SINGAPORE: Are Singapore women being held back by an institutional glass ceiling, halting their progress as they strive to reach the upper echelons of industry? This was the question posed and answered empathically in the affirmative, in an opinion piece by a local media outlet.

Yet there are still those who deny the ceiling exists. They point out that 31 per cent of Singapore’s managerial positions and 9.7 per cent of boards are women, the latter statistic some way above the Asian average of 8.9 per cent.

When you add the fact that we have just elected our first female president, it seems Singapore is doing fairly well in the gender diversity stakes.

Should we then dismiss the argument that a glass ceiling exists as pure hyperbole?

Let’s look at the numbers more thoroughly. For a start, being higher than the Asian average is not the success story it appears to be, as those figures include Japan and South Korea, two countries with some of the lowest managerial gender diversity figures in the world.

In fact, as some have argued, not only is Singapore lagging behind neighbouring Malaysia, India and Indonesia, we are also quite some way behind Europe. And even as the board levels are something to be proud of, the fact that female board members of Singapore-listed firms are paid 43 per cent less than their male counterparts, is not.

WHY SHOULD THE CEILING BE BROKEN?

Some have argued one reason for the ceiling’s continued existence is an unconscious bias, with boards led by men and interview panels for senior roles predominantly likewise.

While this historical bias is understandable given the gender leaning of these boards, there is a concern the maintenance of this homogeneity is leading to group-think at the board-level, resulting in less innovative companies missing out on potential revenue.

Studies show that conversely, female directors are more likely to pose difficult questions, enhancing board independence. As a result, companies with women in senior leadership and managerial positions see a higher return than those with lower numbers of women on the board, a state that continues through to corporate executives and CEOs.

A failure to follow the lessons of these studies has heavy implications for Singapore’s ability to compete on the global stage.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO BREAK THE GLASS CEILING?

When you have an issue that is so deeply ingrained in a company’s consciousness, it can be challenging to shift perceptions, but for change to come it must be from the top down.

Of course, many companies already have diversity training programmes, but this needs to be instigated at all levels, particularly for line managers, as they are the ones not only bringing in new staff, but also dealing with them on a day-to-day basis.

According to the Hays Gender Diversity Report 2017, the majority of Singapore’s line managers are men, yet only a third of women are confident that these line managers are aware of their career ambitions. This shows how important it is that a shift in understanding is made to enable the facilitation of development and the meeting of career goals.

ARE SETTING TARGETS THE KEY?

There is understandable opposition towards the implementation of gender diversity targets. For some, it opens up accusations of tokenism, while for others it goes against the firmly held Singaporean ideals of meritocracy.

While these are persuasive arguments, for the time being at least, we may have to consider that setting targets and success metrics – measured, developed and reported on as you would any other business initiative – is a short-term necessity as we redress the gender imbalance.

Once women are in place in the higher echelons of organisations, they themselves can become career enablers, shattering the self-imposed glass ceiling by altering other women’s perceptions of what can be achieved.

MENTORSHIP AS A BENEFIT FOR WOMEN AND COMPANIES

The use of mentors can greatly accelerate the careers of high-performing individuals, providing a positive experience of growth and development as it empowers and breeds confidence. Organisations should therefore look to set in place mentorship programmes designed to expedite the careers of talented women as well as being a powerful retention tool.

And of course, as these women rise through the ranks, it is important to share their achievements as an encouragement for others.

But the story sharing need not stop with successful women.

We should also profile male line managers and key decision makers who both encourage and practise taking parental leave or the usage of flexible working initiatives. In doing so, we can foster an atmosphere of understanding that the acceptance of gender diversity is not just about placing women in higher roles, but about changing our entire mindset.

Yes, there may be a glass ceiling in Singapore. But through the implementation of targets, the usage of mentors and promoting all those who encourage greater diversity in our businesses, it can be shattered, for the greater good of not just working women, but also for the nation’s profitability as a whole.

Lynne Roeder is managing director of Hays Singapore.

Read: Another commentary on whether women in Singapore can have it all.

SINGAPORE: Growing up, Khairi Johari wasn’t your typical teenager. While his friends were busy playing Magic: The Gathering and flipping through comic books in the 1990s, he was obsessed with something that was a bit more old-school – the keris.

“Back then, my peers were into trading cards, DC or Marvel. But for some reason, I didn’t feel any sense of accomplishment in collecting these. There was no soul, whereas I always felt that the keris was very much alive,” he recalled.

Today, that unlikely teenage fascination with the traditional weapon, which is unique to the region, has grown into something bigger.

At the age of 37, Khairi – who also goes by the nickname Pak JoFe – is perhaps the youngest “serious” keris collector in Singapore, having amassed around 400 pieces through the years.

“The keris has always intrigued me,” he said, recalling how he first got hooked while watching Malay movies. In these, the likes of P Ramlee, Nordin Ahmad and Mahmud Jun would be effortlessly wielding their keris or showing off their silat fighting skills in battle.

While Khairi began taking silat classes at the age of eight, it wasn’t until he was 16 when he finally got his first keris – a simple souvenir piece that his parents had brought for him after a holiday trip to Kuala Lumpur.

“It was the most exciting day of my life. That sort of kick-started my journey into this fascinating world,” said Khairi, who currently works as an IT consultant.

HUNTING FOR KERIS

It was a journey that he would continue to pursue with a passion. During his early years as a budding collector, he would save up his allowance and follow his parents to Malaysia, thinking it was the only place you could buy keris.

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“Back then, we didn’t have the Internet and I didn’t know there were places in Singapore that sold keris!” he said, with a laugh. “Then I found out about Bussorah Street and that became my gold mine.”

As he got older, he started to travel on his own. “Almost every weekend, I’d go to Melaka, Johor or any place where there were keris.”

He would also slowly be introduced to other collectors in Singapore and the region. Folks who knew about his love affair with the keris would also help him spot pieces at flea markets or public charity auctions all over the world.

eBay also became a good hunting ground. In fact one of his oldest pieces – which is supposedly from the 15^th or 16^th century – was bought through the latter for US$50.

Not all of his keris are antiques, though. He also buys from traditional craftsmen to ensure the art of keris-making continues to be a living one. One of his most prized possessions is a custom-made piece from a maker in Kelantan, who has since died. The keris – which is adorned with gold and rubies – took three years to make and cost him 30,000 ringgit, or around S$15,000 at the time.

REVIVING INTEREST IN SINGAPORE

While the culture of collecting and making keris in all its different forms continue to thrive elsewhere in the region, it will require a huge effort to keep that tradition alive in Singapore.

While the keris still makes its occasional appearance in traditional weddings, exhibitions and silat performances here, Khairi said the art of keris-making in Singapore has already died. The last-known maker, Gandu Mohd Kassim, was already 85-years-old when he was featured in a newspaper interview in 1984. 

And while there’s a sizeable number of serious collectors in Singapore, many of whom have served as his mentors, they’re all much older than him.

“The interest in the cultural artefact isn’t that popular with the younger generation. I’ve yet to meet collectors of my age or younger who show that kind of interest in it. This is very sad because if they don’t take any interest in the field, eventually the knowledge held by the senior generation will be lost,” he said.

Khairi added: “The youths of today have the perception that the keris is an ‘old people’ hobby or that they feel they have to be silat students before they can wield the keris.”

To help revive interest the keris, he started his own Facebook page and website aptly called The Keris Collector. He has also began offering talks and classes on the keris.

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He will also take every opportunity to showcase his collection. One of his proudest moments as a keris collector and enthusiast took place at a cultural event in Ang Mo Kio back in 2014.

Khairi and some of his fellow collectors had a booth showcasing their artefacts and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had dropped by to see what they had.

“He spent about 20 minutes alone at our booth, asking various questions about Malay culture, and the artefacts – including the keris – and from his facial reactions, you could tell he knew what we were talking about,” said Khairi.

A SUPERNATURAL ENCOUNTER

One of the aspects that the keris is strongly associated with is its supposed links to the mystical or supernatural. And while Khairi doesn’t really subscribe to this, he did have a story to tell regarding the keris his parents had bought for him years ago.

“I showed it around to some collectors who told me it was very special but I just shrugged it off. Then, one day, I sort of said aloud: ‘Hey keris, are you sure you’re more powerful than I am?’ And at that moment, it actually broke!” he said, with a laugh.

“I had been handling it for almost a year so I found it hard to believe it could break just like that. It caught me by surprise. When I look back, in retrospect, perhaps there’s some truth to it.”

Talk of supernatural incidents aside, Khairi is still banking on some kind of “magic” that will put the spotlight back on the keris and its cultural importance.

“It’s unique to this region. It’s very deeply rooted in the identity of the peoples of the Malay archipelago, be it the peninsular Malays, the Indonesians, the Bugis, from Patani to Sulawesi. It symbolises their struggles, history and aspirations. If you were to appreciate it like how you appreciate a painting, you’ll definitely fall in love with the keris.”

SINGAPORE: As the economy staged a remarkable recovery in 2017, local electronics manufacturer AEM Holdings enjoyed a busy year.

“We’ve seen our orders surged this year, up by three-fold,” said chairman Loke Wai San, citing strong customer demand.

The maker of high-density semiconductor test handlers for the world’s top chip manufacturers also took the chance to ramp up headcount by 15 per cent. “It has been a very good year,” added Mr Loke.

However, over at Nan Guan Construction, things have been “grim”.

Managing director Akbar Kader noted a 50 per cent drop in business this year amid a dwindling stream of contracts. 

“The volume of work from the private sector has been bad. There are some government projects but not as much as before,” he said, while adding that the shortage of contracts has seen larger companies “going down the value chain” to compete with smaller players. 

“Competition is stiff. Everyone is just trying to bid for whatever job they can get,” said Mr Akbar. 

This contrast underscores the uneven growth that lies underneath the increasingly cheerful economic indicators in Singapore. 

While an explosion in factory output, all thanks to a burgeoning semiconductor industry, drove the economy to its fastest pace of growth in nearly four years in the third quarter, softness remained in other sectors, such as construction. 

Both firms are looking forward to 2018, with AEM betting on another robust year and Nan Guan hoping for a change in fortunes.

Fortunately, there are emerging signs that suggest so.

SLOWER BUT BETTER GROWTH 

“We started 2017 with the recovery story focused on manufacturing, specifically electronics. But over time, I think the optimism has spread,” said OCBC Bank’s head of treasury research and strategy Selena Ling. 

The services sector has felt the boost, according to Ms Ling, with financial services and tourism-related services likely emerging as “frontrunners” in 2018.

“Walk along Orchard Road and you’ll see that the crowds are back. Retailers will also tell you that sales have been good during recent sales like Cyber Monday.”

Underperforming sectors will also be less of a drag, which means that overall growth should become less patchy in 2018, noted Ms Ling.

Construction, for instance, should get a lift from the S$1.4 billion worth of public sector contracts brought forward and stream of progress payments from earlier rail-related contracts awarded in 2016.

This broadening in growth beyond trade-related industries is why the Government revised up its 2017 growth forecast range to 3 to 3.5 per cent even though it has been flagging the chances of a moderation in the exuberant manufacturing sector, partly because of a comparison against a high base recorded since the fourth quarter of 2016.

“Manufacturing is going to slow down from double digits to single digit, but (it will) still see relatively healthy growth,” said Ms Ling, adding that the sector will continue to be supported by emerging technology trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT). 

AEM, for one, remains positive on its outlook for the year. 

In a filing with the Singapore Exchange on Nov 30, the mainboard-listed firm said it received sales orders worth S$76 million for delivery in the first half of FY2018. That is S$23 million more than the sales orders the firm received for delivery over the same period this financial year.

“With the new technologies, our customers are retrofitting and using our equipment to improve their capabilities. They also continue to buy equipment for capacity build-ups,” said Mr Loke. 

Pencilling in 3.4 per cent growth this year, OCBC’s Ms Ling thinks the Government’s forecast of 2 to 4 per cent growth for next year is “doable” with “global and regional growth prospects looking more resilient”. 

Echoing this sentiment, Mr Jeff Ng, chief economist for Asia at research house Continuum Economics, expects the Singapore economy to expand 2.8 per cent in 2018, pulling back slightly from this year’s expected 3.2 per cent. 

But “slower growth may mean better growth”, he said. 

“We should see less of a divergence next year, with services stepping up and construction bottoming out as manufacturing growth comes off. But if there are more engines of growth, a lower number may not be bad news as it means better and more sustainable growth.” 

Nonetheless, not everyone shares the same optimism. 

Singapore Contractors Association’s president Kenneth Loo thinks the slump in the construction sector could go on for another four to five quarters.

“We have always lagged other sectors in the economy… Private sector demand has been slow until the recent en bloc euphoria but for that to translate into construction contracts, it will take 1 to 2 years,” he said.

“The bringing forward of Government projects may bring back a bit of confidence to the market but it remains a small quantum.”

While the revival of the collective sale market will help construction activities, Nomura economist Brian Tan urged for caution: “My main concern is that the market may be getting ahead of itself in terms of expecting this pick-up in (the) property market to be sustained.”

EXTERNAL, DOMESTIC RISKS

For 2018, economists said there should be caution over the balancing of fiscal and monetary policies.

Most market watchers expect the central bank to finally embark on monetary policy normalisation next year, after being in easing mode since 2015 to help bolster the trade-reliant economy. 

Given that fiscal policy may tighten next year to ensure fiscal sustainability, economists say authorities may be walking a policy tightrope.

Tax experts and economists have predicted potential tax hikes to come as soon as the upcoming Budget, since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in November that raising taxes will be inevitable as the Government makes investments in the economy and on infrastructure, as well as spending on social services and safety nets. 

An increase in the goods and services tax (GST), a further rise in “sin” taxes or having duties on digital goods and services could be ways the Government could raise revenue, according to experts. 

With that, DBS economist Irvin Seah noted that the balance between fiscal and monetary policies needs to be “managed carefully”.

“The MAS is expected to return to an exchange rate appreciation stance while fiscal policy could turn contractionary,” he wrote in a report. 

“Although fiscal policy impact is transient in nature, such simultaneous tightening in both fiscal and monetary policy could exert a drag on growth momentum and need to be managed carefully.” 

Ms Ling agreed, noting that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will likely bear the brunt. 

“The risk is putting additional pressure on SMEs which are already struggling to deal with the economic restructuring and tight manpower situation. If you get a stronger Sing dollar and higher interest rates, it will be an additional challenge,” she said. 

“That’s the downside risk we see for the benign picture in 2018.” 

Meanwhile, external risks remain, with Mr Seah singling out China as the one to watch. 

Apart from being Singapore’s largest export market, accounting for 14.8 per cent of total non-oil domestic exports (NODX), China has also been the fastest growing market over the past months.

“Almost 70 per cent of the NODX growth since July 2016 was driven by China alone. Any slowdown in this key market will have a ripple effect on the Singapore economy,” he said.

SINGAPORE: A pair of 11-week-old otter pups that were “forgotten” and left without food were reunited with their family on Thursday (Dec 28), with the help of a dedicated team of volunteers.

Mr Jeffery Teo, from the community group OtterWatch, said the family of smooth-coated otters was first spotted without two of their pups at about 6am on Wednesday.

The family, which is known to have six pups, took four of them to Gardens by the Bay but two of them were lost along the way.

On Wednesday evening, the two missing pups were sighted near Nicoll Highway, but their family was across the water at Gardens by the Bay.

The pups are too young to swim across the deep water and would have had “zero” chance of survival if left alone, Mr Teo said.

He explained that the pups are beginning to eat fish, but cannot catch fish on their own and they were still suckling.

The volunteers considered the option of keeping the baby otters alive in captivity but were “quite confident” that they could reunite the family.

“From our observations, this is not intentional abandonment by the families,” Mr Teo said. 

RESCUE OPERATION

The operation involved three teams – one to follow the otter family, another to stay with the pups, and the last to make sure there were no adult otters in the area where the two pups were, Mr Teo said. 

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) led a rescue operation at about 10.30am on Thursday. 

The two otters were initially hiding in their holt, a small den Mr Teo estimated was about 30cm wide, and rescuers had to wait patiently for them to emerge onto a grass patch so they could be trapped.

The first pup was caught at around 11.30am. As he was showing signs of stress, he was brought back to be returned to his family first, OtterWatch said in a Facebook post. 

However, its sibling slipped through the net and rescuers had to wait for the pup to settle down before trying again, eventually catching it at 1.15pm, Mr Teo said.

On the difficulties of the rescue operation, Mr Teo said: “The pups were very alert … There were a lot of attempts to make sure the pups don’t run back so easily into their holt.”

OtterWatch estimated that as of noon at Thursday, the pups had gone without food for about 42 hours, since their last meal on Tuesday evening. Thankfully, both were reunited with their family. 

“We are really happy with the outcome because time was about to run out for these two pups,” the community group said in a Facebook update after the rescue. 

One of OtterWatch’s long-time members, Mr Teo said he felt that otters in Singapore should be cherished. 

“With clean water come otters. These natural creatures are direct endorsements of Singapore’s decades of efforts in our green and blue projects; they are a beautiful outcome of the government and people’s years of effort.”

The group also saved two otter pups after they were separated from their families last year, and helped to remove an o-ring which was hurting a young otter this year.