SINGAPORE – Welcare Student Care Centre will have its status as an administrator of government student care fee assistance revoked on Aug 1.

The Ministry of Social and Family Developement (MSF) said in a press statement on Tuesday (June 28) that a recent audit revealed that the centre made multiple wrongful claims for student care fee subsidies.

MSF added that the matter has also been referred to the Commercial Affairs Department of the police.

The centre was given 14 days to explain the lapses and the steps it would take to improve its processes, but “failed to adequately explain the lapses,” MSF said.

Even after an extension of almost three months, the centre was still unable to demonstrate its ability to properly administer public money, the ministry said.

MSF is in the process of recovering all wrongful subsidy claims made.

The ministry has also contacted parents whose children are enrolled in the centre to explain the situation and to provide them with assistance.

debwong@sph.com.sg

The Chief of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Vice Admiral (VADM) Timothy Barrett has been conferred Singapore’s prestigious military award by President Tony Tan Keng Yam.

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen presented the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) or Meritorious Service Medal (Military) to VADM Barrett at the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) this morning, said its statement.

VADM Barrett was honoured for his significant contributions for forging closer ties between the RAN and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).

The statement noted that he promoted greater co-operation between both navies in bilateral and multilateral exercises, including Exercise Singaroo, Exercise Kadaku, Exercise Pacific Reach, and most recently, the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Maritime Security and Counter-Terrorism exercise that Singapore co-organised with Australia, Brunei and New Zealand.

“These exercises have yielded significant professional benefits and enhanced the inter-operability between the two navies,” said the statement.

VADM Barrett strongly supported the RSN’s training in Australia, such as the ship-to-shore training at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, as well as the attachment of RAN officers to both the RSN’s Information Fusion Centre and the Singapore Armed Forces’ deployments to the Gulf of Aden under Combined Task Force 151.

The Singapore Armed Forces and the Australian Defence Force have enjoyed a long history of military co-operation.

Both armed forces also interact multilaterally under the ambit of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) and the ADMM-Plus. Such military ties will be further enhanced under the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), said Mindef.

VADM Barrett, who is in Singapore for his introductory visit from June 26 to 28, called on Dr Ng, Chief of Defence Force Major-General Perry Lim and Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Lai Chung Han before the investiture.

He also inspected a Guard of Honour contingent at Mindef this morning, and gave a speech at the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College as part of the Distinguished Speakers’ Programme yesterday (June 27).

chenj@sph.com.sg