What Singapore can learn from Europe

IT IS a sad reflection on human nature that when a region is faced with a crisis, it is often treated with disdain instead of sympathy. I recall that during the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998, some of our European and American friends were extremely unkind and predicted that Asia would suffer a lost decade.

In Singapore, liberals arts enters uncharted territory

Two staff reporters for the News, Ava Kofman and Tapley Stephenson, traveled to Singapore over spring break, interviewing more than 80 sources on the founding of Yale-NUS College — how Singaporeans view the project, how the liberal arts function in Singapore and how the country’s values differ from those on Yale’s campus. This is part two of the three-part series. (Read part 1 and part 3.)

Parks should be green destinations

ENCOURAGINGLY, the National Parks Board (NParks) has received some 4,000 suggestions so far in the public consultation for its City in a Garden programme. Such public interest bodes well for community engagement efforts here. One-third of the ideas were on parks. NParks had rightly asked citizens to be involved in shaping what it calls ‘destination’ parks, modelled on the rejuvenated Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Response would not seem a problem for a process which regards park users as the chief stakeholders in community spaces. The hope must be that the quality of proposals will surprise even the park planners. Besides input from trade professionals like landscapists and recreation providers, what residents want of ‘their’ neighbourhood patch should, where feasible, be included in the final design. MPs and residents’ committees ought to canvas the people, besides the roadshows and focus groups NParks is organising.

Destination parks are still green lungs, however, whatever the nomenclature. NParks should sift out suggestions that would turn them into something other than parkland that is necessary for community leisure, while also softening the asphalt and concrete. Apart from some beachland in Changi and East Coast, Singaporeans do not have hills and salubrious woods to flee to when they wish to unwind or to commune with nature. The green spaces that dot the island are their only escape that is free and health-promoting; unlike, say, cruising shopping malls for the recycled cool air. It is important to not build over all available open spaces as the trees and grass bestow a calming effect that makes workaday living that bit more bearable.

NParks deserves praise for ceaselessly improving access and park features, as in Bishan, while working on new facilities like the park connector and a 150km round-island green corridor for cycling and running. The first destination parks to be developed – Admiralty, East Coast and Jurong Lake – will obviously be designed around their dominant features. Admiralty’s hilly terrain is suitable for recreation, while Jurong Lake lends itself to water adventure themes. East Coast Park can make more of the sea frontage.

The amount of space devoted to parkland in land-scarce Singapore has been an inspired choice of the early political leaders. Despite the urbanisation, satellite photos show that nearly half of the island is now swathed in greenery compared with 36 per cent in the mid-1980s, says NParks. Stress levels among the people could possibly be higher but for the greening.

Straits Times

Should the S’pore govt play a bigger role in the building of sporting arenas?

IF ALL had gone according to plan, sports enthusiasts would have been able to enjoy two top-notch, brand new facilities by the turn of the year. When the Government announced the respective private sector consortia that would build the Sports Hub in Kallang and the Changi Motorsports Hub, both were scheduled to be ready by end-2011.

Welcome to the world of co-working

It is 10am and Ms Nadia Albahar turns up for work at a shophouse in Joo Chiat. She says hello to Mr Francis Teo – seated at another desk – but they do not work for the same company. Mr Teo is the director of Bluelambda, a boutique online marketing firm, while she is in business development with Activistar, an online store that aims to work directly with manufacturers to bring their products to the market.

Singapore looking into importing electricity (and possibility of nuclear energy)

FLICK a switch here, and the electricity could come from countries such as Thailand or Vietnam in the next decade. It could also come from the wind, sun, water and even nuclear plants in those countries.

S’pore government to shoulder burden of medical care

HEALTH-CARE spending will go up as Singapore ages, and the Government will shoulder a larger burden of this to ensure medical care remains affordable, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong. While some of the additional money will be spent on infrastructure, manpower and services, the rest will be on ‘very targeted help’, he said.

One key area is the fast-growing segment of older people.

‘Unprepared for the modern world.’ Is this an accurate assessment of the youth in your society?

Question Analysis and Context

‘unprepared for the modern world’ requires a consideration of the traits of the current world that are relevant for the question such as the competitive global environment which involves the threat of foreign talent, more companies going global and requiring workers to leave their comfort zone to work overseas; globalized world where countries (and Singapore) are more vulnerable to international events and trends; requirements of knowledge-based economies etc.

Is Singapore the real Shangri-la?

Depending on who you ask, Shangri-La could be Bhutan, or Singapore, or a little of both. The question of which country is a land of happiness was sparked after last week’s parliamentary debate on whether Singapore should focus on happiness as a national goal.

Engage Singaporeans in issues they hold dear, say MPs

SINGAPOREANS have become more inquisitive and cynical, and no longer adhere closely to the policies of the ruling party, Members of Parliament (MPs) said yesterday. They highlighted the critical need for the Government to forge deeper and broader ties with a changing electorate.