WORLD AT INFLEXION POINT NOT SEEN SINCE COLD WAR

The world is at a turning point, with the fundamental rules of global order set to change on a scale not seen since the end of the Cold War, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said.

The Cold War, which ended more than 25 years ago, pitted communism against capitalism, a clash Dr Ng described as "one of the greatest conflicts of ideas in human history"....

Today, it is the rise of marginal political groups amid the shifting of longstanding international alliances.

He was speaking to students at the Yale-NUS Asia Pacific Model United Nations conference organised by Yale-NUS college's students.

What holds for their future is uncertain but there are three faultlines that will determine the outcome for the world in the coming decades..

These are: globalisation versus nationalism; global rules versus the regional order; and collective good governance versus individual rights.

"The tension at these faultlines, these competing themes, is under severe pressure. If the plates buckle, social and political tsunamis will be created and we will have to live with the changes."

People around the world are increasingly sceptical of globalisation.

Global trade has created wealth and brought down poverty levels for many countries. But some communities also see globalisation as the reason for the loss of jobs and rise in immigration.

Even the US, which is the "de-facto champion of globalisation", is not immune from such stress, he said, as whole manufacturing cities in the "Rust Belt" region that used to be industrial hubs have gone into decline while wages have remained stagnant.

While many studies show that countries that take in migrants reap overall benefits, "it's very hard to convince a worker who has lost his job of these benefits", he said.

These developments in part explain the British vote to leave the European Union and US President-Elect Donald Trump's victory, Dr Ng added.

Two, the global world order underpinned by the US as the leading superpower is under challenge.

With the rise of big countries such as China, India, and Indonesia, the global system governing trade and security may change in a multi-polar world, he said.

Three, the rise of populism, which will give greater attention to individual interests over the collective good.

This will cause domestic politics to become polarised, as political parties campaign on the interests of different groups, hoping to win the popular vote by slim margins or through coalitions.

The price would be an ever-shrinking common space, Dr Ng said.

Amid these changes, Singaporeans have to ask themselves several QUESTIONS, he added.

These are: How do we keep Singapore relevant and ensure good jobs here for Singaporeans? What roots us even as more opportunities increase for our younger generation overseas? How does a small state like us help shape the world we live in? What role can we play? How do we avoid the divisiveness that "populism" brings in its aftermath?

Responding to them will require the next generation to make wise and enlightened decisions that will help ensure Singapore's place in the 21st century, he added.

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Terrex carriers and foreign policy

Avoid politicising this and avoid megaphone diplomacy, says Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

"I don't believe in... conducting affairs in a way which generates more heat than light."

"Let's give this incident every opportunity to resolve itself in, I hope, an appropriate and sensible way."...

He stressed that Singapore's relations with China and interactions with Hong Kong and Taiwan are "based strictly on our 'one China' policy". "We have consistently abided by this policy and the understandings reached when we established diplomatic relations with China in 1990. And we will continue to do so."

Singapore has been assured that the seizure of its military vehicles in Hong Kong will be handled through proper legal process.

It was a reality of realpolitik that big countries would sometimes pressure other countries to "act entirely in line with their own national interests", adding that Singapore has encountered such expectations from time to time.

"However, it is important for us to conduct our foreign policy as a sovereign, independent nation, and not be seen as acting at the behest of any other country," he said.

Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore's relationship with China is a longstanding, multifaceted and mutually beneficial one, and should not be seen as a "zero-sum game".

"We believe in interdependence characterised by open, inclusive regional architecture that promotes collaboration and win-win outcomes," he said.

The minister said Singapore has long been a firm believer that a strong China that is "deeply engaged with the rest of the world and economically integrated" would bring enormous benefits. Citing China's achievements such as lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty, he said these developments will bring opportunities but also "issues to resolve from time to time".

Goh Chok Tong: 40 years of service in Marine Parade

Soon after I was told that I would be fielded in Marine Parade, I made a quiet visit here to recce. I liked what I saw – a well-laid out, spacious, spanking new estate. Like Louis Armstrong, what a wonderful place, I thought to myself. 

When the 1976 GE was called, Dr Goh Keng Swee rang me up to check how I was coping. I told him that I had no Branch in Marine Parade.

He laughed but comforted me ...by telling me not to worry. Just put a table and a few chairs in the void deck, and people would step forward to help, he said.

True enough. When Fong Sip Chee who was fighting J B Jeyaretnam in Kampong Chai Chee learnt that my new Branch had no money, he donated $2,000 from his Branch. He also directed 3 or 4 of his Branch members who were living in Marine Parade to stay and help me. I have never forgotten his generous spirit of comradeship.

Several market stallholders also came forward to help – egg sellers, tau gay and tau kwa sellers, fishmongers and pork sellers. One of them, Lim Bak Hee, a fishmonger, stayed back to help in the Branch. I also remember Tan Beng Huat, a pork seller. I understand that he passed away some years back.

The people I named were only some of the many people who came forward to help me and make a difference to Marine Parade. To all of them, I say a big ‘thank you’.

- ESM Goh Chok Tong speaking on 40 years serving in Marine Parade (excerpt)

A Promise Kept

Fire ravaged a wet market in Jurong West on Oct 11 last year.

MP Ang Wei Neng promised stallholders a temporary market to be ready in time for Chinese New Year. 

“To some of the stallholders, Chinese New Year is a very important period ... The stallholders (were very) assured upon hearing they could start their business again,” he said.

The temporary market took six weeks to build.

On Jan 2, it was officially opened by DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

"The building of the temporary market shows that when something unfortunate happens, we are able to come together to make things better in the future," said Mr Tharman, who was joined by fellow Jurong GRC MPs Desmond Lee and Ang Wei Neng.

The government will also build a permanent 2-storey complex for a permanent market.

The complex is expected to cost about S$6.2 million and will be fully funded by the Government. Construction is targeted to begin in mid-2017 and to be completed by the end of December 2018. It will be situated on the site of the previous wet market at Blk 493 which had to be torn down after extensive fire damage.

TWO TOWN COUNCILS, TWO DIFFERENT RESPONSES

Someone asked why the CPIB was called in so quickly at Ang Mo Kio Town Council while no CPIB action was seen at WP-run AHTC despite all the accusations. What's the difference?

NOT A GOVT ACTION BUT AN ACTION TAKEN BY AMK TOWN COUNCIL...

First, this probe is not an action taken by the government against the town council. This is an action taken by the the AMK Town Council against their general manager in response to a complaint.

ZERO TOLERANCE FOR CORRUPTION

PAP Town Councils hold themselves to a higher standard of zero tolerance for corruption.

Ang Mo Kio Town Council received a complaint against Victor Wong in September.

Chairman of AMK TC, Ang Hin Kee said that the nature of the complaint "relates to probable behaviour needing investigation done by CPIB". Thus the town council referred the case to CPIB.

IN CONTRAST

Despite the lapses flagged by AGO, and despite the findings of KPMG, and KPMG suggesting the possibility of criminal breach of trust, WP has REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE that there are serious issues with their town council.

Instead WP has chosen to politicize the problems at their town council, to play victim and to insist that there was no wrongdoing.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO RESIDENTS UNDER THE TOWN COUNCIL ACT

AMK TC has held themselves accountable to their residents by referring the case to CPIB for possible wrongdoing.

AHTC on the other hand had gone the opposite way to fight tooth and nail in court to obstruct every investigation into their affairs dragging the investigations from months to years and still with no conclusion in sight.

Grit, determination, courage and sacrifice

Once upon a time, a man rose to the occasion, brought a small country through its birth pangs, nourished and nurtured it and turned it into a nation strong and free.

Grit, determination, courage and sacrifice.

"I have a few million people's lives to account for. And Singapore will survive!" 

"Never fear!"

Does it make sense to pay for redundancy insurance to receive total payouts ≤ 2.4 months salary?

Under WP's proposal, payout is CAPPED at 40% of the prevailing MEDIAN salary.

Essentially this means getting a total payout (for 6 months) that is LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 2.4 months of salary. (0.4 x 6 = 2.4)

WHAT IF YOU EARN MORE THAN MEDIAN SALARY?

You do not get 40% of your last drawn salary. Your payout will be 40% of the prevailing median salary.

This means for those earning more than the median salary, your total payout is less than 2.4 months of your last drawn salary.

It gets progressively smaller as salary gets bigger. Thus, if your salary is $10k a month at the time of your retrenchment, your total payout for 6 months will be less than one month of your last drawn salary.

ASK YOURSELF：

Why do you want to pay for redundancy insurance that gives you a total payout that is less than one month of your last drawn salary?

With a $10k per month salary, you have no problem saving one month of your salary on your own at no cost - that is, without paying for any insurance.

Similarly, why do you want to pay for a redundancy insurance that pays you 2 months of your salary in total or less than 2 months salary?

Pay for it or save for it?

Instead of paying from your salary for such a redundancy insurance, why not create your own private, personal 'redundancy saving account' and set aside money every month to save in this account? You can earn interest even.

If you never get retrenched, that money you save can be used for retirement, or for a holiday upon retirement.

Remember, after 6 months, if you still don't get a job, you're on your own. So why not save for rainy days?

Prudent to save for rainy days

In fact it is good discipline and good financial planning to save at least 6 months of your salary for rainy days. It is good to start young when your commitments are not so great and build it up gradually.

Low wage worker subsidizing high wage worker or vice versa?

One may argue for lower payouts for the high wage worker by saying that the high wage worker is helping to subsidize the redundancy benefit for the low wage worker.

In reality, most people retrenched are PMETs. In the third quarter of 2016, 73% of people made redundant were PMETs, higher than their workforce representation. Those with tertiary qualifications also form the bulk of the layoffs in the third quarter of 2016. (See here: http://bit.ly/2gVtOPF)

So in this risk pooling, the low income workers are actually subsidising retrenchment benefit for the high wage workers.

WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PROBLEM UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE IS MEANT TO SOLVE: Walter Theseira

SIM University economist Walter Theseira said there are already schemes to help those in need.

"If the problem is subsistence for low-income households, unemployment insurance isn't necessary because we have a framework of providing them cash assistance, although we can debate whether that assistance is enough.

"If it's giving people a buffer between jobs, is unemployment insurance the best way, or should we encourage people to set aside their own savings?" he said.