SINGAPORE: The Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) held more than 80 discussions and focus groups, involving more than 1,000 students, educators, parents, union members, business leaders and academics, since it began its work to review Singapore’s economic strategies nearly a year ago.

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, who co-chairs the committee with Trade and Industry Minister S Iswaran, added that CFE members also joined in more than 20 panels, seminars and conferences, where they reached out to more than 6,000 people.

Mr Heng on Thursday (Dec 1) gave details of the CFE’s engagement figures in a Facebook post after he chaired the committee’s fifth and final meeting.

“As we firm up the strategies for the future economy, I can see in them the ideas that came up in the many discussions and focus groups we’ve had,” he wrote.

This is the first CFE meeting Mr Heng has chaired since collapsing from a stroke on May 12. He resumed his duties as Finance Minister in August, but was advised by doctors to continue avoiding crowds to minimise the risk of infection.

Mr Heng, an MP for Tampines GRC, appeared in a video shown at the launch of the first phase of Our Tampines Hub on Sunday.

(Photo: Facebook/Heng Swee Keat)

ENGAGEMENT “MUST CONTINUE” AFTER COMMITTEE WRAPS UP

Noting that “so much has changed in the world” in the last few months, Mr Heng said that the changes “really bring home the urgency of planning and laying the ground for changes in the long term”.

It was a sentiment echoed by his co-chairman, Mr Iswaran, who wrote in a separate Facebook post that the CFE’s discussions over the past year took place “amidst challenging conditions for our businesses and people, and an uncertain global economy”.

Mr Iswaran added: “With the benefit of the views we have gathered, the CFE has been studying how we can overcome our constraints and access opportunities in areas of growth, especially in our region.

“We have also discussed how to continue transforming our businesses, boost innovation, and ensure that Singaporeans have the right skills to seize future opportunities.”

Mr Heng said that at Thursday’s CFE meeting, committee members continued to stress the value of partnership between the public, private and people sectors, and that the CFE “must continue to engage with companies, workers and others even after the committee wraps up”.

“I fully agree, and really appreciate this readiness to work together,” Mr Heng said. “For now, we are working hard to capture the depth and breadth of the feedback that we have received.”

Mr Heng and Mr Iswaran added that the CFE would share its recommendations early next year.

SINGAPORE: As Myanmar opens up to the world, a milestone exhibition in Singapore is set to offer a rare glimpse into the country’s rich cultural heritage.

From centuries-old Buddhas to exquisite miniature stupas, some of the country’s most prized artefacts are now on display at the Asian Civilisations Museum in a show titled Cities And Kings: Ancient Treasures From Myanmar.

The exhibition was unveiled on Thursday (Dec 1), with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently on an official visit to Singapore, gracing the opening.

Not only does the show commemorate 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, it is also a landmark collaboration between ACM and four of Myanmar’s national museums, which have lent objects from their collections.

In her opening speech, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu said the exhibition will build on the ties between the two countries.

“Singapore greatly values our relations with neighbouring countries, and this exhibition will provide Singaporeans greater insight into Myanmar’s history and culture.”

Ms Fu also highlighted the longstanding cultural links between the two countries. The Myanmar Buddhist community was among Singapore’s early immigrant communities, and one of their legacies is the Sasanaramsi Burmese Buddhist Temple, which was built in 1878 and houses the largest enshrined white marble Buddha statue outside Myanmar.

Cultural exchanges have also grown in recent years, she added, with workshops on conservation and heritage taking place. “These exchanges highlight the close ties and commitments we have to foster lasting partnerships with our colleagues in Myanmar,” she said. 

2,000 YEARS OF MYANMAR HISTORY ON DISPLAY

Cities And Kings comprises 32 artefacts – including 14 that are travelling outside of Myanmar for the first time – that were loaned from the National Museum of Nay Pyi Taw, the National Museum of Yangon, the Bagan Archeological Museum and the Department of Archeology in Yangon. These will be supplemented by 28 additional objects from Singapore’s national collection and a private collection.

The three-month exhibition looks at 2,000 years of Myanmar’s history, from the earliest city-states of Pyu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to the ancient kingdom of Bagan and all the way to the last kingdom of Mandalay.

A Buddha made of marble, with traces of lacquer, from the Bagan Archeological Museum. (Photo: Mayo Martin)

Among the rare artefacts displayed are a popular 11^th century sandstone Buddha, which visitors to the Bagan Archeological Museum had worshipped inside the museum premises; and a double-sided stone slab, which dates from between the 4^th and 6^th century, and features both Hindu and Buddhist elements.

“They’re all fantastic pieces and there really are no fillers in this show,” said curator Dr Stephen Murphy. “We wanted stark pieces that would catch the public’s imagination, visually and aesthetically. But we also wanted to have pieces that are historically important.”

According to Dr Murphy, the collaboration was two years in the making, but conversations with their counterparts had begun even before that.

“With the country opening up, the show became more feasible,” he said, adding that the collaboration with their Myanmar counterparts doesn’t end with the exhibition. In July and August, they held a documentation photography workshop in Myanmar and there are plans to hold workshops on conservation as well.

“Bagan is trying to go for another UNESCO World Heritage Site bid and one thing they need is proper documentation, so this is something we help them with,” said Dr Murphy.

Wood and lacquer statues of Nats, or Myanmar’s indigenous spirits, from the Department of Archaeology in Yangon. (Photo: Mayo Martin)

As for creating a cohesive exhibition that spans two millennia of a complex country, he admitted that it was hard to simplify the show. “We think of Myanmar today as a unified country but at different times throughout its history, there are different groups and different centres of power. It’s one reason why we chose to focus on cities because that allows us to anchor down key points and key moments in Myanmar’s history,” he said, adding that there are still a lot of things to discover.

“There was a sort of big gap from during the British colonial period, where a lot of archaeological research took place, up until the 1960s, when Myanmar closed to the world and it became this black hole for a long time. But from the 1990s onwards, it started to open up a bit more and now there is more scholarship.”

Myanmar’s ancient treasures will return to their respective museums after the exhibition closes in March. But with recent news of the mutual lifting of visa requirements for traveling Singapore and Myanmar citizens, the exhibition could go beyond offering visitors a glimpse of the country’s art and culture.

Said Dr Murphy: “One of the hopes of the show is to inspire people to visit Myanmar.”

SINGAPORE: A construction company has been fined S$74,000 for housing foreign workers in unapproved accommodation, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Thursday (Dec 1). The company, B-Construction, also helped another construction firm house its foreign workers in a similar manner.

In a media release, MOM said B-Construction pleaded guilty to 11 charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and was convicted on Thursday. Another 15 charges were taken into consideration for the purposes of sentencing, MOM said, adding that it has banned both employers from hiring new foreign workers or renewing the work passes of their existing foreign workers. 

According to MOM, B-Construction housed its foreign workers, as well as workers from another company, at a construction site located at Canberra Crescent from January to June last year, despite knowing that it lacked approval from relevant Government agencies and an endorsement by a Professional Engineer. 

The 26 workers involved lived in temporary workers’ quarters consisting of containers and makeshift zinc huts, MOM said. Sanitary facilities were also inadequate, as there were only three poorly maintained portable toilets, and no proper toilets or shower areas. The workers had to shower in open-air wash areas using hoses. 

Poorly maintained portable toilets used by B-Construction workers. (Photo: MOM)

Outdoor wash areas where B-Construction workers had to take their shower without privacy. (Photo: MOM)

All 26 foreign workers have relocated to other accommodation with MOM’s assistance, it said. 

“Employers must take the well-being of their workers seriously. We will take strong action against employers who house their workers in accommodation that does not have the necessary approval and subject their workers to poor living conditions,” said Ms Jeanette Har, Director of Well-Being Department at MOM’s Foreign Manpower Management Division. 

This is not the first time this year that authorities have clamped down on shoddy accommodation for foreign workers. In March, two construction companies, 3S Solid Surface and Sing Solid Surface were fined S$180,000 for housing their workers in a factory with hazardous living conditions, and for making false declarations in the Online Foreign Worker Accommodation System. In May this year, dormitory operator KT Mesdorm was fined S$300,000 for housing workers in overcrowded premises as well, MOM said. 

“Last year, MOM conducted over 1,450 housing inspections and took action against 2,300 employers for housing their foreign workers in unapproved premises. In 2014, MOM conducted 718 housing inspections and took enforcement action against 1,400 employers,” it added. 

Under local laws, employers are required to provide accommodation for their foreign workers that comply with various statutory requirements, MOM said, adding that employers who contravene conditions of the work pass could be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to 12 months for each offence, or both. 

It also urged members of the public who know of people or employers who contravene the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act to get in touch by calling 6438 5122 or emailing mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg.

SINGAPORE: Up to S$2 billion of Saving Bonds will be offered in 2017, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced on Thursday (Dec 1).

The first bond of 2017 will be issued on Jan 3, MAS said in a media release, adding that up to S$150 million will be available during the first issue. A new savings bond will be issued every month.

The 10-year average annual return from the bond is above 2 per cent, MAS said.

Those interested can apply for the first bond through DBS, POSB, OCBC or UOB automatic teller machines (ATMs) or through DBS or POSB’s Internet banking portal from 6pm on Dec 1 until 9pm on Dec 27.

Interested investors must have an Individual Central Depository (CDP) Securities account with Direct Crediting Service (DCS) activated in order to apply for a bond, MAS said.

SINGAPORE: Two young men who don’t let their disabilities stop them from playing football for Singapore or producing rap music. A young woman who brings healing to the elderly with cat therapy. Heart-baring stories of growing up in broken homes. And how social media users handle online fame.

These are some of the stories told in film by young student producers in a first-ever tie-up between Mediacorp and four local higher learning institutes to produce an entire series for national television.

More than 30 students from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Lasalle College of the Arts, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Nanyang Polytechnic were tasked to produce stories on the issues impacting Singapore’s younger generation.

The brief? That the student producers tell a story close to their hearts from their perspective and differently from a professional producer. Each team was mentored from pre- to post-production by a senior producer from Mediacorp Channel 5’s On The Red Dot.

The series, YXY: Youth by Youth, debuts Friday (Dec 1), at 9.30pm.

Watch: Scenes from the first episode

WE ARE FAMILY

In the first episode, We Are Family (airing Dec 2), students from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts tell the stories of Noelle Ong and Tiffany Miranda, two young women whose parents are divorced. They struggle with growing up in non-traditional families.

Noelle alternated between living with her mother and grandmother before finding security and stability in a friend’s family. Tiffany once thought her friends were more important than her family until she rebuilt the bonds with her mother and stepfather.

For 20-year old Ong Weiting, a third-year student from the Diploma in Screen Media course who worked on the episode, the topic of family was a universal one.

Said Weiting on their approach: “We chose this because it is a very relatable subject. Everyone cares about their family, everyone struggles with their family, and everyone wants a perfect relationship with their family.”

UNSTOPPABLE

Meanwhile, student producers from Lasalle College of the Arts chose to explore the topic of disability among youths.

Unstoppable (airing Dec 9) is a story of Jeremiah Tan and Danial Bawthan, two determined young men who grew up with disabilities.

Jeremiah (above) suffers from rickets and traumatic brain injury, but that has not stopped him from representing Singapore on an international stage as the youngest player in the Singapore Cerebral Palsy Football Team, better known as the CP Lions.

The CP Lions won the bronze medal at the PARA ASEAN games last year.

Danial (below), who was born with spinal muscular dystrophy, has taken to beats, rap and beatboxing to express his thoughts, winning awards along the way.

Amirah Lim, 22, who took on the role of assistant director for Unstoppable, approached Danial for this project after watching him perform on stage.

The project helped her teammate, Jabez Koh, understand what young people with disabilities face. “We learnt that there are many more youths with (debilitating) conditions who are afraid of coming out to the world because they are afraid of being ostracised or bullied,” he said.

GEN SOCI@L

One inevitable topic attached to youths is social media, and it was tackled by students from Nanyang Polytechnic.

The episode, Gen Soci@l (airing Dec 16), delves into the lives of Sarrah Tay, Sonia Chew, and Benjamin Wong – three avid social media users.

Polytechnic student Sarrah, 18, finds a connection to celebrities through social media, while radio DJ and social media influencer, Sonia, talks about how she manages her life on social networks, the impact she has on fans, and vice versa.

The episode also features Benjamin, an introvert by nature whose six-second video clips on Vine have captured more than 8 million views.

Kerwin Chia, one of the producers of Gen Soci@l, wanted to show how a normal person like Ben could become famous overnight when his online videos go viral. “We wanted to show how this generation want something quick, (and) it is all instant gratification,” said the 20-year old.

PASSION PURSUITS

The team from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, who produced the last episode, Passion Pursuits (airing Dec 23), wanted to document how some remain focused on honing their craft or turning their interests into something fulfilling.

One of the two stories featured in the episode tracks young musicians Quek Jun Rui and Thong Wei Ling (above) from Singapore National Youth Orchestra who have chosen to pursue classical music as a co-curricular activity and at NAFA respectively. They spend countless hours, days and nights working to turn their passion into professional musical careers.

Then there is Camellia Abd Gani, who volunteers with the elderly and disabled with the help of some special assistants – cats.

Camellia, who is dealing with her own personal loss, believes her cats provide healing not only to those she visits, but to herself as well. Through her story, the segment looks at how pet owners and their animals can provide assisted therapy to those in homes and other institutes.

Russell Goh, the producer of the segment, did not initially know this volunteer project existed. Said Russell: “I have been to old folks’ homes before. The atmosphere lacks joy mostly, and people do things out of routine.

“But when I followed Camellia and her group of volunteers, there was a spark of joy on the faces of the elderly. The atmosphere livened up as they interacted with the animals.

“So we wanted to bring you on this journey (with the segment).”

Looking back at the eight-month long production, deputy chief editor of English Current Affairs, Ms Susanna Kulatissa, said: “This collaboration has been exciting and meaningful. It provides a rare opportunity to peek into the world of our youth and experiences their triumphs and struggles through their eyes.”

YXY: Youth By Youth premieres Friday, Dec 2 at 9.30pm on Mediacorp Channel 5.