SINGAPORE: The Christchurch mosque shootings are a reminder that peace is both precious and fragile, said Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong on Monday (Mar 18), as he urged Singaporeans to guard against religious extremism and segregationist practices.

Speaking at the launch of the Inter-Religious Organisation’s (IRO) 70th anniversary exhibition, Mr Goh pointed out that Singapore’s multi-religious harmony is “an exception rather than the norm in the world”.

“The heinous acts committed at two mosques in Christchurch are a sad reminder that the peace we enjoy is both precious and fragile, and cannot be taken for granted,”  he said.

“Generations of Singaporeans and Singaporean governments have worked hard to make religious diversity our strength, not our weakness. And future generations must continue to do so.”

Mr Goh said Singapore faces challenges to maintaining social cohesion. 

For instance, increased religiosity around the world has led to concerns that some groups may seek to impose their beliefs on others, he said. 

In addition, terrorist acts and other hate crimes by extremist groups and individuals can turn communities against one another.

“The actions of a radicalised few could potentially cause distrust of the peaceful many who live in harmony, and split societies,” he added.

READ: Singapore’s religious harmony laws must be up to date to deal with new threats: PM Lee

Mr Goh, a patron of the IRO, lauded the organisation’s efforts in leading by example to maintain religious harmony in Singapore. 

He also urged all Singaporeans to work together to preserve and grow the common space in society; guard against religious extremism and segregationist practices; enhance day-to-day interactions between different communities; as well as strengthen and grow the Inter-religious Confidence Circles or IRCCs, which are interfaith platforms found in every constituency.

“On its part, the Government will continue to protect our social harmony and promote interfaith dialogue and understanding,” he said.

The IRO’s 70th anniversary exhibition traces the organisation’s work over the years to promote interfaith harmony. It features interactive games and displays of religious artifacts from 10 major religions. 

Held at Far East Plaza, the exhibition is open from 11am to 8pm daily until Mar 31.

CHRISTCHURCH: A Singaporean woman’s husband is in intensive care at Christchurch Hospital after he was shot at the Al Noor Mosque in the terrorist attack on Friday (Mar 15).

Ms Hamimah Ahmat said on Monday that her Turkish husband Zekeriya Tuyan, who’s a Singapore permanent resident, is in a stable condition but still “seriously ill”. Both of them are in their 40s.

Mr Tuyan, who remains unconscious, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after the attack. But following multiple operations, Ms Hamimah said his situation had improved a little by Saturday afternoon.

“So far, he’s making small improvements,” Ms Hamiah told Channel NewsAsia from the relatives’ waiting room just outside the intensive care unit.

“But I think at the moment it’s about waiting. The doctors are doing their best to prevent complications, (especially with) the kind of surgeries and wounds he has had.”

If Mr Tuyan’s condition continues to remain stable, Ms Hamimah said doctors could remove all his wires and tubes within the next one or two weeks.

Over the past few days, Ms Hamimah has tried to be by her husband’s side as much as possible. But that’s not always possible, as the couple has two sons aged four and nine.

They are handsome, active and playful. The older brother bounced a ball through the low-ceilinged corridors of the hospital, attracting rebukes from his mother as she spoke to Channel NewsAsia. The younger brother was constantly calling out to her.

Ms Hamimah said her four-year-old doesn’t really understand what is going on. 

However, her nine-year-old knows 50 people have died, although not exactly in the context of what had unfolded, and that his dad was affected and was now “sick”.

So, Ms Hamimah splits her time between her husband and her two kids. “I have to juggle because I have to look brave in front of my young children,” she said. “I’ve got no choice.”

MADE IN SINGAPORE

Their family life has its challenges. She raises her two children by herself in Singapore, where she works as a speech and language therapist at a Government hospital. Mr Tuyan is an information technology (IT) worker in Christchurch.

But theirs was a modern love affair made in Singapore, when as strangers they often saw each other on the North-South Line MRT while heading to work. Mr Tuyan had been working in Singapore for 10 years.

They tied the knot in 2008, taking their vows in Singapore and in Turkey. Their first son was born shortly after. And when he was five, Ms Hamimah got a scholarship to do her doctorate at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch.

The family decided that they should stick together, so Mr Tuyan quit his Singapore job and off they went to New Zealand for three-and-a-half years. Mr Tuyan eventually found his IT job, and they settled in.

So much that Ms Hamimah conceived again. “I tried for five years and didn’t get anybody,” she said, laughing. “I got pregnant while doing my PhD.”

After completing her doctorate, Ms Hamimah had to return to Singapore as the scholarship came with a bond, and her mother – hitting 90 years old – was ill.

Mr Tuyan was supposed to go back too, but he could not find a job in Singapore. So he stayed on in Christchurch as he liked his work and was gaining experience. Ms Hamimah was okay with that. He had “sacrificed his career” for her while she furthered her studies.

“The plan was for him to come back by June this year,” she said. “He was starting to miss the children and me.”

FRIDAY PRAYERS

On Friday morning Singapore time, Ms Hamimah sent her four-year-old to the childcare centre. She was not working as she was on leave. Her nine-year-old did not have school as he was on e-learning.

So she switched on the computer to get her son’s homework. But he was in the toilet, so she logged onto Facebook. The first post on her news feed was from the Canterbury Muslim Trust Group. 

That’s when she found out.

“I know my husband goes for Friday prayers in that masjid,” she said. “I gave him a call. He didn’t answer. A few calls more, he didn’t answer.”

Ms Hamimah called his office, but he had not turned up. She called him again and again. “I called all the friends I knew but all of them didn’t pick up,” she added. “So, I’m starting to put the pieces together, because they would all be at the masjid.”

Eventually, one of her friends who worked at Christchurch Hospital called to say Mr Tuyan was in the operating theatre. She would eventually find out that they wanted her there quickly, worried that he might not make it.

“There was no time to think about why, or to be angry or philosophical about it,” she said. “Just to make lots of prayers and to find out how to get here as quickly as I could.”

However, she discovered that her son’s passport was expiring in a matter of days, so she rushed to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority building to get it renewed and expedited.

But in these moments of desperation, help was not far away.

Ms Hamimah’s good friend helped her book flight tickets. Her sister-in-law, who lives in Melbourne, tried to get on the first plane to Christchurch. Members of the Muslim community in Melbourne were arranging airport pick-ups and contacts in Christchurch.

“She has been a great support for me,” Ms Hamimah said of her sister-in-law, adding that she had helped greatly with the kids. “I don’t know what I would do if she didn’t come.”

Ms Hamimah landed in Christchurch on Saturday morning local time, got into the car of a Singaporean friend who lives there, and went straight to the hospital.

What was her first thought when she saw her husband in that condition?

“Just to get him back,” she replied softly after a long pause. “But at the same time, understanding that he’s in Allah’s hands.”

SKYPE AND SNOW

From more than 8,000km away, Mr Tuyan bonds with his children via Skype, usually over the weekends. Ms Hamimah often leaves the video chat on for the entire day. And this is when dad teaches his older son how to recite the Quran.

“It’s like as if Baba is there with us, you know,” she said, using the term the kids affectionately call their father by. 

Every year, they would make it a point to meet up twice – during the school holidays in June and December. The last time they got together was last December, when Mr Tuyan went back to Singapore.

On Thursday evening Singapore time, the family Skyped again. They don’t usually chat on weeknights, but this time was different. The four-year-old wanted to see his Baba.

And so that night, they talked and joked a lot. They discussed plans to go for the minor pilgrimage in Mecca. If that didn’t work out, they discussed where they would go for their next holiday. They wanted to see snow.

Ms Hamimah said her younger son was unusually chatty. “I thought that was great,” she said. But she knew that it was already early Friday morning in New Zealand. “I was hurrying them (to finish),” she added. “Baba needs to go for Friday prayers.”

OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT

On Monday, Mr Tuyan was lying still on the hospital bed, surrounded by a tangled mass of wires and tubes. The four-year-old, holding a chocolate biscuit, still preferred to watch his dad from afar. The nurses smiled at how charming he is, but their job is to watch over Mr Tuyan day and night.

Mr Tuyan was unconscious, but Ms Hamimah talked to him anyway. “We’re not sure whether he can hear anything at the moment, but we pray and recite the Quran for him,” she said.

Back in the relatives’ room, there is also family from Turkey. It is a big, tight-knit group. They’ve brought canned drinks, kebabs and Turkish soup. There is never too little food in the relatives’ room.

Mr Tuyan’s brother, looking sharp in a blazer, sat on a chair. His face betrayed no emotion, but he prayed and hoped for the best. Mr Tuyan’s dad, tired and wizened, slumped into a sofa and took a nap. 

At the hospital, Ms Hamimah is taking things by the hour.

“I try not to think too far, and after every update we try not to have too high hopes,” she said. “Because of the injury that he sustained, there’s a whole lot of possibilities.

“But if Allah wills for him to go, then that’s Allah’s will. So, I try not to think too far.”

SINGAPORE: Two men who worked for a National Environment Agency (NEA) contractor took bribes from a construction site manager in return for advance notice of mosquito breeding inspections.

For their crimes, 48-year-old Singaporean Tung Chee Keong was sentenced to jail for 11 weeks and 30-year-old Indian national Chandran Jeganathan was given a prison sentence of six weeks.

Tung was given a penalty of S$1,000, while Jeganathan received one of S$600. If they do not pay these sums, they will serve additional jail terms of five days and three days respectively.

The court heard that both men worked as vector control workers for Killem Pest, a company that was hired by NEA as a term contractor to help NEA officers to control pests like mosquitoes.

As part of their work, both men followed NEA officers during inspections at construction sites, where they looked for mosquito breeding grounds.

Between January and April 2018, the joint team comprising NEA officers and Killem employees found mosquito breeding grounds on two occasions at a construction site in Tampines Industrial Street 61.

Both times, penalties were imposed. The site was managed by Muthukaruppan Periyasamy, 52, who knew that if there was another violation, a stop-work order would be imposed.

Periyasamy met the two men at a car park in Tampines where he offered them S$400 each month in return for advance notification of upcoming mosquito breeding inspections at the Tampines site.

This was so he could “do the necessary housekeeping right before the inspection took place”, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jasmin Kaur said.

After discussing among themselves, Tung and Jeganathan agreed to accept Periyasamy’s offer.

Between May and August 2018, the two men obtained a total of S$1,600 in bribes over five occasions from Periyasamy in return for a heads-up on the inspections. Of this, Tung took S$1,000 while Jeganathan pocketed S$600.

Shortly after beginning to take bribes from Periyasamy, Tung approached a workplace safety and health officer at another construction site in July, asking him for S$1,000 in return for informing him of upcoming mosquito breeding inspections and turning a blind eye to any violations.

The officer negotiated the amount to S$500 before saying he needed management approval for it, later telling Tung that his company would not be paying him.

Tung pleaded guilty to three charges, with another three taken into consideration, while Jeganathan admitted to two charges with another three charges taken into consideration.

The two men are no longer employed by Killem. Periyasamy is set to plead guilty on Apr 10.

The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau said in a statement after the hearing that Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. 

“Corrupt acts which compromise mosquito breeding controls can pose a serious danger to public health safety,” said the bureau.

ABU DHABI: Team Singapore claimed one gold, two silvers and three bronze medals on day three of competition at the Special Olympics World Games on Sunday (Mar 17).

A gold in athletics – the Republic’s second in the sport, along with medals in bocce, bowling and swimming bolstered an overall medal tally which previously stood at one gold and one bronze.

The Republic had won its first gold of the Special Olympics on Saturday, courtesy of 15-year-old sprinter Nurshalini Shanef’s triumph in the 200m F2 division.

The Special Olympic World Games, from Mar 14-21, is a meet for athletes with intellectual disabilities, and this year marks Singapore’s tenth occasion participating.

Athletes compete in different divisions based on factors such as their age, gender as well as level of ability. 

Team Singapore has sent a contingent of 30 athletes.

In athletics, 16-year-old Maveric Lee clocked a personal best timing of 27.87 secs in the 200m M8 division to clinch gold at the Dubai Police Club stadium.

Lee narrowly pipped Indonesia’s Williems Johanes Doroh, who finished a mere 3 milliseconds behind the Singaporean. The initial winner, Jamaica’s Delmar Campbell, was disqualified.

“I’m very happy with Maveric – he has been very consistent,” said Lee’s coach Noor Hanif Sulaimee. “He was also very determined and focused.”

ONCE LEFT HOME, NOW ON THE PODIUM

In the 50m breaststroke M6 division, Siau Ek Jin claimed bronze with a personal best timing of 47.95 secs.

Siau, who was a reserve at the previous edition of the Games in Los Angeles, said he was excited to be given the chance to finally compete at the meet.

“I was disappointed when I was not selected for the last World Games four years ago,” said Siau. “When I was finally selected for this World Games, I was very happy and excited.”

“You would marvel at his sense of focus in the water. He had some fierce competitors and at some point he was lagging behind,” said his coach Maria Koh. “But he kept on going, focusing on his strokes and speed.”

Singapore’s joy was not confined to the track and pool as the country’s bowlers also took home a silver courtesy of Siti Nurhamizah Hamzah in the singles D11 division.

“She did very well. We set some goals last year when we first started training together,” said coach Adam Koh. “We planned for her to hit a 140 average here – she bowled a 415, which is almost a 139 average.

“I hope that this helps her see that all her efforts pay off and that if she continues to work hard, she can achieve anything.”

Another athlete under Koh’s charge, Sarhan Zuhir, finished with a bronze in the singles D34 division.

16-year-old Rusydi Abdullah won his and the bocce team’s first medal at the Special Olympics with a silver in the singles M8 division. His teammate Chew Jun Hong added to the tally later in the day with a bronze in the singles M11 division.

“A silver and a bronze is awesome! I told them to just do their best and have fun,” said coach Norhaiza Binte Yep Abu. “Jun Hong was competing in a higher division against very good players, so bronze is a good result for him.

“Rusyidi always said that he wants to do the country proud and his family proud. He has done that today.”

“We are proud of the athletes’ performances today – from clocking personal best times to putting up good showings when up against opponents who were sometimes bigger and taller,” added Singapore’s head of delegation Lee Theng Ngee. “They have shown determination and focus.”

SINGAPORE: As we prepared to board a morning flight to Dubai for meetings just last month, the trill from the vibrating smartphones in our pockets signalled a flurry of incoming messages on our messaging app.

To respond to these messages only upon our arrival in Dubai might have been the norm a few years ago. But with Wi-Fi available on board many long-haul flights, client expectations have moved up several notches.

DISRUPTIVE TRENDS

Rapid advances in technology and the higher demands of cost-sensitive and increasingly discerning clients are forcing lawyers to transform the way they work. Understandably, speed is perceived today as the most visible metric of efficiency. 

New and evolving technologies has given the legal profession a much-needed shot in the arm. 

Artificial intelligence-driven platforms have instilled new discipline among lawyers, as the process of discovery in litigation and due diligence exercises involving voluminous documents can be accomplished in a fraction of the time it used to take, with fewer lawyers and paralegals involved using a machine-learning platform that gets better as you teach it.

Having such platforms saves firms and clients time and money, but challenges lawyers on two very critical fronts: First, in taking ownership of change; and second, in learning to move up the value chain so that they can channel their newfound bandwidth elsewhere to serve clients better.

Today, the document management system represents the quintessential backbone of a law firm’s filing system. Hosted in the cloud, it enables lawyers to file emails, voice messages, documents and other records digitally into searchable databases and in appropriate cases, with managed client access. 

Cloud-based services have made it easier for law firms to deploy document assembly software, AI-driven document review solutions and automated workflows, to enhance the role of lawyers.

READ: Lawyers may have to grapple with big data soon, a commentary

In a typical merger and acquisition transaction, document drafting and preparation, and the due diligence review of records and documents are now expected to be completed in less time for lower fees. Technology and project management skills have become important tools of efficiency in legal practice.

Indeed, the disruptive force of technology has been keenly felt across many industries including the legal sector. However, this is not the first time lawyers have had to confront the arrival of new technologies and fast-evolving megatrends.

Not too long ago, most correspondences between lawyers and their clients relied on telex, facsimile machines and the postal service, with response time ranging from three days to a week. In contrast, as transactions today are largely cross-border, lawyers are expected to work from anywhere and at any time.

Further back in history, lawyers have always had to navigate change to improve, evolve and survive; from the use of typewriters, dictation and transcription machines, to “Wang machines” for word processing and personal computers and the Internet.

The pace of change has increased exponentially, prompting lawyers to think radically very far ahead to reinvent their business as incremental improvements are no longer capable of meeting new needs.

INTERNATIONALISING LAW PRACTICE

As globalisation continues to radically change the business landscape, law firms are quickly evolving to meet the changing needs of clients to stay competitive.

Singapore law firms, many of which were previously independent local practices focused on domestic work, have now reached out to forge deep partnerships with foreign law firms and regional networks to better serve clients with complex cross-border needs.

Today, there are desktop solutions that can facilitate multi-party voice and video conference calls with options to share documents and review the same in real time, obviating the need for a physical meeting.

Increased competition has also brought about the creation of new roles at Singapore law firms. 

Ten years ago, few firms saw the need to establish marketing and business development teams. Today, law firms with digital marketing and specialised business development teams, public relation consultants, including specialised technology teams, have proliferated, arming law firms with new capabilities to keep ahead of the game. 

Increasingly complex client projects require the collaboration of a team of lawyers with diverse expertise across various fields in various geographies. Lawyers are now recognising that a customised suite of services across all practice areas can offer an efficient and cost-effective solution for clients. This sectoral approach is a departure from individual silo practices of the past.

A NEW PLAYBOOK

The Singapore law practice has to write a new playbook, where this new normal has given birth to tremendous opportunities for enlightened digital lawyers – one premised on the lawyer’s ability to accept change and adapt quickly to evolving market trends.

Lawyers are no longer mere practitioners. They must reinvent their practice and develop new technology-enabled solutions for their clients. They must grow their business to support the evolving professional services ecosystem.

In areas where the work is repetitive and voluminous, technology solutions can automate entire workflow processes, and make tedious work free from the need of human intervention. Whether technology is being used in conjunction with artificial intelligence to review standard documents as part of a due diligence exercise or to issue mere standard letters, the possibilities are infinite.

Managing cost is a serious on-going challenge for firms and clients alike. With technology, lawyers are able address the client’s needs by providing a solution-oriented and client-focused approach with a deep understanding of the client’s business. 

When acting for a client, for instance, technology enables the firm to assemble its entire global expertise on a dedicated messaging platform with managed document sharing and filing capabilities. All updates are automatically posted onto the platform, providing seamless collaboration and communication between lawyers and clients, and giving clients a high level of engagement and intimacy without the inefficiencies of a traditional engagement.

Changes to legal delivery, in particular its disaggregation, have also transformed the way lawyers work and brought about the proliferation of related professional services. Other professionals (paralegals and non-practising lawyers) with the right skillsets can do segments of the work. 

The most forward-thinking law firms are developing additional engines of growth to offer clients a broader spectrum of professional services. 

With technology and current market trends, the law firm of the future is likely to be lean and digital. 

These right-sized law firms would have re-engineered their business model, having built an extensive non-law professional service ecosystem so that they can deliver other professional solutions to their clients across the entire value chain, including cost-effective legal support services, company secretarial services, payroll services, and bespoke subscription-based technology solutions.

On hindsight, this seems to be the right and logical response to the Big Four muscling in on legal services – competition that many never saw coming ten years ago.   

LAWYERS OF THE FUTURE

Future lawyers will be digital natives, using technology to augment themselves, from file-opening, the conduct of Know-Your-Customer checks on clients, document assembly to chat bots. 

At some point, smart contracts built on a blockchain may be deployed for certain types of transactions, for example, in the insurance industry. One doesn’t really need a lawyer to execute a smart contract but a lawyer who can write codes for smart contracts will be in great demand. 

Unfortunately, the university curriculum today does not seem to address the requirements of the evolving digital landscape. Proficiency in basic word processing applications are basic skills and no longer enough to help law graduates stand out.

Future lawyers must keep track of technological changes and evolving market trends as these impact clients and the business landscape. New developments in financial technology, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology can have a disruptive effect on clients.

Singapore’s growth as an international financial centre has also created demand for globally-connected strategic and holistic legal services tailored to meet clients’ specific needs.

MAN VS. MACHINE

Technology is transforming every aspect of our legal practice and changing our legal culture. 

It has enhanced efficiency in the way we deliver legal services and will continue to fuel Singapore’s ambition to become the premier legal services hub for Asia, as outlined earlier this month by Senior Minister of State for Law Edwin Tong.

Discussions around the future of technology and its impact on industries have predominantly been framed in an adversarial manner, with job loss being the predicted outcome.

We do not believe in a zero-sum outcome as salvation comes in the form of a human client. We should remember that client intimacy ultimately demands a technologically-savvy human lawyer to face the client.

The legal services sector cannot hold out too long in this disruptive market environment. Law firms need to embrace change as a first step.

Azman Jaafar is Deputy Managing Partner at RHTLaw Taylor Wessing LLP. Erwan Barre is Partner at the same firm.

SINGAPORE: Dozens of firefighters were deployed early on Sunday (Mar 17) after a massive fire broke out at Geylang Road.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the blaze at 643 Geylang Road at about 1.10am. Firefighters arrived at the scene to find the raging fire spreading to a row of double-storey shophouses.

“SCDF quickly deployed its resources around the affected area to contain the fire,” it said in a Facebook post. 

There were no reported injuries, SCDF added in its final update.

“Due to the structure of the shophouse units which share a common roof, as well as the high density of furniture and other combustible materials stored in some of the units, the fire had spread quickly from unit to unit. 

Seven shophouse units were on fire  with five of “fully engulfed in flames”, according to SCDF.

A video of the fire sent to Channel NewsAsia showed several-storey-high flames engulfing the shophouses as SCDF firefighters battled the blaze. At one point an explosion was heard.

Seventeen emergency vehicles and about 60 firefighters had been deployed to combat the inferno, which took about three hours to extinguish.

“At the height of the operations, nine handheld jets and three water monitors from the aerial appliances were used to bring the fire under control,” SCDF said.

There were no reported injuries, SCDF added.

SINGAPORE: Cervical cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in Singapore. A worrying upward trend can be seen from the Singapore Cancer Registry report from 2011 to 2015. 

A recent national survey by the Ministry of Health (MOH) also showed an increase in Singaporean women aged 30 and above diagnosed with late-stage cervical cancer, with no improvements in the uptake of cervical cancer screening among Singaporean women.

SILENT KILLER

Cervical cancer is a silent killer. It usually has no symptoms and when they do manifest, the cancer is already in its late stages. 

Despite having an effective vaccine and screening tool, cervical cancer remains an epidemic worldwide, as the fourth most common gynaecological cancer globally, especially in developing countries.

While cervical cancer screening remains a pivotal player in the prevention of this disease, it has to work together with an effective Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme.

MOVES TO STRENGTHEN CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING

In May 2018, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu called for the world to commit to a total eradication of cervical cancer. 

In a timely move towards WHO’s goal, the MOH announced last Tuesday (Mar 5), the launch of the free HPV vaccination programme for Secondary 1 girls. 

Singapore now stands alongside 50 other countries, such as Australia, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Malaysia and the United Kingdom in the global fight against cervical cancer.

Along with this announcement, MOH also introduced a more sensitive cervical cancer screening tool to detect pre-cancerous cervical lesions. 

A HPV DNA test which needs to be carried out every five years will replace the pap smear test, which must be done every three years, as the new national cervical cancer screening protocol for women aged 30 and above.

PERSISTENCE OF HPV VIRUS

The HPV is a group of double-stranded DNA viruses extremely common worldwide and can be transmitted through skin contact including genital contact. 

Women and men who are sexually active will be infected by this virus at some point in their life, though this does not mean that penetrative sex is a necessity for transmission.

There are more than 100 types of HPV. Fourteen are recognised to cause cancer. Among them are the HPV 16 and 18 types, which cause 70 per cent of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions. 

Acute infection including cancer-causing HPV infection does not increase the risk of developing cervical cancer. The issue lies in the persistence of the HPV infection. 

THE HPV VACCINE AND  CERVICAL CANCER PROTECTION

The HPV vaccine is a prophylactic vaccine. It protects the host against future cancer-causing HPV infections. It is a viral-like particle, and allows the vaccine to confer immunity without infecting the host. 

It has a strong safety profile. The most reported adverse effect is pain where the injection occurs.

There are three HPV vaccines available worldwide; the bivalent, quadrivalent and nanovalent. 

While all the vaccines cover HPV 16 and 18 with similar effectiveness, the difference lies in the amount of protection each vaccine can provide, with Gardasil 9 giving the widest protection against 7 out of the currently 14 cancer-causing HPV infection that is known. 

HPV vaccines are extremely effective in preventing the development of cervical cancer precursors, offering over 90 per cent protection. But none of these HPV vaccines will provide 100 per cent coverage. 

Hence, regular cervical cancer screening must still be carried out because it can help to protect against other cancer-causing HPV infections not covered by the vaccine. 

EARLY VACCINATION IS KEY

Still, adopting a school HPV vaccination programme is a crucial move towards the goal of eliminating cervical cancer. Protection is at its best if the vaccine is administered before a woman becomes sexually active.

In Singapore, the HPV vaccine is approved for use for young women aged 9 to 26 under the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule, with Medisave coverage of up to S$400. 

Women up to the age of 45, who are already sexually active, with previous history of abnormal pap smear results or have been treated for pre-cancerous cervical lesions, may also benefit from the vaccine. In October 2018, the US Food and Drug Association (FDA) approved Gardasil 9 to be given to women up to 45.

HPV VACCINATION IN SINGAPOREAN MEN

There is also emerging evidence of a causal relationship between a tumour-causing HPV infection and the development of cancer in the anus, vulva, vagina, penis and oropharynx. HPV 16 is known to increase the risk of anal, penile and oropharyngeal cancers in men.

There is also emerging evidence regarding herd immunity and further reduction of cancer-related HPV infection in girls when the vaccination is also given to boys. Australia has adopted a gender-neutral school HPV vaccination programme and this has resulted in a significant reduction of their cervical cancer and HPV infection rates. 

READ: HPV vaccine is safe, says cancer agency, slams ‘unfounded rumours’

In Singapore, Gardasil and Gardasil 9 are licensed to be given to boys between 9 to 26 for protection against genital warts and anal pre-cancerous lesions.

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

Cervical cancer is unique in that we not only now know its main causes but also its long natural history, which allows us to have an extremely effective prevention and screening tool to totally eradicate the disease in Singapore. 

However, education and awareness are important aspects of our efforts. 

It is not enough to just have these tools. As a nation we need to commit to using these tools as effectively as possible, to empower and protect our women from this terrible disease. 

Dr Ida Ismail-Pratt is Consultant at National University Cancer Institute, Singapore’s Division of Gynaecologic Oncology.

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education’s recent announcement that secondary school streaming will be replaced by subject-based banding has predictably aroused a great deal of public controversy and debate.

Opposing views have been expressed on the pros and cons of this move, with some welcoming the doing away with a decades-old system, while others lament the loss of a familiar way of organising students’ learning.

It is timely to address the fundamental issues at stake in the discussion over streaming.

READ: Streaming out. Subject-based banding in. How are parents reacting? A commentary

CATERING TO A VARIETY OF LEARNING NEEDS

All education systems face the fundamental task of catering to students’ learning needs across academic and non-academic areas.

They also have to wrestle with the axiomatic reality that each student is unique, with a spread of different interests, talents and abilities, while considering how best to organise schools and programmes for efficiency.

Education policymakers have to grapple with a few big questions. These include: Who studies what? And when? And how?

READ: Parents, don’t shy away from a competitive education system, a commentary

Behind the decisions, another set of questions needs to be discussed to promote a better understanding of Singapore’s education policies and their associated trade-offs.

How are the various decisions made arrived at? Who makes the decisions? And who benefits most from these decisions?

BEHIND SORTING STUDENTS

Some might argue that it makes little sense to make every student move in a lock-step fashion through a standard menu of subjects at the same pace.

It is better to allow students instead to study subjects at a pace or level of difficulty best suited to their abilities. This is the rationale behind the move towards subject-based banding and away from academic streams.

This would address the needs of students who would otherwise be bored or disengaged, either because the lessons are far too easy for them, or because they are simply unable to understand what is being taught.

READ: Scrap PSLE? The Singapore education system is not a free lunch, a commentary

The argument about different levels of difficulty may be extended to advocate for different subject menus for different students. That means that some subjects are deemed more suitable for certain groups of students.

For instance, the study of Additional Mathematics may be thought to be more suitable for higher-ability students than for students with basic proficiency levels in mathematics.

MANAGING LABELLING

At the same time, there are arguments against the differentiation of subject curricula and differentiated access to various subjects altogether.

It is felt that sorting students in this manner gives rise to a labelling effect, which can be either positive or negative, even though the effects should be less so compared to Singapore’s previous system of streaming with Express and Normal bands.

​​​​​​​

Regardless, the label is attached to students by their fellow students, teachers, parents, and may be internalised by students as well

This labelling in turn gives rise to differential expectations of achievement, with attendant consequences for students’ motivation to do well in each subject.

The international academic literature has demonstrated the existence of such an expectancy effect in classrooms, where teachers knowingly or unknowingly transmit their beliefs about students’ academic performance to their students.

READ:  What is lost when we spend more on tuition, a commentary

Debates have swirled over when exactly differentiation and sorting ought to take place. How do sorting decisions take into account the fact that students’ abilities may develop over time and avoid being overly premature or unrefined?

There are education systems that prefer to keep differentiation to a minimum, and stress instead the commonality that binds all students together across various demographic variables or learning abilities.

For instance, the Japanese education system believes in minimising curricular differences among students. Some might argue that this minimises potentially divisive distinctions among students while others say this philosophy fails to fully cater to diverse learning needs.

THE WIDER CONTEXT

All these debates over the merits of various models of organising teaching and learning cannot ignore the fact that schools exist within a wider social context.

For instance, in Singapore there is a widespread belief in the benefits of meritocracy in education. Meritocracy is premised on equal opportunities within a level playing field to succeed in school.

It is therefore worrying if there is evidence of a socio-economic effect at work in the allocation of students to various streams or bands. 

There is already evidence of an over-representation of students from privileged socio-economic backgrounds in more prestigious schools and streams, while the reverse is true for less prestigious schools and streams. The move toward subject-based banding will gain greater credibility if it can avoid the pitfalls associated with streaming in this regard.

At the same time, the new banding system makes one ponder over what constitutes “merit” – is doing more subjects at G3 level a sign of greater “merit”?

PREFERENCE FOR ACADEMIC OVER VOCATIONAL

Second, the sorting of students into various streams or bands has to take into account social attitudes towards the various streams or bands. 

There is a longstanding societal prejudice in favour of academic over vocational education, which affects the prestige of different education pathways.

Another kind of prejudice concerns the supposed deficiencies of students in less prestigious streams or bands. These shortcomings include lower motivational levels and a greater predisposition towards misbehaviour in class.

That being the case, more ambitious parents will strive hard to ensure their children obtain access to what they perceive as more prestigious streams or bands. 

These parents may want to make sure their children minimise social interaction with students in less prestigious bands even while the Ministry of Education works actively to overcome these stereotypes.

This sort of parental anxiety has fuelled the growth of an enormous shadow education system in the form of private tutoring. The anxiety may also cause parental resistance to greater inclusivity within classrooms in the form of students from a wider variety of bands.

The Ministry of Education has been actively promoting greater inclusivity in classrooms for over a decade and teachers will need to continue their work in winning students and parents over to the merits of this move.

READ: Mayflower to be first mainstream primary school to enrol deaf students

ACCENTUATING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SCHOOLS

A third concern is how well the new banding system will cohere with the Ministry’s current policy ideal “Every School a Good School.” How will parents, teachers and students view schools across the achievement spectrum?

Will schools that are exclusively offering G3 level subjects continue to be regarded as “better” than those who offer a spread of all the three bands? And are schools that specialise in G1 level subjects any less good?

For one thing, schools have to juggle a multitude of competing policy objectives. They have to ensure that they cater to students’ diverse learning needs while recognising that students may change and grow over time.

It is not easy to devise a system of regular monitoring that diagnoses students’ learning progress and acts on that diagnosis.

In addition, schools have to assist students in making the transition across various bands. This transition not only involves adjustments to different difficulty levels but equally importantly, the socio-emotional health of students.

For instance, some students who move to a higher band may initially feel inferior to their classmates who were originally in that higher band, and may worry about being accepted by the latter as being equally capable.

The new system’s credibility will be greatly enhanced if it results in a much greater amount of inter-band mobility (especially in the upward direction) than used to be the case under streaming.

THE REAL TEST

If the new banding system is to significantly reduce the adverse consequences of labelling students, teachers will have to reflect on their own beliefs about student development and achievement.

If the degree of upward mobility across bands exceeds the low inter-stream mobility under the streaming system, teachers will also have to grapple with the consequences of greater inclusivity in their classes.

They will have to foster camaraderie among students who may be taking different combinations of subjects at different ability levels, and ensure that all students are treated fairly.

Beyond the immediacy of helping students adjust to the realities of moving upward or downward across bands, teachers have to work in partnership with parents who may have varying attitudes towards banding and inclusivity.

READ: Effective partnerships with parents require teachers to step back too, a commentary

As explained earlier, some parents may initially be skeptical about the benefits of greater inclusivity. Other parents may worry about whether their children will successfully make the transition to higher bands.

The real test of the success of this Ministry of Education reform will be whether schools can really make the ideals of “joy of learning” and “Every School a Good School” a reality for every student.

Every school would be able to offer an education that tries to customise teaching and learning programmes to meet the diverse learning needs of students, while providing flexibility to cater to changes in students’ interests or abilities.

Students would also study in a nurturing and inclusive environment that minimises the effects of socio-economic background and ensures students leave school as confident, caring individuals.

Jason Tan is associate professor at the National Institute of Education.

SINGAPORE: On his last day of work, Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) Christopher Tan’s spacious office was unusually messy.

The 60-year-old pulled out dozens of old photos, smiling and reminiscing about his 35 years in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). After all, it was his one and only career. 

Some of the photos are arranged in neat albums, others stacked in haphazard piles. In one photo he is beaming, carried on the shoulders of cheering colleagues. In another he is stern, getting briefed near a badly burnt shophouse.

SAC Tan has led battles against fires of all kinds: The kind that razed houses and killed people, and the kind that engulfed industrial buildings and sent steel drums flying.

He’s also witnessed the devastating aftermath of a major earthquake, commanding a team toiling through the night to sieve through rubble for signs of life.

As a senior officer, his primary duty at the frontline was command and control. But he’s also had some quieter moments.

SAC Tan’s final post was director of the fire safety and shelter department, where he ensured new and existing building designs complied with the Fire Code, which reduces risks in the event of a fire. It was an unspectacular, yet equally important role.

Still, the early years of his career epitomised the kind of all-action job that comes with a whole lot of risk and honour, the kind that some kids grow up dreaming about.

EARLY DAYS 

The man himself, however, did not have grand ambitions of working with the SCDF.

In 1986, after graduating from the National University of Singapore with a degree in building, SAC Tan looked for a job relevant to his education. He gravitated toward a career in the public service in the hope of better pay and prospects. 

But at the time, the building and construction industry wasn’t exactly booming. “Nobody was hiring,” he told Channel NewsAsia from his office at the SCDF headquarters in Ubi, lamenting the lack of construction projects back then.

There was one job, though, which wasn’t ideal but still seemed to fit: A position in the building plans branch of the fire safety bureau, a unit in the then-named Singapore Fire Service. His friend from university, who was already in the force, recommended him to apply.

So Tan signed on with the SCDF as an officer. And as they say, the rest is history. Still, he didn’t think he would spend the next three decades of his life in the same organisation. 

“Honestly, I just needed a job,” SAC Tan admitted. “I just wanted to give myself a chance, to just experience it and see how it goes.”

But soon he found himself growing fond of his new job, where he vetted building plans against the Fire Code. This includes having fire extinguishers and sprinklers where needed, and ensuring sufficient and convenient escape routes.

SAC Tan was applying his textbook knowledge to real-life scenarios. “It excited me that I was doing something real,” he said. “Whatever we advised the engineers or architects, it’s going to affect the safety of the building.”

COMMANDING A FIRE STATION

But the realities of his job were only going to become clearer. In 1990, SAC Tan became officer commanding of the iconic Central Fire Station on Hill Street, where he took charge of about 100 personnel and 15 emergency vehicles.

From behind a desk, SAC Tan was thrust onto the front line.

“What crossed my mind was now I was going to lead a team to fight a fire,” he said. “Am I able to do it well? Because they are going to look at you for direction. And they are people with many, many years of experience.

“Will they respect and accept me as their superior?”

SAC Tan overcame this by always asking his senior subordinates for advice during operations. He would involve them in discussions, and they would pick up on things he missed.

“People like to be respected and treated well,” he added. “When you consult them, they think you value their views and experience. That’s important.”

SAC Tan also engaged his rank-and-file personnel about things like welfare and living conditions at the station, eager to see how they could be improved.

“I don’t just build relationships with my bosses, but my men as well,” he said. “Because they will be the ones who will support you and look after your back. In a fire, if there’s a risk, they will be the ones pulling you out.”

When it came to fighting fires, it was often a matter of life and death. Because of the station’s location, SAC Tan attended multiple incidents in the Rochor area, which then had a lot of fire-susceptible shophouses. He also witnessed a lot of deaths.

“It boils down to poor fire safety education and design,” SAC Tan said, noting that the shophouses were made of materials like timber, and had grilled windows with only one staircase escape route.

One particular incident stuck in his memory.

In the dead of night, he responded to yet another shophouse fire near Ophir Road. The flames were raging as his team battled to put it out quickly. “We must not assume that there’s no one trapped,” he said. “The faster we put it out, the faster we can go inside and do a search and rescue operation.”

It was too late. On the second floor, they found at least seven bodies. SAC Tan believes they were not able to escape because the window was obstructed, a situation made worse by overcrowding.

For SAC Tan, his multiple encounters with death had taken a psychological toll, although he got used to it after a while.

“I do feel a bit affected by it,” he said. “Some are charred beyond recognition. But I know for one that if we get emotionally attached, it will affect our actions and decisions.

“Importantly, I tell my men: You must treat each case you are responding to as though you are doing it for your loved ones.”

TACKLING AN EARTHQUAKE

As the years went by, SAC Tan moved up the ranks, eventually becoming commander of the 4th division in 1998 to oversee four fire stations in northwest Singapore.

He responded to even bigger fires, like one which tore through an industrial warehouse in Jurong after reactive chemicals were improperly stored. The fire was so huge it made steel barrels explode, turning them into dangerous projectiles.

But perhaps his toughest assignment yet came on Sep 21, 1999, when a 7.6-magnitude earthquake ravaged Taichung County in central Taiwan.

At 9am, the SCDF’s Operation Lionheart contingent, which provides urban search and rescue and humanitarian relief assistance overseas, was put on alert.

SAC Tan was the division commander on standby for the operation. “There was a very short reaction time,” he said. “You need to do a lot of things when you are activated.”

The men had to be called back, while standby equipment like drills and life detectors had to be taken out and tested. At the same time, SAC Tan was trying to get more information on the disaster, details of which were “quite sketchy”.

“All these raced through my mind as I tried to make sense of what is going to happen there and how I am going to manage it,” he added.

Despite the whirlwind of his own thoughts, SAC Tan had to prepare his men. As soon as they were activated, he reminded them of what lay ahead.

“We have a mission and failure is not an option,” he stressed. “We are going there to make a difference and save lives.

“I told them we are going there together, we are coming back together. No one is going to come back in a box. So, I want everyone to work as a team and take care of each other’s safety.”

By 5pm, 44 SCDF personnel – including two operationally-ready national servicemen and one full-time national serviceman doctor – together with four rescue dogs departed for Taiwan in a military plane. 

SAVING LIVES

It was past midnight at the disaster zone, but it was easy for SAC Tan to see the collapsed structures, as he recalled one nine-storey building half submerged in the ground.

“We were the first overseas rescue team there, so there was no time for anything,” he said. “Just straight into ground zero and the action starts.”

The rescue dogs scoured a search area spanning a few blocks, narrowing it down for rescuers to detect movement or sound under the rubble.

Without local building plans, residents were asked to sketch rough diagrams of where their kitchens and bedrooms were – likely places where survivors would be trapped – on cardboard boxes. SAC Tan said it would be wasteful for rescuers to spend hours inadvertently drilling into a toilet.

The team ended up working for 72 hours straight with minimal rest, braving aftershocks while looking out for each other. “We saw a lot of people in hysteria and crying,” SAC Tan said. “You just cannot stop. They are depending on you to hopefully find their loved ones.

“We didn’t feel the tiredness until we finally pulled out.”

Their efforts paid off. The team had saved two lives, including an eight-year-old boy who had been trapped under the rubble for 30 hours. The mission had lasted an exhausting 22 days, one of the longest operations in the SCDF’s history.

“Even if it’s just two lives, every life saved is monumental to us,” SAC Tan added. “It was a success.”

At the disaster site, locals thanked the team for their efforts. One lady even gave SAC Tan a Bible in appreciation of his work.

“These are some of the gestures that keep you going,” he stated. “This thing is very much in us: When we turn out for any rescue operation, no matter how daunting it is, we have to give our best.”

LIVING AND WORKING ABROAD

SAC Tan thought he had passed the most difficult test of his career, but in late 2005 he encountered something that would turn out to be even more challenging.

The Qatari government had asked Singapore for help in setting up a fire safety regulatory framework, so SAC Tan was asked to go there to do the job – for two years.

To keep the family together, his wife and two school-going daughters decided to come along, meaning they had to take no-pay leave and a break from local education.

Once there, SAC Tan had to overcome many difficulties, including the sweltering 45-degree Celsius summers, lack of a support group and an unfamiliar culture.

At work, he said the locals procrastinated a lot, interrupted meetings and rarely gave definite answers, things which hampered his job. “My concern was really the deliverables,” he added. “They can take their time, but for us, no. Because two years they will ask what have you done? Nothing.”

But he stayed patient and built relationships with the Qataris, delivering what he needed to while earning their respect. He is good friends with the ambassador till now, and the country still sends its officers to Singapore for training.

On the social front, he made life easier for Singaporeans working in Qatar by starting a community for them to meet up and share tips. For his daughters, he found a piano teacher just so they could continue their lessons, even flying one of them out to Bahrain for a ballet exam.

When it was time to go home, his daughters asked if they really needed to. They had made good friends at the international school and asked if he could extend the contract. His family had gained a lot and grown stronger, but “it’s time to go back”, he said.

SAC Tan said his time in Qatar made him realise just how much he took things in Singapore for granted. “It was a life-learning experience,” he added. “On reflection, it was not a bad decision.”

IMPROVING TRAINING OF RECRUITS

After returning home in 2008, SAC Tan became director of the Civil Defence Academy, which trains new recruits and other personnel in areas like firefighting and disaster management.

He called it one of his most memorable postings, especially as he constantly looked to ensure everyone was well-trained for their jobs.

“Training, capacity building is something that I enjoyed doing,” he said, adding that he liked interacting with the people there. “How can we do it better is always something in my mind.”

SAC Tan, a firm believer in using technology to do things better, took his job seriously.

He replaced physical flip charts with Internet-connected electronic screens so training material could be conveniently updated. He helped introduce a 3D, augmented reality training simulator which helps trainees improve their road accident rescue skills.

Beyond that, he made it a point to walk the ground day and night, eat in the same cookhouse as the trainees, and observe their training. This also kept instructors on their feet.

“They thought the director is in the office all the time, in an air-con room not knowing what is happening,” he said. “But for me, no. The important part is showing the men and instructors you are serious about training.”

COMING FULL CIRCLE

In 2013, SAC Tan left the academy to become director of the fire safety and shelter department, his final appointment before retiring.

After starting out in fire safety, his career had come full circle. Now he still dealt with building plans and the Fire Code, but was helped by a great deal of technology.

For instance, his team used fire modelling software to test and improve the parameters of the code, so they were not too restrictive. When developers required a waiver for complex buildings like the Sports Hub and Esplanade, he studied their alternative proposals and made a decision.

It was a fine balancing act that sometimes involved dealing with profit-driven industry players who didn’t like overregulation.

“I think the misconception that some people have of us is that we are rigid and inflexible in the way we regulate fire safety,” SAC Tan said.

On the contrary, he said it was important to engage stakeholders for their expertise and experience, and discuss alternative solutions where possible.

“We can’t just force it down their throat and force them to comply with it,” he added. “We always take a calibrated approach where we assess any situation or project.

“You try to strike a balance, but at times we’ve got to take a hard decision. Between profitability and life safety, of course safety takes precedence. So, we have to bite the bullet.”

This job might not be as exciting as fighting fires or saving lives, but SAC Tan said it was just as crucial. “I always believe fire safety is the upstream process, you must do it well,” he said. “If a building is well-designed, chances of fire occurrences are lower.”

BEING A PEOPLE PERSON

On his last day of work, SAC Tan still looked excited about his job. He said he’s never had a dull moment nor any major regrets in his career.

If he had to do something differently, it would be spending more time with his colleagues and engaging them on a deeper level.

“I think we are so caught up in the day-to-day work, chasing reports and all these things, that we don’t spend time building that relationship,” he said. “The deeper conservations, understanding people better.”

SAC Tan is a people person. His smile is warm, and throughout the interview he was always offering food and drinks. “Don’t you want to taste the best prata here?” he asked.

He liked sharing his memorabilia with people too.

Besides the old photos he pulled out, there was that Chinese Bible from Taiwan, some prayer beads gifted by the Qataris, and a plaque from President Halimah Yacob thanking him for his service.

Ultimately, the most rewarding part of his job was not the tokens he had collected.

“When we are able to do it well and see the happy faces of people, the assurance that we have brought to them – putting out the fire, stopping the spread and so on,” he said. “That’s the biggest satisfaction that I can get.”

SINGAPORE: Dozens of firefighters were deployed early on Sunday (Mar 17) after a massive fire broke out at Geylang Road.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the blaze at 643 Geylang Road at about 1.10am. Firefighters arrived at the scene to find the raging fire spreading to a row of double-storey shophouses.

“SCDF quickly deployed its resources around the affected area to contain the fire,” it said in a Facebook post. 

“Due to the structure of the shophouse units which share a common roof, as well as the high density of furniture and other combustible materials stored in some of the units, the fire had spread quickly from unit to unit. 

“A total of seven shophouse units were on fire, five of which were fully engulfed in flames.”

A video of the fire sent to Channel NewsAsia showed several-storey-high flames engulfing the shophouses as SCDF firefighters battled the blaze. At one point an explosion was heard.

Seventeen emergency vehicles and about 60 firefighters had been deployed to combat the inferno, which took about three hours to extinguish.

“At the height of the operations, nine handheld jets and three water monitors from the aerial appliances were used to bring the fire under control,” SCDF said.

There were no reported injuries, SCDF added.