenge in the industry.

Also, similar to their male counterparts, self-employed female workers are prone to payment disputes and potential income loss brought by prolonged illnesses or injuries.

Teo listed all government initiatives that bring assistance to many women workers to take part and be encouraged to stay in the labor force. First, there is the Adapt & Grow initiative that is designed for job matching, training subsidies, and salary assistance.

Second, the government has created WSG’s Careers Connect or NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i)’s career centres.

Third, MyCareersFuture is a portal that can be used when searching for suitable jobs for their skills.

Fourth, there is the rollout of the Tripartite Standard on flexible work arrangements (FWAs) that encourages more employers to provide FWAs to their staff.

Fifth, funding support is made available to the employers, through the Work-Life Grant, amounting to $105,000 per firm.

Sixth, there are voluntary mediation services offered by the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM).

In the second inquiry, MP Gan Thiam Poh queried Teo about the capacity of the government to incentivise employers to engage their staff to actively take part in the company’s initiatives that have long-term advantages.

The Manpower minister responded to the Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC) coordinates with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) in the adoption of the Total Workplace Safety and Health approach.

Teo noted both the WSHC and HPB have incentives in place for the employers such as health screenings, staff assistance to manage health issues, provide ergonomic strategies for carrying loads, and launching workplace exercise activities.

Goh Chok Tong takes a passive aggressive dig at Chan Chun Sing on social media

Jewel Stolarchuk
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0
Goh Chok Tong takes a passive aggressive dig at Chan Chun Sing on social media

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has taken another passive aggressive dig at one of his colleagues within the ruling party – this time, his target is Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing.

Chan Chun Sing was widely touted to be the leading frontrunner candidate who will become the next Prime Minister of Singapore. At the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Central Executive Committee elections, however, Chan was appointed 2nd Assistant Secretary-General while Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat clinched the 1st Assistant Secretary-General post.

Heng Swee Keat’s appointment as 1st Assistant Secretary-General of the ruling PAP indicates that he is the most likely candidate to succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as head of government while Chan might become a Deputy Prime Minister in the future.

Yesterday morning, Goh made a dig at Chan as he seemingly praised Chan for his eloquence at a recent event, before following the compliment up with a passive aggressive jibe. He said:

“I attended the Middle East Institute-NUS conference not just as guest-of-honour but also to listen to Minister Chan Chun Sing. He impressed with an insightful speech and thoughtful, succinct, clear answers in the ensuing dialogue. But as we know, one swallow does not a summer make.”

The phrase “one swallow does not a summer make” is an old proverb, that most notably arose from a Richard Taverner’s 1539 transcription of the Latin proverbs of Erasmus. Taverner transcribed the Latin proverb as such: “It is not one swallow that bryngeth in summer. It is not one good quality that maketh a man good.”

In other words, the phrase means that a single instance of something is just a single instance and is not indicative of a trend.

Several netizens noted ESM Goh’s jibe at Chan Chun Sing. Sharing Goh’s Facebook post on Twitter, local activist Kirsten Han said: “Watching Singapore’s political elite get passive-aggressive is going to be my top spectator sport of 2019.”

She added: “It’s my theory that we are so politically repressed as a people and people so rarely just say what they mean when it comes to issues that we think are sensitive that this might actually have made us very good at paggro shade.”

Several others responding to ESM Goh’s Facebook post noted the last line and praised the former Prime Minister for his “subtle sense of humour”:

This is not the first time that ESM Goh has thrown shade at his ruling party colleagues. In September last year, in the middle of the public uproar over high ministerial pay and the bonus pay package, Goh came out to say that he is not paid a Cabinet Minister’s salary even though he holds the ESM title.

Goh also took the opportunity to throw shade at his predecessor and his successor, as he said, “Instead of threatening to get up from my grave when things go wrong, I prefer to contribute while still alive but without getting in the way of the younger leaders.”

Goh appeared to be referring to the late Lee Kuan Yew’s famous 1988 quote, “Even from my sickbed, even if you are going to lower me to the grave and I feel that something is going wrong, I will get up.” Lee had said the line two years before he handed the reins of the nation over to Goh, in 1990.

While many pointed out that Goh was making a dig at the elder Lee, some also noted that Goh’s cleverly worded statement could also be a dig at Lee Hsien Loong since he asserts that he will not get “in the way of the younger leaders.”

This could be a jibe at what Goh may believe PM Lee is doing – retaining his prime ministership until the next election even in the face of calls for leadership succession.

Earlier last year, Singaporeans began to speculate that an internal conflict may be brewing between Goh and Lee Hsien Loong when the leaders got into a passive aggressive exchange on social media.

The exchange between the top politicians began on New Year’s Eve when ESM Goh urged the younger minister to select the next Prime Minister ideally within 6-9 months time, calling this an “urgent challenge” for the nation.

Later in January, the Prime Minister commented on ESM Goh’s remarks and said that leadership succession will “take a little bit longer” than what ESM Goh had hoped. He added, in what appeared to be a pointed comment, that “ESM (Goh) is speaking with the privilege of watching things rather than being responsible to make it happen. I think we know it’s a very serious matter.”

In response, the ESM took to Facebook and posted a comment that appeared to throw subtle shade at the PM’s “watching things” comment.

Posting about his meeting with former Iranian Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, Dr Ali Tayebnia, the former PM said: “I recalled my two visits to Iran fondly, the first as Prime Minister and the second, as Senior Minister. Both of us now ‘watch’ things happen, and coincidentally share a common title. He serves as Senior Advisor to his President while I serve as Senior Advisor to MAS!”

ESM Goh made a similar reference to the “watching” comment in a subsequent post. Uploading two photos, one of himself and another of an unidentified man, the ESM wrote: “I watch as he ruminates in the calmness of Learning Forest, far from the maddening (sic) crowd.”

A few hours later, the PM finally responded by sharing ESM Goh’s post and wrote: “‘Watching’ MParader’s posts: Touché!” – LHL”

Netizens responding to the unusual exchange appear to largely feel that there is some sort of strain in the relationship between the nation’s current and immediate past Prime Ministers.

One netizen wrote, “Using FB to get a message across between a former PM and the current PM reflects a strained relationship that requires some patching up. Hopefully, we don’t end up watching more things happening,” while others have criticised the leaders for being “childish”.

https://theindependent.sg.sg/did-goh-chok-tongs-dig-at-lee-kuan-yew-and-lee-hsien-loong-spark-renewed-leadership-succession-talk/

https://www.facebook.com/182873625088645/posts/2699654386743877/

Singapore’s 2018 household income per person only earns a meager 3% increase

The Independent
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Singapore’s 2018 household income per person only earns a meager 3% increase

In 2018, Singapore’s household income growth per person has shown slow signs of growth, despite the declining count of residents staying in the same household provided some improvements.

On a monthly basis, the median household income of every working household member was recorded at S$2,792. The Department of Statistics (SingStat) recently cited this had increased at 3.4% on a dollar basis or 3% in real terms brought by the country’s inflation.
However, compared to the 2017 media per capita income, it has declined by 3.9% in real growth.

Looking at the situation, as a whole, families with at least one household member working in 2018 has a real income growth rate of 2.6% or S$9,293 compared with 1.5% real income increase in 2017.

The 2018 figures were a common scenario to most Singaporean families or about nine-tenths of all households in the country.

The median is the half or midpoint in the population. On average, the mean or real growth in 2018 from the previous year was 0.5%.

Those household incomes belonging to the top 11% to 29% earned the highest gains at 4%.

Household income taken from work involved the employers’ Central Provident Funds, excluding other incomes sourced from dividends or rentals. This did not include the maids’ wages.

From the simple explanation of income per household member, using the Gini coefficient, in 2018, a measure of income inequality, was seen at 0.458 compared to 0.459 in the past year.

Getting a zero means there is total income equality while a score of one shows total inequality.

Among 10% of the Singaporean income earners at the bottom of the population, the 2018 average household earnings for every member was about S$570 while those at the upper 10% of the population received S$13,581.

SingStat cited the Gini coefficient plunged to 0.404 after deducting government taxes and transfers, as public schemes provided at an average of S$4,494 to every resident household member.

The government transfers were reduced on average at least S$9 lower, compared to 2017 rate, brought by a decline in the Medishield Life transitional subsidies and no more one-off grants provided like NS50 vouchers.

In the country, around 12.1% of the population belongs to the non-working households, which were mainly caused by the increasing number of ageing Singaporeans.

How a single user-centric approach unlocked Southeast Asia for us

e27
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How a single user-centric approach unlocked Southeast Asia for us

Shopee shares how to get the “happy user, happy future” ratio

Southeast Asia’s e-commerce industry is growing rapidly and is a key driver in the digital economy.

According to the Google Temasek e-Conomy SEA 2018 report, Southeast Asia’s Internet economy will exceed US$240 billion by 2025, while e-commerce, which has already passed US$23 billion in 2018, will exceed US$100 billion by 2025.

This growth has been largely fuelled by rising internet access, especially on mobile devices. Improved connectivity and decreased mobile data costs have attracted about three million new internet users in Southeast Asia every month.

As of June 2018, there are over 350 million internet users in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. That is 90 million more than in 2015.

As more Southeast Asians go online, their increased trust and familiarity with e-commerce will be a major factor in its development in the coming years.

Thus, given the growth potential in the e-commerce industry, here’s how startup founders can utilise Shopee’s learnings to create platforms and communities that will win Southeast Asia.

1. Relating to users

Knowing the region will tell you that it is predominantly mobile-first. It has leapfrogged generations of technology and adopted the mobile phone.

With more than 90 per cent of Southeast Asians surfing the internet primarily through their smartphones, we have to grab their attention with highly localised strategies across all areas of the business to ensure that user experience is relatable and engaging.

Having a different app for each country is one of the ways that allow for a hyper localised user experience, resulting in nimble marketing campaigns that target directly at local cultural nuances.

Case study

During Shopee’s regional campaigns, we adopted localised strategies and content to suit the preferences of locals.

For example, we had different campaign ambassadors used for different countries during Shopee’s 12.12 Birthday Sale.

In Vietnam, we worked with a local footballer, Bùi Tiến Dũng, who is popular with his community, while also partnering with Jose Mari Chan (affectionately known by locals as the Father Christmas of the Philippines) to draw the Filipino crowds. Riding on the Korean-pop wave, Bambam became the face of Shopee Thailand’s 12.12 campaign.

This not only made our campaigns highly localised but also deeply engaging for users who were also fans of these ambassadors.

We hosted exclusive fan meets, live concerts and utilised social media platforms to hold live streaming events that allowed for further engagement with our users.

2. Engaging users

Every brand and every app is looking to win the attention of users.

Attention alone is not good enough; we want to keep users engaged as an experiential e-commerce platform.

A study done by App Annie showed a strong correlation between time spent in shopping apps and e-commerce sales.

Therefore, time spent in-app is an important metric which is why companies customise their in-app experience for their consumers.

Also Read: Why be a thought leader at Echelon Asia Summit 2019?

Through elements of gamification, flash sales, the curation of categories and products, these e-commerce platforms want to keep their users constantly engaged through entertainment and personalisation.

We first learnt what users in the region enjoyed and understood their motivations before deciding on a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach ranging from in-app activities to regional and local celebrity ambassadors.

Case Study

We found that users enjoy “slicing” food/fruits on their mobile phones, so we created a Shopee version of it and localised it so that each market will play a unique local version of the game.

We had Shopee Chop-Chop Curry Pok in Singapore, where users had to slice falling curry puffs (a snack of choice for many locals) and an Indonesian version of the game titled Shopee Potong (Bahasa word for “slice”) for one of our local Super Brand Days.

Another in-app game that we introduced was Shopee Quiz where we had local celebrities from the various countries host the quiz sessions, making it an interactive and social experience for our users.

This was a combination of strategies: localisation and deeper user engagement.

Using what was familiar to consumers and creatively adding them to in-app games allowed locals to spend more time on the app which may lead to additional browsing and purchasing.

3. Listening to the users via feedback

Putting users first in whatever you do is vital as the entire online experience is shaped based on their preferences.

Companies often collect user data so as to continually improve the online experience, resulting in a more satisfied and hopefully “repeat” consumer.

Actively reviewing their feedback helps platforms to improve on their features and services and to better cater to users’ needs.

Case Study

One example of utilising our users’ feedback is Shopee’s live chat function improvement.

The previous version of our live chat did not allow for multitasking which led to instances of the conversation timing out and users having to go through the help process again. We listened to our users and updated the chat function to allow for multitasking, and also introduced additional push notifications to remind users of ongoing chats.

These changes were made possible due to a strong feedback loop between our community of users and us.

Also Read: These two entrepreneurs help elderly Singaporeans improve their independence and age better

In the fast-paced and dynamic e-commerce industry, the relevance and importance of data cannot be understated in identifying consumer behaviour and buying patterns. The combination of updated technology and the resultant data we are able to obtain has also helped us better map out an optimised buyer and seller user experience.

Furthermore, this enables us to pre-empt customer demand and anticipate potential surges in order volume—a great asset when it comes to helping our seller’s manage stock and logistics.

In addition, we use AI technology throughout the app, including modules such as our recommendation engine, to prompt relevant products to customers based on their past browsing and purchase patterns.

Conclusion

As technology and people’s online behaviour evolves, we must constantly look towards creating greater value for users beyond just being a transactional platform.

Founders need to have the courage and honesty to ask themselves if their product is able to relate to, engage with and learn from their users.

—

Image Credit: imtmphoto

e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.

The post How a single user-centric approach unlocked Southeast Asia for us appeared first on e27.

Source: E27

Mikhy Brochez now claims he did not steal HIV records and that he was only infected with HIV when he was raped in Singapore prison

Jewel Stolarchuk
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Mikhy Brochez now claims he did not steal HIV records and that he was only infected with HIV when he was raped in Singapore prison

Update: In a joint statement on February 13, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Prison Service (SPS) asserted that the accusations made by Brochez were all phoney.

 

Mikhy K Farrera Brochez, the foreigner whom the Government has identified as the mastermind of the HIV Registry data leak, has broken his silence on social media and declared his innocence.

Last month, the Government said that the confidential records of 14,200 individuals diagnosed with HIV are in the illegal possession of Brochez, who was said to have accessed the HIV Registry and stolen the record through his partner, Singaporean doctor Ler Teck Siang.

In a lengthy post on Facebook today, Brochez calls the allegations against him “blatantly false” and asserts that he did not steal the HIV database or leak it to the public. Brochez instead claims that the database was stolen in 2012 by a man who had an affair with Ler Teck Siang. Brochez said:

“I am breaking my silence. The allegations being made against me by the Lee regime in Singapore are blatantly false. I did not steal this database nor did I leak it to the public.
“The database was stolen in 2012 by Zachary Levine and an Indonesian named Fairuz Widjat. Mr. Levine had a sexual realtionship with my spouse while living with his then boyfriend LW’s parents. Mr. Levine was unhappy with his living arrangements and the fact that his boyfriend wouldn’t come out of the closet to his parents.
“He attemped to talk Teck Siang into kicking me out so that he could move in with Teck Siang. Teck Siang broke off his relationship with Mr. Levine. When this happened Mr. Levine continued to harass us and even broke into our home on multiple occasions. Mr. Levine even stole Teck Siang’s work computer.”

Brochez said that he saw Levine made a social media post about the HIV Registry in 2012 and that he alerted a Dr Jeffery Cutter at the Ministry of Health (MOH) about the matter.

Alleging that “Dr. Cutter and his staff chose cover this matter up,” Brochez claimed that he “elevated the matter to Dr. Amy Khor in October, 2013.”

Refuting the MOH’s statement that it only became aware of the data leak in 2016, Brochez alleged that he alerted the authorities of the data theft and “provided evidence repeatedly in 2012 and 2013.”

Alleging that an MOH staff told him that such a data leak is not against the law and that other officials “threatened” him for his silence, Brochez asserted that he has recordings of his meetings with the authorities and copies of emails to back his claims. He said:

“I call on the Lee regime in Singapore to be honest and release this email if they have nothing to hide. You have a chance to resolve this before you are publicly embarassed. You have been honest about one thing. I do have a lot more evidence. I recorded my meetings with MOH. I can release these recordings. Your allegations that I was uncooperative are completely false.
“I sought help with multiple government agencies and I was repeatedly turned away or referred back to the Ministry of Health. Dr. Jeffery Cutter and Michael Ang the Deputy Director of Investigations repeatedly threatened me to gain my silence.
“Further the allegation that MOH only became aware of the data leak in April of 2016 is also false. I provided evidence repeatedly in 2012 and 2013. I also provided to Dr. Amy Khor. I did attempt to pass evidence of the data leak to Lim Eng Peng and Wilfred Dennis who are managers at the Ministry of Health. They refused to look or take the proof. Mr. Dennis even went on to say that there was nothing wrong with that being made public and that it wasn’t against the law in Singapore.”

Brochez further alleged that the home he shared with his husband was raided and computers were seized “under false charges in 2016.” Alleging that the authorities “thought they had covered up the matter,” Brochez claimed that the Government “believed that they had recovered all proof of the data leak from 2012 and that by publicly discrediting us with baseless charges and accusations would insulate them from any responsibility.”

He added: “The fact is that the Minsitry of Health has been using outdated software and inadequate security procedures to store confiendital medal [sic] data in the cyber age.”

Alleging that the “HIV registry is used to specifically target men who have sex with men,” and that the database is used to criminalise homosexuality, Brochez claims that the Government “hates the LGBT community.”

Brochez then revealed that he was given a list of HIV positive prisoners by a treating physician while he was imprisoned. Brochez claims the doctor gave him the list because he was “overly stressed from all the political pressures on him as he originally told me after blood test that I wasn’t HIV positive.”

Claiming that he was not HIV positive when he was imprisoned, Brochez claimed that he was infected with HIV when he was allegedly raped by other inmates while he was imprisoned. He said:

“I was placed in a cell with Muslim inmates where I was gang raped and infected with HIV. When I reported to the raped to the commanding officer DSP Nizar of Changi Prison B2 Complex. I was told “well you’re gay you should enjoy it.” That is no different from telling a women… “well you’re female you should enjoy it.””

Accusing the authorities of withholding medication, interfering with his medical treatment, and of beating and torturing him, Brochez expressed concern for his partner’s safety: “I do not know where my husband Dr. Ler Teck Siang is at the moment. I am scared for his life. I was beaten and tortured by Singaporean officicials [sic] as an American.”

Sharing emails he sent to various Government agencies seeking help over the matter in 2016, Brochez asked: “If I am the one who stole and leaked this data then why was I seeking help with the data leak in 2016.”

Brochez also said that the screenshots of the emails he has shared are “signed by myself and Assistant Superintendent Cindi Koh of the Special Investigative Section.”

He added: “I had to fight in court to get these documents. The redaction of the HIV registry was done by Singapore’s Attorney General Chambers. I sent proof to government agencies of the data leak.”

Alleging that Singapore has not been cooperating with American officials, Brochez said he has reached out to the Singapore Government offering to surrender himself but that he has received no response to the email.

Read his post in full here:

https://www.facebook.com/khy84/posts/10156107829568601

Health Minister Gan: Patients affected in HIV leak can sue MOH for data loss

Anna Maria Romero
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Health Minister Gan: Patients affected in HIV leak can sue MOH for data loss

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said in Parliament on Tuesday, February 12, that the 14,200 HIV patients who were affected by the massive data breach of confidential data may choose to take civil action against the Ministry of Health (MOH).

According to Gan, “Patients can take civil action against the Ministry of Health on breach of data or loss of data,” reported yahoo.sg yesterday.

The Health Minister answered a question from Nominated MP Irene Quay, who had inquired about what options a patient whose confidential information had been exposed can take.

However, Gan emphasized that it’s better for these patients to approach the MOH, saying that the ministry would provide as much support to these patients as needed.

“But we encourage them to talk to us, we will discuss with them what are the ways to help them and to support them in whichever way we can.”

Quay had asked the question after Dr Janil Puthucheary, the Senior Minister of State, confirmed that MOH does not fall under the purview of the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), which is in charge of the collection, use, and dissemination of personal information by private organisations.

This led Quay to inquire, “With PDPA exemption for MOH, what will be the recourse for victims, that the victims can take as a result of exposure of this sensitive information…for better accountability?”

The Health Minister answered many questions in Parliament on Tuesday, since the data breach concerning the information about HIV patients in Singapore had rocked the country last month when it was revealed that a Singaporean doctor Ler Teck Siang, and his American partner Mikhy Farrera Brochez, had obtained access to the data.

It is possible that Brochez may still have possession of the data, dating back from 1985, the authorities have said.

Brochez is also believed to have tried to offer others access to the data via online links.
However, Gan gave assurances that there were no indications that this data had been accessed, “We have quickly worked with authorities to similarly disable access to the online content.”

Brochez, who is HIV positive, illegally used a blood sample from Ler in order to work in the country. Ler, who had been the chief of MOH’s National Public Health Unit from 2012 May 2013, had access to the official HIV registry at that time.

Brochez was indicted on drug-related offences, as well as fraud, and received a 28-month prison sentence in March 2017.

In April 2018 Brochez was deported after his release from prison.

According to Gan, Brochez is now under investigation. “The police are engaging their American counterparts and are seeking their assistance in the investigations against Brochez. The Police will spare no effort pursuing all avenues to bring Brochez to justice.”

Read related: “I reject any allegation MOH sought to cover up HIV data leak incident” – Gan Kim Yong

https://theindependent.sg.sg/i-reject-any-allegation-moh-sought-to-cover-up-hiv-data-leak-incident-gan-kim-yong/

 

WP MP Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap asks Health Minister Gan about seniors who max out MediSave limits

Anna Maria Romero
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WP MP Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap asks Health Minister Gan about seniors who max out MediSave limits

In Parliament on Tuesday, February 12, Workers’ Party (WP) MP Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap asked about the number of Singaporeans over 65 who have spent their yearly MediSave withdrawal limits for the following categories: outpatient treatments, outpatient MRI/CT scans and diagnostics, and Flexible MediSave use.

Additionally, he asked for the number of senior citizens who have filed an application for using MediSave past the limit that can be withdrawn per year.

Since an aging citizenry is one of the chief concerns of many Singaporeans, this is a pertinent issue. By 2030, the nation’s population should reach 6.34 million, based on a 2017 study from the United Nations.

At that point, 1.8 million citizens are expected to be senior citizens or approximately 28 percent of the population. By 2050, this percentage is expected to rise to 47 percent, or very nearly half the population will be ages 65 and older.

Gan Kim Yong, the country’s Health Minister, answered that in the past two years, the Ministry received 200 appeals per year for outpatient MediSave use not just from older citizens, but from Singaporeans of all ages.

In each situation, extenuating circumstances such as financial constraints are considered when each appeal is reviewed.

Gan said that the approval rate for these appeals is around half of the total number.

Additionally, the Health Minister also said that among citizens 65 years old and up, 17 percent who are living with chronic medical conditions have already maxed out the limits on their MediSave.

For outpatient diagnostic scans, 16 percent of citizens have reached their MediSave limits.

And 16 percent of Singaporeans from 65 years old and beyond have also fully utilized the limit for Flexi-MediSave.

But recent changes have been made to the MediSave program that Singaporeans should find helpful, especially for those approaching their later years.

Here are the changes in the scheme. From $400, the withdrawal limit under the Chronic Disease Management Programme has now been increased to $500.

And as of June of last year, the minimum age for availing of Flexi-MediSave has been lowered from 65 to 60.

How affordable subsidized care for citizens will still be followed closely by the Ministry of Health (MOH), and people who find themselves needing more assistance should approach the medical social workers who are present at every public healthcare institution.

Read related: The severely disabled can access their own CPF savings early – but only $50-$200 per month, dependent on their Medisave balance

https://theindependent.sg.sg/the-severely-disabled-can-access-their-own-cpf-savings-early-but-only-50-200-per-month-dependent-on-their-medisave-balance/

 

Edwin Tong: “Curious” rise in online critiques during last year’s M’sia-S’pore tensions shows country’s vulnerability

Anna Maria Romero
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0
Edwin Tong: “Curious” rise in online critiques during last year’s M’sia-S’pore tensions shows country’s vulnerability

In Parliament on Tuesday, February 12, Senior Minister of State for Law Edwin Tong said that the number of comments critical of Singapore rose during the time when Singapore and Malaysia were at loggerheads over maritime and airspace issues late last year.

He called the increase “curious.”

Moreover, many of these posts were made using accounts that were anonymous.

One example Tong gave were comments concerning traffic congestion at checkpoints. Forty percent of the comments on this issue on alternative media’s social media pages came from “avatar accounts”, which have profile pictures that do not show the account holder’s face.

Tong explained that this is one example of how foreign interference can penetrate and influence the nation’s politics via misinformation and online campaigns.

He added, though, that later in the year laws will be updated so that steps can be made to fight these threats.

Regarding the “curious” spike in critical comments when bilateral tensions arose, Tong said, “We do not know who these suspicious accounts belong to. Nor do we know if they are being coordinated by foreign actors. But it is clear that these accounts have sought to give and create an artificial impression to netizens of the opposition to Singapore’s position, at a time of heightened bilateral difficulties.”

Tong said this in answer to a question from Cheng Li Hui, Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC, who had inquired whether there has been foreign interference in the country.

Tong pointed out the state-linked cyberattackers who were able to gain access to the information of 1.5 million Singaporeans, including that of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

He said, ”Cyber hackings are often deployed in concert with hostile information campaigns to search for information that can be weaponised.”

Tong also mentioned that other countries such as France and the United States have also had to ward off foreign interference. “No country is immune. This is asymmetric information warfare, fought in a theatre and an era with no distinction between war and peace.”

He underlined Singapore’s vulnerability in this area. “In this battlefield, Singapore, an open, democratic, digitally connected and diverse country, is especially vulnerable. We are a young country with sensitive fault-lines that foreign actors can exploit to foment distrust and ill-will among our various communities.”

Edwin Tong: Laws must be updated to fight foreign interference

The Independent
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Edwin Tong: Laws must be updated to fight foreign interference

In Parliament on Tuesday, 12 February, Senior Minister of State for Law and Health Edwin Tong said that the government will consider updating current laws swiftly to prevent Singapore from becoming a victim of foreign interference and information campaigns.

Mr Tong was responding on behalf of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Member of Parliament (MP) Cheng Li Hui, who had asked about the need to introduce new laws or strengthen existing laws regarding foreign interference and Singaporeans who work with foreign actors to influence Singapore’s elections and politics.

With the prevalence of deliberate online falsifications, Singapore is not excluded when dealing with the threats of online falsehoods. This rings alarm bells for Singapore as such online falsehoods have the potential to break up her social cohesion and threaten national security. With the creation of “Select Committee” to deal with online falsehoods last year, Mr Tong added that the government will consider legislation to deal with deliberate online falsehoods and state-sponsored campaigns, where both are areas recommended by the Select Committee.

Ms Cheng had also asked whether Singapore could learn from countries such as the United States, France and Australia, in their encounters with foreign interference in their elections and politics.

Mr Tong responded by bringing up the case of New Zealand, where an opposition leader was  alleged to have evaded political donation laws by disguising a donation with foreign links so that it did not have to be declared. Resultantly, debates on the need to review policies against foreign interference sparked in New Zealand. .

In addition, Mr Tong also spoke of foreign disinformation, where he said,” “Indeed, today, information can easily be weaponised by foreign actors, at low cost, and with anonymity and impunity. No country is immune. This is asymmetric information warfare, fought in a theatre and era with no distinction between war and peace.”

He added,”In this battlefield, Singapore, an open, democratic, digitally-connected and diverse country, is especially vulnerable. We are a young country with sensitive fault lines that foreign actors can exploit to foment distrust and ill-will among our various communities,” futher accentuating Singapore’s vulnerability to external instigation. This is especially so with the expellation of a former professor, Huang Jing, from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy,after he was caught attempting to use his position to influence Singapore’s foreign policy.

Read more about Huang Jing’s incident here:

https://theindependent.sg.sg/mha-revokes-pr-of-american-professor-and-his-wife-for-attempting-to-subvert-domestic-politics/

However, netizens were unconvinced as they lashed unhappiness and anger at Mr Tong’s statements, with a netizen using the recent HIV registry leak against them.

 

 

Others simply question the validity, or even attempted to discredit Mr Tong’s statements.

 

 

Only 34% of Singaporeans will celebrate Valentines Day according to survey

Gemma Iso
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Only 34% of Singaporeans will celebrate Valentines Day according to survey

According to a YouGov survey, only 34 percent of Singaporeans will be celebrating Valentine’s Day this year. The study based its findings on data culled from 1,041 Singaporean respondents.

Findings revealed that the longer people are in a relationship, the less likely that they would spend anything special on Feb 14.

For those who have been together for less than a year, 76 percent will be marking the day. The figure drops to 48 percent for couples who’ve been together for five to 10 years, and it drops even lower to 27 percent for folks who’ve been together for 20 years or more.

The percentage also varies depending on age and marital status — Valentine’s Day is more popular among those ages 18 to 24 as well as unmarried but attached Singaporeans (63 percent). Only 37 percent of those married plan to celebrate the day, while 76 percent of those aged 55 and over can’t be bothered to do anything special.

For those who are not celebrating, the biggest reason given was they find the occasion too commercialised. Some say that Valentine’s Day is just like any other day, a few others said they get annoyed because the prices skyrocket during this event, and the last group consisting of 26 percent of the respondents say that they are not celebrating because they do not have a love life.

How Valentine’s Day started as a money-making venture
In the middle of the 18th century, Valentine’s Day began taking off in England, with lovers sending chocolates and cards adorned with flowers, ribbons and images of cupids and birds.

Eventually, huge numbers of printed cards replaced hand-written ones. In 1913, Hallmark Cards of Kansas City began mass producing Valentine’s Day cards.

Today, approximately a billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged every year. However, not the cards sent are intended to be read; every year, thousands of letters addressed to Juliet are sent to Verona, where Shakespeare’s fictional Romeo and Juliet lived.

YouGov is a market research company based in the UK.

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