The year 2019 may not be as vigorous as the previous years since the ongoing US-China trade conflict will definitely have an impact on Singapore. However, despite the challenges ahead, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is imploring everyone to “keep on upgrading ourselves and improving lives for our workers.”
“Last year was good growth, the year before was also good growth. This year I think we will continue to grow. It may be not as vibrant as before but we work hard; even if this year is slower, the year after that we can make it better,” PM Lee said.
PM Lee met reporters after visiting workers at ground-handling and catering firm Sats at Changi Airport, on the morning of the first day of the Chinese New Year, where he was briefed on the company’s efforts to innovate and stay ahead of the competition.
Mr. Lee added that the global and regional developments will also have an influence on Singapore’s position as an air hub. “The air hub is a very important part of our economy… In the long term, I expect that business will still grow because the region in the long term will continue to be picking up and people are travelling,” further saying “We make sure that we are competitive, (and) they will fly through Singapore.”
On the same note, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat emphasized that the 2019 Budget will focus on keeping Singapore safe and secure and make sure that its industries continue to transform and create good jobs for workers, which means “enabling our workers to learn new skills to upgrade, in particular enabling our companies to build deep capabilities so that they can stand to be more competitive in the coming years,” the Finance Minister said.
Talking to the media on the first day of the Chinese New Year at PSA’s Pasir Panjang Terminal, where he joined workers on duty for celebrations, Mr. Heng informed media men that he will be providing details of the Merdeka Generation package and how Singapore is working to keep the elderly active and healthy, during his Budget Speech on Feb 18.
Aligned with PM Lee’s call for continued growth and positive change, Mr. Heng stressed “The global economic environment is more uncertain and we can expect some slowdown, but we must continue our transformation and remain optimistic that we will continue to make good progress.”
Highlighting the importance of being growth-conscious, the Finance Minister called for all Singaporeans and the national government to “look not just over one or two quarters, but over how we can make an effort in transforming our economy.”
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) stripped Malaysia’s hosting rights for the World Para-Swimming Championships late last month. The IPC came to this decision after the country banned athletes from Israel.
As a result, Malaysia will lose S$ 1.6 million (US $1.2 million), largely in the hotel sector, as approximately 600 competitors were expected to be billeted in these accommodations outside Sarawak. The swimming championship was supposed to have been held in Kuching from July 29 to August 4 of this year.
Other sectors that will bear losses are the country’s airlines, restaurants, travel agencies, shopping areas, and transportation industries.
The Algemeiner, a Jewish publication based in the United States, reports John Teo, the honorary secretary-general of the Malaysian Association of Hotels Sarawak Chapter, as saying, “The swimmers and coaches stay up to two weeks, although the championships last for one week. The hotel would not be able to fill up the occupancy within [this] short span of time after the cancellation of the championships.”
IPC President Andrew Parsons made a statement explaining the decision. “Politics and sport are never a good mix. We are disappointed that Israeli athletes would not have been allowed to compete in Malaysia. The Paralympic Movement has, and always will be, motivated by a desire to drive inclusion, not exclusion. Regardless of the countries involved in this matter, the IPC would take the same decision again if it was to face a similar situation involving different countries.”
The committee’s decision was praised by Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon, who tweeted “this is a victory of values over hatred and bigotry, a strong statement in favor of freedom and equality. Thank you @Paralympics for your brave decision!!!”
In early January, Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Tun Mahathir Mohamad said that athletes from Israel would not be welcome into the country. Saifuddin Abdullah, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, said that the country would “not host any more events involving Israel or its representatives.”
This is not the first time that Malaysia has banned Israeli competitors from athletic events. In 2015, the country did not issue visas to two windsurfers who were supposed to compete in Langkawi, forcing them to withdraw from the competition. And in 2017, Malaysia declined to host a FIFA world soccer conference when a delegation from Israel was going to attend.
The video narrates that almost a third of Singaporeans over the age of 60 are working and that the employment rate for seniors has gone up by 15 percent over the last decade.
The narrator says “Singapore, which is also one of the wealthiest nations in the world, is often seen as a testbed for how governments can tackle their aging population.”
The first man featured in the video, 71-year-old Philip Sing, who works in security for Alliance Française, said that he has chosen to keep working in order to be “active and independent.”
But the video also draws attention to others who have a different experience, who have to keep on working in a society with a high cost of living, and one of the highest life expectancies around the globe.
“Many older workers look for jobs after retirement because they simply cannot afford otherwise,” the narrator says. “71-year old Mary Lim says that the government’s retirement scheme does not provide her with enough money.”
The older woman is seen on the video saying, “I have to keep on working for the rest of my life. What to do? No choice. I have to struggle for it.”
The narrator goes on to say that Lim’s “biggest fear is that one day she won’t have any strength to do her job.”
Lim Tean had scathing words for the current scheme, as he sees that the elderly are victims of the system. He wrote:
Even the Bangkok Post has highlighted the startling phenomenon of Singaporean elderlies who cannot afford to retire and have to work into the winter of their lives in order just to survive.
We have a broken CPF System which must be completely overhauled in order to give dignity to our old and elderly. Ask yourself this question on this the first day of the Lunar New Year. Is this the society and the home we desire for ourselves and our children, or can we do much better ?
Singapore deserves Better
Many Singaporeans seem to agree with him, and his post has been shared more than 200 times in the last 12 hours.
The rise of e-sports in Indonesia has provided a new opportunity for gaming companies to tap into. So what can companies do to stay on top of players’ mind?
The Indonesian gaming industry has reached a new milestone with the rise of e-sports in the recent years.
In the archipelago, e-sports industry has a history that goes back to the late 1990s. However, at the recent Kopi Chat Deep Dive Series: Gaming event at Block71 Jakarta, Eddy Lim, President of Indonesia e-Sports Association (IESPA), explains why 2002 was considered as the official founding year of the country’s e-sports industry.
“We first made a game event in 1999, but [we can say that] e-sports in Indonesia began in 2002 as that was the first time we host an international gaming event,” Lim says.
Within 17 years, the sports gained such popularity and reputation that an e-sport exhibition was held at the last Asian Games, held in Jakarta and Palembang in 2018. Even in the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 2019 in the Philippines, e-sports will be featured as a medal games for the very first time at a competition held under the International Olympic Committee.
As the sports gain its momentum, so is the opportunity for athletes and clubs to collaborate with brands and businesses.
“‘There’s a good e-sports player here, I wonder what he drinks?’” says Haryono Kartono, COO of e-sports enabler company Mix 360, pointing out an example of partnership opportunities with brands that e-sports athletes and clubs can take.
“Back then the opportunities are limited to IT companies, but today other products, such as isotonic drinks, are beginning to open themselves up to e-sports,” he adds.
Even with all the available opportunities, gaming companies continue to face challenges in dealing with the different aspect of product marketing. From the event, e27 has compiled how two Indonesian companies –a game developer and a game publisher– deal with theirs.
Here are some of the most valuable lessons that they have learned about marketing games in the e-sports era:
According to Shieny Aprillia, CMO at Bandung-based game developer Agate, the profile of a typical Indonesian gamer can be seen through the audiences of their title E-Sports Saga: Its 5,000 players are dominated by male audience aged between 18 and 24 years old.
Her view is agreed by Kenken Rudi Salim, COO of game publisher LYTO, who sees that there are reasons why it would be rare to find an e-sports players aged beyond 30 years old.
“There’s no scientific study to support this, but the most ideal age to build a career in e-sports is up until the age of 28. This has something to do with the fingers’ reflexes,” he explains.
Apart from that, e-sports athletes that have gone beyond 30 tend to explore different aspects of their profession. For example, by expanding into content creation.
“This enables former e-sports athletes to make money for themselves. When they were still part of a team, the money that was earned has to be divided among the team members,” Salim continues.
Challenges in product development
With the rising popularity of e-sports, game developers are facing a fresh new challenge in Indonesia: Every single new title that they release has to have an e-sports angle.
“E-sports has become a part of the most successful marketing strategies to increase the games’ [sales] performance. Each developer wants to try their best to make sure that their products are being included in e-sports tournament. If there is no e-sports angle in it, then how are we going to market a title?” Salim says.
“[For games like that] the only solution is to market using advertisement,” he adds.
Another pressing challenge that developers are facing is the fact that the Indonesian game market is still dominated by foreign titles.
In dealing with this particular challenge, Agate chooses to “play it safely.”
“This means, within the next one to two years, we are not going to develop something similar to Mobile Legends, or enter the enemy’s lair in any form. We need to be able to find our own niche,” Aprillia says.
“Out of the 50 million Mobile Legends players, there is got to be something that separates one from the rest. Some of them will like robots more, et cetera. We try to find a segment that is sizeable enough to work on, and find a niche with no major player yet,” she elaborates.
As a game publisher, LYTO is taking a completely different approach. Instead of going against the current, they have to follow through with what the audiences want.
“Unless there is a certain intellectual property rights that prevent us from doing it, we will seek for something similar to what is trending,” Salim says.
Maximum returns
At last but not least, game companies in Indonesia continue to struggle with this particular challenge: How to maximise return with a limited marketing budget and average revenue per user (ARPU)?
First of all, it is important to note that ARPU in Indonesia is still relatively low with US$5-7 being the highest possible price a user is willing to pay for.
“ARPU from mid-core games tend to be bigger than those of casual games,” Aprillia comments.
“KotaKita is casual city management game that we have developed. We recently included in-app purchase and after one to two months, we checked the analytics … Even after we lower the price of in-app purchase from IDR9,000 (US$0.64) to IDR3,000 (US$0.21), people are still reluctant to pay and would rather watch ad videos instead,” she further explains.
When it comes to maximising their marketing budget, Salim has one thing to say: It will never be easy.
But from his experience, the COO learned that the “easiest, quickest” way to attract audiences is through offline events such as game competitions. The only downside to hosting such event is that companies need to invest heavily in the prizes.
Salim also stated that there is no guarantee that the more budget you spend for an event, the more successful it will become.
“We have held events at internet cafe where we managed to gather between 200 to 300 people,” he closes.
It seems the old adage, “Beauty is relative” is not true anymore, as what is beautiful for the Asians nowadays are those who have a mixed race—Asian and Western.
Certainly, the new standard of beauty has changed over the years. Large, double-lidded eyes, small sharp nose, narrow face, tall figure, and white skin—these Western qualities make Asians sigh and admire.
In today’s generation, those with Western features have come to represent the beauty ideal in many parts of Asia. There is a long list of mixed race celebrities, actors, models, and beauty titlists in many parts of Asia.
Chinese actress Dilraba Dilmurat.(Photo: Screengrab from YouTube)
In China, they have actresses Dilraba Dilmurat of an Uygur ethnicity and Angelababy (Angela Yeung Wing), who is one-quarter German and three-quarters Chinese. Their followings have reached millions among the Chinese.
In Japan, celebrities including Kiko Mizuhara, Meisa Kuroki, and Rola are some of the most popular faces in local ads and brand campaigns.
In South Korea, 11-year-old child model Ella Gross is half-Korean, half-American. She is daunted as “the most gorgeous child model in the world” due to her “doe-eyed look and dainty features”, by local and international media.
In the Philippines, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray is half Filipina and half Australian. And so is Pia Wurtzbach, 2015 Miss Universe, who is half Filipina and half German.
In Thailand, Urassaya Sperbund, who is half-Thai, half-Norwegian, is a sought after model and actress.
Crazy Rich Asians lead character Nick Young played by Malaysian actor Henry Golding is half-British, half-Iban.
These names will always be part of the list of the most beautiful and most handsome people. Expectedly, these women became household names for beauty.
Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray. (Photo: Screengrab from YouTube)
Accordingly, the never-ending debate over concepts of beauty is on. Arguments would always surface whether Asians have fallen too hard for Western ideals of good looks instead of celebrating their own.
The notion of “mixed races” in Asia was invented during the era of European imperialism from the early 1800s. The mix of Eastern and Western is referred to as Eurasian or Pan-Asian. As a matter of fact, these terms are relatively new, with no agreed-upon definition of either.
According to Emma Teng, the T.T. and Wei Fong Chao Professor of Asian civilizations at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, intermarriage and intermixing among ethnic groups date back to antiquity.
“After the Portuguese and other European traders arrived in China, mixed families emerged across different sites where Europeans and Chinese commonly interacted,” she said.
In reference to the terms Eurasian or Pan-Asian, Teng said, “You will find many arguments regarding the term online. In some places, such as Singapore, there is a historical definition of the Eurasian community that is fairly widely accepted.
“However, that particular definition does not fit well with the reality of intermarriage and mixed families today. These families are becoming increasingly global, spanning diverse cultures.”
Historically speaking, Teng noted that in the late 19th century and early 20th century, many Eurasians once obscured their ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Things have changed over time, as Eurasians in the past were regarded as “half-castes” and denigrated for their mixed parentage. To fit in, most chose to “pass” as either Asian or European.
The colonial mentality that what is ‘white is beautiful’ and that Western looks are superior spanned all across Asia. Indigenous facial features and darker skin tones became racialised and devalued through colonial rule, as what scholars have noticed.
The growth of Eurasian communities has been a result of the arrival of Europeans and the interracial marriages between colonizers and its colonies.
India has its Anglo-Indian community and Sri Lanka has Dutch Burghers. In Malaysia and Singapore, Eurasians include those with Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish and British ancestry. Eurasians make up a small but visible portion of the population in Philippines, Macau, and Hong Kong Eurasians.
Nathalie Africa-Verceles, director of the University of Philippines Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies in Manila, said, “If you look at our popular movie stars or models, most of them are half Filipino and half European, Australian, American or White. Those are the standards – they’re fair-skinned, slim, with high cheekbones and straight noses.”
“Many of the current beauty ideals are so far from what we are born with,” Verceles said, pointing out that unlike the new Miss Universe, many Filipinos have darker skin, rounder faces, smaller eyes, and curly black hair.
“A people whose civilisation is regarded as highly developed is likely to be viewed as physically appealing, whereas an ethnic group deemed ‘backward’ is considered ugly,” Meiji University professor Cho Kyo wrote in his book, The Search for the beautiful woman: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives and Aesthetics (2012).
“As long as the ‘backward’ culture remains unaware of its backwardness, members do not think of themselves as ugly,” he wrote.
“But once hierarchical consciousness is established, the aesthetic of physical features rapidly changes. This is the reason that today, Westerners are considered beautiful. It is not just Westerners themselves who think this; people in developing countries also do.”
Physical standards of beauty have evolved that what was observed and admired in the past do not apply anymore.
Although white skin has long been a beauty ideal in many Asian cultures, in which it represents with class and privilege.
What is interesting to note is the change of how East Asians “de-orientalize” and reject the shape of Asian eyes.
Gone were the days when women with slim eyes are looked as of being tender in nature, whereas those with large eyes are hussies.
The new preferred look is larger eyes with double eyelids.
As a consequence of this mentality and a new epitome of beauty, aesthetic surgery became a multi-billion industry. Asia eyes have transformed from “oriental” to “occidental”.
According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the double eyelid operation is among the top five most-performed plastic surgery procedures in the world at present, with more than 1.3 million done in 2017. South Korea is the acknowledged leader in plastic surgery in Asia.
In South Korea alone, 980,313 plastic surgery operations were recorded in 2014. The South Korean plastic surgery market was worth US$26.3 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow to US$44 billion by 2025.
South Korean aesthetic surgery. (Photo: Screengrab from YouTube)
The culture of “lookism” and the extreme level of competition in South Korean society has pushed people to seek beauty augmentation.
Cedar Bough Saeji, a Korea Foundation postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia in Canada, said, “Just because a procedure may bring a feature of someone’s face closer to a Western feature, it doesn’t mean the person is not motivated by the desire to fit into a highly competitive society riddled with lookism as everyone else living in East Asia is.”
Regarding mixed race as the more beautiful can result in an issue of racism. As this heightened to changing one’s perspective about beauty, there is a need to examine the notions of racialised beauty standards.
Teo Ser Lee, Miss Singapore 1988 and founder and director of the Protocol Etiquette Academy, a Singapore-based etiquette school, says Eurasians and those with Caucasian features have long been favoured when it comes to media and advertising in Singapore.
Author of the book Becoming Yellow about the racialisation of Asia, National Taiwan University professor said, “There’s no basis to try to divide human beings according to this fantasy of skin colour.”
“It’s totally unscientific. It’s based only on racial prejudice and its motive every time is to privilege one group over another,” he added.
For Keevak, racism simply happens when people make statements such as “I want to have mixed children because they’re more beautiful” because that mixture is judged as better or more beautiful.
“The mixture is real, biological and genetic and this may affect appearance. But if you evaluate that appearance as better or worse, beautiful or ugly, then you are internalising racism,” he stressed.
A couple from Russia has been arrested in Malaysia due to child abuse allegations. The Russian male was seen swinging his 4-month old baby girl by her feet, lowering her down to between his legs, then raising her over his head, and throwing her into the air repeatedly.
The Russian couple, aged 27 and 28, are tourists who are busking their way through the region, asking for money for their street performances.
One netizen took a 90-second video of the act and uploaded it to Facebook, where it recently went viral, gaining 31,000 views within a few days. A group of Europeans can be seen surrounding the parents as they perform with the infant, and chanting along.
The uploader described the video as an “irresponsible act that can literally cause injury”, and asked the police to investigate the matter.
Zayl Chia Abdullah posted the video on Saturday, February 2, with the caption, “I happen to pass by this area in Bukit Bintang and I saw this irresponsible act that can literally cause injury to that poor baby. Why is the authority allowing such act to be showcase in public? These street performer needs to be arrested. Please do something.”
While the video is hidden behind a screen with a disclaimer “This video may show violence against a child or a teenager,” Facebook has chosen not to take it downbecause “it may help with rescuing the child in question”.
In Kuala Lumpur, police caught up with the couple after another performance and detained them for questioning on Monday morning, February 4. Mazlan Lazim, the police chief in KL said, “We detained them on Monday for questioning over the alleged abuse of their four-month-old baby girl.”
He assured the press that the child showed no injuries and seemed unhurt.
Commenters on the video have said that such gymnastics involving very young children are common in Russia, where some believe it to aid in a child’s development. The practice is known in Russia as baby dynamics yoga, or baby swinging yoga, and is also considered by some as controversial.
LET’S not beat round the aeroplane: An intoxicated pilot is not someone you want flying your aircraft.
So Singapore getting ultra-tough on pilots who drink and fly with random alcohol tests from next month is not surprising as the most reputable airlines with the most stringent of rules and regulations also deal with alcohol use among staff.
The stellar reputation of Singapore Airlines, consistently ranked as one of the safest airlines in the world, took a global beating when a SIA pilot was caught boozy last September in Melbourne and the flight headed to Wellington, New Zealand, was cancelled, angering many passengers who were subsequently stranded in the airport.
“A drunk pilot is a terrifying prospect for any passenger. Much more alarming for a company who has the pilot on staff,” says engineer Ravi Rajeswaran, whose relative was on the ill-timed flight. “Disgruntled passengers have slammed SIA for the near-miss incident of boarding a flight flown by a drunk pilot. The airline’s failure to identify and deal with the problem early on also came into focus.”
LIQUOR-TEST WITHOUT NOTICE
Now the authorities are not taking any chances. All departing pilots at Changi Airport, including those from foreign airlines, will be tested without notice. Those caught exceeding the alcohol limit stipulated by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), even if they are first-time offenders, could be fined and jailed.
As is the practice in countries such as Australia, India and Britain, where random alcohol testing is already being done, foreign pilots caught here can either be dealt with by the authorities or returned to their own regulators.
CAAS says airlines should also have an effective rehabilitation programme for those who need help, with the aim of getting pilots back in the cockpit. It is working with Changi General Hospital to set up an Aeromedical Specialist Centre, which will include treatment for alcohol addiction. Details such as where the centre will be located and who it will cater for are not yet known.
Sharing its plans at a recent briefing for airlines and other stakeholders, CAAS said its aim is to develop a strong deterrent and effective rehabilitation programme.
But pilots The Independent spoke to generally agree to “alcohol testing so that aviation safety is never compromised and alcohol management is key” but pointed out that similar tests should be done for those in critical jobs such as surgeons and lawyers.
CRITICAL INDUSTRY
A senior award-winning SIA pilot, with three decades experience, who wants to remain unnamed, says: “I think it’s a good move for anyone in a critical industry. How about random tests for doctors and lawyers before they represent their clients in court or conduct surgery?
“It’s a known fact that doctors kill more people than pilots do! Having said that, I’m all for random testing with avenues open in the airlines for no blame rehabilitation. The random testing showing up pilots who despite all these measures in place deserve the full whack of the law.”
Lawyer Mohandas Naidu, who also has a pilot licence, says: “It should not be random, it must mandatory for all pilots and crew. I’m a pilot myself and I know what the consequences will be if someone who is intoxicated is in charge of the flight. Unlike pilots who have literally hundreds of lives in their control, doctors and lawyers only deal with individuals but I agree that there should be random testing for everyone in any critical industry.”
Senior pilot Abhijit Dass, a former international cricketer and ex-SIA pilot, says that the public announcement is “another step to put the profession on the back-foot like they always have done the past four decades”.
He adds: “Seriously, it’s never been a problem at SIA. In 27 years there, only one serious problem. A much bigger problem is the mental stability of individuals in a stressful and controlled society. There have related deaths here, such as the alleged pilot suicide as in Silk Air. And several pilots taking their life for various reasons over the years.”
He notes that Air India, where he, too, was tested, goes for an absolute zero tolerance. The Office of the Indian Director General of Civil Aviation states: “Alcohol present in body even in small quantities jeopardises flight safety on several counts and is likely to adversely affect an aviator well into the hangover period. Even one mg of alcohol content per 100ml of blood would push an Indian pilot over the limit.”
MediaCorp actor Rama Chandra, who is also founder-director of leading children’s theatre company Act 3, says: “I have three in my family who are commercial pilots. They are professionals like all others holding a job. They are well aware of their responsibilities. Subjecting just pilots to these additional tests is unfair.”
Back in Singapore, under the current Air Navigation Order, it is an offence for pilots who fly out of Singapore’s airports and those flying anywhere for a Singapore-registered aircraft to be under the influence of alcohol. The maximum penalty is a $100,000 fine and five years’ jail.
TESTS TO BE DONE DISCREETLY
CAAS director (flight standards) Alan Foo says the CAAS is engaging the industry on enhancements to the regulatory framework on alcohol testing and management for pilots and details will be shared later. He stressed that even as CAAS pushes for stricter regulations, random alcohol testing for pilots will be done discreetly and away from the public eye.
Pilots reporting for flights will first undergo a breathalyser test about an hour before the scheduled take-off. The plan is for the test to be done at the aerobridge before the crew enters the aircraft and before passengers board. If alcohol is detected, they will be sent for further checks to determine the actual level.
Foreign carriers said they will comply with the law wherever they fly to. An AirAsia spokesman said: “We already comply with similar testing regimes where our airlines are based, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan. As part of our commitment to safety, AirAsia also has a very strict drug and alcohol policy, including for pilots who produce a blood alcohol reading of any level.”
Dr Rahim Salleh, who flies regularly to Penang, warns that the dangers of a pilot being under the influence of alcohol is “close to unimaginable”. He adds: “Even just a small amount of alcohol in the blood can have a significant effect on pilots, who are required to maintain a high level of concentration during long stretches of time, and must have the ability to make quick decisions in the event of an emergency.”
He says that alcohol affects the eyes, brain and the inner-ear, which are all vital faculties for a pilot, adding that “being under the influence of alcohol means the brain isn’t able to make efficient use of oxygen, impairing reaction time, and too much alcohol can cause double-vision and difficulty focusing”.
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a hangover can be just as dangerous as the intoxication itself. They state: “Symptoms commonly associated with a hangover are headache, dizziness, dry mouth, stuffy nose, fatigue, upset stomach, irritability, impaired judgment, and increased sensitivity to bright light. A pilot with these symptoms would certainly not be fit to safely operate an aircraft”.
‘EMOTIONAL DISTRESS’
Dr Rob Hunter of the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) says in a blog-post: “We believe this testing could lead to emotional distress of pilots”. Hypothesising an instance when the system could go wrong, he warns: “A pilot being served a chilled orange juice that, by mischief or mistake, was contaminated with a small amount of alcohol could be over the flying limit without any subjective awareness of the effects of the alcohol.”
But schoolteacher Richard Song from Woodlands Avenue 1 asks: “So if we don’t breathalyse, how are drunk pilots caught?” He cited the 2012 Hollywood film Flight, starring Denzel Washington as an alcoholic pilot. While it is not based on a true story, there are a handful of real-life examples of commercial pilots caught being drunk behind the controls.
For example, in 2016, Carlos Robert Licona was removed from a United Airlines flight from Glasgow to New Jersey on suspicion of being drunk. The alarm was raised when security staff smelt alcohol on Licona during standard checks. It emerged he and a colleague had been drinking the night before, and a blood sample taken hours after he was removed from the flight showed he was still over twice the 20mg blood alcohol limit.
In 2002, an America West Airlines flight from Miami to Phoenix was ordered to return to the terminal after a report that the pilots were drunk. The two men were found guilty and convicted of operating an aircraft under the influence of alcohol.
In rare instances, inebriated pilots have caused crashes. Two Russian pilots were held partly responsible for fatal accidents in 2011 and 2012.
While stories like these do often emerge in the press, the percentage of pilots being caught drunk in the cockpit per year is extremely low. Out of the 12,480 US pilots tested in 2015, most of them randomly, only 10 came out positive. India’s stricter testing regulations caught 46 pilots in 2016.
Generally, pilots here discreetly agree that there is no serious drinking problem in the industry. “When we delve deeper into the raw data that these studies are based on we reach an opposite conclusion – the data suggests that there is not a problem of drug and alcohol misuse in large commercial air transport operations,” says a retired pilot.
But end of the day, there’s no compromise for aviation safety. Let it be repeated that an intoxicated pilot is not someone you want flying your aircraft. Period.
Thumbs-up to Singapore for the ultra-tough on pilots who drink and fly with random alcohol tests from next month. SIA cannot afford to compromise on its global-best reputation.
Tiktok’s huge rise in popularity is no secret. In fact, it has been so successful in gaining users that its owner Bytedance overtook as the most valuable startup in the world only a few months ago. However, what might be less fully appreciated is just how much impact TikTok could potentially have on more established social networks like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Below, we examine the latest download data of these apps and discuss a few potential outcomes that could result from this app’s explosive growth.
TikTok Overtaking Instagram in Asia, Catching Up in the Western Hemisphere
In parts of Asia, TikTok is already beginning to overtake Instagram in terms of downloads. For example, TikTok ranked as the most downloaded Photos & Videos app on Apple App Store in India from November to January, while Instagram lagged behind at 3rd place behind Youtube. In other Asian countries like Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, Instagram and TikTok were neck and neck in terms of their download rankings, further demonstrating that Instagram’s dominance over this category of apps no longer remains unchallenged in the region.
Average Daily Download Ranking (Photo & Video App Category)
To make matters worse for Instagram, this trend seems to be spreading even to the western hemisphere. For instance, even in Instagram’s homemarket in the US, these two apps were essentially tied at second place in terms of their app store download rankings for the month of January. Given TikTok’s global reach and easily relatable content, it’s not unthinkable to foresee its success spread to other countries in Europe as well.
Facebook: Buy or Clone?
Such a widespread and rapid growth of TikTok should at least raise a few eyebrows in Facebook’s board room. As a social network, Facebook competes for consumer’s time, and any other app that sucks away a large number of users and their time away from Facebook’s apps naturally creates a headwind for the company’s growth prospects. This is exactly why Facebook acquired Instagram and Whatsapp, and also why it attempted to buy Snapchat numerous times before eventually copying Snapchat via its Stories functionality.
Furthermore, given that Bytedance is a Chinese company with global ambitions, it’s uncertain whether an acquisition of TikTok is even a possibility for Facebook, even if it were willing and able to accept Bytedance’s $70bn valuation. On the other hand, Facebook has a very good chance to deter this threat by copying TikTok’s features onto its various apps. TikTok’s main features include a “newsfeed” of short videos, various social features like follow, like, share and message, and an easy to use tool for creating videos with background musics. Facebook and Instagram already have most of these besides the last one, which shouldn’t be too difficult to add on to its existing functionalities. Sure, whether this will actually succeed in deterring TikTok’s growth is a different question; however, Facebook has a decent chance given its success in growing Stories at the expense of Snapchat, a lesson Bytedance should heed before making a decision.
Snapchat Left in the Dirt
While Facebook may be relatively well protected from TikTok, Snapchat’s situation seems starkly different. Snapchat is already struggling to remain relevant and grow its user base. That another competitor is doing so much more successfully, especially with young demographics, is a terrible news for the company. In the US, TikTok already outranks Snapchat in download rankings in Photo & Video app category, while it’s catching up rather quickly in Europe. As for Asia, the region has long been a lost cause for Snapchat, as we’ve written previously.
What Happened to Vine?
The success of TikTok raises another interesting question: just what happened to Vine? TikTok as a consumer experience is only modestly different from Vine. It’s a giant “newsfeed” of short, user-generated videos, usually accompanied by some music in the background. Most videos are geared towards generating likes and followers through comic or visual appeal, a dynamic we’ve seen in most other social networks like Vine, Facebook, Instagram and even Snapchat. So what makes TikTok worth $70bn (granted, Bytedance also owns many other apps with huge user numbers) while Vine was acquired for $30mn only to be shuttered few years later?
As far as we can tell, it seems the biggest difference between Vine and TikTok are the product features, and thus the execution of their management teams. TikTok seems to have innovated on top of Vine’s experience by incorporating music and creating great tools that users can easily leverage to create great content. Given the similarity of the two platforms’ core concept, their vastly different experience is a good cautionary tale proving the importance of management team’s execution ability. Had Twitter innovated Vine as well as TikTok has, its stock price might be much higher than what it is today.
It may take simple discipline to get out of a financial crunch without adding on to your debt.
By: Hitesh Khan/
Many families in Singapore struggle every month, working hard to make ends meet. Consumers who are facing a financial crunch and run short of money before payday probably cannot afford to borrow from conventional lenders. High cost personal loans that must be repaid on the next payday do not usually solve the financial crisis either.
Coping with pressing financial crunch without adding more debt takes effort and may require creativity, but can save you a lot of money, worry, and stress.
Here are 5 tips to deal with financial crunch:
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
1. Build an emergency fund to deal with financial crunch
Build a $500 or more emergency fund. Although money may be tight, we all need an emergency savings nest egg for unexpected bills or ups and downs of income and expenses. Start by having a small goal, such as $10 per pay day.
2. Develop a household budget
Developing a household budget is a way to keep track of income and expenses and to determine ways to save. Take stock of your income and expenses. Work out a realistic spending and savings plan with your family. Set aside some money every payday for big bills that come due once or twice a year. Plan ahead for budget-busters, such as festive gifts, birthdays and vacations.
3. Get credit counselling help
When done well, credit counseling can be a useful tool for consumers in financial crunch or to help families plan a budget. Traditionally, credit counseling agencies have offered a range of services, including financial and budget counseling and community education, as well as debt consolidation plans, known as debt management plans.
However, consumers should be aware that there have been some problems in the credit counseling industry, including improper advice, deceptive practices and excessive fees. Credit counseling is not for everyone. Evaluate all of your options before entering credit counseling, including developing a better spending and savings plan, negotiating individually with creditors.
4. Cope with cash flow without borrowing
Before you are late on a rent, mortgage, or utility payment, speak with the creditor. For non-interest bills, such as utility or telephone bills, ask about making payment arrangements. Ask to delay payment until your pay arrives or set up a repayment schedule that stretches out payments. Make sure to ask about fees or extra costs for extended payments. Be mindful that getting behind on paying for loans and bills may damage your credit score.
To deal with financial crunch, you may also ask your employer for an advance on your next pay.
This is not a loan and will reduce the amount of your next pay. Employers that make advances may limit how often you can do this. Delay expensive items until you have cash. Use some of your emergency savings instead of borrowing, but repay yourself. Apply for assistance programs, such as those run by community development councils. You should also take advantage of local charity, religious, or community programs that help families make ends meet in a crisis.
Those in a financial crunch, should also work overtime or pick up extra work to bring in more income. You could also sell something of value that you no longer need so that you get true value for the item.
5. Find less expensive money
Those in financial crunch may ask your friends or family to lend you money. Remember that a written agreement to repay the loan can help avoid family strife later. Licensed money lenders may charge no more than 4% interest per month on the amount you have borrowed.
But before you approach a licensed money lender, consider other alternatives, such as the various financial assistance schemes offered by various Government agencies. As you are legally obliged to fulfil any loan contract you enter into with a licensed moneylender, consider whether you are able to abide by the contractual terms, bearing in mind your income and financial obligations.
Borrow only what you need and are able to repay. Be mindful that if you are unable to meet the contractual terms, the late payment fees and interest payment will be a financial strain not just on yourself but also on your family. The law requires moneylenders to explain the terms of a loan to you in a language you understand and to provide you with a copy of the loan contract. Make sure you fully understand the terms of the contract, in particular, the repayment schedule, the interest rate charged and the fees applicable.
Regardless of how much of a financial crunch you are in, you should always shop around different moneylenders for the most favourable terms. You should not rush into and commit yourself to a loan until you are satisfied with the terms and conditions.
If you are in a financial crunch and are searching for personal loans to expand your business, the loan consultants at iCompareLoan can set you up on a path that can get you a it in a quick and seamless manner. Our loan consultants have close links with the best lenders in town and can help you compare various loans and settle for a package that best suits your needs. Find out money saving tips here.
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If you are looking for a new home loan or to refinance, our Mortgage brokers can help you get everything right from calculating mortgage repayment, comparing interest rates all through to securing the best home loans in Singapore. And the good thing is that all our services are free of charge. So it’s all worth it to secure a loan through us for your business expansion needs.
Alibaba Cloud has recently inked a deal with the Singapore Management University (SMU) to further develop the skills of over 1,000 Singaporean workers by enrolling in different relevant courses.
Alibaba Cloud’s very first continued-education programme is initiated through the SMU-Alibaba partnership. This is a dream come true project for the Chinese firm outside its home market.
SMU Academy, the university’s professional training arm, will facilitate the project and the launching is set to be in March 2019.
Leon Chen, country manager of Singapore and Indonesia at Alibaba Cloud, cited Singapore’s endeavour to become a smart nation.
Chen noted Alibaba’s partnership with SMU seeks to prepare and equip local businesses with the necessary tools and technologies to enable Singapore to move forward.
He stressed that combining success stories and the team’s holistic approach to technology will ensure a well-prepared Singapore for the future.
Starting March 2019, about seven courses will be made available to Singaporean skilled workers such as big data analytics and applications in business, Internet of Things, essentials of cloud computing, smart retail and marketing, technology and applications, smart finance, smart logistics, and smart manufacturing.
These seven courses will be provided for the SkillsFuture Series of training programmes in the promotion of training in eight priority and emerging skill categories. More advanced courses are in store for the future.
Upon completion of a course, a participant gets a joint certificate provided by the SMU Academy and Alibaba Cloud.
Also, the series of courses are funded by SkillsFuture Singapore. Both Singaporean citizens and permanent residents are entitled to 70% course fee subsidy while Singapore citizens aged 40 and above get 90% subsidy, including SMEs who allow their local staff (Singaporean citizens and permanent residents) to train.
Dr Lim Lai Cheng, executive director of SMU Academy, was deeply honoured to team up with Alibaba Cloud in this first-ever project.
He added the collaboration can promote Alibaba’s advanced technologies and competitive industrial knowledge while SMU can incorporate its thought leadership, academic rigour, and outreach in the various programmes.
Cheng noted the courses being offered will be advantageous to many Singaporean professionals who are looking to upgrade their expertise and skills in the emerging technologies. Also, this is a good venue for companies that are keen to adopt digital and smart technologies in developing further their business models.
