With barely three months to go till the Rio Olympics, Joseph Schooling is pulling out all the stops to ensure a place on the winners' podium - even if it means tweaking the swimming stroke that propelled him to global notice.

At the Atlanta Classic meet held from Friday to yesterday, the 20-year-old Singaporean adjusted his usual posture such that his head position was higher, in an attempt to keep his body planed out.

He had decided on the change only during his warm-up on the first day of the meet, he revealed to The Straits Times in a phone interview yesterday.

Schooling said: "Something didn't feel right about my kick. One of the Nitro Swimming club coaches I swim with during the off-season gave me some tips to work on - something I thought about in warm-up for 20 to 30 minutes."

Keeping an open mind evidently worked, as the University of Texas undergraduate won the 100m butterfly on Friday and followed that with a 200m victory on Saturday.

It was his first race in the longer distance this year and he timed 1:57.37, outlasting Pace Clark (1:58.03) and Kyle Higgins (1:58.83). Though it was some way off his personal best of 1:55.73, it should be noted that he was unshaved and untapered for the meet.

Schooling, who clocked 51.86sec in the 100m fly, the 13th fastest time in the world this year, said of the tweak: "(My kick) felt a little better. It's something I need to go back and work on... changing the position during the race probably wasn't the best thing to do.

"It's not terribly awkward; if you give me a couple of weeks just working on that... I adapt to things pretty quickly, my fundamentals are pretty good for fly.

"A small change could be the difference between a medal and fourth or fifth position. You never know whether you need that added boost, since the competition is so close."

Outgoing national coach Sergio Lopez, who coached Schooling for five years at the Bolles School in Florida, commented: "His kick is the most powerful (part of his stroke). If he doesn't work on it, he'll not be at his full potential.

"He seems excited and happy. I'm not with him every day, but if he feels confident that it works, I don't see why he should not make the change."

Overall, Schooling expressed his satisfaction over his performance at the meet.

He said: "I wasn't sure where I was going to be at in the 200m fly, but the timing was solid, with all the hard practice I've been doing.

"I don't think I've ever felt this fit during mid-season. I'm in a good spot; I'm just going to keep the ball ball rolling till Rio."

This article was first published on May 16, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

In this commentary, Chan Chun Sing, an organising secretary of the PAP, provides the ruling party's assessment of why it managed to win the Bukit Batok by-election.

Every by-election is difficult for the ruling party. A look back at our history will prove this: The People's Action Party (PAP) has never won a single-seat by-election since 1979.

For example, the PAP lost the 1981 Anson by-election after a 35 percentage point vote swing from just the year before. So we knew Bukit Batok was going to be a hard fight.

Furthermore, the PAP entered this race with some critical disadvantages.

First, there is the so-called "by-election effect", with voters being more willing to vote for the opposition because there is no risk of a change of government.

The by-election effect can cost the ruling party anywhere from 12 per cent to 35 per cent of the vote.

The outcome of the Bukit Batok race confirmed that Singaporean voters do not take kindly to being treated as stepping stones in someone's political journey.

In this case, the by-election effect was compounded by the fact that the by-election itself was the direct result of a PAP MP's personal mistake.

Also, the candidate the PAP fielded, Mr Murali Pillai, a minority, was up against a "full-time politician" with a high national profile and slickly packaged as the persecuted underdog.

Hence, many expected a "reversion to the norm" after the PAP's stronger-than-expected GE 2015 result.

With all these odds stacked against the PAP, we are naturally happy that Mr Murali won the election. Yet, despite the fact that this was the PAP's first victory in a single-seat by-election in 37 years, the party should not be exuberant.

It should study the result to understand what matters to our citizens and how we can serve them better.

Read also: Voter sentiment seems to have reverted back to past norms

Singaporeans vote in Bukit Batok by-election

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, AsiaOne, MediaCorp, Parliament of Singapore

WHAT WE CAN LEARN

The fact that the PAP managed to win back Bukit Batok despite Mr David Ong's personal mistake reflects that track record and hard work matter. Residents remembered the years of hard work put in by Mr Ong and the Jurong team. As a result, they were prepared to give their trust to Mr Murali, a PAP activist who has served quietly and diligently in the constituency for 16 years.

And as a result of the Jurong team, the party was able to demonstrate continuity of leadership despite the change in MP.

Conversely, the Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP's) relative inexperience in managing a town council - and possibly, their weak record when they did manage neighbouring Bukit Gombak Town Council - would not have gone unnoticed. Our citizens are discerning, and will not vote for just anyone who comes along and makes promises.

Second, policies matter. A key thrust of the SDP's campaign was their policies, which they presented as original and better than the Government's. In actuality, they are recycled policies that had not worked elsewhere.

Furthermore, it became clear to Bukit Batok voters that SDP was not transparent in its policy presentation: It advertised the benefits of the policies but neglected to explain their costs and possible side effects.

Selling a policy without being honest about its trade-offs is not respectful of the electorate's discernment. SDP must better appreciate that the Singaporean voter is rational and pragmatic.

Finally, motives matter: Singaporeans want leaders who will put them and their well-being first.

The outcome of the Bukit Batok race confirmed that Singaporean voters do not take kindly to being treated as stepping stones in someone's political journey.

Read also: Chee falls short at the ballot box again

On national issues, residents were able to see through the SDP's politics of alarm, division and populism. To divide rather than unite is not the brand of leadership that Singaporeans want.

But even as the PAP learns from the SDP's shortcomings, it is worth examining how the SDP conducted its campaign. Though it lost, I personally think it would be unwise of the PAP to underestimate the progress the SDP has made.

The SDP was able to gain national attention during the campaign. It showed its ability to profile itself in ways that might appeal to a new generation of voters who may be less familiar and more forgiving of Dr Chee's past.

The SDP's use of emotional appeals, its social media presence and Western-style rhetoric bear watching. These tactics did not work this time, but they may in the future.

Read also: Lee Wei Ling: Chee is not fit for Parliament

Bukit Batok by-election rally May 3

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

AsiaOne, YouTube screengrabs

CONCLUSION

But at the end of the day, Singaporeans should be heartened that no one gets into Parliament without his character, track record and policy positions being scrutinised.

The by-election made it clear that Singaporeans examine closely both the parties and candidates that offer themselves to the electorate.

Those who serve by putting Singapore and Singaporeans ahead of their personal interests will win the vote of Singaporeans.

Read also: PM Lee: Chee is hypocritical and unrepentant

This article was first published on May 15, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

First, the good news.

For those eyeing a place in one of Singapore's six public universities this year, there are 15,500 spots on offer, 500 more than last year - with the majority of the additional places coming from SIM University and the Singapore Institute of Technology which is launching new allied health courses.

Now, the even better news.

Universities are deepening the pool of applicants for several courses, including hard-to-get-into medicine and law. For every one place, two or three are being shortlisted.

Academics will not be the only yardstick; applicants' interests and aptitude for the course will also play a crucial part in whether they make the final cut.

"Casting this wider net" will mean universities spending more resources and time, but Acting Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung insists this is the way forward to realise the vision of the SkillsFuture movement, which, in a broad sense, aims to provide Singaporeans with the opportunities to develop to their fullest potential throughout life.

"We tell Singaporeans that SkillsFuture is for everybody," he told The Straits Times in a wide-ranging interview on the changing nature of higher education, jobs and the economy.

"It starts with you... your interests and your aspirations. And if we don't even take that into account in admissions, then where do we start?"

Aptitude-based admission is big on Mr Ong's agenda, and worth the effort and time because it works, he said. He points to a study by his ministry comparing polytechnic students admitted because of their aptitude and those who got in because of grades.

The first group performed much better - with more than double the number graduating with a Grade Point Average of 3.5 and above - when compared to other students.

What is more, the study found that they were more likely to go on to pursue a career in their field of study or a related one.

This confirms what may have been intuitive to us all along, said Mr Ong, who oversees higher education and skills. "When you are able to choose and enter a course you are interested in or feel passionate about, you...will likely do better."

He also stressed that aptitude-based admission is different from discretionary admission, in which a student's non-academic achievements, in areas such as sports and community work, are taken into account.

"Discretionary admission is fundamentally still based on academic grades. You didn't meet the grades, so I exercise discretion to let you in, based on your co-curricular activity, or volunteer work.

"Aptitude-based admission is different. I look at you holistically as a person, taking into account your grades but, more importantly, your interests, your experiences, your strengths and weaknesses, and admit you on that basis."

He is only too aware of the usual complaints over aptitude-based admission - on it being a subjective and opaque process.

Yes, a judgment call has to be made, he said, but people will be surprised at the amount of thought and work that go into assessing students.

He knows because during admissions season, he receives many appeal letters. He sends them on to universities and they reply with detailed notes.

"I am very impressed. They receive tens of thousands of applications. Yet each case is carefully assessed, reasons documented and, overall, yes or no."

He understands why more and more here are aspiring for a degree. It is only natural as there is a premium in the market for degree holders. But there is a danger, he warns.

"If too many people go for a degree, then it is no longer scarce, the premium disappears, the whole purpose of having a degree gets eroded, and we may find ourselves having difficult underemployment issues," he said, highlighting the case of countries like South Korea where the unemployment rate for new graduates is as high as 30 per cent.

Can this happen in Singapore as the Government increases the cohort participation rate to give 40 per cent of an age group places in the local universities by 2020?

Add to that another 10 per cent of Singaporeans who are expected to take up degrees on a part-time basis with institutions here.

"It depends on the type of economy we have," he said with quiet confidence.

"If we engage in high-value-added activities in highly productive sectors, our need for graduates and well-educated, well- trained talent will be high.

"We have been moving in that direction, which is why we could move from a cohort participation rate of 30 per cent to 50 per cent by 2020.

"Our carrying capacity and our need for graduates are increasing. Graduates are needed not just to take up jobs of managers, supervisors and professionals. It's also in many crafts and trades, where we need people with deep skills who can operate at a very high level of competency. "

He returns to the topic of SkillsFuture and the role it will play in nation- and people-building - including encouraging a high command of skills and developing a meritocratic system that is inclusive and celebrates a diversity of talents.

"But most important of it all, SkillsFuture has to be a personal enterprise undertaken by each and every Singaporean to discover his strengths and talents, pursue his dreams and achieve mastery."

'If I were 18 again...'

Mr Ong Ye Kung studied in Maris Stella High and Raffles Junior College before heading to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on a Public Service Commission scholarship. He is married with two teenage children.

Here he talks about the further education choices he made when he was 18.

Q Why LSE and why economics?

A I very much wanted an overseas education. I liked maths, and also enjoyed economics, particularly macro economics because it explains why the world is as such.

At LSE there was a course in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, so that looked like an ideal combination. The skills I picked up are actually rather relevant to big data analysis now.

Q If you were 16 or 18 now, what would you choose - junior college or polytechnic? Would you go to university straight after that or work first? Which degree would you pursue?

A It is hard to say. It will depend on my interest. I may well prefer something more hands on, and may pick the polytechnic route which many top students do today.

If I can, I would still want to attend university - to get the "currency" to have access to good jobs.

I will do something interdisciplinary, maybe IT and business, or engineering and business. If I go to a polytechnic, I may choose to work first before getting a degree.

I will get to learn about workplace and industry, and will be more mature and clearer on my interest by the time I embark on a university education.

Q What if your daughters decide to take the polytechnic route? Or decide not to further their education?

A It is really up to them. I just want them to be happy and be who they would like to be. If that means going to an applied institution to learn something hands on, good for them.

If they drop out of school, I'd be upset like all parents if I think they have not tried their best, didn't muster up the discipline to take school seriously. But if they drop out because they cannot cope with the academic demands or because they have another burning passion, then I will support them on the road less travelled.

The dreams of parents can be a heavy burden for children.

My father didn't want me to study too much. He believed it was better for me to learn by working. Luckily, I didn't have to counter that. My mother, the teacher, countered him. They sorted it out among themselves and I went to university.

This article was first published on May 16, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The following stories were first published in The Straits Times Star E-books app in July 2015 as an e-book titled Guilty As Charged: 25 Crimes That Have Shaken Singapore Since 1965. The publication was a collaboration between The Straits Times and the Singapore Police Force.

FOREWORD BY HOONG WEE TECK, COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

Singapore has made remarkable progress over the last 50 years to become the city state that is famous for its economic prosperity, social harmony, as well as safety and security.

Our crime rate is one of the lowest in the world today. However, the streets of Singapore in the early years of independence were not quite like what they are today. We were besieged by secret society activities and syndicated crimes involving the rampant use of firearms which gripped the nation in fear.

The safe Singapore we all enjoy living in today is the fruits of our pioneers' labour. Not only did pioneer Singapore Police Force (SPF) officers rise to the occasion time and again to bring criminals to justice, they were also motivated by the collective will of fellow Singaporeans to build a safer Singapore.

This e-book records 25 of the more prominent cases since 1965 and bears testament to the dedication and commitment of SPF officers - past and present - to uphold justice.

As a police officer, I experienced first-hand the amount of hard work and long hours our officers put in to uphold the law and bring criminals to justice.

Indeed, it is my privilege and pleasure to work with these elite men and women to keep Singaporeans safe and secure.

Our SPF officers will continue to remain resolute in our mission to make Singapore the safest place in the world.

INTRODUCTION BY MELVIN YONG, DIRECTOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE (MR YONG IS NOW WITH NTUC AND A TANJONG PAGAR GRC MP)

Besides serving as a veritable record of our success in crime solving, this collection of stories is a reflection of how far we have come to build a safe and secure Singapore as one people.

All the cases featured in this book made headlines and grabbed the attention of our people. Some of these cases also proved to be the catalysts for enhancements to our legislative framework.

The commitment and dedication of our officers to bring criminals to justice are the foundations on which the Singapore Police Force has built an enduring relationship of trust with our community. Many cases were solved with assistance from people from all walks of life. The strong community support is a key motivation and inspiration for our officers, especially when the going gets tough.

Through this book, we hope readers will remember the collective efforts of our pioneer generation to mould Singapore into the safe country we enjoy today. More importantly, it serves to remind us that while Singapore remains a safe city, we have to be vigilant always to prevent and deter crime.

WARNING: Some contents in these stories may be disturbing for some individuals.

1. THE SUNNY ANG TRIAL (1965)

Sunny Ang Soo Suan thought he had committed the perfect murder when his girlfriend disappeared at sea. He stood to gain from the insurance policies he began buying for Ms Jenny Cheok Cheng Kid shortly after they met.

READ MORE HERE

Sunny Ang and 'the perfect murder'

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times

2. THE CASE OF MIMI WONG (1970)

The dance hostess was the first woman to get the death penalty in Singapore for murdering her Japanese lover's wife. Her husband also went to the gallows for the murder.

READ MORE HERE

3. GOLD BAR MURDERS (1971)

Two brothers and five other youths killed an import-export towkay and two of his employees for 120 gold bars, worth more than $500,000 at the time.

READ MORE HERE

4. THE CASE OF LIM BAN LIM (1972)

The notorious gunman who engaged in Hollywood-style shootings with police met his end in a showdown at Margaret Drive. He had gained so much notoriety that after he was shot to death by police, 33 inmates escaped from a reformative training centre just to attend his funeral.

READ MORE HERE

5. THE TONTINE KILLING (1974)

Sim Joo Keow fought with her sister-in-law over money, strangled her, dismembered her body, then hid the pieces in different places.

READ MORE HERE

6. SWIMMING TRUNK GANG (1975)

Greed proved the downfall of these serial robbers, who struck in nothing more than underwear. They were believed to have been responsible for some 500 offences including housebreakings, thefts and armed robberies. Their total haul amounted to nearly $500,000 - an all-time record in local criminal history then.

READ MORE HERE

7. MOUNT VERNON MURDERS (1978)

The three friends, all aged 21, wanted a gun so they could become robbers. They planned to steal a gun from the sentry at a police reserve unit in Mount Vernon.

READ MORE HERE

8. RITUAL MURDERS (1981)

Adrian Lim, a charlatan medium seen by many as the very embodiment of evil, and his two "holy" wives, kidnapped, tortured and killed a pair of children. Lim, who was being investigated on a rape charge, wanted to exact revenge on the police by murdering children.

READ MORE HERE

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times

9. ANDREW ROAD MURDERS (1983)

Sek Kim Wah killed a retired businessman, his wife and their maid during a robbery, and would have killed two more if not for his reluctant accomplice.

READ MORE HERE

10. NICK LEESON, ROGUE TRADER (1995)

While based in Singapore, he brought down Britain's oldest merchant bank Barings and created a worldwide financial scandal. He falsified accounts and trading records, racking up $2.2 billion in losses.

READ MORE HERE

This article was first published on May 14, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Keen to upgrade and learn new skills, they enrol for part-time diploma courses at polytechnics

A growing number of people, many in their 50s or 60s, are signing up for part-time diploma courses conducted by polytechnics, usually at night.

The polytechnics reported increases of between 15 and over 60 per cent in part-time students in the past few years.

Educators said the uptick in the number of learners is encouraging for Singapore's push for lifelong learning and skill upgrading.

They expect more to sign up for courses, which can be paid for partially with the $500 SkillsFuture credit which kicked off in January for Singaporeans aged 25 and older.

To cater to the demand, more part-time courses and shorter bite-size modules will be added over the next one to two years.

These will be in sectors such as early childhood education, healthcare, precision engineering and biomedical sciences.

Republic Polytechnic's Mr Albert Toh, director of the Academy for Continuing Education@RP, said: "Be it for professional or personal development, we have been seeing an increase in interest for continuing education among seniors."

Ms Tan Suat Peng, director of Ngee Ann Polytechnic's Continuing and Education Training Academy, said: "More people are aware of the opportunities for further training and the value in upgrading skills for job promotion and expansion."

Mr Suresh Punjabi, director of Singapore Polytechnic's Professional and Adult Continuing Education Academy, added that people need to ensure their knowledge and skills remain current. This is because jobs and required skills evolve rapidly due to technological advances and the changing global economy.

He said the Ministry of Education and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency have worked with post-secondary institutions to put in place new lifelong learning initiatives, contributing to the increase in adult learners over the years.

Several mature learners said they are keen to learn more, upgrade their skills and pick up new ones for possible career switches.

Mr Gunalan Kandasamy Arumugam, 50, a production planner at Cadbury Enterprises, Cadbury's Singapore-based arm, took up a diploma in engineering (mechanical technology) course in 2014 at Singapore Polytechnic.

"My boss and my wife encouraged me to upgrade. I also thought it would help me progress more in my job," said Mr Gunalan, who completed his O levels in 1984.

"(The course) was very tiring. The next day I'd be struggling to go to work." His classes were held three times a week over 21/2 years.

"But there was a sense of achievement that made me happy. I put in effort and I learnt something," said Mr Gunalan, who hopes to go to university.

Likewise, Mr Ng Chong Soon, 60, enrolled in an electrical engineering diploma programme at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in 2014 as he felt his Nitec qualification in electrical technology was not enough.

"I have practical knowledge but I wanted to learn the theory," he said. "There are a lot of changes in technology."

Mr Johnnie Chia took a diploma course in digital advertising technology and analytics at Temasek Polytechnic, despite having more than 29 years of experience in marketing management in the petroleum industry.

The 70-year-old adjunct lecturer in Nanyang Polytechnic's school of business management said: "It's important to keep up with new ways of marketing."

He has a degree in economics and philosophy from the then University of Singapore. He also has a master's degree in economics and a diploma in computer studies, both earned via part-time courses.

He used his SkillsFuture credit for a six-week course in basic electrical maintenance at the Institute of Technical Education. "It's not a burden to learn, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it," he said.

Meanwhile Ms Foong Seow Sim, who earned a specialist diploma in nursing (diabetes management and education) from Nanyang Polytechnic this year, said she wanted to gain more knowledge.

"I want to help patients with diabetes have better lifestyle management, diet and exercise," said the 58-year-old, who has a nursing diploma from a training school in Malaysia.

"The classes were quite stressful. Sometimes I would be very tired and had to skip dinner," said the senior staff nurse at a polyclinic in Bukit Merah. "But I learnt a lot and it's helpful for my work."

63-year-old keeps mind and body fit

Mr Lim (centre) goes for martial arts classes in wing chun and aikido every week, and has a blue belt in aikido. The freelance financial adviser enjoys picking up new skills, and graduated with a specialist diploma in business analytics from Republic Polytechnic this year.

Mr Sebastian Lim has an accountancy degree from the then University of Singapore, from which he graduated in 1979, but that has not been enough for him.

The 63-year-old freelance financial adviser enjoys going for all sorts of classes to pick up new skills, from data analytics to martial arts.

He earned a specialist diploma in business analytics from Republic Polytechnic this year, after a year of classes which cost him less than $500 after subsidies.

Mr Lim, whose wife is also a financial adviser, attended night classes three times a week at the polytechnic's campus in Woodlands. He lives in Bedok.

"I read in the news about data analytics and I found it interesting in terms of how it is used to predict trends," he said. "It's a bit challenging after so many years of not being in school, especially when the course involved some mathematics and statistics. We also had to learn SQL, a data-based language."

But Mr Lim, who worked as an accountant for more than 20 years, said: "Is there an age limit to learning? Learning a new skill is an asset in life. My daughter has an online business and maybe what I've learnt can help her in customer analytics. It is also useful for businesses. It helps in decision-making and knowing how to make use of data."

Next, he wants to take classes in social sciences to "keep an open mind" and "understand social issues better".

He goes for martial arts classes in wing chun and aikido every week. "I'm still fit, and I want to learn self-defence," he said.

ateng@sph.com.sg

ADULT LEARNERS TAKING UP PART-TIME DIPLOMAS

NANYANG POLYTECHNIC
465 students graduated this year, compared with 445 last year and 519 in 2014.

NGEE ANN POLYTECHNIC
970 students last year, up from 830 in 2014.
Received 2,070 applications last year, up from 1,620 in 2014.

REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC
202 graduates last year, an increase from 136 in 2014.

SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC
747 students graduated last year, up from 457 in 2014.

TEMASEK POLYTECHNIC
672 graduates last year, compared with 465 in 2014.

This article was first published on May 16, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

More consumers turning to Spotify and Apple Music subscriptions as physical music becomes less popular

Music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music helped to prop up music sales in Singapore last year, even as demand for CDs continued to dwindle.

Total music sales rose 6.7 per cent from 2014 to last year to reach US$13.8 million (S$18.9 million), according to data from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, a Swiss-based global trade organisation. The rise was driven by a surge in paid subscriptions to streaming services.

It was the second year in a row that music sales have seen an uptick. Hit by online piracy, overall sales had been falling since 2010 but inched up in the last two years as demand for digital music increased.

Digital music sales last year rose 27 per cent year-on-year to US$8.5 million, with about half coming from paid subscription services like Apple Music - which launched last June - and Spotify, which allow users to play unlimited songs on demand for a fee. Sales of these services surged 92.5 per cent to almost US$4.3 million.

Meanwhile, sales of physical music such as CDs, vinyls and tapes continued to decline, falling 47 per cent to US$1.7 million last year. The change in consumer taste from physical to digital has resulted in high-profile closures of chains such as Gramophone in 2013, and HMV, which shut its last store here last September.

But Mr Paul Lim, 59, the second- generation owner of the 54-year- old Roxy Records & Trading, is optimistic that demand for physical music will eventually grow.

Paid subscriptions may have taken away some of his business, but they have also made music more affordable and accessible, allowing people to enjoy music at a younger age, he noted.

"These teenagers will enter the workforce in five to 10 years and be able to afford equipment that delivers music of greater quality, especially vinyls, thus increasing their appetite for physical music," he said.

Dr Dianna Chang, a marketing lecturer at SIM University, said digital music, especially streaming services, will be the future of the music industry. But she noted that there will still be a niche demand for physical music from consumers who like to buy CDs or vinyl either out of habit or out of personal preference.

"The key is to sustain loyal customers who are nostalgic about CDs and vinyl and to reach out to new customers who may be attracted by the unique features of and associations with CDs and vinyl ," she said.

Communications executive Chen Shanshan, 25, who has amassed a collection of about 300 CDs since she was 12, still likes to buy physical music. "I enjoy going through the liner notes, lyrics, artwork and the packaging (of CDs)," she said.

"It's a very intimate experience listening to an album while looking at the lyrics and artwork in your hand versus just streaming in the background."

But others, like student Lee Kim Weng, prefer the convenience of streaming music. The 19-year-old stopped buying CDs "when YouTube came out" and, two years ago, started using Spotify's premium, ad-free service that allows him to download tracks into his smartphone and listen to them off-line.

"Streaming allows me to pick from a wider range of artists, songs, genres and albums without having to spend much time searching for them, unlike CDs," he said.

Music downloads remained popular last year. Revenue from digital full-album downloads rose 50 per cent to US$1.163 million, although single-track download sales fell 28 per cent to US$0.946 million.

Digital music sales made up 62 per cent of total revenue while physical music sales made up 12 per cent.

The rest came from performance rights and synchronisation income - the use of music in advertisements, films and brand partnerships.

mellinjm@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on May 16, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

He sees 'incredible need' for training in areas like business administration, construction

A Singaporean photographer - known for offering glimpses into North Koreans' everyday lives through his images - has plans to set up a school in the secretive country, and is looking at the possibility of taking educators there.

Mr Aram Pan, who is based in Singapore, explained that there is now "an incredible need" for training in areas such as business administration and construction.

The 40-year-old said such educational ventures would bring many benefits for the country, including helping people there to assimilate into the global community. "I have reliable information that (North Korea) has plans to move towards global and international policies but, before this can happen, the locals need training in various areas to prepare the country to be part of the global community," he added.

The proposed school would begin with a modest office space, which will function as a classroom to train people of various age groups. He said: "The idea of having a big school building is still a bit far-fetched. I'll begin with a humble classroom space."

Mr Pan, who is working out the finer details and is in discussions with his North Korean counterparts, said he is unable to comment on the timeline. He said: "Things sometimes happen slowly in North Korea. But if there's official endorsement, it can happen really quickly."

Since 2013, he has made more than 10 trips to the country for his photography project. Over the years, he has earned the trust of people there and decided to take things up a notch by making improvements to their lives.

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

YouTube screengrabs

Earlier this year, he brought a group of six North Koreans, who are from the tourism sector, to Singapore for a week to learn from business professionals about the travel industry. These individuals, aged 25 to 48, were introduced to advertising and business concepts, and also learnt about the Internet, including social media. They observed how businesses are run, and were also taken on a tour around Boon Lay, where they visited amenities such as the shopping mall, library and foodcourts.

Two of the younger visitors also tried out the indoor skydiving facility in Sentosa. "It helped to give them new perspectives that are beyond the textbooks," said Mr Pan.

He hopes to organise more of such trips and has registered a new firm, called Mallima.

The term Mallima - taken from the North Korean slogan Mallima Speed - literally means a horse moving at the speed of 10,000 li, or Chinese miles, in a single day. The slogan has been used recently by the North Koreans to refer to rapid development.

Mr Pan is a former marketing and communications professional who decided to pursue his passion for photography about 10 years ago. He said that, in the long run, it would be cheaper to set up a school in North Korea than to bring North Korean students to Singapore for lessons.

His photography work has given him access to places not normally granted to tourists. For instance, he has visited a marketplace where locals sell foreign goods brought in from China. These goods, such as food, car parts and cosmetics, are sold at simple stalls at the market,where the Chinese yuan and the American dollar are used.

"Education will open up avenues for the locals to develop their own businesses, as North Korea is experimenting with its own type of free market economy," said Mr Pan.

On criticism that such trips are staged as part of North Korean propaganda, Mr Pan said he has been "pushing the limits to what we can do in North Korea".

Adding that new places are opening up for tourists because of efforts to persuade the government, he said: "I can understand how most people are unable to relate to what I do because they don't see the work that goes on behind the scenes."

On his trips to the reclusive nation, Mr Pan has met many North Koreans from different walks of life. He said: "They are just like any one of us. They are concerned about work and promotion, have goals like saving up to buy a camera, and even worry about whether their daughters can find a nice boyfriend."

See also: Singaporean 'reunites' N Korea defector and daughter through videos

calyang@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on May 16, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

A former manager of The Lasik Surgery Clinic (LSC), who helped an eye surgeon hide his earnings of almost $475,000, was fined a total of $40,000 yesterday.

Felix Huang Keming, 62, who faced 10 charges, pleaded guilty to conspiring with former national swimmer Marc Tay Tze-Hsin to misappropriate a total of $474,124 and two counts of instigating an LSC colleague to falsify accounts in 2005.

Consultant ophthalmologist Tay was supposed to pay the $474,124 to Pacific Healthcare Specialist Services (PHSS) but the money went into his pocket. He was at the time a consultant and director of PHSS.

To cover up the payments to Tay, Huang asked the LSC colleague to make false entries in LSC's chequebook register to show that cheques of between $2,520 and $79,000 were issued to US Imaging Consultancy, a fake entity.

Dr Tay, 55, who was suspended recently from practice for three months, was fined $30,000 in 2014 on three charges of misappropriating a total of $204,325, and another $2,000 for breaching the Companies Act. He had been allowed by PHSS to provide services through third-party healthcare service providers on condition that the work was done for and on behalf of PHSS and that all revenue generated belonged to, and would be paid to, PHSS.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jiang Ke-Yue said that with the knowledge of PHSS, Dr Tay was invited and accepted Huang's invitation in 2005 to become a visiting consultant of LSC, where he eventually performed Lasik surgery.

Over time, there was an exponential increase in demand for Dr Tay's services at LSC, which led to a corresponding increase in revenue from Lasik surgeries he performed and from Dr Tay's appointment as LSC's principal eye surgeon.

Investigation showed that from December 2005 to December 2006, Huang made cash payments totalling $474,124 to Dr Tay on 11 occasions.

In mitigation, Huang's lawyer Abraham Vergis said his client did not profit from the acts.

He said Huang, who suffers from various health conditions, has been contributing significantly to charitable works.

"Through his home-grown company, Singapore Medical Group (SMG), he has provided much-needed help to the community through its corporate social responsibility schemes,'' he said. SMG is LSC's parent company.

DPP Jiang had submitted that Huang's total fine should be higher than Dr Tay's. Among the reasons were that both men had acted for mutual benefit in conspiring to dishonestly misappropriate money from PHSS.

While Dr Tay was the beneficiary of the money, Huang had acted to incentivise his top-performing surgeon. His overall culpability was enhanced by his additional offences of concealing the illicit payments via false entries in LSC's chequebook register.

Huang could have been jailed for up to two years and fined for abetment of dishonest misappropriation, and jailed up to seven years and fined for falsifying accounts.

This article was first published on May 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

A flat on the 12th floor of Block 117, Bedok North Road, caught fire yesterday evening but due in part to valiant efforts by neighbours - including an off-duty Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firefighter - no one was injured.

The fire involved the contents of the utility room, and was extinguished using a water jet.

Staff Sergeant Salleh Ismail, 32, who lives next door, was alerted by cries for help from the home owner's daughter. He said: "I quickly opened the sliding windows of the burning flat to let the smoke out so I'd have better visibility when I entered."

Going inside, he checked that no one was trapped in the flat. One door was locked, but the room was later confirmed to be empty.

Together with three others, he began dousing the fire with pails of water before the SCDF arrived.

Mr Salleh also worked to evacuate residents on the 12th and 13th floors, as he was worried that the smoke would trigger an attack for people with asthmatic conditions.

The SCDF dispatched help after receiving a call at 5.25pm.

Another helpful neighbour was 72-year-old Poh Kok Fai, who was putting his clothes out to dry on the ninth floor when he saw occupants of flats in the opposite block gesticulating at the fire above him.

He called the police and helped the firefighters with the hose reel, but said the SCDF had to use a fire hydrant "very far away" when the one nearest to the flat did not work.

He was concerned enough to raise the "matter of life and death" with an officer after the fire was put out.

He asked: "What if the whole flat had been on fire?"

Other residents on those floors said they shut their windows and doors upon smelling the smoke, while others did not notice a fire had occurred, and went about their usual routines.

At press time, the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

The visibly shaken family declined to comment, but were seen speaking to staff from the town council.

clementy@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on May 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

A Laotian businessman who was facing a joint charge of colluding with 13 others to cheat the casino at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) has died, a court heard yesterday.

Sengmanivong Soum's lawyer Shashi Nathan told the court that the 53-year-old died, apparently from a heart attack, some time at the end of last month.

The lawyer, who had a photograph of the death certificate, said he was trying to to get the original or duplicate to be sent over.

Sengmanivong, the alleged mastermind of the syndicate, had been accused of colluding with 13 Thai nationals and other unidentified persons in a fraudulent scheme to obtain cash chips from a game of baccarat at the casino between May 6 and 7 in 2013.

Baccarat is a game in which bets are placed on either the bank or player to have a winning hand of two or three cards.

The prosecution says that the men had knowledge of a sequence of cards to place bets in order to win chips amounting to $1.41 million. The defence argued the games were won fair and square.

Sengmanivong also faced a second charge of helping several of the accused and others to steal a card carrier containing unused playing cards from a cabinet in the Paiza salon at the casino on May 6 that year. Paiza is a VIP salon for high rollers at the resort.

The prosecution said rehearsals for the scheme were conducted in 2013 in Manila, in the Philippines, some time in April, and also at Swissotel here in early May.

All 14 men arrived in Singapore in April. Several of them visited the Paiza salon to check it out and ensure that they could gain access to the locked card cabinet.

After about 100 days of trial, which began in 2014, the prosecution closed its case.

The defence was supposed to have begun its case yesterday when hearing resumed before District Judge Soh Tze Bian.

The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Terence Chua and Marshall Lim, is looking into how to proceed with the trial.

The maximum punishment under the Casino Control Act is seven years' jail and a fine. It is the same for a theft-in-dwelling offence.

This article was first published on May 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The strong consensus view from the International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, United Kingdom Treasury and Bank of England is that "Brexit" would impose significant costs on the UK economy.

But some of the outwardly oriented proponents of Brexit argue that it would enable the UK to become a more dynamic economy that develops stronger relationships with countries beyond Europe.

Singapore is often cited as an example: a successful, open country, with a strong financial service sector, a hub for international companies, and which has a global network of trading relationships.

A variant of the argument is that the UK should emulate small European countries, such as Norway and Switzerland, which are not European Union members but participate in many of its features.

But this small-country experience is a weak foundation for the Brexit case. Indeed, small- country thinking and practice point in the opposite direction.

From Ireland to the Nordics, and Switzerland to Singapore, small countries have placed regional integration at the core of their economic strategies. It is instructive that only two small countries have become advanced economies without tight economic integration into their regional environment: Israel for geopolitical reasons and New Zealand for geographic reasons. Neither of these approaches was by choice, and neither should offer a model for the UK.

Despite UK talk of "long-haul bilateral diplomacy", leapfrogging beyond Europe to develop relationships with large emerging markets, trade and investment flows remain heavily geographically shaped. Countries cannot easily escape their geography.

In any case, EU membership is not the binding constraint on the UK's engagement with non-European markets. Other European countries, notably Germany, are more successful than the UK in selling and investing into Asian markets.

And neither would Brexit turn the UK into the Singapore of Europe. Of course, Singapore has a portfolio of many free trade agreements (FTAs), including with the United States, the EU, China, Japan and India - and hopefully soon the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

But the foundation for Singapore's international economic and political engagement is ASEAN, and Asia more broadly. This regional engagement is a complement to, not a substitute for, Singapore's global network of trading and investing relationships.

Over 60 per cent of Singapore's exports and outward direct investment is focused on Asian markets. And Singapore's success in attracting inward investment - remarkably Singapore receives more foreign direct investment from the US than China does - is largely because Singapore serves as a hub for companies operating in the region. This regional bias in Singapore's economic engagement is likely to remain, supported by ongoing ASEAN economic integration.

In this context, perhaps the best example of a Singapore model in Europe is Ireland. Ireland has deliberately used EU membership to substantially increase its integration into Europe and to develop a stronger economic identity, positioning itself as a hub for inward investment into Europe. And other small European economies have benefited disproportionately from EU economic integration over the past few decades.

Small countries also understand that being a part of a larger grouping is vital for strengthening negotiating power in market access. This makes the EU a valuable asset for European countries, enabling them to negotiate FTAs that they would not get bilaterally.

ECCENTRIC PLANS

Similarly, the TPP or ASEAN is important for countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Small countries can make some progress bilaterally, but this tends to be partial. New Zealand, for example, managed to get an early FTA with China but failed to secure a bilateral FTA with the US and is one of the last countries in the world with whom the EU is to sign an FTA. In the context of FTA negotiations, economic size matters.

Singapore has been able to negotiate FTAs better than most because of the absence of sensitive sectors, notably agriculture, and because it is a distinctive hub in South-east Asia. But it is likely that the UK will find bilateral deals difficult to achieve.

Already, the US has clearly signalled that the UK will be at "the back of the queue" for an FTA, and that its priority is signing larger deals such as the TPP or the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement with the EU. And the UK has already discovered some of the economic and political challenges in dealing with China on a bilateral basis, including pressure to tone down its language on sensitive issues such as human rights or Hong Kong.

These experiences serve as a reminder that the UK by itself has limited ability to project meaningful power - a lesson well understood by small countries. The EU is a force multiplier in negotiating market access, setting regulatory standards and so on.

And the notion of resurrecting the Commonwealth or the Anglosphere as an organising device for the UK's commercial arrangement has been met with a conspicuous lack of interest. Perhaps this idea sounds persuasive to some in the UK, but it sounds eccentric for former parts of the British empire.

Of course, there is a good case for far-reaching reform of the EU with a much greater focus on domestic policy autonomy rather than a federal Europe. Interestingly, this case is most actively championed by small Northern European countries, which understand the importance of European integration. In these countries, there is little appetite for exiting from Europe even if there is often deep frustration about the functioning of the EU and no demand for tighter integration.

But Brexit is an overreaction in a global economic and political context increasingly organised around regions and large countries. Far from the UK becoming the Singapore of Europe, it is more likely that Brexit would convert the UK into the New Zealand of Europe: a relatively peripheral economy that has had to fight hard to develop a global portfolio of economic relationships.

It has taken decades of active economic diplomacy for New Zealand to build a partial network of FTAs, and even now its level of international economic engagement is much lower than that of most other small countries. The lack of regional integration imposes a cost.

Indeed, an irony of the Brexit debate is that 40 years on from the UK jettisoning preferential trading relationships with New Zealand in favour of joining the European Community in 1973, New Zealand has commenced FTA negotiations with the EU. Brexit would likely leave New Zealand with superior EU market access than the UK.

In sum, Brexit is not far-sighted, flexible, Singapore-style strategic diplomacy but rather a step backwards from international economic integration.

Fortunately, the likelihood of Brexit seems to be receding. Consideration of the international small-country experience, including Singapore's experience, should reinforce this.

This article was first published on May 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

I am perplexed by the Land Transport Authority's decision to reward the two public bus operators with a substantial sum for what should have been obligatory service improvements ("SBS Transit, SMRT rewarded with $1.34m and $504k respectively for improving bus waiting times: LTA"; ST Online, May 9).

First and foremost, as a matter of principle, running bus services on time is a basic expectation we have of our public transport operators.

Their struggles to meet this minimum requirement should not merit a monetary bonus at all.

Second, we must question the necessity of a reward scheme.

From a psychological point of view, research has demonstrated that negative reinforcement - penalties and punishments - is dramatically more effective at spurring improved performance, as compared with positive reinforcement - rewards and bonuses.

The transport operator evaluation framework already calls for stiff penalties if companies fail to meet stipulated requirements. That alone should be sufficient incentive for the operators to step up their efforts.

Some have argued that fines would deplete transport companies' funds and, hence, their ability to improve their operations, whereas bonuses would help provide the requisite resources.

This assertion simply does not hold water, since both SBS Transit and SMRT are very profitable firms, more than capable of covering the associated costs ("Higher revenue drives up SBS Transit's profit"; Feb 6).

It also does not consider how the Government has stepped in by introducing an additional 800 taxpayer-funded public buses to improve bus service performance, removing profit-funded purchase from the equation ("Reliability of buses: 27 out of 34 services improve"; last Tuesday).

Third, even if we accept the need for a reward scheme, improvements in bus waiting times have been far too marginal and minuscule to justify a million-dollar disbursement.

The three Bus Service Reliability Framework performance tables indicate improvements of a mere 0.38 minute (22.8 seconds), 0.42 minute (25.2 seconds), and 0.33 minute (19.8 seconds).

This difference is barely perceptible to commuters.

Moreover, the concept of unpredictable excess waiting time is irrelevant to commuters praying for the bus to arrive as soon as possible.

Throwing money at a problem will not do much to resolve it.

We would do well to consider more substantial, systemic change in the way our public transport operators do business.

Paul Chan Poh Hoi

This article was first published on May 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

I disagree with Li Wanqi that Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) T-scores are necessary for targeted teaching ("T-score important for targeted teaching"; Voices of Youth, last Wednesday).

Owing to the differences between the primary and secondary school curricula, students should be given a fresh start rather than be categorised according to admission scores.

Wanqi's argument assumes that PSLE performance can accurately predict secondary school success.

However, the secondary school curriculum and the primary school curriculum make very different demands of students, thus reducing the PSLE's ability to predict secondary school performance.

For instance, PSLE maths is drastically different from secondary school maths. While PSLE maths relies on visual reasoning through the model method, secondary school students are, instead, required to use algebra to solve problems, demanding a different mode of thinking.

Moreover, secondary school students are required to study humanities subjects.

As these are not assessed in primary school, the PSLE cannot predict how well a student will eventually perform in these new subjects.

Consequently, students who perform well at the PSLE may find themselves floundering in secondary school, as they are not used to this new curriculum.

Conversely, students who do not perform as well may find greater success in the secondary school curriculum. This is especially the case for humanities-inclined students, who may be disadvantaged in the maths- and science-intensive PSLE.

If secondary schools continue to use the PSLE as a predictor of academic ability, they risk misallocating academic resources and opportunities based on flawed predictions of school performance.

The culture of stress in the education system may also be further entrenched as parents convince students to chase the last point to ensure better opportunities for themselves in their future secondary schools.

Even worse, pupils who perform below expectations at the PSLE may lose the motivation to try harder to improve their academic performance, as they feel that society is telling them that the PSLE is a final judgment of their individual worth.

While targeted learning is indeed beneficial to students, it should not be dispensed based on PSLE T-scores.

Instead of being too hasty to categorise students in Secondary 1, we should allow students the time to get used to the demands of the secondary school curriculum.

Teaching can thus be more effectively allocated, based on how well a student actually performs in secondary school, rather than on the drastically different metrics of the PSLE.

Ng Qi Siang

This article was first published on May 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - The rest of May is expected to be slightly cooler than it has been, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Monday (May 16).

"The warm conditions experienced in the first fortnight of May 2016 can still be expected on a few days in the second half of May 2016," NEA added.

But the temperature will be moderated by showers on most days.

In the next fortnight, short thundery showers are forecast for the late morning and afternoon, on six to eight days.

Thundery showers with gusty winds due to Sumatra squalls can be expected in the morning on one or two days.

Related: Unusually warm weather may become the norm in S'pore

Extreme weather around the world: Drought in Africa

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Reuters

For the rest of May, the daily maximum temperatures are forecast to range between 33 deg C and 34 deg C on most days, and could reach a high of around 35 deg C on a few days.

The first 11 days of May saw temperatures between 35 deg C and 36.1 deg C. The highest temperature was recorded at Seletar on May 6.

For the past four days, the showers that fell over many parts of the island brought some relief to the warm conditions. The highest daily maximum temperature ranged between 31.8 deg C and 34.7 deg C.

Showers on May 11 were particularly heavy with the highest daily rainfall of 99.8mm recorded.

As of May 15, the daily mean temperature recorded at the Changi climate station was 29.6 deg C, which is 1.3° deg C above the long-term average for May.

The rainfall for May is expected to be average, NEA added.

Read also: S'pore recorded highest temperature in 10 years on April 13

chuimin@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on May 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The Garmin Fenix 3 HR is not just a fitness watch with a built-in wrist-based heart rate monitor (HRM). It could be the only watch you need.

It can track your runs and record workout statistics when you are swimming, cycling, skiing or doing the triathlon.

It is also a fitness tracker and doubles as a smartwatch to display notifications when paired with your smartphone (Android and iOS).

It even has a built-in altimeter, barometer and compass to provide real-time information on your surroundings.

Furthermore, its rugged good looks mean that you can wear it from the gym to the boardroom. It is the best-looking watch in this roundup.

It has a sleek gunmetal stainless steel bezel and 1.2-inch display (218 x 218 pixels) with sapphire glass to protect it. The silicone strap is comfortable to wear.

There are three buttons on the left and two on the right. Pressing the middle and bottom buttons on the left toggles through the digital compass, calendar, barometer, altimeter, thermometer, fitness tracking and notifications panels.

To get to the workout page, hit the top button on the right. To scroll up and down to select the workout, use the middle and bottom buttons on the left side. To start, press the top-right button again. This layout does get confusing at times, and it took me a while to get used to it.

The watch took up to 30sec to lock on to GPS signals from the streets of my HDB estate - longer than the other two watches. It took 10sec to do so on the open running track.

However, its distance tracking was spot-on. The watch gave me readings that correspond to the actual distance of both my track and street running routes.

In terms of heart-rate monitoring, it differed by up to 8 beats per minute at times, when compared with the readings of the Wahoo Bluetooth HR chest-strap HRM. But most of the time, readings were pretty close.

As a fitness tracker, it is not as accurate. I found its step tracking inconsistent, with readings deviating by up to 7 per cent from readings recorded by my calibrated Fitbit Charge HR.

Sleep tracking is automatic and consistent, although it has a penchant for adding an hour to my sleep data every day.

Battery life is quite good. When connected to my smartphone constantly, it lasted nearly four days before it has to be recharged.

Verdict: If you have the moolah, the Garmin Fenix 3 HR is the GPS running watch to get with its accurate run tracking. Plus, it is a great-looking watch that you can wear all the time.

TECH SPECS

PRICE: $899
WATER RESISTANCE: 100m
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth and ANT+
WEIGHT: 88g

RATING

FEATURES: 5/5
DESIGN: 5/5
PERFORMANCE: 4/5
BATTERY LIFE: 4/5
VALUE FOR MONEY: 3/5
OVERALL: 4/5

This article was first published on May 18, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.