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afternoon edit

Inflation continues to riseHy , , hg c ph oc CPi 5.4 p c

teo [email protected]

SINGAPORE Inflation here has prov-

en stickier than what some experts

thought, after the Consumer Price

Index (CPI) last month rose at a pace

faster than expected.

According to figures from the De-

partment of Statistics yesterday, the

CPI last month was 5.4 per cent the

fifth straight month that inflation has

exceeded 5 per cent compared to

the same period last year, largely due

to more expensive accommodation,

food, as well as holiday travel.

The gain was higher than a me-

dian 5.2 per cent rise forecast in a Dow

Jones Newswirespoll of 10 economists.

Inflation in September was 5.5 per

cent compared to the same period last

year.

On a month-on-month basis,

the Monetary Authority of Singapore

(MAS) core inflation measure (which

excludes the costs of accommodation

and private road transport) was 0.3 per

cent last month. On a year-on-year

basis, the MAS core inflation measure

was 2.3 per cent.

Compared to the same period last

year, housing cost last month rose by

9.9 per cent because of costlier elec-

tricity tariffs and accommodation.

Last month, Certificate of Entitle-

ment (COE) premiums surged across

the board, days after the Land Trans-

port Authority (LTA) announced a

cut in the vehicle population growth

rate. In particular, COEs for cars above

1,600cc as well as for smaller cars and

taxis hit a 14-year high.

The significant increase in COE

premiums and higher petrol prices

also drove transport costs by up

10.5 per cent. Dearer prepared meals

and fresh produce also saw food prices

rise by 3.5 per cent.

According to the MAS, inflation

will be about 5 per cent this year and

between 2.5 and 3.5 per cent next year.

It has said headline CPI will be close

to 4 per cent in the first six months

before easing to around 2 per cent in

the second half.

Economists who spoke to Today

concurred that inflation will likely ease

only gradually, unless another supply-

side shock strikes and causes the fear

factor about the severity of the global

slowdown to become more pronounced.

Demand for cars, despite the

climbing COE prices, remains strong

and wage pressures are not coming off

as quickly because of the tight labour

market, they noted.

Although Thailands flood situ-

ation has improved, leading to some

respite in food prices, CIMB Research

economist Song Seng Wun said that the

impending festive season could cause

prices to remain firm,

Still, the weak external conditions

will have knock-on effects and exert

downward pressure on prices.

With slowing demand, commod-

ity prices are expected to ease, econo-

mists said.

UOB senior economist Alvin Liew

added that the domestic employment

situation will also soften, given the

Ministry of Trade and Industrys fore-

cast of 1 to 3 per cent growth next year,

thereby alleviating wage pressures.

High base effects from private

transport and housing rents will also

help, said Bank of America Merrill

Lynchs Chua Hak Bin. Mr Chua ex-

pects inflation to dip below the 5 per

cent mark in the first quarter next year.

Unless car prices continue going

up at the same rate, inflation should

ease. Even if COE prices stay flat, the

year-on-year effects will still wind

down, he said.

In the latest COE bidding exercise

yesterday, the premiums in most cat-

egories fell.

>> Coe PriCes down 4

thy nm 24, 2011 .y.cm yMiCa (P) 031/10/2011 a PubliCation of news Hotline 6822 2268

Medvedev warns US over missile shield planMOSCOW Russian President DmitryMedvedev has warned that a failure by

the United States to take into account

Russian objections to a planned Nato

anti-missile shield would spark a new

arms race and derail efforts to improve

frosty relations between Washington

and Moscow.

Accusing the US and its allies of

ignoring the Kremlins concerns, he

repeated a threat made in 2007 to

deploy cruise missiles in Russias west-

ernmost enclave of Kaliningrad, aimed

at Nato missile interceptor batteries.

If the US goes ahead with the mis-

sile shield, Mr Medvedev said Rus-

sia will deploy in the west and the

south of the country modern weap-

ons systems capable of destroying

the European component of the US

missile shield. One of these steps is

to deploy Iskander cruise missiles in

Kaliningrad.

Mr Medvedevs sabre-rattling

takes place against the backdrop of

impending elections to Russias parlia-

ment, where the ruling United Russia

partys popularity is sagging badly. A

US-Russia arms race might provide a

distraction for voters.

Russia historically has distrusted

the aims of US anti-missile defence,

which the US insists is aimed at mis-

siles that Iran is developing. Moscow

argues missile interceptors based in

Europe could render its own nuclear

deterrence ineffective and make it vul-

nerable to a Nato first strike.

In Brussels, a senior Nato diplomat

insisted that the alliances missile de-

fence system is designed to ward off

threats coming from outside Europe,

not to change the balance of deter-

rence inside Europe.

Any suggestion that Russia plans

to target missiles on the neighbour-

hood of the alliance is disappoint-

ing, the Nato diplomat said of Mr

Medvedevs statement. These are

comments reminiscent of the past.

It is not the sort of announcement

consistent with the statement at last

years Nato-Russia summit in Lisbon

in which we said we are seeking a

strategic partnership.

The White House immediately re-

buffed Mr Medvedev, making it clear

Washington would not be altering its

plans in any way.

We will not in any way limit or

change our deployment plans in Eu-

rope, said National Security Council

spokesman Tommy Vietor. In mul-

tiple channels, we have explained

to Russian officials that the missile

defence systems planned for deploy-

ment in Europe do not and cannot

threaten Russias strategic deterrent.

aGenCies

arsenal advanCe inCHaMPions leaGue

sPorts PaGe 66

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hot nEWS2today thursday November 24, 2011

Ai-eri drug a slui gamblig addici?SINGAPORE As the Singapore Govern-

ment looks at ways to deter frequent gam-

blers from patronising casinos, doctors

Down Under have been advised to treat

gambling addiction as a medical problem

and to consider prescribing an anti-heroin

drug to help problem gamblers.

The Daily Telegraph reported yesterday

that a new guideline for doctors published

on The Medical Journal of Australias web-

site has recommended practitioners to

treat gambling addiction with the drug

naltrexone. The website, however, added

that the doctors should recommend the

drug with caution to the patients.

The drug, usually used to treat prob-

lems such as heroin and alcohol addic-

tions, can help to block the overproduction

in the brain of endogenous opioids and to

assist people to control their impulses.

Australia has one of the worlds high-

est rates of problem gamblers, with about

2.1 per cent of Australians experiencing

some form of gambling problem.

Health experts here, however, noted

that research into gambling addiction is

still new. As such, the use of naltrexone

to treat gambling addition is not common.

Dr Thomas Lee, who had recently

helped to develop the Ministry of Healths

Clinical Practice Guidelines on Manage-

ment of Gambling Disorders, said that

naltrexone has shown the best results in

comparison to other medication when it

comes to helping gambling addicts.

The drug helps to reduce gambling

urges and the pleasure derived from the

habit, he added.

Dr Lee, who is the medical director

at The Resilienz Mind clinic, noted that

gambling addicts often have other mental

conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Hence, other drugs would be used to man-

age these problems simultaneously, he said.

Adding that some patients also tend

to resist medication, Dr Lee said he would

prescribe medication for patients with

moderate to extreme addiction as they

undergo counselling at the same time.

medicatioN caNNot be the

oNly meaNs

Professor Shane Thomas, the director of

Australias Problem Gambling Research

and Treatment Centre, toldABC Radio that

psychological programmes were prefer-

able to naltrexone, but a small number

of case studies had shown the drug could

be a useful treatment tool. The current

evidence is in favour of psychological

therapies, he added. Prof Thomas said

naltrexone had side effects such as ab-

dominal pains and further research was

still needed to determine its effectiveness

as an anti-gambling treatment.

The Medical Journal of Australia s

guidelines recommend a range of psy-

chological interventions but advise that

antidepressant medication should not

be used to reduce gambling severity in

people with gambling problems alone.

Social workers here reiterated that

it is important for gambling addicts to

undergo counselling.

Reverend Tan Lye Keng, executive di-

rector of One Hope Centre, said: It is still

important to get them to recognise the

problem that they are facing, the conse-

quences that their behaviour bring about,

get them to talk about it with others ...

medication cannot be the only means.

General practitioner Clarenc

that he would first assess the

mental conditions and will use a

tion of medication and counsel

dress conditions such as stress an

But for cases involving m

cult conditions such as schizoph

gambling addiction, Dr Yeo sa

will refer them to psychiatrists

more time and expertise to deal

cases. In a GP setting where

about 10 to 15 minutes with eac

we wont be able to do as muc

psychiatrists can do in one-a

hours. They are also able to pro

port services to patients such

them up with family service ce

to the network that they alrea

he added.

On Tuesday, Acting Ministe

munity Development, Youth a

Chan Chun Sing had said that

istry is studying ways, includ

ing at the experiences of other

to deter frequent gamblers fro

the casinos. the daily telegra

additioNal reportiN g by Ng

BEIJING Chinas factory sector shrank the

most in 32 months in November on signs of

domestic economic weakness, a preliminary

purchasing managers index (PMI) survey

showed, reviving worries China may be slip-

ping towards a hard landing and fuelling fears

of a global recession.

The steep fall in the HSBC flash PMI to

48 this month from 51 last month largely re-

flected domestic weakness as both output and

new orders shrank even as export orders con-

tinued to grow.

The flash PMI, the earliest readout of Chi-

nas industrial activity, was the lowest since

March 2009 and suggests the factory sector

contracted during the month. A PMI reading

of 50 demarcates expansion from contraction.

The PMI unnerved financial markets al-

ready roiled by the euro zone debt crisis and

a downward revision in Unites States eco-

nomic growth and underscored expectations

that Beijing will lean more on policies to

support growth.

They are not going to want this to go

too far, said Mr Tim Condon, head of Asia

research at ING Singapore. Im not sure if it

(PMI) is a tipping point but I think it adds to

the evidence.

Beijing has already announced some selec-

tive steps, geared to small business, to support

the economy. HSBC said evidence in the PMI of

a sharp drop in inflationary pressures meant

Beijing had room for more selective measures

if need be.

There remains no need to panic, HSBC

economist Qu Hongbin said. Easing infla-

tion provides room for more easing meas-

ures, which will keep China on track for a soft

landing.

HSBC said the output sub-index tumbled

to a 32-month low of 46.7, a steep drop from

last months final reading of 51.4 and new

orders suffered the biggest drop in one-and-

a-half years to sink well below 50.

Mr Qu said the PMI data suggested Chi-

nas industrial output growth will moderate

in coming months to an annual rate of 11 to

12 per cent, a pace not seen since 2009.

Output has averaged close to 14 per cent

this year. reuters

IMF beefs up ledigls as deb crisis spreadsWASHINGTON The International

Monetary Fund (IMF) has beefed up its

lending instruments and launched a six-

month liquidity line to help countries

with solid policies that may be at risk

from the euro zone debt crisis.

By updating its lending tools, the IMF

hopes to ensure liquidity for countries

that may be struck by contagion from

the crisis, as opposed to nations already

deep in the mire.

The announcement comes as con-

cern grows over a crisis that has moved

from Greece to larger economies such as

Italy and Spain where bond yields have

risen sharply, raising questions about the

euros survival.

The IMF said it was establishing a

precautionary liquidity line as insurance

against future shocks and as a short-term

liquidity window to address the needs of

crisis bystanders.

The new liquidity line would be

available for six months to nations with

relatively good policies that are facing

short-term balance of payment needs

due to events not of their own making.

Access could be as muc

cent of an IMF member n

quota, and the funds woul

few conditions.

The new instrument, ca

cautionary and Liquidity Lin

be used for 12- to 24-mo

ments, with access up to 1,

of a members quota, the IM

arrangement would come

conditions and would be su

lar reviews by the IMF board

not elaborate on which cou

qualify for the arrangemen

The fund also adopted

financing instrument for n

urgent balance-of-payment

by so-called exogenous sho

countries hit by political

natural disasters.

Funding under the instr

be available immediately, w

up to 100 per cent of mem

reuters

tod

China factory sectorshrinks most in 32 months

>> italiaNs wcut debt

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A pus i educai fr Isudes, especially i ma

Ng JiNg [email protected]

SINGAPORE Indian students are

still underachieving in mathematics,

resulting in setbacks along their aca-

demic path and later in life, the Singa-

pore Indian Development Association

(SINDA) concluded from its review.

Substantiating its findings are na-

tional statistics which showed that a

quarter of Indian students failed their

Primary School Leaving Examinations

(PSLE) mathematics exam in 2009

an eight-point difference in relative to

the national average.

And although close to 90 per

cent of Indian students enter post-

secondary education in 2009, many

either drop out of school or found it

difficult to cope with mathematical-

based courses, according to SINDA, as it

unveiled yesterday measures to boost

educational aspirations of the Indian

community within the next decade.

The Indian students difficulty

with mathematics could be due to

the lack of participation in pre-school

education, said SINDA, which found in

a survey that 17 per cent out of 400

Indian parents still do not send their

kids to pre-school.

Dr N Varaprasad, who led the re-

view, said: We feel that not all Indian

parents are aware of the importance

of pre-school education, of sending

their children to nursery school, to

socialise and to learn basic literacy

and numeracy.

He added that pre-school educa-

tion would also give kids a more level

playing field in primary school.

Still, the Indian community has

seen an improvement in academics

over the years, given that only 54 per

cent of Indian students

mathematics and 40 per c

post-secondary educatio

SINDA chairman a

Prime Minister Tharman

ratnam noted that gaps

been reduced over the y

pointed out that there is st

to go to achieve parity bet

students and the nation

especially in the area of m

The task is now mo

ing, he said, as national a

levels have also risen.

And while some indi

achieved higher aspiratio

man added: There rem

the community some segm

there is a real shortfall in

that needs to be tackled.

Besides having to boo

standards of Indian pupil

also saw a need to further e

to enhance their motiva

strengthen family resilien

Besides increasing

on pre-school education

spend S$1.8 million m

grammes and services lik

ents division to engage pa

expansion in its tuition p

SINGAPORE An elderly man got out of his

Mercedes and took out a pet carrier. But instead

of heading into the clinic, he opened a rubbish

bin and shoved the carrier into it (picture) all

this time with his young companion looking

on curiously.

After a few shakes, the carrier was free of

its occupant, and the man closes the lid of the

bin. He and the girl then drove off unaware

that he had been captured on CCTV cameras at

James Tan Veterinary Centre (JTVC).

The incident happened on Tuesday and it

was only four hours later at around 2pm that a

staff member discovered that there was a cat in

the bin when the bin kept moving, said JTVCs

administration assistant Chee Siew Luan.

According to Ms Chee, the cat (inset) is

between one and three years old. The cat is in

good condition and sterilised, she added.

Said Ms Chee: We found a collar on him

... We dont know whether the cat belongs to

the man or whether he was just dumping a

random cat.

A police report has since been lodged. JTVC

hopes its video camera technician can identify

the licence number of the car before going to

the police with more evidence.

The CCTV clips have also been posted on

YouTube to publicise the mans act of cruelty,

JTVC staff said.

The clips have since gone viral online. What

kind of values is he teaching that young child?

a netizen said on YouTubes comments section.

When contacted, Cat Welfare Societys

vice-president Veron Lau told Today that people

abandon their animals for various reasons such

as financial difficulties, emigration, or a new

addition in the family. Said Ms Lau: Its still

no excuse. They should try to re-home it first

or, as a last resort, surrender it to the SPCA.

With a cat, youre looking at a commitment of

15 to 20 years.

Abandonment is an act of animal cruelty.

If charged and convicted, the offender can be

fined up to S$10,000 or jailed up to 12 months,

or both.

Responding to Todays queries, the Agri-

Food and Veterinary Authority said it will

not hesitate to prosecute if there is evidence

of animal cruelty. esther Ng

PhotocourtesyJames ta

N

veteriNary ceNtre

We feel that not all

parents are aware o

importance of pre-

education, of sendi

children to nurseryto socialise and to l

basic literacy and n

d N vp, w l

siNda w

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

FACEbOOk.COm/

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Ma dumps cai bi, caug CCtV camera

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4

hot nEWStoday thursday N ovember 24, 2011

SINGAPORE The Government

is looking at allowing the use of

Medisave for home care serv-

ices and reviewing current

subsidies to make home care

options more affordable.

This was announced by

Minister of State for Health

Amy Khor at the opening of the

TOUCH Home Cares (THC) cen-

tre in Jurong yesterday.

Dr Khor said: Home care

will play a substantive role in

future as one of the care op-

tions for the elderly. The issue

of accessibility and affordability

of elder care services is critical

and we need to address that, so

we are looking at ways to grow

the home care sector. Some of

the areas we are looking at in-

clude reviewing our subsidies

as well as the use of Medisave.

The Government is also

looking at leave options to allevi-

ate the stress faced by caregivers.

In the meantim

erly people and the

living in the west c

forward to afford

care and home m

ices with the new T

THC (Jurong)

to serve about 30

in Jurong East, Juro

Boon Lay over two

It offers servi

housekeeping, p

giene services, an

and escort servi

pitals for medic

ments. Medical, n

therapy services in

monitoring and

management.

The Agency fo

Care (AIC) and th

Enabled Living (CE

vide funding supp

S$700,000 for two

setting up of THC (

moNica KotwaN

Gv lkig a usigMedisave fr me c

Model agencies fined anti-competitive prac

esther [email protected]

SINGAPORE Eleven modelling

agencies have been found to have

engaged in anti-competitive

practices by the Competition

Commission of Singapore (CCS)

and 10 face fines ranging from

S$3,000 to S$132,315, the compe-

tition watchdog said yesterday.

Acting on a complaint in

2009, the CCS found that the

11 agencies had, under the guise

of a trade association the As-

sociation of Modelling Industry

Professionals (AMIP) fixed

prices on modelling services as

far back as 2004 and continued

even after the anti-competition

Act came into force in 2006.

The agencies, which collec-

tively form about 40 per cent of

the market share, realised this

common intention by having

regular meetings to discuss rates

and setting up the AMIP in early

2005 documented in emails,

minutes of discussions and rate

sheets, the CCS found.

This forced clients includ-

ing publishers, fashion show or-

ganisers and choreographers to

pay higher fees, and their ability

to choose and switch between

modelling agencies was im-

paired. For instance, fashion show

rates rose to S$400 per show in

2009 from S$250 in 2005.

While busines

to raise their rate

do so independent

associations should

a vehicle to facilitat

sion, said the CCS.

An industry

Today that the rest h

appeal the judgme

The financial pe

calculated based on

of each modelling

seriousness of the i

and other aggravatin

ing factors. The sta

mum to the financi

10 per cent of the a

turnover per year

ment, capped at th

The CCS reduce

ties by 50 per cent

into consideration

the turnover was

ling turnover and t

the custom was fr

the latter havin

on the Singapore

CCS assistant chie

Toh Han Li.

Of the 11, Man

dio was not fined a

be an AMIP memb

2006, and stopped

in the meetings and

within the transit

before penalties are

The firms have

to appeal.

Latest coe premiumscategory Quota premium chaNge

a (sll , x) $54,887 q $1,110

b (b ) $77,340 p $340

c (g l, ) $40,189 q $614

d (ml) $1,889 q $123

e (on) $75,889 q $2,112

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te guidig ad f a lvig grad-

pare as give umas a evlu-

iary advaage i survival, scie-

iss ave discvered. Researc frm

Uiversiy f Basel i Swizerlad

ad Edi Cwa Uiversiy i

Ausralia as igliged w cru-

cial e rle f e gradpare ca

be i early life.

Dr David Call, frm Edi Cwa

Uiversiy, said: Evluiary per-

specives e ps-reprducive

years ave igliged gradpare-

d as a uusual feaure f e

uma lifespa a is ly sared

wi e r w er species.

Afer examiig evidece frm

radiial uma scieies e evi-

dece suggesed a e presece

f sme gradpares ca subsa-

ially icrease e caces f a cild

survivig durig e ig-risk perid

f ifacy ad cildd.

Dr Call wdered weer e

same applied i mre weserised

scieies. he said: Alug impr-

a effecs ave bee fud i ra-

diial scieies, ere was a pau-

ciy f researc i Weser ais.

the daily telegraph

hackers lve i if yupasswrd is passwLOS GATOS (California) A Unit-

ed States-based Internet pass-

word management company has

compiled its list of the 25 worst

passwords of the year, after ana-

lysing millions of passwords that

were stolen by hackers.

The fact that Passw0rd

and 111111 are among the

most common passwords out

there proves that although we

are becoming increasingly tech

savvy, most of us still do not take

online security very seriously.

Many websites now require

a combination of numbers and

letters in passwords, but that

has not stopped lazy users

from logging in with easy-to-

crack codes like abc123 and

trustno1, SplashData said in

a release on Tuesday.

Names such as michael

and keyboard patterns such as

qwerty and qazwsx were

also rather common, as were

gems like letmein.

Also popular were sports

terms like baseball and foot-

ball, although SplashData had

no explanation for how words

like monkey and dragon

made it into the top 25.

SplashData, based in Cali-

fornia near the Silicon Valley,

said that while hackers have

become increasingly sophis-

ticated in breaching Internet

security, they still rely on the

basic trick of repeatedly typing

in common passwords.

If you have

that is short or

a word in the dic

like leaving your d

identity thieves,

Data CEO Morgan

The passwor

ment company re

using a unique p

different website

they be at least eigh

long and include

or spaces. ageNci

1. passwrd2. 1234563. 123456784. qwery5. abc1236. mkey7. 12345678. lemei9. rus110.

drag11. baseball12. 11111113. ilveyu14. maser15. susie16. asley17. bailey18. passw0rd19. sadw20. 12312321. 65432122. superma23. qazwsx24. micael25. fball

source:splash

25 worst pa

SINGAPORE Yahoo! South-

east Asia will vigorously de-

fend itself against a lawsuit

filed by the Singapore Press

Holdings (SPH) alleging that

the Internet company had in-

fringed its copyright by repro-

ducing articles from its news-

papers without permission.

In comments carried on

the Yahoo! Southeast Asia

website, its managing editor

Alan Soon said yesterday: We

intend to vigorously defend

ourselves against this suit.

Our editorial business model

of acquired, commissioned and

original content is proven.

Yahoo! Southeast Asia said it

filed a memorandum of appear-

ance with the courts on Tuesday.

According to a

Straits Times yeste

its claim cited 23 a

its newspapers w

was alleged to have

substantially over

period without

They were allege

Yahoo! Southeast

sites, including a se

Latest Singapore

SPH, which is

by Wong Partners

ing that Yahoo! So

relied on the 23 ar

vide content on its o

Yahoo! Southeast

any copyright infri

an earlier letter. Acc

report in The Straits

until Dec 13 to file

graNdpareNts give humaNs evolutioNary edge Ya! Sueas As vigrusly defediself agais SPh su

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5today thursday November 24, 2011

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Cia ulies cusi carb emissisBEIJING With global climate

talks set to begin next week,

China on Tuesday issued the

most comprehensive document

yet on its plans and negotiating

positions on emissions.

Although much of the in-

formation has been released be-

fore, it is the first time the data

has been presented comprehen-

sively part of Chinas strategy

to make its accomplishments

better known ahead of the talks,

which begin on Monday in Dur-

ban, South Africa.

China, the worlds largest

contributor to carbon emis-

sions, highlighted its success in

reducing emissions per unit of

gross domestic product, an indi-

cator that its industries are be-

coming more energy efficient.

The countrys overall car-

bon emissions have been rising,

however, with the growth of its

industries.

The report also gives a rare

nod to non-government or-

ganisations, which usually are

frowned upon by Chinas au-

thorities. It mentions favourably

Earth Hour, a pr

World Wildlife Fund

the work of anothe

ganisation, the Ene

tion.

The report al

that China will foll

ous position of pr

veloping countries

Speaking on

the white paper w

officials asserted

and other develo

tries had taken se

to curb emissions w

oped countries lag

We hope na

world translate th

willingness into c

tions, Mr Xie Zh

head of the Chines

to the Durban mee

the news conferen

The report

achieved a 20 per

tion in carbon em

tween 2005 and l

unit of gross dome

and planned to c

17 per cent by 201

the New york tim

sumita [email protected]

SINGAPORE Minister for the En-

vironment and Water Resources

Vivian Balakrishnan does not ex-

pect a breakthrough during the

conference on climate change in

Durban, South Africa, next week.

Instead, expect a reaffirma-

tion and a small tentative step

forward on finance and perhaps a

roadmap to a long-term multilat-

eral regime, Dr Balakrishnan told

students at the Singapore Polytech-

nic yesterday.

He also hopes that the major-

ity of the countries attending the

Durban conference will renew their

commitment to the Kyoto Protocol,

the current main treaty on cutting

greenhouse gas emissions, and that

there would be progress in the es-

tablishment of the main climate

fund. This will be used to help de-

veloping countries combat the ef-

fects of climate change.

Dr Balakrishnan said climate

change is a long-term problem, one

that has to be dealt with from that

perspective. However, the politi-

cal situation in the world today is

one where leaders are just looking

to the next election and not the

greater good.

There is the temptation to think

short term, to only think of the next

election and that is very powerful,

said Dr Balakrishnan during a panel

discussion on the challenges facing

local and global environmental pro-

tection at the polytechnic.

The most hotly debated topic

during the session was how Sin-

gapore could help bridge the gulf

between the developing and devel-

oped countries, which have differing

views on climate problems, and how

to bring about a solution that would

be agreeable to both sides.

Solutions offered by some of

the students included imposing

a carbon tax and issuing of green

bonds that could be used to fund

green initiatives.

Other issues raised during the

panel discussion included Singa-

pores self-sufficiency in water

and whether the price of water

would increase as the population

increases.

Dr Balakrishnan said it was

theoretically possible for Singapore

to be self-sufficient in water due

to technological advances in water

recycling and desalination in the

last 10 years.

The key determinant of water

in the future will be the price of

technology and price of energy,

he said.

When asked if Singapore had

plans for sustainable energy, such

as wind farms, he replied that cost

would be a factor in land-scarce

Singapore. Instead, it would be

more feasible to concentrate on en-

ergy efficiency, the minister added.

Dr Balakrishnan revealed that

the Energy Conservation Act that

will be introduced in 2013 is aimed

at making companies more com-

petitive in the global market by im-

proving their energy performance

and providing support for compa-

nies investing in energy efficiency.

Singapore will do its fair share

but we must take into account our

small size and the fact that we are

at an alternative energy disadvan-

tage, he said.

Dr Balakrishnan added that the

Government would continue with

the strategies and initiatives listed

out in the Sustainable Blueprint

2009, which has set a target to im-

prove energy efficiency by 35 per

cent from 2005 levels by 2030.

Climae cage mus bedeal wi lg-erm view

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Cure fr ismia mig be clseBOSTON Scientists are a step closer to de-

veloping a cure for insomnia after discovering

the enzyme responsible for waking people up.

Researchers in the United States have

found the chemical trigger that suppresses

sleep and wakes people up, which can also

be blocked to produce restful sleep.

Dr Subimal Dutta of Boston University,

the author of the study which was pub-

lished in theJournal of Neuroscience, said:

Sleep, one of the most mysterious regular

shifts in consciousness, is regulated by a

delicate balance between biological proc-

esses, the environment and behaviour, but

the mechanisms involved in the regulation

are not well understood.

The ultimate goal of my research is to

deepen the understanding of how sleep is

regulated at the cellular level, which could

lead to finding the causes and cures for a

variety of sleep disorders.

He said blocking the enzyme caused REM

(rapid eye movement) and non-REM stages

of sleep, which were needed to stay healthy.

Current treatments for sleep disorders

do not achieve the ideal behavioural outcome,

and are usually accompanied by many unde-

sirable side effects, Dr Dutta said.

A more specific, fine-tuned approach to

treating these disorders by promoting alert-

ness and treating insomnia would greatly

benefit public health. the daily telegraph

A few mre paraceaml pillsa day ca ur? tik agaiLONDON Taking just a few extra para-

cetamol tablets a day over time could lead

to a dangerous overdose and even death, a

new study suggests.

Overdoses of paracetamol, an over-

the-counter pain reliever, are the leading

cause of acute liver failure in Britain, usu-

ally occurring when patients take too many

tablets at once.

But doctors are now concerned

that patients who innocently exceed the

recommended daily dose of eight 500mg

tablets on a regular basis could be at even

greater risk because their problem is harder

to spot.

Dr Kenneth Simpson of Edinburgh Uni-

versity and his team studied out of 663

patients admitted to the Royal Infirmary of

Edinburgh for severe, paracetamol-induced

liver injury.

They found 161 cases of patients who

took staggered overdoses

third more likely to die.

Those patients were foun

greater chance of liver and bra

and were more likely to need k

sis or assistance with breathin

if they had waited at least a

going to hospital.

They were also more like

their complications.

They havent taken the so

moment, one-off massive ove

by people who try to commit

over time the damage builds up

fect can be fatal, said Dr Simp

the study published in the Brit

Clinical Pharmacology.

Doctors stress that pati

think twice before taking a t

of paracetamol if the regular do

help relieve their pain. ageNc

t lile sal ca be uealTORONTO Just as too much salt is bad

for you, not eating enough may increase

the risk of heart-related deaths, says a

new study.

The findings by researchers at

McMaster University in Canada, published

in theJournal of the American Medical Asso-

ciation, emphasise the urgent need to de-

termine a safe range for salt consumption.

The study found people with heart

disease whose salt intake matches the low

levels recommended in health guidelines

less than 3 grams of sodium a day

appear to be at higher risk of death from

heart disease than people who consume a

moderate amount of salt.

The study also found a link between

high salt intake 7 to 8g of s

and a higher risk of stroke,

and other cardiovascular even

The lowest risk was found

ate salt intake of between 4 an

A teaspoon of salt holds

of sodium.

For the study, the team stu

and potassium levels found i

sample of urine taken from ne

people in two clinical trials.

After about four years, s

cent of study participants had

of heart event.

The team then looked for a

between salt intake and the

trouble. ageNcies

sleep-textiNg a growiNg

pheNomeNoN amoNg the youNg

Icreasig umbers f mbile pe users

are sleep-exig r sedig ex mes-

sages frieds wile asleep.

Sleep expers said e pem-

e was a aural exesi f e

yuger geerais reliace mder

eclgy.

hwever, scieiss disagree we-

er i is pssible sed a ex wile eci-

cally asleep.

Dr R Kramer, f e America

Academy f Sleep Medicie, said: texig

fr sme f e yuger geerai is prb-

ably as igraied as drivig is fr sme

peple.

Ms Jessica Casill, 24, f texas, ad

recely se w mulimedia ex messag-

es, apparely afer fallig asleep durig a

excage wi er byfried.

te firs bega Baby u ere? need

ell smei ... befre i ured i

sese. t d s, se ad avigae

11 differe sages, excludig e ypig.

the daily telegraph

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fouNd iN tiN caNs

Caed prducs like sup, b

ad fizzy driks culd cai

mre f a crversial ge

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BPA is liked impaired sex

me, male iferiliy, bea

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Dr Jey Carwile, w led

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may be a eve greaer ccer

ig beverages sred i cerai

the daily telegraph

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Comment&analysis today thursday NovemberPrd w, xpr

Cp c ac g c c wn rpcn n d

tim staNley

On Monday night, a congressionalsuper committee announced that ithad failed to agree on a way to reduce the

US deficit by US$1.2 trillion (S$1.56 tril-

lion). Composed of six Republicans and six

Democrats, it collapsed under the weight of

ideological differences between the parties.

Politically, the winner of this debacle

is President Barack Obama, who will blame

the Republicans for refusing to agree to

significant tax increases. But the real loser

is the American taxpayer. Not only have

the Republicans and Democrats let them

down, but their childish spat has exposed

the true scope of the political and fiscal

crisis facing America.

The committee was a fraud: Government

spending is running wild and US$1.2 tril-

lion in savings would have done little to

control it. The committee was set up in Au-

gust, after negotiations over how to tackle

the debt crisis broke down. Republicans

favoured spending cuts and reform of enti-

tlements (unemployment and healthcare).

Democrats preferred to repeal President

George W Bushs generous tax cuts.

Part of the problem was that both sides

were playing to their constituencies. It

was hoped that a select panel of 12 could

rise above the partisan fray and deliver a

Solomonic solution.

But the issue of debt became too toxic

for the committee to work. All of Americas

divisions have boiled down to a debate over

the size of government: Republicans think it

is too big and Democrats think it is too small.

Within the committee, the Democrats

demanded that the Bush tax cuts go, while

the Republicans insisted that repealing

them would stall any recovery. The Re-

publicans did offer their own suggestions

for tax increases (roughly US$640 billion

of them), but demanded that these be met

with cuts to popular welfare programmes.

Republican Senator Rob Portman, of Oregon,

summed up the impasse best: We failed

to reach agreement because ... we simply

couldnt bridge fundamental policy differ-

ences that reflect a broader disagreement

in the Congress and country as a whole over

the size and scope of government.

obama as robiN hood

Americas fiscal crisis is no longer driven by

reality. It is motivated by near-religious hyste-

ria, fatalism and blood feud. If anyone comes

out of this looking good, its Mr Obama.

The President has long since given up

being for anything; his healthcare reforms

and jobs programme were big disappoint-

ments. But the collapse of the debt negotia-

tions hands him the chance to be against

something: Serious cuts to welfare spending.

Congress now has a year to debate

where the axe should fall before US$1 tril-

lion of automatic cuts start in 2013. This

timetable dovetails with the election cal-

endar, and we can expect Mr Obama to lead

the battle against Republican attacks on

popular programmes.

Out will go the Obama of the first three

years of his administration: Ca

bipartisan in tone. In will com

Robin Hood: Defender of the m

nemesis of the rich. It may beg

Occupy Wall Street has decam

White House.

Mr Obamas game plan ha

In 1948, Democratic Presiden

man won an against-the-odd

campaign by painting a thrifty

Congress as mean and nasty. M

did the same in 1996.

This time, the strategy mig

from the Republican preside

dates. The radical politics of th

contest favours extreme fiscal c

who want to abolish the fed

ment. The Republicans incre

like economic Neanderthals, w

ident is sounding like the voic

averaGe voter as loser

But if Mr Obama is the big

average voter is the real los

confidence and the value of US

declined. The US$1 trillion in

cuts will probably fall more

the poor than if an agreeme

reached that included tax incr

Congress looks broken;

rise. Moreover, theres a dawn

tion among the voters that US

has just passed US$15 trillion

control that politicians simply

what to do about it.

The super-committee wa

ways of reducing the deficit, n

the size of the government in

The difference is important. If

down some of what he owes to

but then buys a new convertib

spending too much.

Likewise, the cuts that the

were trying to find would no

with the real problem: That

ment is growing much faster

zens can afford. Even if the com

succeeded in finding the US$

was looking for, the size of the

would still have risen by near

lion from 2011-2012.

What America needs is n

cratic compromise but a bold r

tion of spending priorities. A

between a broken party system

dent prepared to do anything t

the American people are unlik

the daily teleGraPh

Dr Tim Stanley is a hist

of the United States

>> rePubliCaNhiGhliGhts la

uNified seCurity v

yeN yok

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comment&analysis14today thursday Nove mber 24, 2011

mr gd dd: a r hd gi cin i g cng in w i i ing n gll g?

bLoomberG edItorIaL

I

t is understandable that so many people

are optimistic these days about Myanmar.

Last year, the military-dominated nation

held its first election in two decades, placing

a civilian, Mr Thein Sein, in the presidency.

Democratic opposition leader and Nobel

laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who boycotted

the vote, will re-enter electoral politics, her

party announced. The junta recently par-

doned more than 6,300 prisoners, many of

them political detainees.

The state has begun liberalising the

economy and lifted some Internet and press

censorship. And on Sept 30, the govern-

ment suspended construction of a Chinese-

financed dam on the Irrawaddy River after

protests by citizens over its likely social and

environmental effects.

The regime has been swiftly rewarded

for this apparent loosening of control. The

Association of South-east Asian Nations

agreed to let Myanmar take over the groups

rotating chairmanship in 2014; Malaysian

Prime Minister Najib Razak insists that the

military rulers are on the road to greater

democratisation and are also being more

inclusive; and, citing flickers of progress,

United States President Barack Obama is

sending Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to

Myanmar early next month.

Time for a reality check. The shiny new

capital city of Naypyidaw is an Orwellian Oz,

and the man behind the curtain is Senior

General Than Shwe, who has been the top

man in the junta since 1992 and remains so

despite his official resignation as head of

state in March.

The election last year was hardly democ-

racy in action, with independent observers

citing widespread intimidation and bribery

by the government and its supporters, who

emerged with more than 80 per cent of the

seats in Parliament. The US and European

Union condemned it as neither free nor fair.

And in any case, the military appoints

all top ministers and judges and controls

the state budget. Mr Thein Sein is a former

general himself, and giving up his military

status for appearances sake should be seen

as a prime example of civilian obeisance to

the military regime.

According to the human rights group

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners

(Burma), there are at least 2,000 political

prisoners still being held in the nations 42

prisons and 109 labour camps.

The dam controversy, which is being

seen by many as the Myanmarese bucking

their long-time financial supporters in Bei-

jing, was really a pragmatic move of domes-

tic politics. (The government has for years

been battling ethnic militias in the northern

region where the dam was located and was

probably spooked by civilian protests there.)

The regimes supposed moves towards

liberalisation occurred just as the Obama

administration was beginning to see its strat-

egy of engagement with Myanmar in a

complete reversal of the George W Bush ap-

proach as a failure.

According to a Congressional Research

Service report, US diplomats found their

Myanmarese counterparts relatively unre-

sponsive in the high-level meetings, prefer-

ring to confine discussion to the exchange

of formal statements that avoid or evade

the issues raised by US officials. One State

Department officer, Mr Joseph Y Yun, told

Congress this year that we are disappointed

by the lack of any results from our repeated

efforts at dialogue.

If the Obama administration and its

Western and Asian allies has new hopes

for dialogue, they are welcom

try. But there should be no con

concessions. While the Interna

etary Fund finds that the near-b

tions imposed by the US (as we

and Australia) have not been

factor in Myanmars econom

they are an important mora

(The same can be said about

humanitarian aid during crises

clone Nargis in 2008.)

Some argue that increase

engagement could blunt Ch

ence in Myanmar and the r

seems unlikely.

The economy is a disaster

banks can lend for a period of n

a year; mortgages are unheard

who make up the majority of th

are kept out of private credit m

the country will long be depen

regions dominant power. And

competition is needed, India

provide it.

Looking ahead, the West

sider what to do should the reg

change prove a cover for the sta

haps the European Union might

emulate the stricter US sanctio

Officials in Washington could a

some new steps: Banning imp

ucts manufactured elsewhere u

teak, say, or barring federal cont

panies doing business in Myan

We all hope that one of

most repressive states is on

freedom. And Ms Suu Kyis de

enter the electoral fray gives a h

at least, thinks the junta might b

to get serious. But nothing th

regime has done so far merit

change to how it is treated o

stage. bLoomberG

acii ping bng Pg in yngn n sn f l f pliicl pin.

alg 6,300 f w cnl pn, i l 2,000 ill ing l. aP

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comment&analysis16today thursday Nove mber 24, 2011

News that Mr Warren Buffett is look-ing for opportunities in Japan is asgood as it gets for a nation that has had an

awful year.

All Japan needs to do is convince the

most famous value investor that its de-

serving of his money. Yet a curious juxta-

position involved in Mr Buffetts first-ever

Japan visit showed why thats easier said

than done.

Mr Buffett was touring a tool plant in

Fukushima prefecture, where a nuclear-

power plant damaged by the tsunami in

March has contaminated the surrounding

area. There, he was asked about another

calamity putting Japan in a harsh and nega-

tive spotlight: The Olympus scandal. The

Berkshire Hathaway chairman said: The

fact that Olympus happens here or Enron

happens in the US doesnt affect our at-

titudes at all.

Think about it, though. The most-

watched market guru is standing near one

crisis caused by political corruption and

being queried about another involving cor-

porate malfeasance.

At the heart of both storylines are

growth-killing dynamics that have long

given Mr Buffett and his ilk pause. While

different in their details and magnitude

they show how Japan may be too wedded

to the past to thrive in a world of intensify-

ing competition.

Olympus, as venerable a name as there

is in Japan, demonstrates the point. Investi-

gators want to know what happened to at

least US$4.9 billion (S$6.4 billion) they say

is unaccounted for at the camera maker. Of

all the bizarre questions surrounding this

sordid tale, the role of organised crime

groups, or yakuza, is the most tantalis-

ing. Police are looking into how much of

the missing cash went into the pockets of

these gangs.

No one can be sure what will be found

until the digging is done, says Jake Adel-

stein, author of the 2009 book Tokyo Vice

and a well-known crime reporter in Japan.

With their full-body tattoos and am-

putated fingers, the yakuza have long held

a unique place in the public imagination.

Unfortunately, that goes for Japans econ-

omy, too. Mr Adelstein calls the yakuza

Goldman Sachs with guns because of the

prowess with which their groups rough-

ly 80,000 members infiltrate companies

through extortion and intimidation.

Olympus is the latest reminder of the

extent to which the yakuza is intertwined

with the corporate culture, and its hardly

the only household name to get ensnared.

In 2009, Fujitsu ousted its president for

alleged ties to antisocial forces, a euphe-

mism in Japan for organised crime. The

question is this: If Olympus was mixed

up with such sinister forces, which other

Nikkei 225 Stock Average companies are?

mysterIous PayoFFs

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is worried

that Olympus will sully Japans reputa-

tion as a well-regulated market economy.

Michael Woodfords travel schedule shows

why it may be too late.

The former Olympus chief executive-

turned-whistleblower forwarded to the

whole Olympus board some letters detail-

ing his concerns about mysterious payoffs

before he was fired last month. Then Mr

Woodford left Japan, fearing for his safety.

This week, he will be under police protec-

tion as he returns for the first time to meet

with investigators.

Seriously? In a Group of Seven nation?

Yes, these things can still happen in Japan

thanks to a corporate and political aversion

to digging to weed out nefarious interests. A

compliant media can only make that worse.

A similar conclusion can be drawn

from events in Fukushima more than eight

months after a record earthquake. It was

incestuous ties between gove

reaucrats and the power indu

high-tech Japan so vulnerable

tech ways of Tokyo Electric P

owner of the damaged Fukush

When we think of the mo

tend to think of publicly tra

like TEPCO. But how can any

the ways politicians enabled

its shocking safety lapses ov

and not call it organised corru

can the government, knowing

now, rally around the nuclear

Mr Woodfords soul mat

former Prime Minister Naot

shown the door in August for

questions. Mr Kan wanted to

accountable for the radiation

Tokyos food supply. Noda qui

ters return to the status quo

nuclear-industrial complex tha

resents. The losers are the Japa

who worry about another Che

the next giant earthquake hits

All this shows how Japan

the change needed to compe

when China sets the pace. Jus

tive is the ability of rice farme

passage of international-trad

then theres corporate Japan w

pills, takeover defenses and p

inefficiencies.

Mr Buffett isnt the on

searching for bargains in Jap

by far the most important. Jap

have been beaten down sinc

quake that forced Mr Buffett

Japan trip. And there are grea

in Japan.

The problem is that too li

place in the halls of power to

economic system that has lost

shenanigans at Olympus and T

how much the opacity of the

straining what should be a b

That will not be lost on savvy i

Mr Buffett. bloomberg

Tokyo-based William P

is a Bloomberg View colu

WIllIam PeseK

bki hw cin Wn bff ifin nn in Iwki, Fki Pfc.m bff i n i fi ii Jpn n mn kin inn ppnii. reuters

Wrr Bu h fr h ku

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Voices mal yur lttr t [email protected] j www.tdaynln.m

we set yo thinkingtodayonline.com

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TODAY THuRSDAY NOVEM BER

An vntual rrtn

n HDB ral pr?Letter from Cha Soo Kiat

AS RESALE prices of Housing and Devel-

opment Board flats rise, the authorities

are tackling the immediate problem of a

shortage in public housing.

We must also not lose sight of longer-

term dangers should prices continue to rise,

especially ahead of income growth.

The main concern is if resale prices

instead fall for a sustained period. This

is highly possible because of a rarely dis-

cussed trait of our uniquely Singapore pub-

lic housing market: The 99-year lease.

As an investor, I am keenly aware of the

intrinsic value of any instrument, relative

to its market price. For any instrument

with a finite usage period, such as a COE-

registered car or machinery in a factory, its

value (and thus market value) should fall

with every passing year.

The same cannot be said, though, of

our HDB flats, especially in mature estates,

which have enjoyed huge price apprecia-

tion in recent years despite a dwindling

lease period.

There are many explanations for this,

which I can relate to, such as a supply short-

age, increased demand in recent years and

an ultra-low interest rate environment. Still,

when a flat crosses the halfway mark of its

lease, wouldnt its price fall at some point?

Critics may argue that HDB could

carry out en-bloc programmes to restart

the lease. I can subscribe to this argument,

to an extent, but we must appreciate that

the scope of such projects covers a small

percentage of existing towns.

For a mature town such

which is 30 to 40 years old,

technically or economically fe

bloc the entire estate.

Together with an ongoin

in our immigration intake, an

housing supply and interest ra

not remain low permanently, it

to assume that our HDB proper

eventually start to fall.

Those with the shortest

lease period, especially in ma

could be the hardest hit.

The Prime Minister cau

month that we should be pre

period of several years of diff

global economy.

The next question is, whe

prepared for an eventual co

property prices, especially if i

bad as that in the West.

it huld hav bn sQooTLetter from N Varaprasad

I CAN appreciate that the Singapore Air-

lines Groups new long-haul budget carrier

wants to create a distinct identity from SIA.

However, in the face of well-estab-

lished competitors such as Air Asia X and

Jetstar, the connection to a successful ante-

cedent is priceless in marketin

pecially when starting with no

This could have been a

calling the new airline SQO

of Scoot).

It is quirky enough that y

the cake and eat it, too. A real

portunity, in my opinion.

sngl tumpd by tud flat Letter from Jane Cha

I AM a Singaporean who has bought two

resale flats, as singles do not qualify to

buy subsidised new flats directly from the

Housing and Development Board.

Both my purchases were made before

the rule change to allow singles a housing

grant to help pay for the higher resale

price.

I have since applied for and been al-

loted a studio apartment (30

the only new HDB flat that s

55 and above, can buy on the

But, the selling price is sim

of a two-room flat compara

considering the latters 99-ye

the HDB clarify the reason fo

It is a double whammy

I did not enjoy a grant when

resale flats. How much shoul

penalised?

optin available at serangn Letter from Helen Lim

Acting Director, Media Relations,Land Transport Authority

WE THANK Mr Kang Choon Tian for his let-

ter Elderly-unfriendly access at Serangoon

MRT station (Nov 23).

However, due to site constraints,

we are unable to install an escalator at

Entrance D.

Commuters can use the

footpath next to Block 416 for

to the escalators inside Entran

having to use the flight of stai

Those who wish to use th

the pedestrian crossing along

Central to access the lift at En

When a flat crosses

the halfway mark of

its lease, wouldnt its

price fall at some point?

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Voices20today thursday N ovember 24, 2011

Piip hn

Having taught Singapore literature

for years, I often find myself inad-

vertently drawn into discussing it. Last

Sunday, my doctor told me he had been

reading Robert Yeos classic, The Adven-

tures of Holden Heng, written 25 years ago

but just republished.

What did he like about the book? The

central character, perhaps, or the plot?

Not really. Rather, the novel brought back

to life places he had known so well that

are now gone.

Recently, we heard of two more

spaces in danger of disappearing. The

Rochor Centre flats and Bukit Brown Cem-

etery, at first sight, have little in common:

A modern space for the living and an older

space for the dead.

Yet, both are important parts of the

life-worlds of many Singaporeans and both

are making way for more roads to cater to

Singapores ever-growing car population.

In both cases, planning decisions

seem to have been made before a full

process of consultation had started.

Consultation has become an exercise

in minimising the negative effects of a

predetermined course of action, rather

than exploring alternatives through genu-

ine dialogue.

The reasons advanced in favour of the

Bukit Brown road and the demolition of

Rochor Centre might seem compelling.

Singapore faces land-use constraints, and

heritage sites with less intensive land use

will yield inevitably to contemporary,

more space-efficient structures.

On reflection, though, this argument

expresses an outdated paradigm. A key

issue in this years elections was Singapo-

reans desire for greater participation in

governance. And Singapore, in the last dec-

ade, has made physical constraints a virtue.

Faced with the prospect of water a

shortage, Singapore did not simply nego-

tiate new agreements with Malaysia but

encouraged the development of recycling

and desalination technologies, providing the

basis for growth of companies such as Hyflux

which are now major international players.

We could show similar vision in con-

servation issues. Singapores restricted

size and pace of development mean that

we are now confronting choices concern-

ing heritage preservation that will arise

later in the rest of developing Asia.

If we develop best practices in con-

sultation mechanisms that bring in all

members of the community, in sustain-

able development and engineering solu-

tions that preserve heritage, such exper-

tise would be invaluable in the future.

Arguments for heritage fr

stress the intangible: Disorien

the loss of familiar landscapes

erosion of community that acco

this. A sense of connection to th

certainly important.

Yet, for present-day Singa

veloping expertise in the cons

of heritage also makes sound, p

and economic sense.

Imagine a Republic in 204

a thriving heritage managem

where my doctor and I, now

tired, would not have to rely on

alone to jog our failing memorie

places such as Bukit Brown an

Centre would not have vanishe

Rather, they would becom

enriched as community spaces

the lived experiences of a new g

of Singaporeans.

Philip Holden, a permanent re

has long been involved in her

related issues. He teaches a

National University of Singap

University Scholars Program

Why nrvatn pragmatI say

rc Cn wi i kw n xpw. today fIle Photo

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Voices22today thursday N ovember 24, 2011

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Hgh prdutn tandard at APB brwry n chnaL aln b

Head, Corporate Communications,

Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore

I to the letter Wait, my Tiger Beer

is a Product of China? (Nov 23) and

would first thank Mr Joel Weiden for

supporting Tiger Crystal.

The Tiger Crystal that consumers

have come to enjoy in Singapore is in-

deed currently brewed at our brewery

in China.

At present, Tiger Crystal is distributed

to Singapore, China, Vietnam, Thailand

and Malaysia.

On behalf of Asia Pacific Breweries,

I assure Mr Weiden that APB maintains

the highest production standards for its

products in all its breweries.

These production processes have

been developed in accordance with the

technical specifications that all APB

breweries around the world employ.

Tiger Crystal offers consumers a re-

freshing taste and an easy-drinking al-

ternative to the Tiger Beer they know

and love.

As a testament to the taste and qual-

ity of Tiger Crystal brewed at our China

plant, it was awarded Gold at the pres-

tigious World Beer Cup 2010 in the

Australasian, Latin American

Style Light Lager Category.

APB was also honoured

the Brewers Association Wo

2010 Champion Brewery and

ter award based on our e

competition.

I thank Mr Weiden for h

and hope for his continued sup

Crystal as a beer of choice.

studnt wak mmand f Mandarn n talk hw a nrnL t Kk s

T popular evening talk show

Lets Talk on Channel U is a

very useful platform for ado-

lescents to voice opinions and

relate their experiences on so-

cial issues. The content is usu-

ally captivating. But there is room

for improvement.

The student participants,

except for a handful, are often

unable to articulate well in

Mandarin, invariably punctuat-

ing their sentences with ng-

lish and slang. Some of them

converse in fractured Manda-

rin seemingly with no qualms

or remorse.

The impression is that these

teenagers have difficulty in ex-

pressing ideas completely in

the language. What does it say

about our education system

that most of the participants do

not know the Mandarin equiva-

lents of common nouns, verbs

and adjectives?

xcept for technical/scien-

tific terminology, for which we

can condone the use of nglish

equivalents, speaking in a mix-

ture of languages should not be

encouraged. The participants may

mistakenly think this is cool.

One solution is to conduct

a rehearsal with them. The

talk show hosts, being adept

in Mandarin, could identify

fractured sentences and correct

them before the studio airing. The

participants can then benefit by

enriching their vocabulary.

We should be aware that the

show is watched by both Singapo-

reans and foreigners. It would not

be a healthy situation if foreigners

(whose mother tongue is Manda-

rin) get the impression that our

bilingual school system is flawed.

The standard of Mandarin

being taught has already declined

over the years.

We do not need another ex-

ample to reinforce such an im-

pression to outsiders.

W rfr t Mr T Kk sahfdbak n th channl Uprgramm Lets Talk, a frumfr yung ppl t v thrvw n u l t thrhart, fr xampl, tnag

rlatnhp, grwng up n angl-parnt famly and dngvluntr wrk.

T th nd, tudnt panl-lt ar ltd bad mrn thr prnal xprnand ablty t ntrbut t thtp than n languag prf-ny, whh w aknwldg l than dal fr m.

T th uggtn frrharal, th prdutn

tam flt that th pf rpn and th dun at th frub mprmd.

A uh, hw htand Ln Pfn ar tak

at partpant n uapprprat Mandarn n n an whar unabl t xpr tadquatly n th lang

W thank Mr T ffdbak and th ppt larfy.Letter from Je sLyN

Low, head, braNdiN

PromotioNs, ChaNN

mediaCorP

rehearsaLs may ComPromise sPoNtaNeity

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Singapore today thursday Novem ber

$85nett

$18nett$35nett$11nett

$86nett$54nett

$11nett

$281nett

$35nett $7nett

SINGAPORE Households here fare poorly

when it comes to kitchen hygiene, accord-

ing to a survey of 25 households.

Eighty-eight per cent of the homes

surveyed in the week-long study com-

missioned by BOSCH and Reckitt Benckiser

have a significant presence of harmful

bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

Most of the households surveyed said

they do not wash utensils and dishes with

hot water, while only 44 per cent said they

wash their hands after handling raw meat.

Such practices constitute poor kitchen

hygiene, as harmful bacteria such as salmo-

nella and E coli can thrive.

Despite this, about 80 per cent believe

they are not likely to get food poisoning.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Wong

Sin Yew, an infectious disease physician,

said: We do get exposed to bacteria but

we do have an intact immune system and

most of the time, our immune system does

handle it. But we really shouldnt push our

luck. I think we should practise

and make sure we reduce our

According to the survey

main culprits in the kitchen w

cause cross-contamination is

sponge. What is worrying is

cent of sponges tested were fo

tain E coli and salmonella.

The common excuses for b

about kitchen hygiene are la

lack of time.

Mr Gary Teng, a partic

Firstly, in the preparation of

we are not so conscious of w

hands when we handle the fo

Washing the dishes afte

do not use hot water, and the k

that is used to wipe the dishes

counter) is the same.

Another respondent, M

Kang, said: I am guilty of ov

sponge. That means I only throw

away when ... they are flakin

than having a systematic way

them (away) every two to thr

ChaNNel Newsasia

d kc

Photo by

rc f ust stmch

s fn ckng n kcn gn

60% f uts sd ut Bdk rsdcs luchSINGAPORE Bedok Residences, which

was in the news recently after students

and retirees were reportedly paid by agents

to queue overnight for its launch, has sold

about 60 per cent of its units on the first

day of its launch yesterday.

In a statement, developer CapitaLand

said it released 450 units out of the total

583 for sale yesterday. As of 5pm, 350

units had been snapped up. The average

price per square foot is S$1,350.

The integrated development comprises

eight 15-storey blocks of residential units,

a shopping mall and a transportation hub.

Bedok Residences is developed by Bril-

liance Residential, a joint venture between

CapitaLand Residential Singapo

taMalls Asia.

Temporary Occupation

Bedok Residences is expecte

tained in 2015.

CapitaLand Residential Sin

Wong Heang Fine said: The

numbers demonstrate that

formed outside our show su

past few days consists of genu

tive buyers. Those who queu

to buy their choice units on th

CapitaLand Residential an

lls Asia jointly acquired the s

Central for S$788.9 million thr

ernment land sales tender in J

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singapore26

SINGAPORE More needy elderly living in

the South East District will benefit with the

extension of the Gift of Mobility @ South

East Programme, with the South East Com-

munity Development Council (CDC) and

SMRT Corporation pledging a combined

S$168,000 for another three years.

Launched in September last year to

provide elderly residents in the district

with point-to-point transport services for

medical treatment and appointments, the

programme has seen an overwhelming

response, with 1,156 trips made

111 needy elderly residents.

The SMRT will be pledging

S$84,000 to the initiative and Sout

will be providing a dollar-for-dol

ing grant to benefit more needy

Said South East CDC genera

Stanley Fong: With the grow

population in the South East D

will see a greater need for tran

assistance for needy elderly w

frequent travel for their medica

ments. We are thankful for co

like SMRT, who have respond

needs in the community.

Mr Goh Chee Kong, senior

ident of communications & se

SMRT, said: As a public transp

provider we believe we can do o

partnering organisations such as

East CDC to provide transport

for the needy elderly.

The South East CDC will b

closely with its Comcare Loca

(CLN) partners such as the Fam

Centres in the district and soc

managers to ensure that this pr

is accessible and available to

beneficiaries.

today thursday November 24, 2011

ntl, ch ttut ttudy mtl, ft uttSINGAPORE An alliance of leading epi-

genetics researchers from three countries

including Singapore has announced a re-

search collaboration with the Nestle Re-

search Center in Switzerland to improve

nutritional strategies for mother and baby.

The collaboration will rely on epige-

netics, the biology of how gene function is

regulated by environmental factors such as

maternal nutrition during very early stage

of development.

Called the EpiGen Consortium, the

alliance comprises researchers from the

Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences

of the Agency for Science, Technology and

Research (A*STAR) and the National Uni-

versity of Singapore (NUS).

Other researchers of EpiGen are from

the United Kingdom and New Zealand

AgResearch Limited and Auckland UniS-

ervices Limited from New Zealand and

the Medical Research Council Lifecourse

Epidemiology Unit from the University of

Southampton in the UK.

EpiGen will collaborate with the Nestle

Research Center and Nestle Nutrition to

understand what is optimal nutrition for

mothers during pregnancy and for infants to

promote metabolic health throughout life.

The ultimate goal is to make recommen-

dations supported by science for the best

nutritional strategies for mother and baby.

Professor Peter Gluckman, from

A*STARs Singapore Institute for Clinical

Sciences and managing scientist for the

EpiGen Consortium, said: If we are to im-

prove the health of women and children,

we need effective partnerships between

academia and the private sector, as it is

clear that good nutrition at the beginning

of life is a key factor in determining meta-

bolic health.

Associate Professor Chong Yap Seng

from the Department of Obstetrics & Gy-

naecology at the Yong Loo Lin School of

Medicine at NUS also said: The combina-

tion of clinical, academic and commercial

expertise and resources will help us push

the boundaries of developmental epigenet-

ics. ChaNNel Newsasia

Tt bt f dyldly suth et Dtct

EpiGen will collaborate with

the Nestle Research Center

and Nestle Nutrition to

understand what is optimal

nutrition for mothersduring pregnancy and for

infants to promote metabolic

health throughout life.

today File Photo

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singapore28today thursday November 24, 2011

temasek Poly to offer busiNess aNalytics

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chaNNel Newsas

Wht s lfm th Cmbdw: W K sSINGAPORE The Cambodian

conflict which started in the late

1970s was an early test for Singa-

pore and its foreign service, said

former Deputy Prime Minister

Wong Kan Seng yesterday.

Mr Wong was the Foreign

Minister from 1988 to early

1994 when the Vietnam-Cam-

bodia war came to an end.

Speaking at the S Rajarat-

nam Lecture, Mr Wong high-

lighted five key lessons from

the conflict.

One, it showed the impor-

tance of being independent and

self-reliant.

Singapore demonstrated

to the world that in spite of its

size, it was prepared to defend

its interests even when it was

up against major powers like

the United States and China,

Mr Wong said.

The decades-long conflict

also made Singapore realise the

necessity of being nimble and

pragmatic.

Mr Wong said Singapore

had little choice but to pick up

on the changing

various players an

cordingly.

He added that

portant aspect of

matic was to know

back and play a sup

From the con

pore gained a be

standing of the

foreign policies a

operandi of the

of South-east As

members.

Singapore also

multilateral org

functioned, Mr Wo

Lastly, the

conflict taught Si

significance of dev

honing an excell

service.

To ensure tha

is well protected, i

stantly cultivate

service team with a

as staying focuse

pores interests an

Mr Wong said.

chaNNel Newsa

MFa lft tvl dvy f -tl tvl t BkkSINGAPORE The Ministry of Foreign Af-

fairs (MFA) is no longer advising Singapo-

reans to consider deferring non-essential

travel to the Thai capital of Bangkok.

The flood situation in Bangkok contin-

ues to improve and Prime Minister Yingluck

Shinawatra has announced that inner Bang-

kok will be safe from floods, as the measures

to stem the flooding have been successful,

an MFA spokesman said yesterday.

Still, Singaporeans in Bangkok or who

are planning to visit Bangkok are advised to

avoid the flood-affected areas and take the

necessary precautions, including heeding

the instructions of the local authorities and

closely monitoring the local news.

Concerns about the possibility of out-

breaks of water-borne diseases such as

leptospirosis remain, the spokesman said.

Singaporeans who are travelling to or

in Thailand and have yet to eRegister with

MFA are advised to do so at http://eregister.

mfa.gov.sg.

Meanwhile, in Bangkok, polluted water

more than a metre deep is still inundat-

ing thousands of homes in northern and

western districts of the city.

Officials are maintaining

of canals, levees and sandbag

keep water out of inner Bangk

clashes with residents living

flood defences, reported Bloom

>> seslowiNg baNgko

draiNage: ex

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singapore30today thursday N ovember 24, 2011

Lecturers micromou

runs off with world reSINGAPORE Ngee Ann Poly-

technic (NP) lecturer Ng Beng

Kiat chipped past the four-sec-

ond barrier and broke the world

record in the 32nd All Japan Mi-

cromouse Contest held in Tsu-

kuba, Japan, over the weekend.

His micromouse an in-

telligent robot completed

the race in only 3.921 seconds,

slashing the previous record

of 4.766 seconds achieved by

Kato-san from Japan last year.

In a micromouse race, the

challenge is for the mouse to

map out the fastest route from

the starting point to the central

point of the maze.

A lecturer in NPs Electronic

& Computer Engineering course,

Mr Ngs super-fast micromouse

beat more than 80 entries from

countries such as the United

States, Japan, United Kingdom

and Taiwan in the Micromouse

Expert Class category.

Mr Ng also clinched the

second prize in the Micro-

mouse Half-Size category.

Elsewhere, students from

NPs Electronic & Computer

Engineering course

in the competition.

Clipper event wh

is tasked to seek an

the maze they sw

second and third p

The All Japan M

Contest is the long

robotic contest in

SINGAPORE More than

44 companies and individu-

als have responded to the

Singapore Childrens Societys

first online fund-raising ini-

tiative, The Pixel Heart Project

(www.pixelheart.org.sg).

Launched two weeks ago,

The Pixel Heart Project pro-

vides an opportunity for com-

panies to make online dona-

tions for a worthy cause and

aims to raise S$1.25 million

through the adoption of 2,500

blocks of pixels on the website.

These blocks of pixels are

available for adoption at S$500

per block and will bear the liv-

ery of adoptive corporate and

individual donors.

When fully a

2,500 blocks on th

landing page will fi

to signify the com

companies and in

support the child

in Singapore.

Despite the

economic outlook

S$32,000 has b

through the adopt

and from donation

ment to the spirit o

py in Singapore, sa

in a media release

Proceeds from

Heart Project will

funding the 59 p

and services run b

pore Childrens So

rc t $1.25m xl t tm

m N courtesy Ngee aNN P

malaysiaN immigratioN

Documents

Today - 20111124