As local institutions released the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) exam results yesterday, there were bright spots in a few schools around the island.

For the first time, Hwa Chong International (HCI), Singapore Sports School (SSP) and St Joseph’s Institution (SJI) had perfect scorers in the exams held last November.

HCI had two students with 45 points, the maximum score, while SSP and SJI had one student each.

SSP’s top scorer Sabrina Chau, 18, was unsure about how her results would turn out.

“I was expecting 40 or 41 points. It still hasn’t quite sunk in (that I scored 45 points), but I am happy about it because this will open a lot of doors for me,” said the golfer.

Sabrina, who has played the game for 12 years, credited it with helping her calm her nerves.

“Golf is a long game, so for a prolonged period of time, you can’t let the nerves get to you,” she said.

“I went for my exams the same way I go to golf competitions, and I was actually quite cheerful about (preparing for the exams).”

She is one of 57 students here in local and international institutions who achieved the perfect score.

The stellar performer, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), had 48 top scorers, up from 41 last year.

In a statement released by the school, ACS(I) principal Winston Hodge said: “We have implemented the IBDP for 10 years now and have found that its holistic and broad-based approach cultivates in our students the values, instincts and skills necessary for the future.”

ACS(I) student and national swimmer Rachel Tseng, 19, also scored well in her IB examinations, obtaining 43 points despite training 10 times a week until the month before her examinations.

“Prioritising my time was very important to me, so I set a schedule and tried my best to follow it,” she said.

The IBDP is a two-year programme conducted in 22 institutions in Singapore. Students take six subjects and Theory of Knowledge, a course that combines philosophy, religion and logical reasoning.

Research, a second language, a 4,000-word essay and community service are also components of the programme.

The IB organisation also offers the IB Career-related Certificate (IBCC), a programme designed to facilitate career-related learning. Students undertake only two or three subjects and take part in industrial attachments to gain hands-on experience.

Yesterday at the School of the Arts (Sota), Ms Gillian Rubiyanto, 19, received her IBCC diploma after seven years at Sota.

She was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2010 and spent a year out of school for treatment.

Despite experiencing two relapses and taking her exams just weeks after being discharged from the hospital, she received top marks for visual arts and six out of seven points for her mother tongue subject.

Ms Rubiyanto said her illness has taught her to be more open-minded in accepting help from people. She was very reluctant to sit the exams when she was discharged, but a teacher helped her in her revision.

She said: “I am happy that I am among the top scorers in my (programme).”

cnicole@sph.com.sg@sph.com.sg>

Read also: Singapore tops Asia Pacific IB exams with 97.3 per cent pass rate

This article was first published on Jan 6, 2017.
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Close to 20 travel agencies, which were part of a faction that set up its own association and travel fair, have now made up with travel agents’ association Natas.

The agencies, including big players such as Dynasty Travel and CTC Travel, will participate in the Natas fair next month instead of rival fair Travel Revolution.

For consumers, this will mean a bigger show of travel agencies at the Natas fair, which will be held from Feb 17 to 19 at Singapore Expo Hall 4.

Issues that caused the rift, including high rents, a lack of say in how the fair was organised, and transparency on how profits from the fair were used, have been addressed for the upcoming fair, said the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (Natas).

“With these agents coming back for the 50th anniversary, I feel that it is a big thing,” Mr Steven Ler, deputy president of Natas, told The Straits Times yesterday.

A new organising committee, made up of 10 travel firms – half of which had defected from Travel Revolution – will make the majority of decisions related to the fair. Previously, the fair was organised by Natas executive committee members who were not necessarily exhibitors.

Natas said it had explained to agencies that profits from the fairs go into advertising subsidies and discounts for repeat exhibitors.

Agencies returning to the Natas fair next month after the two- year-long spat include Super Travels, Hong Thai Travel and New Shan Travel.

Hong Thai senior marketing manager Stella Chow said: “The rental is lower and the majority of Travel Revolution exhibitors are going back to Natas.

“Based on our experience, the mix of exhibitors is more important to consumers than the location of the fair.”

Despite many travel agencies moving back to the Natas fair, big players such as Chan Brothers Travel, SA Tours and Apple Holidays will continue to take part in Travel Revolution. It will be held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre from Feb 24 to 26.

The Singapore Outbound Travel Agents Association (Sotaa), which runs Travel Revolution, said it will carry on with the fair as it has a two-year contract with venue Marina Bay Sands.

But with just 11 agencies taking part, the fair will be downsized from three halls to two halls.

Sotaa president Kay Swee Pin, who is managing director of SA Tours, said she had met Natas last September to discuss a joint fair. “For the sake of the industry, we were happy to do so,” she said.

However, the discussions did not work out in the end.

A spokesman for Chan Brothers said it was sticking to Travel Revolution because of the better venue and Sotaa’s proven track record in managing the past four fairs, among other reasons.

The Travel Revolution fair attracted 82,000 visitors over three days in February last year, while the Natas fair last March drew 58,000.

Visitors enjoy free admission to both fairs.

mellinjm@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 6, 2017.
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A few golf courses are lost to development, but that does not mean Singapore’s green coverage is shrinking. More green spaces are on the way, with the amount of land dedicated to parks and nature reserves slated to increase from 5,700ha in 2010 to 7,250ha in 2030.

This is according to the Ministry of National Development’s Land Use Plan, released in 2013.

Golf courses are classified separately under community, institution and recreation facilities.

The building of new golf courses has threatened nature areas in the past, with activists successfully protesting against a proposed golf course at Lower Peirce Reservoir in 1992.

Now, the projected increase in Singapore’s greenery will come mainly from more parks in public housing estates, the development of former railway land into the 24km Rail Corridor and more green trails. For instance, the 150km Round Island Route is a continuous walking and cycling trail that will link existing park connectors.

And as public housing estates proliferate, so will parks. The aim is for 85 per cent of residents to live within 400m of a park by 2030.

But nature experts note that from a conservation standpoint, it is not just the quantity of greenery that matters, but the quality.

Preserving existing greenery, especially forests, is key, said Dr Ho Hua Chew, vice-chairman of the Nature Society (Singapore)’s conservation committee. “There are a lot of unprotected wild green areas, not gardens and parks, which deserve protection,” he said.

Citing patches of secondary forests such as one near Lentor, he noted that these provide crucial habitats for native wildlife.

This article was first published on Jan 6, 2017.
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No matter how great technology is, it is the human touch that differentiates one good taxi ride from the rest (“Time for taxi companies to focus on ‘heartware’ ” by Mr Chow Kok Fai; Jan 4).

This is where taxi drivers make a difference.

Courtesy begets courtesy. A warm greeting and smile upon embarkation would set the atmosphere for the ride.

Engaging in small talk with the passenger may help break the ice.

But if the passenger desires a quiet ride, then the taxi driver should refrain from talking and, perhaps, turn down the volume of his radio.

Showing pride in one’s work is something cab drivers can work on.

They can certainly learn from their Japanese counterparts, who dress and look sharp while on duty.

Getting out to help with luggage of their own volition certainly projects professionalism and generates goodwill from the start.

Taxi drivers should not choose their fares and accord good service based on that.

They must accept that long- and short-distance rides are part of the nature of the trade.

To cherry pick will damage the reputation of our taxi industry.

Matching the supply and demand for taxis has been a perennial issue, and a solution is still lacking.

If most taxi drivers choose the same hours to ply the roads then naturally, fare takings will be affected, as supply outstrips demand.

Let us also not forget to put passengers at the centre of the taxi trade, as it is they who support the livelihood of our taxi drivers.

Taxi rides are more than just getting from one point to another.

It is up to taxi drivers to make every ride comfortable.

Lee Teck Chuan

This article was first published on Jan 06, 2017.
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Golfers might feel hard done by following the acquisitions of Raffles Country Club and Jurong Country Club, but such surprises are not likely to continue, said experts.

The two golf clubs are making way for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR).

Read also: Raffles Country Club to give up site for KL-Singapore High Speed Rail

Long-term planning might not have included the need to set aside land for this relatively recent development, hence the “last resort” of acquisition, said private sector urban planner Sarah Lin.

“The (HSR) plans were only finalised in recent years,” she noted.

The bilateral agreement for the HSR was inked last month following a memorandum of understanding in July, with the express service between both cities expected to be running by end-2026.

Read also: Singapore-KL High Speed Rail: What you need to know

In contrast, most demands on the country’s land resources are known and planned for in advance, so land acquisition should not usually be required, said Ms Lin.

So, for instance, Keppel Club’s golf course, which will see its lease expire in 2021, occupies land that has been zoned for residential use in the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) 2001 Concept Plan.

Land-scarce Singapore has long had to grapple with competing needs. And going ahead, as it looks to build long-term infrastructure for a growing population, eyes are on what land can be tapped.

Experts identify various sources: For instance, 800ha of land freed up by the relocation of Paya Lebar airbase and underused pockets of industrial land across Singapore.

More golf courses are also getting the chop.

Read also: Fewer options for local golfers

In 2013, the Government indicated that it was looking to redevelop golf course land for other uses such as housing. Then, there were 18 courses occupying about 1,500ha. In 2014, the Ministry of Law announced that 219ha of land will be made available from 2030, when the leases on golf courses expire.

On Wednesday, Singapore Land Authority chief executive officer Tan Boon Khai stressed that golf courses were not being targeted for land acquisitions.

But development plans are taken into consideration when golf clubs’ leases are reviewed, he added.

R’ST Research director Ong Kah Seng said in cases where push does come to shove, golf courses are probably low in priority.

Housing, infrastructure, economic and industrial uses will all take priority over lifestyle uses such as golfing, he added.

National University of Singapore Associate Professor Ho Kong Chong noted that golf courses are a low-intensity and inefficient use of scarce land.

Ms Lin said that besides golf courses, there are other nodes of land for further development, such as reclamation and redevelopment – not least from the relocation of Paya Lebar airbase.

Former chief planner Liu Thai Ker said: “When we developed the 1991 URA concept plan, we deliberately kept a bit of land undeveloped while outlining further reclamation efforts from the sea.”

Existing land use can also be intensified, he added, citing industrial land in areas such as Jurong and Eunos. “We used to build cheap factories – single-storey shophouses with workshops. We can rebuild them and free up the space for other development. We can also look at intensifying building upwards.”

janiceh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 6, 2017.
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I applaud the Government’s efforts to move away from paper qualifications when grouping civil servants (“Civil servants no longer grouped by education level“; Jan 5).

Having excellent paper qualifications is no doubt important for it reflects the learning abilities and attitude of an individual.

But grades cannot dictate an individual’s career path once he or she enters the workforce.

With the old system, a worker with poorer paper qualifications may find that despite his best efforts, his career progression is still hampered.

As a result, he will eventually lose his motivation and not do his best.

These individuals are also unlikely to actively contribute ideas for the benefit of the organisation.

After all, what is the point of contributing good ideas if individuals are not assessed based on their performance?

Compared with their peers who have better paper qualifications, their innovative ideas may be ignored.

In any organisation, the last thing we want is to develop a culture that is stifling and uninnovative.

As employees become less willing to contribute, they also tend to become less resourceful when it comes to problem solving.

Changing the grouping is just one way to de-emphasise paper qualifications.

More must be done to develop a positive and innovative culture.

Darren Chow Weng Kin

This article was first published on Jan 06, 2017.
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More than 200 personnel have been involved in a major cleanup of Singapore’s north-eastern coast, where the authorities found beaches covered with a black, tar-like substance after an oil spill in Johor.

Read also: Johor Port confirms generator failure caused ships to collide

The beaches at Changi, Punggol and Pasir Ris were all affected by the oil spill, which was caused by the collision of two vessels near Pasir Gudang Port. Pulau Ubin and Coney Island – two of Singapore’s offshore islands – were also hit.

Meanwhile, the authorities have suspended sales from three affected fish farms, and will do so for newly affected farms.

The suspension will be in place until food safety evaluations are complete, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said last night.

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2017-01-06 08:49:03

Photo Gallery

Changi Beach gets cleaned up after oil spill from Johor

Source:

The Straits Times

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Cleanups at Pasir Ris and Punggol beaches were completed by yesterday afternoon. Changi seemed to be the worst hit, with an 800m stretch there closed temporarily to expedite operations, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).

Read also: Part of Changi Beach closed for clean-up operation following oil spill

When The Straits Times team visited the area at about 10am yesterday, there was a strong smell of petroleum. The sand was stained with a black substance, and the water had an oily sheen.

NEA contractors were seen bringing up oil absorbents – which look like large swathes of cotton wool – stained with oil onto a vessel, while workers packed oil-stained sand into trash bags. Workers were also seen putting up signboards advising people to stay away from the contaminated water.

An NEA spokesman said it is also closely monitoring the quality of the seawater.

On Pulau Ubin, cleanup operations were also carried out on a 100m stretch of Noordin beach, which has been closed to the public since 2013 for work to restore the shoreline.

Read also: Oil patches spotted off Pulau Ubin after 2 container vessels collide near Johor

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, which is coordinating the containment and cleanup efforts, deployed 17 vessels to clean up the surrounding waters.

Equipment to skim oil from the surface of the water and prevent further spread was also deployed at the affected areas.

The collision between the two container vessels – Wan Hai 301 and APL Denver – occurred in the eastern part of the Johor Strait near Pasir Gudang Port on Tuesday night. The 50km-long Johor Strait separates Singapore from Malaysia, and is only 2km wide at its broadest.

The incident occurred close to midnight and left 300 tonnes of oil spillage as a result of damage to one of the vessel’s bunker tanks.

This is the most recent major oil spill to affect Singapore since 2010, when a collision caused 2,500 tonnes of crude oil to leak into the Singapore Strait, south of the mainland.

The current oil spill, especially since it happened so close to the Chinese New Year on Jan 28, is worrying fish farmers.

There are about 60 farms located in the East Johor Strait area, most of which supply fish to Singapore. Two farms have reported fish deaths, which amounted to about 150kg to 250kg across both farms, according to the AVA .

However, as most of the farms did not report fish mortality, “there is minimal impact to supply”, it said.

Mr Timothy Ng, operations manager of 2 Jays fish farm in the area, said this was the first time it had been hit by an oil spill this severe.

He has not yet seen any dead fish floating up to the surface, but he said the AVA yesterday asked his farm to stop sales while tests are ongoing. “We also have to see if our equipment, such as cages, can be reused after the oil spill,” he added.

Marine biologist Toh Tai Chong said oil spills can tip the ecological balance if a large enough wild fish population is affected.

“For instance, if herbivorous fish are killed, there will be less grazing of algae in these habitats.

“Without effective control of the algae population, marine algae can proliferate quickly and dominate these habitats,” added Dr Toh. In the long run, this could reduce the fish population in those habitats.

Affected areas rich in biodiversity

There may be no colourful coral reefs fringing Singapore’s northern coast, but it still thrives with underwater life.

Sea turtles and otters, for example, have been spotted at Changi beach and Pulau Ubin – areas affected by an oil spill that the authorities were working to clean up yesterday.

Mr Stephen Beng, chairman of the Nature Society (Singapore)’s marine conservation group, told The Straits Times that such incidents devastate the marine environment.

“Oil destroys the insulating ability of fur- bearing mammals like our otters, and the water repellency of birds… Spilt oil also affects the eyes, skin and lungs of sea turtles and dolphins, but they are more vulnerable to chemical exposure from what they eat in their contaminated habitat,” he said.

Besides animals, oil spills also affect trees. Mangroves, in particular, breathe through pores in their trunks and stilt roots, which can get clogged by oil.

Pulau Ubin – an island off the north-eastern coast of mainland Singapore – is home to 20 per cent of all mangroves that can be found in the country.

These habitats, with their iconic stilt-root trees, have also been affected.

At Pulau Ubin yesterday, The Straits Times found some leaves, saplings and roots of mangroves covered in the black, tar-like substance.

In response to queries, the National Parks Board (NParks) said it had deployed oil- absorbent booms along Pulau Ubin’s north-eastern coast, Pasir Ris Park and Coney Island Park on Wednesday to protect the mudflats and mangrove areas.

“Our observation is that the booms have kept the oil out of biodiversity-sensitive sites. NParks is working with the relevant agencies on cleanup efforts,” said an NParks spokesman, adding that the board is monitoring the impact of the oil spill on marine life.

Ms Ria Tan, who runs the Wildsinga pore.com nature website, said: “I am glad NParks took swift action to place booms to protect some areas rich in biodiversity.”

audreyt@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 6, 2017.
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