Instead of throwing away his children’s used textbooks, a parent donated them to the under-privileged.

Mr Terence Kuek, 45, recently saw an appeal for used textbooks on the NTUC FairPrice Facebook page.

The father of three saw it as a chance to do some good, so he donated about 10 textbooks his children had used this year. This was done at Changi City Point yesterday.

Mr Kuek told The New Paper: “The books are still in good condition, so we are happy to share the books to help the less fortunate and also recycle the books.”

NTUC FairPrice yesterday launched its annual Share-A-Textbook project at that mall.

You can also donate textbooks at 159 FairPrice stores islandwide from now until Dec 4.

Mr Seah Kian Peng, chief executive officer of NTUC FairPrice, said: “Each book we collect and each book we put into the hands of others is more than just an act of giving. It’s a platform to share knowledge and even memories with those who receive it.”

The project, now in its 34th year, targets to collect 400,000 books this year.

NTUC FairPrice has worked with volunteer welfare organisations and Community Development Councils to shortlist about 20,000 students, aged seven to 16, from low-income families for the project.

The shortlisted students can collect the donated books on Dec 10 using letters from their respective Community Development Councils or volunteer welfare organisations as proof.

There will be five designated distribution points – Gan Eng Seng School, Yio Chu Kang Secondary School, Changi City Point, City Square Mall and Warehouse Club.

NTUC FairPrice said that if your children are not on the shortlist but would like to get the textbooks, they can go to the designated places the following day to pick up what is available then.

What is not collected will be recycled.

Unlike previous years, you can now volunteer and be directly involved from this year onwards.

Mr Seah said: “There are many people who want to do good, they are just looking for opportunities and platforms to volunteer.”

Volunteers can help out in logistics, promotion, mass community collection, sorting and distribution of the books.

So far, there are about 450 volunteers. If you are interested, e-mail fptextbook@fairprice.com.sg

Guest of honour Low Yen Ling, who is Parliamentary Secretary (Education, and Trade and Industry,) said: “NTUC’s Share-A-Textbook is more than the giving of used textbooks. It’s a community effort that recognises the needs of under-privileged Singaporeans.

KINDNESS

“It’s indicative of the kindness and care Singaporeans feel for those around us.”

The search for textbooks extends to schools.

As part of their school’s values-in-action project, environment champions from Hougang Secondary School, Khor Yong Kai, and Leong Jia Xuan, both 15, are in charge of collecting books from their peers for donation.

The Secondary 3 students said the project helps the environment because it recycles the books.

In his opening speech, Mr Seah said Singapore saw 1.1 million tonnes of paper disposal last year.

He added: “Every little bit that is reused and recycled can contribute. Nothing is too small.”

“The books are still in good condition, so we are happy to share the books to help the less fortunate and also recycle the books.”

– Mr Terence Kuek

FINANCIAL MARKETS

Stock markets in Singapore and across Asia will see an immediate decline, said IG market strategist Bernard Aw.

Yesterday, Singapore stocks finished 1.1 per cent lower, with the benchmark Straits Times Index losing 30.36 points to 2,789.88.

A large part of it is caused by the uncertainty brought about by a Trump administration, Mr Aw told The New Paper.

“Investors are a little concerned about how this will change America’s political strategy, foreign and trade policies towards other countries.

“This concern will stay till there is more clarity from Mr Trump himself.”

The US presidential election result is reminiscent of Britain’s Brexit result in June in terms of the surprise factor, he said.

“But if you look at the data, stock markets recovered quite strongly in August.

“Your guess is as good as mine what will come next,” he added.

Do not expect the US dollar to dip like the sterling, Mr Aw said.

The Singapore dollar might appreciate against the greenback, but not to a large extent because it is the world’s reserve currency, he explained.

JOBS / TRADE

For Singapore, whose economy is plugged into the world economy, the quicker the markets bounce back, the better.

But this will only happen when there is domestic political stability, greater certainty in economic policy, and most of all, consumer confidence. Until then, jobs creation is likely to be be subdued, said Dr Mustafa Izzuddin from the Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a free-trade pact that the US signed with 11 Pacific-Rim nations, including Singapore, will also be of concern, said Dr Mustafa.

Singapore companies would have benefited from the historic deal to ease trade in goods and services among the member nations, which make up about 40 per cent of the world economy.

“Given that Mr Trump is opposed to the TPP, as asserted during the electoral campaign, the TPP signatories… would want to know whether the TPP is still on the table for negotiation, or that it will be scrapped altogether so long as Mr Trump is president,” he said.

Some Republicans have already asserted that the TPP is all but dead, with Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions saying: “There will be blood all over the floor if somebody tries to move that through the Congress any time soon.”

DEFENCE / SECURITY

For Singapore and other South-east Asian nations, the burning question is whether Mr Trump will continue President Barack Obama’s policy towards the region or re-pivot it away from the region, said Dr Mustafa.

“The Trump presidency is likely to reassess America’s defence and security commitments around the world, including countries in South-east Asia such as Singapore,” he said.

“Singapore is likely to want some form of assurance as to the current and future status of the defence policy and cooperation between the US and Singapore

“Moreover, Singapore is a staunch proponent for the US to be engaged in South-east Asia, particularly to serve as a balance of power with Chinese assertiveness in the region, not least with regard to the dispute in the South China Sea.”

S’POREANS GOING TO US

It may be a time of worry and anxiety for minorities, including Muslims, who live in the US or those from countries such as Singapore who plan to study or work in the US.

This is because of Mr Trump’s caustic and virulent rhetoric against minorities during the electoral campaign, said Dr Mustafa.

“However, often times, what is said and promised in the heat of an electoral campaign does not get translated into official policy.

“It would be prudent to wait until the Trump administration lays out in detail what exactly will be its policy towards Muslims in particular and the Muslim world more generally,” he said.

FINANCIAL MARKETS

Stock markets in Singapore and across Asia will see an immediate decline, said IG market strategist Bernard Aw.

Yesterday, Singapore stocks finished 1.1 per cent lower, with the benchmark Straits Times Index losing 30.36 points to 2,789.88.

A large part of it is caused by the uncertainty brought about by a Trump administration, Mr Aw told The New Paper.

“Investors are a little concerned about how this will change America’s political strategy, foreign and trade policies towards other countries.

“This concern will stay till there is more clarity from Mr Trump himself.”

The US presidential election result is reminiscent of Britain’s Brexit result in June in terms of the surprise factor, he said.

“But if you look at the data, stock markets recovered quite strongly in August.

“Your guess is as good as mine what will come next,” he added.

Do not expect the US dollar to dip like the sterling, Mr Aw said.

The Singapore dollar might appreciate against the greenback, but not to a large extent because it is the world’s reserve currency, he explained.

JOBS / TRADE

For Singapore, whose economy is plugged into the world economy, the quicker the markets bounce back, the better.

But this will only happen when there is domestic political stability, greater certainty in economic policy, and most of all, consumer confidence. Until then, jobs creation is likely to be be subdued, said Dr Mustafa Izzuddin from the Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a free-trade pact that the US signed with 11 Pacific-Rim nations, including Singapore, will also be of concern, said Dr Mustafa.

Singapore companies would have benefited from the historic deal to ease trade in goods and services among the member nations, which make up about 40 per cent of the world economy.

“Given that Mr Trump is opposed to the TPP, as asserted during the electoral campaign, the TPP signatories… would want to know whether the TPP is still on the table for negotiation, or that it will be scrapped altogether so long as Mr Trump is president,” he said.

Some Republicans have already asserted that the TPP is all but dead, with Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions saying: “There will be blood all over the floor if somebody tries to move that through the Congress any time soon.”

DEFENCE / SECURITY

For Singapore and other South-east Asian nations, the burning question is whether Mr Trump will continue President Barack Obama’s policy towards the region or re-pivot it away from the region, said Dr Mustafa.

“The Trump presidency is likely to reassess America’s defence and security commitments around the world, including countries in South-east Asia such as Singapore,” he said.

“Singapore is likely to want some form of assurance as to the current and future status of the defence policy and cooperation between the US and Singapore

“Moreover, Singapore is a staunch proponent for the US to be engaged in South-east Asia, particularly to serve as a balance of power with Chinese assertiveness in the region, not least with regard to the dispute in the South China Sea.”

S’POREANS GOING TO US

It may be a time of worry and anxiety for minorities, including Muslims, who live in the US or those from countries such as Singapore who plan to study or work in the US.

This is because of Mr Trump’s caustic and virulent rhetoric against minorities during the electoral campaign, said Dr Mustafa.

“However, often times, what is said and promised in the heat of an electoral campaign does not get translated into official policy.

“It would be prudent to wait until the Trump administration lays out in detail what exactly will be its policy towards Muslims in particular and the Muslim world more generally,” he said.

SINGAPORE: An Indonesian artist has won the UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year for the third year running, said United Overseas Bank (UOB) on Wednesday (Nov 9).

Mr Gatot Indrajati, 36, was commended by a regional panel of judges for his “innovative use of wood” – a medium for traditional art in Indonesia – in his mixed media painting titled “Right or Wrong My Home”. He also created a “visually compelling and contemporary art work” with paint, according to the judges.

Right or Wrong My Home by Mr Gatot Indrajati

“I was inspired by the passion that Indonesians have for their country and how that attitude is such an inherent part of the Indonesian identity,” said Mr Indrajati. “Indonesians also have a wry sense of humour and we often use humour as a way to demonstrate the love for our country. I wanted my painting to portray that passion and patriotism.”

Meanwhile, Singaporean Carey Ngai walked away with the Singapore 2016 UOB Painting of the Year award for his oil on canvas painting titled “Industry 2.0 III”. According to UOB, the judges were impressed by the 49-year-old’s use of shades and colours in his “realistic art piece”.

Industry 2.0 III by Mr Carey Ngai

“His painting draws a parallel between the obsolescence of industrial machinery and that of human abilities as societies evolve and as artificial intelligence becomes integrated into daily life,” UOB said.

The other winners were: Ms Yim Yen Sum for Malaysia, Mr Jongjit Moolmat for Thailand, and Ms Yoko Choi Chi Mei, who won the Most Promising Artist of the Year title.

The winning paintings from the 2016 Painting of the Year competition will be exhibited at the UOB Art Gallery from Nov 11 to February next year.

TWITTER and other social media platforms were awash with comments after Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsieng Loong offered his congratulations to Donald Trump for winning the U.S. presidential race.

Some Internet users were appalled by the message, and understandably so as it was just on Sunday that the Republican singled out the small island state as one of the countries to blame for stealing American jobs.

“Can someone tell our PM that Trump said that Singapore steals America’s job.. How to cultivate strong ties? Neck tie maybe can,” wrote Twitter user @Zuhairi_Idris, responding to an article on Lee’s remarks.

It was also just this week that PM Lee told Parliament that the country would reserve its presidential seat for a candidate from the ethnic Malay-Muslim community when elections for the post are held next year.

SEE ALSO: Next Singaporean president will be from ethnic Malay community, says PM Lee

Throughout his exhaustive campaign, however, Trump has made it known that in his America, there would be no room for Muslim citizens. He famously suggested last December a ban on Muslims entering the U.S.

“If Singapore decided to have a Malay to be the next president & Trump dislikes Muslims, how are they gg to work tgt?” pointed out another Twitter user @hzqhxmin_.

Trump, a 70-year-old real estate mogul with no experience in holding elected office, defied all odds to beat his opponent Democrat Hillary Clinton for the world’s most coveted seat of power in the early hours of Wednesday.

His victory sent the world reeling and markets into a tailspin, with observers calling the results “America’s Brexit” as predictions had earlier suggested the likelihood of a Clinton win.

President-elect Donald Trump pumps his fist after giving his acceptance speech as his wife Melania Trump, right, and their son Barron Trump follow him during his election night rally, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in New York. Pic: AP

In Singapore, which counts the U.S. as one of its biggest trade partners, PM Lee was among the first world leaders to congratulate Trump.

“Congratulations to President-Elect Donald Trump! His candidacy took many by surprise. At each stage, he defied expectations, and his journey has ultimately taken him to White House,” Lee wrote in a Facebook post.

“It has been a contentious, ugly election season that has exposed a bitter divide in the American people. Many will celebrate this result, while others will understandably be surprised and disappointed.

“But like the Brexit referendum in June, Mr Trump’s victory is part of a broader pattern in developed countries – reflecting a deep frustration with the way things are, and a strong wish to reassert a sense of identity, and somehow to change the status quo,” he added.

Lee went on to say that voters in the U.S. had voted in a president they felt best represents them.

As such, he said, Singapore fully respects their decision.

“We will continue to work together with the United States to cultivate our strong ties,” he said.

In an article on South China Morning Post, the political and economic observers were quoted saying the election result would weigh heavily on U.S.-Singapore ties.

“The uncertainty about the direction of America’s foreign and trade policies will be problematic for Singapore, given that our economy relies heavily on global trade,” Bernard Aw, a Singapore-based economist with IHS Markit, was quoted saying.

“Any rise in trade protectionism and threats to global security will have a strong negative impact on Singapore’s open economy.

“Increasing volatility in global financial markets, including major swings in commodity prices may also affect Singapore indirectly,” Aw said.

SEE ALSO: Donald Trump’s election victory rattles Asian observers, tumbles stocks

David Adelman, a former US ambassador to Singapore, said Trump would likely dial back on his predecessor Barack Obama’s famous “Asia pivot” strategy, which was aimed at containing rising Asian powerhouse China.

“A Trump victory clearly does not bode well for a continuation of the Obama trade and investment initiatives which have been the centrepiece of America’s pivot to Asia.”

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