BEYOND SG

Pitch Lake

Less than two hours car ride from Port of Spain to the south, there is a pitch lake which oozes out asphalt from the bowels of the earth.  It is the largest of three such lakes in the world.   Having half a day of free time, I did a short excursion to see this natural wonder.   It used to be much bigger but harvesting of the asphalt has reduced its size.  Large parts are soft and one needs a guide to know which parts are safe to walk on.

 

Natural gas escape through the asphalt.  They form pimples on the surface before popping. When rain water collects, you can see the methane bubbling from the bottom.   Over thousands of years, animals have better trapped in the asphalt and drowned in it.  From time to time, pieces of wood which have preserved in the asphalt are pushed out to the surface again.

The water which collects in various parts of the pitch lake have therapeutic qualities.  Sulphur, iron and copper give the water different hues.  Because no moss or algae grow on the asphalt, the wet surface  is not at all slippery.  The pitch which is extruded at the bottom is not hot but gets heated up by the sun.  Small fish which live in the water have adapted to the high mineral concentration and can't survive in fresh water. They are surprisingly tame and can be easily cupped in your hand.

A small information centre explained that the first kerosene was derived from the asphalt taken from pitch lake.  Kerosene quickly replaced the whale blubber as a fuel which led to the collapse of the whaling industry on Nantucket in New England.  Below the pitch lake is a vast amount of hydrocarbon which gives Trinidad a growing revenue stream from oil and gas, making it by far the wealthiest country in the Caribbean.

 

 






 
  

 
 

George Yeo's WCEC Speech in Manila (Chinese Text)

把牛奶弄甜
杨荣文

外交部长杨荣文于11月20日在马尼拉的世界华商大会的演讲全文

　　在马尼拉后，世界华商大会将在20年后，也就是2011年，重回新加坡。

　　作为当时的新闻及艺术部长，我参与了由陈永裕领导的首届华商大会的主办工作。

　　那时是天安门事件发生两年后。中国在珠江三角洲的带动下，经济重新增长。来自台湾、香港和亚细安国家的华裔的资金提供了开始时所需的投资。那年的稍后阶段，邓小平进行了惊天动地的著名南巡，重新把中国放上改革和开放的轨道。

　　海外的华裔商人，最先感觉到这个最终将涵盖整个中国，并改变其命运的爆炸性增长开始了。新加坡华裔商界领袖就是在这样的背景下，于1991年主办了华商大会。首届的会议非常成功，并成立了包括新加坡、香港和泰国中华总商会的创办成员董事会，以确保华商大会能继续下去。内阁资政李光耀为首届会议开幕，也在于香港举行的第二次会议发表演讲。

　　首届会议后，亚洲，尤其是中国，取得了长足的发展。下一届大会于2011年在新加坡举行时，世界也会庆祝辛亥革命的100周年。我说“世界”而不止是中国，是因为1911年辛亥革命的历史意义并不限于中国。受到西方观念和日本明治维新的影响，孙中山和革命同僚决意要根除中国的帝制和封建文化。革命必须先在中国人的思想里萌芽。海外的华裔在贡献观点、资源和人力方面扮演了重要的角色。同盟会于1905年8月在东京成立。1906年4月，即8个月后，它的东南亚分会在新加坡成立。全世界的华裔都关注大陆所发生的斗争，既帮助改变中国，也被中国所改变。商界领袖、知识分子、工人和学生全都参与了。为了对抗日本军国主义，全球的华裔都被动员，而他们又争取无数非华裔支持者的协助。

区分文化与政治的认同

　　太平洋战争在1945年结束后，旧的帝国瓦解了，独立的国家则一个接一个的出现。在中国，随后发生的内战由共产党在1949年获胜，国民党则退到台湾。在东南亚，华裔对新兴国家的政治忠诚不时被质疑。华裔本身，包括在这些国家出生的老华裔和新来的移民、本土国家主义和中国国家主义的支持者、共产主义中国的和共和主义中国的同情者、还有左翼和右翼人士，也存在复杂的分歧。

　　每个国家都有一个关于失败和成功、痛苦和欢乐的故事。撇开他们的政治立场，华裔都保留了一些文化特色——牢不可破的家庭关系、对教育的高度尊重、认真的工作态度和努力储蓄的习惯。艰难的处境往往只会让他们变得更坚强和更有决心。一点一点地，他们把文化认同和对所住国家的政治认同分开。在许多国家，华裔参与了政治，一些最终还成为国家领导人。

　　在目前的21世纪，把我们的文化认同和政治认同区分开来，和20世纪后半期时同样重要。把两者掺杂或者混淆，必将造成不必要的问题，并引起非华裔对身旁的华裔感到怀疑。在所有国家，种族分歧往往都是社会矛盾的一个来源，我们必须时时警惕。把两种认同分开，让我们能够把意识形态不同的华裔社群联系起来。尽管中国大陆和台湾的关系在过去60年经过了许多风风雨雨，台湾商人却成功地利用了共同文化遗产的优势，成为中国今天最大的投资者之一。

　　我一直记得帕西人在很久以前因为宗教迫害离开伊朗的故事。他们到达印度时，当地的领袖把一个杯倒满牛奶，来表示那里完全没有他们容身之处。帕西人领袖的反应，是把手里的一些糖溶在牛奶里，在没有让牛奶溢出来的情况下把它弄甜。不管在哪里安顿下来，帕西人都把牛奶弄甜，那是他们的东道主。不管住在哪里，海外的华裔都应该时刻尝试把牛奶弄甜。

　　在菲律宾，出身贫寒的华裔商人如陳永栽、施至成和吴奕辉，不止在经济领域，也通过他们的慷慨解囊，在教育、医疗和消除贫困方面对菲律宾社会作出贡献。这样，我们的华裔身份不但可以让我们感到骄傲，也可以受到其他人的赞扬。印尼总统美加华蒂在2002年宣布华人农历新年将成为印尼的公定假日，让每个人都可以庆祝时，真是个让人高兴的日子。

回馈当地社会

　　世界华商大会不断茁壮成长，因为它帮助华裔商人从他人的经验学习、发掘新的机会、一起合作并扩大联系。早年，中国的快速增长吸引了许多注意力。最近，随着大陆公司走出中国在世界各地贸易和投资，人们的兴趣也遍及全球。要让华商大会的会务进一步发展，设立一个永久的平台来收集、交流和传播信息，现在或许正是时候。这个平台可以在多个地点，由互联网连接。新加坡中华总商会可以作为其中一个中心。总商会在1995成立世界华商商业网络（World Chinese Business Network）网站，辅助了华商大会的工作。

　　在欢庆华裔商人成就的同时，我们也必须牢记我们的社会责任，尽可能回馈社会。对全球化和知识经济时代的挑战，不同种族社群会以不同的速度和方式反应。很自然的，因为市场竞争，一些族群会表现得比其他族群好。然而，这可以在国内和国与国之间造成关系紧张。要社会和谐，发展必须平衡，那些步伐比较快的有责任帮助有困难的人迎头赶上。

　　中国每年都增加其对外援助是件好事。我记得中国前外交部长李肇星在约3年前告诉我，中国在非洲为约1亿病人提供治疗。这只是中国政府帮助其他发展中国家的众多计划之一。台湾佛教团体如慈济基金会和佛光山，也在许多国家作出了非凡的贡献。但是，正因为许多华裔在新的环球经济里表现出色，我们更应该做得更多。不论是在这个或者另外一个世界，这对我们自己都有好处的。

　　因此，我希望将来的世界华商大会，可以把社会课题和帮助他人等议题列入议程。我们也应该向其他族群如帕西人和犹太人学习，特别是在做善事上。我们的目的不止是帮助华裔，也是为所有国家作出贡献。
　　

CHOGM

After travelling over 30 hours (Singapore-Heathrow-Gatwick-St Lucia-Trinidad), I have finally arrived in Port of Spain in time for the opening reception hosted by Trinidad and Tobago Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon.

Although the British Empire ended some time ago, there is still considerable affection for the common heritage which binds us all together.  The Commonwealth now has 53 members and there are others wanting to join like Rwanda.  While it may be true that Commonwealth meetings do not usually result in concrete and binding outcomes, it is still useful to meet, exchange views and find new ways to cooperate.  For this reason, Heads of Government and Ministers make the effort to attend despite long distances.  The common use of  English and the similarity of our institutions help a lot, giving Commonwealth meetings a special quality.   Bad behaviour, like military coups, is frowned upon. Everyone looks forward to seeing the Queen.

George Yeo

 
 
 

A Singaporean from Russia in Green Tech Space

I am working on a new greentech venture and my readers will get to hear more about it in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, let me introduce Dr Alec Shapiro, COO and Chief Scientist of BioEnergy Plantation Pte Ltd to my gentle readers. His company specialises in growing crops that can be used for biodiesel and biomass. It is the New New Thing. And it is a Singapore company. The CEO, Naren Raju is from India, the partner is a social entrepreneur from Singapore, Jackie Goh and the new financial beancounter is me. Dr Alec is from Russia but he is now a Singaporean now. Listening to him talking about the merits of Singapore reminds me that sometimes, we take Singapore for granted. Think about it. Where in the world you can set up a company electronically within a few days, takes less than 15 minutes to fill your income tax, drive to the rainforest to trek in 30 minutes? Without sounding like a bragfest - i think I am fortunate to stay here and operate several of my businesses here.

Dr Alec is doing some green tech project in Iraq and here are some of the photos.. and if Iraq is figuring out how to do green tech and make this planet a better place for all...let us do our part too!

Harold Fock

Dr Alec is in protective gear.. just in case..

 

Minister George Yeo's WCEC speech on 20 Nov 09

SPEECH BY MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS GEORGE YEO AT THE WORLD CHINESE
ENTREPRENEURS CONVENTION (WCEC) IN MANILA ON 20 NOVEMBER 2009


Sweetening the Milk


Dear friends
Ladies and gentlemen


After Manila, the World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention (WCEC) will be
returning to Singapore after 20 years in 2011. As Minister for Information
and the Arts, I was involved in the organisation of the first convention
which was led by Mr Tan Eng Joo. It was then 2 years after the Tiananmen
Incident. China was growing again with the Pearl River Delta taking the
lead. Ethnic Chinese capital from Taiwan, Hong Kong and ASEAN provided much
of the initial investment. Later that year, Deng Xiaoping made his famous
southern tour, moving heaven and earth, to put China back on the path of
reform and opening up.

Ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs outside China were the first to sense the
beginning of an explosive growth phase which would eventually encompass all
of China and transform its destiny. It was in that context that Singapore
Chinese business leaders organised a world convention in 1991. The first
meeting was a great success and saw the formation of a Founder Members
board, comprising the Chinese Chambers of Commerce from Singapore, Hong
Kong and Thailand, to ensure the continuity of the WCEC. Minister Mentor
Lee Kuan Yew opened the first convention and also spoke at the second
meeting in Hong Kong.

Since the first meeting, Asia, and China in particular, has made enormous
strides. When the next meeting is held in Singapore in 2011, the world will
also be celebrating the Centennial of the 1911 Revolution. I say 'the
world' and not just China because the historical importance of the 1911
Revolution goes beyond China. Influenced by Western ideas and the Meiji
Restoration in Japan, Dr Sun Yat-Sen and his fellow revolutionaries were
determined to rid China of imperial rule and its feudal culture. It was a
revolution that had first to take place in the Chinese mind. Ethnic Chinese
outside China played a major role contributing ideas, resources and
manpower. In August 1905, the Tongmenghui was formed in Tokyo. Eight months
later in April 1906, the Southeast Asian branch was established in
Singapore. All over the world, ethnic Chinese were caught up in the great
struggles on the Chinese Mainland, helping to change China and being
changed by it. Business leaders, intellectuals, manual workers, students
were all involved. To fight Japanese militarism, ethnic Chinese were
mobilised worldwide, and they in turn enlisted the help of millions of
non-Chinese supporters.

With the end of the Pacific War in 1945, the old empires were dismantled
and independent nation states emerged one after another. In China, civil
war ensued with the Communist gaining victory in 1949 and the Kuomintang
retreating to Taiwan. In Southeast Asia, the political loyalty of ethnic
Chinese to the new nation states was often called into question. There were
complex divisions among the ethnic Chinese themselves - between old Chinese
who were born in these countries and recent migrants, between supporters of
indigenous nationalism and Chinese nationalism, between sympathisers of
Communist China and sympathisers of Republican China, and between left
wingers and right wingers.

Each country had a different story to tell of failure and success, and of
pain and joy. Regardless of their political views, the ethnic Chinese
retained certain cultural characteristics - unbreakable family networks, a
high regard for education, and a strong work ethic combined with a high
propensity to save. Often, adversity only made them stronger and more
determined. Little by little, they separated their cultural identity from
their political identity in each country where they lived. In many
countries, ethnic Chinese took part in politics with some eventually
becoming national leaders.

Separating our cultural identity from our political identity remains as
important in the 21st century as it was in the second half of the 20th
century. Mixing or confusing the two can create unnecessary problems and
cause non-Chinese to become suspicious of ethnic Chinese in their midst. In
all countries, ethnic divisions are often a source of social conflict and
we must always be mindful of them. Separating the two identities enable us
to connect ideologically divided Chinese communities. Although relations
between Mainland China and Taiwan have gone through many ups and downs over
the past 60 years, Taiwanese businessmen have successfully taken advantage
of their common cultural heritage with the Mainland to become one of the
top investors in China today.

I always remember the story of the Parsees when they left Iran a long time
ago because of religious persecution. Arriving in India, the local ruler
made it clear that there was no room for them to settle by filling a glass
of milk to the brim. In reply, the Parsee leader picked up some sugar in
his hand and dissolved it in the milk, sweetening the milk without causing
it to overflow. Wherever they settled, the Parsees sweetened the milk which
is their host. Ethnic Chinese outside China should always endeavour to
sweeten the milk wherever we live. In the Philippines, ethnic Chinese
businessmen like Lucio Tan, Henry Sy Sr and Go Kong Wei, starting from
humble beginnings, have contributed to Filipino society not only in the
economic field but also through their philanthropic work in education,
healthcare and poverty alleviation. In this way, our Chinese identity can
be celebrated not only by ourselves but by everyone. It was a joyous day
when President Megawati announced in 2002 that Chinese New Year would be
made a national holiday in Indonesia, to be celebrated by everybody.

The WCEC has grown from strength to strength because it helps ethnic
Chinese entrepreneurs learn from one another's experiences, discover new
opportunities, work together and expand networks. In the earlier years,
there was great interest in China because of its rapid growth. In more
recent years, this interest has expanded worldwide as Mainland Chinese
companies themselves move outwards to trade and invest in all four corners
of the world. To facilitate the growing work of the WCEC, it might be
opportune now to establish a permanent platform for the gathering, exchange
and dissemination of information. Such a platform can be in multiple
locations linked by the Internet. The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce
& Industry (SCCCI) is prepared to provide one of the nodes. In 1995, the
Chamber established the World Chinese Business Network website to
complement the work of the WCEC.

While we celebrate the achievements of ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs, we
must also remember our social responsibilities and do good work wherever we
can. Different ethnic communities respond at different speeds and in
different ways to the challenge of globalisation and the knowledge economy.
It is natural that some ethnic groups will do better than others as a
result of market competition. This however can create tensions within
countries and between countries. For there to be social harmony,
development must be balanced and those progressing faster have a duty to
help those having trouble keeping up.

It is good that China has been expanding its foreign aid year by year. I
remember former Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing telling me about three
years ago that China had treated 100 million patients in Africa. This is
but one of many programmes undertaken by the Chinese Government to help
other developing countries. Taiwanese Buddhist groups like the Tzu Chi
Buddhist Foundation and Fo Kuang Shan Monastery are also doing remarkable
work in many countries. However, precisely because many ethnic Chinese do
well in the new global economy, we must do even more. This is in our own
enlightened self-interest whether in this world or in the next.

I therefore hope that future WCECs will include social issues and helping
others on the agenda. We should also learn from other ethnic communities
like the Parsees and the Jews, especially in philanthropic work. Our
objective is not only to help ethnic Chinese, but also to make a positive
contribution to the greater good in all countries. Thank you very much.

George Yeo

Video Link:

http://www.viddler.com/explore/mfasingapore/videos/17/

Visit to Philippines Natonal Red Cross

In a little ceremony proposed by the Philippines National Red Cross, I
announced Singapore's donation of 800 houses costing US$800,000 to victims
of the recent typhoons. Our earlier donations of equipment helped in the
relief effort. The Chairman, Senator Richard Gordon, took time off from his
mother's funeral wake, to host me.

George Yeo

 

 

Visit to Manila

I am happy to be back in Manila for a bilateral visit and to speak at the

World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention. On Saturday, I'll be receiving

the WCEC flag on behalf of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and

Industry which will host the next convention in Singapore in 2011,

twenty years after the first convention was held in Singapore in 1991. I

remember helping Tan Eng Joo and Linn In Hu organise that first meeting.



Arriving in Manila, I laid a wreath at the monument ot Jose Rizal, a

patriot of Chinese mestizo descent, who proclaimed the independence of the

Philippines and was subsequently executed by the Spaniards.



In the afternoon, I met Senators Aquino together with Senator Mar Roxas and

Senator Manuel Villar, Sen Angara hosted me to dinner in the evening. The

Filipinos are a warm and friendly people.



George Yeo



(Posted via blackberry, re-formatting may be necessary)

Harold Fock

Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Dinner with Senator Bill Bradley

Sen Bill Bradley first became famous as the basket player from Princeton.
In the mid 90's, he organised a group which met yearly at Stanford to
discuss internatonal political issues. I was privileged to be a member of
that group. In 1999, he ran to become presidential candidate for the
Democratic Party but lost to Al Gore. He is a decent man, highly
intelligent, a good friend. My wife and I had the pleasure of hosting him
to dinner on the beach at Shore Restaurant.

George Yeo

 

 

Cambodia

This is my first business trip to Cambodia. Thanks to my good friend Jackie Goh, a Singapore social entrepreneur who has been active there for more than 10 years, I was able to meet many high-ranking Cambodians who shared their fascinating stories and perspectives with me. It was indeed an eye-opener for me.



Cambodia will have a stock market soon, seaside development is beginning and real estate prices have jumped 10-fold. A shophouse near the airport cost usd100,000 when it used to go for a song. Land owners are building concrete fences around their lands because it is worth something now. Roads are flat and in good condition. There are 20 plus telecommunication companies operating wireless networks. It is like China in the mid 90s. In Star Trek analogy, their economic engine is not traveling at hyper lightspeed, but the impulse engine has started.



As long as this entire region co-exists peacefully, stay focus in trade and industries, be environmentally aware, control corruption, I think it will be an exciting Century for all of us in SE Asia.



Harold



Harold Fock

Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Doorstop Interview after the Informal Foreign Ministers' Meeting

Minister George Yeo's Doorstop Interview after the Informal Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 11 November 2009

George Yeo
Harold Fock
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Joint Media Conference of AMM Chairs

Joint Media Conference of AMM Chairs on 12 November 2009

George Yeo

Harold Fock
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

APEC - Leading the Way by George Yeo

APEC - Leading the Way
Op-Ed by George Yeo, Foreign Minister of Singapore

THE growing cooperation across the Pacific is reshaping the world. After a
century of war and revolution, East Asia has taken off. Transpacific trade,
which long overtook transatlantic trade, continues to grow. An intricate
web of political, economic and cultural relations increasingly binds the
countries on the Pacific Rim.

The most important institution bringing the two sides of the Pacific
together is the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum. Established
20 years ago to promote freer trade and investment, it now comprises 21
economies that account roughly for half of global gross domestic product
and global trade. It is by far the faster-growing half.

In November 1989, in the same week the Berlin Wall fell, foreign and trade
ministers from 12 countries held Apec's inaugural meeting in Canberra. The
inclusion of countries on both sides of the Pacific was deliberate. For the
politics in the region to stay peaceful and for trade to continue
expanding, a line must not be drawn down the middle of the Pacific. That
became a core founding principle.

At the Singapore ministerial meeting the following year, bringing in what
was then commonly termed the 'three Chinas' - mainland China, Chinese
Taipei and Hong Kong - became a key topic of discussion. If all three had
not been included, there would have been a gaping hole in Apec. After
intense negotiations, China agreed to the participation of Chinese Taipei
and Hong Kong in the 1991 Seoul meeting, not as countries but as economies.
For this reason, national flags are never flown at Apec meetings.

Two possible reasons could explain why China was prepared to accommodate
Chinese Taipei at that time. First, Deng Xiaoping was determined to press
on with China's reforms and opening up. Second, cross-strait relations had
been steadily improving. I remember a relaxed luncheon conversation at the
1992 ministerial meeting in Bangkok involving China's Li Lanqing, Chinese
Taipei's Vincent Siew and Hong Kong's Brian Chau.

When the United States hosted Apec in 1993, then-President Bill Clinton
convened the first Apec Economic Leaders' Meeting at Blake Island. That act
of leadership transformed Apec and gave it global prominence. It helped to
bring about the conclusion of the Uruguay Round. Apec has become the
principal forum for East Asian leaders to engage the US president every
year. It sits at the apex of regional forums like Asean Plus Three and the
East Asia Summit.

A second act of leadership the following year led to the announcement of
the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment among industrialised
economies by 2010 and among all economies by 2020. That Indonesia, which
still had a protected economy at that time, should make this bold move was
remarkable and a tribute to the vision of then-Indonesian President
Suharto.

Step by step, Apec developed form and function. Regular meetings of
leaders, ministers and officials forged personal bonds of friendship that
proved invaluable when crises erupted - like the 1997-98 Asian financial
crisis, Timor Leste's independence in 1999, Al-Qaeda's attacks on the US on
Sept 11, 2001, the outbreak of Sars in 2003 and last year's global
financial crisis.

The most important relationship in Apec is that between the US and China. I
remember vividly when China was Apec host in 2001.

In April that year, the Hainan EP-3 incident had suddenly chilled relations
between Beijing and Washington. When US Trade Representative Robert
Zoellick arrived for the Apec Trade Ministers' Meeting in Zhouzhuang in
June, he was received with a certain coolness. Mr Zoellick broke the ice
with his words of friendship, to which China's Commerce Minister Shi
Guangsheng responded in kind the following day.

On the sidelines, they finally agreed on China's terms of entry into the
World Trade Organisation (WTO), after negotiations that went late into the
night. After Sept 11, the two countries cooperated in the war against
terrorism. When then-President George W. Bush flew into Shanghai in
October, Chinese fighter planes escorted Air Force One into China's
airspace. Without Apec providing a ready forum, it would have been more
difficult to restore good relations between the two countries.

The theme for the Leaders' Meeting in Singapore this year is 'Sustaining
Growth, Connecting the Region'. Keeping the Asia-Pacific region peaceful
and open to trade and investment must continue to be our collective goal.
Resisting protectionism is a particular challenge because of the global
economic crisis. With the Doha Development Agenda not making progress, it
is crucial for the Apec economies to take the lead.

The best way to achieve the Bogor Goals is a Free Trade Area of the
Asia-Pacific. Announcing this as a long-term objective will also help push
forward the Doha negotiations. In the meantime, a growing matrix of free
trade agreements has facilitated the flow of trade and investment
throughout the region. One of them, the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic
Partnership (TPP), merits particular mention.

Currently it is a free trade agreement among four relatively small
countries - Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore. Last year, the US,
Australia, Peru and Vietnam expressed interest in joining the TPP.
Enlargement of the TPP will have a positive impact on trade dynamics in the
region.

Among the 21 Apec economies, there are big and small countries, rich and
poor, strong and weak. Together, they reflect the make-up of the United
Nations and the WTO. What Apec is able to achieve peacefully will point the
way forward for the rest of the world.

The Singapore meeting comes six weeks after the last G-20 meeting in
Pittsburgh, which was attended by 10 Apec leaders. We can therefore expect
continuity in the flow of discussion from Pittsburgh to Singapore, and from
Singapore to the next two G-20 meetings in Canada and South Korea before
the next Apec Leaders' Meeting in Japan at the end of next year. The G-20
is perhaps the most important agent of economic change in the world today.
A close overlap between the G-20 and Apec agendas will help this process of
change to take place in a consultative and inclusive way.

The end of the Cold War 20 years ago opened a new chapter in world history.
After 20 years, Apec has become an indispensable forum in the Asia-Pacific
region. Looking ahead, Apec can help create a better future for the whole
world.

This op-ed was published in the Straits Times on 11 November 2009.

Why I dislike company's year-end functions?

This is the time of the year companies and organisations hold their year-end functions.

I really dislike them.

I always watch in pure horror when companies organise the year-end functions and continue to humiliate their staff. The VIPs, all bosses and their spouses in their glittering gowns, will sit in the VIP tables. Surely they plot and scheme enough with each other to sit with the troops for once? Surely it is not a crime to sit with everyone to find out about their families and their concerns?

And the DJ/MC are always pre-warned to keep the VIP table "alone". And if the bosses make the slightest gesture of participation, he is known as "sporting". In the meantime, the staff who are slaving away for 364 days a year, is subject to more low-grade humiliation like collect 10 items to win some cheap prizes. Don't they fetch things for their bosses everyday? Why torture them further?

The most horrendous thing I heard in the 10-item hunt includes some very private "pigmented filaments characteristically growing from the epidermis of a mammal" (i got this from the online dictionary to avoid shocking the gentle readers here)! And the staff gleefully "collected" the item and rushed out to the stage. Trust me, they think twice donating bone marrow to their siblings but will do anything for a table prize :-) Do we really want to strip our more junior colleagues every bit of self-respect and self-worth? Do management dislike their staff so much?

This year, how about the bosses serve as waiters/servants to their staff and thank them humbly and sincerely? Not with a prepared speech and a 2-second handshake, but truly be with them as a team and comrade? And get rid of the DJ who does the 10-item hunt.

Harold Fock

Lift Upgrading

Last Saturday, I was at Blk 424 Hougang Ave 10 to announce the launch of a
lift upgrading programme (LUP) for a number of HDB blocks in the precinct.
Because the RC had gone around encouraging residents to come down, there
was a huge turnout, more than I had even seen before for an LUP.

We had a lively exchange.  Most residents were happy that, at long last,
the upgrading which they've been asking for would happen.  Because of the
internal voids in some of the blocks, a few residents were concerned about
the way new lifts would land on every floor.  Not only would there be
considerable inconvenience during the upgrading work, little spaces which
are now largely private might become more public.  The owner of one ground
floor unit worried about  a new lift shaft serving units above affecting
their privacy.  This provoked a sharp exchange with another resident whose
wheelchair-bound mother desperately needed a lift landing.  Both had
legitimate concerns and interests which should be properly addressed.
Security is also a big concern.

The key is good design.  The RC Chairman, Peter Tang, will chair a working
group which will work with residents, HDB and the architects to ensure the
best design possible for every block within the budget allocations.  In the
end, every design is a compromise.  We should try to have the lift stop at
every floor at grade at the same time minimizing the negative aspects.

After the formal session, a few older residents asked about payment.
Unlike PRs who do not receive any subsidy, Singaporean owner are subsidized
between 75% to 90%.  The total amount they have to pay is capped at $3000.
HDB has various schemes to help those in financial difficulty. For most
residents, the instalment payments are affordable.  Many can use their CPF.

 

 

 

 

Happy Deepavali - blog article by Ravi Velloor

Ravi Velloor was in Sri Lanka with Foreign Minister George Yeo recently.

http://blogs.straitstimes.com/2009/11/4/happy-deepavali

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'Happy Deepavali.'
At 06:30 a.m. as I waited in the lobby of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo recently, that was the call from the man striding by.
At first it didn't quite register. Then I awoke from my reverie:
Happy Deepavali, to you, Minister!
Perhaps it was fitting that the first person to wish me that day was George Yeo, Singapore's foreign minister. For Mr Yeo is an uncommon personality. Among all the global personalities I have encountered in a three decades-long career, I have met no one with such an interest in other cultures. I have watched him on an early winter morning, finishing up his breakfast, changing into chinos and a leather jacket to visit the historic Mughal built Sunday Mosque in Delhi's old quarter, only his bodyguards in tow. I have watched him in the dusty outback of India's Bihar state, standing amidst the ruins of the ancient university of Nalanda, fittingly in the company of some of the world's best known intellectual luminaries. He was there to participate in a Singapore-backed dream to revive that ancient Buddhist seat of learning for a new generation of Asians. Last month in Hua Hin, Thailand, the East Asia Summit endorsed that effort.
I am not a big fan of blogsites, but one I unfailingly check every few weeks is Mr Yeo's blog, if nothing else to catch up on some speech of his I may have missed.
On this Deepavali day, we would travel in a quiet land where there was little celebration despite the area being home to large numbers of Hindus. We would move by helicopter to Mannar in the northwest of Sri Lanka, then to Jaffna in the north and on to Trincomallee in the northeast. We would be briefed by military commanders and civilian administrators. We would visit irrigation projects and the Prima factory in Trincomallee, that iconic Singapore investment in Sri Lanka whose products have been consumed by every citizen of that nation. We would visit the historic Jaffna library and the famous Nallur Kandasamy temple in that town.
"Did you see the look on his face when he broke that coconut as an offering at the temple?" a Tamil Singaporean who was part of Mr Yeo's delegation told me later. "The reverence was real."
At the end of the day, having dined with a local industrialist and before embarking for Singapore, Mr Yeo sat down for a media wrapup. There, he unerringly pronounced correctly the names of every town we had visited and every person he met. I was taken aback.
I must have been to Sri Lanka more than a dozen times, sometimes for more than two weeks at a time, but I will not lay claim to have the same facility. Yet, this was only Mr Yeo's second visit to the island and the first was many years ago, when he holidayed there with his wife.
Does all that make him less Chinese, or less interested in the culture of his own forefathers?
Not at all.
In Trincommalee I watched a retired Sri Lankan admiral, now governor of the Eastern Province, brief Mr Yeo. The admiral mentioned an area called China Bay. Immediately, Mr Yeo's ears pricked up. He asked how the area got that name, then went on to answer his own question by discussing various possibilities, including a port call by the Chinese seafarer Zheng He.
Foreign ministers come in all sizes of intellect. Around the world there must be a few who can match Mr Yeo's intellect. But what probably sets him apart is his genuine interest in alien cultures and this surely must be of use in what probably is the world's most globalised island state.
Mr Yeo gives the impression of a man overawed by the splendour of the universe even as he marks his own place in it.
That thought struck me after seeing the transcript of a door-stop interview he gave Colombo journalists after bilateral talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Rohitha Bogollogama.
Dwelling on the talented Sri Lankan diaspora and how it could be harnessed for the country's post-war development, he had this to say: 'All my four children were delivered by Sri Lankan doctors.'
As a lifelong journalist my only regret about Mr Yeo is that he didn't choose to join my profession. Certainly, he had the opportunity.
My former editor in chief, Mr Cheong Yip Seng, once told me he had talent-spotted a young George Yeo just as he had entered government service as a bureaucrat. They were in Indonesia together, accompanying some heavyweight on an official trip.
Sadly, Mr Yeo declined Mr Cheong's offer of employment, choosing to stay on in government.
Too bad. The Straits Times newsroom could have used his skills to teach how to convey the most complex and beautiful thoughts in the simplest language.
And on that subject here is my favourite George Yeo line.
Turning up at an inter-religious meeting a couple of years ago in Singapore, Mr Yeo had this to say about the Parsis. This is the tiny community of Zoroastrians who migrated to India from Persia a thousand years ago and have been successful in business while being great philanthropists.
"The Parsis," said Mr Yeo at that meeting, "have always sweetened the milk that is their host."