As 2016 draws to a close, the year’s total number of dengue infections is likely to be less than half of what experts were predicting just months ago.

The scare caused by Zika, another mosquito-borne disease, could have contributed to reining in dengue.

The total number of infections so far this year is 12,864, which suggests that Singapore should end 2016 with around 13,000 dengue cases.

This is a far cry from the 30,000 cases that experts had warned of early this year, when Singapore experienced an unusually sharp unseasonal surge in dengue infections.

The country had been bracing itself for an all-time high when weekly infections topped 600 in January in what was traditionally a low period for this viral disease.

The jump was caused by a switch in the dominant dengue serotype, which usually spells a spike in cases as the immunity in the community would be low.

This raised fears that infections could soar when the mid-year peak season came around, and that numbers would exceed the high of more than 22,000 infections in 2013, which killed eight people.

Generally, about 20 per cent of people diagnosed with dengue end up needing hospital care. This would have put a strain on public hospitals.

By April, the numbers fell to under 300 infections a week.

But in August, it trended up again, only to fall sharply when the country went into overdrive to fight the outbreak of Zika.

The sustained campaign against mosquitoes sparked by Zika reined in dengue infections, too.

There have been fewer than 100 new cases a week since the end of October, though the number has crept up slightly over the past three weeks.

A National Environment Agency spokesman said the surge in cases caused it to launch its Do The Mozzie Wipeout campaign earlier than usual, on Feb 28, to clear out mosquito breeding.

It found and destroyed 13,000 breeding spots, half of which were in homes, mainly in containers and flower pot trays, between January and December. Construction sites accounted for 5 per cent of breeding sites found.

The spokesman said: “Since then, we have observed a decline in the case numbers, and these have been fluctuating at less than 100 cases per week for the past few weeks.”

This is less than half the numbers seen at this time last year.

Nevertheless, total infections this year are about 2,000 more than last year.

There have been nine deaths, compared with four last year.

A Ministry of Health spokesman said: “Deaths due to dengue are a result of individual patient factors, such as age, co-morbidity and history of previous infection. The risk of death due to dengue is highest among vulnerable individuals such as those who are elderly or have pre-existing medical conditions.”

salma@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Dec 8, 2016.
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Travellers arriving at Changi Airport may have their passports checked more than once in the future following a recent trial to enhance security.

Several travellers who landed at Changi Airport Terminal 3 were caught by surprise over the last few months when their photos were taken and passports checked when they stepped off the aircraft.

They also went through the normal immigration checks before collecting their bags.

While random checks just after arrival are not new, albeit rare at Changi, these have so far been limited mainly to bag checks and metal detectors.

The recent extra layer of screening, which was part of a trial which ended last month by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, suggests there are plans to step up overall surveillance, security experts said.

When contacted, an ICA spokesman explained that the checks was to screen passports of passengers on certain flights against Interpol’s database of stolen and lost travel documents.

She said: “The trial aims to enhance the security of Changi Airport and its passengers… This is part of our security measures, which are reviewed from time to time, taking into account the prevailing security threat.”

ICA did not comment further, including on whether it plans to eventually introduce such checks for all arriving passengers.

The Straits Times understands that the intention is to help catch contraband and verify passengers’ identities, especially of those on transit.

They make up about a third of Changi Airport’s passengers, which numbered more than 55.4 million last year. But what it also means is double screening for those who end their journeys in Singapore.

Unlike most other major airports, arriving and departing passengers can mix at Changi Airport’s terminals.

The challenge is to ensure that arriving passengers do not pass items that may be prohibited or dangerous to those who are departing.

Singapore Management University’s Assistant Professor Terence Fan, who specialises in transport, said it is “a tough balancing act” to ensure safe skies on the one hand and passenger convenience on the other.

Where heightened checks are deemed necessary, the key is to ensure that this is done without significant delays so it does not put travellers off, he stressed.

karam@sph.com.sg

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This article was first published on Dec 8, 2016.
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HONG KONG – Morale in Singapore is at rock bottom. The tiny Southeast Asian nation has worked hard in the 51 years since its birth to establish an outsize voice on the global stage. Now the city’s economy is in the doldrums and its influence is in question as China flexes its muscles.

The Lion City is heading for a recession, or two straight quarters of economic contraction, after the trade-reliant economy shrank 2 per cent in the July-September quarter. Overall this year, the government reckons growth will be no faster than 1.5 per cent.

Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong admits low growth may be the “new normal”. Some economists call Singapore the new sick man of Asia, supplanting the Philippines, whose economy is now growing almost four times faster.

To make matters worse, high costs are beginning to bite. Dinner party conversation is one symptom of the general lack of confidence in Singapore’s direction: the elite joke about packing up and selling one overpriced home for several overseas. A recent UBS survey of top-earning millennials found Singapore’s youth among the least confident of achieving their wealth goals.

A wealth of worries

Singapore’s top problem is that global demand remains weak. That is taking its toll on export-oriented sectors, especially oil services companies, where there have been high-profile defaults. Finance is a drag too; the sector accounts for about one-eighth of GDP and is suffering from sharp declines. Big names like Goldman Sachs and Standard Chartered have pared back local operations.

The pain is most glaring in the equity market, where trading volumes are low and de-listings continue. Companies from Thailand and Malaysia also now typically prefer to float in their home markets. The market value of Singapore’s FTSE Straits Times Index is flat, compared to a 34-percentage point increase for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index over the past five years, Datastream shows.

And while Singapore remains a top private banking centre, its reputation as the “Switzerland of Asia” is problematic. Revelations that money from 1MDB, the disgraced Malaysian sovereign fund, flowed through the city have led to intense regulatory scrutiny. Local authorities closed down the local operations of two private banks this year, and fined others.

Another threat to this key industry comes from larger neighbours like Indonesia and India, as they aggressively crack down on tax dodging. The worry is that citizens will, sooner rather than later, not only declare a large chunk of money but repatriate it too.

Adrift

The sense of vulnerability is acute because economic worries dovetail with political ones. Singapore has traditionally looked to the West on security issues and led its Southeast Asian neighbours in championing closer ties with the United States and Japan. At the same time, it relies on China for trade and tourism, which Natixis reckons amounts to 20 per cent of Singapore’s GDP.

That position looks particularly problematic following the election of Donald Trump as the next US president. The former reality star appears unwilling to maintain his predecessor’s pivot to Asia and pledges to roll back free-trade deals including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an agreement Singapore saw as vital to US credibility in the region.

Beijing has been quick to take advantage, using editorials in state newspapers to stress its displeasure at Singapore’s continued efforts to play a leadership role in the region. The latest skirmish involves Hong Kong authorities seizing Singaporean military equipment, which the latter insists previously passed through the territory without any problems.

China is also ramping up its cheque-book diplomacy, buying off Southeast Asian countries one by one. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak have both made a show of embracing China over old Western allies, motivated in part by a desire to attract more investment. That leaves Singapore increasingly isolated.

Limited options

The options to fight back are limited. Singapore can let its currency ease in the coming months to support the economy but has no easy fix on the political side, where China has the power to make its problems worse.

Bankers worry, for example, that China might target the island nation as it moves to stem outbound capital flows. Or Beijing might let state-owned enterprises default on borrowings from Singaporean banks; loans to customers in Hong Kong and China account for more than 30 per cent of the total at DBS, the Singaporean lender with a market value of $32bil.

As long as global trade remains weak, the Lion City will struggle to roar.

SINGAPORE – The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will be deploying two officers to Indonesia following the 6.5-magnitude earthquake that has claimed more than 97 lives in Aceh, Indonesia.

The two SCDF officers will form part of a five-man ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ERAT), SCDF said in a statement Wednesday (Dec 7).

The ERAT will provide quick assessments to determine the critical resources such as tents, medical kits, and sanitation facilities required for the areas affected by the earthquake.

The two SCDF officers will depart for Indonesia on Dec 8 and are expected to be there for a week.

“The Government of Singapore expresses our deepest condolences to the Government of Indonesia and the families of the victims in this time of grief.”

The Indonesian army has deployed more than 1,000 soldiers and about 900 police to the worst-hit areas to set up shelters and evacuation points, AFP reported.

In 2004, Aceh was also struck by a tsunami after an earthquake in the Indian Ocean. More than 170,000 people were killed in Indonesia alone.

Then, Singapore deployed three Navy ships – RSS Endurance, RSS Persistence and RSS Endeavour – off the coast of Meulaboh to aid with recovery efforts.

grongloh@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE – Straits Times Press (STP), the book publishing arm of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), today launched “E W Barker: The People’s Minister”, written by Ms Susan Sim, who was a former journalist and Indonesia Bureau Chief with The Straits Times.

This 428-page biography traces the life of Mr E W Barker and pieces together his deeds and achievements that were instrumental to Singapore’s formative years, from pre-independence to a thriving city-state.

Ms Susan Long, General Manager, Straits Times Press said: “It is an important memoir to add to anyone’s Singapore collection. It adds detail, colour and insight to the narrative of how we came to be.”

Ms Carla Barker, daughter of Mr E W Barker and member of the book’s steering committee said: “This book was inspired by former President Nathan, who encouraged the EA to tell the story.

“It is both a tribute in memory of my father, featuring the milestones in his extraordinary life, and in charting his dedication to the development of Singapore, is a recounting of our history.”

The book was commissioned by the Eurasian Association (EA) and a steering committee consisting of Mr E W Barker’s two daughters Carla and Deborah and EA Trustees Mr Edward D’Silva and Mr Gerard de Silva was formed.

“E W Barker: The People’s Minister” is available at leading bookstores at $45.90 (GST inclusive).

The book can also be ordered from the Straits Times Press Online Bookstore at: www.stpressbooks.com.sg.

SINGAPORE – A fire broke out near the top floor of a high-rise building above Farrer Park MRT station on Wednesday (Dec 7) night.

According to eyewitnesses, the building appeared to be the Park Hotel Farrer Park, which is slated to open in the first quarter of 2017.

Photos and a video sent in by The Straits Times readers showed flames leaping out of the building.

Administrative executive Sheefaya Aiman, who lives on the 19th floor of a HDB block about 10 minutes’ walk away, said she first noticed the fire at around 7.40pm.

“The fire looked really fierce and thick, black smoke was billowing up into the air,” she added.

Mr Alastair Tan, who was passing by the area, noted that the building appeared to be still under construction.

When contacted, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were aware of the fire and were in the midst of responding.

This article was first published on Dec 7, 2016.
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