SINGAPORE: An average of 28 grassroots leaders per year, or less than 0.1 per cent of the total number, have utilised the Ministry of National Development’s Grassroots Organisation (GRO) Scheme over the last ten years, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing in Parliament on Monday (Nov 7).

Under the GRO scheme, grassroots leaders with three years of continuous and active service in their GROs can apply for HDB BTO flats and Executive Condominiums in constituencies within the Town Council boundaries which they serve, explained Mr Chan.

He was responding to questions by Workers’ Party MP Png Eng Huat, who also wanted to know if grassroots leaders are prioritised in the balloting process, and if they are allowed to utilise the benefit more than once.

“Number one, the priority balloting goes with all other priority schemes, and they all go into the computer, and the computer would churn out the results. Number two, whether they can buy more than once, whether they take up more than one loan, they adhere to all existing schemes available to all Singaporeans,” said Mr Chan.

According to a post on Gov.sg dated Feb 2015, the rationale for the GRO scheme is “to tap on experienced grassroots leaders to start new GROs and activities in new estates”. 

SINGAPORE — The ballot papers and other documents used in May’s Bukit Batok by-election will be destroyed on Nov 12, the Elections Department (ELD) said on Monday (Nov 7).

The sealed boxes containing both the ballot papers and documents are currently stored in the Supreme Court, and will be transported to the Tuas South Incineration Plant on Nov 12 for destruction by incineration.

The Bukit Batok by-election, held on May 7, saw a straight fight between the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Murali Pillai, and the Singapore Democratic Party’s Dr Chee Soon Juan.

Mr Pillai won the election with 61.21 per cent of the votes, while Dr Chee got 38.79 per cent of the votes.

A total of 24,192 votes were cast, including 622 rejected votes. There were 25,727 registered electors in the single-member ward. 

The by-election was called after then-PAP Member of Parliament for the ward David Ong resigned in March, following an alleged extramarital affair with a PAP activist.

According to the Parliamentary Elections Act (Chapter 218), ballot papers and other documents used in an election shall be sealed and retained in safe custody for a period of 6 months, after which they shall be destroyed, unless otherwise directed by order of the President.

This is to ensure secrecy of the vote, said the ELD.

SINGAPORE: Workload is “not commonly cited” as a reason for teachers leaving the service, said Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary on Monday (Nov 7).

Instead, the main reasons for resignations range from family considerations like childcare, to a desire for a change of job, he added, in response to a series of parliamentary questions filed by MPs on the topic.

Teacher resignation rates have remained low at around 2 to 3 per cent a year over the past decade, but on average, there is a slightly higher overall resignation rate of around 3 to 4 per cent a year over the first five years of a teacher’s service, said Dr Puthucheary, citing figures from MOE. There will also be an uptick in the resignation rate to about 5 per cent for teachers when their bond ends.

Training a teacher on the 12-month Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) at the National Institute of Education costs around S$23,000, and salaries are also paid to trainee teachers during their training. On average, teachers have been in service for 11 years.

MOE has “consistently paid close attention” to teachers in ensuring that they are fairly remunerated, provided with developmental opportunities to grow their careers, and are taken care of in terms of their well-being, added the Minister of State.  

For one, MOE regularly reviews teachers’ salaries to ensure they remain market-competitive. In the last salary review in October 2015, eligible teachers had a monthly salary increase of 4 to 9 per cent, he said.

Teachers can also develop their careers by taking up leadership positions in schools and MOE headquarters, becoming teacher leaders, or take up senior specialist roles.

Dr Puthucheary added that MOE is mindful of the high expectations of teachers, and has put in place measures to support and guide schools in work allocation. “Schools also regularly review work areas that can be stopped if they are no longer relevant or meaningful, simplified to reduce duplication and optimize efforts, as well as share good practices to improve work management,” he said.

In response to a supplementary question by Non-Constituency MP Daniel Goh, Dr Puthucheary noted that in a yearly teacher satisfaction survey, some teachers have raised concerns in the amount of administrative overheads, and MOE is trying to put in place some IT solutions that should be able to address some of these needs.

In terms of professional development, MOE is also putting a “significant amount of work” into ensuring that every teacher has at least 100 hours of professional development every year.

But one “striking point” he also highlighted from the survey was the teachers’ perception of how they are valued and respected within society. “There was interestingly a big group of teachers within the survey who recorded that they felt that their value and the respect with which they were accorded was reducing,” he said. “And yet, this would not stop them continuing within the teaching profession, and they found this a very meaningful profession.” 

SINGAPORE – Households will have to pay around 10 per cent more to get their trash collected from Jan 1 next year due to higher operating costs, the National Environment Agency (NEA) announced on Monday (Nov 7).

Currently, those living in apartments such as Housing and Development Board flats and condominiums pay S$7.49 per month. It will be raised to S$8.25.

Landed households, which currently pay S$24.81, will see their fees go up to S$27.47.

The NEA appoints public waste collectors to collect garbage from households via open tenders, and each household pays a monthly refuse collection fee through its monthly utility bill.

The NEA said that the refuse collection fees for households are reviewed on a regular basis, and the next review is scheduled for January 2019.

SINGAPORE – All dogs sold by pet shops, importers and farms will soon have to be licensed with the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), even before they are sold.

AVA will be implementing the change to dog licensing rules from early next year. In addition, under the new rules, once a dog is sold, the ownership of the dog will have to be transferred to the new owner.

Such a move, AVA said, ensures that pet dogs are traceable in case of disease outbreak such as rabies. It will also help to discourage pet abandonment and assist the authorities reunite lost dogs with their owners.

Currently, dogs intended for sale are not required to be licensed to the pet businesses.

The revisions, said AVA chief executive officer Tan Poh Hong, will “strengthen the accountability of pet businesses and dog owners for their dogs, further safeguarding them against abandonment”.

He added that the agency is working closely with affected pet businesses to ensure a smooth roll-out of these revisions, and will be given sufficient time to comply with the new requirements.

To make it easier for pet businesses, they will be able to register multiple dogs intended for sale under a single “group” licence, with licensing fees tiered according to the maximum number of dogs intended for sale.

The transfer of ownership can also be done via the AVA’s online portal for pet licensing.

Calling the rule change a “long awaited, long needed move”, Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD) president Ricky Yeo said animal welfare groups like ASD, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Animal Lovers League had been pushing for it for some five years now.

The 48-year-old added that he has seen a rising number of dog abandonment cases, from one to two cases every few months five years ago, to one to two cases involving pedigree dogs every month now.

He said the compulsory microchipping of dogs, introduced seven years ago, was not very useful in preventing dog abandonment as it was not mandated by law that owners’ particulars had to be updated.

This new licensing requirement, he said, will make pet businesses “compelled to follow through with the transfer of licensing”, otherwise, they remain liable for the dog’s well-being.

SINGAPORE: Households will have to pay higher rubbish collection fees starting next year, due to the rising cost of providing such services, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Monday (Nov 7).

From Jan 1, 2017, the monthly rubbish collection fee will be S$8.25 for apartments – including HDB flats and condominiums that have not opted out of the public waste collection scheme – and S$27.47 for landed homes. The fees are inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Currently, households living in apartments pay S$7.49 for rubbish collection and those in landed properties pay S$24.81.

Public waste collectors are appointed by NEA to collect refuse from households via open tenders. Each household pays a monthly fee through its utility bill.

The rubbish collection fees for households are reviewed on a regular basis, and the next review is scheduled for January 2019, NEA said.

SINGAPORE: The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) will amend dog licensing rules in early 2017 such that all dogs intended for sale by pet businesses must be licensed before they are sold, it said in a press release on Monday (Nov 7). 

Currently, dogs intended for sale by pet businesses are not required to be licensed to the pet businesses. Under the new rules, when a dog is sold, pet businesses will be required to transfer the ownership of the dog to the new owner via AVA’s online portal for pet licensing – the Pet Animal Licensing System (PALS).

To make it more convenient for dog farms and pet shops to comply with the revised licensing requirements, they will be able to register multiple dogs intended for sale under a single “Group” licence. The licensing fees will be tiered according to the maximum number of dogs intended for sale, AVA stated.

The revisions will improve the traceability of pet dogs in event of a disease outbreak such as rabies, and help AVA reunite lost dogs with their owners, the authority said.

“The revisions will also strengthen the accountability of pet businesses and dog owners for their dogs, further safeguarding them against abandonment,” said AVA CEO Tan Poh Hong. “AVA is working closely with affected pet businesses to prepare them for the changes, and address any issues encountered, to ensure a smooth rollout of these revisions. They will be given sufficient time to adjust their processes to comply with the new requirements,” she added.

SINGAPORE — Team Singapore’s Paralympians were honoured on Monday (Nov 7) in Parliament as a motion was moved to formally recognise the achievements of its 13-strong contingent at the Rio Paralympic Games in September.

Among the nine Paralympians present in Parliament today to witness the moment were national para swimmers Yip Pin Xiu and Theresa Goh, as well as Teo-Koh Sock Miang, former chairman of the Singapore National Paralympic Council (SNPC). 

National para swimmer Yip, 24, broke two world records enroute to winning  the women’s 50m and 100m backstroke S2, with her two Paralympic gold medals adding to her haul from the to add to her two-medal haul (gold, silver) from the 2008 Beijing Games. Veteran swimmer Goh, 29, won the first Paralympic medal of her career as she claimed the bronze in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB4. 

In her speech delivered in Parliament on Monday, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) Grace Fu said:

“Our Paralympians, with their incredible feats in Rio, have uplifted the nation. Adding to an already impressive haul of 1 Gold, 2 Silvers and 3 Bronzes from past Games, our Paralympians brought home another 2 Gold and 1 Bronze medal.”

Highlighting the achievements of each of the 13-strong contingent, Fu applauded Team Singapore for their “courage, determination, and fighting spirit.”

Added Fu: “Beyond medals, each Paralympian has shown us what it means to be a champion – to be counted among the world’s best, and fly our flag high at the world’s biggest stage for para sports.

“These 13 extraordinary athletes have shown us that with hard work and sacrifice, we can realise our dreams. Their achievements also exemplify how a nation as small as ours can punch above its weight.”

Special mention was also reserved for Paralympic medallists Yip and Goh. On Goh, who received the Public Service Star at the National Day Awards Investiture on Sunday, Fu added: “To us all, Theresa is a symbol of commitment, resolve and dedication. To all our aspiring athletes, she is a perfect role model. To Singaporeans, she represents the sporting hero that we all look up to.”

Yip’s two gold haul was also a special moment fort Singapore, as Fu said: “These were unforgettable moments as the Singapore flag was hoisted and the Majulah Singapura was played in the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio. Pin Xiu now has three Paralympic Golds, making her the most decorated Team Singapore athlete at the Olympics and Paralympics. Despite her achievements, she is always humble, grounded and appreciative of the support from her friends and family.”

SINGAPORE: The achievements of Singapore’s Paralympians at Rio 2016 were recognised in Parliament on Monday (Nov 7), as the House moved a motion to congratulate them.

Singapore’s para-athletes put up their best Games showing at the Olympic Games in Rio, with swimmer Yip Pin Xiu winning two gold medals in the S2 50m and 100m backstroke, and teammate Theresa Goh taking bronze in the SB4 100m breaststroke.

The 13-strong team of Paralympians was invited to attend the Parliament sitting on Monday.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu said their “incredible feats” in Rio have “uplifted the nation”.

“These 13 extraordinary athletes have shown us that with hard work and sacrifice, we can realise our dreams. Their achievements also exemplify how a nation as small as ours can punch above its weight,” she said

The minister also paid tribute to the athletes’ caregivers, coaches and families, as well as officials from the Singapore Disability Sports Council, Singapore National Paralympic Council and Singapore Sports Institute for their “tireless contributions”.

Ms Fu said it was heartening to see the outpouring of pride and appreciation from Singaporeans, who turned up at the airport to welcome the Paralympians on their return from Rio, and lined the streets during their celebratory parade.

“Our Paralympians have certainly become our nation’s sporting heroes, and I believe they will continue to inspire many more Singaporeans in time to come,” she said.

Jalan Besar MP Denise Phua thanked the Paralympians “for showing us the power of the human spirit”. 

“You face greater challenges than typical athletes and deserve recognition similar to or even beyond them. From you, we learnt the lessons of mental toughness, true grit, optimism and self-control,” she said.