With many working from home, firms have been laying off workers over videoconferencing, making a painful process seem more callous
After working at a multi-national corporation for more than 20 years, a man was terminated over e-mail in April. A subsequent meeting over videoconferencing platform Zoom lasted less than 15 minutes as he could not reach an agreement with his employer. The company said it would courier his belongings to him as he would not be allowed into the building.
With the pandemic wreaking havoc on jobs, more people around the world are being fired or retrenched through electronic means which has led to unhappiness between the parties.
The man’s lawyer, Ms Muntaz Zainuddin, a partner at IRB Law, told The New Paper her client was upset with how he had been terminated despite working there for so long.
Ms Muntaz said: “He felt the company did not value or respect him, and he immediately assumed the retrenchment package was unfair. It was how impersonal it had conducted the exercise that led him to have suspicions about whether his package was fair.”
SINGAPORE: After graduating with distinctions from the Singapore Management University (SMU) in April, a quantitative finance major who wished to be known only as Ben was eager to make his mark in the financial technology (fintech) industry.
Normally, the 24-year-old who is fluent in both English and Thai and has internship experience at six firms, would be highly sought after.
But these are not normal circumstances.
After sending out more than 20 job applications in the last two months, his job search pretty much drew a blank amid the COVID-19 pandemic which has pummelled economies around the world.
The only offer he received was from a firm where he interned at last year, which offered him a salary that was “way below average” – S$2,800 to be exact.
“When they offered me the amount, I was speechless for a second. That was definitely a big difference in the pay I was expecting,” said Ben, who had expected to get a salary of at least S$3,800.
“I was talking to my former colleagues (at the same firm) who said that a future employer could ask what my last drawn salary was. If they learn that it’s that low, they might not want to offer me more,” he said, citing that as the reason why he put the offer on hold.
COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the global economy, forcing countries to restrict movements across borders and bringing domestic economies to a standstill as they deal with the different stages of the pandemic.
Like in other countries, job prospects across all sectors have been hit in Singapore, which is expected to experience its worst recession since independence.
Apart from degree holders, graduates from polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) are being similarly frustrated in their job hunt.
An ITE graduate, who wanted to be known only as Ismail, was given a “lowball” offer of a starting monthly salary of S$1,800 by a construction company.
And this was after he had asked for S$2,100 a month. He did not take up the offer.
“Imagine how much I’ll be bringing home after CPF (Central Provident Fund) deductions,” said the 22-year-old, who is currently working full-time as a GrabFood delivery rider.
“At least I can earn twice the amount when I work as a rider … I just have to work harder and take fewer days off,” said Ismail, who graduated in January.
In total, some 48,500 fresh jobseekers are leaving school and hoping to join the Singapore workforce this year – 26,000 from the five polytechnics, 16,000 from the six autonomous universities and 6,500 from ITE.
For many of these students, their final weeks of school life were anything but plain sailing: They had to grapple with remote learning and online examinations, and the disappointment of cancelled graduation shows and ceremonies.
Lasalle College of the Arts graduate Hakim Wijaya has yet to receive replies from companies he sent job applications to and is taking up small projects to support himself in the meantime. (Photo: Hakim Wijaya)
This left a sting on some graduates, like Mr Hakim Wijaya, who was affected by the disruptions and is wrestling with what he calls a “triple whammy”.
Graduating with a degree in Fashion Media and Industries from Lasalle College of the Arts, the 27-year-old said: “To put in blood, sweat and tears on my final-year project (a fashion show) only to not have it fully realised … felt like a loss. On top of that, my graduation ceremony is postponed till next January.”
Now, a bigger challenge lies ahead and important choices have to be made for Mr Hakim and other fresh graduates, as they prepare to join an economy that has been battered by COVID-19, which has forced businesses to pull the plug, lay off staff and freeze hiring.
NOT A PRETTY PICTURE
At a virtual media interview on May 29, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said that in March, there were 71 vacancies for every 100 jobseekers. The ratio was 84 to 100 at the end of last year.
She also noted that there have already been instances of job offers rescinded and companies scaling back hiring. In fact, some 150,000 workers have faced pay cuts of more than 25 per cent since Mar 12.
The dismal job prospects for first-time jobseekers is not unique to Singapore.
Job openings for each new graduate applicant in China fell from 1.54 to 1.41 this year compared to the previous year, according to a survey by online job recruitment platform Zhaopin. A total of 88,150 graduates were surveyed from February to May.
Some of the United Kingdom’s biggest companies, including HSBC and PwC, had also cancelled or delayed their recruitment schemes and internships, The Guardian reported in April.
A survey in March by non-profit UK research organisation Institute of Student Employers also found that more than one quarter of companies expected to hire fewer graduates because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nevertheless, the plight of this cohort of new workers has not escaped official attention in Singapore, with the Government, businesses and educational institutions themselves coming up with various initiatives to help fresh graduates find jobs or undergo training to acquire relevant skills.
On May 26, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat unveiled plans – as part of the Fortitude Budget – to have 21,000 traineeships for first-time jobseekers and another 4,000 for unemployed mid-career workers.
Under the SGUnited Traineeships Programme, S$100 million has been set aside to help fresh graduates acquire valuable industry-relevant experience which, in turn, can give them a firmer foothold in the job market.
Mr Heng also announced that Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will chair the newly formed National Jobs Council, which will work towards growing jobs and training opportunities.
Apart from the Government, universities and polytechnics have also rolled out programmes and resources to help their fresh graduates find jobs.
The National University of Singapore (NUS) had a virtual career festival in March and April where students were able to speak to potential employers through one-on-one live chat sessions. It also organised a series of career webinars on understanding the job market, writing effective resumes, better interviewing techniques and career networking.
On its part, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) held two virtual career fairs with 4,900 and 2,500 job vacancies respectively and will organise a third one in July. Among other things, the university has also offered workshops and career resources for graduating students to hone their online interview skills.
Similarly, SMU organised an inaugural virtual career fair on March 27, which featured about 3,200 internships and full time positions from 85 companies. Over 1,000 students attended online.
The university has launched a microsite which contains online resources, webinars, virtual workshops and podcasts for its graduates and alumni.
Polytechnics are also coming up with initiatives to help their graduates. They include job placement opportunities and apprenticeships – including some on campus – virtual career fairs and career counselling sessions.
But such events have not borne fruit for all jobseekers, such as those interviewed.
Some of those who have been unsuccessful in their job hunt are taking up internships, doing odd jobs or considering further studies to stay positive and stop disillusion from creeping in so early in their post-school life.
SHORT-TERM FIXES: INTERNSHIPS, ODD JOBS
While some fresh graduates have the luxury to chase lofty career aspirations or wait out for replies from companies, there are those who cannot afford to do so.
One of them is Ismail, the ITE graduate who turned to working as a food delivery rider to help his parents support five younger siblings.
“I know that there is no future for me as a food delivery rider but right now, I’m just taking up any jobs that can help pay the bills. I cannot sit around and wait for offers,” said Ismail.
Others have also lowered their job expectations or taken up internships to beef up their resumes.
Ms Teo Yi Ning, 23, a sociology final-year undergraduate at the National University of Singapore (NUS), took up a six-month internship position after searching for a full-time job for about a month. (Photo: Teo Yi Ning)
Ms Teo Yi Ning, 23, had applied to private firms and government organisations for marketing and programme planning positions but received no replies or rejection by most.
Graduating with a degree in Sociology from the NUS, Ms Teo managed to secure a six-month internship at telecommunications start-up Toku instead, which she started in mid-May.
“I wanted something in the marketing field and with the possibility of conversion to a full-time job,” she said.
Similarly, communication student Jared Silitonga, 25, also managed to clinch a marketing internship at social media monitoring company Digimind in June after his four month-long job hunt.
Mr Silitonga, who is graduating from the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM)-University at Buffalo in June or July, had applied for full-time and internship positions in marketing and other communications roles.
“A consideration I had when I tried applying (to internships) was that I was hoping to land a conversion – that’s sort of my idea in terms of (job) security,” he said.
Mr Jared Silitonga, 25, a graduating student at the SIM-University of Buffalo, secured a marketing internship at a social media monitoring company after searching for a job for about four months. (Photo: Jared Silitonga)
Such a conversion occurred for final-year NTU accountancy undergraduate Tung Lin Hui, 23, who found a full-time job as an assurance associate through her internship.
Ms Tung was offered her job at accountancy firm Ernst and Young in October last year after a three-month internship there in June.
“I think it’s common for accounting students to find jobs through their internships if they intern at big companies,” she said. “But for other smaller or mid-tier firms, I’m not sure about that.”
Unfortunately, given the bleak job markets in Singapore and elsewhere, some graduates saw their job or internship offers rescinded.
Ms Tung Lin Hui, 23, found a job as an assurance associate through her internship last year at Ernst & Young. (Photo: Tung Lin Hui)
Final-year culinary undergraduate Joel Tan, 24, had to forgo a one-year internship in the United States that was supposed to begin in May at three-starred Michelin restaurant Atelier Crenn.
The internship at the restaurant, founded by celebrity French chef Dominique Crenn, was part of Mr Tan’s curriculum at the Singapore Institute of Technology’s The Culinary Institute of America but it was cancelled in February due to the mounting COVID-19 cases in the US.
After the offer was withdrawn, Mr Tan and his classmates had to start sourcing for an internship in Singapore instead, with the school helping to match the undergraduates to restaurants.
But some of them had found it difficult to find one, as most restaurants were badly affected during the circuit breaker period – from Apr 7 to Jun 1 – since patrons could not dine in and thus the owners could not afford to offer paid internships.
Fortunately, a chef at Restaurant Zen – a two Michelin-starred Nordic restaurant in Singapore where Mr Tan used to work part-time in the past year – was willing to take him in.
Mr Joel Tan, 24, a final-year undergraduate at the Singapore Institute of Technology’s The Culinary Institute of America, had his year-long internship under celebrity chef Dominique Crenn in San Francisco cancelled. (Photo: Joel Tan)
Ms Trixie Poh, 23, who was training to become a Singapore Airlines (SIA) crew member had to stop her three-month training programme in March.
The marketing graduate said: “I do feel a sense of dejection, having to put this dream of embarking on this new milestone with SIA to a pause.”
Ms Poh, who graduated from SIM last year, has been on unpaid leave since her training halted and is uncertain as to when it will resume.
She is currently working as a temporary contract staff under a COVID-19 relief scheme – part of the Government’s supplementary Resilience Budget unveiled in March – after she was referred to it by SIA.
During the virtual media interview last month, Mrs Teo said that the Government’s plan to nudge more people to take up traineeships and attachments is part of a new approach to expand employment opportunities in the face of a weak job market.
Noting that jobseekers will continue to outnumber vacancies available, she stressed that the Government must seize “every possible channel of opportunity” and open as many pathways as possible for people to secure jobs.
With COVID-19 putting a damper on what could have been an exciting start to their next phase in life, many of the fresh graduates interviewed welcomed the initiatives rolled out by the Government, especially the SGUnited Traineeships Programme.
Applications opened on Jun 1. Asked for the number of traineeship applications over the first week, Workforce Singapore (WSG) said it was not able to provide figures as the applications would need more time to be processed.
The programme, which will last up to 12 months, will provide a monthly training allowance, based on the scope and skills required for the traineeship. The allowance is pegged to 50 to 70 per cent of median starting salaries, according to WSG and the Ministry of Manpower.
The Government will fund 80 per cent of the allowance and the trainee’s host company will pay for the remainder.
Ms Charlene Tan, 23, who is graduating this year with a degree in accountancy from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has applied for traineeships in analyst and operational risk roles at the DBS Bank through the SGUnited traineeship programme. (Photo: Charlene Tan)
NTU final-year accountancy undergraduate Charlene Tan, 23, has already applied for traineeships in analyst and operational risk roles at DBS Bank through the programme.
“It’s an alternative to finding permanent jobs and for jobs involving risk advisory or management, they usually require a minimum of three to five years of experience. So in the meantime, I can acquire skill sets relating to this field and also broaden my exposure,” she said.
Ms Tan is also currently waiting for a response to her applications to about 10 full-time positions in risk management or valuation roles, mostly at banks and large accountancy firms.
A check on the traineeship portal found roles for fresh graduates in private organisations such as Singtel, DBS and Surbana Jurong, and public agencies such as WSG, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and several ministries, as well as institutes of higher learning such as NUS and NTU.
These roles include research assistants, journalists, automation specialists, assistant teachers and graphic designers.
Each job posting also includes the location, industry, number of applications and salary range.
In a Facebook post on May 31, Manpower Minister Teo likened the traineeship to a sturdy umbrella amid a downpour.
“It is not the same as landing a permanent job, but this traineeship … will help sustain you till you reach the next step in your career,” she wrote.
BE OPEN TO TRAINEESHIPS OR INTERNSHIPS, TAP ON ALUMNI NETWORKS: EXPERTS
As prospects for a full-time job dim for many fresh graduates, several career experts said they should look for other opportunities – be it an internship or traineeship – in the relevant fields which they wish to pursue, as this will enhance their employability when the storm passes.
Veteran human resource (HR) practitioner Adrian Tan said: “When the market returns to normal eventually, these individuals will be ahead of the pack.”
Agreeing, Mr Adrian Choo, founder of career consulting company Career Agility International, also advised against taking up temporary jobs such as private-hire car drivers as the graduates can “get trapped in it and lose out on (having a) bigger career strategy”.
He said they are not improving their employability and will not have the relevant skills to switch out of the job after the economy picks up.
However, Mr Tan noted that individual circumstances would vary.
“For graduates who are cash strapped, where money is paramount, making S$2 is better than zero dollars,” added Mr Tan, who is the Asia Pacific regional leader of HR solutions and technology firm PeopleStrong.
He also warned graduates to not be too hopeful when taking up internships that they would lead to full-time employment.
“Conversion under normal circumstances is very subjective, more so during a pandemic. The chance is definitely lower,” said Mr Tan.
Both Mr Tan and Mr Choo suggested that graduates turn to school alumni networks for job opportunities.
“Graduates can tap (these) networks to look for jobs, such as their alumni directory or some seniors in university or secondary school who have gone on to work and ask if they have opportunities,” said Mr Choo.
While the experts felt that the SGUnited Traineeships Programme is a good initiative from the Government, some pointed to several issues, such as the pay gap between graduates from different institutions and extra costs incurred by companies.
Mr Paul Heng, founder of corporate coaching firm NeXT Career Consulting Group, Asia, said that the allowance given for similar positions should be the same for both diploma and degree holders.
“If a diploma holder is doing the same job as a university graduate – shouldn’t the allowance be similar? To say that university students invested more in their academic pursuit, and therefore deserve a higher figure compared to an ITE or diploma graduate does not hold water,” he added.
Some companies, which are struggling to stay afloat, could also see the programmes as incurring more costs, Mr Tan noted.
“Internships or traineeships are a low-cost way of bringing labour in, but this labour requires a lot of training and guidance … and although they are highly subsidised, companies will still need to pay,” he said.
HOLDING OUT HOPE
Despite the obstacles, some graduates said they remain hopeful of getting the job that they want in the coming months.
Ben, the SMU graduate, is waiting to be interviewed by a technology firm.
He said he expects salary offers to be lower given the pandemic but is confident that his qualifications and experience can fetch him a good starting pay.
Hakim, the graduate from Lasalle College of the Arts, said he is open to taking up job offers even if the salary offered is lower than usual. He will also be casting his net wider and applying for jobs beyond his field of study.
“At this point, I can’t be choosy. I can’t sit around and wait for replies from companies. If I get an offer, I might not think twice,” he added.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Mr Tharman stressed that Singapore “cannot wait for the employment market to recover and to solve these problems on its own”.
“The longer that those in mid-career are left out of work, the more their skills fade, and the less likely it is that they get a good job again,” he said. “And when young people graduate from their education and find themselves waiting for years to get a serious job – like in many European countries – their hopes and ambitions fall apart.”
Mr Tharman stressed the need to “absolutely avoid” what is happening in many other countries. “Unemployment keeps rising — first to 10 per cent, then higher, and governments and people begin treating that as normal after a while,” he said.
For some graduates, there is also the option of furthering their studies, thus delaying their entry into the workforce. They are hoping that by then, things will start looking rosy again.
Ms Muslihah Mujtaba, 26, graduated with a degree in theatre practice from University of London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in December 2019. The 26-year-old is working as a Foodpanda delivery rider while she hunts for a job. (Photo: Muslihah Mujtaba)
One of them is Ms Muslihah Mujtaba, who graduated with a degree in theatre practice from the University of London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
The 26-year-old, who has yet to find a job and is currently working as a Foodpanda delivery rider, said: “The job search definitely has discouraged me a lot and shaken my confidence. It makes me feel like I’m not good enough for anything and I know I’m not the only one.”
While she is contemplating going to graduate school, she said that the cost would be a concern.
In response to queries, several universities said they are still accepting applications for postgraduate studies and they will assess whether there is a need to increase capacity.
An SMU spokesperson acknowledged that the current economic uncertainty could be seen by some – not just fresh graduates but mid-career employees – “as an opportune time to upgrade knowledge and skills when their work is less demanding, or when they can take a break and study full-time so as to be ready for the improvement in economic conditions.”
However, pursuing a graduate degree should be a “carefully considered decision”, added the spokesperson.
“Prospective students should carefully consider their career needs and aspirations, what the degree programme and institution offer, the amount of financing available and the need to balance existing career and family commitments.”
SINGAPORE: Mustafa Centre, Tampines Mall and Geylang Serai Market were on Sunday (Jun 7) added to the list of public places visited by COVID-19 cases during their infectious period.
People who have been to these places during the specified timings should monitor their health closely for 14 days from their date of visit, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Confirmed cases had visited Mustafa Centre on Jun 4, basement 1 of Tampines Mall on Jun 2 and Geylang Serai Market and Food Centre on May 26.
These public places were visited by COVID-19 cases for more than 30 minutes while they were infectious, said MOH on May 26 when it first released the list.
It does not include the cases’ residences, workplaces, healthcare facilities visited and public transport places.
The list will be updated on a rolling 14-day basis, which covers one incubation period and as epidemiological investigations progress.
Those identified as close contacts of confirmed cases would already have been notified by MOH.
People who have been at the locations in MOH’s list should see a doctor promptly if they develop symptoms of acute respiratory infection such as cough, sore throat and runny nose, as well as fever and loss of taste or smell.
“There is no need to avoid places where confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been. The National Environment Agency will engage the management of affected premises to provide guidance on cleaning and disinfection,” said MOH.
Singapore reported383newCOVID-19 infections as of noon on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 37,910.
Fourteen of the new cases are within the community, including five students and a non-teaching school employee.
All six cases were detected as a result of MOH’s extended surveillance testing.
SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 383 new COVID-19 infections as of noon on Sunday (Jun 7), including 14 cases in the community.
The 14 cases involve nine Singaporeans, one permanent resident, one student pass holder, one work pass holder and two work permit holders, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Of the 14 community cases, 11 were picked up as part of MOH’s proactive screening and surveillance to identify cases early and isolate them.
Separately, two new infections are linked to the cases at Veerasamy Road. The two Indian nationals were already in a government quarantine facility when they tested positive.
Among the cases detected through proactive screening, five are students aged between 13 and 17.
One is a school employee – a 34-year-old Singaporean woman who reported the onset of symptoms on Jun 3.
Another three cases, all elderly Singaporeans, were tested because they had prolonged acute respiratory infection from the time they first saw a doctor for illness.
In addition, two men – a Singaporean and a Bangadeshi – were tested as part of the screening of workers in essential services.
Overall, the number of new community cases has increased, from an average of four cases per day in the week before to an average of eight in the past week.
“The number of unlinked cases in the community has remained stable at an average of four per day in the past two weeks,” MOH added.
More details on the community cases can be found on MOH’s website.
Singapore’s tally of COVID-19 infections now stands at 37,910.
The vast majority of the new cases, 369, are work permit holders residing in dormitories.
Authorities also identified one new cluster – a dormitory at 6 Tuas South Street 2.
In its daily update, MOH said 327 more cases have been discharged, bringing the total number of those who have fully recovered and discharged from hospitals or community care facilities to 24,886.
There are currently 295 cases still in hospital, most of whom are stable or improving. Three are in critical condition in the intensive care unit, said MOH.
A total of 12,704 cases are isolated and cared for at community facilities. These are patients who have mild symptoms, or are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19.
CASES INVOLVING SCHOOL STAFF AND STUDENTS
Earlier on Sunday, the Ministry of Education announced that four students and one non-teaching school staff member were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19, after they were tested as part of the extended surveillance testing.
They are from five different schools – Anglican High School, CHIJ Katong Convent, CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent, Geylang Methodist Secondary School and Hwa Chong Institution.
MOH later confirmed a sixth case, a 16-year-old Chinese national, from Ascensia International School.
The cases were picked up as a result of surveillance testing, conducted since Jun 2, on all school employees and students above the age of 12 who were diagnosed with acute respiratory infection when they first saw a doctor for illness.
“The epidemiological evidence suggests that these cases were likely to have been infected during the circuit breaker period, and not after school reopening,” MOH said.
Twenty-five people have died from complications related to COVID-19.
The latest fatality, announced on Saturday, was 41-year-old Chinese national, who died more than two weeks after being discharged.
As Singapore gradually reopens its economy, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed the nation on Sunday evening on the country’s future in a post-COVID-19 world.
The next few years will be disruptive and difficult, but Singapore will emerge stronger and better from the crisis, said Mr Lee, adding that the country has economic strengths, a trusted international reputation and support programmes in place to cope with the challenges.
The Prime Minister also urged Singaporeans to be united and resilient to face a “crisis of a generation”.
Mr Lee’s speech is the first in a series of national broadcasts from Jun 7 to Jun 20, when Cabinet ministers will lay out plans to lead the country out of the economic crisis.
SINGAPORE – The coronavirus will remain a problem for a long time yet, and Singaporeans will have to learn to live with it for the long term, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday (June 7).
This means getting used to new arrangements in the way people work, play and lead their everyday lives, he said.
“It will take at least a year, probably longer, before vaccines become widely available,” said Mr Lee in the first of six national broadcasts on Singapore’s future after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We will have to learn to live with Covid-19 for the long term, as we have done in the past with other dangerous infectious diseases, like tuberculosis.”
In his speech, the Prime Minister sketched out Singapore’s progress in tackling the pandemic so far.
New cases in the wider community have come down and the situation in migrant worker dormitories has stabilised, he said.
The healthcare system is coping well, and Singapore’s coronavirus fatality rate – at 0.6 per cent – is one of the world’s lowest.
SINGAPORE – Four students and one non-teaching staff from five different schools have tested positive for the coronavirus.
In a statement on Sunday (June 7), the Ministry of Education (MOE) said all five cases had mild symptoms, and are from Anglican High School, CHIJ Katong Convent, CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent, Geylang Methodist Secondary School and Hwa Chong Institution respectively.
They are thus not a cluster, the ministry said, adding that the cases were picked up as part of surveillance testing that began since June 2 for all students above the age of 12 and school staff who are diagnosed with acute respiratory infection when they first see a doctor.
“While positive, the tests for all five cases revealed low viral loads,” MOE said, adding that a repeat test using new samples showed that all five cases were negative.
The evidence thus suggests the cases were likely infected during the end of the circuit breaker period, and not after schools reopened on June 2, the ministry added.
By the end of next month, travellers flying on Singapore Airlines (SIA) will be able to use their mobile phones to operate check-in kiosks at Changi Airport to print boarding passes and bag tags.
The SingaporeAir mobile app will also provide the latest information on travel and transit restrictions, for ease of booking and mind.
Other initiatives to be rolled out by the end of August include a digital version of the in-flight and shopping menu, the airline’s chief executive Goh Choon Phong said.
Discussions are also ongoing with the airport and other partners to launch a new system that will allow SIA to alert passengers when it is their turn to board.
This will ensure that there is no crowding at the gatehold room.
Inside the plane, the “contactless journey” continues, with the mobile app already able to control the in-flight entertainment system.
With magazines and newspapers removed, passengers can also access SIA’s electronic library with 150 titles.
They will be able to access all these services by connecting to the Wi-Fi network on board at no cost.
SINGAPORE – Young people in Singapore are doing the right thing by standing up against racial insensitivity, said Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung on Saturday (June 6) in his first public comments about a photo of a birthday celebration taken in 2016 which depicted Raffles Institution students with their faces painted black.
He stressed that such acts of racial insensitivity or micro-aggression against a person of another race are not condoned, but urged people to also be mindful of how the situation in Singapore differs from that in the United States, which erupted in nationwide protests after an unarmed black man was suffocated in police custody on May 25.
The photo, taken in 2016, resurfaced on social media recently, sparking discussions online about the wider issue of racism. It depicted a group of Chinese students, some with their faces painted black and some wearing black masks, celebrating the birthday of an Indian schoolmate.
In the photo, they also pose with props such as a paper bag labelled “whitening kit”, posters of the movie Slumdog Millionaire, and handfuls of cash.
Sales consultant Kirstin Goh, 38,was relieved when she landed a job in November last year. She had spent her whole career working for relocations companies and rose to manage a team of four, but was made redundant in 2018 amid dwindling demand for relocation services as employers increasingly did away with expatriate compensation packages that included this perk. Little did she know a pandemic would soon hit the world, accelerating her industry’s decline.
In March, after just five months, she was again let go from her job – this time finding housing for people moving across the globe. Since January, she said, a trend of cancellations snowballed until “with these restricted movements” worldwide almost all her prospective clients had pulled out. “We were a team of 20 and now the whole team is gone,” she said.
SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and four other ministers will deliver a series of national broadcasts, starting from Sunday (June 7), on what a post-Covid-19 future looks like for Singapore and their plans to see the country through the challenges.
Areas they will cover are:
– What Singaporeans must do to live with Covid-19 for the long haul, so that people can go about their daily lives safely;
– How the country can maintain its relevance on the world stage amid a changing geopolitical situation;
– How to keep the economy competitive so that businesses can prosper and good jobs can be created;
– How to create promising opportunities for all Singaporeans to succeed, and care for those who are more vulnerable; and
– How to work together to emerge stronger from this crisis.
In a statement announcing the series of broadcasts, which will end on June 20, the Prime Minister’s Office said: “With the Fortitude Budget on May 26, 2020, the Singapore Government has committed almost $100 billion to support workers and businesses to fight against Covid-19.
