2023: The year of Singapore's sprint queen Shanti Pereira so far

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FLYING START TO 2023

Pereira rewrote her own 100m national record in her first race of the year at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships in Wellington in March.

She did it without having raced in a competitive meet since the 2022 Commonwealth Games in August. 

Her time of 11.46s in her heat eclipsed her previous national mark by 0.02s.

Speaking to CNA at the time, Pereira described the achievement as a “very pleasant surprise”.

“I wanted to go out strong and just focus on the technical aspects of it.”

BREAKS NATIONAL RECORD THRICE IN THREE DAYS

At the Australia Open Track and Field Championships in Brisbane, Pereira broke her national records thrice in three days.

She first clocked a time of 11.38s to win her 100m heat on Mar 31 to eclipse her own national mark by 0.08s, then won the final a day later, going 0.01s even faster. 

The next day, she set her third national record in as many days when she timed 22.89s in the women’s 200m heat.

In doing so, she smashed her own mark of 23.16s set at the Brisbane Track Classic about a week ago.

But she pulled out of the 200m final later, with her coach Luis Cunha explaining that this was to avoid overstretching her both physically and mentally.

“This has been mentally very tiring (for her) … Every time she ran in the past three weeks, it was equalling the national record or a national record. You have no idea how stressful this can be,” he told CNA at the time.

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China faces structural mismatch in labour market as interest in manufacturing falls, amid record high youth unemployment

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As the country transitions towards becoming a developed economy, fewer youths want to enter the manufacturing sector, which could lead to shortage of workers in the industry in the future. 

Professor Zhang Jun, dean of the School of Economics at Fudan University, said that China is facing a long-term low wage problem. One way to address the labour mismatch, he said, is for wage growth to be linked to nominal GDP growth.

STRUGGLING TO LAND FIRST JOB

Posing as corpses in graduation gowns is a new trend among graduates on social media, as college graduation season sweeps through China.

According to the youth, it reflects the mood of their generation and the challenges faced in finding a job.

Mr Zhang Tao, a telecommunications engineering graduate from Chongqing College of Mobile Communications, told CNA: “This cohort of graduates is very large, and it’s a bit difficult to find employment at the moment.”

“The most popular buzzword is ‘involution’. Because many people around you are definitely competing intensely, which may bring a sense of unnecessary anxiety. So perhaps these photos are one way to let go and relax,” said Mr Yang Zhihao, an applied physics graduate from South China University of Technology. 

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Not leaves but birds: Parakeets occupy trees in Choa Chu Kang as population grows

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LARGE FLOCKS IN HOUSING ESTATES

On why they roost in specific areas in the west of Singapore, Dr Yong suggested that it was because of the proximity to forested areas. 

“The birds are able to thrive in secondary woodlands in Singapore, like those you see in the Rail Corridor, Tengah, Kranji and Lentor. They can find food and nesting resources in these areas. And these woodlands are not so different from their open forest habitat in Cambodia or Thailand.”

Their large numbers have posed problems in Choa Chu Kang, where the town council and NParks caught and culled some birds in November last year, as reported by the Straits Times. 

In response to CNA’s queries, NParks said it received 79 cases of feedback on parakeets between 2020 and 2022. About half of these were sightings and reports of animals requiring rescue. 

As with invasive species, a hike in the number of red-breasted parakeets has implications for the ecosystem. 

“Being a non-native species, the red-breasted parakeets may negatively impact native biodiversity when present in large numbers, by competing with our native bird species for food and nesting sites,” said NParks’ group director of wildlife management Ryan Lee. 

“They may also indirectly affect native biodiversity through the transmission of exotic diseases and parasites.” 

Dr Yong agreed, saying that red-breasted parakeets compete with local species such as hill mynas, long-tailed parakeets, hornbills and common goldenback woodpeckers for tree cavities to nest. 

“There’s heavy competition for the nest holes. So many birds need the nest holes but so few bird species build (them).”

Dr Yong cautioned about another non-native parakeet species that appeared to be an “emerging problem”. The monk parakeet, also green in colour, has colonies in Pasir Ris and Changi and is a highly invasive species, he said. 

While non-native parakeets may be a threat to local birds, they do not enter human premises to scavenge for food.

“So from a human disturbance point of view … it is not as major an issue as crows and mynas, but from an ecological point of view there are real and tangible problems,” said Dr Yong.

“The (red-breasted) parakeets have reached a level of population that they can never be eradicated. They are established in the Singaporean ecosystem permanently and have spread to nearby areas of Malaysia.”

NParks cautioned the public against releasing animals or pets into the wild. It also said that releasing an animal into a nature reserve or a waterway that flows into or through a nature reserve is an offence.

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Visiting Aceh nearly 2 decades after the tsunami: From beautiful beaches to moving memorials

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BEAUTIFUL BEACHES AND COASTS WITH STUNNING VIEWS 

Located at the northwest tip of the large Indonesian island of Sumatra, Aceh is quite near to Singapore (just a little farther than Langkawi). However, despite it being geographically closer to us than Bali or Sabah, there are unfortunately not many direct flights to Aceh from Singapore.

Hence, most visitors opt to fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, first, and then proceed to Banda Aceh, Aceh’s capital city. The round-trip economy fare for this standard journey ranges from approximately S$150 to S$200. For my own trip, I paid around S$180, excluding any large baggage fees. 

As the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Aceh takes a little over an hour, the total journey from Singapore – without the waiting time and general airport activities – takes less than three hours. 

Upon arriving in Banda Aceh, the first thing that caught my attention was how fresh the air felt even at the airport.

But it shouldn’t have come as a surprise as the city is surrounded by the ocean. The coastal winds also provide a refreshing respite from the tropical climate that usually prevails in this region.

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In Malaysia, trading using vending machines a way for lower income group to avoid handouts

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GOVERNMENT FOOTS VENDING MACHINE RENTAL

During the launch of the IPR project back in February, Economic Affairs Minister Rafizi Ramli had termed it a “fishing rod” for people to attain financial independence. 

There are three thrusts to the project – namely the Food Entrepreneur Initiative (Insan), the Agro Entrepreneur Initiative (Intan), and the Services Operator Initiative (Ikhsan). 

Amiruddin is a participant of the Insan initiative, which provides food entrepreneurs with a self-service vending machine to sell food and drinks at strategic locations around the country such as transportation hubs and hospitals. 

He told CNA that he had applied for the initiative online after its launch. 

As part of the initiative, the government pays for the monthly rental of the vending machine for two years, with the entrepreneur earning the profits from their sales. To keep prices affordable for consumers, packs of food sold have a cap of RM5 per box. 

Amiruddin estimates that almost 90 per cent of the food is sold out daily, with the rest given to the homeless or for self-consumption.  

There is a mobile application to monitor and track inventory and sales of the food, with participants able to top up boxes in the vending machines when stocks run low.  

Amiruddin and his wife spend about two to three hours each day preparing the food, with Amiruddin admitting that it was tough at first. He and his wife have, however, gotten used to the routine. 

“There is more continuity and sustainability in this programme compared to direct cash aid. There are many benefits for the community as the traders can earn more income while the public can purchase cheap meals,” he said, adding that he sells about 100 boxes of food a day.  

As of June, over 10,000 people have signed up for the Insan program. 

A total of 100 machines are operating, with the government targeting 5,000 of these machines to be up and running by the end of this year.  

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Southeast Asian countries expect the US and China to responsibly manage their relationship, says Blinken

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JAKARTA: Southeast Asian countries expect the United States and China to “responsibly manage” their relationship, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday (Jul 14). 

“We have an obligation … both the US and China, to responsibly manage our relationship,” he said.

“We want to make sure the competition that we are in does not veer into conflict. And that starts with good communication. It starts with making sure there are no misunderstandings or misperceptions.”

He emphasised that dialogue with China is of importance to US President Joe Biden, who has sent a flurry of diplomats to Beijing to engage with Chinese counterparts in recent weeks.

This includes US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last week, climate envoy John Kerry in the coming days, and Mr Blinken himself last month.

“We have profound differences that we are trying to manage responsibly. There are areas where we should be able to cooperate because it’s in our mutual interest, and in the interests of other countries as well,” he added.

“I have heard from countries throughout Southeast Asia that there is an expectation that both the US and China will responsibly manage our relationship. That is what we are intent on doing.”

Mr Blinken made the remarks during a wide-ranging interview with CNA’s Indonesia correspondent Saifulbahri Ismail.

The Secretary of State was visiting Jakarta to attend meetings with foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the regional bloc held its annual meeting.

Aside from Washington’s ties with Beijing, the wide-ranging interview also touched on US engagement with Southeast Asia, tensions in the South China Sea, as well as the worsening Myanmar crisis.

ASEAN AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

Mr Blinken avoided a question on whether the US means to increase its military presence in the region, especially in the South China Sea.

Instead, he spoke about the US’ economic engagement in the region and stressed the need for freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific.

“We are focused intensely on an affirmative agenda that answers the needs of people in the region, as well as our own citizens,” he said

“We are the single largest provider of foreign direct investment (in ASEAN). That’s tremendously beneficial to the region, and also to us … On an economic basis alone, we see so much of the future being written here in the Indo-Pacific broadly, and in Southeast Asia as well.”

Mr Blinken emphasised it is “very important” to have a shared vision with the bloc and a “free and open” Indo-Pacific.

“We, as do all of our partners in ASEAN, share a commitment to freedom of navigation, the rule of law, and to making sure that we preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific that includes the ability of people, goods and ideas to move lawfully and freely throughout this region.”

He added that the US is keen on deepening its engagement with Southeast Asia on issues of shared interests including climate change, energy, economic growth, infrastructure and health.

MYANMAR CHALLENGE

Mr Blinken praised Indonesia’s leadership as ASEAN Chair, despite a deteriorating crisis in Myanmar.

“Indonesia has been leading very strongly and insisting on upholding the Five-Point Consensus and trying to (get) the military junta … to re-engage in dialogue and to move the country back on the track of democracy,” he said.

“But unfortunately, we’ve not seen any kind of positive response from the regime.”

He cited a worsening situation with deadly violence perpetrated by the junta, the continued detention of political prisoners, and the difficulty in getting humanitarian assistance to those affected by the crisis.

Mr Blinken said diplomats have discussed Myanmar extensively during the meetings and ASEAN is united in its approach of resolutely standing behind the Five-Point Consensus, a peace plan adopted in April 2021 between the bloc and Myanmar’s military leaders.

He acknowledged that while sanctions have not deterred the junta from bloodshed, there is a collective need to continue putting pressure on the regime.

“It is important to deny the military regime the resources that it needs to continue to repress the people of Myanmar … It is also very important that countries do not provide weapons, or support the military regime, because that will only add fuel to the fire of its own making.”

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IN FOCUS: Revitalised Boracay island in the Philippines faces next challenge - the return of mass tourism

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TIME TO TAKE PAUSE

Just as tourists have been drawn en masse to the white sands over the years, entrepreneurs, street vendors, gambling personalities and resort tycoons have ridden the same winds blowing into Boracay, chasing a slice of the earnings.

Aguirre-Graf, the former head of the Boracay Foundation – a non-profit charged with “sustaining the island’s environmental, business and social needs” – and an officer of the local hotel association, said that the island’s fabric will only be further damaged if the relentless pursuit of profit is allowed to run.

“We cannot only think about profit. We should also think about the future, how the island will survive if we keep on putting more buildings and bringing more people,” she said.

“The management of the garbage and preservation of our flora and fauna on the island is very important because there has to be balance.

“If we have to open it to mass tourism, again, we have to really impose strict regulations so that those things that happened before will not happen again. 

“I’m sure there will be a way but we just have to install all the necessary infrastructure in order to sustain growth in Boracay. But sometimes you doubt your governments, you know,” she said.

Boracay faces a litany of challenges, including erosion on its White Beach, driven by rising sea levels and climate change, hundreds of sinkholes throughout the island caused by soil erosion and sustained leaking of water pipes and sewerage lines and the overall pursuit of sustainable and equitable development.

At the same time, the building of new hotels, resorts and restaurants is rapidly underway.

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Can Johor Bahru's iconic opera house ignite the city's cultural life?

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Cultural expert Joe Sidek, who is the founding director of the George Town Festival in Penang, told CNA that he “thoroughly enjoyed” his experience at the opera house in April when he watched the Drum Up JB! Performance. 

However, he expressed concern that the small capacity of the Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House would make it difficult for performances with large manpower to break even financially. 

“It’s really a lovely little opera house, nice building and great views of the sea and the Causeway,” said Joe. 

“But from the commercial side of things, it’s not so easy. Can you imagine, if there are around 20-30 people in your performing team and you have so many people to pay? The maths is not right,” he added. 

Joe explained that having a 600-capacity venue will hold back the opera house from hosting larger scale events like concerts featuring world renowned artists, keeping in mind the likes of Coldplay and Taylor Swift have recently favoured Singapore’s Sports Hub 55,000 capacity venue for consecutive-days performances over other options in the region.

However he acknowledged that in the case of the Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House, garnering profits through large-scale events was never R&F’s main objective.

“The idea is to enjoy the multiplier effect, offer these events to draw tourists who will come to Johor Bahru, eat at the restaurants, stay at the hotels and attract more footfall in that manner,” said Joe. 

“But doing (large-scale) events is not (R&F Group’s) core business,” he added, noting that the company’s focus is on residential and retail property.

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How did CPIB come about and what powers does it have in investigating corruption in Singapore?

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CPIB DIRECTOR HAS 30 YEARS IN PUBLIC SERVICE

Mr Denis Tang currently heads CPIB. He was appointed director in October 2018 and has served in several positions within the Home Team, with his last appointment being deputy commissioner of operations at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.

He joined the Singapore Police Force in 1982 upon receiving a local merit scholarship. He then studied economics at the National University of Singapore before returning to the police in November 1986.

He was conferred the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 1997, the Long Service Medal in 2017 and the Civil Service Long Service Award (35 years) in 2020.

In 2019, Mr Tang gave a speech at the 8th Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, where he spoke about how CPIB uses “state-of-the-art technology and new methods of operation” in its work.

NOTABLE CPIB CASES

1975:

Minister of State for the Environment Wee Toon Boon was charged with corruption involving a sum of S$840,000.

He had used his ministerial status to make representation to civil servants on behalf of a property developer. In return, he was given rewards like a bungalow and free air tickets for his family.

He was convicted following a trial and sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. He also had to pay a financial penalty of about S$7,000.

1979:

CPIB launched an investigation into Member of Parliament Phey Yew Kok, who was also chairman of the National Trades Union Congress and general secretary of three trade unions.

He had misappropriated more than S$350,000, mostly from two of the unions, and instigated an accountant to provide false information to a CPIB officer.

Phey was charged in court but fled the country. After more than three decades on the run in Thailand, where he worked odd jobs, he turned himself in at the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok on June 2015.

In January 2016, he was sentenced to five years’ jail after pleading guilty to a dozen criminal charges that included criminal breach of trust.

1986:

Mr Evan Yeo, then-director of CPIB, approached Mr Lee Kuan Yew on Nov 21, 1986, regarding a complaint of corruption against Minister for National Development Teh Cheang Wan.

Teh was accused of accepting bribes totalling S$1 million in 1981 and 1982, in return for helping two property developers to retain and acquire pieces of land for development.

In a subsequent parliamentary speech, Mr Lee said he initially asked for investigations to be discreet because the “news would spread like wildlife” if the public knew CPIB was probing “so prominent a minister as that for National Development”.

About a week later, Mr Yeo gave Mr Lee a summary of the evidence gathered and asked for permission for an open investigation.

Satisfied that there were sufficient grounds to do so, the Prime Minister approved open investigations. CPIB then interrogated Teh for the first time on Dec 2.

Mr Lee asked the Cabinet secretary to ask Teh to take a leave of absence until Dec 31. Investigations would have been completed by then, and the Attorney-General would have decided whether or not to prosecute him.

On Dec 14, Teh died by suicide in his home. In a letter addressed to Mr Lee, he wrote: “I have been feeling very sad and depressed for the last two weeks.

“I feel responsible for the occurrence of this unfortunate incident and I feel I should accept full responsibility. As an honourable oriental gentleman, I feel it is only right that I should pay the highest penalty for my mistake.”

1994:

CPIB opened investigations against Choy Hon Tim, former deputy chief executive of operations at national water agency PUB.

The following year, he was sentenced to 14 years’ jail for criminal conspiracy and accepting bribes totalling around S$13.85 million from a businessman who was once a PUB clerk.

The total amount of bribes that Choy took remains the largest to date in a single case in Singapore’s history.

2012:

CPIB levied sex-for-contracts corruption charges against ex-Central Narcotics Bureau chief Ng Boon Gay and former Singapore Civil Defence Force commissioner Peter Lim.

Mr Ng was accused of obtaining sexual gratification from a female employee of two IT vendors seeking government contracts. He was eventually acquitted of all charges.

As for Lim, he was convicted and sentenced to six months’ jail in 2013. He had obtained sexual gratification from three women in exchange for showing favour to their companies for IT-related tenders.

2015:

Wong Chee Meng, the former general manager of Ang Mo Kio Town Council, was hauled to court for accepting more than S$86,000 in bribes from a company director, Chia Sin Lan.

In return for the bribes, Chia’s two companies were awarded more town council projects. Chia also took Wong to KTV lounges, massage parlours and restaurants to curry favour with him.

Both were convicted in 2018. Upon appeal in 2020, Wong was sentenced to 39 months’ jail, while Chia was given 33 months’ jail.

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Singapore Transport Minister S Iswaran was arrested and released on bail as part of CPIB probe

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SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Transport Minister S Iswaran was arrested on Tuesday (Jul 11) and subsequently released on bail, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said on Friday. The anti-graft agency had announced on Wednesday that Mr Iswaran was assisting with a case it uncovered, although it did not reveal the nature of theContinue Reading