When I Was Young

SWINE FLU ALERT
Neo Chai Chin, chaichin@mediacorp.com.sg

His ministry is working "round the clock" to stay abreast of swine flu developments around the world. And Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday sounded a reassuring note, saying the nation is in a better position to deal with a global pandemic compared to six years ago when Sars hit.

Back then, 33 people here died from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Since then, progress has been made in laboratory capabilities and as well as alertness levels at hospitals and airports.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is also looking at restricting the number of visitors for hospital patients — if developments over the next two days warrants it.
"As a general principal, if you don't have to visit hospitals, don't visit because it's not exactly a clean place. Why expose yourself unnecessarily?" said Mr Khaw.

Those who need to visit loved ones should maintain a high level of personal hygiene including frequent hand-washing.

Singapore also has a stockpile of Tamiflu — one of the antiviral drugs found to be effective against the swine flu virus — as well as personal protective equipment for hospital staff, he said.

MOH is likely to request hospital staff working in high-risk areas such as accident and emergency (A&E) wards and intensive care units to wear the personal protective equipment.

At least one hospital has already taken the initiative. Since Saturday, National University Hospital staff at the A&E temperature screening area have put on protective gowns in addition to the face mask routinely worn.

NUH and the Singapore General Hospital said patients are also asked about their travel histories. "Patients ... with travel history to Mexico, USA and Canada will be asked to alert our staff. Visitors with travel history and who are feeling unwell are advised not to visit patients, and to seek medical attention," said SGH chief executive Prof Ang Chong Lye.

Indeed, disclosure of travel history becomes "very important", said Mr Khaw, given how swine flu symptoms such as fever, cough and sore throat are similar to that of regular flu.

And while the swine flu outbreak could be "just a very localised" one that will "eventually burn itself out", Mr Khaw said Singapore will "play safe and assume the worst."

From TODAY, News – Monday, 27-April-2009

Swine flu alert

Neo Chai Chin, chaichin@mediacorp.com.sg

THERE are no known cases of swine flu in Singapore, but preventive measures have already kicked in at Changi Airport.

From 11pm yesterday, thermal scanners were deployed to screen passengers arriving from the United States. And from 8am today, all passengers arriving at Terminals 1, 2 and 3 will also have to undergo thermal scans just before their immigration checks. Those arriving at the Budget Terminal and Seletar Airport will have to do so from Wednesday, said the Health Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore in a joint statement last night.

Those with higher-than-normal temperatures will be put through further medical assessments.

Speaking to the media after a block visit in Woodlands yesterday, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said it is too early to close our borders as this will affect the economy and food supply.

However, given the US' connectedness with the rest of the world, he warned it could be a matter of hours before swine flu reaches Singapore, hence the high level of alertness.

The Ministry has also advised Singaporeans to postpone or avoid non-essential travel to Mexico.

Those who develop flu-like symptoms including high fever, cough, and runny nose within seven days of travel to California, Texas or Kansas in the United States, or to Mexico, should seek medical attention.

So far, the World Health Organization does not consider a human swine flu pandemic to be imminent — the outbreak in Mexico and the US, however, constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

And although humans cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products, the Agrifood and Veterinary Authority will be testing incoming pork products for the flu virus.

It will also step up surveillance testing of pigs from Pulau Bulan in Indonesia — Singapore's only source of live pigs — to ensure they are not infected with the virus behind the current outbreak.

Singapore does not import pork from Mexico, nor does it import pigs from the US.

From TODAY – Monday, 27-April-2009

MEXICAN SWINE FLU

WHO to consider tomorrow whether to raise threat level

WASHINGTON — The world's governments raced to avoid both a pandemic and global hysteria yesterday as more possible swine flu cases surfaced from Canada to New Zealand and the United States declared a public health emergency.

Mexico, the outbreak's epicentre with up to 86 suspected deaths, closed churches, markets and restaurants. Few people ventured onto the streets, and some wore face masks. Canada became the third country to confirm cases, in six people, including some students who — like some New York City spring-breakers — got mildly ill in Mexico.

In Mexico, soldiers handed out six million surgical-style masks to deal with a deadly flu strain that officials say may have sickened 1,400 people since April 13.

Countries across Asia promised to quarantine feverish travellers returning from flu-affected areas.

The US declared the health emergency so it could ship roughly 12 million doses of flu-fighting medication from a federal stockpile to states in case they eventually need them — although with 20 confirmed cases of people recovering easily, they do not appear to for now.

Make no mistake: There is not a global pandemic — at least not yet. It is not clear how many people truly have this particular strain, or why all countries but Mexico are seeing a mild form of the disease. Nor is it clear if the new virus spreads easily, one milestone that distinguishes a bad flu from a global crisis. But waiting to take protective steps until after a pandemic is declared would be too late.

"We do think this will continue to spread but we are taking aggressive actions to minimise the impact on people's health," said Dr Richard Besser, acting chief of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

President Barack Obama's administration sought to look both calm and in command, striking a balance between informing Americans without panicking them. Mr Obama himself was playing golf while US officials used a White House news conference to compare the emergency declaration with preparing for an approaching hurricane.

"Really that's what we're doing right now. We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately what the size or seriousness of this outbreak is going to be," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters.

The World Health Organisation and the US were following precautions developed over the past five years to prepare for the next super-flu.

The WHO, which on Saturday asked all countries to step up detection of this strain of A/H1N1 swine flu, will consider tomorrow whether to raise the pandemic threat level, in turn triggering additional actions. AP

From TODAY – Monday, 27-April-2009

CHANNEL NEWSASIA

The Primetime morning interview

Jennifer Alejandro, jennifer@channelnewsasia.com

"I was past being angry. I was emotionally drained."

Thum Cheng Cheong, 46, received his biggest career blow last November. He was laid off from a European bank where he was the chief of legal and credit administration.

It happened so fast, he was shocked. He got the notice midday, putting an abrupt stop to a 16-year career in the banking.

At first he thought it was good to spend more time with his family. "It seemed like a good opportunity to rest and relax, because when would you get such a long break from work?"

But the worry set in fairly quickly, once Thum realised his job search was not yielding results. The worry was compounded by the knowledge that Singapore was caught in the midst of a global recession.

For help, he decided to turn to his passion for mind-mapping, and it turned out to be the answer he had hoped for.

Thum, a regular at mind-mapping workshops conducted by international author Tony Buzan since 2004, remembers thinking, "There were no jobs in banking at my level so I might as well take a risk. I have been assisting mind-mapping seminars for a couple of years now, so I asked myself, why not make my hobby a full time job?"

In January, the former banker and lawyer called up the local office of the Tony Buzan Learning Centre. With his track record, he was hired almost immediately as a mind-mapping trainer and in-house legal counsel.

He now moderates three workshops a week and does administrative legal work for the learning centre. He earns only half of his old salary but Thum said: "I'm happy that I could get this chance to tell people my story and do something I love."

I learned about Thum's story while researching for a series. Many have shared wonderful and touching stories with me. I remember a 51-year-old man who was retrenched by a local bank in November after 29 years in its customer service department. For almost two months, he attended job fairs and consulted agencies for assistance.

As luck would have it, a surprise came just in time for the New Year. Through a friend, he landed an interview at a secondary school and was hired as a teacher.

These are real-life survivors — people open to trying something they might never have considered, who had the courage to face up to change. After all, many of life's "second acts" begin only after a crisis.

We are looking for people who have re-invented themselves and got the better of retrenchment. If you have a story to tell, email second_act@channelnewsasia.com. Turn that page. Everybody deserves a second chance.

From TODAY, Plus – Weekend, 25/56-April-2009

I SAY

Are we missing the point about graciousness?

Jeremiah Boon

I refer to "Nothing wrong with Victorians" (April 22) and "What's wrong with today's kids?" (April 20).

The explanation provided by Mr Zaveed Husref is a good one; to label a school over such a minor act is exaggerated. But it has made me look at the bigger picture.

For the past couple of years or so, ever since Singapore started its campaign towards becoming a "gracious" society, have the population's social graces actually improved or become worse?

One cannot help but notice the amount of letters to newspapers about how a citizen found the action of another "ungracious".

In addition, it has become almost a fad to capture anything "ungracious" on one's camera phone and submit it to a local citizen reporter website.

Are we missing the point here? The word "gracious" is so severely overused today that it is losing its meaning.

I believe the society Singapore is trying to head for is when an individual like Ms Trina Tan Ker Wei (the writer of the second letter) would actually help the student diners clear the trays if the fast food restaurant did not have sufficient manpower at that time to do so.

While that sounds too good to be true in the society we live in, it's also the "gracious" spark we are looking for.

I question the effectiveness of nitpicking anything out of the ordinary and showing it to the world through the media.

Not to mention that this course of action only turns society into a place where one is forced to help, or otherwise risk being ridiculed, rather than wanting to help out of goodwill and consideration.

While citizens do their part towards forging a "gracious" society by submitting pictures of ungracious acts through various media, we are also opening ourselves up to being misconstrued by the rest of the world.

From TODAY, Voices – Thursday, 30-April-2009

Letter from Paul Antony Fernandez

I REFER to the recent debate about hygiene standards at hawker stalls.

It is indeed good to note that the National Environment Agency (NEA) will intensify its efforts in educating hawkers on the importance of safe hygiene practices.

May I also seek the assistance of NEA in ensuring that safe hygiene habits are also practised by another group of people handling food in public places: cleaning contractors.

Often, cleaning contracts are awarded to contractors with the lowest bids and there is a monopoly of such services regardless of their track record in adopting cleanliness. When you visit a hawker centre or an established food outlet, you often notice that the leftover food is not cleared immediately. The most common reason cited is a lack of manpower.

This problem can be overcome by paying the cleaners sustainable salaries, which in turn will entice others to join the workforce.

Another unsightly practice is that cleaners often use the same old dirty cloth to wipe tables, dipping them into the same bucket of dirty water over and over.

It doesn't stop there: These cleaners also have the habit of wiping food off the tables and on to the floor.

Perhaps NEA officers, during their enforcement rounds, should also observe the assigned cleaners and when a violation is detected, not just reprimand the cleaners but take action against their employers for failing to inculcate safe hygiene practices among their cleaners.

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 24-April-2009

Swine Influenza and You

What is swine flu?
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person, but in the past, this transmission was limited and not sustained beyond three people.

Are there human infections with swine flu in the U.S.?
In late March and early April 2009, cases of human infection with swine influenza A (H1N1) viruses were first reported in Southern California and near San Antonio, Texas. Other U.S. states have reported cases of swine flu infection in humans and cases have been reported internationally as well. An updated case count of confirmed swine flu infections in the United States is kept at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm. CDC and local and state health agencies are working together to investigate this situation.

Is this swine flu virus contagious?
CDC has determined that this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it is not known how easily the virus spreads between people.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

How does swine flu spread?
Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

How can someone with the flu infect someone else?
Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.

What should I do to keep from getting the flu?
First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Are there medicines to treat swine flu?
Yes. CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).

How long can an infected person spread swine flu to others?
People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possible for up to 7 days following illness onset. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?
Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.

How long can viruses live outside the body?
We know that some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. Frequent handwashing will help you reduce the chance of getting contamination from these common surfaces.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?
If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.

What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?
If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.

What is the best technique for washing my hands to avoid getting the flu?
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Wash with soap and water. or clean with alcohol-based hand cleaner. we recommend that when you wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesn't need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands.

What should I do if I get sick?
If you live in areas where swine influenza cases have been identified and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.
If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.
If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.
In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting

How serious is swine flu infection?
Like seasonal flu, swine flu in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe. Between 2005 until January 2009, 12 human cases of swine flu were detected in the U.S. with no deaths occurring. However, swine flu infection can be serious. In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman in Wisconsin was hospitalized for pneumonia after being infected with swine flu and died 8 days later. A swine flu outbreak in Fort Dix, New Jersey occurred in 1976 that caused more than 200 cases with serious illness in several people and one death.

Can I get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.


Taken from CDCP site; the original article is here.

SINGAPORE BEYOND LKY

Singapore can prosper even if differences exist

Letter from Poh Lee Heng

I refer to “Singapore beyond Lee Kuan Yew” (April 22).

I am 45 years old and have seen and benefited from the transition of Singapore from Third World to First under the strong but dominant leadership of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. I am very pleased that there is at least a debate about the future of Singapore beyond Mr Lee.

There should be more such debates as this is an issue of great national interest. The more we debate about it, the better we will be prepared for any unexpected scenario.

Mr Ho Kwon Ping is spot-on by saying that “for Singapore’s sake, the People’s Action Party (PAP) had better be sustainably competent, because there is no dependable, tested Opposition party as fallback for the country. The price of the PAP’s extraordinarily successful half-century of governance is that the system is now particularly vulnerable to the internal self-renewal of the PAP”.

The Singapore political system is highly efficient but not robust and as Mr Ho had pointed out, very dependent on the PAP.

China’s political system is efficient compared with India’s but India’s system is relatively more robust.

For a party to be in power for so long and remain corrupt-free and efficient is due to the strong leadership of Mr Lee and its current leaders.

In addition, the current leadership is self-disciplined and constantly reminding themselves of their duty toward the people of Singapore.

But in the absence of a strong leader, there is no guarantee that it will continue to do so.

I personally would rather live with a certain amount of instability due to political differences, in exchange for political robustness. I think Singapore has matured vastly over the last 20 years and can survive and prosper even if there are political differences.

Mr Lee, Singapore’s founding father, is in a great position to put our political system on a road map to robustness and this should cut across party interests.

I hope that Singapore will continue to be a great country for my children who are now in their teenage years.

From TODAY, Voices – Thursday, 23-April-2009

WASHINGTON — Fears over China are hitting the image of Asian-Americans, as their loyalties come under suspicion despite steady improvements in perceptions of the community, a survey said.

The Committee of 100, a Chinese-American group, conducted a nationwide survey to look at changes since its major study in 2001 on attitudes toward Asian-Americans in the United States.

The survey found that more than two-thirds of the public believed immigration from Asia was good for the nation and far more people were willing to accept an Asian-American marrying into the family or as an official representing them in government.

After electing Mr Barack Obama as their first African-American leader, just 9 per cent of Americans were uncomfortable with the idea of an Asian-American president, well down from 23 per cent in 2001.

But 45 per cent of the general public believed Asian-Americans were more loyal to their nations of origin than the US — up from 37 per cent at the beginning of the decade.

Mr Frank Wu, a scholar who helped lead the study, said that those Americans with the most anxiety about China’s rapidly growing economy were also the most concerned about Asian-Americans.

“There is increasing acceptance of Asian-Americans as people who are equals with the right to take part in democracy and are no different from white or black Americans,” Mr Wu said. “But coupled to that, there is also a great sense among a significant part of the population that they are not quite ‘real’ Americans.”

The survey, administered by Harris Interactive, interviewed 1,427 adults in January.

Mr Wu said unlike some other groups, particularly African-Americans, stereotypes about Asian-Americans were largely positive — viewed as a “model minority” who are hardworking. “We’re lavished with praise on one hand but if you scratch a bit beneath the surface, then Asians are seen as not just hardworking but as unfair competition — they are sort of taking over,” he said.

Around 5 per cent of the US population claim ancestry from Asia. AFP

From TODAY, World – Thursday, 23-April-2009

PIRACY TRIAL

Somali teen pirate to be tried as an adult in US court

NEW YORK — A teenaged pirate captured by US forces in a high-seas drama off Somalia was ordered to stand trial here as an adult on Tuesday.

Abduhl Wali-i-Musi, wearing a blue T-shirt and with head lowered as he entered the court with an interpreter, faces the mandatory life imprisonment if convicted on the most serious charge of piracy.

Judge Andrew Peck ruled the young Somali would be tried as an adult after rejecting a claim by the defendant’s father that Musi was only 15 years old. Prosecutors said he was over 18.

The five charges filed against Musi were piracy “under the law of nations”, conspiracy to seize a ship by force, conspiracy to take hostages, and discharging and brandishing a firearm in the course of a hostage-taking.

Musi was allegedly one of four Somali pirates who boarded the US container ship Maersk Alabama on April 8, and later fled taking its American captain, Richard Phillips, as a hostage in a small life boat.

Musi, who prosecutors described as the group’s leader, was taken into custody April 12 after he boarded the USS Bainbridge to demand safe passage in return for Mr Phillips’ release.

On the fifth day of the ordeal, US Navy snipers shot dead the other three pirates and rescued Mr Phillips.

The crew member who stabbed Musi said on Tuesday that the teenager counted himself lucky to raid a US ship and carried himself as the leader of the pirate gang.

“He was surprised he was on a US ship. He kept asking, ‘You all come from America?’ Then he claps and cheers and smiles. He caught himself a big fish. He can’t believe it,” crew member ATM “Zahid” Reza said.

He said Musi told him it was his dream to come to America. “His dreams come true, but he comes to the US not as a visitor, but as a prisoner,” Mr Reza said.

AGENCIES

From TODAY, World – Thursday, 23-April-2009

MOVIE REVIEW | THE MEERKATS

WHAT'S small and furry but isn't a cat?

A meerkat. Yup, like Timon from the duo of Pumbaa and Timon. A collaboration between BBC Films and the BBC Natural History Unit, this movie is about a whole family of the little rodents that stand up on their hind legs and look quizzical.

The Meerkats, narrated by the late Paul Newman, is skilfully shot and, like any good animal movie, shamelessly anthropomorphic.

A documentary-cum-bedtime story, the film tells the sentimental tale of Kolo, a gung-ho meerkat pup who overcomes the obstacles of youth, inexperience and predators to take his place as a useful member of his meerkat family.

While not nearly as interesting or poetic as March of the Penguins, The Meerkats does feature some awe-inspiring scenes of the Kalahari and includes studies of other interesting animals within the meerkat's environment, like the eagle, the cobra and the lion. It's an engaging and educational experience — for the children, especially. 2.5/5 May Seah

From TODAY, Plus – Wednesday, 22-April-2009

D-BODHI

Tan Hui Leng
huileng@mediacorp.com.sg

WHEN Ms Anita Sam (picture) started importing eco-friendly furniture five years ago, customers snapped up pieces based on their design and craftsmanship. Today, consumers consider the environmental sustainability of the furniture's raw materials first, and design second.

"I think Singaporeans have reached a level of maturity where they love good design and quality, but they also want to be socially responsible," said the Singapore Permanent Resident and furniture industry veteran.

"It's the 'feel-good' factor… not only does the furniture look good, it is also good for the environment."

Last Friday's official opening of the flagship d-Bodhi concept store, which Ms Sam said saw "very substantial sales", is testimony to her passion for environmental sustainability. In fact, sales at the eco-friendly furniture business have grown almost 10-fold from 2004 when it would ship out two containers a month to the 18 to 20 containers monthly now. The company aims to expand its monthly exports to some 30 containers this year and 50 next year.

d-Bodhi is one of a few reclaimed wood industry players in Singapore. The furniture range was started in 2002 by Dutch national Raymond Davids, a partner of the company. It recently set up a 3,200-square-foot flagship store at Alexandra Industrial Estate here and hopes to have 200 d-Bodhi shops worldwide by 2015.

d-Bodhi uses reclaimed teak from Indonesia, with pieces salvaged from buildings and railway sleepers and can be up to 100 years old.

"Reclaimed wood poses other challenges, such as the tedious collection of wood," said d-Bodhi's co-owner and director Ms Sam. A team of 700 in Indonesia is involved in the business — from sussing out buildings for sale to collection of wood.

Unlike buying new wood by volume, reclaimed wood comes in all shapes and sizes. It has to be processed more arduously, as items like nails, nuts and bolts and screws have to be removed before they can be stripped down. The planks then have to be sorted according to the type of furniture they are more suited to be in their next lifetime.

However, such teak has a special quality which Ms Sam and other aficionados love for the character its grain, natural finish and age lend.

The d-Bodhi line is marketed as a premium brand, with prices starting at $300 for chairs and over $3,000 for bedroom sets. d-Bodhi also distributes to 13 countries globally and aims to sell in 25 countries by next year.

It has been successful in getting the United States-based Forest Stewardship Council to start a new certification category, that is, "100 per cent recycled wood" for such furniture, different from new wood sourced from sustainable plantations.

"For many of our customers, it's a conscious decision to buy from us rather than from other shops," said Ms Sam.

"Some of them also tell me frankly that they entertain friends and business associates who are environmentally friendly."

That d-Bodhi's furniture come with an international "green" certification is the icing on the cake. The company has extended the eco-friendly aspect of the business to reuse sawdust generated during the furniture making process as they are pressed with a resin to be made into home accessories like tealight holders, coasters and table lamps.

Looking ahead, d-Bodhi is open to using other types of reclaimed wood. It is also looking into working with more Singapore designers through Spring Singapore.

From TODAY, Enterprise – Wednesday, 22-April-2009

Letter from Zaveed Husref

I REFER to “What’s wrong with today’s kids?” (April 20) from Ms Trina Tan Ker Wei.

I am truly proud of my Victorian experience, having been fortunate enough to attend Victoria School and Victoria Junior College.

I am upset at Ms Tan’s narrow-mindedness. She insulted generations of Victorians by implying Victoria School has failed “in upholding its school mission of producing well-mannered, considerate men with good social graces” through judging the actions of a handful of Victorians.

Allow me first, to correct her understanding of Victoria’s mission — “A Victorian is ultimately a Gentleman, a Professional and a Sportsman who makes tangible contributions to his family, work, community and nation”. The inability of the students to clear their trays of food at McDonald’s is not indicative of Victoria School’s failure.

Perhaps at most it does show a lack of consideration to the crew members who had to clean up after them, but might I remind Ms Tan, however, that clearing trays are part of crew members’ jobscope. Considering the ever increasing prices of fast-food outlets that rival those of restaurants, how different is leaving a tray for a crew member to clear from that of a waiter clearing your plates at a restaurant? Furthermore, how many Singaporeans actually do clear up after they are done with their meals? Not many, I assure you.

------
From Meng Chye
I would like to tell all Victorians out there that we should welcome such criticisms. As our school song goes, “For others came, before and went, and carried to the world, Victoria’s name, and our intent, to keep her flag unfurled.”

From Joo Peng
Boys will be boys.

From Samuel
The fact, sadly and truly, is that hardly anyone clears up after themselves, and you know it.

www.todayonline.com/voices
Read more letters and comments about the issue
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Clearing one’s own trays is an individual choice, usually done only when it is convenient to do so, and enforcing this act and blaming the teacher seems almost an Orwellian ideal to me. I do believe these boys were engrossed in their conversations, and when it was time to leave, absent-mindedly cleared some of their food and then left as a group. This momentary lapse of consideration does not make them failures.

Rather, it shows that despite their ability to win medals around the world while consistently coming in tops in the school rankings year after year, that Victorians are nonetheless human, and should be allowed the occasional lack of perfection without being subjected to such harsh judgement.

The writer is an undergraduate at the National University of Singapore.

From TODAY, Voices – Wednesday, 22-April-2009

I SAY
Ho Kwon Ping

IT IS perhaps Mr Lee Kuan Yew's fate, as one of very few successful nation-founders who retired on their own accord, to have periodic questions asked about his legacy. After all, the overwhelming majority of revolutionary leaders or nation-founders had more courage than wisdom, and few retired willingly.

The considerable earlier achievements of Mr Mao Zedong, Mr Fidel Castro, or even Mr Robert Mugabe, were severely diminished by their clinging to power long past their peak. In modern history, perhaps only China's Mr Deng Xiaoping and Mr Lee Kuan Yew knew not only when to retire, but how to guide their countries to a sustainable, stable future.

Mr Deng has long passed from China's scene, but the country remains firmly focused on Mr Deng's vision of a peaceful and prosperous country, attaining its rightful place in the world. In Singapore, Mr Lee remains a vibrant mentor, though slower of gait and mellower in temperament.

So the question is: When he is no longer around, how will Singapore fare? Will it, as the political scientist Professor Samuel Huntington, once predicted, that the system created by Mr Lee "will follow him to his grave"?

This was the broad thrust of a recent forum entitled "Singapore Beyond Lee Kuan Yew". As one of the speakers, I raised two questions. First, whether political renewal within the People's Action Party (PAP) can produce leaders of sufficient calibre that people will continue to support the unique one-party-dominant system characteristic of the Singapore system of governance. Because if they do not, we will be sailing in uncharted waters.

And second, should the waters ever turn choppy, can tomorrow's generation find their way through the storm, with or without the PAP? In other words, how will Singapore society and its people fare and fend for themselves beyond Mr Lee?

Let's take the first issue of political renewal within the PAP. For Singapore's sake, the ruling PAP had better be sustainably competent, because there is no dependable, tested opposition party as fallback for the country. The price to Singapore of the PAP's extraordinarily successful half-century of governance is that the system is now particularly vulnerable to the internal self-renewal of the PAP.

Will the Singapore system of self-renewal work beyond Mr Lee and after the present generation of leaders depart the scene? The only possible answer, since we have not yet crossed that bridge, is that we do not know. But future leaders will certainly not enjoy the huge political legitimacy arising from approval by Mr Lee.

The risk to successful self-renewal in Singapore beyond Mr Lee is not only the paucity of talent and the difficulty of identifying, recruiting and grooming leaders.

Another risk, over time, is the spectre of internal schisms within the PAP. The party's extraordinary cohesion over 50 years is due not only to the PAP's compelling vision and its centrist positioning, but owes much to the forceful personality of Mr Lee. Whether factionalism can be kept in check after this present generation of leaders including its mentor, have left the scene, is an imponderable. But given its past record, the chances are reasonably good.

The second question I raised was this: If the PAP, for whatever reason, fails to lead Singapore, will Mr Lee's legacy then unravel? Or can the people of Singapore muddle their way through even if the leadership renewal of the PAP fails to deliver what it has done for the past 50 years?

To borrow from United States President Barack Obama, I think the answer is "yes, we can". Mr Lee's greatest legacy, I believe, is that the Singapore which he so passionately shaped will outlive not only him, but even his own party should that ever come to pass.

Perhaps because he is the quintessential realist with no illusions about the difficulty of creating a genuine nation out of different ethnic groups with their own traditions, and still recognises that the fault lines of race and religion continue to lurk in the background, Mr Lee has made nation-building one of the single most critical political imperatives of his leadership. And he has largely succeeded.

No Singaporean or foreigner questions today that we have a shared identity, common values and aspirations. This is no small achievement.

And so, 44 years after nationhood, the acute sense of vulnerability which suffused the Lee Kuan Yew era with an urgent dynamism, is inevitably giving way to a more relaxed and confident nation.

Will that translate into a complacent and cocky generation, ultimately descending into the hubris which will destroy Mr Lee's legacy? Or will a sense of "concerned gungho-ness", shaped by the collective memory of vulnerability but inspired by the promise that theirs is a destiny they will continue to shape on their own, define my children's generation?

Contrary to popular stereotype, young people today are not apathetic. They may be disinterested in electoral politics, but they are increasingly involved in civil society and community issues. They seek expression not in Speakers Corner but in alternative digital media and social networking sites. Singaporeans studying overseas remain engaged about Singapore issues and many are returning home, no doubt partly because of dire job prospects in the West, but also because their sense of belonging is strong.

Visitors to Singapore marvel at how we have managed fundamental diversities of race and religion so well. But now that we are a single, cohesive nation, there is a need to encourage a different kind of diversity — not in race or religion — but in outlook and analysis.

Thankfully, the once-rigid Singapore system is beginning to cultivate and celebrate diversity in our schools and universities, in social and cultural life.

The definition and measure of success and achievement is also broadening. In my interaction with my children and their friends, or with Singapore Management University students, I sense that young Singaporeans are responding positively to these trends. I do not believe that their sense of ownership over their country is any less than the youth of other countries.

In short, the Singapore of Lee Kuan Yew is changing — as it should and as he would have wished it to. By responding to tomorrow's generation, today's leadership is ensuring Singapore's survival.

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This is an edited extract of a speech delivered at a forum entitled "Singapore Beyond Lee Kuan Yew: Institutionalising the Singapore Way". It was organised by the Asia Journalism Fellowship programme, an initiative of Temasek Foundation and the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.
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From TODAY, Voices – Wednesday, 22-April-2009

CAIRO — A six-year-old boy died in Egypt after contracting H5N1 avian influenza, becoming the country's 24th human casualty of the disease since 2006, the state-run Middle East News Agency reported yesterday.

Egypt has the highest number of avian-flu cases outside Asia, according to the most recent data from the World Health Organisation. With the newest reports, the number of infected people there has reached 67.

The boy is the first fatality attributed to the virus in Egypt this year, the news agency quoted a spokesman for the Health Ministry as saying. The boy had shown symptoms of the virus on March 22 after coming in contact with dead birds.

The ministry reported the 67th infection earlier yesterday, saying that a four-year-old boy had contracted the virus. The boy has been given Tamiflu and is in stable condition in hospital.

The Swiss manufacturer of the antiviral medicine, Roche, says it can reduce the severity and duration of flu symptoms if taken within 48 hours of the onset of disease. Early treatment for the H5N1 avian flu may improve survival, some uncontrolled studies have shown.
BLOOMBERG

From TODAY, World – Wednesday, 22-April-2009

Consumer poll

Do survey results suggest people want the most bang for their buck in current downturn?

Neo Chai Chin, chaichin@mediacorp.com.sg

CUSTOMER satisfaction isn’t just about service with a smile. The most satisfied customers are likely those who feel they have gotten the most bang for their buck, according to the latest nationwide survey tracking service excellence.

This could explain why the satisfaction ratings for public hospitals and polyclinics rose last year, while those for private hospitals fell. After their below-average showing in the previous survey in 2007, restructured hospitals improved their rating to 68.4 points, while private hospitals scored 69.9, a gap of just 1.5 points. In contrast, the private-public hospital satisfaction gap was 8.2 in 2007.

The higher scores for public healthcare could be due to more patients making the switch from pricier private services, said the heads of two restructured hospitals. “The economy being what it is, people are more sensitive about how much things costs and price differentials,” said Changi General Hospital’s chief executive TK Udairam.

“With the economic crisis slowly coming on, a dollar becomes more important. And public services are always cheaper,” said Alexandra Hospital’s chief executive Liak Teng Lit, who added public hospitals had worked hard to improve service standards.

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital emerged as the top public hospital, while Raffles Hospital topped the private hospital category.

Seven other sectors such as retail, education, as well as food and beverage were also surveyed. Over 15,000 local households and 4,000 tourists were interviewed from last November to January for the Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSIS) 2008, conducted by Singapore Management University’s (SMU) Institute of Service Excellence.

“From July, the CSIS scores will be released quarterly by sectors, with overall national scores announced in January of each year,” the SMU said.

For the 2008 survey, overall customer satisfaction here dipped 0.9 to 67.8 points. Public transport’s scores were largely below average, but the MRT system fared slightly better than taxis and public buses.

Budget airlines (63.6) scored lowest in the transport and logistics sector. F&B fared the worst among the eight sectors. Companies that topped their respective categories were the Ritz-Carlton Hotel (76.9), Singapore Airlines (74.6) and StarHub (69.1 for mobile telecom).

When told it was ranked the lowest among the fast food providers surveyed, McDonald’s said it would look into such “important feedback”. It said it would continue to serve up offerings that provide more value for money, such as its Value Lunch deal, which gives discounts of up to 30 per cent on set meals from noon to 2pm on weekdays.

But the CSIS has also raised some eyebrows among companies whose service standards exceed their internal benchmarks.

For instance, NTUC FairPrice’s results from its own mystery audits and compliment-to-complaint ratios “have been consistently above our internal benchmark”, said Mr Gerry Lee, chairman of FairPrice’s service excellence committee.

This disparity arises because customer service is just one factor driving satisfaction, explained Practice Assistant Professor Marcus Lee, the academic director of SMU’s Institute of Service Excellence.

Product quality, customers’ expectations and perceived value are also key. To improve their scores, companies need to deliver what customers want and benchmark themselves against industry competitors, he advised.

“A lot of times, companies offer things that customers don’t really want,” he said. And it doesn’t mean that customers with low expectations of the product end up more satisfied — in fact, the reverse is true. A customer with a previous pleasant experience would brush off minor hiccups the next time round, resulting in a self-fulfilling positive experience, said Prof Lee.

Compared to the customer satisfaction scores of seven other countries, Singapore scraped the bottom together with Denmark. The United States ranked top with 75.7 points after a slight improvement from last year. Sweden also saw an improvement. Others, including Hong Kong and South Korea, saw slight dips in customer satisfaction.

Visit www.smu.edu.sg/centres/ises/downloads/csisg2008_executivesummary.pdf for more details

From TODAY – Tuesday, 21-April-2009

STATE OF OUR STUDENTS

Teacher in top boys’ school set poor example

Letter from Trina Tan Ker Wei

I WAS at the McDonald’s outlet in Marine Cove on April 14, from about 4.30pm to 5.30pm.

During that time, a group of between 10 and 20 secondary school boys in Victoria School (VS) uniform entered together with a lady who I assumed was their teacher, and occupied a long table and some “bar” seats.

From their loud cheers, I gathered the teacher was giving them a treat. The calls to confirm orders and the general rowdy chatter were a little disruptive but I was okay with it.

What got to me, though, was how the VS boys did not clear their trays when they got up to leave. Some placed their empty drink cups and wrappers on the trays, but no one bothered to empty the filled trays.

The trash bin was next to the tables they were occupying — at most three steps away. The appalling thing was seeing how the teacher did not bother to ask the boys to clear their trays — she just stood there talking to the boys.

Then they all left. The area they had occupied looked as if a tornado had swept through it. There were used napkins, burger wrappers and empty drink cups left here and there.

I sympathised with the McDonald’s crew member who came to clear the mess with a look of helpless despair on his face.

I am saddened by the behaviour of the VS boys and the inability of their teacher to use that moment to teach her students manners. Victoria School appears to have failed in upholding its school mission of producing well-mannered, considerate men with good social graces.

My mother, a proud former VS girl, was surprised at the incident and felt the boys were tarnishing the school’s name.

If the younger generation cannot master basic manners, I do not care if they are winning academic awards around the world — as far as I am concerned, they are failures.

From TODAY, Voices – 20-April-2009

UNHELPFUL HELPLINE

SYDNEY — A dying teenage boy lost in dense bushland outside Sydney was ridiculed by emergency service operators during his frantic calls for help.

David Iredale, 17, became separated from his friends during a three-day bush walk in the Blue Mountain in 2006.

After spending 24 hours without water, he made six increasingly desperate calls to the emergency services.

However, David’s explanation that he was lost, feeling faint and had no water was met with sarcasm and derision by the emergency call centre staff.

During the conversations, call centre workers repeatedly asked David for a street address, despite his explanation he was lost in the bush, nowhere near a named road.

In one call, David explained his situation, to which the operator responded: “Okay, so you’ve just walked into the middle of nowhere?”

Another operator took two calls from the schoolboy but didn’t appear to remember her previous conversation.

In his final call, he apologised for failing to remember the name of the track he was on because he was too disoriented. David repeated the word “sorry”, to which the operator abruptly responded: “Don’t keep saying that... tell me where you are.”

The teenager was also put on hold twice. After his sixth call to the service, he was never heard from again. Eight days later his body was found by rescue teams in a dry creek bed.

David’s parents left the court while the harrowing recordings were played.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service has apologised for the way it treated David and issued a statement saying it had changed its procedures for handling calls from people in remote locations. The Daily Telegraph

From TODAY, World – 20-April-2009

COPING WITH THE RECESSION

Flexibility will impress future employers, Gan tells youth who raise discrimination concerns

ESTHER NG, estherng@mediacorp.com.sg

AS A fresh graduate, do I really have to accept a blue-collar job?

This plaintive question — sent via SMS by a participant in the audience, who worried that it would affect one’s shot at a PMET job after the economy recovers — drew some laughter as it was read aloud.

But Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong was in earnest as he advised this participant, and the other 80 or so youthful participants at the dialogue session with Young NTUC, to be flexible when jobhunting in a downturn. He urged them to “take up any job that is available”, as there would always be “opportunities to upgrade later on”.

Say an employer asks why you’ve not been working for the past one year — do you answer that there were “no jobs available”?

“Employers will not believe because there are always jobs available,” said Mr Gan. “Employers will think ... if in a crisis situation you’re willing to sit at home and do nothing, it means that you’re not flexible.”

For instance, Mr Gan revealed his “dream job” had been to teach, but the closest he got to it was as Minister of State for Education.

“The important thing is not to look for things we like to do, but to like the things that you’re doing”, he stressed, reiterating that many jobs are available in the fields of early childhood education, tourism, science and technology.

The two-hour forum at NTUC Centre yesterday involved mostly young unionists, and the issues they raised centred on the recession and other hurdles for graduates in the job market.

One asked: Are there enough training places for everyone, and should they look to upgrade their skills in an area they like — or train for where there is a market need?

Giving his assurance of sufficient training resources and capacity, Mr Gan advised job-seekers to approach the Employment and Employability Institute or Community Development Councils, where “career consultants” will help match their abilities with “market needs”. Training comes in where there is a mismatch, he said.

Ms Joyce Wong, 21, wondered if local graduates with degrees from private institutions enjoy equal job prospects as graduates from the three local universities.

Ms Mabel Siew, 23, wanted to know why applicants are compelled to disclose whether they are bankrupt and their medical conditions. Should they answer truthfully? “Because if you do, chances are you may not get the job,” she told Today later.

Both were hoping for some form of anti-discrimination legislation, but were not surprised when Mr Gan said the Government would “rather not legislate because the employer can get information through other means”.

He advised job applicants to be “honest” and, if they encounter discrimination, to approach the Tripartite Centre for Fair Employment.

On recognition of degrees, he said: “Even if you put up legislation, when you apply, (employers) can choose not to accept.” Rather, it’s up to private education providers to market themselves — like UniSIM, which has “built up its reputation” and “companies are happy with their graduates”, said Mr Gan.

The question about a CPF cut also cropped up. Mr Gan’s reply: There would not be one “for the time being”.

“Let’s focus on pushing ahead with Spur (Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience) and Jobs Credit.

“I think Jobs Credit has been very effective in helping companies manage their cost of employing local workers... We also have Workfare Income Supplement and so on — we need to get these implemented,” he said.

From TODAY – 20-April-2009

CHANNEL NEWSASIA

The Primetime morning interview

Nancy Ang, nancyang@mediacorp.com.sg

When you think about it, your voice is really a critical tool of communication but most people tend not to give it much thought unless they use it professionally on a daily basis. Or until they start to lose their voice or get it all hoarse and scratchy.

There is however, one day each year when the voice goes under the spotlight. I’m talking about World Voice Day every April 16, which health professionals have marked since 2002.

This year’s theme is “Invest In Your Voice”. The idea is a good one — taking the time to listen to our voice, instead of others’ for a change. Ideally though, paying close attention to our voice is something we should do every day, especially since our vocal cords can be damaged so easily.

As Dr Paul Mok, a Voice Specialist from Alexandra Hospital said in an interview with Primetime Morning, “people don’t realise that our vocal folds can vibrate many times in a single second. The more we shout, strain or abuse the voice, the faster the vocal cords will slam against each other, resulting in a swollen and inflamed throat”.

He added, “Most times, if you lose your voice, it will come back within 48 to 72 hours. But if the problem that causes the voice to degenerate continues, there’s no chance for recovery and irreversible changes can happen to the vocal folds such as scarring, permanently dilated blood vessels and so on.”

A scary scenario but something we can avoid. After all, the problem does not lie in how much we talk, but the way we talk and whether we practise good vocal habits. That’s good news surely, for heavy users of the voice such as singers, teachers, television hosts, actors and lawyers.

For this group, speech therapist Kristen Linnemeyer, also from Alexandra Hospital, recommends doing frequent vocal exercises such as the tongue trill or lip roll as effective ways to warm up the voice and keep it in good condition. She also teaches her patients how to relax their neck muscles so physical massage can be done on the throat.

She said, “The most important thing is to be in tune to your voice, how it sounds and how it feels. Most people get into trouble with their voice when they try to force and overcome what’s naturally going on.”

This means that if you’re already down with the flu and sore throat, there can be no instant cure. The body will need time to heal. The key is to rest, drink plenty of fluids and stay away from smoke to avoid inflaming the throat.

So love our voice or hate the sound of it, it’s going to be our only one. And if we shower it with care and provide good maintenance, well, it will let us speak up for a lifetime.

From WEEKEND TODAY, Plus – 18, 19-April-2009

FINANCIAL MELTDOWN

Talk about the end of the crisis could be premature — dangerously so

PAUL KRUGMAN, xtra@mediacorp.com.sg

BEN Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, sees “green shoots”. President Obama sees “glimmers of hope”. And the stock market has been on a tear.

So is it time to sound the all-clear? Here are four reasons to be cautious about the economic outlook.

1 Things are still getting worse. Industrial production just hit a 10-year low. Housing starts remain incredibly weak. Foreclosures, which dipped as mortgage companies waited for details of the Obama administration’s housing plans, are surging again.

The most you can say is that there are scattered signs that things are getting worse more slowly — that the economy isn’t plunging quite as fast as it was. And I do mean scattered: The latest edition of the Beige Book, the Fed’s periodic survey of business conditions, reports that “five of the 12 Districts noted a moderation in the pace of decline”. Whoopee.

2 Some of the good news isn’t convincing. The biggest positive news in recent days has come from banks, which have been announcing surprisingly good earnings. But some of those earnings reports look a little... funny.

Wells Fargo, for example, announced its best quarterly earnings ever. But a bank’s reported earnings aren’t a hard number, like sales; for example, they depend a lot on the amount the bank sets aside to cover expected future losses on its loans. And some analysts expressed considerable doubt about Wells Fargo’s assumptions, as well as other accounting issues.

Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs announced a huge jump in profits from Q4, 2008 to Q1, 2009. But as analysts quickly noticed, Goldman changed its definition of “quarter” (in response to a change in its legal status), so that — I kid you not — the month of December, which happened to be a bad one for the bank, disappeared from this comparison.

I don’t want to go overboard here. Maybe the banks really have swung from deep losses to hefty profits in record time. But scepticism comes naturally in this age of Madoff.

Oh, and for those expecting the Treasury Department’s “stress tests” to make everything clear: The White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, says that “you will see in a systematic and coordinated way the transparency of determining and showing to all involved some of the results of these stress tests”. No, I don’t know what that means, either.

3 There may be other shoes yet to drop. Even in the Great Depression, things didn’t head straight down. There was, in particular, a pause in the plunge about a year-and-a-half in — roughly where we are now. But then came a series of bank failures on both sides of the Atlantic, combined with some disastrous policy moves as countries tried to defend the dying gold standard, and the world economy fell off another cliff.

Can this happen again? Well, commercial real estate is coming apart at the seams, credit card losses are surging and nobody knows yet just how bad things will get in Japan or Eastern Europe. We probably won’t repeat the disaster of 1931, but it’s far from certain that the worst is over.

4 Even when it’s over, it won’t be over. The 2001 recession officially lasted only eight months, ending in November of that year. But unemployment kept rising for another year and a half. The same thing happened after the 1990-91 recession. And there’s every reason to believe that it will happen this time too. Don’t be surprised if unemployment keeps rising right through 2010.

Why? “V-shaped” recoveries, in which employment comes roaring back, take place only when there’s a lot of pent-up demand. In 1982, for example, housing was crushed by high interest rates, so when the Fed eased up, home sales surged. That’s not what’s going on this time: Today, the economy is depressed, loosely speaking, because we ran up too much debt and built too many shopping malls, and nobody is in the mood for a new burst of spending.

Employment will eventually recover — it always does. But it probably won’t happen fast.

So now that I’ve got everyone depressed, what’s the answer? Persistence.

History shows that one of the great policy dangers, in the face of a severe economic slump, is premature optimism. Franklin D Roosevelt responded to signs of recovery by cutting the Works Progress Administration in half and raising taxes; the Great Depression promptly returned in full force. Japan slackened its efforts halfway through its lost decade, ensuring another five years of stagnation.

The Obama administration’s economists understand this. They say all the right things about staying the course. But there’s a real risk that all the talk of green shoots and glimmers will breed a dangerous complacency.

So here’s my advice, to the public and policymakers alike: Don’t count your recoveries before they’re hatched. THE NEW YORK TIMES

WEEKEND XTRA

From WEEKEND TODAY, Business – 18, 19-April-2009

Letter from S Satish Appoo

Director, Environmental Health Department, National Environment Agency (NEA)

We refer to the letter “Flies make home in our eateries” (April 10).

Our investigations confirmed the presence of flies in the refreshment area of the foodshop at Sembawang Drive. The foodshop management has mobilised its pest control operator to locate and eradicate the fly-breeding sources. Our field officers have also extended their checks to the surrounding areas. The foodshop operator will face enforcement action should breeding be found in his premises.

During our inspection, food for sale was found to be properly covered. We have reminded the operator of his responsibility to ensure that crockery and cutlery are properly covered, and refuse properly bagged and disposed of.

We thank your reader for the feedback.

From WEEKEND TODAY, Voices – 18, 19-April-2009

NEA ON HAWKER CENTRE HYGIENE

Letter from Andrew Tan

Chief Executive Officer, National Environment Agency

I THANK all letter-writers and journalists of Today who have commented on the importance of maintaining high standards of public hygiene in our hawker centres following the severe incident of food poisoning traced to a stall at the Geylang Serai Temporary Market.

We at NEA are deeply saddened by this episode that is linked to more than 150 people falling ill, many acutely, with two losing their lives. Our hearts are with the affected people and the grieving families to whom we have extended our deepest condolences. The outpouring of concern rightfully shows the widespread sympathy we share for them as well as the high standards expected of our markets and food centres.

Maintaining Hygiene Standards

NEA has the overall responsibility for ensuring high standards of public health and hygiene in Singapore. We would like to assure the public that NEA will strive to uphold these high standards.

The current system for upholding public hygiene comprising legislation, surveillance, enforcement and public education has served us well. The number of food poisoning cases in Singapore is very low. Over the last three years, there has been an average of only four food poisoning incidents a year, even though we have 5,600 hawker stalls across 106 hawker centres.

Grading of Stalls

The grading scheme, introduced in 1997, was intended to motivate licensees to improve on their personal and food hygiene and upkeep of their premises. All stalls that are graded and allowed to operate meet the basic hygiene requirements. The grading scheme sought to differentiate and recognise those who made greater efforts to improve and sustain the cleanliness and hygiene of their operations. By making the grades public, it was hoped that consumers’ choice could also lend pressure to encourage hawkers to strive for higher standards.

NEA, on its part, also actively worked with stallholders to encourage them to improve, by paying more attention to those with lower grades. NEA facilitates upgrading courses so that food handlers gain the knowledge to raise standards.

Food stalls in hawker centres that are graded A and B are inspected every eight weeks, while stalls graded C and D are inspected more frequently — every six weeks. NEA uses a point demerit system to penalise foodhandlers for any lapses in maintaining good personal and food hygiene. When a food handler accumulates 12 demerit points in a year, his licence will be suspended for two weeks. This is how NEA keeps unhygienic stalls from operating.

This regime has led to a significant improvement in food hygiene levels in Singapore. Over the years, the proportion of Grade A and B stalls has increased from 46 per cent in 2002 to 86 per cent last year. The remaining 14 per cent of stalls are graded C and they meet hygiene requirements.

The grading and point demerit system, together with a regime of regular inspections, have helped to keep food poisoning incidence low. Notwithstanding, food poisoning incidents can occur in any food establishment, regardless of its grading, if there are lapses in personal hygiene.

Overall hygiene standards at hawker centres have also improved through the Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme. Since 2001, a total of 72 centres have been upgraded with better facilities and toilets, among other improvements. The remaining 30 or so centres will be upgraded by 2012.

Cleanliness of Geylang Serai Temporary Market

When markets and hawker centres are being upgraded, grassroot organisations and their advisers can choose to have a temporary market which is not provided for under the government’s Hawker Centre Upgrading Programme (HUP). If so, they also carry the responsibility of keeping the temporary market clean to meet NEA standards. However, NEA will intervene if it assesses the need to do so in the interest of public health.

In the case of Geylang Serai Market, the Kampong Ubi CCC decided to build and manage the temporary market. Despite the best of efforts put in by the Temporary Market Management Committee in implementing its cleaning regime and in tackling the rat infestation problem, the problem persisted. NEA should have moved in firmly earlier to address this problem. Sustained efforts with NEA’s assistance and enforcement have now led to a marked improvement. NEA will continue to require the Management Committee to sustain ongoing cleaning and pest control efforts.

Greater Vigilance

Going forward, NEA will step up its vigilance and enforce higher standards of public hygiene on all food outlets. NEA will also conduct more refresher training on food and personal hygiene for stallholders and food handlers. We will further tighten up our own procedures to ensure the timely issuing and display of up-to-date grading labels.

To impress on the need for good hygiene practices by all and enhance understanding of the overall system, NEA will step up engagement of market managements and operators of food establishments, Public awareness efforts so as to also involve consumers in maintaining high levels of public hygiene at all times are also being looked into.

NEA will further improve on the current system, taking into account the useful feedback and suggestions thus far. We thank everyone for the valuable feedback and suggestions. We continue to welcome views at contact_NEA@nea.gov.sg and 1800-CALL-NEA (1800-2255 632).

From WEEKEND TODAY, Voices – 18, 19-April-2009

GO GREEN

Turn off your lights every day of the year to make a difference

Richard Hartung, xtra@mediacorp.com.sg

EARTH Hour in Singapore last month energised thousands of people to take action and do their part to reduce the perils of global warming. But despite the mass participation, focusing on turning off the lights for just one hour may actually have been counterproductive. If Earth Hour made it seem like only a single hour of change is all that’s needed, it may also have sent a message that the other 8,759 hours of the year aren’t really so important.

The publicity for Earth Hour certainly did encourage action. Television commercials, signs at bus stops, advertisements, postcards and newspaper reports pushed people to do their part. The “60” logo — symbolising 60 minutes of darkness — seemed ubiquitous. Broadcasters picked up on the buzz, so listeners constantly heard about the need to turn off their lights. Many conversations the week before Earth Hour touched on “what will you be doing for Earth Hour?”

Hundreds of corporations and thousands of individuals chose to turn off the power for that one hour. Some schools and companies even turned off their lights for the entire weekend. At 8.30pm on March 28, lights were switched off in buildings around town, and thousands turned up for a celebration at Esplanade Park.

The actual impact, though, turned out to be limited. Power usage during the period dropped by less than 0.1 per cent, according to some estimates, though that figure could be higher if one counts the electricity not consumed for the entire weekend. While a walk around the CBD showed the lights were off in some buildings, lights remained on in so many restaurants, flats and offices it was a little hard to tell it was Earth Hour.

After all the hoopla, at 9.31pm, it was all over. And it’s when the lights came back on that the ideal behind Earth Hour started to show its cracks.

It was time to turn the lights back on for the rest of the next year. Unless participants understood that they need to do what they did during Earth Hour all year long, they could well feel they’ve already done their part for the entire year. And scheduling the hour conveniently on a weekend may have sent out the signal that all we need to do is lay off the lights once a year at a convenient time.

Earth Hour risks becoming a short-term annual fad rather than the first step of a longer-term solution to reduce global warming.

Not a fun run

It’s sort of like your doctor telling you to start exercising by signing up for a 10km charity fun run, then neglecting to say that you need to practice beforehand and continue afterwards. Running just once a year isn’t enough. Only by starting to exercise before the event and continuing to exercise afterwards are you likely to stay healthy. Similarly, only with continued efforts to reduce energy usage is the earth likely to become healthy again.

As conservation advocates like Nobel Laureate Al Gore have said, saving the planet requires changes to your daily routine. Every day!

More than 2,500 scientists gathered in Copenhagen in early March called for “sustained and effective mitigation” to avoid “dangerous climate change”. Saving the world is about reducing power usage and sustained action all year long.

Earth Hour organisers might contend, of course, that the event was a small but important step. As Carine Seror of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said in response to one inquiry: “The larger objective of the Earth Hour campaign just might help us make a start” on saving the earth, and the event highlighted “a growing momentum all over the world to make change a reality”.

More than focusing on just the one hour, however, the clear message needs to be that continual action throughout the year is critical for reducing climate change. One solution could be to promote Earth Hour as a start and then show what to do every day — even after Earth Hour is over — to make a difference. Another could be publicising lessons like the Nature Conservancy’s “What You Can Do”, which shows what we can do every day — not for just one hour, but all year long — to make a real difference.

While money and resources to promote change are understandably scarce, re-examining the premise behind Earth Hour and using the event to promote long-term change could make sure that the actual message gets across.

Just like a 10km run, Earth Hour has the benefit of prompting some people to do something. To make a real difference, though, the message that change needs to happen throughout the year needs to sink in. While the intent of Earth Hour is good, it’s only a start, and the message should be that we all need to take action every hour of every day to save our planet.

WEEKEND XTRA

From WEEKEND TODAY, Voices – 18, 19-April-2009

LAW ENFORCEMENT

CIB, a new unit within CID, to tackle gaming crimes

Zul Othman, zul@mediacorp.com.sg

A NEW law enforcement unit within the Criminal Investigation Department — the Casino Investigation Branch (CIB) — will be formed to detect and investigate casino-related crimes in the gaming industry here, it was revealed on Friday.

The CIB will share offices with the year-old Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) in each of Singapore’s two Integrated Resorts (IRs), due to open at the end of the year and in early 2010. The move will not only ensure that gaming in the IRs’ casinos are conducted honestly, it should also protect Singaporeans from gambling beyond their means, said CRA chairman Richard Magnus at the statutory board’s first work plan seminar.

Held at the Police Cantonment Complex, the seminar was attended by some 150 people from agencies such as the police, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS). Mr Magnus, a former senior district judge, told the gathering that what is also critical is inter-agency collaboration between the social services, police and other enforcement units.

“This lack of collaboration is found in some (gaming) jurisdictions, resulting in various problems (like) vice, corruption, high gambling addiction and poor law and order,” he noted. “Sustaining and institutionalising our multi-disciplinary approach is important against an industry where the nature of business is long term.”

In July, the CRA and the CIB will co-organise a training symposium to train and gear their officers for the opening of the two casinos in the IRs. Officials from other gaming jurisdictions are expected to train these officers on the latest industry practices.

This is crucial, as newly-opened casinos often fall prey to criminal groups looking to exploit the operators’ perceived inexperience, said Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, who delivered the keynote address at the seminar. “While we seek to reap the job and tourism benefits of the IR, we must guard against the fallout in crime and social problems,” said DPM Wong, who is also the Home Affairs Minister.

Among other things, the minister said the CRA must put in place a robust antimony laundering regime in line with international standards and ensure strict internal controls on key employees and associates.

www.channelnewsasia.com/video

From WEEKEND TODAY, News – 18, 19-Apirl-2009

BUDGET TAI-TAI
I’ve learnt my lesson: Home is where the safe food is

HONG Kong starlet Ella Koon was recently nicknamed “hell’s chef” after the dishes she whipped up in celebrity food show Beautiful Cooking caused the guest judges to throw up. Later, when challenged to defend her lack of culinary success, she retorted: “Living in Hong Kong, eating out is never a problem, is it?”

Yes, living in Hong Kong — or for that matter, most parts of Asia — eating out is never a problem. Walk onto a street and you’ll be sure to see a hawker stall around one corner or a restaurant around another.

There’s no call to have to cook at all. Why should you when there are others who can conjure up something far tastier than any of your humble efforts for just a dollar or two more than the cost of the ingredients themselves?

That’s probably why Hong Kong kitchens are so tiny. Mine has just enough space for a sink, fridge and two-burner cooker. The toaster has to be stacked on top of the microwave oven and my Kenwood mixer has been banished to the dining room.

Recently, after I posted some food photos on Facebook, my friends from Europe remarked: “You guys seem to eat out a lot, huh?” What was perfectly normal to me was strange to them.

For them, “outside food” (whether dining out or getting a Chinese takeaway) is so expensive that every meal not cooked at home is an occasion. They thought we are extremely wealthy to be able to do that every day.

When I was working in Singapore, we’d eat out or pack food home every weekday. After all, the coffeeshop was just around the corner and by the time I reached home at 7.30pm, I was just too tired to chop, slice, fry and clean up afterwards.

But now I am thinking of heading back to the kitchen again. The catalyst has been my back-to-back bouts of stomach flu — most likely triggered, according to my doctor, by bacteria in some food I’d eaten.

I’m not talking days. My two episodes lasted two weeks each with a gap of only a week between. One was caused by undercooked chicken rice and the other by some dodgy curry rice.

I had them for dinner at different “dai pai dongs” (coffeeshops) in different areas but the result was the same: Diarrhoea, a stomach ache and vomiting so bad that I had to live on plain porridge, crackers and Pocari Sweat for days on end.

“This would never have happened to me in Singapore, where the food is so clean,” I remember telling my husband.

Famous last words, of course, seeing as a few days later, the Indian rojak food poisoning broke out, killing two people and causing one woman to suffer a miscarriage. It was almost unheard of. Yes, you knew that bad food could cause you great discomfort but for it to kill...

And then, just this weekend, another dozen people or so came down with food poisoning from eating steamboat. What is going on? You hear of such things happening elsewhere, but not in Singapore.

That’s why I think our mothers were right. Home-cooked food is the best. You know where it has come from and has been prepared.

It’s a pity really that a lot of us have become like Ella Koon. We have become so used to others cooking for us that we don’t even know how to boil an egg.

I know of many working women who wear their lack of culinary skills almost as a badge of pride. They seem to think that they’re so important they’re above such housewifely pursuits.

Why be proud of a lack of ability? I can’t assemble an Ikea bookcase or pilot a plane but you don’t see me crowing about that.

Maybe it’s time we brought back cooking as a skill to be proud of. Maybe we should make home economics compulsory for all — for boys too, because why should they expect others to do for them what they can do themselves?

Then we can stop being so reliant on outside food. And for those who love to boast: “I can’t cook to save my life”, maybe it’s time you learnt. Because one day, it just might save your life.

Tabitha Wang is on the lookout for a good recipe for homemade Indian rojak. Can anyone help?

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 17-April-2009

Letter from Huang Wenwu

I WAS reading at a bookstore but was interrupted when a kid cried out: “That is my one!”

I shuddered. Where did she pick up such grammar? One wonders if we’ve made any progress from 20 years ago, when I recall such Singlish phrases were commonplace at my kindergarten.

Back then, teachers pronounced “pepper” and “paper” the same way, and I only learnt how to produce the “th” sound much later.

What success indicators are we using in the Speak Good English Movement? What must be done to get rid of the curse of bad English?

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 17-April-2009

Ong Dai Lin
dailin@mediacorp.com.sg

FROM serving coffee, they now face the prospect of serving jail time for employing “phantom” workers.

Three coffeeshop operators were charged yesterday with falsely declaring the number of local workers on their payrolls so as to inflate their foreign worker entitlement.

Soh Seng Thiam, manager of Jurong Café, which operates two coffeeshops at Jurong East Street and Tampines, has been slapped with 14 charges, while Pam Yoon Chung and Ho Chin Lai, directors of two different food courts in Bukit Batok, face 15 and 26 charges respectively.

The trio are the latest to be hauled to court as the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) continues to tighten the screw on errant employers. Three have already been convicted since March 27, with each receiving a custodial sentence ranging from six to 16 months.

Yesterday, another was handed a 12-month jail term by a district court. Soo Eng Yong, the sole proprietor of Superb Plastics Manufacturing, had made false statements to the Controller of Work Passes in the work permit application forms of seven foreign employees last year.

Investigations revealed that Superb Plastics did not have any business operations and the factories it listed were empty. Soo also never had any jobs for these foreign workers and they were left to fend for themselves.

Said Mr Aw Kum Cheong, divisional director of the Foreign Manpower Management Division: “MOM will continue to pursue such cases aggressively to stamp out the practice. Employers should note the severe penalties handed down by the courts, and recognise that it is not worth the risk of getting involved in such scams.”

From TODAY, News – Friday, 17-April-2009

Photos Wee Teck Hian

WHEN the red button is hit, an SMS alert is sent to all community leaders in the area who will then rush to the scene to ascertain if anyone needs help.

As part of its efforts to get the community involved in fighting crime, the police are holding trials on a new neighbourhood emergencies alert beacon (pictures) that will be placed in parks.

Two such beacons, standing waist-high and in striking red, have been placed in Alexandra Park. The police also plan to install them at the Ulu Pandan Park Connector and Clementi Woods Park soon.

Another initiative launched recently to reach out to younger and Net-savvy Singaporeans: A Singapore Police Force Facebook page containing crime prevention videos and messages; and appeals for information on unsolved cases.

The page on the popular social networking website now boasts of more than 3,800 fans since its launch in January.

The police’s Youtube channel, which was launched last year and now has 33 videos, has been viewed more than 66,000 times.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said the police must “continue to adapt and evolve, especially in tapping on new technologies and channels to reach out to the community.” TEO XUANWEI

From TODAY, News – Friday, 17-April-2009