SINGAPORE – As soon as the government announced that capacity limits at weddings would be doubled to 100 from Oct 3, bride-to-be Sheryl See whipped out her alternate guest list and started making telephone calls.
The 31-year-old said she was well-prepped for any sudden changes in plans, given the uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic. She had even created four separate guest lists – for up to 20, 50, 80, and 100 people – to accommodate different scenarios for her wedding on Oct 18.
“We had always hoped that government regulations would change in time for us to invite more people, and it really worked out. We knew exactly who we wanted at our special day, so it was just a matter of informing them as soon as it was possible to include all of them,” said the bride, whose guest list will now be almost 100.
Ms See, who helps to run her family’s home appliances and furniture retail store, will be tying the knot with bank employee Eddy Ng, 30, at a hotel in Orchard.
SINGAPORE -There were six new coronavirus cases confirmed as at Saturday afternoon (Oct 3), including one community case and four imported cases.
This is the lowest number of cases since March 5, which saw five new cases.
A Singaporean is the sole community case reported on Saturday (Oct 3), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said.
The latest increase takes Singapore’s total number of cases to 57,800.
More details on the cases will be released on Saturday night.
On Friday, 10 new Covid-19 cases were reported, the lowest daily figure reported since March 12, when there were nine cases.
They comprised one community case, who is a work permit holder, five imported cases and four migrant workers living in dormitories.
Of the five imported cases, one Singaporean, one permanent resident and one dependant’s pass holder arrived from India between Sept 16 and Sept 20.
A short term pass holder, who is a six-year-old girl, and a work permit holder arrived from Indonesia on Sept 18 and Sept 20, respectively were the other impoprted cases.
Although not entirely new overseas, vending machines that dispense free samples is still a rather novel and exciting concept in Singapore.
But what happens when you combine that excitement with Singapore’s kiasu spirit?
Stomp contributor Lee was stunned to see a woman filling her supermarket basket with samples from a vending machine at AMK Hub shopping mall on Tuesday (Sep 29), at around 8pm.
Lee told Stomp: “This woman, who was with a younger girl believed to be her daughter, was signing in and out of multiple accounts for the Auntie Sam vending machine.
“They had so many samples that they had to put all the samples into their red basket!
“I was shocked that the woman would do this in front her daughter. She could have done it on her own, without her kid there.
“It really isn’t right to take samples by the basket, let alone in front of the child. What values are being inculcated in the child?
“Everything should be done in moderation. There’s no need to be so kan chiong and even get the kid involved in this sample-taking-experience-by-the-basket lah.”
SINGAPORE – Two men were charged on Friday (Oct 2) with cheating and forgery offences to dupe the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) into disbursing funds designed to help people affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.
One of them, a 20-year-old, was accused of making false income declarations in eight Covid-19 Temporary Relief Fund applications, the police said on Friday.
Six of these applications were made in the names of his parents and friends, while two were made in his name.
The man had allegedly cheated a friend into providing his SingPass details, which he used to apply for the Temporary Relief Fund.
MSF had disbursed $2,500 to him after approving five of the applications.
Separately, the man was also charged for engaging in unlawful remote gambling.
The other man who was charged, a 36-year-old, was accused of falsely declaring his employment status in his Temporary Relief Fund application and in his application to a separate assistance scheme – the Covid-19 Support Grant.
And “Ella”, Singapore’s first fully automated robot barista, will be serving customers their caffeine fixes at CityHub mall in Lavender from Saturday (Oct 3).
Crown Coffee, the food and beverage arm of Crown Group, said the outlet was launched in an effort to push automation and reduce physical interaction in the light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ella, named after Crown Group founder and chief executive Keith Tan’s wife, served a range of hot drinks to Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling and members of the media at a launch event on Friday.
In a speech at the event, Ms Low, who is also Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, emphasised the importance of digitalisation and automation in navigating the pandemic, and zoomed in on Ella as a solution that creates opportunity from chaos.
“While Covid-19 has severely impacted our businesses and economy, it has also created the impetus for us to build stronger business capabilities and seek out new growth opportunities,” she said.
SINGAPORE: Yew Tee Point customer service officer Nur Aishah Mohamed Roslan was almost done for the day when her experience of working at the mall would change forever.
“It was actually quite a quiet day; I just had to settle some internal tenant issues,” she recalled of that evening on Sep 12.
“At about 8pm, I was literally lounging on the chair at the counter when a shopper came up to me and went, ‘Your cleaner fell down (in the toilet).’”
Ms Aishah, 30, is no stranger to attending to customer feedback.
She was a flight stewardess with Scoot until COVID-19 disrupted the aviation industry. In August, she was seconded to Frasers Property and now works 12-hour shifts at Yew Tee Point four days a week.
Based on the shopper’s account, Ms Aishah thought that the cleaner had sprained his ankle or bumped his head. She brought along a first aid kit, walkie-talkie and the key to her counter. “I brought my wallet in case I could go grab a coffee as well,” she joked.
But when Ms Aishah pushed through a crowd in the first-floor toilet to reach the cleaner, she knew that coffee would have to wait.
The man was lying motionless on the floor near the urinals, Ms Aishah said. His legs were folded and his body felt cold and clammy. “You cannot see his chest rise,” she said. “Nothing was going on.”
The mall’s security officer, Mr Ram Kumar Baskaran, was already at the scene. Mr Ram, 37, had earlier checked for pulse and breathing. Nothing either.
“I panicked a bit, but I wanted to save his life,” Mr Ram said. “Because there was no breathing, no nothing. This means it was an emergency.”
Mr Ram with his SCDF award. (Photo: Frasers Property)
JUMPING INTO IT
It turns out the cleaner had had a heart attack while fixing a leaking sink.
A shopper called for an ambulance and put the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer on speaker. Ms Aishah started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and told Mr Ram to fetch an automated external defibrillator (AED).
“I just immediately jumped into it,” she said, as she recalled interlocking her fingers, pumping hard and reporting her progress to the SCDF officer.
When another security officer, Mr Balakrishnan Gopinathan, joined them, Ms Aishah asked him to cut open the cleaner’s shirt to prepare for the AED. The three of them took turns doing CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
At one point, Mr Ram was in charge of CPR while Mr Balakrishnan did the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Ms Aishah helped with the counting and gave instructions, urging the security officers to push harder.
“It was very simultaneous teamwork,” she said.
Added 46-year-old Mr Balakrishnan: “I felt tired, but this is someone’s life and I needed to help him.”
Mr Balakrishnan with his SCDF award. (Photo: Frasers Property)
Ms Aishah recalled having to deal with the people around her as well. A number of them asked if she needed help. Someone even asked if he could use the urinal as she was doing CPR. “Can you imagine my voice (when I replied)?” she said.
While Ms Aishah carried out the medical procedures like clockwork and tried to drown out the commotion, she still felt stressed out by the crowd. She reminded onlookers not to take photos or videos.
“People were just watching and some were waiting outside the toilet to see if they could take pictures,” she said. “That gave me the pressure and it was quite disturbing at the same time.”
Nevertheless, Ms Aishah said she is used to multitasking from her flying career.
She and the security officers went through three cycles of CPR before administering a charge from the AED.
There were encouraging signs as the cleaner coughed out some foam. But after Ms Aishah turned him around and slapped him on the back, he remained unconscious. She started another cycle of CPR before sparking up a second charge.
That was when SCDF paramedics rushed in, about 10 minutes after they first started CPR. They put a self-inflating bag around the cleaner’s mouth to help him breathe and loaded him on a stretcher.
“I realised that he’s actually okay, because there was nothing else. They just had to squeeze (the bag),” Ms Aishah said.
Ms Aisha with her SCDF award. (Photo: Flyscoot)
THEY WOULD DO IT AGAIN
The 69-year-old cleaner has been discharged from hospital.
Ms Aishah is relieved that he is doing fine. “At that point of time I felt like I did something,” she said. “I don’t think many people would have the courage to do it. Because when you panic, your head is not in the right place.”
She has also met the man’s wife and daughter, describing the moment as “emotional”.
“They were just saying things like, ‘If it wasn’t for you and everybody else, I would not see my father anymore,’” she said. “The wife said she was not ready to be a widow.”
On Sep 24, the SCDF presented Ms Aishah, Mr Ram and Mr Balakrishnan with the Community First Responder Award for their efforts.
Ms Aishah next to the single AED box in Yew Tee Point. (Photo: SCDF)
Mr Ram said he is “really happy” with his contribution, adding that the first aid training Frasers had sent him for has served him well. Mr Balakrishnan said he would help out again without hesitation.
“This was an unpredictable situation, it could happen anywhere at any time,” Mr Ram said. “It’s my first time saving someone’s life.”
The day after the incident, Ms Aishah recalled feeling sore all over and could barely raise her arm after the exhausting CPR.
“When I was younger I was like, ‘Why must I learn CPR? Who am I going to use it on? This dummy is not even a real thing.’ You have this mindset, and then the day comes (when you need it),” she said, urging people to learn CPR.
“When something like that happens, it gives you a sense of purpose. You tell yourself you’ve done it before, you will do it again.”
SINGAPORE: It is neither salary nor job stability — two things job seekers would probably seek in a recession — that Ee Xuejing will prioritise when she enters the workforce next year.
The 22-year-old communications student, in her last year in university, will look for a supervisor she can trust. After having served her recent internship in corporate sustainability under a “very trusting” supervisor, she desires similar rapport in future workplaces.
With remote working arrangements becoming the norm, the boundaries between work and personal life have also blurred. She says this might put a strain on mental wellness, such as if you feel like you must reply to a text from your supervisor immediately.
To tackle this anxiety, she encourages “having conversations with your supervisor”, which is trickier when mutual trust is lacking.
“It’s difficult (to have these conversations), because as a new hire, we want to establish our credibility,” she adds, referring to the stigma associated with discussing mental health.
While an older generation may baulk at her job search criteria, especially now, career coaches whom CNA Insider spoke to say millennials and Generation Z skew towards intangibles when building their career. Even in a recession nowhere near its end.
These values, like purpose or autonomy, might come across as entitlement, fussiness, idealism or a lack of gratitude when they manifest in seemingly unrealistic expectations of employers.
At least this is the picture painted by one semi-viral Facebook post on “7 interesting young candidates”. And the question may soon become hard to miss: Are younger job seekers asking for too much?
In late August, Delane Lim, the 35-year-old founder of FutuReady Asia, shared on Facebook his thoughts on the expectations and requests from seven applicants looking for a job with his company.
Delane Lim (top right in white) in a discussion on youth issues with ASEAN youth leaders in 2017. (Photo courtesy of Delane Lim)
For example, Local Applicant A “requested not to touch his weekends, and whenever possible to work from home instead of working on site”.
When told he would need to work occasional weekends, and time off in lieu may be given, the candidate “asked for overtime weekend allowance and told (Lim) it is the law”.
Lim concluded that “these young talents are not hungry for a job”, as they are “not willing to be humble and not willing to suffer”.
In the original job posting that was shared with CNA Insider, FutuReady Asia was looking for a training and projects executive, who would “design, prepare and conduct character and leadership programmes, including outdoor learning” among other job responsibilities.
The listing stated the expected salary range: S$2,500 to S$3,600, “depending on experience, scope and personal competency”.
“I still stand by my original (Facebook post),” says Lim.
“However, in hindsight, I could’ve made my intention clearer through better use of words in my post. I should’ve better explained to the seven applicants the challenges that the outdoor (learning) industry is facing.”
With around 7,700 shares to date, his post has reignited an evergreen debate about fussy job seekers versus exploitative employers.
Those who agree with his take say Singaporeans are too demanding, not least in a recession where one should be grateful to have a job.
But many others believe his post represents a “boomer” mentality of hard work, in which non-stop hustling is the only way to prove one’s passion.
As one commenter put it, “It’s not about being hungry for a job. It’s about not being short-changed. Gone are the days when only employers are allowed to have options.”
BEGGARS CAN’T BE CHOOSERS — OR CAN THEY?
That said, it is not as though jobs are springing up. In July, Singapore’s unemployment rate rose to 3 per cent, and employment contracted by a record 129,100 in the first half of 2020, according to Ministry of Manpower data.
Advanced estimates from the Ministry of Trade and Industry in the same month showed that the economy shrunk by 41.2 per cent in the second quarter, sinking the country into a technical recession.
It is a new normal, and anxiety seems to underscore today’s job market.
“Previous financial crises were related to currency. But COVID-19 is a huge health scare, which is prevalent across the world,” says Deepali Chaturvedi, the managing director of executive search firm Kerry Consulting.
“There’s no blueprint for solving it; it gets better, then bad again. We’re all in uncharted territory. Everyone’s doing badly. I think that’s causing a lot more anxiety.”
However, this results in changing, and sometimes conflicting, expectations and demands from both employers and employees, she notes.
While employees face high levels of anxiety from witnessing job losses, invoking a “me first” mentality, employers are looking for “a lot more flexibility, a lot more accountability” in these times, which often means putting the team first instead.
“Everyone has to roll up their sleeves and dig in, chip in, ride through this together. Many employers are short on cash so they don’t have the payroll ability to hire more people,” Chaturvedi adds.
“Candidates have to understand that these are uncertain times, so they need to be agile and adaptable to changing circumstances. You can’t be stuck in a box.”
But meeting in the middle also requires employers to give recognition and, wherever possible, the right reward so that employees feel valued.
Even if the pandemic means scaling down salary expectations for a few years, many are focused on what they see as the big picture.
Increasingly, many young job seekers seek out a company that makes them feel “nourished and appreciated” for their “whole package” as a person, says career coach Chua Ruo Mei, whose clients comprise mainly millennials.
Career coach Chua Ruo Mei at the Youth Action Challenge Impact Pitching Workshop for Top Teams. (Photo courtesy of Chua Ruo Mei)
They believe their age is an asset, not a liability. Not for them is the “lord versus serf” mindset, where employees are expected to be grateful just to have a job, adds the 34-year-old.
Moreover, young job seekers do not prioritise linear career progression as much as their older peers.
The younger generation treats their career as a jungle gym instead, where they can “climb up, move sideways, climb down again or climb into a totally different playground”, says Cindi Wirawan, another career coach to millennials.
The 33-year-old says this often means younger job seekers seek more mentorship, where they are coached and encouraged to explore their strengths across several avenues, and not micromanaged.
“Many millennials say they’re not getting feedback. They don’t know what’s next. They’re still being managed from the top down, rather than being given a voice. They want employers to guide them and bring out the best in them,” she adds.
Career coaches say millennials do not want to be controlled. (Photo: TODAY/Ooi Boon Keong)
SEEKING MEANING, BUT NOT SHIRKING
For undergraduate Ee, a suitable job is about having purpose, and not just about what she can do for a company.
She hopes her future employers will be curious about what she wants to learn and what she values, implying that they value her career aspirations and direction in life.
“It makes the interviewee feel that the company is hiring you as a person and not as a headcount,” she says.
Even if she veers from her goal of working in the sustainability sphere, she would find a way to bring social impact into her eventual job, as meaningful work is a non-negotiable factor.
“For instance, if I get a job at an advertising agency, then I’d see if I can get accounts for non-governmental organisations. I guess there’s also a bit of innovation needed,” she adds.
Chua has seen younger job seekers having these “holistic considerations” like a sense of purpose and autonomy, and this generation sometimes treating their job as “a calling” — which reflects a shift in the meaning ascribed to work.
“They’re strategic. They understand opportunity cost. If I’m going to be working for you for two to three years at least, then what am I sacrificing? Is it worth my time investing here?” she says.
“With that considered decision, when finally on the job — coupled with a suitable degree of autonomy, trust and empowerment from the organisation — don’t be surprised if these job seekers turn out to be some of your most driven, hardworking and innovative star players.”
Other young job seekers believe that old-fashioned hard work is still the most important thing in landing and keeping a job.
Having recently graduated in interactive and digital media from a polytechnic, Nurul Shafeqah is seeking the right company culture and environment while looking for jobs under the SGUnited Traineeships programme. But long hours, to her, are “part and parcel” of working.
Nurul Shafeqah. (Photo courtesy of Nurul Shafeqah)
“My generation is a little bit ‘strawberry’. You can’t really push them so hard because they’d start talking badly,” says the 21-year-old.
“That’s a mindset that shows you’re not ready for working life. You need to grow up first because not everyone should accommodate you. You should be accommodating to people too.”
She does not need a company that embraces her whole self either.
“Who am I for them to just accept me like that? During COVID, you either lower your standards or you have to find another job,” she reasons. “Lowering your standards is, like, one of the easiest things to do.”
She does not believe her hard work or passion will get taken advantage of, as she knows “when to stop” and when she is “actually being exploited”.
“I’m someone who’s quite vocal, so I’d say when I think a (task) is too hard for me,” she says, adding that her peers should just tell their employer likewise if they have difficulty doing something.
RETRENCHED AND REALIGNING
While salary seems more of a priority for retrenched workers, a recession in a pandemic has not made it the be-all and end-all as expectations are adjusted.
(Photo: Grace Yeoh)
Sharmaine Yeo used to also count company culture and personal interest in the job as the more important factors, but she has rejigged her priorities. Now, the 24-year-old ranks job security as number one.
This came after she lost her job in events management. Hoping to avoid more shock in her life anytime soon, she plans to stay in her current job as a clinic assistant at a private physiotherapy clinic for the foreseeable future.
Like Ee, who will seek a supervisor she can trust, Yeo ultimately wants an employer who is “good at mentoring”, “reliable” and “someone you know you can go to if you have issues”.
But in the meantime, working at the clinic is not an entirely new playing field: She gets to use her interpersonal skills from her events job.
Similarly, Danielle, a retrenched worker in her early 40s who requested anonymity, is willing to take on an executive role even though she had been in a managerial position.
She considers herself a “risk-taker” and would lower her expectations if it means taking on roles to enhance her career.
Having just accepted a one-month administrative job which begins this month, she says retrenched workers should also consider any opportunity, even as a temporary fix — it could be “very depressing” not working for months, as one would have “no direction”.
Companies, however, should not exploit this willingness to learn, she adds. Having conducted hiring interviews herself, she has seen human resource departments “take advantage” of potential employees to get “the best deal for themselves”.
Recalling a HR department that once listed “obedience” as a criterion for new hires, she says, “You need someone who’s able to make certain decisions. You lead, teach and coach, but they have to think independently.”
Where working overtime or long hours is concerned, she stresses the importance of being up front with potential hires before they take the job.
“For example, if you’ve held an events job for three to four years, you’d know how many public holidays you need to waste. So … it’s only fair that you prepare them mentally,” she cites.
“You don’t know their family background or lifestyle. They’re not robots.”
EMPLOYERS MUST KEEP UP TOO
As career coaches reiterate, top candidates still have options in a recession. To attract the best, employers should understand and accommodate the attitudes of younger job seekers, and even look out for qualities previous generations might have dismissed.
Take, for example, local company Secretlab and its “millennial-majority” staff. The start-up looks for employees who “want to be pioneers”, shares Tham Ying Wen, 28, the company’s talent acquisition lead.
“We’re used to navigating uncharted waters. Individuals need to have a high aptitude and be driven and versatile, as they often need to build on traditional skill sets and adapt,” he says.
Mr Alaric Choo and Mr Ian Ang (right) are the co-founders of premium chair makers Secretlab. (Photo: Secretlab)
Another trait employers look for is the willingness to go the extra mile.
Edward Booty, the 32-year-old founder of digital healthcare social enterprise reach52, does this by looking out for candidates who are fundamentally aligned with its mission to bring healthcare access to rural areas.
Without this, even someone with a perfect set of technical skills would not be hired.
Citing the hypothetical case of an applicant for the post of data scientist, Booty says that going the extra mile could mean taking a dataset, discovering another dataset after doing further research, and then putting both datasets together to deliver a “cooler” model than what the company might have requested.
If a hire ends up being the wrong fit, some employers believe the hiring manager is responsible for the recruitment strategy and for not explaining the job scope clearly.
DollarsAndSense co-founder and managing editor Timothy Ho shares how his company took flak on Reddit for an irreverent and unconventional job ad for an editor during the pandemic.
The company did not state what it was looking for but who it was not looking for instead: Someone who wanted “an extremely structured workload for optimal work-life balance”, “plenty of vacation days spent basking in the sun” and “ultimate freedom of expression and creativity”.
The ad was first used about two years ago, but coupled with the recession and the changing narrative about burnout and work-life balance, it did not sit right with netizens this time.
Like Lim’s Facebook post, the ad was taken as a reflection of exploitative practices among small and medium enterprises in Singapore — never mind that Ho’s team enjoy the flexibility of work-from-home arrangements and also manage their schedule on their own.
Ho’s original intent was to convey the message that writing is “much harder than it sounds”. He did not want applicants “underestimating the difficulty of the job” and thinking it was “a walk in the park”.
“It can be quite tough when we need to explain to our editor that managing a website isn’t a job that can be restricted to official working hours,” he says.
But he acknowledges that “if a hire comes in with that expectation, it’s typically the fault of the hiring manager”.
EXPERIENCE TALKING
He is not the only one, however, who thinks a reality check is needed. Chaturvedi from Kerry Consulting finds it “very bizarre” that some candidates, for example, will not accept a job outside the central business district.
In the central business district. (Photo: Grace Yeoh)
“An entitled mindset can be very frustrating for employers. It feels a bit like a child in a candy shop: I want this, I want that, perfect job with perfect salary, perfect title. Give me flexible hours. Give me work from home, a comfortable work environment,” she says.
“Life’s not like that. You need to give something too.”
She ascribes this entitlement partly to Singapore’s high employment rate in the past giving candidates the impression that they can call the shots. In the long run, this view will not do them any favours.
Hustling at the beginning of one’s career to prove one’s worth may still be the key to getting ahead, perhaps even more so now.
“All the stuff I’ve done within the first 10 years of my career has been long hours. I see it paying back … The money you make in the first five to 10 years of your career is nothing compared to the experience you gain,” says Booty.
“If I were a graduate, I’d happily do overtime, and I’d see that as paying back because I’ve got much broader experience. Employment is competitive.”
He acknowledges that not everyone’s personal circumstances or personality will make them suited to getting their hands dirty, and that burnout is a real phenomenon.
But experience has taught him that putting in hard work and long hours within reason does pay off in future. The trick is simple, though easier said than done: Stick it out.
SINGAPORE: In late January, before COVID-19 was named as such, and before it was declared a global health emergency, Singapore had just confirmed its fourth case.
The Ministry of Health announced on Jan 26 that the patient was a 36-year-old man from Wuhan who arrived with his family in Singapore four days earlier. The man had stayed at Village Hotel Sentosa before he was admitted to hospital.
Public interest and anxiety grew as this new and contagious virus hit Singapore’s shores, steadily infecting more people.
Later that evening, a thread on the popular HardwareZone forum popped up with the title: [Breaking] Singapore Reports First Death From New Virus. A 66-year-old man had died after developing severe pneumonia, user Potato_salad claimed.
Naturally, this was alarming news. By that point, the virus had killed at least 17 people, all in China. The first confirmed fatality outside China would only be reported on Feb 2: A 44-year-old Wuhan man who died in the Philippines.
The office overseeing the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) has been instructed to issue a general correction notice to SPH Magazines over a post on HardwareZone Forum. (Photo: Factually)
The Singapore authorities moved fast.
On the morning of Jan 27, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office announced that Health Minister Gan Kim Yong had instructed it to issue a general correction direction to SPH Magazines, which runs HardwareZone.
The general correction direction required the forum to communicate, publish, broadcast or transmit a correction notice to its users in Singapore. This was the first time that a POFMA order was issued for a COVID-related falsehood.
As of 11pm on Jan 26, there had been no deaths among confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Singapore, an article on Government fact-checking website Factually clarified.
HardwareZone removed the thread before the order was given, The Straits Times reported, but the forum published the correction anyway.
The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) told CNA on Tuesday (Sep 29) that POFMA was needed during the early days of COVID-19 to tackle such falsehoods.
“Without intervention, these falsehoods could have spread unchecked, caused public panic and reduced public confidence in Singapore’s efforts to combat COVID-19,” a spokesperson said.
“The use of POFMA clarified the facts quickly and required corrections to be placed alongside the posts at their source, for example, on intermediary platforms like Facebook and HardwareZone.”
Dr Michael Raska, an information and cyber warfare expert at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), said Singapore’s society is increasingly affected by disinformation streams through social media.
“Different actors are trying to alter what Singapore’s Government and population ‘knows’ or thinks it knows about itself and the world around it,” he said.
Critics say legislation to fight ‘fake news’ could compromise freedom of expression AFP/Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV
Dr Raska said online disinformation amplifies existing tensions or creates new fracture points within different layers of society.
“The consequence is a loss of identity, which weakens societal resilience to xenophobia, extremists ideologies, fake news and complex security challenges,” he added.
“In this context, POFMA has been trying to raise awareness to the problem of disinformation, prevent the diffusion of disinformation, and actively counter disinformation.”
THE BIRTH OF POFMA
POFMA was passed in Parliament on May 8 last year after a marathon two-day debate. Prior to that, the Government had consulted the public and held eight days of Select Committee hearings, during which a range of opinions was put forward, both for and against taking action.
One of the key concerns raised about POFMA, which came into force on Oct 2 last year, was that it could chill free speech and give too much power to ministers as arbiters of truth. The Workers’ Party (WP) had opposed the Bill, arguing that the Executive should not be the first to decide what is false.
While experts told CNA that POFMA has not displayed a chilling effect, they said it has inadvertently brought attention to certain falsehoods that could have been dealt with through non-legislative means.
Some experts also urged for more transparency in the POFMA process, renewing calls for an independent fact-checking body to be the first to review an alleged falsehood. This was one recommendation brought up during the Select Committee hearings.
“We recognise that there are diverse views on POFMA and how it can be refined,” the MinLaw spokesperson said.
“We will continue to review and fine-tune legislation and relevant processes, so that POFMA can be more effective in tackling falsehoods.”
POFMA DURING COVID-19
Nevertheless, the spokesperson said the legislation must be able to tackle falsehoods regardless of communication medium, and must do so quickly to “break virality”.
Since the law kicked in, the POFMA Office has issued 52 correction directions, 11 targeted correction directions, four declared online locations, three disabling orders, one general correction direction and one access blocking order.
Correction directions require recipients to post a correction notice and a link to the facts alongside a false statement. Targeted correction directions require Internet intermediaries to communicate a correction notice to Singapore users who accessed the falsehood. General correction directions work the same way, but the correction notice is sent to all of the intermediary’s Singapore users.
Declared online locations must carry a notice saying they have a history of communicating falsehoods. Disabling orders and access blocking orders require recipients to block Singapore users’ access to online locations containing the false statement.
Falsehoods targeted include those related to foreign workers, hanging methods, population plans, PMET jobs, and the salary of Temasek CEO Ho Ching. About half of the falsehoods were related to COVID-19, the MinLaw spokesperson said.
A large majority of POFMA orders issued are correction directions, which MinLaw says do not require the falsehood to be removed and thus encourage “informed, responsible discussions without affecting free speech”.
Dr Carol Soon, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), said the expeditious issuing of POFMA orders in the early days of the pandemic was critical given the rapidly developing situation.
When a Facebook post uploaded on Jan 28 claimed that Woodlands MRT station was closed for disinfection from COVID-19, the POFMA Office issued a targeted correction direction to Facebook on the same day.
On Jan 30, an alternative news website published an article claiming that five Singaporeans were infected by COVID-19 even though they had not been to China. The article was shared on two Facebook pages. The next day, the POFMA Office issued correction directions to the parties involved.
“Instances of how POFMA was used during the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrates how it can be used to protect public interest, specifically, safeguarding public health and public safety,” said Dr Soon, who was the first to present evidence during the Select Committee hearings.
“We recall high levels of anxiety when the outbreak started in January this year. The waves of misinformation from both foreign and local sources exacerbated the fears and confusion experienced by the public, and concerns over whether the Government’s response was adequate.”
Associate Professor Alton Chua, who studies information and knowledge management at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), said POFMA has been used most appropriately when falsehoods exploit racial and religious fault lines to arouse public concern.
He pointed to how POFMA was invoked on Nov 28 last year after a post on the now-defunct States Times Review Facebook page alleged that a whistleblower, who had supposedly exposed a People’s Action Party candidate’s Christian affiliations, had been arrested.
When Alex Tan, the owner of the Facebook page, did not comply with the correction direction, the POFMA Office issued the same order to Facebook the next day.
“The post, which was plainly refuted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, did not gain any traction thereafter,” Assoc Prof Chua added. “Here is a case where POFMA was deftly used to nip a falsehood at its bud.”
DOES POFMA CHILL FREE SPEECH?
Assoc Prof Chua said POFMA’s legal requirement to post correction notices means “most users now think twice about concocting misinformation deliberately”.
“The Government has given verbal assurances that POFMA does not cover opinions, criticisms, satire or parody,” he added. “So those who value free speech may continue to express themselves freely so long as they do not misrepresent facts.”
Singapore Management University (SMU) law professor Eugene Tan said POFMA has the “salutary effect” of promoting responsible and meaningful public discourse by encouraging people to get their facts right and clarify the basis of their opinions.
“It is important to recognise the workings of POFMA often enable the offending online material to remain in the public domain,” he said. “In that sense, the chilling effect is, arguably, overstated.”
Assoc Prof Tan believes the POFMA uses thus far have all had an “arguably reasonable basis”.
“But the falsehoods could also be dealt with as was done in the pre-POFMA days,” he added. “This could be done with the Government issuing a clarification, which is what POFMA also does too.”
CHOOSING OTHER MEANS OVER POFMA
Assoc Prof Chua gave one example of when he thought POFMA was used unnecessarily, citing how four correction directions were issued on Apr 19 after a number of social media posts alleged that Mdm Ho Ching earned “S$99 million a year”.
The case has since been brought up in Parliament and is before the courts. The Online Citizen (TOC), which received one of the POFMA orders, sought judicial review over whether the order should be upheld.
“This issue was brought up in the previous Parliament and is now under judicial review as to whether it qualifies as a matter of public interest,” Assoc Prof Chua said.
“Perhaps, instead of bringing POFMA into the picture, all that was needed was for the board of Temasek to explain their stand on the non-disclosure of specific remuneration details of anyone.
“The case would have blown over without fanfare.”
RSIS’ Dr Raska said POFMA could have shone an unintentional spotlight on some of the falsehoods it acted on.
“POFMA’s actions created unintended side-effects in countering select disinformation or platforms, some of which might have been strategically irrelevant, which raised their profile,” he said.
IPS’ Dr Soon said POFMA’s outcomes “seemed to be different” when it was used against Progress Singapore Party (PSP) member Brad Bowyer and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) last year.
In the first use of POFMA since the law kicked in, Mr Bowyer was issued a correction direction on Nov 25 for his Nov 13 Facebook post which implied that the Government controls commercial decisions by Temasek and GIC.
Then on Dec 14, the SDP was issued three correction directions on two Facebook posts and an online article posted on Dec 2, Nov 30 and Jun 8 respectively. The content was related to local PMET employment and retrenchment.
In both cases involving Mr Bowyer and the SDP, the POFMA orders came at least 12 days after the offending material was published.
“That could compromise the ability of POFMA in curbing the spread of the falsehoods,” Dr Soon said.
“In those instances, there was also some public backlash and questioning of the Government’s intent, which it subsequently had to explain and give assurance for.”
For POFMA to achieve its desired impact, Dr Soon said it should be used during exigencies when time is of the essence and corrective information can be released nimbly.
“In other situations, considerations on if the falsehood can be rectified (through other means should be made), particularly through public clarification and sharing of evidence,” she added.
HOW POFMA CAN BE IMPROVED
SMU’s Assoc Prof Tan also suggested ways of improving POFMA’s execution, including giving more clarity on why POFMA needs to be used.
“The challenge for the authorities is to ensure that POFMA is not ‘overused’ as that could undermine its effectiveness and salience whenever it is invoked,” he said.
Dr Raska said the key challenge for POFMA is balancing the need to counter misinformation with “increasing Government transparency”.
The MinLaw spokesperson reiterated that POFMA can only be used when two “distinct criteria” are met: There is a false statement of fact; and it affects the public interest.
Public interest includes public health and safety, public finances, and confidence and trust in Government agencies and institutions, the spokesperson said.
“In deciding whether to use POFMA, the relevant ministers have to determine the falsity of the statement in question and judge whether it is in the public interest to act,” the spokesperson added.
File photo of the Supreme Court of Singapore (Photo: Jeremy Long)
“The weight of this judgement is placed on ministers in the first instance, as they have the relevant domain knowledge to act quickly as needed, and are also accountable to Parliament and to the electorate.
“However, a minister’s direction is open to challenge in court both via an expedited appeal process and via judicial review, which a number of parties have already done.”
On Sep 17, the Court of Appeal reserved judgment against two appeals by the SDP and TOC against POFMA correction orders it received in separate cases. The cases relate to PMET jobs and hanging methods, respectively.
Still, NTU’s Assoc Prof Chua feels there is room to introduce “checks and balances” in how POFMA is executed.
“For example, before POFMA can be invoked, it needs to be reviewed by an independent body,” he said. “The more transparent the review process, the stronger the case for using POFMA becomes.”
POFMA CRITICS HOLD FIRM
When WP opposed POFMA in Parliament, it cited the Select Committee’s report in maintaining that the courts, an independent body or an ombudsman should decide what is false in the first instance.
The PSP has held a similar stand, saying in a statement in December last year that having ministers declare a statement to be false “does not measure up to the standards of transparency and accountability”.
PSP assistant secretary-general Francis Yuen told CNA that POFMA seems like a “political tool to silence critics and political commentators”, pointing to how it has been used against content by opposition parties and members.
“POFMA-ing politicians has a chilling effect on free speech and political discourse in Singapore,” he said, adding that it is better to have an “open discussion” on the topics brought up.
POFMA DURING GENERAL ELECTION 2020
In a previous interview with CNA, Law Minister K Shanmugam said the use of POFMA during the recent General Election would not disadvantage the opposition and instead encourage democracy.
In the period between the issuing of the Writ of Election on Jun 23 and Polling Day on Jul 10, the POFMA Office issued 20 orders.
The first three came on Jun 29, when a correction direction each was issued to Alex Tan and State News Singapore, a new Facebook page he was running then. A targeted correction direction was also sent to Facebook.
The false statements in question related to cross-border travel arrangements between Singapore and Malaysia.
The month of July saw 17 POFMA orders issued, the most in a month thus far. The orders were issued on each day from Jul 2 to Jul 5. The falsehoods related to foreign students, migrant workers and population figures.
SMU’s Assoc Prof Tan said the use of POFMA during the recent election was perceived by some as being politically motivated and could have led to even more polarisation of views.
“From the authorities’ perspective, the temptation is not only present but also greater to use the law during the election,” he added.
“It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t politically motivated, because the use of POFMA, arguably, added fuel to fire and breathed life into falsehood.
“Clarification is the best that can be done. Ultimately, POFMA cannot compel people to believe in what they don’t or want to believe in.”
“PEOPLE ARE THE JUDGES OF TRUTH”
Mr Yuen said the Government can in general dispel fake claims by publishing the wealth of data and information it has and “demolish the credibility of the author”.
“This would be more effective than using POFMA. After all, the people are the judges of truth,” he added. “The Government should let media outlets or an independent council self-regulate and manage this space.”
Mr Shanmugam had reiterated during a conference in September last year that technology companies cannot be left to self-regulate due to conflicts of interest in their business model.
In Singapore, social media giant Facebook has received 14 POFMA orders so far. This includes directions to post correction notices and disable access to certain pages for users in Singapore.
Facebook said it took down some 5.4 billion fake accounts in 2019, in a sign of an ongoing battle against manipulation and misinformation AFP/Josh Edelson
A Facebook spokesperson told CNA that all government requests, including POFMA orders, are “carefully reviewed to assess their legal basis”.
“Facebook continues to take considerable action to fight misinformation, including removing fake accounts and harmful misinformation relating to COVID-19, tackling coordinated inauthentic behaviour, and supporting programmes to build digital literacy and understanding,” the spokesperson said.
“While we share the Singapore Government’s commitment to addressing misinformation, we remain concerned about any law that risks stifling expression by empowering a government with the right to decide what is true and what is false.”
In particular, Facebook believes that a government which can decide what is true or false creates the potential for overreach, and alters the balance of political discourse by allowing one party to unilaterally declare and label content as false.
NO SILVER BULLET
With or without POFMA, Assoc Prof Tan said people are not always going to agree with the Government’s account or narrative, noting that POFMA is “not the silver bullet to preventing truth decay”
“Although POFMA is not a game-changer, it is a useful tool in the Government’s legislative arsenal to deal with falsehoods that can undoubtedly harm us,” he added.
Representatives from social media and Internet giants Facebook, Twitter and Google at the public hearings by the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods on Thursday (Mar 22, 2019).
The MinLaw spokesperson said the use of POFMA does not preclude the Government using other modes to clarify falsehoods, including through its public communications channels.
“Domain agencies and ministers may use a variety of modes as they deem appropriate,” the spokesperson said.
Nevertheless, Assoc Prof Tan said it is still the public’s responsibility to be digitally literate.
“Regardless of whether there’s POFMA or not, the onus is still on each one of us making discerning choices about what we read, especially on matters that affect us,” he added.
SINGAPORE: The hair industry in Singapore has to be one of the most robust, recession and pandemic-proof sectors.
I live 500m away from Chong Pang City. It is essentially a square, like many neighbourhoods in Singapore. Within a 1km radius, there are at least 10 salons.
In Singapore, a haircut can cost as little as S$5 or as much as S$500. You can sit in a plush leather chair with comforting tunes and warm tea, or you can play musical chairs in a crowded one where there is not a minute to linger.
For a long time, I was somewhat of a wanderer – grazing in a range of hair salons and not quite content on settling on one.
But seven years ago when I moved into my home near Chong Pang City, I found the most chaotic hair salon I have ever seen. They have now become my go-to place. And I have not looked back since.
A CLASH OF COLOURS
The first thing anyone notices when you walk past this salon is how crowded it is. Until safe entry and temperature requirements kicked in, there was no discernible queue or crowd control system.
People showed up, caught the eye of one of the staff and after some yelling about whether there was space, you were shoved in.
The standard greeting is “What you want to do girl?” (Even if I have long passed girlhood). And then another round of yelling about which stylist to assign and you were shown a seat.
Now, in most salons, you would stay in one seat for the entire session. Not here.
Space is a premium and things move fast. You need to wait the colour to set? Well, move out and sit outside in the open area near the pavement, tin foil on your head notwithstanding.
Done with the wash? Move over to another empty seat. If you are in there for anything more than 45 minutes, you can expect to change seats at least three times, meaning, you have to travel light and bring your bag along with you every time you move.
A typical hair salon at Chong Pang City with space to wait. (Photo: Crispina Robert)
A big draw in a place like this is the price. Basic cuts start at S$5. Usually, the work is done and dusted in under 15 minutes.
To me though, the most interesting thing about this place is that it is a window to the heart of everyday Singapore.
On Sep 8, Nee Soon Member of Parliament K Shanmugam announced plans for the 40-year-old Chong Pang City. It would be rejuvenated with a new integrated development that would include a revamped community club, a refreshed market and hawker centre, and facilities such as swimming pools, gyms and more carpark lots.
The development, to be called Chill @ Chong Pang will be ready in 2027. In the process, the current stall holders will be compensated as they move away from their old premises.
Artist impression of Chill @ Chong Pang, which will include a new community club, a replacement market and hawker centre. It is expected to be completed in 2027. (Picture: Singapore Land Authority)
Improving old neighbourhoods is something we do regularly and for good reason. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the Remaking Our Heartland programme at the 2007 National Day Rally.
The idea was to uplift and improve ageing neighbourhoods with better-connected pathways, gardens, markets and shops and these mirror the changing profile of residents too.
Punggol, Yishun, Hougang and Jurong are some of the many places to see changes. The Jurong Lake District revamp, to me, stands out as a masterclass in thoughtful urban planning that created something new out of ageing infrastructure.
The biggest drawback however is sometimes, in completely renovating an old estate, roots can be pulled out together with the weeds and in time, there is nothing left for older residents like myself who want to revisit places that once gave them joy, sadness, or love.
THE SOUL OF A CITY
For instance, I cannot imagine that the hair salon I go to will remain the way it is in a new building. As befits a modern design, it will become air-conditioned, clean and utterly sensible, in the way that most mall salons are.
Sure, a young person might prefer this experience but so much of how authentic these experiences are in an old estate will be lost.
There is little chance of an old man getting a haircut without leaving his wheelchair – because the stylist has the flexibility to deliver a service he needs, right there on the pavement and sweep everything away afterwards.
Mom and Pop shops at Chong Pang City. (Photo: Crispina Robert)
Cost is also an issue that will change the dynamics. At the Chong Pang food centre, you can get a meal for S$2, hawkers know their customers by name and there’s something comforting about this relationship, as so many of these were cultivated over the years.
If this transforms into a food court and these hawkers leave, those invisible strings that bind a community can be cut off.
At this hair salon I frequent, a large number of customers are regulars. I suspect they come for the companionship and camaraderie as much as the service.
When I was there recently, an elderly customer told the stylist that the girl he was assigned to the last time he came was “no good”.
She chuckled and said, “Okay uncle, I make you handsome.” In under 15 minutes, his hair cut was done. “How? I think you look handsome,” she said as he examined his cut in the mirror. He nodded and fished out a 4D slip from his shirt pocket.
Folded inside the slip was a S$5 note and a S$10 note and he gave her both. “Nah, the S$10 for you,” he said. His hair cut was S$5. She smiled and helped him out as he made his way with his cane.
Chong Pang City HDB block. (Photo: Crispina Robert)
Over the years, I have heard customers and stylists share stories of their lives – snippets of daily domestic troubles like children who fail exams, elderly parents who are hard to care for or municipal matters like clogged pipes and tripped wires.
BALANCING THE OLD AND THE NEW
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has awarded over 7,000 buildings conservation status. Much of these have deep historical value and nested in our old districts like Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India.
So we are conscious of preserving much of what we want to remember. The devil, however, is in the details. To me, the most difficult knot to untie is how to change without losing too much of what already exists that holds meaning and value to the people in the community.
In a Talking Point feature done about three years ago, residents were interviewed about the gentrification of their neighbourhoods.
One resident of Tiong Bahru estate, Carolyn Oei rued the influx of hipster cafes selling S$6 coffees but there was one lone provision shop left intact.
File picture of Chong Pang City
I am sure it is a wicked challenge for developers and designers over how to keep an old provision shop intact while completely refurbishing everything around it. I suppose this is where our collective interest, creativity and commitment can come in.
To begin with, we need to be mindful of what we will lose when we remove, renovate and rejuvenate. In planning and executing, we must try our best to keep alive the very thing that makes a neighbourhood a community.
To me, in the cacophony that is this salon at Chong Pang, lies the beating heart of a real Singapore. And should they be lost some day to a shiny new mall, I may well shed a few tears.
Crispina Robert is an editor at CNA Digital News where she oversees podcasts.
