Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Syariah Remarks by Anglican Leader - ST March

Anglican leader's syariah remarks naive, says Vatican
Catholic official says archbishop failed to consider reality of syariah

ROME - THE Vatican's top man for relations with Islam has called the head of the Church of England mistaken and 'naive' for suggesting that aspects of syariah law were inevitable in Britain.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams sparked a religious and political storm last month, when he raised the prospect of Islamic law in Britain.

And Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran joined the row yesterday, telling reporters: 'I think it was a mistake, a mistake because, above all, one has to ask what type of syariah.'

Archbishop Williams, spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans, provoked a string of tabloid headlines with the best-selling Sun launching a campaign for him to quit.

Cardinal Tauran, president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said that while the Archbishop's 'good intentions' in making the remarks were understandable, he had failed to take into consideration either Muslims, the English legal system, or the 'reality of syariah'.

And the cardinal said that 'it is not just a question of good will. There are juridical aspects that are not reconcilable' with syariah.

Islamic religious law has been attacked by many in the West over its treatment of women and punishments for adultery and apostasy.

And the row triggered by the archbishop's comments fed into a broader debate on integrating Britain's 1.8 million Muslims, an issue which assumed greater urgency after suicide bombings by British Muslim militants killed 52 people in London in July 2005.

Dr Williams later sought to clarify his position, saying he was not advocating parallel systems of law and stressed he was not endorsing the harsh punishments meted out in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran.

But he was unrepentant about raising the subject in the first place.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Tauran - who will be the Vatican's top man in a permanent official dialogue with Muslims to improve relations and heal wounds still open from a controversial papal speech in 2006 - said he was confident the new body would help defuse future misunderstandings.

The Catholic-Muslim Forum will meet in Rome in November, with 24 religious leaders and scholars from each side.

Pope Benedict - who triggered a nosedive in Catholic-Muslim relations in 2006 by delivering a lecture that was taken by Muslims to imply that Islam was violent and irrational - will address the group, due to meet formally every two years.

The United States is also making attempts to improve a difficult relationship with the Muslim world, announcing that for the first time it will be sending an envoy to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.

The world's largest Islamic grouping is convening in Senegal on Thursday, and the US last week named Pakistan-born Texan businessman Sada Cumber as a special envoy to the OIC.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday the appointment was part of 'a much larger effort' to increase engagement with the worldwide Muslim community.

She also said the envoy would 'promote the principles that we hold dear', while fighting misperceptions that 'the United States is at war with Islam'.

REUTERS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Pragmatic but never passive - Singapore Foreign Policy



SINGAPORE'S FOREIGN POLICY
Pragmatic but never passive
President SR Nathan delivered the MFA Diplomatic Academy's inaugural S. Rajaratnam Lecture on Monday. Here is an edited excerpt of his lecture

AS WITH most other countries, geopolitical circumstances played a big role in the formulation of our foreign policy.
The circumstances under which we gained independence underscored our inherent vulnerability. Located in a then politically volatile region, our foreign policy, made on the run, was directed at coping with this vulnerability.

In the initial years, much of our attention was focused on managing relations with Malaysia, from whom we were newly separated, and restoring ties with Indonesia in the aftermath of Konfrontasi. Given their importance, relations with these countries were handled at the highest political level.

We sought good and stable relations with both Malaysia and Indonesia for the long term. But the fact remained that Singapore and our neighbours were organised differently. We sought to ensure that bilateral relations with Malaysia and Indonesia were conducted on the basis of mutual respect, mutual benefit and sovereign equality. But even as we sought to accommodate each other, we held to our principles and our rights as an independent country.

This was why we stood firm on the death sentence of the two Indonesian marines, despite appeals from the highest office in Indonesia and threats of reprisal. Their hanging sparked street protests in Jakarta and the Singapore Embassy was torched.

It was also for the same reason that we took a firm stand on the caning of Michael Fay in 1994, despite the appeal from the US president and the impact on our bilateral relations with the United States.
I was then our ambassador to Washington. There was a huge media storm in the US but we stood firm. After careful deliberation, the Singapore Government decided to reduce the number of strokes from six to four. The administration was not satisfied and thereafter we had to spend time and effort to repair the damage to our bilateral relations.

But by the end of his second term, president Bill Clinton took the historic decision to begin free trade agreement negotiations with Singapore.

Beyond fostering relations with our immediate neighbours, we also sought to create and secure for Singapore external political, diplomatic and economic space. We reached out to the developed countries. As a small state in a dangerous and uncertain world, we have also seen it in our interest to wrap ourselves in something larger, whether it is Asean, the United Nations or international legal regimes.

We worked to keep the regional architecture open and welcomed the constructive engagement of major powers. Mr S. Rajaratnam famously described this approach in a speech to the Asia Society in New York in 1973: 'Like the sun the great powers will, by their very existence, radiate gravitational power. But if there are many suns then the smaller planets can, by judicious balancing of pulls and counter-pulls, enjoy a greater freedom of movement.'

Through the decades, Singapore consistently insisted on and entrenched the principle of 'open regionalism'. We also worked with likeminded countries to create networks to enhance the region's openness while maintaining Asean's diplomatic centrality.

Another approach which characterised Singapore's foreign policy was pragmatism. As a small country, Singapore took a realistic view of its limitations and constraints. We knew very well that we had very little influence over our external environment. We dealt with the business of foreign relations without sentiment, ideology or illusion. Pragmatism is not the abjuration of idealism or the pursuit of idealistic goals but a necessary condition in international relations, particularly for small states.

To recognise limitations is not to be passive. Between what actually exists and what must ultimately be accepted lies a margin of possibilities. We have always taken a pragmatic and focused attitude and have been able at times to transcend our smallness and limits and make an impact far exceeding our size.

Our pragmatic approach can be seen in the way we dealt with China and Taiwan. In 1967, in order to overcome our lack of training space and not to be completely dependent on the Israelis for assistance in the training of our military, we started discussions with the Taiwanese for use of their training areas.

When Taiwan set up its trade office in Singapore two years later, we insisted that this exchange of trade missions did not entail formal diplomatic recognition of each other. That has remained our policy since. We adhered to our one-China policy and never established formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, even though relations have continued to be friendly and mutually beneficial.

Another fundamental of Singapore's foreign policy was our non-alignment. On Singapore's assumption of UN membership in September 1965, Mr Rajaratnam explained Singapore's position in these words: 'This does not mean that Singapore equates non-alignment with indifference to basic issues of right and wrong or that it will evade taking a stand on matters which it considers vital lest it displeases some member nations, including those with which it has close ties.'

He reminded us that support for particular international developments with political or security overtones could lead to the end of our independence. At the same time, we could not afford to keep our heads low for fear of offending the big powers. We had to make a stand when our interests were affected. This is (the position that) we have maintained since.

Let me cite two instances where we had to make a stand even though we were a new player. At Asean's founding, Singapore defended its right to have the presence of British and Australian forces in Singapore. The Preamble to the draft Asean Declaration that was up for discussion by the foreign ministers included a stipulation which in summary opposed the presence of foreign bases and referred to these bases not being used to subvert the national independence of member countries or serve the particular interest of any of the big powers.

At the inaugural Bangkok meeting, Singapore stood firmly against such a provision, even though others were prepared to live with it. Today, the Asean Declaration states that all foreign bases 'remain only with the expressed concurrence of the countries concerned'.

We had argued successfully that Singapore and Malaysia were fighting a foreign-assisted communist insurgency and such defence support was critical. As I was at that founding meeting and took part in the redrafting of that Preamble, I speak from personal knowledge of our stand and the resultant change.

In the late 1970s, Singapore made another stand. Despite our abhorrence of the tragedy heaped on the Cambodian people by the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime, Singapore strongly contested the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia. This was a clear case of violation of international borders and an act of aggression, which would have established an undesirable principle of international relations if left unopposed. Together with other Asean delegations, Singapore diplomats helped lead the challenge to Vietnam.

In the Non-Aligned Movement and in the UN General Assembly, our stand and that of our Asean colleagues enabled us to move the matter to the 'Paris talks' and helped in the restoration of Cambodia's independence.

In both these instances, Singapore showed its determination not to remain passive for fear of offending others. Others expected us, as a small state, to recognise our vulnerability and adopt a passive approach in our foreign relations so as to avoid retaliation. We chose to make a stand when our interests were at stake.

POSSIBILITIES WITHIN LIMITATIONS

To recognise limitations is not to be passive. Between what actually exists and what must ultimately be accepted lies a margin of possibilities. We have always taken a pragmatic and focused attitude and have been able at times to transcend our smallness and limits and make an impact far exceeding our size

No more politics as usual in Malaysia

March 12, 2008
No more politics as usual in Malaysia
By K Kesavapany
IN A confounding repudiation of pundits who had predicted otherwise, Malaysia's ruling coalition, the Barisan Nasional (BN), failed to secure a two-thirds majority in the country's 12th general election. Although the BN's simple majority enables it to form the next federal government, its loss of the two-thirds majority portends fundamental changes in the way in which it manages the political system.
The ruling coalition can no longer push through its policies and programmes in Parliament by itself, but will have to accommodate the opposition and proceed through compromise. The government will have to take into account the opposition's calls for better governance, greater transparency and stricter adherence to the rule of law in the political process.

On the economic front, accommodation will mean that the government will have to take seriously opposition calls for fairness in the distribution of the economic cake. On the social front, the ruling coalition will have to pay attention to racial and religious minorities' complaints of discrimination.

In the immediate future, the BN will have to rectify a mistake in its campaign strategy: Its focus on development in the macro sense. Though Malaysians want development, they responded to the opposition's emphasis on mundane but real 'bread and butter' issues such as the rising cost of living and increasing crime.

The election represents a monumental achievement for the opposition. The BN's inability to wrest back Kelantan was not unexpected, given the extent to which the Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) is entrenched in that state. What was unexpected was the Democratic Action Party achieving at last its goal of taking over Penang, the BN's astonishing loss of Kedah, the home state of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, and the loss of Perak and Selangor.

Two consequences follow from these results. First, the ruling coalition will now have to pay close attention to the management of centre-state relations. The old formula, of the BN being in control of both the federal government and an overwhelming number of state governments, will no longer apply in five key states.

IN A confounding repudiation of pundits who had predicted otherwise, Malaysia's ruling coalition, the Barisan Nasional (BN), failed to secure a two-thirds majority in the country's 12th general election. Although the BN's simple majority enables it to form the next federal government, its loss of the two-thirds majority portends fundamental changes in the way in which it manages the political system.
The ruling coalition can no longer push through its policies and programmes in Parliament by itself, but will have to accommodate the opposition and proceed through compromise. The government will have to take into account the opposition's calls for better governance, greater transparency and stricter adherence to the rule of law in the political process.

On the economic front, accommodation will mean that the government will have to take seriously opposition calls for fairness in the distribution of the economic cake. On the social front, the ruling coalition will have to pay attention to racial and religious minorities' complaints of discrimination.

In the immediate future, the BN will have to rectify a mistake in its campaign strategy: Its focus on development in the macro sense. Though Malaysians want development, they responded to the opposition's emphasis on mundane but real 'bread and butter' issues such as the rising cost of living and increasing crime.

The election represents a monumental achievement for the opposition. The BN's inability to wrest back Kelantan was not unexpected, given the extent to which the Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) is entrenched in that state. What was unexpected was the Democratic Action Party achieving at last its goal of taking over Penang, the BN's astonishing loss of Kedah, the home state of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, and the loss of Perak and Selangor.
Second, and more importantly, this development points to a fundamental possibility of change in Malaysian politics. The results show that a sizeable number of Malays in Kedah, Perak and Selangor, who were disenchanted with the BN's record of performance, have put that dissatisfaction ahead of racial considerations and made common cause with Chinese and Indians in voting for the opposition. Should the BN read this development correctly, it might lead to a less race-based polity.

The opposition, too, has work to do. The overarching question is where Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim fits into the emerging scenario. Come April, he will be eligible to contest an election. Should he make it into Parliament, he would be able to coalesce the opposition forces and better present them as an alternative to BN. An alternative to the ruling coalition is a prospect that Malaysia has never faced before.

The prospect has already created economic uncertainties, as reflected in Monday's steep stock market decline. For example, most of the northern states in the Northern Economic Corridor Region (NCER) are now under opposition control. This raises doubts about the future of the NCER project.

Another interesting development is the statement by the prospective Menteri Besar of Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, that the pro-bumiputera National Economic Policy (NEP) will be abolished in his state. Whether this will be accepted by the other opposition parties, especially PAS, remains to be seen. However, if this were to become a reality, then the political economy of the richest state in the federation will be transformed with concomitant implications for investments.

For the time being, the opposition will have to consolidate its gains. That means allocating portfolios commensurate with each party's contribution to the overall opposition success.

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi will have to inject fresh blood into the ruling coalition to make up for the loss of four heavyweight ministers. The near-complete rout of Gerakan and the heavy losses suffered by the Malaysian Indian Congress, including the defeat of its president, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, reiterate the need for a fresh and bold approach to Cabinet formation.

For the international community, it is reassuring that Malaysia has gone through this political sea change without its social system coming under undue stress. Kuala Lumpur should continue to be able to discharge its regional and international obligations. What is unclear is whether the election results will affect Malaysia's longer-term economic development. Well-wishers of Malaysia will hope not.

The writer, director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, is a former Singapore high commissioner to Malaysia. These are his personal views. A previous version of this article appeared in Business Times on Monday.

Is the foreign talent scheme working? - ST

March 9, 2008
DEBATE RAGES ON...
Is the foreign talent scheme working?
By Leonard Lim


THE behaviour of some athletes, like China-born thrower Dong Enxin who has gone AWOL, has given critics the chance to question the usefulness of the Foreign Sports Talent scheme.

THEY created history just two days before, emerging second to mighty China in the World Table Tennis Championships.
But when paddlers Li Jiawei, Wang Yuegu, Feng Tianwei, Yu Mengyu and Sun Beibei arrived at Changi Airport last Monday, only two Singapore Table Tennis Association officials and one player's family members were present to receive them.

This, after the women - all foreign sports talent from China - had recorded the Republic's best finish at the event.

The conspicuous absence of any fanfare has added more fuel to the already raging debate surrounding the Republic's Foreign Sports Talent (FST) scheme.

Twice, over the past few weeks, the scheme - introduced in 1993 to fast-track promising foreign athletes for Singapore citizenship - was brought up in Parliament.

According to figures mentioned before the House, 54 foreign-born athletes have since become Singaporeans.


But only 37 of them are still in active training. Table tennis player Zhang Xueling, badminton's Xiao Luxi - both from China - and Brazilian footballer Egmar Goncalves are among those who have packed up and returned to their native homelands.

The 30 per cent drop-out rate prompted Nominated MP Jessie Phua to say in Parliament on Wednesday: 'It is certainly not a case of a few bad apples.

'There are some real issues to be addressed.'

The reasons behind the implementation of the FST scheme were simple enough 15 years ago.

With Singapore's small talent pool of less than five million and with so few citizens willing to commit to a life of pursuing sporting excellence, there was a need to look abroad for promising youngsters.

These foreign stars would not only bring success to the country, but also hopefully inspire young Singaporeans to follow in their footsteps.

Yet, today, it has turned out to be much more complicated.

With instances of these new Singaporeans returning to their native countries at their peak (table tennis' Zhang), some even going AWOL (thrower Dong Enxin) and now the seemingly indifferent public sentiment to their successes, the spotlight is now more than just on medals.

Said SingaporeSailing president Low Teo Ping: 'The most tangible measure of success would be the the number of gold medals won.'

But there are also the intangibles, he noted.

'What's important is also the legacy they leave behind, whether these stars can transfer their expertise and inspire our home-grown youngsters.'

Parliamentary Secretary (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Teo Ser Luck agreed, but added: 'What is integral is that these athletes also help build the system, and be part of the sporting pipeline for Singapore.

'They must essentially lift the standard of their respective sports.'

This week, Teo told Parliament that, in spite of the recent questions being asked of the scheme, it is here to stay.

But he told The Sunday Times that he is concerned that foreign talent has become the overwhelming majority in certain sports.

He said: 'This is an issue. It's also important that we do not become a trading hub, where one foreign athlete that leaves is replaced by another.'

Football Association of Singapore general secretary Steven Yeo is another who subscribes to the view.

Since 2002, the FAS has drafted eight foreign-born footballers into the national team.

But Yeo added that the long-term emphasis is still on Singapore-born footballers, saying: 'The FST scheme should never be at the expense of local talent.'

Along with football, table tennis and badminton account for over 60 per cent of the 54 citizenships given out so far.

And neglecting the development of local talent has been something both table tennis and badminton have been accused of in the past.

Half of the 10-member badminton team that finished a best-ever third in the team event at last year's World Junior Championships were foreign-born, for instance.

But this is set to change for table tennis, with the sport's world body recently passing a rule that restricts paddlers from switching nationalities once they turn 21.

Yet, while the consensus is that the 15-year-old FST scheme needs fine-tuning, there is no denying that it has its merits.

Foreign talents have come closest to breaking the country's Olympic medal drought, one which dates back to 1960 when Tan Howe Liang won a weightlifting silver.

Table tennis paddlers Jing Junhong (in 2000) and Li Jiawei (in 2004) were both a win shy of bagging a medal at the Olympics. They lost both their semi-finals and subsequent bronze-medal play-off matches in the singles.

At last December's South-east Asia Games in Thailand, the foreign brigade contributed 34.9 per cent of Singapore's 43 gold medals, even though they made up only 7.6 per cent of the 423-strong contingent.

In the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the four golds won in table tennis were down mostly to foreign talent.

Their golden performances have also rubbed off on the locals.

Shuttler Kendrick Lee, who became the first Singaporean in 24 years to reach the South-east Asia Games badminton final last year, is one who will readily credit Indonesia-born Ronald Susilo for his success.

Said the world No 21 shuttler of his teammate: 'Ronald sets high standards, so the rest of us have a good gauge of what it takes to be a world-class player.'

The FST scheme has also allowed locals opportunities to compete on the world stage, alongside foreign talents.

Even officials who have had bad experiences dealing with foreign talents are of the opinion that the FST scheme still has a role to play.

The Singapore Athletic Association's experience of bringing in eight China-born athletes has resulted in a well-documented waste of $1 million in funds.

Although three eventually became Singapore citizens, only thrower Zhang Guirong is in active training.

But SAA president Loh Lin Kok maintained that, with competition for sporting success so keen, it would be naive of Singapore not to do what other countries are also doing.

China-born athletes now represent European countries in table tennis and badminton, while African runners are a common sight in Middle East nations.

Said Loh: 'Look at the big picture, if we don't get them in, others will. We shouldn't and won't close the door totally. But we must use our bitter experience wisely, and fine-tune the system to decide who to give citizenships to.'

When asked how the scheme could be improved, sailing supremo Low said it was important to 'establish the desired outcomes'.

He said: 'If it's to catalyse local development, then let's be clear about that. Foreign athletes musn't be brought here on an experimental basis, say I try five and hope three can be successful.'

Mr Teo acknowledged there was room for improvement, especially in efforts to integrate the FST athletes into society.

He said: 'There should be a concerted effort by us to welcome them and show our support.

'But athletes must also be willing to make the effort.

'It always takes two hands to clap.'

limze@sph.com.sg

Welfare hikes in fine tune - ST

March 8, 2008
Welfare hikes in fine tune

THE public assistance increases and enhancements announced in Parliament this week strike a fair balance between compassion and calculation, between idealism of the heart and realism of the mind. Some may find the hikes - ranging from 14 to 24 per cent - ungenerous, considering the low base and rising living costs. But others will ask what these might do to the Government's ideological distaste for welfarism. Nevertheless, they underscore rather than detract from the three points that Community Development Minister Vivian Balakrishnan made: Life is tough, unfair and unpredictable; family support is paramount; and discipline, hard work and self-reliance are needed to assure success. Singaporeans, especially the older ones, have absorbed these values from government leaders since independence, even if not everyone had lived by them through the Occupation and colonial years.
Indeed, they may have learnt the lesson too well. On hospital means testing, some Singaporeans seem less generous than Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan was prepared to be. Limit subsidy to 20 per cent of the population, they urged him. This sounds typically kiasu: Why should I, through my tax dollars, foot the bills of others if I don't stand to benefit by as much because of my income level? But however self-centred the calculus, it reflects the belief that there is no free lunch. It is reassuring to see such an instance of grassroots resistance to expansion of state largesse. If widespread, such reluctance may undercut politicians' attempts to overbid on handouts to win votes in an election. Ironically, the underlying conservatism also means the Government may have more room than it previously thought it had in avoiding erosion of the work ethic and the spirit of self-reliance, while building a more compassionate society.

Similar and even more commonsensical sentiments would likely arise against bureaucratic bloat to disburse benefits. Welfare schemes elsewhere have been discredited for this as well as the dependency reason. Reliance as well on voluntary welfare organisations - the 'Many Helping Hands' component - is sound in both delivery and deliverables. The increases are needed, justified and straightforward to give. Public assistance beneficiaries are indigent cases, not idle freeloaders. With affluence naturally comes generosity towards the less fortunate, but the will to share usually lags the ability to do so. The Government has appealed to the better instinct of Singaporeans in augmenting welfare benefits for those who need them badly. They can be more supportive.

Sporting chance of lifting the S'pore spirit - ST

March 6, 2008
Sporting chance of lifting the S'pore spirit
By Andy Ho

HOW can the F1 in September and the Youth Olympics in 2010 be leveraged for Singapore's benefit?
Studies of sport tourism regularly lament expensively built sporting facilities that become underutilised after major sporting events and financial debt that plagues the organisers of these events. This may not be the case in Singapore, which will spend just US$1.14 million (S$1.6 million) on permanent works, mostly to upgrade Bishan Stadium, which will host athletics and football. Still, US$5.73 million will also be spent on temporary spectator stands, lighting, security, media facilities and doping controls.

Another US$100 million has been budgeted to organise the Youth Olympics. The hope is that such mega-events will brand the city globally with tourists. Also, the public dollars invested may keep the construction and hospitality industries churning. Local businesses may benefit from tourist spending too.

Some experts warn, however, that such projections may be exaggerated and that many studies on the subject make unwarranted assumptions in their modelling. A 2005 study conducted by the Sports Tourism International Council based in Ottawa, Canada, for instance, warned that such models tend to have 'an inflated multiplier (because) all factors of leakage including public investment' may not be included. Infrastructure works such as upgrading of roads leading to a sport venue should not be double-counted as both a benefit and an expenditure, it said.

Visitor numbers may also be exaggerated if tickets dispensed are used as a proxy for them. One person may buy tickets to many events on the same day, yet he would occupy only one hotel bed. Furthermore, tickets are given away free to VIPs, athletes, referees, staff and the media. But these things are not captured in even sophisticated economic models. Other factors such as visitor consumption patterns and how long they stay all matter.

Moreover, the larger the event, the more likely is their so-called 'displacement effect', Professor Glenn McCartney of the Macau University of Science and Technology noted. A big sporting event may discourage other travellers from coming here and encourage some locals to leave, so as to get away from the noise and congestion.

To offset that effect, organisers could promote repeat visits, especially with recurrent mega events like the F1. In his own study of the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix, Prof McCartney found that the 54-year-old street race - like Singapore's F1 - can attract not just new visitors but also repeat ones. This loyal base of repeat visitors is important as they might stay longer if there are entertainment options available.

Organisers should thus plan to leverage opportunities to get visitors to actually stay and spend. But as Prof Laurence Chalip who teaches sports management at the University of Texas, Austin, pointed out, 'most sport tourism organisers treat each event as a given and simply hope and wait for benefits without actually planning and implementing any leverage to provide opportunities to buy food or souvenirs, enjoy ancillary entertainments, or try new products, say. This oversight often leads to disappointment'.

To practise leveraging, organisers must focus not on mere decorations but on the-ming - telling stories and conveying a sense of celebration, using symbolic elements such as logos, flags, banners and displays. Ethnographic market research can help identify symbols and narratives to foster the desired celebratory atmosphere, he added.

'During one of the Gold Coast IndyCar events I studied, a precinct that neighboured the circuit wanted to convey the sense it was part of IndyCar, so it was themed to the event. There were banners proclaiming the location as a place to celebrate the event, a bridge across the main street that was decorated in event colours, a float on which there was entertainment and dancing girls in Indy-themed attire. Local restaurants put up event posters and were decorated in black and white (to go with the chequered flag). TVs were placed in local businesses and tuned to the event. There was a sense of ongoing celebration throughout the locale,' said Prof Chalip.

Economics aside, mega sporting events also have social value because of the deeper symbolic aspects of sport. As celebratory events, they can promote camaraderie and communitas - an intense spirit of solidarity and togetherness that lifts congregants to a different level of community.

Imagine crowds inside and outside venues at the Youth Olympics when a Singaporean kid wins a gold. With home advantage in 2010, that is not impossible: No host country for any Olympiad has ever gone without at least one medal. In 1988, the South Korean women's handball team was ranked 11th in the world but won the Seoul Olympics gold.

Imagine a Tan Howe Liang moment right at home. For a brief moment, everyone gathered would experience a deep, heart-meets-heart connection. For one sweet moment in time, differences of age, gender and race would fade away. For one moment of manumission, social and religious distinctions would disappear.

Ethnographers have consistently observed this communitas at sport events - at cricket festivals in the Caribbean, at rugger matches in Australia or football matches in England. Communitas creates social capital, which is why such events - including the National Day Parade - can enrich social lives and strengthen the fabric of communities.

Social leverage and economic leverage can be synergistic if the commercialisation isn't too crass, suggested Prof Chalip. Organisers may encourage people to come to the venues early or stay late to tailgate - barbecue, feast and drink in the carpark lot, say. Food and drink vendors could also be permitted in the area. Organisers could provide benches, dustbins, lighting, water and portable toilets outside venues so ticket buyers and non-buyers can mingle, socialise, and celebrate together.

There could also be convenient locations where picnickers may watch the events live on large TVs, like the 'Live-Sites' during Sydney 2000 or 'FanFests' in Munich during the 2006 Fifa World Cup.

Prof Chalip agreed it would be a challenge for planners in Singapore to forge the necessary alliances among business, government and NGOs to create these and other cross-leveraging opportunities. However, it will be worth the effort if such leveraging serves to move not just the Singapore economy but also the Singapore spirit.

andyho@sph.com.sg

S'poreans ace test of racial cohesion: Swee Say

S'poreans ace test of racial cohesion: Swee Say
Minister praises citizens, but stresses need to build strong network of trust
By Clarissa Oon
March 12, 2008

THE response of Singaporeans to the escape of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari received an A+ yesterday.

Minister Lim Swee Say, who described the escape as a test in inter-racial cohesion, said Singaporeans passed it 'with flying colours'.

He noted that people worked as one, without any finger-pointing, to search for the JI leader who escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb27.

'Did they take a position based on their racial or religious groups and draw the line? They did not,' he pointed out.

Mr Lim, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, was speaking to about 250 grassroots and community leaders at an event that underlines Singapore's unrelenting effort to maintain social cohesion.

The event is part of the People's Association's Community Engagement Programme (CEP).Mr Lim is in charge of the CEP, which identifies key community leaders who can be mobilised via SMS. They, in turn, will reach out to residents, schools and religious organisations.

Four CEP Ready constituencies were recognised yesterday in the first of a series of sessions. They were: Buona Vista, Canberra, Zhenghua and Marsiling in the north-west district.

Mr Lim is an MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, which lies in the district.

In his speech, he warned against complacency, saying: 'We should not assume we will always be able to pass the test in the future.'

He posed this scenario to the gathering at the Ulu Pandan Community Club: 'What if, one day, a big bomb were to go off in Holland Village, which is not very far from here?

'What if it is a deliberate act of terrorism by a group hiding behind the banner of a particular religion or race? How would we respond?'

Terrorists, he noted, do not aim just to damage property or take lives. Their intention is to 'destroy the trust in the community across the various racial and religious groups'.

Building trust is therefore paramount. Right now, there may exist 'pockets of trust' among Singaporeans, he said.

But, he added, 'there will be gaps where terrorists can inject mistrust'.

The CEP hopes to frustrate them by closing the gaps and 'linking up the pockets into a network of trust', he added.

Tonight, another five constituencies in the north-east will receive their CEP Ready certificates from Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean.

In all, 28 constituencies would have received such certificates by next month, which is one in three constituencies.

Last night, grassroots leaders raised several issues in a dialogue with MrLim, and MPs Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) and Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC).

One was the reliability of the mobilisation system: What would happen if the SMS alerts do not get through?

Mr Lim said media coverage would create awareness of a crisis, but agreed there was a need to have back-up plans.

Mr Liang and Dr Lim were asked about grassroots perceptions of Mas Selamat's escape.

Mr Liang said his grassroots leaders saw it as a national threat and did not associate it with any particular racial group, while Dr Lim said his team had distributed fliers to residents and worshippers at mosques and temples.

clare@sph.com.sg

Singapore still ranked as least corrupt in Asia - ST

March 11, 2008
Singapore still ranked as least corrupt in Asia
The Philippines and Thailand seen as most graft-ridden in survey of expats
By Goh Chin Lian

THE Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (Perc) expects corruption to emerge as a hot-button issue in Asia this year as slowing growth, rising food prices and political campaigns feed a groundswell against graft.

But Singapore is unlikely to be tainted as expatriates surveyed by the Hong Kong-based group once again rank it the least corrupt economy in the region.

The annual survey also rated Hong Kong and Japan highly among 13 Asian economies.

The Philippines was deemed the most corrupt for the second consecutive year.

Thailand, China, Indonesia, India and Vietnam fared poorly too.

The 1,400 expatriates surveyed in January and February this year were asked to grade the extent that corruption detracts from the attractiveness of the business environment they work in.

Singapore scored with its 'no-nonsense approach to corruption', the report said.

Perc said the 100 expatriates polled here were of the view that the Singapore Government is 'doing an excellent job of keeping corruption low'.

'It is not excessively bureaucratic and does not impose onerous compliance costs, but it is strict about regulations and thorough in its monitoring,' the report said.

Perc highlighted the integrity of the public sector as a factor that impresses foreign investors.

It said the lack of corruption also enhances the Republic's credentials as a business and financial centre.

David Marshall 'a true national hero'



March 12, 2008
David Marshall 'a true national hero'
By Li Xueying

AFTER the late David Marshall was elected as Singapore's Chief Minister in 1955, he wore a safari jacket to his first meeting with British governor John Nicoll - unacceptable wear for the occasion.

'Marshall insults the Queen,' trumpeted The Straits Times the next day.

Following in his footsteps, another minister wore sandals, and no socks, to the opening of the Legislative Assembly.

'So clothing became our anti-colonial protest,' recounted Professor Chan Heng Chee, a political scientist, author of a biography on Mr Marshall and currently Singapore's ambassador to the United States.

While many criticised the burly lawyer-turned-politician for his 'histrionics', he felt that this was what the average man could grasp.

'He could mobilise them and inspire them to join his nationalist movement,' said Prof Chan of Mr Marshall, who led talks with London to bargain for Singapore's independence in the late 1950s.

President SR Nathan described him thus: 'Under colonial domination, he made us aware of who we were and made us dream of independence.'

'He was a giant of a man, in that he sought to inspire in us a sense of hope, and what we needed to be.'

These descriptions of Mr Marshall occurred during a one-day symposium yesterday to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Mr Marshall, who died in 1995.

In his time, Mr Marshall had been at turns Singapore's most formidable criminal lawyer, its first Chief Minister, founder of the Workers' Party (WP), a respected diplomat, a Jewish community leader, and a passionate advocate of liberal democratic values.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20080307-53269.html

MM Lee blames complacency for JI leader's escape

IN MANAMA (BAHRAIN) - THE escape of Mas Selamat Kastari is a 'very severe lesson in complacency' and it shows that Singapore is not infallible, said Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on Friday.

However, if the former Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader is still in Singapore, Mr Lee believed that he would not be able to launch an attack.

But if he has escaped to Indonesia, he would be able to link up with his old networks and Mr Lee warned Singapore that it must brace itself for a 'return hit sometime'.

Asked by Singapore reporters here for the impact of the escape on the country's international reputation, Mr Lee replied that it is 'not very good' for its security services.

'We should have known that here is a man who has had several escapes,' he said at his wrap-up media interview here after a week-long visit to three Gulf nations.

'But obviously, he is a very wily sort of person and must have won the confidence of whoever were his custodians.'

'So when he said he wanted to go to the toilet, they allowed him to go to the toilet. Whether the toilet had bars and there was no exit from the windows, that has to be explained.'

'I give him full marks for having won the confidence of his custodians - that he's completely docile, completely passive and he's going to remain in captivity.'

Mas Selamat, 47, who had previously planned to crash a plane into Changi Airport, escaped from Internal Security Department (ISD) custody at the Whitley Detention Centre on Feb 27.

He has been on the run since and his escape has sparked the biggest manhunt in Singapore history.

Mr Lee said that his escape showed that Singapore is not infalliable.

'It shows that it is a fallacy, it is stupid to believe we are infallible. We are not infallible. One mistake and we've got a big explosive in our midst. So let's not take this lightly,' he said.

'I think it's a very severe lesson of complacency that we are confident we have this man sized up.

Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.

Peh Shing Huei
Fri, Mar 07, 2008
The Straits Times

Saturday, March 8, 2008

SMEs cite rising business, household costs as biggest challenge to growth

SMEs cite rising business, household costs as biggest challenge to growth
By Jessica Lim
Feb 13

RISING business and household costs is the biggest challenge facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in singapore, according to an industry-wide survey.
Over eight in 10 firms (85 per cent) polled in a pre-Budget survey by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry cited rising costs as 'an immediate and significant obstacle' to their growth. This was higher than 2006's 64 per cent.

The 76 respondents included goods and services producing industries such as manufacturing, construction, wholesale and retail.

They pointed to escalating taxes, higher costs of supplies and surge in office rent as the main causes of the spike in operating costs. And their worry over falling domestic sales also factored high on their list of concerns.

This comes as no surprise as an SCCCI price comparison of 84 common household items showed that these have risen by 4.3 per cent - more than double the 2 per cent increase in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July last year.

To counter this rising price trend, most SMEs said they have plans in place to boost their competitiveness in the long run.

The survey revleaed that 51 per cent have plans to diversify into other seas of business, 47 per cent are thinking of overseas expansion, 45 per cent are moving into higher value-added products and services and 19 per cent are merging with their competititors.

Nearly 40 per cent said their top Budget wish was for the government to 'address spiralling taxes, levies and charges' which have added to costs of doing business here. They also hope for a further reduction of corporate income tax, a control on fuel prices and lowering of the salary threshold for hiring foreign workers so they can easier fill their staffing needs.

Smaller firms could also do with help to 'grow and thrive in the globalised economy' by, for example, provision of 'training for workers and keeping a rein on the appreication of the Singapore Dollar'.

$12.6m more to help SMEs improve business practices

$12.6m more to help SMEs improve business practices
By Lynn Lee
March 8, 2008 ST

An Enterprise Development Centre - the fifth in Singapore - at the chamber's Stanley Street headquarters was officially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. -- ST PHOTO: ZAOBAO

View more photos

FROM a shop in Changi Village tailoring suits for British military officers, Ms Kavita Thulasidas' family business has bloomed into a high-end East-meets-West clothing store for fashionistas.
Eight months ago, the managing director of Stylemart in Selegie Road launched her first overseas venture - a spa in Bangalore, India.

Ms Thulasidas, 33, says the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's talks on doing business in India, and its network of lawyers and consultants came in useful when she was putting together her plan.

And it looks like the chamber will be able to do more for companies like Stylemart, as it now has a new facility to provide business and consultancy advice to small and medium enterprises(SMEs).

On Saturday, an Enterprise Development Centre - the fifth in Singapore - at the chamber's Stanley Street headquarters was officially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Mr Lee also announced a $12.6 million injection of funds by the Government, to fund the five centres' work over the next three years. The five are run by two trade associations and three chambers of commerce.

To date, the centres have helped around 14,000 of the 145,000 SMEs to improve business practices, in areas like human resources, finance and technological devlopment.

In his speech, Mr Lee also drew attention to how the SICCI could help both Singapore and Indian firms leverage on the countries' free-trade agreement .