Set clear targets to fight climate change

I applaud Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for his recent speech at the United Nations General Assembly (Leaders have a duty to youth to act on climate change: PM Lee, Sept 28).

As a parent, I am very concerned about climate change. 카지노사이트

Most of the estimated $100 billion bill needed by Singapore to adapt to rising sea levels will be borne by future generations. But the threat posed by rising sea levels is only one of the many potential adverse effects of global warming.

The true cost for our future generations could potentially be much higher.

Therefore, I hope Singapore can do more to combat climate change.

Singapore should start by setting an absolute limit on the amount of greenhouse gas it emits by 2050. Today the limit is based on carbon intensity, or emissions per dollar gross domestic product.

Singapore should also set a deadline to phase out the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles. Many countries and cities have already announced such moves.

As a major aviation and shipping hub, Singapore should set a deadline for transport companies to use fuels from only renewable sources.

The moves should be set on a 20-to 30-year timeline to give companies ample time to adjust to the changes. The measures will create demand for green solutions, encouraging innovators and entrepreneurs to develop solutions that are either too expensive or do not exist today.

Just as the Pioneer generation sacrificed so much to create a better future for Singaporeans today, this generation should do the same for the next. This is our duty to them.

I support the recommendation of the Committee to Review and Enhance Reforms in the Family Justice System for the courts and government agencies to collect data to track the effectiveness of initiatives and programmes implemented (Judges may get more power to prevent prolonged divorce cases, Sept 20).

Besides broad measures such as the general divorce rate, indicators which measure the health of the family justice system should be introduced.

Such indicators should be devised with a view to reduce the number of divorces in Singapore and achieve positive outcomes for children and families affected by divorce.

Some actions that could be taken include:

 • Tracking divorce rates across various cohorts, age groups and socio-economic backgrounds; 카지노사이트주소

 • Examining the age range of children affected by their parents' divorce;

 • Monitoring reconciliation rates after undergoing marriage recovery programmes;

 • Studying upstream resolution and settlement of divorce, for example, via mediation;

 • Investigating intergenerational effects of divorce and other family conflicts, that is, when parents divorce, are their children more likely to get divorced themselves?; and

 • Studying the proportion of juvenile delinquents who are children of divorce.

More qualitative measures should also be studied, and upstream countermeasures taken. They include:

 • Examining the real reasons for divorce and what alternative options were available.

 • Identifying high-risk stages of a marriage, and what programmes might have helped strengthen the marriage.

 • Devising measures that could be undertaken to reduce the intergenerational effect of divorce.

 • Reviewing if, in cases of family violence, infidelity and other compulsive behaviours, counselling and treatment options have been exhausted before divorce is granted.

These indicators should be made public so we can harness the efforts of a range of stakeholders in society to co-create solutions.

As Singapore society develops and matures, it is necessary to take a holistic approach to achieve sustainable outcomes for families in Singapore.

It is time for us to recognise the significant impact that divorce has on the family and society.

Wards without air-con too warm to rest well in

I thank The Straits Times' Senior Executive Content Producer Denise Chong for bringing attention to the issue of air-conditioning for subsidised wards (Air-con for subsidised wards: Debate gets another airing, Sept 29).

I went to the National University Hospital for an angioscopy, and had to stay there overnight. Fans were at full blast throughout the day at the B2 ward. It was so warm that it was not possible to sleep or rest well during the day, and there was some respite only after midnight.

It makes no sense for wards to not be air-conditioned. This policy was put in place a long time ago. Times have changed. Climate change has increased temperatures, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong acknowledging that "Singapore is already palpably warmer than what Singapore was 30 to 40 years ago" (Govt on the side of youth concerned about climate change, Sept 29). 온라인바카라

As Ms Chong points out, many places are now air-conditioned. Today, air-con is a necessity, not a luxury.

There is an old argument that the elderly don't like air-con or the cold, which may be true. But this is not a binary issue, temperatures can be calibrated and set at a cool but not cold temperature, perhaps around 25 deg C to 27 deg C.

It is high time this archaic policy was revamped.

Much more thought needs to go into how Singapore can support the elderly.

I took my elderly mother to a recent Health Promotion Board road show in Tampines.

There were priority queues for the Pioneer and Merdeka generation visitors. But the floorboards in the tented area were uneven.

And when we were done, barricades had been put up at the entrance, which was closest to the taxi stand. To get to the taxi stand, the crowd had to get to the exit at the far end, and then walk along the road to circle back to the entrance.

Two young women manning the exit helped to walk my mother to the exit. By then, she was exhausted.

To make matters worse, while waiting for a taxi which the women helped us book, at least seven personal mobility devices zoomed past.

It is such minuscule details that are often overlooked that make a big difference to seniors.

There needs to be greater understanding as to what ambulant seniors need and find useful - from accessibility ramps to hand-holds for steps, and regularly spaced seating areas along walkways to more accommodation and flexibility in terms of closing off exits.

While things have improved for wheelchair users, the people who can still move about independently but tire quickly have been neglected.

It is one thing to encourage seniors to be more active and track 10,000 steps daily. It is quite another to ensure that they can move about safely, without falling.

Include funeral parlours at Woodlands Health Campus

I welcome the announcement that Ren Ci Hospital will operate a new nursing home at an upcoming health campus in Woodlands (Ren Ci's third nursing home to be at Woodlands Health Campus, Sept 29).

This move will build upon a new model of care that will see on-site acute and community hospitals, specialist outpatient clinics and long-term care facilities like a hospice integrated into a comprehensive ecology of care. 카지노사이트

The Woodlands Health Campus serves as a hub that fosters health promotion, engages patients with the larger resident communities and seamlessly connects them to community care providers in the northern part of Singapore. For a rapidly ageing population like Singapore, this is a much-needed development.

The Silver Generation Office under the Agency for Integrated Care should also consider situating one of its satellite offices at this health campus to ensure a more robust integration of health and social support services.

We should also include space for the provision of funeral parlours.

This will not only take funeral parlours away from industrial estates, but also integrate death care services as part of our present care and support networks and initiatives.

This can be done as part of a pilot scheme in collaboration with funeral parlour operators and, if successful, could extend to major public hospitals in Singapore.

Funeral homes in South Korea are located within the premises of hospital establishments, providing efficient services and a practical one-stop avenue to meet the needs of the grieving.

In land-scarce Singapore, this will be a sustainable and wise move.

More importantly, it will reshape attitudes and mindsets towards our relationship with the dead and reframe our understanding of death care and dignity as an extension of healthcare, as well as part of a comprehensive ecology of care.

Adjunct Associate Professor Tan Heng Hao in his Forum letter said that women receiving egg donation face psychological barriers (Menopausal women seeking IVF: Guidelines being worked out, Sept 28).

It is imperative that new legislation also addresses the psychological and ethical issues faced by sperm or egg donors, and donor-conceived offspring. With the Government lifting age restrictions on in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, it is anticipated that there will be a steady increase in egg donation cases.

There are strong cultural taboos against incest; as such, sperm/egg donors often worry about accidental incest between their artificially-conceived offspring, as well as with their own natural children. This has deterred many would-be donors and causes a perennial shortage of sperm/egg donors in Singapore, an informal survey by news portal AsiaOne a few years ago showed.

This issue is not trivial, considering the well-documented phenomenon of genetic sexual attraction - sexual attraction between close relatives who first meet as adults. There have been several such reported cases of accidental incest between siblings who were separated at birth and adopted by different families.

Given Singapore's size and high population density, there are even greater chances of accidental incest.

Additionally, personal and familial health information about the sperm/egg donor should be shared. For example, many diseases can be inherited, such as breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Sperm/egg donors may develop these diseases later in life, or they may remain healthy, but their close relatives may be afflicted. 인터넷바카라

Moreover, the advent of DNA home-testing kits and online genealogy databases based on such DNA tests have made it more difficult to conceal from donor offspring the truth about their conception.

Hence the Ministry of Health should set up a centralised sperm and egg donor registry to manage the collection and sharing of such confidential information. Former sperm/egg donors can be prompted to regularly update the registry with their latest health information as well as that of their family members.

Non-identifying information, such as the number of children born per donor, their sex and year of birth, should be readily disclosed to sperm/egg donors, their conceived offspring and recipient parents to avoid accidental incest.

Misuse of First World, Third World labels

Veteran diplomat Tommy Koh said that Singapore is a First World country with Third World people (Singaporeans can be more civic-minded, considerate, says Prof Koh, Oct 2).

The first paragraph of the article misuses the terms First World and Third World, which are used in reference to the economic development of countries and should not be linked with social graciousness or civic mindedness 바카라사이트주소

To judge people as lacking in civility and consideration just because they are citizens of Third World countries is a form of discrimination.

When my 15-year-old air conditioner finally died recently after failed attempts at repair (no parts available), I was told how lucky I had been as all new air-cons last five years at best.

Unfortunately, I was not as lucky with the many shoes, bags, equipment, household appliances and computer hardware that I had to replace in the past few years, often soon after the warranty expired.

I am disturbed about constantly buying new replacements while contributing to the global mountain of junk that can't be repaired or used anymore.

I am also piqued by the quality of building materials: Walls get mouldy, things break down easily.

The amount of waste generated way exceeds the entire volume of plastic bottles, bags and straws that I stopped using over the past two years.

I'm glad to learn that I'm not alone in feeling this way. From Europe to the United States, people are fighting for the "right to repair", with proposals to force manufacturers to make goods that last longer and are easier to mend.

This wiser use of resources will benefit the environment and save carbon emissions.

I am hopeful that as part of Singapore's drive to fight climate change, we can have a "Made to Last" set of quality standards for manufacturers and builders to attain, to assure end-users of product longevity and availability of replacement parts.

We should also study the use of ecologically friendly, traditional building materials like the Japanese Shikkui plaster, which is fire-resistant, naturally anti-static, dust-preventing, anti-fungal and mould resistant.

I am grateful for the Government's strong leadership on climate change.

I want to do my part to reduce my carbon footprint and will appreciate the support to do so. As a consumer, I will certainly choose a "Made to Last" product. It would be wonderful too if my HDB flat is fire-resistant, anti-dust, anti-fungal and mould-resistant.

China's drive to learn and relearn since the late 1970s was immense, and the transformation achieved, breathtaking (China learning, unlearning, relearning, Sept 28).

When its paramount leader Deng Xiaoping visited Singapore in 1978, he spent time to learn about our public housing and industrialisation programme.

In the early 1980s, two colleagues from Lianhe Zaobao and I visited the Wenhui Bao office in Shanghai to explore a cooperation project. There I gained first-hand experience of their humility and keenness to learn.

Circulation-wise, Wenhui Bao was a giant compared with Lianhe Zaobao; but it had very negligible advertisement income. 안전놀이터

Lianhe Zaobao's advertisement revenue was in the tens of millions of dollars, something out of their imagination.

They asked many questions about how we attained the revenue over the years. They were also keen to learn how we conducted market research to help our business and improve newspaper content.

A year or two later, a few Wenhui Bao staff and government officials visited Lianhe Zaobao. The government officials requested that we help arrange for them to visit the Singapore stock exchange. We did.

China re-established its Shanghai Stock Exchange in 1990, which is now the fourth largest in the world by capitalisation.

China is now a major investor in many countries around the world and is a leader in many new businesses, like the tech giants it has.

With its huge capability, China can act and advance faster than any nation once the environment allows.

To tap the opportunities China offers, more and more young people in the region are now learning Mandarin or going to China to study. These nations are taking increasing steps to adapt to the rise of China.

However, the sheer size of China with its vast advancement, not just in the economic but also geopolitical and military fronts, also poses certain threats to countries here.

South-east Asian nations used to adopt a very cautious approach when dealing with China in the 1960s and 1970s, when they were wary about China's political influence then.

China should be sensitive of this new wave of wariness entailed by its fast rising. More diplomatic, social and cultural interactions could help promote better understanding between China and the other countries, and China needs to take a major step in this area.

Suicide prevention requires national response

The prevalence of suicide mortality among the elderly, youth and males is a significant societal concern. 바카라사이트주소

There is a prevailing narrative that suicide remains largely a mental health problem, and organisations, including the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) and social and religious institutions, have stepped up their preventive efforts along with this understanding.

Suicidal behaviour indicates deep unhappiness but not necessarily a mental disorder. Many people living with a mental disorder are not affected by suicidal behaviour, and not all people who take their own lives have a mental disorder.

I welcome efforts by individuals such as The Straits Times copy-editor Linda Collins, who has taken us on a journey into her own experiences in the aftermath of her daughter's suicide in her book Loss Adjustment (Going briefly mad with grief, Sept 29).

It is also timely that SOS, tapping its 50 years of suicide prevention, has released a book resource, Do I Matter, for the public.

However, it is time that we work towards a comprehensive national response for suicide prevention.

This includes the enhancement of research into the local context, identifying and targeting vulnerable groups, improving the assessment and management of suicidal behaviour, increasing awareness through public education, improving societal attitudes and eliminating the stigma towards people with mental disorders or who exhibit suicidal behaviours.

The media should also play its part in adopting better policies and practices whenever it reports suicide cases.

There should also be greater support for individuals and families bereaved by suicide.

In fact, there is a need to consolidate our efforts under a government-led liaison office that addresses suicide prevention that involves non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and ministries across health, education, manpower, social and family development as well as communications and information.

Suicide prevention efforts require coordination and collaboration among multiple sectors of society. These efforts must be comprehensive, integrated and synergistic, as no single approach suffices for an issue as complex as suicide.

The first levels the playing field a little better for the LIPs, the second reduces some of the malicious delay tactics, and the third eliminates the influencing role of coached courtroom theatrics in decision-making. 안전놀이터

Indeed, divorce in our society has become a war of attrition, what with ceaseless filings of costly affidavits and lengthening of the divorce process by one party seeking to drain the resources of the other.

As Forum contributor Ian Chan Eng Kiat pointed out, attorneys should also be curbed from profiting excessively in family tragedies by fomenting acrimony between divorcing parties (Panel's recommendations for family law reforms not enough, Oct 1).

The ones who suffer the most in these wars of attrition are indubitably the children as they are left in limbo. Difficult parents who use their children as pawns will spitefully stall school and medical decisions.

Additionally, immoderate resources that could have gone to the children are wastefully diverted to a costly and lengthy divorce.

An elongated divorce also compounds the single parent's struggles by delaying both the interim maintenance and eventual division of assets; even more so if the same parent has sacrificed his or her career to care for the children.

Stuck in VEP gridlock

Since I first installed the radio frequency identification (RFID) tag as part of Malaysia's Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) scheme on my vehicle three months back, it has never worked at the Johor checkpoints (Malaysia halts VEP enforcement at Johor checkpoints, Oct 3).

I ended up using the Tap-and-Go card, instead. 인터넷바카라

I put in RM100 (S$33) into the e-wallet for the VEP system but now that Malaysia has announced that the system is on hold, I don't know if I will be able to get my money back.

My queries to the Malaysian authorities are still unanswered.

After going through all the hassle to register my vehicle online to obtain the RFID tag, making an appointment and then the installation, the system does not work. It just does not make sense.

Choa Chu Kang residents will have to wait even longer for their first hawker centre to be built.

It was announced that Choa Chu Kang will get a hawker centre in its town centre but that it will only be constructed after the Jurong Region Line construction works are completed in 2026.

A second hawker centre will be in the planned Yew Tee Integrated Development opening in 2026 (Choa Chu Kang to have two new hawker centres, Sept 23).

The challenges parents face while coaching children to keep up with academic rigour have been in the news recently (Families spent $1.4b on extra tuition for children last year, Sept 7; Some parents take issue with PSLE 2019 maths paper and call it 'exceptionally difficult'; ST Online, Oct 1).

I recognise that every parent has his children's best interests at heart, and wants to provide them with the best resources to get a head start in life.

At the same time, it is key that in the pursuit to help children thrive academically, parents also invest in building up their social and emotional competencies. This is best developed when they take time to foster greater parent-child connectedness through intentional communication and meaningful interaction with children.

When parents cultivate a warm, supportive and loving relationship with their children, the child is at lower risk of social and emotional problems and negative risk-taking behaviours later in life. He is also more likely to have positive and healthy relationships in both childhood and adulthood. 안전놀이터

As part of Focus on the Family Singapore's annual Children's Day campaign Race to Praise this year, it conducted an online survey with more than 600 parents, asking them to share their parenting styles, challenges and interactions with their children.

Focus on the Family observed that one in five parents experienced high levels of connectedness with their children. These parents spend one-on-one time with their children, say "I love you" and play with their children regularly. Most distinctively, they are also clued in to their child's thoughts and feelings.

Among parents whose children discussed their feelings openly with them, more than half of them felt that their children were also willing to tackle a challenge again after failure.

These findings suggests that children need their parents to tune in emotionally and not just physically. Parents' emotional connection with their children sets the foundation for the development of their emotional resilience, empathy for others, and other abilities, such as problem-solving and relationship-building skills.

Parents cannot shield their children from every test, obstacle and challenge, but they can cultivate in them the right tools of resilience and confidence to tackle life's problems.

Employers who widen hiring reach have an edge

We thank Mr Ankur Gupta for his feedback and agree with his call to employers (Look beyond proven skills and experience when hiring, Oct 2).

Indeed, employers who are prepared to consider a wider range of job-seekers have an edge. Also, these employers are more attractive to job-seekers as they are prepared to put in effort to train their employees.

To help employers and job-seekers find a match, Workforce Singapore (WSG) offers various programmes under its Adapt and Grow initiative, such as Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs). The PCPs provide support for employers to hire and train job-seekers in the skills necessary for the job.

There are over 100 PCPs in more than 30 sectors, and new ones are being introduced in partnership with employers.

Last year, close to 5,000 locals took up new jobs through PCPs. These employees are doing well, and two in three now command higher wages than in their previous jobs. Helping our workers to be mobile enables businesses and workers to do better.

Forum contributor Guan Xuemei made astute observations about the mobility issues of senior citizens (Little details make big difference to seniors who can walk, ST Online, Oct 1).

Another conversation worth having is perhaps seniors carrying too many - or heavy - things, and the potential consequences. 안전놀이터

It's not uncommon, for instance, to see seniors struggling with groceries at supermarket checkout counters. They buy too much, and overestimate their ability to lug all the groceries back home, risking falls and injuries.

It could be helpful for supermarket counter staff to politely inquire if these seniors need help and to intervene as necessary, such as offering to call a family member or the domestic helper to come and help.

This was something I observed that supermarket staff would do quite frequently during my time living and working in Melbourne.

Once, I helped an old woman who was on a travellator on her way down to the basement carpark.

Her shopping trolley was overweight with too many groceries and the anti-skid mechanism of the trolley somehow malfunctioned. The trolley started to drag the woman dangerously down as she held on and refused to let go. It was fortuitous that I happened to be standing a short distance behind her and was able to reach out and grab the shopping trolley before it dragged her further down the travellator; the fall could have been fatal for her.

Just as it takes a village to raise a child, the same could be said for watching out for seniors as well.

So let's continue to keep the conversations going as we tackle together the ageing issues of our seniors and help them to age well and to live well.

Hope for sensibility amid chaos in HK

The current unrest in Hong Kong is worrisome for many fair-minded people. The consequences are anybody's guess.

More will get hurt when wisdom in judgment fails.

Many explanations have been proffered for this unusual demonstration led overtly by young people - some barely in their teens. 온라인바카라

The phenomenon of young people leading the movement for change without regard to consequences reminds one of a similar young people revolt during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. However, that movement was set in motion by those in charge.

It baffles bystanders that these young people can be so impressionable and filled with irrational idealism.

It would appear that these extreme measures are due to the loss of hope. The perception that there is nothing to lose since the future seems so hopeless can drive one to desperate acts of destruction towards society and self.

It is hoped that those with power to change circumstances for the better will take the moral lead to bring about change peacefully and expeditiously.

Rationality, not threats of penal servitude, should prevail if reconciliation and hope are the outcomes desired for all involved.

It may have been more fruitful for Professor Tommy Koh to look at why people behave badly (An insult to Third World nations, Oct 8; Singaporeans can be more civic-minded, considerate, says Prof Koh, Oct 2).

Is it due to the frenetic pace of life in this tiny and expensive city?

If so, it would have been more constructive to engage in conversations that encourage slowing down the pace of life here so that people have time to reflect on their pursuit of well-being.

A preoccupation with the pursuit of material well-being leaves people with little time to cultivate relationships besides the few that matter in one's immediate family.

While we would expect the Government to take the lead in shifting the focus, we must accept that people have elected it primarily for the pursuit of material well-being.

So it is not merely a personal choice but a political one that every concerned citizen must make to change the tempo of life in this "little red dot" if we desire a more civic-minded outcome for Singaporeans.

It was heartening and refreshing to read the comments of Professor Tommy Koh as the timing was just perfect to "tune" Singaporeans for the upcoming general election (Diplomat Tommy Koh spells out wish list for 4G leaders, Oct 2).

He related an anecdote from the early years on the benefits of appointing Singapore's first chief minister and Workers' Party founder David Marshall as Singapore's ambassador to France, despite Mr Marshall being a member of the opposition party. 안전놀이터

It teaches us a valuable lesson that leaders of tomorrow should learn to work in unity with political opponents on policies for the good of the nation.

Prof Koh warned against breeding a pool of "angry voters", saying that it was angry voters who helped to elect President Donald Trump in the United States and who contributed to the Brexit crisis in Britain.

However, given the current bleak job market in Singapore, which has resulted in more displaced workers and those who turn to short-term contract work - such as being private-hire drivers, cleaners, hawkers and food deliverymen - the number of "angry voters" in Singapore could multiply.

This should be taken seriously and should be one of the urgent tasks that the leaders have to resolve, if possible, before the next general election.

No need to put down those from Third World

I agree with the views expressed by several writers about Professor Tommy Koh's observation (Being First World starts with oneself by Mr Jorg Dietzel and An insult to Third World nations by Mr Goh Ho Wee, both on Oct 8).

There is room for the people of this nation to improve their scores on the behaviour index. 안전놀이터

Still, I think Prof Koh was extremely insensitive and insulting to citizens of Third World countries - generally those from developing and poor countries.

It is simple stereotyping or gross generalisation.

It is probably similar to the growing and expressed intolerance of a few of our retired elitists, who are often detached from the changing realities of everyday living complexities in crowded Singapore.

I have no doubt that the Land Transport Authority and the public transport operators work hard on improving efficiency and reducing costs as much as possible.

But one source of revenue seems to be constantly overlooked: advertising spaces on the walls of MRT stations.

Subway stations nearly everywhere else in the world, including many European cities, Japan and Hong Kong, cover nearly every available inch of wall space in advertising. I would think this generates substantial revenue for operators.

Yet in Singapore, advertising spots are spaced far apart, and many of them are even blank. I am sure MRT operators can look into this and try harder to market the spaces with a rental rate that will spur demand. After that, they can increase the number and coverage of such advertising spaces.

Properly curated, advertising posters add to the vibrancy of the cityscape. The additional revenue would also help to ameliorate the pressure to further increase train fares in the future.

Under this year's Public Transport Voucher Exercise, vouchers will be available to more lower-income households. 인터넷바카라

Those who qualify for the vouchers can apply for them at their local community centre or club (Needy commuters to get more support as transport fares go up, Oct 9).

But why is there a need to apply for these vouchers?

Why not send them directly to households, as was done with the GST Vouchers, instead of getting individual households to jump through hoops to get them?

Wouldn't that be more expedient? The Straits Times senior transport correspondent Christopher Tan stated in his latest commentary: "Currently, more than one-third of those who qualify for transport vouchers do not get them, for whatever reason." (New approaches to funding public transport system might be needed, STOnline, Oct 10).

And it happens in other areas too.

A friend nearly missed the deadline to apply for the Silver Housing Bonus because an HDB officer did not inform her about it while she was switching to a smaller flat.

I wonder how many people failed to take advantage of the bonus because they did not keep abreast of the news.

Help young singles who move out of parents' home to buy flat

Any improvements to the process that single unwed parents have to go through for their housing needs will be welcomed and appreciated (HDB to review how it interacts with single unwed parents, Sept 3).

The Housing Board should also look into helping singles whose parents can no longer house them - having downsized to a smaller flat or studio apartment in order to unlock their retirement savings - to access public housing. 바카라

This will greatly ease the singles' financial burden as it is costly to rent from the open market before they turn 35 years old, which is when they are eligible to buy public housing. Some may live with friends but others may have no alternative but to spend a large portion of their pay on rent.

Public housing policies have served us well for a long time and generations of Singaporeans have benefited.

But as the family unit and the needs of individuals within families change over time, more may need to be done to ensure that all who need public housing will have access to it.

It is exciting to read about how we can expect to see the first digital banks operating in Singapore by mid-2021 (New digital banks likely to value-add, say observers; MAS spells out criteria for new digital bank licences, both on Aug 30).

This will undoubtedly improve Singapore's ranking on the financial inclusiveness index, and has been a long time coming considering that countries like Australia have already moved beyond digital banks to "neobanks", which are 100 per cent digital and completely driven by artificial intelligence.

A major challenge for digital banks to value-add has been the customer experience conundrum.

Digital banks are all about their online functions and the provision of a great app experience.

But no matter how robust, great apps remain a poor substitute for the reliability of delightful in-branch customer service. The demand for personal interactions in banking matters remains high. In Asia, especially, banking customers still seek personal advice via face-to-face meetings before they "seal the deal" on banking products.

Research on digital banks and customer satisfaction has shown that passive customers outnumber promoters.

Promoters are customers who have positive takeaways from the digital banking experience - they are more likely to consistently patronise the bank, and to refer it to others. Passive customers are those who are indifferent.

Another challenge is the dichotomy between what digital banks assume to know about customer proficiency and experience with its apps, and what customers actually know and experience.

Bridging this dichotomy will be key to unlocking even greater value for customers of digital banks. 인터넷카지노

There are many considerations when digital banks try to step up the quality of service they try to provide customers.

One thing is sure: Given Singapore's robust regulatory regime and infrastructure to support advanced technology, there is little doubt that Singapore's digital banks will deliver.

Open talk about race, religion is the way to go

I refer to the letter by Mr Lee Teck Chuan (Do discussions on religion and race really help?, Sept 4).

The members of Youth Advocates of OnePeople.sg had a chat about the view Mr Lee held.

And the consensus among them was that having more open discussions on racial and religious issues does not create rifts or sow discord in the community - if done correctly and sensitively.

While we do not want to rub anyone the wrong way, retreating and shying away from discussing these issues is not the answer. 카지노사이트주소

Rather, we should ensure that our conversations take forward understanding, cohesion and harmony.

We can do this by setting rules of conversations and creating a "safe space" to ensure that there are open minds who are less likely to pass judgment.

With these in place, the merits of discussion become apparent; deep and meaningful interaction gives us the knowledge and understanding to live in harmony with one another. The sharing of personal experience and culture will give us clarity and dispel misconceptions that we hold. From our personal experience, we have found that such conversations foster friendships even between strangers.

We have conducted many group discussions and held exploratory courses on ethnic issues where participants ask candid questions.

The responses are often frank and disagreements are not uncommon.

But at the end of the day, these exchanges build relationships and many of the people from these sessions have grown to become friends. If there is compassion and a background of trust, contentious or difficult issues can and will be dealt with, and resolved powerfully with grace.

Mr Lee's views highlight the very reason why we need to continue to have these conversations - to dispel misunderstanding and to build trust.

We do not need to walk on eggshells. Our challenge is to come together, build mutual respect and navigate these matters to bring about harmony and strengthen our cohesion.

The Court of Three Judges' decision to uphold a disciplinary tribunal's (DT) decision to make the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) pay the legal costs of a plastic surgeon's case evoked a sense of conflict within me (SMC loses appeal, must pay surgeon's legal fees for disciplinary hearing, Sept 5).

On the one hand, I rejoice with my colleague's triumph that the Court had upheld the DT's decision against the patient. At the same time, I feel dismayed that the SMC is now required to pay the costs of the surgeon's legal fees, because one wonders if, eventually, that cost would be transferred to me as a registered doctor.

In truth, when divided among all the medical professionals registered with the SMC, it would probably be a small quantum, but if more such instances were to come, it could add up to a significant amount. This would inevitably lead to an increase in our SMC registration fees, which have risen steadily over the years.

I note that the DT found this patient to be a "sophisticated, capable and highly educated professional" whose complaints were "vexatious and baseless", her allegations false and that she had lied in other areas. This is startlingly similar to what Lord Bannatyne said of Mrs Nadine Montgomery in her suit against the Lanarkshire Health Board. He assessed her to be a highly intelligent person, who appeared to be "rewriting history in the light of the outcome", with a "pattern of overstatement and exaggeration".

This is also consistent with studies which show that 48 per cent of patients imagine or misconstrue what was said to them during a medical consultation, 온라인바카라 an occurrence not uncommon in my experience.

Unfortunately, the Scottish Supreme Court overruled Lord Bannatyne's judgment without re-examining Mrs Montgomery as a witness and awarded her £5.25 million in damages. Sadly, this case formed the basis for the standard of informed consent.

It appears that, as a consequence of the Montgomery case, more patients are emboldened to submit complaints to the SMC when unfavourable treatment outcomes occur, disputing the validity of their documented consent. It is troubling that the SMC complaints committee sought to escalate this case and convene a DT. It is distressing that innocent parties may now be called upon indirectly to pay for the SMC's legal fees.

The complainant in this case was found to have lied and is therefore possibly guilty of perjury. Has justice truly been served if she is exempt from paying costs arising from her baseless complaint?

Why e-sports is real sports

Forum contributor Juliana Foo believes that e-sports should not be accepted as a medal sport at the SEA Games (E-sports is not a sport by definition, Sept 6).

Ms Foo argues that e-sports poses no physical challenges. This is a hasty generalisation. As the e-sports scene has grown more competitive, athletes are adopting training regimens from traditional sports as these have been shown to improve their reflexes or to help them gain a competitive edge.

Furthermore, many actual sporting organisations now have an e-sports arm in various games. 바카라사이트

For example, big football clubs such as Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have sponsored e-sports teams in games like Rocket League and Dota 2, respectively. These clubs go so far as to call their sponsored e-sports players athletes as well.

Ms Foo assumes that a gamer just "sits and moves his fingers and eyes 12 hours a day, eating normal meals and not using his other muscles".

What she fails to recognise is that these e-sports athletes are honing physical traits that allow them to excel in the e-sports arena. This allows them to gain a strategic and skill advantage over their peers.

This is no different from Ms Foo's view of a traditional sport, where athletes "test their limits to achieve the best physical form".

Arguably, the bodies of e-sports athletes do not meet traditional notions of fitness.

This is again no different from traditional sports. Ms Foo should take a look at sumo wrestlers, pot-bellied pitchers in baseball or basketball player Nikola Jokic. One does not necessarily need to have an athletic body to excel in his sport.

Ms Foo's statement that it is unfair to label e-sports as sports, on the basis that "it is not a physical sport and should not be in the SEA Games or similar events like the Olympics", boggles the mind when you consider mind sports like chess and bridge. These two sports do not require physical exertion, yet both have been featured in past editions of the SEA Games and are recognised by the International Olympic Committee as sports.

Ms Foo is severely misinformed about the e-sports scene in general.

Over the years, the scene has gained legitimacy as a proper and professional arena where players train hard as individuals or as a team and compete for prizes.

Much like how traditional sports started out as pastimes, e-sports is now seeing that same progression into professionalisation.