ST29112016-1633450876/Story on building consultancy Aecom Singapore,building showers and parking facilities for personal mobility devices at their office,Scott Dunn,Aecom's vice president,growth and strategy,Southeast Asia.
More people will cycle or ride their scooters to work in future, if given the right facilities and encouragement, employers and experts say.
One of them, developer Lendlease, is building 437 bicycle parking spaces and 1km of cycling paths that will connect its Paya Lebar Quarter development with the wider park connector network.
Another company, global engineering consultancy Aecom, has installed shower rooms and special racks for e-scooters at its office.
These employers say “end-of-trip” facilities such as secure parking and showers can go a long way towards encouraging employees to ditch their cars for something a little more green.
At Lendlease’s Paya Lebar Quarter, more than a quarter of the bicycle parking area being built will be secure, card-access spaces, where users will be provided with fresh towels, showers, lockers and tools for maintenance.
The cost of these features has been worked into the overall cost of the $3.2 billion development, says the company.
Lendlease managing director Richard Paine says that at most workplaces today it can be “a bit of a hassle” to cycle to work.
“You have to fight for the single shower that may be available, you have to walk into the office wearing all your cycling clothes, plus the logistics of carrying a towel and all your stuff. We feel that if we provide these facilities, they are an enabler for people to then change their lifestyles.”
Mr Scott Dunn, Aecom vice-president for growth and strategy in South-east Asia, says the company wants its “employees to be able to choose different ways of coming to work”.
Late last year, it installed 15 specialised racks for e-scooters at a cost of $22,000 at its four-level office in Beach Road.
Employers should be responsible for providing such options, adds Mr Dunn.
Buildings that come equipped with these facilities could become more commonplace in future.
Last year, the Government made it mandatory for future developments to come with facilities such as bicycle parking, shower rooms and lockers – in order to make cycling and walking more attractive options.
Aecom and Lendlease are not bound by these requirements.
The Government has said it is prepared to grant gross floor area exemptions, meaning developers would not have to pay for the floor area occupied by these facilities.
These will come under a Walking and Cycling Plan that developers have to submit for future projects.
Experts say that with the right facilities and infrastructure, people will switch modes.
About 10 per cent of Lendlease’s Paya Lebar team of 150 staff cycle or ride their e-scooters to work, says Mr Paine.
That is more than five times higher than the national average of 1.5 per cent for cycling trips.
Part of the reason could be how well-connected the area is to the park connector network – Lendlease is smack in the middle of both the Geylang and Sims Avenue park connectors.
National University of Singapore associate professor Cheah Kok Ming says an entire ecosystem of facilities has to be in place – this means that while cycling paths are being built by the Government, workplaces also have to provide end-of-trip facilities like shower rooms and lockers.
Prof Cheah, who is from the department of architecture, says: “This is critical, people are reluctant to cycle into the city because old buildings there don’t have these facilities.”
As new buildings replace old ones in the city, this will gradually change. Mr Paine adds that developments in autonomous vehicle technology and car-sharing will mean that less carpark space would be required in future.
Precincts of the future will cater heavily to pedestrians and cyclists, with less space for cars.
When that happens, more people could follow the example of Mr Brandon Lee, 27, who rides to his workplace in Yio Chu Kang daily from Ang Mo Kio.
The sales executive says his workplace has both shower facilities and bike parking. “If you want to encourage people to cycle to work, companies need to cater for facilities like these,” he says.
Danson Cheong
This article was first published on Jan 15, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
ST09122016-1634373642/dainsight/Ariffin Jamar/
Profile of Dr Hee Limin, director of the Centre for Liveable Cities, who uses her e-scooter to get to work daily.
There are days when think-tank boss Hee Limin walks straight into meetings with her e-scooter, helmet on her head and bag slung across her shoulder.
Her choice of transport might turn heads at some meeting rooms here, but Dr Hee, director of the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), a National Development Ministry think-tank, thinks it’s a “cool” way to get around.
Dr Hee zooms straight to her destination, before folding up her scooter and taking it where she goes. “I can go almost to my seat with my scooter and not worry too much about parking,” she says.
That and the ability to arrive composed and not all sweaty from riding a pedal-power bicycle, is the reason many people find personal mobility devices (PMDs) appealing, she adds.
Dr Hee, 51, first started cycling to work about two years ago. Recently she started using her e-scooter for the 9km-long commute from her home in Alexandra Road, to her office at the URA Centre.
She is part of a growing group of people here who have started using PMDs such as e-scooters as part of their daily commute.
Retailers say these PMDs have exploded in popularity in the last two years. They and some experts predict that they could outstrip bicycles as transport in as soon as two to three years.
At the moment, cycling accounts for about 1.5 per cent of all trips.
“It has taken a while for cycling to get to this level. I think PMDs, given the context of Singapore, will far exceed this in a very short period,” says Mr Scott Dunn, vice-president of growth and strategy in South-east Asia of global engineering group Aecom.
There are no official numbers, but retailers estimate that there are about 20,000 e-scooter riders here.
The largest e-scooter community, Big Wheels Scooters Singapore (BWSS), has over 13,000 members on Facebook.
Says Dr Hee: “I’ve visited many cities but have not seen the use of PMDs as popular as it is here in Singapore.” She cites the “good urban infrastructure”, shady sidewalks and the park connector network (PCN) as reasons.
Mr Dunn adds that e-scooters have a reputation as a toy in other countries but have gained legitimacy here as a mode of transport.
This was in part due to the prohibitive costs of cars here. In Western countries, the difference in prices between an e-scooter – which can cost upwards of $1,000 – and a car is a lot less, he says, adding that the cost of such a device was “within the reach of most people”.
“PMDs are on-demand (transport), so you can go when you want to go, and it doesn’t require a lot of effort, not like cycling. It’s an easy way to get around for short trips of 2km to 3km,” says Mr Dunn, who also rides an e-scooter to work from his home in Robertson Quay to his office in Beach Road.
PMD users tell Insight this freedom to travel is one major advantage over public transport, which can entail long waiting times.
Each morning, Mr Amin Ruslan used to have to choose between a 10-minute wait for a bus to Kembangan MRT station, or a 1.3km walk to the station, which would often leave him “sweaty and sticky”.
Both trips take about 10 minutes. In May last year, the 28-year-old shelled out $1,200 for an e-scooter, and the trip now takes him just over five minutes.
“The bus comes very infrequently so most of the time you have to walk. With the e-scooter, it’s very convenient. I more or less never take the bus any more,” says Mr Amin, a corporate communications executive.
Some observers, such as Mr Victor Lee, general manager of PMD retailer Falcon PEV, expect the number of users to increase now that the Active Mobility Bill – which legitimises the use of these devices on public paths – has been passed.
“Once the devices are lawful, we anticipate an increase – there are a lot of people on the fence right now,” he says.
The Land Transport Authority’s director of Active Mobility Tan Shin Gee says while it is still “early days”, the authority will take an “open-minded approach” and facilitate the use of such devices.
“We think they have their place in the whole spectrum of transport modes. In other countries, we don’t think the growth or demand for these devices has been observed to be as much as (in) Singapore,” she says.
Danson Cheong
This article was first published on Jan 15, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
xhcar31/ST30102016-1630343422/Kevin Lim/Kok Xing Hui/ 'Spiderman' ditches his web for the bicycle, as this participant in the superhero outfit joins other participants on their way down Amoy Street during Car-Free Sunday SG, which returns with new community-driven activities and an extended route into the Telok Ayer conservation area on Sunday, Oct 30, 2016. Roads within the Civic District, parts of the Central Business District and the Telok Ayer conservation area will be closed to traffic, transforming the area into an activity-filled precinct for families and friends with a 5.5km car-free cycling and walking route.
The push is on, with new laws in place, plus the authorities installing paths, ramps and connectors for two-wheelers. But it’s not a seamless journey yet, Insight finds.
Since Car-Free Sundays began in February last year, thousands have flocked to the city each time on bikes or e-scooters to experience wheeling about without congesting, smoke-emitting, noisy vehicles.
Contrast that image with an office worker scowling as he leaps out of the way of an e-scooter hurtling silently past him on the footpath, its rider equally intent on getting to work.
These are just two faces of the rapidly changing nature of transport in Singapore.
Advances in technology have thrown up more attractive ways for people to get around, and are a boon to the Government’s push to be less dependent on cars, although the road has been fraught for some.
A significant milestone in the car-lite drive was reached last Tuesday when Parliament passed the Active Mobility Bill.
It spells out punitive measures for errant riders but, more importantly, it legitimises the use of bicycles and personal mobility devices or PMDs – a catch-all term to describe devices like e-scooters, hoverboards and unicycles – as a mode of transport.
After years, bicycles can now officially go on footpaths as well as the usual cycling paths and shared paths. The same will also go for PMDs.
E-bikes, on the other hand, have been consigned to the roads, and cycling paths and shared paths – and riders face stiff fines or jail terms if they do not comply.
The new law comes at a point when Singaporeans from all walks of life are embracing these new-fangled mobility devices.
We now see elderly uncles zooming to the kopitiam on e-bikes, the disabled whizzing about the heartland in motorised wheelchairs, and in the city, professionals in crisp, pressed shirts zipping around on e-scooters.
No wonder, as the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) director of active mobility Tan Shin Gee puts it, Singapore is making “good progress” on its journey to be more cycling friendly.
But how close are we really to reaching that vision of a car-lite Singapore?
BICYCLE RENAISSANCE
In five to 10 years, the LTA hopes there will be about four times the number of people cycling or using PMDs to get around.
The authority, which is spearheading the drive to go car-lite and reduce reliance on the private car, tells Insight it is working at boosting safety and connectivity for cyclists.
This active mobility push – encouraging people to travel by bike, PMD or even walk – is “essential to Singapore’s transition to car-lite mobility, centred on public transport”, the Government said in Parliament last week.
The idea is for people to choose that option to get to the bus or train for the rest of their journey.
This car-lite push is helped along by technological developments – with the rise of private car-hire apps and autonomous (self-driving) vehicles, which could soon ply the roads as buses and taxis.
At present, only 1.5 per cent of all trips are done by bicycle, but Ms Tan hopes this will rise to 4 to 6 per cent.
To put this in context, Taipei – considered one of Asia’s more bike-friendly cities – has cycling take up about 6 per cent of all trips.
Says Ms Tan: “We are making good progress. But this is not something you can change within a short span of time.”
The LTA has been progressively beefing up Singapore’s cycling infrastructure in the last few years, and simultaneously launching educational and promotional campaigns to convince Singaporeans that two wheels are better than four.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is also carrying out experiments to see what would work here by running a range of pilot schemes, such as organising monthly Car-Free Sundays, using Ang Mo Kio to test new ideas for cycling infrastructure and ongoing trials with autonomous vehicles.
“A lot of experimentation is needed for us to find solutions that suit our own circumstances,” says URA chief executive Ng Lang.
BUILDING THE CITY FOR PEOPLE
With scarce land, Singapore cannot keep building more roads for more cars – already, 12 per cent of land is used for roads, compared with 14 per cent for housing.
There is a “strong resolve” to move towards a car-lite future, says Mr Ng, adding that the wheels have been set in motion and the full impact of changes will be felt in 10 to 15 years.
Apart from doubling the rail network to 360km by 2030 and increasing the size of the bus fleet, the Government is also trying to decentralise the Central Business District. It is developing hubs like Jurong East and Paya Lebar, so people travel a shorter distance to get to work.
Dr Alexander Erath, from the Singapore-ETH Future Cities Laboratory, says Singapore has had for a long time “a separation of jobs and residences”. As a result, people often have to travel distances greater than 3km to 4km – which is difficult to cover on a bicycle.
But as these changes make the city more cyclist- and pedestrian- friendly, this will change, and motorised travel demand will drop, says Dr Erath, adding that the willingness to cycle or walk is guided to a large extent by how the environment is designed.
This is where infrastructure projects like the upcoming North-South Corridor and Bencoolen Street come in. Both will have dedicated paths for pedestrians and cyclists.
The 21.5km North-South Corridor – which will stretch from Woodlands to the city when launched in 2021 – is the first expressway designed in this way.
ARE EFFORTS PAYING OFF?
And while the newly passed Bill will allow bikes and PMDs on footpaths, this is not ideal, says Dr Erath. He hopes the changes will not mean a let-up in efforts to build safe, dedicated paths.
“For me, seeing a bicycle on a sidewalk just tells me that there is no other place for that bicycle to travel,” he says.
And there are signs that the more infrastructure you build, the more people will ride.
Compared to the national average of 1.5 per cent of people who cycle, in towns where cycling networks have been completed, such as Tampines, Pasir Ris, Yishun and Sembawang, about twice the number do so, says Ms Tan.
Under the National Cycling Plan, the cycling network will double to about 700km by 2030 – with all HDB towns getting cycling networks.
Last year, the authority also built cycling links to 12 MRT stations, connecting them to the park connector network – the most extensive cycling network here at the moment.
But work remains to be done.
Insight visited three areas where new cycling paths have been built – Clementi, Potong Pasir and Ang Mo Kio – during the morning rush- hour recently and found the facilities relatively unused.
At Clementi, over a dozen riders were spotted over an hour. In Ang Mo Kio, the number was 23. No one was seen using the new paths at Potong Pasir.
This could be because of a lack of bike parking at the MRT stations commuters ride to.
Said engineer Tint Lwin, 51, who cycles to Clementi MRT station daily: “More people are cycling, but there’s not enough space for bikes at the station.”
A successful cycling network is a sum of many working parts – ample bike parking, dedicated space where cyclists can cross roads and wheeling ramps to go up overhead bridges. They might seem small matters, but they make the entire journey “seamless”, says Ms Tan.
She adds that the LTA is keen to find out whether the infrastructure has “catalysed a change in people’s behaviours” – and will hold surveys this year to quantify the impact.
“Hopefully over time, it will lead to more people cycling, because they also feel the whole experience is more convenient for them,” says Ms Tan.
Graphic: The Straits Times
CHANGING HEARTS AND MINDS
But what will take more time is to develop a cycling culture, one of graciousness and sharing – a point debated in Parliament last week.
Says Ms Tan: “Active mobility is not something you can push for as a mode of transport, it’s something that people need to be convinced contributes to their lifestyle.”
This is where initiatives like Car-Free Sunday and Streets For People come in – in which streets are closed to cars and opened to other activities.
With several thousand people attending each event, the response has been very encouraging, says Mr Ng, who admits he had doubts whether the public would react warmly to the idea when it first started.
“I have to say it has succeeded beyond our imagination,” he says, adding he is optimistic that it can, over time, convince people to change their lifestyles.
A URA poll of 300 participants at last July’s Car-Free Sunday – in which parts of the CBD and Civic District were closed for a morning – showed 97 per cent felt the event was a good way to experience the city with fewer cars.
“The big moves here have already been set in motion – bringing jobs closer to homes, strengthening our public transport and enhancing infrastructure to support active mobility,” says Mr Ng.
dansonc@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on Jan 15, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
South Korea’s special prosecutor on Sunday delayed a decision on whether or not to seek a warrant to arrest Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee, who was questioned on bribery suspicions in an influence-peddling investigation.
“Today we plan not to decide whether to seek an arrest for Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee,” the special prosecutor’s office said in a text message. It did not elaborate.
The special prosecutor had said on Friday it would make its decision by Sunday.
Lee was questioned for 22 hours before leaving the special prosecutors’ office in Seoul on Friday as part of their investigation into a corruption scandal that led President Park Geun-hye to be impeached by parliament.
A court is deciding whether to uphold or overturn the vote.
Ethnic Wa performers dressed as United Wa State Army (UWSA) soldiers perform a traditional dance at Mongmao, Wa territory in north east Myanmar October 1, 2016. Picture taken on October 1, 2016. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
YANGON- Myanmar’s strongest ethnic armed group is set for its biggest leadership shake-up in a quarter century, senior sources told Reuters, raising the prospect of a period of instability in a group that is key to Aung San Suu Kyi’s signature peace process.
The United Wa State Army (UWSA) boasts some 30,000 soldiers who control a secretive, China-dominated statelet the size of Belgium in the remote hills on Myanmar’s eastern border.
This year the group’s political wing, the United Wa State Party (UWSP), is holding elections for the first time since 1992, with at least some of the old guard who have led the statelet since its 1989 formation set to stand down, three senior Wa officials said. “The election will also include the chairman, but whether he will be replaced is unknown,” said one of the sources. “Those who are sick or old would retire. The party is going to cultivate a new group of young talents,” the person added, referring to the party’s top decision-making Politburo.
A second Wa official with direct knowledge of the matter described the vote as an “earth-shattering” event within the reclusive Wa State hierarchy.
Reuters visited the self-proclaimed Wa State in October – a rare trip by a major international news organisation – where officials described for the first time its inner workings.
The reshuffle could pose a new headache for Suu Kyi’s nine-month-old civilian administration, already grappling with escalating clashes between government forces and other ethnic armed groups along the mountainous border with China and a military crackdown in the Muslim-majority northwest that has sent 65,000 people fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh.
After sweeping to power following a November 2015 election, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi has made ending the ethnic conflicts that kept Myanmar in a state of perpetual civil war through decades of military rule a priority.
As the biggest ethnic army, the UWSA will be crucial to the success of that goal, but the group has so far declined to actively participate in the peace process launched by Suu Kyi last year. “Suu Kyi’s peace process is almost impossible without Wa’s participation,” said Yangon-based political analyst Soe Naing, a former member of the Central Committee of the UWSP. “Wa is a mediator between government and several ethnic armed groups who are still fighting against the Myanmar army.”
United Wa State Army ( UWSA ) soldier march as they display for media in Pansang, Wa territory in north east Myanma rPhoto: Reuters
ROTATING LEADER
The Wa State, which has not fought the Myanmar army in years but has declined to disarm, is currently led by UWSP Chairman Pao Yu Hsiang, a veteran of the Communist Party of Burma, which disintegrated and split into various ethnic factions in the late 1980s.
Pao is in poor health that prevents him from travelling, but remains the ultimate decision-maker, three sources close to the leadership said.
The UWSP operates on a rotating duty leader system. This means the four most senior leaders in the Politburo, Deputy Chairman Hsiao Ming Liang, Defence Minister Chao Chung Tan and two other top leaders, rotate on a monthly basis. Pao no longer participates due to his sickness, but makes key decisions.
The party has about 15,000 members and closely resembles China’s Communist Party leadership structure.
There are nine standing members of the Politburo. Wei Hsueh Kang, who is wanted by the United States on drug trafficking charges, and his brother Wei Hseuh Yun run the southern part of the state and are counted as its eighth and ninth members, at the bottom of the hierarchy, according to the two sources close to the leadership.
The second rung of decision-making is the Central Committee with up to 30 additional members, followed by a larger body of some 700 party representatives, who would take part in the rare leadership change vote in mid-2017.
Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based analyst for security consulting firm IHS-Jane’s, said it was important to watch for potential rifts between different clans within the UWSP.
One constant is likely to remain China’s heavy influence in the Chinese-speaking Wa territory. “We should send the new generation of leaders to China for its comprehensive training of political economy,” said one of the senior officials, who will stand down after the elections.”That would help them master their important job in the future.”
While the authorities have been busy culling wild boars in Pasir Ris, at least one resident has been feeding the animals, which may have doubled in population in the area.
The thriving pack of wild boars in Pasir Ris Drive 3 has become the subject of a debate between people for and against wildlife feeding.
A local resident said the pack grew from about 10 to more than 20 animals in the last two years.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said it culled 21 boars in the same area last year to try to keep the population under control.
When The Sunday Times visited on Thursday evening, a middle- aged woman had stopped her car at the junction of Pasir Ris Drive 3 and Pasir Ris Farmway 1 and doled out a large pile of rice mixed with canned dog food on the soil-covered slope nearby.
The food attracted about 20 wild boars, which had appeared earlier from the forested patch farther up the slope marked with military-protected area signs.
A pungent animal smell pervaded the air, and grunts and squeals were heard as the boars ate to their hearts’ content.
The woman, who declined to be named, said she lived nearby and had fed the animals periodically for close to a year.
“All animals have the right to live… They (the wild boars) should be left alone because they don’t bother people,” she added before driving off.
Retiree Thomas Abraham, 65, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years, first saw the animals about two years ago and has been observing them closely out of interest.
He supports the feeding, saying that the animals get hungry and look skinnier during the dry season.
“We can’t let them starve…
“They are no danger to humans and they run away when people come too close,” said Mr Abraham.
However, Ms Tricia Kat, 42, an aviation consultant who jogs through the area every other day, said: “If they’re wild, you shouldn’t give them food. They’ll know where to look for it.”
She added that the animals are a potential hazard to passing cyclists and runners, who might collide with them.
“Maybe they could build a fence to keep them in… I hope they won’t be culled,” said Ms Kat.
The number of cases of wild boar-related feedback received by AVA has ballooned over the years, from about 30 in 2014 to 80 in 2015 and 140 last year.
AVA urged the public not to feed wild boars, as it may change their behaviour and make them reliant on humans.
Ms Anbarasi Boopal, deputy chief executive of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society, went further, saying there should be an islandwide ban on all wildlife feeding, and not just in the nature reserves.
Other wildlife experts said last year that the increase in wild boar sightings in Punggol and Pasir Ris could be due to urban development reducing their habitat or people drawing them out into the open by feeding them, rather than population growth.
Wild boars were involved in at least two traffic accidents last year when motorcyclists collided with them on the Bukit Timah Expressway and Seletar Expressway.
A boy was hospitalised in May after being attacked by one in Punggol.
Just last week, Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao reported wild boar sightings in the Housing Board estate in Woodlands Street 41, with residents blaming these on people feeding pigeons and stray dogs.
Meanwhile, the National Parks Board is doing a population study of the wild boars to help manage them.
linyc@sph.com.sg
WATCH THE VIDEO
See wild boars gobble down dinner. http://str.sg/4WfN
This article was first published on Jan 15, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
WASHINGTON – The incoming US administration’s tough talk against China has set the stage for showdowns on everything from security to trade and cyberspace, but contradictory signals are sowing uncertainty over how far President-elect Donald Trump is prepared to go in confronting Beijing.
Highlighting the contested South China Sea as a potential flashpoint, Trump’s Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson threw out an explosive challenge to Beijing on Wednesday by calling for it be denied access to artificial islands it is building in the strategic waterway.
A Trump transition adviser told Reuters that Tillerson, Trump’s pick to be America’s top diplomat, did not mean to suggest the new administration would impose a naval blockade, which would risk armed confrontation with China, something the new administration was not seeking.
But another official authorised to speak on behalf of the transition team pushed back on that view, saying Tillerson “did not misspeak” when he said China should be barred from its man-made islands.
Amid the conflicting signals on policy, the team appears to be making progress on plans for a major naval build-up in East Asia to counter China’s rise.
The transition adviser told Reuters about specifics under consideration, such as basing a second aircraft carrier in the region, deploying more destroyers, attack submarines and missile defence batteries and expanding or adding new bases in Japan and Australia.
They are also looking at installing “air force long-range strike assets” in South Korea, bordering China’s nuclear-armed neighbour North Korea, said the adviser who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Trump, who succeeds President Barack Obama on Jan. 20, has vowed to greatly expand the US Navy to 350 ships, but his transition team has not made clear how he will fund this, amid other massive spending plans.
China’s Foreign Ministry said it could not guess what Tillerson meant by his remarks, which came after Trump questioned Washington’s longstanding and highly sensitive “one-China” policy over Taiwan. But an influential Chinese state-run tabloid warned on Friday that blocking Chinese access to South China Sea islands would require the United States to “wage war.”
Trump’s pick for defence secretary, retired Marine General James Mattis, did not endorse Tillerson’s message on the South China Sea, which would seem at odds with Washington’s own longstanding commitment to freedom of navigation for all.
Asked about the remarks at his confirmation hearing on Thursday, Mattis said China’s actions in the South China Sea were part of a broader attack on the world order, but said the State, Defence and Treasury Departments needed to put together an integrated policy “so we are not dealing with an incomplete or an incoherent strategy.”
The conflicting messages underscore the incoming administration’s struggle in crafting an approach to one of the biggest foreign policy challenges facing Trump, who during his election campaign repeatedly bashed China, saying it was “killing” and “raping” America on trade.
RISKS OF RETALIATION
A former US official who has informally advised Trump’s transition team said it may not have fully thought through the risks of any new US military or trade pressure on China.
“We should not underestimate China’s willingness to retaliate in kind,” the former official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.
As part of a drive to protect American jobs, Trump has threatened to declare China a currency manipulator – even though economists say Beijing has been seeking to prop up, not weaken, its currency. He has also threatened to slap punitive tariffs on Chinese goods, risking a trade war that could hurt both countries and the global economy.
Trump has yet to name to his national security team high-level members with deep experience of the region, leading some analysts to question whether the new administration will have enough expertise to translate rhetoric on a more robust Asia policy into action.
But Trump has appointed two harsh China critics to his trade team – Peter Navarro, an academic who authored a book entitled “Death by China,” and Robert Lighthizer, a former Reagan administration official.
Trump advisers dismiss concerns their approach could prove risky or counterproductive, arguing that a “peace through strength” stance will put real muscle behind US policy in the region after decades of under-resourcing due to US distractions elsewhere in the world.
“Once we start correcting the military imbalance, I actually think you will get more co-operation rather than less,” the Trump adviser said.
Trump and his cabinet nominees have also vowed to step up pressure on China to rein in North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, including by holding out the possibility of “secondary sanctions” on Chinese entities found to be violating sanctions on Pyongyang.
But analysts say China may be in no mood to co-operate if Washington is leaning on it on other issues. Those include US pressure on Beijing to curb cyber hacking of US entities.
China’s official responses to recent broadsides have been measured so far as they wait to see how Trump will act once he takes office.
“We have seen many conflicting messages from people within his prospective administration,” said Tu Xinquan, a trade expert at Beijing’s University of International Business and Economics.
But analysts say confronting Beijing over hot-button nationalist issues like Taiwan and the South China Sea could trigger strong reactions, especially in a year when President Xi Jinping is seeking to further consolidate power at a congress of the ruling Communist Party held every five years.
Zha Daojiong, a professor at Peking University, said the theme of clash of civilizations was becoming increasingly popular in Chinese circles and this was ominous.
“This does not bode well at all … And it means that the continued war drums from America on the South China Sea would not help matters at all.”
This picture taken on December 8, 2016 shows an entrance of Tokyo's Fuchu Prison, Japan's biggest male-only correctional house.
For Japan's increasing cohort of elderly prison inmates, the prospect of a life of freedom upon release is fraught with unease. / AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGI / TO GO WITH AFP STORY: "JAPAN-CRIME-ELDERLY", Feature by Natsuko FUKU
TOKYO – Every day is the same. He wakes at 6:45 am, eats breakfast 20 minutes later and reports for work at eight o’clock sharp. But this isn’t your typical Japanese salaryman.
This man is in his 80s and he is in prison – a cage of structure and certainty that he is hesitant to ever leave.
“I don’t know what kind of life I should lead after I get out. I’ll be worried about my health and financial situation once I leave,” the inmate told AFP on condition of anonymity from Tokyo’s Fuchu Prison, where he is serving time for attempted theft.
His case is not unique: Japan is in the midst of a geriatric crime wave such that its prisons increasingly look like nursing homes.
The situation has become so dire the government approved a plan to deploy nursing care staff to about half of Japan’s 70 prisons from April, allocating a budget of 58 million yen ($495,000).
In 2015, almost 20 per cent of those who were either arrested or interrogated by police were aged 65 or older – up from 5.8 per cent in 2000, according to the National Police Agency.
Most are imprisoned for petty crime such as shoplifting and theft.
The rise in senior crime is attributed to increased economic hardship, an ageing population, and pure greed, according to a 2013 report by the National Police Agency.
“It’s a problem that the work of prison officers is becoming more like nursing care,” Justice Ministry official Shinsuke Nishioka said, contrasting that with the traditional task of ensuring the incarcerated don’t escape.
Officers at Fuchu, Japan’s biggest male-only correctional house, have to change diapers for some prisoners and help them bathe.
“Older prisoners sometimes are hard of hearing,” Nishioka said. “They don’t understand instructions and they have to go to the toilet often. It’s tough. We’ll need more officers.” As part of the plan to tackle the issue, authorities have also given the greenlight to a plan to send physical fitness experts to more prisons to cater to the needs of older inmates.
Prison life in Japan is far from easy – talking is forbidden while at work, inmates must walk single file, and bathing is restricted.
Even during rare events put on for their entertainment, they are only allowed to sit ramrod straight with their hands on their laps. Applause is generally forbidden.
Life is monotonous, and naturally restricted, yet many prefer this predictable regimen where they have shelter, food, and medical care, to life on the outside.
“At least (in prison) they have a roof over their head and guaranteed meals,” says Tina Maschi, associate professor at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service.
Yukie Kuwahara, in charge of prisoner welfare at Fuchu, said inmates tend to feel anxious as the day to leave approaches.
“They don’t have to worry about day-to-day things inside prison,” she said.
The recidivism rate for the over-65s is high: According to government data, about 70 per cent of elderly offenders are back behind bars within five years.
“The reason why many older ex-convicts return to prisons is because it’s difficult for them to be financially independent,” said Akio Doteuchi, a senior researcher at NLI Research Institute.
“Securing housing and a job after going back into society is extremely difficult. And they’re isolated socially as more and more people are living alone,” Doteuchi added.
Fuchu prison offers help such as job application role-playing exercises and lectures on social security services as prisoners approach release.
Halfway houses have also been set up to help ex-convicts in their early days of freedom.
One such place – Tokyo’s Ryozenkai – provides healthy elderly ex-prisoners with computer training, classes in manners and daily dinner during their 16-week stay.
But manager Terumi Obata says that four months is far too short as he believes there is a high risk of reoffending in the first two years if people do not get proper support.
“There’s no doubt financial stability is the most crucial” challenge, Obata said.
“But helping (ex-convicts) build trust with other people and teaching them there are good ones is crucial,” he said, noting many were abused or grew up in dysfunctional homes.
Having a bridge between prison and the wider world can make all the difference.
“Life is tougher on the outside,” one ex-offender told AFP. Now in her 60s, she served 15 years of a murder sentence before being released.
“Everything has changed in society, such as mobile phones and automated ticket turnstiles” at train and subway stations, she said.
She secured a cleaning job after joining a halfway house and believes she has turned a corner in her life, vowing never to return to prison.
“I want to work more regularly so that I can pay part of the earnings to the victim’s family.”
Had Mr Mohamed Ayub Shaik Dawood and Mr Roslan Zainal kept silent, no one would be any the wiser.
But speak out they did.
The colleagues at The Fullerton Hotel righted an injustice they had first noticed in a newspaper report – they became key witnesses in a retrial of Norwegian Arne Corneliussen, 52, who was originally sentenced to 10 weeks in jail for assaulting Singaporean cabbie Chan Chuan Heng, 47, at Boat Quay.
Their testimony helped quash Mr Corneliussen’s guilty plea and conviction midway through his jail term – a rare occurrence.
They went on to help the courts convict Chan, who Mr Ayub, 56, and Mr Roslan, 47, said had started the altercation on the night of the incident in September 2014.
Last Thursday evening, the two men met a grateful Mr Corneliussen for the first time outside of a courtroom at the Boat Quay spot almost 21/2 years after the incident.
It was an idea mooted by Mr Corneliussen after his retrial last year.
The men embraced and recounted the incident as Mr Corneliussen thanked them for stepping forward.
“One thing is clear and that is there are still good people in this world. I will always remember these two kind souls,” said the Singapore permanent resident.
The next day, Chan was found guilty of providing false information with intent to cause a public servant to use his lawful power to injure another person.
He was also guilty of a second charge of voluntarily causing hurt to Mr Corneliussen.
His sentence will be pronounced at a later date, the court heard.
It was Chan’s account in a newspaper report which compelled Mr Ayub to act.
He initially had no idea the police were involved as he and Mr Roslan had left the scene early.
He called Mr Roslan at once to verify that he had not imagined things.
Said Mr Ayub: “I thought that this report was not right at all, and Roslan said he was sure what he saw that night was no mistake.
“But I did not know what to do with the information.”
Mr Ayub’s first efforts to seek justice for Mr Corneliussen fell through the cracks.
He called some newspapers and, when that went nowhere, he made a police report.
The court heard that when he did not get a response from the police, he did not give up.
Said Mr Ayub: “I know a Rajah & Tann lawyer who likes to park near our workplace, so one day I went up to him, told him the story and asked him what I can do to help.”
The lawyer eventually referred them to Mr Corneliussen’s defence counsel, Mr Terence Seah from Virtus Law, who got the retrial going.
Mr Roslan was willing to testify, pointing out: “We have to say something, if not it is very unfair.”
Mr Corneliussen was eventually found guilty in his retrial of a lesser charge of causing hurt to Chan and was fined $2,000, but did not have to serve additional jail time.
Mr Corneliussen is thankful.
“Were it not for Ayub and Roslan, I wouldn’t even be at this stage today,” he said.
Still, despite feeling vindicated, Mr Corneliussen has not had a rosy time since his 2015 retrial.
He was sacked from a high-paying job as a programme management director for logistics firm DHL.
He has been estranged from his Indonesian wife of four years.
And for two years, he was unable to find a job.
So he started his own consulting firm.
But Mr Corneliussen remains positive about life. “When life kicks you down, you stand up again. There is always something good coming.”
ngjunsen@sph.com.sg
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The three men meet for the first time outside the courtroom. http://str.sg/4WAu
This article was first published on Jan 15, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
LOS ANGELES – Broadway star Jennifer Holliday said on Saturday she was pulling out of a concert celebrating the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, citing an online article that cast the performance as a “betrayal” of her gay and lesbian fans.
The Tony Award-winning singer, best known for her roles in the Broadway musicals “Dreamgirls” and “Your Arms Too Short to Box with God,” announced the cancellation in a letter first published by The Wrap, an entertainment industry news website.
“I sincerely apologise for my lapse of judgment, for being uneducated on the issues that affect every American at this crucial time in history and for causing such dismay and heartbreak to my fans,” Holliday said in the letter, which was released to Reuters by her representatives.
Holliday was not scheduled to perform at Friday’s inauguration itself but at an event at the Lincoln Memorial the night before called the “Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration.” Also scheduled to appear are country music star Toby Keith, rock band 3 Doors Down and Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight.
The Trump transition team referred questions to the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which did not comment directly on Holliday’s letter.
“As Americans from across the country unite to celebrate the 58th Presidential Inaugural, we are humbled by the outpouring of support we are receiving and are honoured to have so many world-class performers taking part in this historic celebration of freedom and democracy,” Boris Epshteyn, director of communications for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, said in a written statement.
In a column for the Daily Beast website, entertainment reporter Kevin Fallon called Holliday a gay icon for her work on Broadway and said that Trump had surrounded himself with politicians who vocally oppose lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.
“For the gay community that has bolstered Holliday’s, in her own words, embattled and difficult career, and cheered on her recent successes, the news (of Holliday’s planned performance) feels like a betrayal. It is heartbreaking,” Fallon wrote on Friday.
In her letter, Holliday wrote that she had originally agreed to perform for Trump as a “bi-partisan songbird” who had sung for four presidents, both Republican and Democratic, dating back to Ronald Reagan.
“I was honestly just thinking that I wanted my voice to be a healing and unifying force for hope through music to help our deeply polarised country,” Holliday wrote.
“Regretfully, I did not take into consideration that my performing for the concert would actually instead be taken as a political act against my own personal beliefs and be mistaken for support of Donald Trump and Mike Pence,” she said.
In addition to her career on Broadway, Holliday has found success on the pop charts and as a Gospel singer.
She won a Tony Award in 1982 for her role as Effie White in the original production of “Dreamgirls” and two Grammy Awards later that decade.
