MAJ Tan was talking with his colleagues
after completing a 1.2km self-paced run when he suddenly collapsed. He
was given prompt medical attention and evacuated to the National
University Hospital (NUH) at about 8.45am.
From 1 January 2008, all dental schools
accredited by the American Dental Association and the Canadian Dental
Association will be added to the Schedule of the Dental Registration
Act.
The addition of 48 American dental schools
and 7 Canadian dental schools will increase the number of recognised
foreign dental schools in the Schedule from the current 34 to 89. The
list of new and current dental schools can be found in Annex A...
The School received an overwhelming response
to the Talent Academy to recruit this batch of pioneer students for
2008. Over 1,000 applicants came for the Talent Academy.
Today, the School welcomes its first batch
of 239 students who come from diverse social backgrounds and 129 primary
schools...
Growth of the Singapore economy moderated in
the fourth quarter of 2007. Advance estimates[1] show that real gross
domestic product (GDP) rose by 6.0 per cent on a year-on-year basis in
the fourth quarter, following a 9.0 per cent gain in the previous
quarter...
Police arrested eight Chinese male subjects,
aged between 14 and 27 years old, for unlicensed moneylending related
harassment activities in Hougang, Sengkang and Pasir Ris in a 20-hour
operation which ended on the morning of 27 December 2007...
High growth has benefited all Singaporeans.
A record 172,000 jobs were created in the first three quarters of the
year. Unemployment is down to 1.7%, the lowest in almost a decade.
Companies are reporting bigger profits, and
workers are enjoying higher bonuses and wages. Low-income workers
too are earning more, unlike in some previous years...
The Fund will provide for three programmes:
training opportunities to strengthen English language teaching in the
region, opportunities for needy students in our polytechnics and the
Institute of Technical Education to gain overseas exposure, and
scholarships for deserving students from Singapore and China to pursue
their undergraduate studies in Singapore universities.
The Ministry of Education will administer
the fund...
The Government will make the first payment
of the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme on 1 Jan 2008. About
287,000 workers will receive a total of $146 million in WIS benefits,
for work done in the first half of 2007...
MOE will be introducing a new Education
Scheme of Service (2008) from 1 April 2008 to better recognise and
reward good teachers. The new scheme will be more market responsive and
there will be a stronger link between pay and performance.
Officers will be placed on a salary range
system with merit increments that are based on one’s performance,
potential and market wage movements. This will replace the current
salary scale system with fixed annual increments. With the revision to
the salary ranges, a one-off salary increment of up to 4% will be made
to the salaries of eligible officers on the new scheme...
Come January 2008, each eligible household
will receive the second instalment of these U-Save rebates, amounting to
between $50 and $110, depending on flat type...
MediaCorp Radio has paid a $5,000 fine
imposed by the Media Development Authority (MDA) for airing a discussion
on a sex-related topic during Class 95FM's "The Morning Express"
programme in August this year.
The programme, aired between 7am to 8am
on 21 August 2007, contained a prolonged discussion between the DJs
on "whether men and women should make noise during sex" and "whether
noisy men turn women off"...
The Next Gen NBN is expected to be available
nationwide by 2015, although consumers can begin to look forward to a
range of new and exciting Next Gen Services such as high-definition
video conferencing, telemedicine, Grid Computing-on-Demand, security and
immersive learning applications on the Next Gen NBN from about 2010...
Persons with congenital illnesses can join
MediShield to obtain coverage for medical treatment that is not related
to their congenital condition...
As for children attending special
schools or with special needs, the basis of coverage is the same as
the basis for other children, that is, they should be healthy at the
point of entry and have no pre-existing illnesses...
The outbreak of Salmonellosis linked to the
Prima Deli factory has ceased. There have been no new cases with
reported onset of illness following the factory closure on 4 Dec 07...
AVA will allow the company to resume its
factory operations in two stages under supervision.
With immediate effect, Prima Deli will
be allowed to produce food products that undergo high heat treatment
such as baked products and frozen dough to be baked in the outlets.
If there is no operational hygiene deficiency, full factory
operation may be resumed to produce the other products containing
ingredients not subjected to heat treatment such as cakes with
toppings...
The trading of OTC commodity derivatives has
also flourished over the years. Last year, total trading volume amounted
to approximately US$600 billion, accounting for almost 8% of global
trades.
Singapore is also home to the largest REIT
market in Asia ex-Japan with a total market capitalization in the region
of USD$20 billion.
The Merrill Lynch report also noted an
interesting investment trend for HNWIs in Singapore. On the average,
alternative investments (including structured products) account for
almost 10% of total portfolio allocation for 2006...
Tattooing procedures carry the risk of
transmitting infectious diseases, like HIV, hepatitis B and C. However,
if sterilised or disposable needles are used and proper infection
control measures are followed, the risk of infection is very small...
In the past 30 years, there have been no
reports of infectious disease transmission or serious complications from
a body tattooing procedure in Singapore. There is no compelling need to
regulate the industry...
Police would also like to advise revellers
and shoppers to be vigilant against opportunists who might commit molest
in crowds. Most of these molest cases happen in crowded areas where the
suspect would touch the victim and move away. In some, the suspect would
spray foam onto the victim and commit molest in the process...
This year, 11,568 (99.3%) students from the
N(A) course and 6,307 (97.7%) students from the N(T) course will be
awarded the N-Level certificate. The N-Level certificate is awarded to a
candidate who obtains a passing grade of Grade 5 or better in at least
one subject.
In addition, 110 N(T) students offered one
or two N(A) subjects and 60 (54.5%) of them have obtained at least a
Grade 5 or better in their N-Level Examination.[1]...
From Jan 2008, the Government will
increase the annual contribution rate to Edusave accounts of
eligible pupils by $10 to $180 for those at the primary level, and
by $20 to $220 for those at the secondary level.
Total employment expanded by 58,600 in Q3
07, up substantially from the increase of 43,000 in Q3 06, making it the
second highest quarterly increase after the 64,400 recorded in Q2 07...
1,827 workers were retrenched in Q3 07, an
improvement from 2,472 in Q3 06 and 1,918 in Q2 07[2]. This brings the
total number retrenched in the first nine months of 2007 to 5,709, much
lower than 9,388 in the same period last year...
Confidence tricksters continue to use the
"Kidnap Hoax Scam" with 9 cases reported between 1 and 29 November 07
and 19 cases reported between 1 and 6 Dec 07...
Another ruse used by the cheats is to
impersonate themselves as police officers or staff from the Supreme
Court...
This method of cheating surfaced in
September 07 which prompted police to alert members of public. As of 6
December 07, a total of 224 reports were received. The culprits were
unsuccessful in 195 cases, but in 29 cases the victims were cheated of
more than S$275,500 cash...
In enforcement operations conducted over a
13 day period, 14 errant taxi drivers were nabbed at several spots such
as Boat Quay, CHIJMES, Clarke Quay, Mustafa Centre, Orchard Towers and
Shenton Way.
Of these, 6 taxi drivers were found
overcharging and 8 were caught for refusing to convey passengers. None
was found touting...
From January 1, 2008, non-PR foreigners will
not receive any healthcare subsidy. PRs will continue to be subsidised
for hospital services, but at 5 percentage points less than citizens.
From July 1, 2008, another 5
percentage-point reduction will be applied...
With effect from 1 January 2008, the S Pass
quota for all sectors will be increased from 15% to 25%. The new S Pass
quota will come entirely from companies' Work Permit quota which will be
increased for all sectors. Companies can therefore employ more S Pass
holders, in lieu of Work Permit holders, hence improving the quality of
their foreign workforce...
To strengthen our
global talent attraction and retention efforts, refinements will be made
to the PEP scheme. Foreign professionals whose last drawn fixed monthly
salary overseas was at least S$7,000 will be eligible for a PEP. The PEP
will also be granted to former P1 Employment Pass holders upon
application.
These changes
will take effect from 1 March 2008. Existing and new P1 pass holders
working in Singapore that apply for the PEP ahead of the 2-year
requirement will be accorded in-principle approval. They can apply to
take up the PEP at the end of 2 years on their current P1 pass...
The continued tightening of the labour
market this year has also led to significant gains in income and a
reduction in the number and share of low wage workers...
Excluding the
extreme age bands, the employment rate for those aged 25 to 64 edged up
to a new record of 76.5% from 75.5% a year ago. Supported by efforts to
improve employability of older workers, the employment rate of older
residents aged 55 to 64 rose by 2.5%-points over the year to 56.2% in
June 2007..
Since 17 Oct 07, HDB, SCDF and NEA have been
mounting joint inspections with the Town Councils to enforce the ODA
guidelines. Sixteen joint inspections, one in each of the 16 Town
Councils, involving a total of 1,180 commercial units, have been carried
out to-date.
Upon the first joint inspection, an average
of 41% of the shops at each site were found to have infringed the ODA
guidelines. Some of the common infringements include installation of
drop-down screens and lack of 1-metre distance between rows of goods...
The National Environment Agency has
commissioned a book that traces the social history of this uniquely
Singapore icon.
"Singapore Hawker Centres - People, Places, Food" is the
definitive account on hawkers, their food and their stories. It also
features environment and public health officials who have been
instrumental in transforming hawking from a public health nightmare to a
respectable trade...
By the first quarter of 2008, over 4000
patients yearly at the community hospitals will be able to enjoy better
patient care, improved drug safety, fewer repeat tests and hence lower
costs with the extension of the Electronic Medical Records Exchange (EMRX)...
The extension marks the first step in the
Ministry of Health's plans to extend the EMRX beyond the public
sector...
From 1 Dec 2007, owners of commercial
vehicles such as vans and mini-buses with unladen weight not exceeding
1,800 kg will enjoy lower season parking charges if their vehicles can
fit into a car lot...
About 900 season parking ticket holders are
expected to benefit from the revision. Instead of paying the higher
season parking charge of between $120 and $185 per month for heavy
vehicles, they will now pay the lower season parking charge of $65 for
surface car parks and $90 for multi-storey car parks in residential
estates, and between $80 and $180 in commercial areas...
MOH and theAgri-Food & Veterinary Authority
(AVA) conducted joint inspections of Prima Food Pte Ltd which produces
the chocolate cakes for all Prima Deli retail outlets.
Food and environmental samples were taken
for laboratory analysis. Preliminary results on 03 December 2007 for the
food samples are suggestive of Salmonella as the likely causative agent...
As at 03 December 2007, there were a total
of 106 cases including six hospitalised cases, all of whom have been
discharged. Six cases tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis. The
last case had onset of illness on 26 November 2007.
Effective from 1 January 2008, all new
products must comply with the ACD requirements and notify HSA prior to
sale.
All existing products that are currently
sold in the local market will be given 12 months to notify HSA and to
fully comply with the requirements by 1 Jan 2011...
Between 24 October to 18 November 2007,
Singapore police conducted a series of island-wide raids targeted at
illegal soccer bookmaking activities and arrested a total of 20 persons
for illegal soccer bookmaking and gambling activities...
Out of the164
Singaporeans detected to be HIV infected in the first six months, about
93% of the new cases detected this year were males and 7% were females.
Sexual transmission remains the main mode of HIV
transmission among Singaporeans. Of the 164 cases reported in the first
6 months of 2007, 155 cases acquired the infection through the sexual
route, with heterosexual transmission accounting for 67% of infections,
homosexual transmission 24% and bisexual transmission 3%. Intravenous
drug use (4 cases) accounted for 2%...
A representative sample of our pupils – 7000
Primary 4 pupils from all primary schools in Singapore – took part in
the study in October 2005...
Singapore ranked 4th among 45 education
systems which participated in PIRLS 2006, an improvement from rank 15th
in PIRLS 2001 (see Table 1, Annex B). Singapore’s average score also
improved from 528 in 2001 to 558 in 2006...
Early last year, MDA worked with industry
players to successfully kick-off a series of trials on High Definition
TV. Today, HDTV is available to Singapore households over free-to-air,
cable and Internet Protocol or IPTV.
We view the delivery of digital TV services
to mobile devices as a promising new way to deliver media services to
consumers anytime, anywhere. Hence, MDA has proposed a policy framework
to enable the early deployment of commercial mobile broadcasting...
In his Opening Address, Dr Vivian
Balakrishnan announced the increase of up to 25 per cent in funding for
the 17 social service agencies that are running the Guidance Programme
(GP) - a six-month programme for first-time young offenders to divert
them away from being charged in Court...
Towards the end of the 6-month
programme, the social worker will assess the youth’s overall
progress and make an appropriate recommendation to the Police
Investigation Officer.
Depending on the risks and needs of the
youth, the programme may be extended for up to
six months. The youth, if he completes the programme successfully,
may be let off with a stern Police warning in lieu of prosecution...
The International Olympic Committee (IOC)
just announced that Singapore, together with four cities, have been
shortlisted to host the inaugural Games. The other cities remaining in
the race are Athens, Bangkok, Moscow and Turin.
The Board of Film Censors (BFC) will be
launching a video games classification system next year to provide more
choice for adults while protecting the young.
In the interim period, the BFC has decided
to selectively use games rating to enable highly anticipated games to be
launched in Singapore...
A total of 49, 817 Primary 6 pupils sat for
the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) this year, a decrease of
798 (or 1.6%) over the 2006 cohort. Of these, 5176 were from the EM3
course...
In all, 48, 665 pupils (or 97.7%) have been
assessed as suitable to proceed to secondary school. Of these pupils,
63.5% are eligible for the Express course, 22.2% for the Normal
(Academic) and 12.0% for the Normal (Technical) course.
There are 1,152 pupils (or 2.3%) who are
assessed to be not yet ready for secondary school in 2008 or more suited
for vocational training...
At about 6.00 pm today, Chee Siok Chin and
John Tan had walked into Orange Grove Road, which is an area gazetted as
a Protected Area.
Police officers deployed along the
stretch of road first engaged the pair at the junction of Orange
Grove Road and Orchard Rd and advised them that they were about to
enter the protected area and that they should not do so...
They were warned repeatedly that they had
entered the protected area, and should they refuse to leave, they would
be removed. When they ignored the repeated warnings, and still refused
to leave and continued to move forward, police officers led them into a
police vehicle to bring them out of the protected area...
MTI forecasts the Singapore economy to grow
by 4.5-6.5 per cent in 2008. This represents a moderation in growth
towards the economy's underlying potential rate, following four years of
above-trend growth.
The market consensus is that the US
economy will slow down in the first half of 2008 as a result of
weaker credit and housing markets before resuming healthy growth
in the second half. This would support GDP growth in Singapore in
the upper half of the 4.5-6.5 per cent forecast range...
HDB’s Resale Price Index (RPI) rose by 6.6%
in 3rd Quarter 2007 over the previous quarter, with price increases
across most flat types and towns.
The median Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) amount
among all resale transactions conducted in 3rd Quarter 2007 was $17,000
(see Annex C). Cases requiring COV constituted 80% of all resale
transactions in this quarter, with 20% of resale transactions done at or
below valuation...
Most older HDB shops were built with
electrical loads lower than current norms. Over time, the electrical
load requirements in shops have increased with the proliferation of
air-conditioning, more lighting and other electrical appliances.
Currently, the charges for electrical
upgrading for shop tenants and shop owners are $45 per amp and $85
per amp respectively. From 14 Nov 2007, electrical upgrading up to
1 phase 60 amp will be free for tenants while shop owners will pay
the revised charge of $45 per amp...
The lower charges/free upgrading will
benefit about 1,200 owners and 1,300 tenants of HDB shops with an
existing electrical supply of less than 1 phase 60 amps...
Part II of the Bill establishes the
National Registry of Diseases and sets out its functions. These
include the collection of information on reportable diseases,
establishment of registers, compilation and publication of
statistics, and the provision of information for supporting health
services and national public health policies...
Clause 6, in Part III of the Bill,
makes the notification of reportable diseases mandatory for
managers of all healthcare institutions. The burden is placed on
the manager as he has the management and control of the
institution. Very limited data will be required to make a
notification...
The National Infocomm Club Awards recognise
the creativity of Infocomm Club students in using technology to educate
and connect to the wider community, or within schools...
Primary Category
Top Winner : River Valley Primary School (Project: The Adventures
of Respect)
Merit Winner : Chua Chu Kang Primary School (Project: Intelligent
Communicators)
Merit Winner : Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Project: HOPE)
Secondary / Junior College
Category Top Winner : Raffles Institution
(Project: E-learning Packages for Down Syndrome Youths)
Merit Winner : Hwa Chong Institution (Project: Spiderportal)
Merit Winner : Victoria Junior College (Project: Automated Quiz
Management System)...
Government
