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25 days ago
The Straits Times 6 November 2009, Online Forum http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_450638.html Businesses here turn blind eye to energy conservation SINGAPORE is a paradox when it comes to temperatures. My foreign friends never fail to remark how we are 'summer outside, winter inside'. This overuse of air-conditioning indoors continues despite efforts by the authorities to advise on suitable temperatures for air-conditioning. Our need for temperature balance is indeed unique. In fact, extensive air-conditioning, which once reflected a sophisticated office culture, is now widespread. We carelessly leave doors to air-conditioned spaces open, at the expense of the building management. We design shops without effective mechanisms to reduce the amount of cold air escaping. It is ironic to see kitchens in shopping malls enjoying air-conditioning, while turning up the heat to cook. The worst example was a branded ...
138 days ago
The Straits Times Thursday, 16 July 2009, Forum http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_403675.html Home > ST Forum > Story July 16, 2009 GRASSROOTS INTERACTION RCs, not CCs, hold the key I APPLAUD Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and People's Association (PA) deputy chairman Lim Boon Heng for urging the PA to do more to help forge a common identity among Singaporeans ('PA's task ahead: To bridge society's gaps', Monday). Singapore has changed dramatically in the 40 years since the PA was set up to serve as a catalyst in engaging Singaporeans. The emphasis today is on a self-possessed drive to develop and excel - from finding a good preschool programme and competing for enrolment into preferred primary schools to competing even harder for jobs. This intensity to achieve and excel has severely reduced Singaporeans' time for meaningful interaction with fellow citizens. The PA's ...
179 days ago
THE STRAITS TIMES 3 APRIL 2009 FORUM http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_357963.html Clinics can link up to offer 24-hour help I APPLAUD Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan's moves in recent years to reduce the stress on our health-care system. The initiatives have included publishing the rates of procedures, reducing waiting time at polyclinics and, more recently, increasing hospital bed space and increasing opportunities for medical training. Given that the nation seeks to boost its population and is actively pursuing medical tourism - and considering the higher stress facing our population from the ever-increasing cost of living - our health-care delivery systems need a relook. Instead of centralised systems, which lead to longer waiting times and increased costs at public hospitals, we could encourage neighbourhood clinics to team up to form 24-hour operations with larger ...
293 days ago
The world is turning protectionistic. Suddenly, it was an awakening. Strangely, though it has been in the writing for a long time. It was most painfully written in Obama's election promises. And the world was cheering him on. It was right in our face when corporate America gave the executive more than what he deserved. Now we blame them for our bad parenting. It was brightly lit when the world dissed China for her tough one-child policy. Now we have too many people and too little work. Now we are all suddenly upset that America wants to save itself, close its doors for some redefining, reduce its borrowings and slim down after years of obesity. Because we have been feeding this obese obsession. Because we have been lending them money to pay for our work. Because we have been rushing into this blackhole of consumption, the sudden overwhelming surge of magnetic forces in this overweight center causing the blackhole to finally break up and sprew everyone out, is too disorientating. ...
363 days ago
American reports suggests that America's influence will wane. Asian leaders concur that Asia will rise to occupy a fair amount of vacated American influence. China and India are keenly watched as the next movers. I am not as optimistic. As an economics trained person, I see the world divided into 2 halves. The consumers and the producers. The fine division between both, is the value of currencies. Dollars and cents. America, Western Europe are the main consumers. Their currencies are strong compared to Asian ones, who are suppliers. Arabs are also suppliers with a weaker currency. The consumers will always dictate and influence world policies. They have the buying power. And they can afford to work less, produce less tangible goods and think of more value-add services to earn. The suppliers will always be at the mercy of consumers. They produce most of the tangible items, compete amongst themselves to sell ever cheaper and produce as more efficiently to ...
