Wednesday 31 January 2018
Rethinking our individual approach to life and ageing: DPM Teo Chee Hean
ADD LIFE TO YEARS AND NOT MERELY YEARS TO LIFE
SPECIAL EMPLOYMENT CREDIT
Tuesday 30 January 2018
Ong Ye Kung: Psychological defence most important prong of peacetime defence
Terrorism and "fake news" are among the security threats the world faces today.
Increasingly, enemies are non-state players, the conflicts unconventional and the weapons non-military.
Responding to security challenges today will require an expanded toolkit of solutions that goes beyond effective military defences, Second Defence Minister Ong Ye Kung said.
Security challenges include developments in the Korean Peninsula, terrorism, online falsehoods and the retreat of globalisation, Mr Ong said.
TERRORISM
Increasingly, enemies are non-state players, the conflicts unconventional and the weapons non-military.
Responding to security challenges today will require an expanded toolkit of solutions that goes beyond effective military defences, Second Defence Minister Ong Ye Kung said.
Security challenges include developments in the Korean Peninsula, terrorism, online falsehoods and the retreat of globalisation, Mr Ong said.
TERRORISM
Mr Ong cautioned that terror groups will operate across national borders with “increasing coordination and sophistication”, and continue to spread extremist ideas online.
“Groups have been using more sophisticated technology like encrypted communication platforms and cryptocurrencies to evade detection,” Mr Ong added.
DELIBERATE ONLINE FALSEHOODS
Online falsehoods are increasingly undermining our social fabric and national unity to a greater degree.
"Propaganda has never been this powerful, and automated. The only difference is that it is now used, including by foreign players, against national institutions,"
"The techniques used are sophisticated, to give the illusion of public interest, legitimacy and support for the falsehoods and influencing public opinion," he said.
Countries are recognising that there is a need to come up with legislation and safeguards in the short term to combat "fake news”.
France, for instance, is looking to grant judges emergency powers to remove or block content deemed to be ‘”fake news” during sensitive periods such as elections.
Germany's Network Enforcement Act puts a legal obligation on large social networks to take down illegal content, such as hate speech.
"Today, media as we know has been hijacked by something much more unpredictable and volatile. The fundamental condition for democracy has been weakened.
“Society will fight back, to restore our democratic institutions. This will be done through regulation, a likely drastic reconfiguration of the media industry, and an evolution of societies to become more discerning of what’s real and what’s false and malicious,” said Mr Ong.
“This is not conventional warfare, but a battle within all our societies. But it has important implications for global stability, as dysfunctional domestic politics created by misinformation and falsehoods, means messy external relations too.”
PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFENCE
"Psychological defence becomes, we think, the most important prong of peacetime defence.
"It is about the ability of people to trust each other, have faith in societal and government institutions, provided they are not corrupt, and resilient to forces aimed at sowing discord and creating fissures in society," said Mr Ong.
ASEAN AND GLOBAL PEACE AND STABILITY
“ASEAN’s contribution is not in trying to be a regional power, but by maintaining its neutrality and centrality, to keep the regional security architecture open and inclusive, and providing a natural platform for major powers to engage each other,” said Mr Ong.
** Mr Ong was speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue Sherpa Meeting, which sets the agenda for June’s Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security forum bringing together defence ministers and military chiefs from Asia Pacific countries.
Thursday 25 January 2018
Ageing is a global phenomenon, but we are better prepared
Ageing is a global phenomenon, but we are better prepared
In fact, the UN has described population ageing as one of the defining features of our times.
Countries are seeing populations age at an unprecedented rate. The level of ageing will differ.
In Japan, the sales of adult diapers has surpassed diapers for babies at Japan’s largest diaper maker, Unicharm since 2011. Singapore will hit Europe’s current levels of ageing around 2020, and Japan’s current levels by around 2040.
But we are also ageing more rapidly than most countries.
For example, it took France over 100 years to transit from an “ageing” society, with 7% of the population aged 65 and over, to an “aged” society, with 14% of the population aged 65 and over.
It has taken us only 19 years – we crossed that mark last year.
However, we are much better prepared than others.
The need to prepare for an ageing population could already be seen then by the mid-1980s – life expectancy was increasing and the baby boomers had already all been born.
However, in the mid-1980s many people might not have been ready to think that far ahead and contemplate the measures that were needed to deal with this situation.
Nevertheless, we were able to take several measures early to set in place resilient institutions that are built upon strong foundations and principles.
These have now put us in a better position to look after ourselves, and as a society, as we age.
CPF: A PILLAR
One such pillar is the Central Provident Fund (CPF) which helps Singaporeans to save for their old age, helps cover medical expenses and to purchase basic health insurance.
This is a fully-funded system, and will be sustainable for generations to come. This is the fundamental difference and strength.
In many other countries, pension promises are not fully funded, and pension payments have to be met from current government budgets, placing a great strain on the current working generation.
The CPF system was improved significantly in 2009 with the introduction of CPF LIFE.
CPF LIFE provides lifelong payouts for future cohorts of seniors, by pooling together our longevity risk.
In this way, our seniors are assured of monthly payments for as long as we live, compared to the previous CPF system, where seniors got a fixed amount but risked living beyond the time when their own CPF retirement accounts ran out.
For those unable to save enough by themselves, we have targeted assistance such as through housing grants, Workfare and Silver Support.
For healthcare, we now have MediShield Life, which provides life-long universal health insurance coverage for all.
Introduced in 2015, MediShield Life made a significant improvement over the earlier MediShield, which only provided health insurance coverage up to the age of 92, on an opt-out basis, and did not cover pre-existing conditions.
MediShield Life deal with these shortcomings of the old MediShield plan.
MediShield Life also means that seniors need not worry about not qualifying for health insurance due to pre-existing conditions or living beyond the age when they can get health insurance.
The improved benefits such as increased coverage and removal of the lifetime limit, provides additional protection and peace of mind for Singaporeans for life.
The introduction of CPF LIFE and MediShield Life are game-changers.
These national social risk-pooling schemes mean that, to a larger extent than before, we are all helping one another to cope better together with the uncertainties associated with ageing.
With this national risk-polling, we are facing the challenge together.
Healthcare Expenditure
Our healthcare expenditure to look after our seniors therefore comes from: (1) sharing risk collectively through MediShield Life, (2) our own Medisave accounts, and also (3) significant subsidies from Government to hospitals and polyclinics for subsidised healthcare, such as in our B2 and C wards.
The doubling of our population of seniors by 2030 means that the subsidies that we provide from our government budget for healthcare will grow very substantially, even if we assume that there are no pay rises for doctors or nurses in the coming years, and we use the same drugs at the same cost as today.
We expect that health expenditure may overtake education in our government budget in the coming years. And we will have to make sure that our budget remains on a sound footing so that we have the resources to take care of our seniors as they age.
These measures – CPF LIFE, MediShield Life, and a sound government budget sufficient to fund our current healthcare needs, have put us on a firmer footing than many other countries.
But we need to be careful to ensure government finances remain sustainable, and can provide for our future needs. What our past generations have done for us, to place all of us as a nation on a firmer footing to age with confidence and vigour, we must also continue to build on for our future generations.
Monday 22 January 2018
NTUC's Constitution Updated
With better education, the profile of our workforce has also changed.
No more representing just the rank-and-file worker. Do you know that NTUC has updated its constitution?
With that update, all working people - including freelancers, migrant workers as well as professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) will be able to receive assistance and have their needs addressed by thelabour movement.
That's definitely 'thumbs-up' for them.
👍👍
“People move fluidly in between jobs and we shouldn't have this artificial divide as to who is considered rank and file, who is considered PMEs," NTUC's Secretary-General and Minister in Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing said.
No more representing just the rank-and-file worker. Do you know that NTUC has updated its constitution?
With that update, all working people - including freelancers, migrant workers as well as professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) will be able to receive assistance and have their needs addressed by thelabour movement.
That's definitely 'thumbs-up' for them.
👍👍“People move fluidly in between jobs and we shouldn't have this artificial divide as to who is considered rank and file, who is considered PMEs," NTUC's Secretary-General and Minister in Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing said.
Friday 19 January 2018
Mr Lee Kuan Yew: “We must never forget the basics... This is the only way to keep Singapore going."
Speech by Former Minister Mentor and Singapore's first Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew at the Police Dining-In on 17 November 2011:
When we took over the government in June 1959, our society was in a state of unrest. Crime was rampant. Secret societies were in control of many parts of the city. The imperative was to instil order so that we could get our economy going. We needed to build an orderly and stable society so that families could be raised, children educated without fear from being mugged or kidnapped, multi-nationals would want to invest here.
The leadership of the police force was still in the hands of the British, who had brought their experiences of policing to the colonies. A system was in place, but it was riddled with corruption. Getting rid of corruption was the key priority. We knew we had to be different, or we would never get off the ground. We put in place tough measures to make sure that corruption would be punished, even of the smallest scale. Over time we raised the salaries of police officers and civil servants. The problem is much smaller now, but we must never let up.
The British had also brought their criminal justice system to their colonies, a system which had evolved over many centuries in England. In our context, it was too cumbersome. Criminals learned how to exploit the system. So we had to put it on a proper footing – we used preventive detention to deal with the communists and secret societies, tightened procedural rules over time, abolished jury trials. We made justice swift and certain.
Today, we have an efficient system. People know that if they commit crimes, they are likely to be caught and dealt with. Even minor crimes – like littering and vandalism – we had to deal with these issues. If you don’t deal with this kind of behaviour, the population will not respect the basic rules of society. There will be chaos. Critics say – why bother with these minor offences. But tolerating anti-social behaviour is the way to perdition.
In 1967, we appointed our first local police commissioner. We have had 5 more since then. Gradually, more Singaporeans have taken up leadership positions. Over the years, the SPF has matured. Our officers are better educated. Women are also now an important component of the force. We have attracted many able persons by introducing scholarships, and giving young people wide exposure.
As our society developed, our people became more highly educated. We are now an economic and financial centre. But this means that we are also a target of sophisticated criminal groups. In the past, the police were dealing mainly with murders, robberies, rioting, and other forms of violence. Today, the main threat is posed by criminal syndicates – drugs, loansharks, financial fraud. The syndicate leaders operate outside of Singapore – in Johor, China and other countries. So it is difficult to catch them – we catch mainly the runners on the ground.
Over the past decade, the world has faced a serious threat from religious extremism. After the collapse of communism, the ISD focussed their energies on this issue. Today, we are facing threats from extremist groups like Al Qaeda and Jamaah Islamiyah, but also from self-radicalised individuals who learn their trade through the internet. The Americans are killing many of the Al Qaeda leaders with their drones, but new ones will arise. This problem is deeply entrenched and is going to be with us for a long time.
The Home Team must continue to recruit the best young officers. We cannot have a situation where the criminals are smarter and better resourced than you. If we don’t recruit strong officers, with moral fibre and a sense of purpose, you will go downhill very fast. Criminals with clever lawyers will run rings around you in court. We need officers who understand the intricacies of the legal system, are proficient in forensic analysis, and understand the psychological aspects of crime and criminality. We also need people who can read accounts and understand financial markets. If necessary, we should send our people for Masters courses or PhDs in these areas so that they have access to the latest technology and thinking, and can stay ahead of the game.
But training is only half the picture. To be effective, a Home Team officer needs to be in touch with the ground and have a good feel for people - someone who can smell danger, and who has the instincts to tell him when something is not right. We must not lose our basic policing and law enforcement craft – the ability to cultivate sources and collect intelligence, to follow leads and to interrogate suspects. So we must make sure that our people do not spend their careers behind desks – they must go out and work in the community. Our officers must be able to solve crimes and manage problems on the ground, whether they are from the Police, ISD, SCDF, or ICA. Only then can you be effective, and gain the respect and trust of the people.
How do you attract good young people into the force and keep them? Today, the big banks and multi-nationals can pay many times what the government can pay. Our experienced officers are in high demand. So it must be fundamentally based on a sense of mission and a common ethos – our people are striving for the national good. That is what the sacrifices are for – not for personal power or for glory, but for the pride of the mission – keeping Singapore safe, secure and working; protecting the public.
Other countries are facing problems. The police forces in Western countries are on the way down – look at what is happening in London. There is a fundamental distrust between the population and the police. So when a black man is shot by the police, they say its racism and start a riot. The US police have the same problem. Issues of law and order, and policing, have become politicised, and the police bear the brunt of this.
We will evolve our policies and doctrine as the population matures, but we must never forget the basics – the fundamentals which made us successful. We cannot afford to be like other countries. This is the only way to keep Singapore going.
When we took over the government in June 1959, our society was in a state of unrest. Crime was rampant. Secret societies were in control of many parts of the city. The imperative was to instil order so that we could get our economy going. We needed to build an orderly and stable society so that families could be raised, children educated without fear from being mugged or kidnapped, multi-nationals would want to invest here.
The leadership of the police force was still in the hands of the British, who had brought their experiences of policing to the colonies. A system was in place, but it was riddled with corruption. Getting rid of corruption was the key priority. We knew we had to be different, or we would never get off the ground. We put in place tough measures to make sure that corruption would be punished, even of the smallest scale. Over time we raised the salaries of police officers and civil servants. The problem is much smaller now, but we must never let up.
The British had also brought their criminal justice system to their colonies, a system which had evolved over many centuries in England. In our context, it was too cumbersome. Criminals learned how to exploit the system. So we had to put it on a proper footing – we used preventive detention to deal with the communists and secret societies, tightened procedural rules over time, abolished jury trials. We made justice swift and certain.
Today, we have an efficient system. People know that if they commit crimes, they are likely to be caught and dealt with. Even minor crimes – like littering and vandalism – we had to deal with these issues. If you don’t deal with this kind of behaviour, the population will not respect the basic rules of society. There will be chaos. Critics say – why bother with these minor offences. But tolerating anti-social behaviour is the way to perdition.
In 1967, we appointed our first local police commissioner. We have had 5 more since then. Gradually, more Singaporeans have taken up leadership positions. Over the years, the SPF has matured. Our officers are better educated. Women are also now an important component of the force. We have attracted many able persons by introducing scholarships, and giving young people wide exposure.
As our society developed, our people became more highly educated. We are now an economic and financial centre. But this means that we are also a target of sophisticated criminal groups. In the past, the police were dealing mainly with murders, robberies, rioting, and other forms of violence. Today, the main threat is posed by criminal syndicates – drugs, loansharks, financial fraud. The syndicate leaders operate outside of Singapore – in Johor, China and other countries. So it is difficult to catch them – we catch mainly the runners on the ground.
Over the past decade, the world has faced a serious threat from religious extremism. After the collapse of communism, the ISD focussed their energies on this issue. Today, we are facing threats from extremist groups like Al Qaeda and Jamaah Islamiyah, but also from self-radicalised individuals who learn their trade through the internet. The Americans are killing many of the Al Qaeda leaders with their drones, but new ones will arise. This problem is deeply entrenched and is going to be with us for a long time.
The Home Team must continue to recruit the best young officers. We cannot have a situation where the criminals are smarter and better resourced than you. If we don’t recruit strong officers, with moral fibre and a sense of purpose, you will go downhill very fast. Criminals with clever lawyers will run rings around you in court. We need officers who understand the intricacies of the legal system, are proficient in forensic analysis, and understand the psychological aspects of crime and criminality. We also need people who can read accounts and understand financial markets. If necessary, we should send our people for Masters courses or PhDs in these areas so that they have access to the latest technology and thinking, and can stay ahead of the game.
But training is only half the picture. To be effective, a Home Team officer needs to be in touch with the ground and have a good feel for people - someone who can smell danger, and who has the instincts to tell him when something is not right. We must not lose our basic policing and law enforcement craft – the ability to cultivate sources and collect intelligence, to follow leads and to interrogate suspects. So we must make sure that our people do not spend their careers behind desks – they must go out and work in the community. Our officers must be able to solve crimes and manage problems on the ground, whether they are from the Police, ISD, SCDF, or ICA. Only then can you be effective, and gain the respect and trust of the people.
How do you attract good young people into the force and keep them? Today, the big banks and multi-nationals can pay many times what the government can pay. Our experienced officers are in high demand. So it must be fundamentally based on a sense of mission and a common ethos – our people are striving for the national good. That is what the sacrifices are for – not for personal power or for glory, but for the pride of the mission – keeping Singapore safe, secure and working; protecting the public.
Other countries are facing problems. The police forces in Western countries are on the way down – look at what is happening in London. There is a fundamental distrust between the population and the police. So when a black man is shot by the police, they say its racism and start a riot. The US police have the same problem. Issues of law and order, and policing, have become politicised, and the police bear the brunt of this.
We will evolve our policies and doctrine as the population matures, but we must never forget the basics – the fundamentals which made us successful. We cannot afford to be like other countries. This is the only way to keep Singapore going.
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