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Drug abuse: Education is the key

The Independent
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Drug abuse: Education is the key

Recent findings by the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) indicate that out-of-school youths (OCYs) are more susceptible to drug abuse than their school-going peers

NCADA’s Youth Perception Survey 2013, which involved 2,075 youths aged between 13 and 21 from secondary schools, junior colleges, ITEs, polytechnics as well as those out-of-school, has revealed that OSYs are “more likely to describe drugs as a ‘substance to get high’ or as a ‘fun thing’”.

Specifically, while 22% of OSYs respondents believed drugs to be a “fun thing”, this percentage for students from secondary schools, polytechnics, junior colleges and ITEs were 5.6%, 3.3%, 4.5% and 4.7% respectively.

Also, only 5.6% OSYs when asked whether they believe drugs to be an addictive substance, replied in the affirmative. For other categories as mentioned above, these percentages were 25.2%, 26.2%, 23.2% and 25.3%.

Courtesy: NCADA  

Courtesy: NCADA

 

Furthermore, the Council claimed, secondary school students and OSYs are least likely to be able to resist peer pressure towards drug taking. Specifically, OSYs scored the lowest mean score (4.85) on a scale of 1 to 6 on whether they are confident of refusing drugs when offered.

Courtesy: NCADA

Courtesy: NCADA

 

Even talking to their parents seems to be least helpful to OSYs in deterring them from taking drugs.

Courtesy: NCADA

Courtesy: NCADA

 

Overall, the survey found an increase in youths who “think it’s impossible to become addicted to drugs like ecstasy”, “don’t think taking drugs harms one’s health”, and who “are open to friends/parents knowing about their drug-taking behaviour”.

Statistics 

The NCADA, which was formed in January 1995 to advise the ministry of home affairs on measures for curbing drug abuse as well as mobilise support for government’s anti-drug programmes, in it’s last annual report published in October 2013 noted that the number of drug abusers below 20 years of age arrested in 2012 was 190. This was 5% of the total abusers arrested across all age groups. Also, among the new abusers arrested, the number for aged below 20 years was 162 in 2012.

Commenting on the drug types being abused, the report noted, “Heroin and methamphetamine remain the two most commonly abused drugs in Singapore. 2,239 heroin abusers (64%) and 1,022 methamphetamine abusers (29%) were arrested in 2012. Together, heroin and methamphetamine abusers make up around 93% of all abusers arrested.”

Challenges

Enumerating the challenges ahead, NCADA noted the “unfavourable regional drug situation which continues to pose a significant threat to the local drug scene”.

“The pressures exerted by an increase in the supply of drugs will have an impact on the local drug situation. We are also seeing an increase in the number of drug abusers arrested for the last few years, and in particular heroin and methamphetamine abusers. The large number of repeat abusers who will be released from the prisons in the coming years may exert a greater contaminating influence on other abusers and the general population. Lastly, the emergence of new psychoactive substances is a cause for global concern.”

Credit: Newzzit

We need more self-determination at workplace

The Independent
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We need more self-determination at workplace

I came across a piece of good news in The Straits Times on March 17- the possibility of working from home. And then I felt crushed immediately when the article said only one out of five employers were sold on the idea.

Why is this so? Frankly, “working part time and getting a salary” is still not embedded in our mindset, according to many employers quoted in the article.

Michael Smith, director of Randstad Singapore, said it is because many employers still believe job commitment is demonstrated through long working hours and the majority of bosses are accustomed to seeing their employees at work- 9am to 6pm, no excuse- in case productivity takes a plunge.

But let’s face it. The crux of the problem is that we have cultivated an environment where our employees may not be able to function outside an instructions-oriented culture. So they must be kept 9-to-6 chained to a desk. Without constant instructions, no work gets done.

As a leading corporate service firm, Janus Corporation Solutions, bluntly puts it: “Most of the local firms have significant influence of the traditional values of the Chinese, who make up 75.2 per cent of Singapore’s population. In relationships, this translates into a culture high in power distance where people at the lower levels would accept their subordinate status, and respect formal hierarchical authority. People seldom violate chains of command or openly question decisions by their superiors.”

But how do you give instructions to your 20 or 50 employees when they are all working from home? Install CCTV at their homes?

In other countries, there are less drastic ways to deal with non-present employees.

For example, a company can have a contract where employees have certain targets to meet, regardless of the hours they spend in the office.

Tony Goh, 28, has spent the last three years as a finance manager who lead a team of staffs, with everyone working on flexi-hours.

For Goh, his company sets a system to measure the productivity of the employees. “We have a Service Level Agreement that we need to meet. Our performance is measured against company’s revenue. Consistent good results would be rewarded, of course.”

“Ultimately, most European companies do not really ask how you do it but ‘just get it done’ within the time frame given,” he said to The Independent Singapore.

Another issue with Singapore’s work culture is our need for control over employees’ work.

Janus Corporate Solutions added that: “The majority of the local firms donít actually want too many employees running around with too many crazy ideas, nor do they want unfocused fragmentation of the core businesses managed by over-enthusiastic entrepreneurs. It’s often thought that mass Singaporeans cannot innovate because they are conditioned to be followers rather than creative idea generators.”

The irony is our work culture comes in total contradiction with the push for innovation under Budget 2014.

Deputy Prime Minister, Tharman Shanmugaratnam said: “… the only way for our businesses to survive in that environment is to have advanced country capabilities in innovation, in commercialisation of R&D (research and development), in managerial skills, and in investing in employees so that they have deep skills.”

But how does Singapore innovate if employers keep an iron-fist over their employees? The bigger question we should ask is: Would a more self-determining work environment be healthier to cultivate innovation among Singapore’s workforce?

We are at a crossroad here; on one hand, our heavy-handed approach to work culture has not destroyed Singapore’s economy; innovation be damned. On the other hand, as a country who wants to make it big in the R&D and innovation department, does our workforce not deserve some self-determination to pursue some creativity at work?

Yet if we were to follow Mr Tharman’s vision, then we have to move towards an innovative workforce. How? Perhaps the government could start by cultivating a more self-determining Singapore public.

McDonald’s outlet turns away blind customer

The Independent
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McDonald’s outlet turns away blind customer

By Lai Ee Na

Happy Singapore residents quickly snapped up McDonald’s free Egg McMuffins on March 17, but a blind woman said on Facebook that “blind people are not entitled”.

Cassandra Chiu, 34, who posted her comment at Esme the Guide Dog’s Facebook account on the same day, said staff at the Jurong Central Park outlet “refused to serve us”.

Esme, her guide dog, accompanies her when she is out.

Her post attracted a storm of protests from other Facebook users, a few of whom also let their displeasure known at the McDonald’s Singapore’s account.

A “Karen Huiru”, Chiu’s Facebook friend, said in her post that she heard McDonald’s counter staff shouting “HELLO, OEI, NO DOGS HERE!” when they were at the outlet.

Chiu said in an interview that she wanted to buy coffee and hash browns when she heard a few voices shouting that no dogs are allowed.

Her friend demanded to see the manager, who apologised and told them to return another day since the place was crowded.

“Whether the manager wanted to decide whether I was eating there or not, I just want to be treated equally as any other customer who’s there to spend. I’m not asking for special treatment,” she said.

Within two hours of Chiu’s post, McDonald’s Singapore uploaded a Facebook statement, saying that a counter staff member mistook Esme for a pet and advised Chiu that no pets were allowed.

Kevin Lim, senior communications manager of McDonald’s Restaurants, said: “Upon learning this, the manager in charge of the restaurant immediately apologised and offered to assist the customer with her order.”

The chain will also counsel the staff member involved.

“We would like to clarify that McDonald’s welcomes guide dogs at our premises, and we have a standing policy to that effect,” Lim added.

Chiu however pointed out that only five outlets accept guide dogs in their premises, and the one at Isetan Scotts has closed down.

“I hope the country I grew up in can be gracious,” she said.

McDonald’s giveaways were part of National Breakfast Day, a promotion by the 5,000 chain’s outlets across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

According to the Straits Times, by 11am, all McMuffins in Singapore were fully redeemed across 115 stores around the island.

Picture credits:  Asme’s facebook page.

Low on compassion, high on pragmatism

The Independent
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Low on compassion, high on pragmatism

Let’s face it, Singapore will never top any chart measuring kindness, compassion or happiness. We all know that. So BBC correspondent Charlotte Ashton’s commentary on experiencing a lack of compassion on a packed MRT train in her first trimester came as no surprise. No one offered her a seat although she was visibly physically unwell.

The PAP leaders aren’t even trying to put a propaganda spin on this because they know they can’t. They sound a little shame-faced, as they should, being part of the machinery of pragmatism that ingrained such attitudes in the population.

Worse, the new immigrants they’re inviting in by the planeload are perpetuating the same kind of behavior — after generations of struggling to survive in their home countries. How do I know that? My personal experience has shown that Singapore men and women give up their seats on trains and buses 90–95 per cent of the time to pregnant women, old people or the physically disabled. Immigrants’ inability to absorb English means that most of the public transport propaganda is lost on them.

Pragmatism — the PAP political philosophy — cannot be simply discarded because three whole generations of citizens have been weaned on it. Singapore society is paying the price for this, and we’re ugly because of it. Those of us who were raised on values other than pragmatism have no problem showing kindness and compassion to others.

On balance, Ms Ashton’s experience is nothing in comparison with the septa and octogenarians who push trolleys around collecting cardboard boxes for a living. Some even have to support “pioneer generation” children. They are the ones who are at the bottom of the happy pile. Do we suffer from “campaignitis” (too many PAP propaganda campaigns)? Definitely. But are we the misery capital of the world? Not yet. You see, people like Ms Ashton or her husband don’t come to Singapore because we’re the compassion capital of the world. They come because they want to work here. We’re the ones who have to live here, and deal with the products of pragmatism which have damaged our emotional and social ecology.

 

Why Living In The World’s Most Expensive City Can Be An Advantage

The Independent
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Why Living In The World’s Most Expensive City Can Be An Advantage
With our recent article on Singapore being ranked as the World’s Most Expensive City, is it really all doom and gloom for our city state? Our guest blogger, Lionel Yeo, doesn’t think so. Read on to find out how you can actually benefit from Singapore being an expensive place to live in:

A lot of people are complaining about how hard it is to get by in Singapore these days.

Maybe it’s because of that EIU report claiming that Singapore is the most expensive city to live in. Maybe it’s the huge surge of unhappiness over the recent transport fare hikes and Whatsapp charges.

My Facebook feed is flooded with articles on issues like these, each one filled with dozens of frustrated comments like “ohmygawd it’s getting so expensive to live here, it’s impossible to be rich if you’re not an expat, life is so unfair, etc etc.”

Isn’t it interesting how people get so worked up over stuff that they have absolutely no control over?

On one hand, you’ve got people who whine about the cost of living and blame the government. And on the other hand, you’ve got someone like Richard Turner.

The World’s Greatest Card Mechanic

Richard Turner is a “card mechanic”. He was featured in a book I just read entitled Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks and the Hidden Powers of the Mind. (Highly recommended if you’re interested in the psychology of magic and are a huge geek like me).

The author, an accomplished magician himself, called Turner “the greatest living card cheat and quite possibly the sharpest card handler of all time.”

You see, Turner can intricately shuffle a deck of cards with one hand, and then spread them out to reveal them in pristine numerical order. He can control the outcome of a card game and determine whether you win or lose. Give him a pile of cards, and he can tell you exactly how many there are by running his index finger along the edges.

And the most amazing part? Richard Turner is legally blind.

Check out this interview he did with CBS News:

“No matter what hand you’re dealt, let no one tell you that it can’t be done.”

We can learn a lot from Richard Turner, especially when it comes to living a rich life.

Turner discovered that he had a rare disease which rendered him blind from the age of 9. Most other people with this disease would have given up hope of becoming a world-class card manipulator, but Turner kept at it. In fact, he made up for his lack of sight by developing enhanced nonvisual senses, letting him “see” differences in card textures that would be imperceptible to most people.

(There are some fascinating studies showing that blind people can develop astounding tactile activities. For example, some can feel the difference between a single groove and a pair of parallel grooves, even when the two grooves are separated by a fraction of a millimeter.)

Being blind is a way bigger obstacle than what most of us will ever experience in our lifetimes. But there’s a lesson to be learnt here: You can always turn an apparent setback into an advantage.

Invest To Turn The Tables

Let’s take this back to Singapore. Instead of whining about how expensive our country is, why not see it as an opportunity?

Yes, even though higher prices might suck, they also lead to bigger profits for our companies. Why not PARTICIPATE in the improved performance of our corporations by owning their stocks?

Notice that rents are increasing? That means Capitaland is making more money. MRT fares are higher? Maybe that’ll help to boost your dividends. In fact, Capitaland and SMRT are just two of thethirty companies you can own by buying something as simple as a Straits Times Index ETF.

If you have faith that the Singaporean economy is going to be better 30 years from today, then investing in our entire stock market is a no-brainer. Instead of complaining about how our evil corporations are screwing us over, try turning the tables around and see how you can benefit from them instead.

What’s more, anyone can do this. By simply setting aside $250-$300 a month, you can accumulate enough to buy 1,000 shares of the STI in a year.

If you’re like most people, that $250 probably slipped through your fingers and got spent on random, trivial things like bubble tea and McDonald’s. But by having an automated savings plan, you can effortlessly accumulate enough to buy the STI by the end of the year.

Start Taking Action

Of course, I’m not saying that investing is the only way to take advantage of the prosperity of our expensive city. It’s just the easiest and most accessible way.

But if you’re creative, the possibilities are endless. With more wealth, more jobs are going to be created. Could you learn a skill that would position you well for those jobs? Could you create a product or service that wealthy people would pay for? (Heck, even being a nanny works these days.)

“No matter what hand you’re dealt, let no one tell you that it can’t be done.”

Stop listening to the whiners and start taking action. If you don’t know where to start, start by investing in a low-cost, index-based ETF.

There’s a piece of that pie for everyone. Now go get your piece.

Lionel writes at cheerfulegg.com, which aims to help people hatch a rich life. As a special download for MoneySmart readers, click here to download his free ebook Small Tweaks – that’ll show you how to boost your savings by $300 every month.

What are your thoughts on Singapore’s recent ranking? Do you agree with Lionel’s method of taking advantage of a “bad” situation? Weigh in with your thoughts here!

Image Credits:
Wilson Loo, memegenerator

Car wash popular despite water conservation calls

The Independent
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Car wash popular despite water conservation calls

Singapore faces its driest period since 1869. Minister for Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan has called for water conservation efforts from  homes and industries although water-rationing is not on the cards — yet.

The biggest waste of water? Car washes.

Yet cars are being washed every day. Car wash services at petrol stations said they wash 80 to 100 cars per day, per station.

The Independent Singapore surveyed 20 different car wash businesses, from petrol stations, shops to mobile car wash services. All said car wash service is heavily in demand.

Dr Balakrishnan has made it mandatory for all large water users to submit Water Efficiency Management Plans (WEMPs) from June 2015.

However small car wash centres and mobile car wash services are not affected. The initiative only refers to water consumers that use over 5,000 cu m (1.3 million gallons) a month – the equivalent of two Olympic swimming pools’ worth of water.

Punggol Shell Petrol station staff told us that they wash 80 cars on average everyday. According to the Department of Environment of Maryland in the US, a commercial car wash station uses between 50 to 60 gallons of water per vehicle, making a month’s water usage to be about 132,000 gallons (almost 500 cu m). There are 21 Shell car wash service centres in Singapore. Exxonmobil has 30 car wash service centres.

According to Punggol Shell petrol station staffs, some of these clients bring their car for a wash daily – though they are not sure of an exact figure.

Joseph Chong who owns Joseph Mobile Car Polish said that due to limited resources, they wash only 30-40 cars a day.

“I have customers who wash their cars eight times a week,” he added.

Serene Ng from Techneat Car Care said her staff wash around 100 cars a day. “Most of the time you get people who want to wash their cars once every two days.”

In a separate 20-people survey among random Singaporeans who own cars, most people wash their cars from thrice a week to once a week.

“I try not to do it [wash my motorbike]. But I know many people here who wash their cars everyday. It is such a waste,” said Shaff who lives near Henry Park Primary School.

“You can get a car wash service daily for every weekday at my HDB block for $40 a month,” said one resident who lives in Ang Mo Kio.

The National Water agency PUB just launched the ‘Go big on saving water’ campaign in conjunction with World Water Day on March 15.

PUB will be holding community programmes in 250 locations to reach over 200,000 people on water conservation efforts. One of its programmes aims to get hawkers to compete to see who uses the least amount of water.

 

Does Factoring the Price Per Square Foot (PSF) Really Matter When Buying Property?

The Independent
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Does Factoring the Price Per Square Foot (PSF) Really Matter When Buying Property?
2470877920_9f7cefcf49_o

When it comes to buying property, size always matters. After all, property isn’t exactly something you can “return” if you decide a few months later that it isn’t spacious enough. Unfortunately, HDB doesn’t have a 100-day return or exchange policy like IKEA.

 

Even a rundown place like this can have an astronomical PSF value if it’s in the right location.

Once you take up the proverbial ball-and-chain called a “home loan,” it stays with you until you pay it off. And unlike a certain horror film, it isn’t something you can SAW your way out of.

With so much riding on your home buying decision, is it wise to factor the price per square foot (PSF) into your home buying decision?

 

PSF Is Important – But “How” Important Depends on What Property You Buy

There aren’t many things in this world that cost more per square foot than Singapore property. At the lower end of the property totem pole, you can expect to pay up to $500+ PSF for a Build-to-Order (BTO) flat. At the top, that number jumps to well over $5,000 PSF for a property located in the Core Central Region (CCR).

Factoring PSF into your purchasing decision for BTO flats and Executive Condominiums (EC) isn’t nearly as important as it is for private condominiums. Why? Because control over the PSF value of new BTO flats and ECs (not resale) rests with HDB – not property developers.

Private condominiums are a completely different story because control of the PSF value lies with the developers.

Some of you are probably thinking “well, what’s keeping them from just charging whatever the hell they want?” The simple answer is government intervention. In fact, the latest property “cooling measures” did such a good job at bringing down property prices that developers have seen their returns shrink by 50%.

Using PSF to Gauge the Price of Private Condominiums

For property development, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) divides Singapore into three different areas. As you’ll see, the PSF values for each of these regions isn’t very surprising when you consider their locations.

Here they are:

  • The Core Central Region (CCR): This area encompasses much of Singapore’s prime real estate ranging from Orchard Road to Holland Road. It also includes the Central Business District (CBD) and Sentosa. The PSF ranges from $2,000+ to $5,000+.
  • The Rest of Central Region (RCR): This area encompasses everything inside Clementi Road to the West, Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 in the North, and Still Road in the East. The PSF ranges from $1,300+ to $2,000+.
  • The Outer Core Region (OCR): This area encompasses everything that remains in the far reaches of Singapore (Bedok, Tampines, Paya Lebar, Jurong West, etc.). The PSF ranges from $900+ to $1,300+.

If you’re looking to either upgrade in the near future (2-3 years) or purchase an investment property, factoring PSF into your purchase of a new private condominium will definitely help if you look at how much developers paid for the site.

Factoring the PSF Developers Paid for a Plot of Land Can Help You Estimate a Property’s Sale Price

If you have the time to do a little research, check out the URA website to research the land sales made. This is where you’ll find the latest data on plots of land URA has sold to developers.

By checking out award tenders, you can factor the PSF price that the developer paid for the land (just keep in mind many tenders are in Per Square Meter (PSM) so you’ll need to do some math to convert to PSF).

For example:

The 15 Jan 2014 tender of a residential site in Upper Paya Lebar Road had a Maximum Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 56,218 square meters (605,125.52 square feet).

The developer paid $392,300,000 for the site, meaning it paid a PSF value of $648.30 for the site.

Although not an exact science, you can roughly speculate that based on the PSF the developer paid for the site, the sale price of the property will be at least TWICE that amount (to cover the cost of construction and profit markup) – so expect the PSF of this property to be in the $1,300 to $1,400+ range, depending on what amenities are near the site.

Final Note: If you’re looking to invest in another property or upgrade from your existing home in 2-3 years, factoring the PSF a developer paid for a plot of land can give you a better idea of what you can expect to pay. That’s important considering a difference of $100 PSF for a 1,000 square foot condo is no small amount – that’s $100,000!

Whether you’re looking for a place to settle down in, or rent out, make sure you visit Smartloans.sg so you can get the best home loan deal in Singapore!

How important is PSF to you when purchasing a property? Share your experience on Facebook! And to find even more useful information on everything personal finance, visit MoneySmart today!

 

Anti-harassment laws — cyberspace is just too huge

The Independent
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Anti-harassment laws — cyberspace is just too huge

Harassers, watch out. Anti-harassment laws passed in Parliament yesterday would allow possible imprisonment for some behaviour. Yet they may not address the difficulties of dealing with online harassers, said Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC’s Member of Parliament, Hri Kumar.

“Even though the provisions have been worded to take into account harassment made via online communications, and also to account for offenders in foreign jurisdictions, the cloak of anonymity that cyber-bullies hide behind may prevent the Bill from being effectively enforced,” he said.

Previously, offenders were merely fined under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act. The new Bill will beef up its punishments, including mandatory treatment orders for harassers believed to have mental conditions.

Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said the act would cover online abuses including sexual harassment, cyber-bullying, and stalking would be made unlawful.

“Where the identity of the publisher cannot be ascertained, such a person may be identified by his username or account, Internet location address, website or email address,” said Shanmugam. Victims do not have to identify the real name of the harasser before seeking a protection order.

However, one must also note that the rogue netizens of the online world are very quick to cough up every nitty-gritty details of any individual – harasser or otherwise – to the public through forums like HardwareZone and Sammyboy Forum.

Anton Casey and Caleb Rozario were two examples of such cases. How these issues would be addressed remained unclear.

“Therefore, we must beef up the resources of the Technology Crime Division of the CID so that they can investigate technology-related offences beyond the Computer Misuse Act. Will we be doing so?” Hri Kumar asked.

Another problem is when victims of cyber-harassment pursue civil claims, he added.

“If the perpetrator is anonymous, civil remedies may prove ineffective”, he said, as the resources that would go into finding the harasser online may be above and beyond the means of many ordinary people.

“Is there any way the Government can assist in such technical matters at no or low cost, if the applicant is able to demonstrate a good case?” he said.

Shanmugan also said yesterday: “Victims have the right to request that relevant parties publish their replies to correct falsehoods; harassment victims can do so if they do not want to escalate the matter.”

However, facts and accusations remained a blur in the online world, with many building false accusations on top of facts. In the case of Caleb Rozario, some of the threats to blow up Marina Bay Sands were not posted by him but tailored by other online netizens, according to Rozario.

“In the time it will take for the Court to determine if the statement of fact complained of is false and for the remedy to be effected, the false statement would have travelled around the world many times over,” Hri said.

In a letter to Today newspaper this week, Jeraldine Phneah who is a Miss Singapore World 2013 finalist, also pointed out that it would be difficult to correctly pinpoint the person accountable in cyberspace.

“If there was an online lynch mob, who would be accountable? The person who started the thread or the one who urged others to join in — or everyone involved?”

Review the Home Team

The Independent
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Review the Home Team

by Tan Bah Bah

This is what the general manager of a security solutions company said about the Woodlands Checkpoint security: “If we want to completely stop vehicles we would recommend that cat claws devices be used together with another barrier, such as road blockers.  I’m not sure why we only have cat claws functioning at the border. Perhaps it is because there have hardly been any major incidents so far in Singapore.”

That seems an indirect but fair assessment of the Singapore home security dilemma, for lack of a better word.  The more we progress, the more we take things for granted.

Can we get by with just this equipment? Let us focus on educating the public, encouraging people to be the eyes on the ground. Resources are released to do ‘strategic studies’, ‘overall planning’ and ‘advanced training’. And so on. No major quarrel with all this  – if the existing system is working well. Is it?

The cracks are showing.

It started in 2008 with the escape of detainee Mas Selamat from the Whitley Road Detention Centre. The flaw? An unsecured bathroom window at, of all places, a detention centre.

A Committee of Inquiry attributed the escape to three critical factors: the window had no grilles, the guards allowed the escapee to close the bathroom door and the perimeter fence at the centre had a weak spot.

Just on the subject of physical equipment. All those cat claws at Woodlands had looked quite impressive and would probably have deterred many potential breachers. But so long as one offender could crash through it, the barrier becomes suspect.  The man who breached the checkpoint on March 7 did Immigration a favour in exposing the relative inadequacy of the barrier though he will be charged for a rash act of driving recklessly. He is also being accused of vandalism after he allegedly drove into the cat claws security barrier and damaged it.

A higher sense of alertness has also to be thorough instilled into our Immigration officers.  A Malaysian teacher slipped undetected, repeat undetected, through the Checkpoint on Jan 17,and was arrested three days later.  No crashing this time. She simply drove through. What’s happening?

Apart from internal security and Immigration efficiency, the performance of the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Civil Defence Force was tested and found wanting at the Little Indiariot.

We heard what Commmittee of Inquiry chairman G Pannir Selvam and panel member Tee Tua Ba had to say about the slowness of the Special Commands Operation team and  the hesitancy of the ground commanders in acting more aggressvely against the rioters.

A telling statement came from Deputy Commissioner of Police Raja Kumar at the COI: ìThe reality is that we are resource-constrained every weekend,î he said.

The COI hearing has shown that we may be losing much of the original Police DNA – the instinct to dominate the ground in the face of fire. This is the software we need to search for in anyone who wants to put on the police uniform. Being a police officer is not a job, it is a calling.

Another reality is that the Home Affairs Ministry may be breaking at its seams. The ministry has nine departments and statutory bodies under its wing  – the fourth  largest number in the government, with the same number as the Prime Minister’s Office.

Homeland security has become more complex than dealing with crimes within the domestic borders of a sheltered but now almost beleagured  island. By fate, we are located at the centre of trade and business. By choice, we have in our midst millions of foreigners not all of whom come here to wish us well or do well legitimately.

There should be a thorough review of the functions and structure of the ministry. Some cogent questions which ought to be asked are: Should there be a Second Home Affairs Minister to give him support? Should the Casino Regulatory Authority come under the Finance Ministry? Why should the SCDF be part of Home Affairs and not the Defence Ministry?

Is the Home Affairs Minister on top of the situation? If not, he should make way for others who can deal more effectively with the challenge.

Basics of new healthcare initiatives

The Independent
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Basics of new healthcare initiatives

Here is the A-Z of Budget 2014’s new healthcare initiatives – other than those covered in the Pioneer Package. What does it all mean to the common person? The Independent Singapore has summarised the basic facts for you in six points:

1. No initial payment for chronic patients (effective from July 2014)
Donít have to pay the initial $30 for outpatient treatment in cash before a chronic disease patient can use their Medisave.

As of January 2014, Osteoarthritis, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Anxiety, Parkinsonís disease and Nephrosis/Nephritis were added to the list of chronic diseases covered under Medisave. Previously, patients would have to pay $30 (any amount under $30 would have to be paid in cash) as well as 15 per cent of the balance of the bill. Medisave, since 2012, allows a maximum withdrawal for chronic diseases under the Chronic Disease outpatient treatment, with  a cap at $400 per account, per year.

2. Flexi-Medisave scheme for the elderly (effective from 2015)
Seniors above 65 would be able to use $200 annually from their Medisave account for outpatient treatment – in public hospitals, polyclinics and private clinics under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS). This would include a cold or a cough.

Currently these are some of the Medisave withdrawal caps for outpatient treatment:
– Vaccination- $400 per year, per account
– Assisted conception procedure – $15, 000 per patient
– Renal dialysis treatment –  $450 per month
– Scans for cancer patients – $600 per year
– Outpatient Intravenous Antibiotic Treatment- $600 per week; $2,400 a year
However a patient who is hospitalised will not be eligible to claim under any outpatient treatment withdrawal limit. Medisave can also be withdrawn to pay the medical bills of the immediate family.

3. Non-cancer scans covered (effective from 2015)
$300 worth of non-cancer-related scans necessary for diagnosis and treatment will be allowed per year.

Currently only scans for cancer patients are covered under Medisave.

Based on the charges quoted by Singapore General Hospital, an X-ray costs between $15-$300, a CT Scan cost between $300-$1,300 and an ultrasound cost between $50-$500.

4. Top-up for lower-and-middle-income families (pending)
Families with per capita household income below $1,100 get a 70 per cent subsidy off outpatient services at Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs). While families with per capita household income from $1,101 to $1,800 get a 60 per cent subsidy, families with no income will have their subsidies calculated based on the annual value of their homes.

A cost of consultation at SOC is about $32. Current subsidies for all groups below $1,800 household income are 50 per cent.

5. Cheaper standard drugs (effective from 2015)
Lower-to-middle-income families will benefit from a 75 per cent subsidy for all standard drugs. 13 additional drugs will also be subsidised come April 2014. The current standard drugs list covers 90 per cent of total medical prescriptions.

Prices of subsidised drugs can be found here.

6. MediShield Life premiums reduced (Effective from 2015)
Premiums for nuclear family with two school-going children will not take up more than half of their annual Medisave contributions.

Singaporeans aged 55 to 64 years old with a median income or less will have no increase in premiums after permanent subsidies and Medisave top-ups. Subsidies start from 40 per cent for 65-year-olds to 60 per cent for 90-year-olds. Currently MediShiled annual premium for seniors above 65 is $540 and premium for seniors above 80 range from $1,150 to $1,190.

As of now premiums for MediShield for two working parents and two school children are around $540. MediShield only covers hospitalisation expenses and approved outpatient treatments.

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