The Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE), a help centre set up by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), plans to launch a new shelter for distressed workers in the second quarter of next year.

The shelter will be able to house and support around 100 maids.

This was announced on International Migrants Day (IMD) yesterday, at one of two events by NTUC non-governmental organisations, the Migrant Workers’ Centre and CDE.

The new shelter will bring CDE’s total housing capacity to 150 as it rents 50 bed spaces at an undisclosed location, making it Singa- pore’s biggest shelter for maids.

Most maids in shelters may be embroiled in disputes with the authorities, their employers or employment agencies, said CDE.

Speaking to the media yesterday, CDE’s executive director for strategy, Mr Shamsul Kamar, said that as more maids come to Singapore, “what we want to do is strengthen our capabilities and how we can give humanitarian, social, emotional support (to them)”.

He added that having its own shelter will allow the CDE to “provide direct support to our domestic workers who are having issues”.

The new shelter will have counselling and mediation services.

Ms Sheena Kanwar, executive director of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), was heartened to learn of the new shelter and its services.

Currently, Home runs Singa- pore’s largest shelter for maids in distress, with rooms for about 70 workers.

“Once (workers) report abuse or exploitation, their safety might further get undermined and alternative emergency housing becomes essential,” said Ms Kanwar. “Holistic socio-legal support for the shelter residents is very important.”

Home continues to call for maids to be covered under the Employment Act, which will ensure them labour rights such as statutory holidays and paid leave.

To celebrate IMD, the Migrant Workers’ Centre organised a talent show in Hougang.

The centre’s chairman, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, said on the event’s sidelines: “With the 20,000 cases that we have helped, the main issues are still with salary disputes, workplace injury compensation claims and concerns about workers’ accommodation.”

He hopes for more enforcement in the future to ensure salaries are promptly paid and for effective resolutions to claims submitted.

He also urged the authorities to “consider imposing a deterrent sentence” such as jail for errant employers who collect kickbacks.

Migrant workers performing at a talent show

Read Also: Maid who left Singapore as a businesswoman

This article was first published on Dec 19, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Developments in the global economy, including structural changes in the Chinese and American economies, and technological disruptions, will bring upheaval in the next few years.

But they also present opportunities for Singapore, which has to prepare itself to catch and ride the wave, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said.

He was giving an insight into what has been on the minds of the committee tasked with charting a blueprint for long-term growth, ahead of the release of its report on how Singapore can prepare its economy for the future.

“On the one hand, there are new opportunities that we need to look for, and on the other hand, we need to build capabilities that will allow us to continue to do well,” Mr Heng said in an interview last week.

“What that means is that it is going to be quite a bit of work to get into a better position.”

The Committee on the Future Economy (CFE), which he chairs, has factored in these major shifts in devising strategies for Singapore’s growth in the long term, he added.

He also indicated that next year’s Budget will likely respond to some of the committee’s recommendations, and touch on restructuring and the broader challenges at hand.

Read also: Government will support workers as economy changes: Heng Swee Keat

318868

2016-06-25 16:02:11

Photo Gallery

Heng Swee Keat discharged after ‘excellent recovery’ from stroke

Source: Prime Minister’s Office

• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–

Mr Heng’s comments come at a time of growing anxiety about Singapore’s economy, which shrank 2 per cent in the July to September quarter compared with the preceding three months.

The official growth forecast for this year was also recently lowered to 1 per cent to 1.5 per cent, from an earlier estimate of 1 per cent to 2 per cent.

Observers have said the economy is in need of a fillip, and are keenly awaiting the CFE’s report.

Asked about the situation, he said: “I won’t say that I am worried in the negative sense. But I do see that there are new challenges that we will have to deal with.”

These include, for instance, China’s move away from an export- and investment-driven economy to a consumption and services economy, the policy uncertainties of a Donald Trump presidency in the United States, and the trend of digitisation – all of which will have an impact on Singapore’s economy.

“If you think about the changes that are happening, we will have to organise ourselves differently… We have to build new capabilities,” said Mr Heng.

This will involve training Singaporean workers so they can build deep skills and helping companies with research and development to boost innovation, he said.

Alongside that, the Government and businesses will have to “think of how we can work even better together”, he added, citing the track record of a good tripartite relationship and economic agencies that have been facilitative for businesses and training.

Mr Heng acknowledged that the changes will cause some disruption to people. But he is optimistic because the groundwork has been laid with schemes such as SkillsFuture, and Singapore having always had a pro-business stance.

“We are building on strengths built up over the years,” he said.

Asia is also expected to remain the fastest-growing region of the world despite the global slowdown, and Singapore is in a good position to be part of the growth, he added.

Read also: Heng Swee Keat’s first words when out of coma: Is there a Cabinet meeting today?

The CFE, which had its final meeting earlier this month, has held more than 80 discussions with over 1,000 students, educators, parents, union members, business leaders and academics.

Its 30 members have also taken part in events where they reached out to more than 6,000 people.

The CFE will release its recommendations early next year on how Singapore should position itself in the years ahead.

Its report will touch on five key themes of the digital economy, jobs and skills for the future, Singapore as a connected city, innovation, and governance.

Pointing to the previous economic restructuring reviews – such as the Economic Strategies Committee in 2009 chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who was then Finance Minister, and the Economic Review Committee chaired by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2001, when he was Deputy Prime Minister – Mr Heng said such exercises help to build a common understanding of the challenges the country faces.

He added: “By gathering all these inputs together… we will be able to build the sort of shared understanding and be determined to take action that is necessary for us to forge ahead.”

This article was first published on December 19, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

In the past two years, five maids working in Singapore were radicalised, although they “did not pose an imminent security threat” at the time, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The maids were among some 70 foreigners investigated during that period, and had been radicalised through social media. Some of the foreigners were later deported after the authorities in their home countries were informed of their cases.

The statement yesterday came after Indonesia’s anti-terror police commandos rounded up four women in the past week on suspicion of terrorism. Among them was Dian Yulia Novi, 27.

She had worked in Singapore between 2008 and 2009, said an MHA spokesman.

Dian had allegedly been planning to mount a suicide bomb attack on the presidential palace in Jakarta.

In a television interview broadcast last Tuesday, she said she was first exposed to radical Islam through Facebook by opening profiles of extremists while working as a maid abroad.

She worked for a family with three children here, and as a maid for three years in Taiwan.

But Dian did not show signs of being radicalised during her time in Singapore, said the MHA spokesman, who added: “Our security agencies are in contact with their counterparts regarding her case.”

Read also: Indonesia’s new worry: Women turning suicide bombers

189230

2015-04-20 16:13:06

Photo Gallery

ISIS activities in Southeast Asia

Source: BHM, The Star/ANN, Royal Malaysian Police, Utusan Malaysia, AFP, Reuters, YouTube screengrabs

• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–

Most of the 70 foreigners investigated in the past two years “were radicalised through their exposure to radical propaganda on social media”, said MHA. Some then radicalised others using radical propaganda from online sources.

The Straits Times understands that the five maids were among those radicalised via social media.

While they did not plan to carry out acts of violence in Singapore at the time they were investigated, their presence posed a security concern for Singapore, MHA said.

Six Bangladeshis charged with offences under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act are serving their sentences here.

With radicalisation through the Internet being a worldwide phenomenon, MHA said social media platform owners have to ensure “their platforms are not used to promote radicalism and terrorism”.

A more effective approach in the longer term may be sensitising the public to the dangers of extremist rhetoric and equipping them with social media literacy so they will not be vulnerable to terrorist propaganda online, added the ministry.

Those who notice people showing signs of radicalisation should inform the authorities.

“The security agencies meanwhile continue to work closely with their foreign counterparts to share intelligence on terrorism activities,” said MHA.

Read also: IS shifts focus to female suicide bombers

Dian was a member of a cell based in Solo, Central Java. She had hidden a “rice cooker” bomb in her room, where she was arrested on Dec 10.

The arrests of Dian and three other women mark a shift in strategy, with Indonesian militants recruiting women instead of men to mount attacks, national police chief Tito Karnavian has said.

Maids from Indonesia said they were worried about being typecast after the news.

“It affects us too because people will think other Indonesians will end up the same way,” said Ms Sri Hartatik, 35, who has worked here for 11 years.

“It is common for Muslims, including domestic workers here, to read about religion on social media,” she said. But not everyone does so, she added, and neither does she.

Mr Gary Chin, chief executive of maid agency Nation Employment, said that employers should watch out for sudden changes in their helpers’ behaviour, show them concern and take an interest in who their friends are.

“If they sense anything amiss, they should inform the agency as well, so that we can arrange for counsellors or family members to speak to the domestic helper.”

Dr Rohan Gunaratna, head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, noted that militant group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is investing heavily in recruiting in cyber space.

While Singapore has secured its physical space, it “now needs to better protect its citizens and residents, including the labour population, from cyber radicalisation”.

180450

2015-03-13 11:12:56

Photo Gallery

Children recruited by ISIS to be part of horrific killings, executions

Source: YouTube screengrabs

• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–

This article was first published on December 19, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

At Imperial Treasure’s relocated Teochew restaurant, duck tongues, pig intestines and pork knuckle have an elegant flavour

When I pop open the takeaway box of my Nasi Bawal Penyet, or “smashed” pomfret rice, I do a double take. Where is the rice and fried tofu?

The fish is so large that it fills the entire box, hiding the other items below.

But I should not have cared too much. The fish is a star on its own.

Deep-fried perfectly to a dark golden-brown, it is sprinkled with crispy bits of fried batter that lend crunch to each bite.

Its flesh is tender and the taste of fish oil comes through strongly, though it is not overpowering.

I do not expect the oil to ooze out as I eat the fish, but I like it.

What takes this dish, from the Ang Mo Kio outlet of the Uncle Penyet Fusion chain, to the next level is the belacan, placed on the side, and the curry over the rice.

I am surprised that I want to have it again as I am not a big fan of penyet dishes.

Most people would be familiar with ayam penyet, or smashed fried chicken.

After the meat is fried, the chicken is hit with a pestle to flatten it slightly.

The dish comes from Surabaya, the capital of Indonesia’s East Java province.

Often, I find ayam penyet too dry. This is not the case here.

When I make a trip to the food stall to have another satisfying go at the Nasi Bawal Penyet ($8), I also decide to try the Nasi Ayam Penyet ($6.50) to see if it would be just as good as the fish.

It lives up to expectations. The chicken is tender and the meat falls off the bone easily – a major plus if you are using a fork and spoon.

Still, if it comes down to picking between the two, I would choose the fish.

Some might think it is a little pricey as it is sold in a coffee shop, but for a whole fish, I think the price is reasonable.

It is also cooked on the spot – I had to wait about 10 minutes for it – and presented nicely in a wooden basket.

Now that I have found a stall that does “smashed” food right, I am making a mental note to return soon and explore the extensive menu, which includes Nasi Bakso Penyet (smashed beefball with rice) and Nasi Lele Penyet (smashed catfish with rice).

natashaz@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on December 19, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.