Challenge November - December 2009

People • Pe rspectives • Poss i b i lities

w w w.ch a ll enge.gov.sg

November-december 2009

out of the box

building the impetus to innovate

IDEAS

royal feat

emperor kangxi’s journey to singapore

striking a balance

police commissioner khoo boon hui talks about his spf and interpol roles

Contents

NovDec2009 Foreword Mesmerised by the Kangxi Emperor

10

Here’s to living life to the fullest, and creatively!

02

I Say

04

Short Takes

05

Cover Story

Challenge readers share their views.

Challenge finds out how the public sector is rising to the innovation challenge.

Striking a balance

Commissioner Khoo Boon Hui talks about his roles as head of the Singapore Police Force and President of INTERPOL.

13

Feature Taking AIM

15

Backstage

20

Feature

23

Feedback

24

Feature

28

Feature

Public Service news and happenings at a glance.

Impetus to innovate

Face2Face

30

Opinion Take the “piss” out of good English

Good English is like American Express. It’s accepted worldwide.

31

New appraisal model prepares officers to take on emerging challenges.

Training Thriving in a complex world

How we perceive the world matters just as much as what we perceive.

Royal feat

Bringing the Kangxi Emperor exhibition to the people.

Removing barriers

Helping entrepreneurs to overcome obstacles.

Raising the game

Singapore is an attractive place to do business, but we should not take it for granted.

Mind your language

Taking complexity out of Public Service communication.

Slips and tips

Common mistakes in written English.

32

Lifestyle

37

Lifestyle

THE LAST PAGE

01

Insider’s guide

Three public officers on overseas postings offer special glimpses into their adopted cities.

Crème De La Crème

Special scoops from ice cream parlours.

Trivia Quiz know your Heritage

cover Illustration: BRian Chia

1

Foreword

MesmerisedByThe KangxiEmperor He personally led his troops to battle, commissioned the compilation of a Chinese dictionary, brought European art and pottery into China, and pioneered a new administrative practice of holding daily sessions with his officials so as to encourage honest feedback and direct communication.

I had a rare glimpse into the life of one of China’s greatest emperors at the recent Kangxi Emperor Exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum. As I strolled through the compact gallery showcasing the various interests and accomplishments of Kangxi, what really struck me about him were his multifaceted talent and his immense passion for life.

On top of his duties as China’s ruler, he was also a keen hunter, calligrapher, astronomer and patron of the arts. He personally led his troops to battle, commissioned the compilation of a Chinese dictionary, brought European art and pottery into China, and pioneered a new administrative practice of holding daily sessions with his officials so as to encourage honest feedback and direct communication (so in line with PS21!).

And he had such exquisite taste – I was marvelling at how his blue outer robe looked like a piece off Shanghai Tang and his gold segmented ceremonial armour was made for the catwalk!

So when I heard the guide describing how the Chinese museum staff were gingerly unpacking the priceless exhibits in Singapore, quivering at the fact that these had never before left China, it struck me that we had to do a

Tay Li Shing PHOTO: winston chuang

EDITOR

behind-the-scenes peek into how our very own National Heritage Board brought the Kangxi Emperor to us.

Speaking of PS21, ExCEL Convention 2009, which takes place in November, celebrates innovation in our Public Service. To mark the event, Challenge searched out officers in the Service whose mission is to combat complacency and to initiate innovation.

Our cover story uncovers the chiefs who take ideas seriously and ensure that creativity keeps their organisation on the cutting edge.

We also have an exclusive interview with Commissioner Khoo Boon Hui, who is also President of INTERPOL. Read how he placed Singapore on the international security map with his appointment at INTERPOL and why he thinks that a culture where people can deal with dissent and manage opposing views and criticism is critical to transforming the Singapore Police Force into a Learning Organisation. His aim is to empower every police officer to think on his feet and make decisions as if he is the Commissioner of Police.

And who says innovation can’t extend to food? We bring you three ice cream joints off the beaten track, with unconventional flavours to tantalise your taste buds – so go down and grab that cone of Longan Red Dates or Sea Salt Caramel now!

Here’s to living life to the fullest, and creatively! Oh yes, and with the year-end fast approaching, and festive occasions to celebrate, we wish you Selamat Hari Raya Haji, blessed Christmas and happy holidays from all of us at Challenge!

Have a comment, suggestion or feedback to share with the editorial team?

E-mail us at PSD_Challenge@psd.gov.sg

People • Perspectives • Possibilities ⁄ www.challenge.gov.sg⁄ november-december 2009

PUBLISHER

PS21 Office, Prime Minister’s Office (Public Service Division)

The Treasury, 100 High Street #02-03 Singapore 179434 Tel: 6835-8350 Fax: 6333-4010 E-mail: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Website: www.challenge.gov.sg Editor

Tay Li Shing

If you were the Permanent Secretary, Chief Executive Officer or Head of your

Assistant editors

Wendy Goh and Edmund Soo

organisation for one day, what is the one

Editorial Assistants

Shaun Khiu, Ellice Wong and Amy Sum For enquiries or feedback on Challenge, Please write to the Editor at PS21 Office, The Treasury, 100 High Street, #02-03, Singapore 179434.

Tel: 6835-8350 Fax: 6333-4010 E-mail: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg

thing you would do or change to create a more innovative workplace?

Letter of the month

GatheringSentiments OnTheGround

publishing agent

SPH Magazines Pte Ltd Managing director

Dennis Pua

Gener al manager

Christopher Tay

I would spend the day with various groups of people, from the security officers to the officers, and ask them this one question – “How can we make your work today a little easier or better?”

I would visit them at their workstations or offices and over a cup of tea or coffee, let them share their feedback. Essentially, it is about just setting aside one day to allow the top management to have a real feel of the “ground sentiments” and to allow free flow of innovative and fresh ideas.

It is also about open communications and spontaneity. In the long run, it could be a permanent activity, which could be carried out, say, once a month.

Group Editor

Joanna Lee-Miller Senior editor

Azreen Noor contributing Editor

Tan Ee Sze

Executive sub-Editor

Esther Lew Writer

Foo Yong Han Associate creative Director

Alex Goh

Art Director

Ginny Gay

Assistant Manager, Client management

Mavis Liang

Executive, Client management

Jessie Kek

Julia Poh

Senior coordinator, Publishing Services

Wendy Ong

Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts

CONTRIBUTORS

JULIA POH wins a special holiday gift hamper worth $100. All other published articles win shopping vouchers worth $30 each.

A former journalist with The Straits Times, Tan Ee Sze has extensive experience in developing and managing publications.

She is also the author of several commemorative books and children’s publications.

Lianne Tan is a freelance writer and Singapore Tourism Board-licensed guide. Prior to this, she spent more than 14 years as a marketing communications professional in the technology sector.

Previously a journalist with The Straits Times and The Business Times, Susan Tsang was also news editor for technology news portal Singapore.

CNET.com. She was also one of the writers behind Singapore: The Encyclopedia.

Charles David has over 15 years’ experience in advertising and branding, having worked with clients in the pharmaceutical, oil and gas, information technology, health, property and finance sectors.

James Gerard Foo Challenge is published bimonthly by SPH Magazines Pte Ltd (Registration No: 196900476M) for PS21 Office, Prime Minister’s Office (Public Service Division). Copyright of the materials contained in this magazine belongs to PS21 Office. Nothing in here shall be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written consent of PS21 Office. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of PS21 Office nor SPH Magazines Pte Ltd and no liabilities shall be attached thereto. All rights reserved. Editorial enquiries should be directed to the Editor, PS21 Office, The Treasury, 100 High Street, #02-03, Singapore 179434. Tel: +65-6835-8350, Fax: +65-6333-4010, E-mail: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Unsolicited material will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed envelope and sufficient return postage. While every reasonable care will be taken by the Editor, no responsibility is assumed for the return of unsolicited material. All information correct at time of printing. Printed by timesprinters, Singapore (Registration No: 196700328H).

I Say

FourDayWorkWeek TeachOfficers ToFight

If I were PS for one day, I would get HR to teach officers to “fight”. Creativity is about thinking out of the box, brainstorming and battling over ideas. Therefore, officers should be encouraged to “fight as if they are right, and listen as if they are wrong”.

Jasmine Bok

Ministry of Home Affairs

Party Room

I will create a “party room” in the workplace where staff can mingle in a very relaxed atmosphere… but they have a task to complete. Their task is to speak to at least FIVE people from different departments and to share ONE innovation that they have applied to their work area in the past month.

I believe that building a culture that encourages the sharing of innovative ideas will spur everyone to constantly think of new ways of doing things.

Such monthly work “parties” will not only encourage innovation but promote staff cohesion and identity too!

Ron Tan

Ministry of Education

The letter of the Month will Win a dining

voucher worth $100 from Swissotel The Stamford. all

other published articles will win shopping vouchers worth $30 each.

Work From HomeDay

I would implement a “Work From Home Day” every first and third Friday of the month.

This will give my employees more flexibility and freedom in completing their job assignments from home and it is the best way to welcome the weekend. Research has shown that individuals tend to be more creative and productive when they function in a comfortable environment. What better place for this to happen than in our homes? Home is not just where the heart is, it is also where our brains and creative juices reside. Apart from training employees to become more disciplined and responsible individuals, I believe that employees will rejoice with the perfect worklife balance that comes with this “Work From Home Day” scheme. Hooray!

I would implement a four-day work week.

About 17,000 civil servants in Utah have already implemented the four-day work week in an effort to decrease energy consumption. This is done by working 10-hour days (starting earlier and staying later) from Monday to Thursday and getting Friday off. Thus employees do not have to commute and offices can stay closed for one more day. This has resulted in a 13 per cent decrease in energy use.

Saving the environment by getting a day off sounds too good to be true and will definitely boost staff morale as they achieve a better work-life balance. Also, by showing a willingness to work around the rigid five-day week, employees will be encouraged to take innovative measures in their work processes.

Jackson Neo

Department of Statistics

Re-examineTheNatureOf Work”

I would ask all in the Ministry to drop everything at hand for a day to think, discuss and agree on how to: (a) Eliminate all unnecessary work (b) Minimise all low-value-added and mundane work (work that cannot be eliminated) (c) Prioritise what needs to be done versus what is nice/good to do (d) Maximise high-value output for work critical to the success of the core mission of the ministry In other words, spend some high-quality time to think about the nature of each and every piece of what hitherto is regarded as “work“.

Pang Te Cheng

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Rachel Chan

Workforce Development Agency

Have your say...

As Challenge turns 15 in 2010, we would like to hear your thoughts about the magazine, for example, 1) What is the most memorable or impactful article that you have read in Challenge and why?

Or 2) How has reading Challenge benefitted you/your department?

Or 3) Are there any ideas your department has implemented as a result of reading Challenge?

Write in to I Say at psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg. Feel free to submit pictures too. Please limit your comments to 300 words and include your name, e-mail address, agency and telephone number. All entries should reach us by Nov 27, 2009. You can also discuss this at forum. challenge.gov.sg.

ShortTakes

NParks

XtremeSkatepark @ EastCoast

NAC

SingaporeArtShow2009

Xtreme SkatePark @ East Coast was officially launched

by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Aug 29, 2009, together with Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development, and Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS). To mark the occasion, the first international extreme games competition – the Singapore Extreme Championship 2009 – was organised by National Parks Board and MCYS that weekend. Close to 80 participants from seven countries around Asia competed in disciplines such as aggressive in-line skating, BMX freestyling and skateboarding. Also in town for the launch were three elite X-Games professional athletes – Tim Wood and Trevor Ward from Australia and Takeshi Yasutoko from Japan – who wowed spectators with their skills on the skate park’s facilities.

Visitors were served an Art Buffet at this year’s Singapore Art Exhibition, which was the main platform for Singapore Art Show 2009 (SAS2009). The “buffet” concept was adopted as a mode of display, with artists empowered to select from a spread of 12 themes to respond to. These included Food, Material, Ritual, Spectrum, Signs, Gesture, Craft, Body, Time, Space, Order and Humour. Curated by Seng Yu Jin, works from up to 45 promising and emerging artists culled from the 475 entries were showcased to celebrate the creative talents of a variety of visual artists based in Singapore. SAS2009, which took place from Aug 21 to Oct 4 this year, was organised by the National Arts Council. It was held in over 60 different venues in Singapore and also featured 50 partner programmes and satellite events.

MOH

MOF

The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) has introduced an interactive web-based portal that allows medical professionals, caregivers, and educators to address two common childhood disorders – Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and Childhood Anxiety. The portal, called ROC-N-ASH (www.roc-n-ash.com), allows users access to resources such as role-play computer games, multimedia learning content and video clips for treatment and continual education. The two child characters in the portal’s interactive games – Roc and Ash – provide an effective way to engage children in therapy. The games capture data that enable clinicians and educators to monitor the child’s progress.

The Standard ICT Operating Environment (SOEasy) – the largest Singapore Government infocomm project in scope and scale – has started rolling out services to the first batch of agencies. These include the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and National Heritage Board. SOEasy aims to deliver on the Singapore Government’s vision of a consolidated and harmonised infocomm work environment for public officers. The project involves over 60,000 public officers across 75 government agencies at more than 800 locations.

Roc’N’Ash

SOEasyRollout

5

Cover Story

Challenge finds out how the public sector is rising to the innovation challenge. By Susan Tsang

IDEAS

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BUREAUCRACY IS A WORD that creates unease, if not downright fear, in many hearts – but not Mr Howard Banwell’s. The British-born private investor, now a naturalised Singaporean, loves the Singapore Public Service. “It’s efficient, it’s responsive and it works,” he told The Straits Times. “I recently filed a request to pick up my identity card in advance from the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority and it was approved within six hours.”

The key to this fantastic efficiency is innovation. Innovation has become the new buzzword in private and public sectors.

But it was not always this way. As Ms Wency Chay, Head of Innovation & Prototyping at the Corporate Planning Department, Ministry of Manpower (MOM) admits: “Innovation used to be regarded as an ECA, nothing directly related to our core work.”

So how do public departments, with their traditional reliance on systems, manage to fit this concept more directly into the way they operate? By taking it seriously, that’s how.

ILLUSTRATION: BRIAN CHIA PHOTOS: NG CHIN SIANG AND D6STUDIO

IMPETUSTO INNOVATE

10/22/09 1:26:58 PM

Cover Story

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Taking concrete steps Instead of simply paying lip service to innovation, the public sector has taken concrete steps to bring about a climate of innovation in its various departments.

The Public Service Innovation Framework (PSIF) was introduced in August 2007 to encourage public sector agencies to develop innovative solutions for public service delivery by working with the private sector and research institutes.

One of the PSIF’s key features is the Core Innovation Fund (CIF), a broadbased and funding source to support ministries’ innovation efforts. Worth $90 million a year, the fund gives ministries a seed budget for innovation, which is similar to a research and development budget in companies. The budget is automatically given to ministries, based on a percentage of their block budgets, without them having to ask for it. Given the Ministry of Finance’s (MOF) normal cautious approach, this is quite an innovation in itself!

“The idea is to give ministries the impetus to innovate,” explains Mr Poon Hong Yuen, Director (Economic Programmes), MOF. “We have placed

the CIF in the hands of ministries to allow them the flexibility and discretion in experimenting, test-bedding and building innovation capabilities. The only thing we ask for at this early stage of the PSIF is that ministries and agencies use the CIF with the intention to bring about new products and services in the Public Service, and not to buy off-theshelf solutions.”

Apart from enjoying the financial boost, individual public agencies have also put their shoulders to the wheel of innovation, with initiatives to foster creativity.

“In MOM, we have various initiatives to encourage innovation, for example, Innovation Carnival, Study Visits, Insights into Innovation series, etc,” says Ms Chay. “A team of us went to Palo Alto, United States, to learn best practices from renowned innovative companies like IDEO and Kaiser Permanante.”

Building the right culture Besides looking outside, agencies have also implemented changes within to achieve innovation excellence. “The National Library Board (NLB) recognises that there must first be a culture of innovation, a climate where innovative ability is nurtured, creativity is encouraged and staff are inspired to think outside the mould to provide the best possible service to our customers,” says Mr Chan Ping Wah, its Assistant Chief Executive and Chief Information Officer.

NLB set up a Research and Service Innovation division with dedicated

“INNOVATION MEANS CHANGE – CHANGE FROM THE CORE, WHICH SLOWLY PERMEATES THROUGH TO BECOME A RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERYONE IN THE ORGANISATION. “ MS WENCY CHAY, HEAD OF INNOVATION & PROTOTYPING AT THE CORPORATE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, MINISTRY OF MANPOWER.

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manpower and resources to establish platforms such as the Proof of Concept (PoC) for the exchange of ideas.

“Innovation is both a process and an outcome. At NLB, processes are in place to foster collaboration and promote continuous improvement through the sharing of experiences and perspectives.

The Library Innovation Centre and IDEAS website were created as avenues to facilitate the sharing of thoughts and experiences, uncover fresh perspectives and inspire staff.”

Other innovative methodologies employed by NLB include Ask Stupid Questions (ASQ) and Aspiration Pathfinder (ASPI) to provide appropriate

skills for innovation. ASQ is a platform where staff members are encouraged to ask the most outrageous questions possible for the most original and out of the box answers. ASPI uses a fusion approach, where techniques from theatre and the arts, mixed with music and games, are adapted in a no-holdsbarred game show format where participants are encouraged to share, create and innovate.

Similarly, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) feels that “innovation is nothing but hard work in trying to fashion ideas into something of value,” says Mr Ng Chee Koon, its Chief Innovation Officer, “so we should provide not only

resources (for example, finances), but more importantly, a safe-to-fail environment for the test-bedding, experimentation and prototyping of ideas before they are implemented.”

As such, SCDF’s underlying philosophy is “Everyone has the potential to Innovate” and “Dare to try”. “SCDF senior management provides ample opportunities for our officers to develop their innovation potential by setting a conducive environment and providing infrastructural support, training and mentoring for various projects,” he says.

“Innovation must be driven from within and SCDF has institutionalised the Innoventure Club to bring together officers with a strong passion for innovation and provide them with maximum exposure and support to realise their ideas fully.”

“INNOVATION IS THE ADOPTION OF NEW IDEAS, PRODUCTS OR PROCESSES THAT CREATE VALUE.” MR POON HONG YUEN, DIRECTOR (ECONOMIC PROGRAMMES), MINISTRY OF FINANCE.

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Cover Story

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At the whole of government level, PSIF has also set up a platform called the Innovation Network where Chief Innovation Officers from various ministries come together periodically to share best practices and to build a service-wide culture in innovation.

Seeing results Their efforts seem to be paying off. One of the projects MOM has implemented is deploying radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track its assets, and the project is currently being studied further for implementation in the Ministry.

“We were also involved in the prototyping of the Employment Pass Service Centre, “INNOVATION ENCOMPASSES A WHOLE RANGE OF MEANING,

which has adopted an innovative and human-centric design approach to create a holistic customer experience,” adds Ms Chay.

“Innovation is about leveraging on existing methods, tools and technologies and then creating something or building on something that becomes useful,” says NLB’s Mr Chan. This attitude is embodied in NLB’s adoption of RFID technology. This technology, used in its Electronic Library Management System (EliMS) to identify items automatically, was revolutionary as well as functional, as NLB is the world’s first public library to do this.

EliMS has helped NLB to reach its 15minute book-to-shelf target, making more books available for borrowing, and thus maximising the utility of each book. The system has facilitated borrowing and automatically cancels loans when users return items via the book drop, reducing

borrowing queue time from 45 minutes to virtually nothing.

SCDF is even innovating on the innovation process. “We are about to take on a radical new approach to simplify processes in the management of ideas, improvements and innovations and put in place a framework for greater participation,” says Mr Ng. The submission of ideas will be streamlined into a single portal, where all ideas are funnelled to the Innovation Office for adding value. With the centralised collation system, key issues can be identified and value can be added to ideas more easily.

FROM MANAGING CHANGES TO CREATING VALUE. INNOVATION IS DOING THINGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGES. IT IS ALSO A PROCESS OF CREATING NEW VALUE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS THROUGH CUSTOMISATION, AND ADAPTATION AND TO MAKE QUANTUM LEAP IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR DAILY WORK PROCESSES.” MR NG CHEE KOON, CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER, SINGAPORE CIVIL DEFENCE FORCE.

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Managing “failure” A positive attitude towards innovation is important, but even more so is the attitude towards innovative ideas that fail to take off. Despite being in a kiasu society that baulks at mistakes, ideas that don’t fly are seen as steps in the long journey towards innovation.

“We have had our fair share of failures,” says SCDF’s Mr Ng candidly. “In terms of promoting innovations, we found out too that innovation cannot be forced.

Developing an innovative culture takes a lot of time, effort and the support of top management.”

NLB tries to minimise the risks involved in failure by using the prototyping approach in its product and service design process. “This approach helps NLB to assess and manage risks related to innovation in an effective and

efficient manner,” says Mr Chan. “The prototyping approach adds an extra stage known as Proof of Concept (POC). The POC methodology allows NLB to test the viability of the idea or concept which may otherwise remain on paper.”

Last year, for example, NLB did a POC to conduct a Story Telling Event on Second Life (a virtual world), using a very small investment. “The objective was to learn about the behaviour and mindset of users of virtual worlds, and to explore possibilities by immersing ourselves in the environment,” notes Mr Chan.

“The POC helped us understand what may work and what are the possible application areas and uses of the virtual world. We found that we cannot literally transfer events and processes in the physical world to the virtual world. It provided us with an experience and understanding of the virtual world without spending a lot of investment. The conclusion that the virtual world is not yet mature enough for mass adoption was in itself a good lesson learned.”

And even the MOF understands the

need for patience in the process of encouraging innovation. “As the PSIF is a relatively new initiative, it is too early to judge the success of initiatives supported by the CIF,” says Mr Poon. “However, we recognise that there are inherent risks involved in innovating new solutions rather than sticking to the tried-andtested, and we should not demand instant and complete success.”

“INNOVATION IS ABOUT OBSERVING AND LEARNING WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND YOU, LEVERAGING ON EXISTING METHODS, TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES, AND THEN CREATING SOMETHING OR BUILDING ON SOMETHING THAT BECOMES USEFUL. PERSONALLY, I FEEL SOMETHING IS REALLY INNOVATIVE IF IT AFFECTS MY LIFE POSITIVELY. IT MAKES ME LOOK AT IT AND THINK, WOW, HOW DID I LIVE WITHOUT THIS, OR IT MAKES ME FEEL HAPPY BECAUSE NOW, THINGS WILL BE BETTER.” MR CHAN PING WAH, ASSISTANT CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, NATIONAL LIBRARY BOARD.

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Face2Face

10

You became President of INTERPOL in 2008. Is there a need to be involved in the organisation when we have so little crime?

INTERPOL is a great organisation to network and to get support, even from countries with which the SPF does not have close links. It also has a vast store of operational databases and law enforcement domain knowledge.

having to travel to all of them, as my rival was attempting, was to attend key regional and sub-regional conferences.

We took photographs of our interactions with our foreign colleagues to use in our campaign brochure, which was distributed at the INTERPOL General Assembly in St Petersburg, where the votes were cast. We paid attention to details. For example, INTERPOL has four official languages, and we made sure that the photographs from English-speaking

Tell us a bit about your roles as President of INTERPOL, Commissioner of Singapore Police, and how you juggle the two.

The President’s role is to ensure that the activities of the organisation conform with the decisions of the General Assembly and the Executive Committee, and to maintain direct and constant contact with the Secretary General. I function more like a Chairman, while the Secretary General acts as the CEO.

Commissioner Khoo Boon Hui talks about how he multitasks between his roles as head of the Singapore Police Force and President of INTERPOL. By Susan Tsang

StrikingABalance You never know when you need these – our fugitives can go halfway across the world, and emergent threats can originate from far away – so there are strategic considerations for our involvement.

Singapore is an open, welcoming country, so some of our threats will be from overseas. (This is not to say that we don’t have internal threats.) These linkages are not just important, but essential as well if SPF wishes to remain abreast of global developments in crime and terrorism.

How did you get elected for your fouryear term?

We officially announced our candidature at the INTERPOL Asian Regional Conference in Hong Kong in March 2008, and needed the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) as well. Even with MFA’s unstinting support, our resources were limited. For example, we only have two embassies in the whole of Africa.

And how do you reach out to countries in the Caribbean and Latin America?

After careful study, we felt that the most effective way to reach out to as many countries as possible without

countries were in the English section of the brochure, and so on for the other languages.

We realised too how Singapore’s international branding worked to our advantage, such that whenever we discussed how my election would benefit INTERPOL, our words were taken seriously.

Someone from Macedonia asked: “Do you know where my country is?” Most of us would associate Macedonia with Alexander the Great, but Macedonia is part of the former Yugoslavia. Give the wrong answer as our rival camp did and you’re in trouble.

We were fine-tuning as we went along.

The last draft of my speech was finalised in the early hours before I gave my address. The thrust of my speech was “Let’s collaborate”, and it went down well. We won 104 out of 139 votes, or 74.8 per cent of the votes cast, thus avoiding the need to go through a second round of voting to secure the necessary two-thirds majority.

My greater contribution is not so much in running the secretariat, but to chair the Executive Committee. Having experienced the benefits of fostering an open and learning culture in the SPF, I encourage frank discussion among the 13 elected members from all over the world, who with their rich experience of law enforcement have much to share with the professionally-run secretariat.

INTERPOL works fine, but given its limited funding by subscription, it can strengthen its strategic focus and planning. By nature, INTERPOL is driven by the here and now, because there are always cases to follow through and crises around the world that require its resources to be deployed.

As Commissioner of Singapore Police, I command the SPF to maintain law and order, prevent crime and ensure security by implementing counter-terrorism efforts. One of my prime responsibilities is to ensure the maintenance of high standards of conduct, discipline and honesty among members of the SPF. Handling both is a matter of striking a balance and being able to multitask.

I’m thankful that I have a great team

A crisis leader must be sufficiently open-minded and must have good dialogue mechanisms to allow ideas from unconventional sources to be objectively evaluated quickly.

Photo: Darren chang

Commissioner Khoo Boon Hui

Face2Face

12

What was the lowest point?

supporting me in SPF as well as in INTERPOL. But we have to work across different time zones. Work from there tends to come out at night in Singapore.

You were an SAF scholar. How did you join the SPF?

I was awarded the SAF Overseas Scholarship in 1973. A year after my return to Singapore, I was invited to consider transferring to the Police. I had never dreamed of becoming a police officer, but at that time, I felt that this was a way to contribute more directly to society, and more tangibly. The effects are more immediate.

Are there episodes in your career that stand out in your mind?

One of the most challenging incidents was dealing with the Hotel New World collapse in March 1986 for which we operated at the scene for a week. I was the equivalent of Director Operations then, and it was my first exposure to a major disaster management scene dealing with issues that were outside my domain of expertise. Indeed, no one in MHA had actual experience with such a situation as the collapse was unprecedented.

I learned many lessons from this. It is important to decide what type of crisis it is when faced with one, so that the agency with the expertise takes the lead.

Yet, despite his professional expertise, a crisis leader must be sufficiently openminded and must have good dialogue mechanisms to allow ideas from unconventional sources to be objectively evaluated quickly. A strong personality may in such circumstances actually hinder the process as leaders need to be open to not only accept ideas but also help, as in this case, from the MRT tunnellers.

Our aim is to empower every Police Constable to think on his feet and make decisions as if he were the Commissioner of Police.

When I first started as Commissioner, we found out that some of our police officers were linked to an illegal money lending syndicate. We’ve had individual cases of corruption before, but not one where someone managed to corrupt a group of officers who worked as a team. What was more insidious was that the syndicate leader had ‘talent spotted’ an NS Fulltime officer, put him through law school, and got him to join the police. The officer was a natural leader, and did very well at the Police Academy.

When we found out about the suspicious behaviour of the officer, I had a difficult decision. We had no evidence yet and he was still on probation. We could either quietly release him by terminating his services and thus nip the problem in the bud or let him carry on, and pass the information we had to the CPIB. We chose the latter. CPIB developed the case and found more culprits. In the end, six officers were charged.

How has the Singapore police force evolved over the years?

Thus far, we have kept Singapore safe and secure. The stellar performance has only raised the public’s expectations. In the light of increasing demands of policing in Singapore, and the fact that we have to be nimble, the SPF has, over the last decade or so, transformed itself into a Learning Organisation. Our aim is to empower each Police Constable to think on his feet and make decisions as if he were the Commissioner of Police. We have instituted a team system, one where ideas, issues and plans are discussed and refined via a top-down, bottom-up approach. No one can claim to have monopoly over any domain knowledge, and issues should be robustly challenged.

That has required us to foster a culture where people can deal with dissent, manage opposing views and criticisms.

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Feature

The Public Service prepares officers to take on emerging challenges with a new appraisal model. By James Gerard Foo

TakingAIM The Public Service is facing new and more complex challenges such as the need to deal with multi-agency issues and to make decisions based on an uncertain and unpredictable future. These challenges have led to a review of how graduate public officers are appraised and nurtured.

The result is the AIM model – a revised set of qualities for potential and performance assessment which retains the essence of existing qualities but gives emphasis to those needed in the light of new demands on graduate public officers.

Introduced this year, AIM comprises seven core qualities grouped under three clusters: Analytical and Intellectual Capacity, Influence and Collaboration, and Motivation for Excellence. Hence, the acronym AIM.

Better clarity

“The qualities in the AIM model articulate the new capabilities and mindset we require of our officers to address the emerging challenges. At the same time, we want to have better clarity and consistency in the performance management process where expectations are clear and performance gaps are transparent so that officers can be

developed to their fullest potential,” said Mr Patrick Yee, Deputy Director (Compensation & Performance Management), Leadership Development, Public Service Division. “Our Mr Patrick Yee objective is for AIM to eventually be the single framework for the selection, appraisal and development of our officers.”

Up till last year, the Civil Service has been using the Shell-based potential appraisal system, which focused more on analytical and intellectual abilities of the officers, “the more IQ type of qualities”; while people skills such as collaboration, engagement and developing others, “the more EQ type of qualities”, were given less emphasis. “In the current working environment, the soft skills are also important for an officer to

carry out his work effectively,” said Mr Yee. The AIM model addresses this by placing equal importance on IQ and EQ type of qualities. The same set of AIM qualities are used for potential and performance assessment, so supervisors just need to understand and apply a single set of desired qualities during the appraisal. The model also provides behavioural indicators that correlate with appraisal qualities, helping supervisors to achieve greater accuracy and consistency in their assessments.

Mr Clarence Ti, Director of Strategy Planning, Ministry of Law, sees AIM as a good example of a competency-based performance appraisal system that helps the organisation and officers come to a common understanding of how work opportunities translate into skills and experience.

“Along the way, it also helps Mr Clarence Ti

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The AIM appraisal model provides a more comprehensive guide to help supervisors give performance feedback to their staff.

officers to understand themselves better and it helps bosses to understand where to send work opportunities,” he said.

He cited the example of a policy officer who had been given many assignments that tapped on his analytical skills and judgement, but seldom got to demonstrate the quality of developing capabilities in others. During the AIM appraisal in the middle of the year, officer and supervisor had a discussion on the type of work opportunities he would be open to. This resulted in the officer being given opportunities to supervise interns and lead WITS teams in the same work year.

The AIM model also helps the appraisal to be more focused by defining the behavioural indicators that correlate with the core appraisal qualities. “Officers benefit from them as they are able to look into their strengths and weaknesses, decide which area to work on in the coming year, and also decide on the courses which will help enhance those areas,” he said.

At the Ministry of Transport (MOT), for example, the AIM Model is applied through MOT’s Training Directory whereby officers are given a list of recommended courses, which corresponds to the respective AIM competencies. Staff can pick and choose from the list, depending on the area/quality they wish to attain/ improve upon.

“The AIM model enables officers to better understand their own personal qualities, that is, strengths and weaknesses, in a more holistic yet detailed manner through the breakdown of the seven AIM qualities as well as the Ms Sharon Ong

accompanying behavioural indicators,” said Ms Sharon Ong, Human Resource Executive with MOT’s Corporate Development Division.

Supervisors, too, stand to benefit from AIM. “The AIM appraisal model provides a more comprehensive guide to help supervisors give performance feedback to their staff,” said Mr Lian Ghim Hua, Assistant Director (Infrastructure Division), Ministry of National Development. When conducting staff appraisals, for example, he finds that the detailed behavioural indicators in the AIM model serve as useful references for supervisors to assess the performance of their staff objectively and consistently.

Keeping an open mind

“When applied extensively across an organisation, and at a broader level in the entire Civil Service, the AIM model can make a significant difference in the way that organisations learn, improve and achieve higher levels of performance,” he said.

Mr Yee added: “As the AIM model is new, supervisors and officers may face some transition issues as they go about their sixmonthly and year-end appraisal sessions. I believe that by keeping an open mind and engaging in regular dialogue, supervisors and officers will develop Mr Lian Ghim Hua a common language for appraisal based on the AIM model, and at the same time leverage on the richness of the behavioural indicators to explore training and developmental opportunities.”

AIM The AIM model consists of seven qualities grouped into three clusters as follows:

Analytical and Intellectual

Capacity • Sense of perspective • Analysis and judgement

Influence and Collaboration • Influencing and inspiring • Developing capability in others • Collaboration and engagement Motivation for Excellence • Achieving results • Commitment and accountability

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For the team behind the Kangxi Emperor exhibition, weeks of insomnia, anxiety and tension were rewarded with long queues that snaked through the museum galleries and out onto the road. By Lianne Tan

Backstage

RoyalFeat

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From left: Viewing one of the long scroll paintings on display; related activities and publicity created an overwhelming response; the exhibition attracted over 160,000 visitors.

For the team behind the Kangxi Emperor exhibition, weeks of insomnia, anxiety and tension were rewarded with long queues that snaked through the museum galleries and out onto the road The Kangxi Emperor: Treasures from the Forbidden City exhibition, which was held from Mar 13 to June 28, 2009 at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), was a huge success, attracting 164,928 visitors to the exhibition and engaging 62,975 in related programmes such as talks and open houses.

The exhibition explored the life and rule of the Kangxi emperor (1654– 1722) through thematic sections that highlighted the various roles he had to juggle as the head of his vast empire.

Close to 100 precious artefacts were showcased, with the majority of the pieces on loan from Palace Museum, Beijing. A small number of exhibits also came from ACM’s own collection and other private collections.

Dr Kenson Kwok

Director, Asian Civilisations Museum

We have worked with many museums in China to bring fantastic exhibitions to the ACM, but this was the first time for us working with the Palace Museum. It was Professor Tommy Koh (Chairman of the National Heritage Board, which oversees Singapore’s national museums including the ACM) who paved the way for us. On the sidelines of one of his visits to Beijing, he met with the Executive Deputy Director of the Palace Museum, Li Ji, and broached the subject of an exhibition.

We followed up from there.

As this was a major exhibition for ACM, I was rather heavily involved all the way, from establishing the initial contact and negotiating the agreement to steering the development of the storyline as well as the selection of exhibits.

The storyline development and exhibit selection were quite difficult. I wanted to be sure that our positioning regarding the historical verdict on Kangxi reflected the latest research, taking into account the perspectives of Chinese as well as western scholars.

Knowing how attractive a personality Kangxi was, I didn’t want us to be seduced into over-glorifying his achievements. We wanted to present a balanced view, and that is why we mentioned some of his failings.

Another way we tried to humanise Kangxi was to give an insight into him as a person – the close, and sometimes fraught relations he had with key members of his family.

As for exhibit selection, there were a few objects that could not be lent either because they were too fragile or had already been committed for loan to other museums. With the help of old catalogues, we managed to winkle out quite a few other objects from the museum stores. The Palace Museum collection is so vast, and the curators are very specialised, so there isn’t just one person who knows the entire collection.

Ms Tan Huism Deputy Director, Curation and Collections, Asian Civilisations Museum

An exhibition is the culmination of work from a team – all the team members playing different roles working together to create an inspiring and educational visitor experience at the museum.

The installation of artefacts required much planning and teamwork. The artefacts had to be mounted beautifully and safely in secured showcases and those containing metalwork had to be specially conditioned to a very low humidity. The artefacts would also have to be properly lit which required the special skills of our exhibition technicians.

The ACM managed to borrow several monumental silk paintings of the Kangxi emperor and his family for the exhibition. Being so large (some

One of the most rewarding aspects of installing an exhibition, aside from hearing how visitors have enjoyed the show, is the wonderful opportunity to handle and to look at the magnificent exhibits up close.

larger than 4m in height), these paintings required special showcases to be built. We also had to work out how we were to install these large and fragile paintings.

One of the most rewarding aspects of installing an exhibition, aside from hearing how visitors have enjoyed the show, is the wonderful opportunity to handle and to look at the magnificent exhibits up close.

Ms Kan Shuyi Assistant Curator (China) and CoCurator of The Kangxi Emperor, Asian Civilisations Museum

Part of the challenge lay in the presentation of the information as it was impossible to cover 61 years of the emperor’s life on the throne in the span of an exhibition. It was also necessary to conceive a storyline which could be expressed and supported by the artefacts. This was compounded by the lack of objects to illustrate some aspects of the emperor’s life, such as his administrative policies and military endeavours.

Despite the high levels of anxiety, tension and insomnia, especially in the last month leading up to the exhibition, I’m proud to have been a part of the Kangxi exhibition team.

Seeing a selection of the artefacts in

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person for the first time in the Palace Museum, and then getting up close with the rest of the pieces after their arrival in ACM and the chance to handle some of these imperial treasures will perhaps be my most treasured memory. But ultimately nothing beats seeing the warm reception to the exhibition, such as the long queues of visitors waiting to see the exhibition and visitors reading the text and enjoying the displays.

Ms Regine Aw

Assistant Director, Exhibition and Project Management, Asian Civilisations Museum

The stringent display requirements for the loan artefacts by Palace Museum were a key challenge. This included the need for all objects to be displayed in secured cases and the stringent RH (relative humidity)

conditions required for a group of organic objects. We had to ensure that the exhibition design plan complied with these requirements while not compromising visitor experience and the aesthetics of the display. We also had to custom-design special showcases that met conservation requirements. Prototype tests were conducted by NHB’s conservators to ensure that these showcases were up to standard.

With the benefit of their past experience with other travelling exhibitions, the Palace Museum couriers were very direct in their views on the installation requirements.

I usually played the role of the negotiator between the Chinese and our conservators to help us arrive at a good outcome for both sides.

Proficiency in Mandarin and a good sense of esprit de corps were key to this process.

The exhibition design was based on the Forbidden City concept, but imbued with a contemporary touch.

Mr T Sundraraj Deputy Director, Audience Development and Programmes, Asian Civilisations Museum

The Kangxi exhibition had the potential to attract a wide spectrum of visitors including those who have never visited our museum.

My team and I employed a composite approach that covered marketing and media publicity, open houses and latenight openings, travelling exhibitions at libraries and school outreach activities.

The activities and the publicity hype we churned created a ‘good problem’ for us in terms of overwhelming response. At any one time, we can only accommodate up to 300 visitors in the exhibition gallery, but we had long queues snaking out of the museum and onto the side road.

We distributed reading materials and took pains to advise those waiting on how long it would take them to reach the exhibition gallery from where they were. On two occasions, we had to make on-the-spot decisions to extend our opening hours, as we did not want to turn away those who took the trouble to come all the way to our museum.

The tight programme schedule took a toll on the team and a number of us fell ill. But that did not stop us from completing what we set out to achieve.

Mr Henry Yeo Assistant Director, Design Services, Asian Civilisations Museum

The exhibition design was a Forbidden City-inspired

concept. The challenge was to use motifs that were accurate, but rather than slavishly reproducing them, we wanted to imbue them with a contemporary touch.

Each motif and brocade was studied and enhanced to blend into the design set-up. A garden setting was created to reflect the back garden of the Forbidden City, taking reference from its trees and rocks. Another challenge was the display of priceless treasures from the Palace Museum. Some of the portraits were huge and we had two very long scroll paintings.

Each artefact needed careful consideration and meticulous attention

to ensure that they were beautifully displayed and that the conditions of lighting and relative humidity met Palace Museum’s conservation requirements.

During the design development, we did the research quite extensively, ranging from Chinese culture to the life of the Kangxi emperor. I also learnt that these artefacts from Palace Museum were kept in very wellcontrolled conditions. Hence, it has enriched my understanding of how these priceless artefacts were so well preserved till today.

The challenge was to use motifs that were accurate, but rather than slavishly reproducing them, we wanted to imbue them with a contemporary touch.

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Removing Barriers The public sector has a role to play in helping entrepreneurs to overcome obstacles. By Lianne Tan However, things worked out for Mr Lee when NParks stepped forward to take ownership of the area. Castle Beach was also taken under the wing of the Pro-Enterprise Panel’s (PEP) First Mover Framework, which provides a platform for businesses and budding entrepreneurs to submit innovative ideas that maximise the use of public assets such as land, buildings or floor space.

Pro-Enterprise Panel

The PEP was established in 2000 to actively solicit feedback from businesses on how government rules and regulations can be improved to create a more pro-enterprise environment in Singapore. It is chaired by the Head of Civil Service Mr Peter Ho, and comprises business leaders from the private sector and senior public officers.

The First Mover advantage can come in the form of an allocation advantage and/or a price advantage. An allocation advantage means a business gets favourable treatment when the asset is allocated for the proposed innovative use. Price advantage means the business need not pay market price for the use of the asset.

Photo: Winston chuang/justin loh

Ms Tan Ju-Li PEP Secretariat, Research and Enterprise Division, Ministry of Trade and Industry

It is not easy building “Castle Beach” in the sand – not when you are at a loss as to which public agency you should be dealing with.

That was the dilemma facing Mr Alvin Lee, founder of the social enterprise, which aims to promote family bonding through the building of sandcastles.

“I needed to get approvals from different government authorities to utilise the space on East Coast Park.

However, I didn’t know where to start because the area that I wanted – the ‘sandy beach area’ – technically doesn’t ‘belong’ to any one agency. For example, the National Parks Board (NParks) takes care of the trees and greenery; the National Environment Agency takes care of the areas where any rubbish may accumulate; and the Urban Redevelopment Authority and Building and Construction Authority deal with the buildings. The part I wanted to use – the sandy part – was therefore an ambiguous area that didn’t come under the jurisdiction of any one agency at the time.”

To qualify, the idea must be new to Singapore or must not have been actively considered by a public agency in the past 12 months. This is because the idea may have been suggested before but the environment may have since changed, explained Ms Tan Ju-Li from the PEP Secretariat, Research and Enterprise Division, Ministry of Trade and Industry.

“Innovation need not necessarily be first-in-the-world or state-of-the-art, costly creations. A lot of times, it is a marriage between the old and the new,” she said. “There is no harm giving entrepreneurs a leg-up by allocating them an asset that is not being used or is under-utilised, to pilot and test their ideas – and in fact the Government benefits as well by collecting some revenue. Even if the idea does not work out at the end of the day, the entrepreneur, and even the Government, can learn something useful.”

SPRING Singapore

Another government initiative that provides support for entrepreneurs is SPRING Singapore’s Young Entrepreneurs Scheme or YES! YES! Schools provides funds for schools to put in place a comprehensive structured entrepreneurship learning

“Innovation need not necessarily be first-in-theworld or state-of-the-art, costly creations. A lot of times, it is a marriage between the old and the new.”

Ms Tan Ju-Li

programme for their students, while YES! Startups aims to nurture young entrepreneurs by helping them to start and run their own business ventures.

The YES! schemes adopt a “Learning

by Doing” approach. “Instead of teaching the youths to be entrepreneurs, it lets them experience entrepreneurship and learn from mentors and even from mistakes while running their first business,” said Mr Patrick Lim, Head, New Business Support, SPRING Singapore.

One of the beneficiaries of the scheme is Mr Wong Hong Ting, 25, cofounder of 2359 Media. The company creates and re-purposes content for smart phones. Earlier this year, it launched an iPhone application called SG Mall, a directory for all shopping malls in Singapore that users can access while on the go.

Under YES! Startups, 2359 Media received access to incubation facilities such as office space and Internet connectivity at NUS Enterprise. There was also a mentor who served as a sounding board to bounce off ideas and to share experiences. “To qualify for this scheme, applicants have to be below 26 years old, so it was beneficial to have access to a mentor or someone who had more experience than ourselves – one who also had real-world experience,” said Mr Wong.

The funding provided by YES! Startups also helps to reduce the financial risks of starting up a business, especially since it is still not as easy to get venture capital in Singapore, he added.

The YES! schemes tap on the $25 million Entrepreneurial Talent Development Fund, which was started four years ago to develop the next generation of young entrepreneurs.

Mr Aaron Chua Manager, IDMPO, Media Development Authority

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“Instead of teaching the youths to be entrepreneurs, it lets them experience entrepreneurship and learn from mentors and even from mistakes while running their first business.”

Mr Patrick lim

Under YES! Startups, youths below 26 years old can apply for a grant of up to $50,000 to set up their first company.

Media Development Authority

For start-ups or individuals in the Interactive and Digital Media (IDM) space, support is also available under a Microfunding Scheme administered by the IDM Research and Development Programme Office (IDMPO). The multiagency IDMPO, which is hosted by the Media Development Authority, has supported 126 start-ups to date.

Under the Microfunding Scheme, young start-ups or individuals with exciting R&D ideas can receive up to S$50,000 to seed their ideas.

According to Mr Aaron Chua, Manager, IDMPO, the public sector plays a key role in seeding “risky” ventures that are at too early a stage for private sector investors to come in.

“IDM is deemed to be a high-growth area, where breakthroughs are driven from grassroot innovations,” he said.

“MDA, being responsible for growing Singapore’s media sector, needs to encourage entrepreneurship and foster innovation in this area.”

Beyond funding, MDA also recognises that there is a need to put in place a more complete ecosystem to address

Mr Patrick Lim Head, New Business Support, SPRING Singapore

the need of start-ups. This would mean addressing issues such as financing, market access and talent. For example, MDA has created a platform called i.MATCH to link start-ups with earlystage investors. It also addresses the issue of market access through a Future Media programme, which gives startups access to marketing channels and the support of large companies.

Institute of Technical Education

The Institute of Technical Education (ITE), too, is giving young entrepreneurs a leg-up by giving them recognition in the form of the Shell LiveWIRE Awards, which it co-organises with Shell.

Mr Philip Wong, Director of speciality ice cream café ICE3 and winner of the Shell LiveWIRE Award in 2007, said the experience helped give ICE3 exposure to the media. Networking sessions were also organised for budding entrepreneurs to meet up with business people in different industries and to learn from each other.

Another 2007 award winner was Mr Hu Ying Han who founded the online event ticketing company ApeSnap. Like Mr Wong, he appreciated the opportunities to network with other “like-minded” people. What was also very useful was the fact that he had exposure to other business models during the competition, which helped him refine his own.

In his journey as an entrepreneur, he also found help to be forthcoming from various government agencies, he said.

“We do get a lot of ‘kindly’ support, and there is not too much red tape these days. What is good is the availability of a variety of schemes offered by the government to help start-ups like ours.

My advice to other budding companies would be to seek out relevant government schemes and to apply for them.”

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Feedback

RaisingTheGame Singapore is an attractive place to do business, but we should not take it for granted.

By Susan Tsang

Mr Seah Liang Chiang, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of DSC Holdings Pte Ltd, is a privatesector member of the Pro-Enterprise Panel (PEP). He talks about the role the public sector can play in promoting entrepreneurship.

Is the idea of the public sector promoting entrepreneurship a contradictory one?

The public sector plays a very important role in the growth of the new SME. By promoting entrepreneurship, the public sector is sending out a very strong signal to SMEs that despite having a regulatory role, agencies and statutory boards have a national agenda in wanting SMEs to grow and prosper.

What role can the public sector play in catalysing entrepreneurship?

Setting up the PEP was a great sign.

Through the PEP, businesses are able to suggest changes to rules that affect their business and are not relevant in today’s context. Generally, most agencies are pro-business in the way they look at things. There’s buy-in by agency leaders. Take the police. They are there to regulate things. For them to have a mindset change is amazing. The Commissioner is on the panel; he listens in and gets to know about problems that businesses go through, so he

understands business needs.

The problem is not so much at the leadership level. The problem is how to drive this downwards to front-line staff and people who meet the business people. There’s a lot of education required.

Also, time is money to businesses. A decision that takes too long can make or break a deal. Business owners often tell me that it’s not a matter of whether their suggestions are approved or not. But rather, whether they require a decision yesterday, if possible.

So how do we make front-line public officers more pro-business?

In the private sector, if you take risks, you are rewarded if it pays off. In the public sector, you get your bonus regardless. It’s not a culture that fosters innovation. It’s frustrating for SME owners trying to grow their companies to come up against people who hide behind rules.

Make it in such a way that public officers can climb up the ladder. Give them decision-making power; let them make mistakes. Make it exciting for them.

The public sector will also have to find ways to attract and retain smart people.

Today’s entrepreneurs are more demanding customers. Being mindful of this, the public sector will have to raise their game in order to engage these new entrepreneurs. This will be challenging if the public sector is unable to attract and retain talent.

Make it in such a way that public officers can climb up the ladder. Give them decision-making power; let them make mistakes.

Make it exciting for them.

Is there anything else we can do?

Singapore is an attractive place to do business, but we should not take it for granted. Businesses today are highly mobile. If businesses face constant bureaucracy and red tape in Singapore, there’s nothing stopping them from relocating their business to another country that offers a more pro-business environment. Businesses are not obliged to remain in Singapore.

The public sector here is proenterprise, but the same thing is happening in Suzhou. Even China is evolving, and wants high-end enterprises to go, not just those in manufacturing. Everyone is trying to take away investments from Singapore – they copy our attractive rules and policies. When the economy evolves, the public sector, as part of the economy, cannot remain status quo.

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Challenge examines the use of the English language in the public sector and talks to two agencies that have been lauded for their efforts in taking the complexity out of Public Service communication. By Charles David

MindYour “Document X refers.” “Pls revert.”

If these phrases sound familiar, it is because they have infiltrated minutes of meetings, e-mails, project proposals, reports and other forms of written communication in the Public Service, according to officers who were asked by Challenge about words or phrases that tend to be “overused” in their work.

But are the phrases grammatically correct? Do they communicate their intended message clearly? These are some aspects of language use that have come under the spotlight with the launch of this year’s Speak Good English Campaign in September. Now into its 10th year, the Speak Good English Movement aims to ensure that Singaporeans recognise the importance of using standard English.

While the examples cited are more likely to occur in written than in spoken language, this year’s campaign thrust of “communicating well” resonates across different channels and different agencies.

“For better or for worse, the image of our organisation – and that of us as public officers – in part hinges on our ability to

communicate,” says Mr David Lee, Head, Centre for Public Communications at the Civil Service College.

“Upholding good English is vital as the Public Service interacts with diverse cross sections of society on a daily basis, and good English helps us understand and be understood.”

And it is not just about observing grammar and syntax, as Mr Lee points out.

“Communicating with tact, empathy and diplomacy can go a long way in helping us reach out to our audiences.”

Mr Tan Tie Wee, Manager, Corporate Tax Division, Inland Revenue of Singapore (IRAS), agrees. “A little more empathy before one delivers a sentence will go a long way in communicating clearly. For example, the same word may mean one thing to one person but another to the next.

Hence, it is a good idea to think about how the recipient of your sentence will interpret you before you send off that e-mail.”

IRAS – Brevity and clarity

At IRAS, which sends out a few million letters a year, concise and precise communication saves time and effort for the agency and the taxpayer, says Mr Tan. For example, a clearly written reply to the taxpayer that is readily understood means that the taxpayer will not be confused over the steps he has to take, and he will not have to spend time calling IRAS’s helplines to clear up any doubts he has about the contents of the reply. This also means one less phone call for agency helpline officers to handle.

However, brevity can be a two-edged sword. The agency administers the Tax Acts, which are already worded as concisely and as precisely as they can be, as much thought had already gone into the choice of words and the sentence construction during the drafting process.

There is a natural tendency, therefore, for IRAS officers to use words directly from the Acts, says Mr Tan. This sometimes causes confusion among taxpayers when they try to apply the law to their own unique situation.

So IRAS has to find the right balance. While trying to avoid long sentences as far as possible, it nonetheless tries to explain the law by providing a context in which taxpayers can read the Acts.

The website contains e-Tax guides that describe at greater length the policy intent behind the law. These are meant for tax professionals who need to know more.

However, general contents like scenariobased examples and tax concepts are written in a simple and clear manner – from the taxpayer’s perspective – so they understand the information at first reading.

“IRAS welcomes suggestions and feedback and that is why we provide two ways for taxpayers to give their feedback on our website. They can give us their comments in the “Rate this Page” box or via the online feedback poll,” says Mr Tan.

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CPF Board – Going for gold

Another agency that is constantly striving to take the complexity out of its communication is the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board, where even the security guards are roped in to help ensure that the communication is clear enough to be understood by the man in the street.

The CPF Board has as many as 16 schemes and services, and some of these, for instance the CPF Minimum Sum Scheme and CPF Housing Schemes, are rather complex. On top of this, changes are made to the schemes from time to time to ensure that they stay relevant, and the agency needs to keep its members updated on these changes. “It is thus important for us to keep our communication clear, simple and easy to understand. And this is definitely one of our most challenging tasks,” says Ms Jess Teo, Senior Assistant Director, Member Education.

To address this, the Board has various measures in place. Firstly, all the information to be published on the CPF website has to be vetted by the Member Education Department that manages the Board’s public communication and

“When we roll out any product, we will get our security guards to help us go through the communication materials to make sure they are easy to understand.”

Ms Jess Teo

education programmes. Essentially, this department represents the voice of the public and helps review the Board’s communication materials to ensure that all CPF schemes and services are clearly communicated to CPF members.

“We have put in place regular feedback mechanisms like focus groups, Annual Member Services Surveys, Online Services Surveys, ‘Share Your Views With Us’ forms and various other polls to hear the views of our members,” says Ms Teo. The agency also gathers direct feedback from its members as part of regular reviews of its website, as well as prior to the launch of new microsites like IM$avvy (www.

IMSavvy.sg) and Retirement Ready (www.

RetirementReady.sg). “The best way to ensure that the information provided is easy to understand is to hear from the target audience, that is, our members.”

Then comes the acid test. “When we roll out any product, we will get our security guards to help us go through the communication materials to make sure they are easy to understand. If two out of 10 of them don’t understand our draft copy, we will go back to the drawing board,” says Ms Teo. “This is our gold standard.”

So what about phrases like “Document X refers” and “Pls revert”?

How do they fit into this whole discourse on brevity, clarity and gold standards?

Challenge polls some public officers for their views and asks them which word or phrase they would use less of – or even ban from public-service-speak – if they could.

Judith d’Silva

Deputy Director (Research & Analysis Department), Nexus

“Revert”

It is often used in place of “reply” or “respond”. I don’t know why civil servants cannot say “Please reply to me by such and such a date….” or “Please respond by….”. This is one of the many cases where people believe – erroneously – that a more complicated or highbrow word is impressive and desired, but end up using it incorrectly.

I cannot find any explanation in the dictionary that says “revert” is similar or synonymous with “reply” or “respond”.

“Revert” always refers to “returning to a former state or condition”; or “returning/ going back to something mentioned or discussed earlier”. Another context is when money or property reverts to someone; it becomes their possession because they owned it before or because they are a descendant of the previous owner. So if Mr A tells Mr B “please revert to me asap”, I am thinking that Mr A is telling Mr B to change himself back to being Mr A…or something like that!

“With regards to”

It makes my hair stand….and of course it is also incorrect.

You can say “please send my regards to Mr A”. But you say “with regard to the report that was sent out today….” Here, “regard” is in the singular form.

If you like to use “regards”, then you word it differently, as in “as regards the report that was sent out today….”

Tan Boon Howe

Senior Development Executive, PS21 Office, Public Service Division

“We spoke”

It is usually used immediately after a phone conversation or a discussion meeting where no official meeting minutes are produced.

Just using the two words to form a sentence is abrupt and lazy. We spoke (about what?)

Does it hurt so much to say “We spoke on the phone about the _____.”

The irritating part is that it seems like a phrase people use just to cover themselves.

Julian Lim

Head, New Media, Communications & PR Division, Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee

“Web 2.0”

It doesn’t really say anything at all because nearly everyone has some fuzzy idea of what it means, and the term often gets abused at high-level meetings where everyone assumes everyone else knows what it means.

Or if someone doesn’t know, they’ll probably be too shy to ask.

It almost seems like people are made to feel that they’re not “hip” if they don’t incorporate “web 2.0” features – sometimes without knowing what these features are.

Often enough, one has to probe further before getting to the bottom of what the “web 2.0” proponent actually means by his/her suggestion. To use an analogy, it’s like a car salesman telling you that you should get the “superduper” upgrade on your car since everyone else is doing it – without any specifics as to which parts get souped-up.

Kat Chen

Manager (Cube), PS21 Office, Public Service Division

“At the end of the day”

This is my top pick for being the most over-used, clichéd, irritating, and braingrating phrase in today’s working world

– both within the Public Service and beyond! Things have degenerated to the point where people are unthinkingly parroting these six words whenever they’re trying too hard to sound profound or philosophical by offering a “big-picture view” or “final analysis” of a particular subject.

Some sad examples: “At the end of the day, we’re here to serve the greater good”; “At the end of the day, what really matters is getting the job done”; “At the end of the day, we’re not responsible for this.” The use of this expression is totally unnecessary and never fails to make the speaker come across as sounding somewhat pompous.

Other phrases that should be consigned to the shredder? Try “leverage”, “synergy”, “going forward”, and “win-win solution”.

Melvin Sim

Organisational Excellence Executive, Corporate Development Division, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources

“Noted”

It is used in acknowledging an input or comment from another colleague via email. It simply means that the recipient accepts and has taken note of the input or comment.

Gail Wong

2 Staff Officer, Research & Planning, Criminal Investigation Department, Singapore Police Force

“Refers”

Usually used in e-mails or in minutes, in the form “Document X refers”.

It’s not a complete sentence but is a convenient reference to a document in the e-mail or file.

Feature

28

Ms Audrey Lai, an associate trainer with the Civil Service College, conducts communication courses to help public officers improve their English Language proficiency. These are some of the common mistakes in written English that she has come across in her 12 years of training the public officers.

SlipsAndTips Redundancy with Abbreviations We need his PIN number urgently.

We need his PIN urgently.

PIN stands for Personal Identification Number.

Therefore, the original sentence will mean “Personal Identification Number number”.  When using abbreviations, take care not to repeat a word unnecessarily.

Inappropriate Form of English

We’ll submit the figur es by Wednesday. (sp oken) we gif u figs by wed. (S MS or MSN) We will submit the bu dget by <date/day>.

Short forms, such as “w e’ll”, “it’s” and “thx n rgds” are use of spoken English, smds in the casual forms and msn. They are not appropriate for rkplace writing which must be more wo formal and precise.  When writing eor letters at wor mails, reports k, write the words in fu ll to reflect the professional context.

Word Choice Kindly submit the report to me by 21 Dec 2009.

Please submit the report to me by 21 Dec 2009.

The word “kindly” sometimes has a negative connotation. It is used when asking someone to do something, especially when you are annoyed with him/her but still want to be polite.

The word “please” is more polite and friendly.

Use of Pronouns

Jack and myself will look into this matter.

Jack and I will look into this matter.

The pronoun “myself” is a reflexive pronoun, used for reference back to the subject or for emphasis, eg “I will look into this matter myself”. But this is not the case in this example.

Instead, what the writer is saying is “I will look into this matter, together with Jack”.  Use the subject pronoun “I” in this sentence.

Use of Uncountable Nouns

Use of “a” and “an” We need a HDB loan.

We need an HDB loan.  The article “a” is used before a word that begins with a consonant sound even if the first letter is a vowel. For example, we write “a university” because the first sound of “university” is a consonant sound – the same sound as the beginning of “youth”.

The article “an” is used before a word that begins with a vowel sound even if the first letter is a consonant. The first sound when you pronounce “HDB” is / eӀ /, which is a vowel sound.

The stationeries have been distributed to all the staff.

The stationery has been distributed to all the staff.

Some nouns, such as “stationery”, “luggage”, “equipment”, “advice” and “jewellery”, are collective in nature and are classified as uncountable nouns, which do not have the plural form.

If an uncountable noun is used as the subject in a sentence, it uses a singular verb.

Use of Prepositions

Redundant Words

r.

We will discuss about this problem late We will discuss this problem later.

It will start at 8 am in the morning.

It will start at 8 am.

Please fill up the forms.

Please fill in the forms.

y The director will officiate the ceremon on 23 Dec 2009. e at the The director will officiat ceremony on 23 Dec 2009. sentence Prepositions often pose a problems in are: issue on comm e construction. Som t use of a using a wrong preposition; redundan on. ositi prep a of sion omis and on; ositi prep ary ion dict d goo Look up a for the correct preposition to use in the context.

He wants the blue colour file.

He wants the blue file.

 For a clear and concise message, avoid using redundant words which have the same meaning.

Courses conducted by Ms Audrey Lai at the Civil Service College include: · Standard English or Singlish for Communication · Grammar for Effective Communication · Editing and Proofreading Your Own Work, and Effective Use of the Dictionary for Speaking and Writing.

Please log on to www.cscollege.gov.sg for more information.

Opinion

30

Imagine Phua Chu Kang trying to speak Scottish English like Sir Alex Ferguson with a heavy Singlish accent and you’ll have some idea of what an excruciating assault this was on the eardrums.

Author Neil Humphreys writes regular columns for The Straits Times, Arena, Young Parents and Tiger Airways’ magazine.

His website is www. neilhumphreys.net

AFTER giving a talk to Raffles Institution students, I was once approached by a teenager who wouldn’t leave until I repeated the Toa Payoh KFC story which was mentioned in my first Singapore book.

Shortly after arriving in Singapore, my friend Scott popped into the Toa Payoh KFC, and said: “Ken ye ge’ me a tool piss clis-beh se’ wi’ cheps and a cork.”

I often wonder why the counter girl didn’t serve him a DIY tool kit and a wine bottle cork covered in urine.

Naturally, she failed to understand his strong Yorkshire accent (never mind Toa Payoh, there are people in Yorkshire who can’t understand Scott).

Later on, he mangled his language further when he tried to “localise” his unintelligible Yorkshire English by adding a dash of Singlish.

Imagine Phua Chu Kang trying to speak Scottish English like Sir Alex Ferguson with a heavy Singlish accent and you’ll have some idea of what an excruciating assault this was on the eardrums.

Scott’s order became: “A tool piss clisbeh se’ wi’ cheps and a cork, can lah?”

For those who did not complete their tertiary education at Leeds University, he was asking for a two-piece crispy chicken set with French fries (chips) and a coke.

Speaking good English isn’t only an act of courtesy; it can also save face.

TakeThePissOut OfGoodEnglish

An SIA stewardess friend of mine once served a businessman in Raffles class.

His suit was impeccable; his culinary tastes refined; his manners impeccable; his English atrocious.

When asked what drink he’d like to accompany his meal, he replied: “A large cock”.

I have been introduced to employees of government ministries whose Singlish was so colourful, it made Kumar look bland.

I have met maths teachers who treated the “th” diphthong like an UFO – they refused to believe it existed.

I recall a primary school teacher who said something like: “If you look at a square root, take tree and multiply it by tree,” and thinking why the hell is this guy talking about gardening?

When I was a speech and drama teacher, I remember discussing lesson plans with a colleague who said, “What shall the ‘team’ be?”

“You want a team?” I asked.

“Yeah, lah, each lesson must have a ‘team’, wha’.”

“How many teams do you want?”

“Can only have one team, right or not?”

“But if we divide the class into one team, then the team will just be, er, the entire class.”

He was thinking “themes”, but talking “teams”.

The common misconception is often that good (or standard) English is somehow superior and therefore other variants of English (Singlish, Yorkshire English, Aussie English or my original accent – London Cockney English) are inferior and reflect poorly on the individual.

That’s nonsense. Different environments require different codes of communication (try speaking the Queen’s English to a hawker seller and see how far you get), but good English is like American Express.

It’s accepted worldwide.

In Toa Payoh, you can say: “KFC damn shiok, I chope table, you order makan. Eh, my chicken mai hiam, can?”

In Leeds, you can say: “Ge’ me a tool piss clis-beh se’ wi’ cheps and a cork.”

But not the other way round, as Scott discovered in that KFC outlet.

When he said he wanted “tool piss”, the counter girl directed him towards the toilet.

31

Training

By Koh Tsin Yen and Donald Low

ThrivingInAComplexWorld When we flip through any major newspaper anywhere in the world, we get the impression that the world is a complex place that is full of surprises – the global financial crisis, increasingly erratic weather patterns, infectious diseases on the rise, more disruptions in food supply chains, instability and conflict in many regions that produce ripple effects in other parts of the world. Clearly, we live in a complex, interdependent, highly uncertain and unpredictable world.

Yet the way we have traditionally looked at the world and at policy development has not changed very much. For example, it is natural for one to assume as truth that (1) people behave rationally, that (2) cause and effect can be easily established, and that consequently (3) we can project the future with a high degree of confidence.

This “social engineering” approach to public policy – which sees the economy or society as a giant machine governed by stable, predictable causal relations – may have worked in the past, but would be woefully inadequate in dealing with today’s intractable policy problems.

In a more complex environment, causal relations cannot be easily established, problems are often interconnected in ways that are only poorly understood by observers, and they often evolve or mutate in ways that

cannot be predicted by linear projections or analysis.

The term “wicked problem” was coined to describe issues, which cannot be solved by traditional analytical approaches. These problems are difficult to define; they can be described in different ways depending on which perspective or mental model you adopt; and they are not easily solved because one problem may hide a deeper, underlying problem or one solution may create a different problem.

Many policy problems that we grapple with today are wicked problems. Dealing with the H1N1 virus is a case in point.

Early on, policymakers around the world lacked reliable information about the infectiousness and morbidity of the virus. The problem cannot be easily contained by conventional measures or protocols for dealing with infectious diseases. The nature of the problem is also still evolving, which means policymakers have to adapt flexibly rather than rely on well-rehearsed standard operating procedures developed from previous pandemics.

The broader question, therefore, is: What responses are available to policymakers who find themselves having to deal with a wicked problem?

A “complexity-sensitive approach” to public policy emphasises some of the following elements:

Sense-making: How do we make sense of a complex situation and identify patterns? What mental models do we employ? How do we bring different and diverse perspectives to bear so that we increase our chances of diagnosing the problem accurately?

Anticipation: How do we prepare ourselves for strategic surprises that we anticipate might happen, but not know what precise shape or form or timing of their occurence? How do we identify and seize opportunities?

Management and leadership: How can we manage systems and lead people in an environment where our events are constantly changing, often in unpredictable ways, and even our goals evolve in response to the changing circumstances?

Organisation: How can we help our organisations to stay nimble, adaptive and resilient?

The problem we face today is not just uncertainty about the future or our inability to predict it. The problem often lies in not being able to determine what the real problem is.

The “right” versus “wrong” solutions that we used to expect from traditional analysis now have to be replaced by a search for “better” rather than “worse” solutions. In a complex world, how we perceive the world matters just as much as what we perceive.

Donald Low is Head, Centre for Public Economics, Civil Service College (CSC), while Koh Tsin Yen is a Senior Researcher at the centre. One of the training areas that CSC offers focuses on managing in complex environments. Courses include “Complexity and the Limits of Rationality”, “Basic Systems Thinking: Creating High Leverage Strategies for Your Work and Life” and “Advanced Systems Thinking of Leading Change”.

They bring together various concepts and frameworks developed by complexity theorists and management experts to give participants a consistent, structured way to think and learn about complexity.

Lifestyle

32

Three public officers on overseas postings offer special glimpses into their adopted cities.

Compiled by Susan Tsang

Insider’sGuide As globalisation beckons, Singapore’s Public Service is going places, and its officers are packing their bags – and sometimes their families as well – and heading to foreign shores and climes. Besides flying the Singapore flag abroad, these public officers also gain from their exposure to different cultures and places. Challenge asked three officers in foreign postings to share their views of the cities in which they work.

We also asked them for their tips on rewarding places to see on a lightning visit, and their suggestions for souvenirs that capture the essence of the cities.

32_35 lifestyletravelogue 2.indd32 32

10/22/09 12:05:25 PM

BEIJING

EDWARD KOH REGIONAL DIRECTOR (GREATER CHINA), SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD.

Beijing is the capital of the most populous country in the world – China. “First-time visitors will be struck by its huge boulevards – the Chang An Avenue is the longest road in the world – and mammoth buildings,” says Mr Edward Koh.

First impressions Compared to Shanghai (where I lived for five years), I prefer the more cultural and refined ambience of Beijing, despite its poor traffic conditions and occasional air pollution. Beijingers are easy to make friends with, and along the way, you pick up a Beijing accent too.

What you can do in 24 hours MUST TASTE: Beijing Roast Duck (at Da Dong restaurant; reservations required) MUST VISIT: The Great Wall (there’s a Chinese saying that until you have visited the Great Wall, you can’t be a great man).

MUST EXPERIENCE: The flag-raising ceremonies at the Tiananmen Square and the Bird’s Nest (officially the Beijing National Stadium), where the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games was held.

Souvenir tip A Beijing Olympics souvenir.

32_35 lifestyletravelogue 2.indd33 33

10/22/09 12:06:58 PM

Lifestyle

34

WASHINGTON DC

GABRIEL AW CENTRE DIRECTOR (WASHINGTON DC), ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Washington DC is the capital of the US. Beyond being the political and military nerve centre of the US, it is also famous for its numerous museums and monuments.

First impressions When I first arrived in the US, I was struck by how warm and friendly Americans were with strangers, especially towards a foreigner like me.

This came across in the smallest things such as a cordial greeting in the elevator or at the store, or even to allow fellow drivers to pass along the road.

Another thing that impressed me was how receptive Americans are to new ideas. In my dealings with executives in the US, it is easy to exchange ideas, and introduce new opportunities for them in Singapore. These executives would also share their thoughts, opinions and challenge assumptions quite candidly.

What you can do in 24 hours See the White House – 1600

32_35 lifestyletravelogue 2.indd34 34

Pennsylvania Avenue is America’s most famous address.

Check out the Smithsonian museums along the National Mall. The Smithsonian Institute is the world’s largest museum complex and research organisation, with 19 museums, nine research centres and the National Zoo. Visit notable monuments such as the Capitol (the political centre of the US government and geographic centre of DC as well), the Lincoln Memorial and the National World War II Memorial, which is hauntingly beautiful at dusk.

Take in the Arlington National Cemetery, especially the tomb of JFK and the changing of the guard parade at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Souvenir tip Make it a point to get some of the bobble-head figurines of the American presidents – Clinton, Bush, Obama.

They are absolutely adorable and definitely fun to laugh at when you’re stressed!

10/22/09 12:10:47 PM

RIYADH

FEROZ SIDDIQUI CENTRE DIRECTOR (RIYADH), MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA, INTERNATIONAL ENTERPRISE SINGAPORE

Riyadh is the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is also the largest city in Saudi Arabia.

First impressions My first impression of Saudi Arabia was that everything here is XXL (Extra Extra Large) – be it roads, airports, buildings, or cars. As an example, the King Fahd International Airport, Dammam, is as large as Singapore city.

Culturally speaking, despite being a Muslim myself, it still took a while for me to adapt to the closure of everything (shops, malls, banks, government offices) during prayer time. So we have to be flexible and plan our working hours and meetings around these short closures.

However, the biggest adjustment still has to be the fact that women are not allowed to drive. This took a bit of getting used to initially, especially when my wife was used to driving about 100km every day in Doha fetching the kids to and from school.

32_35 lifestyletravelogue 2.indd35 35

What you can do in 24 hours Start with a traditional Saudi breakfast – a paste of mashed beans topped with olive oil. Follow that up with a visit to the Kingdom tower and the Faisalya tower.

Lunch would be in Riyadh Chinese Restaurant run by Mr Choo, a Singaporean who has been living here for more than 30 years. In the late afternoon, take a drive into the desert for a spin in the vast, endless sand, and then go for some evening shopping at the Dira antique souk or the Gold souk on Tumeiri Street.

To end the day, I would recommend a late dinner at Najd village, which serves authentic local Arabic cuisine with a traditional Saudi “kampong” ambience.

Souvenir tip A visit to the kingdom would be incomplete if you have not brought back dates of various kinds, my favourite being Medjool and Ambara.

10/22/09 12:09:32 PM

Food

36

“As an engineering person, I know how to customise our ice cream displays to suit the types of flavours we have, whereas Eunice, being someone who needed creativity in her job, is the chef who develops the recipes and techniques of making ice cream.”

PHOto: Winston chuang

Chronos Chan, Tom’s Palette

These ice cream parlours do not serve your regular flavours but they go the extra mile to concoct something different. Challenge presents these special scoops.

CrèmeDe LaCrème

PHOTOS: WINSTON CHUANG

Tom’s Palette

Set up in September 2005 by the husband and wife team of Chronos Chan and Eunice Soon, Tom’s Palette serves up an array of daring ice cream blends. Although both come from technical backgrounds – he, an engineer and she, a digital media designer – they are able to draw from their previous job experiences when developing their concept ice cream parlour.

“As an engineering person, I know how to customise our ice cream displays to suit the types of flavours we have, whereas Eunice, being someone who needed creativity in her job, is the chef who develops the recipes and techniques of making ice cream,” says Chronos. Currently, Tom’s Palette offers a whopping 70-plus flavours that are being rotated all the time.

Our Picks

1. Rosemary Apple This blend of rosemary and apple is a delightful tease to the senses with its aromatic, sweet flavour.

2. Chilli Chocolate With chilli padi as an ingredient, this is one radical mix you should try. Savour the sweet taste of chocolate before bracing yourself for the sharp, yet pleasant chilli padi aftertaste.

3. Longan Red Dates If you are looking to quench your thirst, do it with this pleasing mix of sweet longan and wholesome red dates.

4. Luo Han Guo (Chinese Herbal Fruit) Want something sweet without the sugar? This blend is for you. Infused with luo han guo, it has all the natural sweetness reminiscent of gula melaka.

5. Chocolate Stout The adventurous will dig this. Rich in high cocoa content and mixed with ABC Stout, this is a contrast of tastes – extra creamy with a dash of bitterness.

Price: $2.50 (small cup); $3.40 (medium); $4.40 (large); $11.80 (takeaway tub) Where: #01-25, Shaw Tower, 100 Beach Road Operating hours: 12pm – 9.30pm

Food

38

Ice Cream Chefs

Durian Decadence and Chocolate & Hershey’s

Jeremy Wee has always had a sweet tooth, and in 2007, he thought it would be an excellent idea to translate his passion for sweets and desserts into a business. He duly worked his passion into a viable venture with his partner Darren Phang, and has never looked back.

Jeremy believes in quality and ensures overrun – the amount of air whipped into ice cream – is kept at a minimum to bring out the flavours of the ice cream while using less sugar and fat. The main draw lies in Jeremy’s use of fresh fruits like watermelon, honeydew, durian, strawberries and mangoes. To top it off, a wide range of mix-ins – such as chocolates, candies, cereals, biscuits and brownies – can be added to the ice cream for a munching good time.

Mango Peach Fuz

Our Picks

1. Durian Decadence and Chocolate & Hershey’s The best-seller, made with unadulterated durian flesh, allied with chocolate and Hershey’s ice-cream and mixed in with hazelnut Loackers (a brand of biscuits), is absolute bliss.

A sensory trip you never want to return from.

2. Mango Peach Fuz Mixed in with fruity pebbles, it is crunchy, sweet and ever so addictive.

3. Honeydew and Watermelony Mixed in with fruit loops, this concoction is light to the taste yet full-bodied.

Honeydew and Watermelony

4. Kaya Lotee Conjured from real kaya (coconut jam) and layered bread crumbs, and mixed in with caramelised biscuits, this blend hits you like a bolt from the blue and leaves you wanting more.

5. Crème Brûlée Created to appeal to Jeremy’s girlfriend’s taste, who is a dedicated dessert fan, this ice cream, with its rich ice cream base laced with a generous spread of Kinder Bueno, oozes creamy warmth.

Price: $3.10 (Regular, one flavour); $4.80 (Large, two flavours); additional 90 cents for each mix-in Where: #01-06, 520 East Coast Road Operating hours: 1pm – 10pm (Monday – Thursday); 1pm – 11pm (Friday – Sunday & eve of Public Holidays)

39

Food

Food

40

The Ice Cream Gallery Being ice cream fans, former librarian Ann Yik and her husband regularly sample different kinds of ice cream, from premium American imported brands to locally made ice cream. They decided to combine the two to create a distinctively local premium brand of their own; and their business was born in 2004.

Ann does not subscribe to using ingredients simply for their unique flavours. Instead, she mixes common ingredients to form something that is distinct in taste. “I believe in creating new experiences,” she says. Her ice cream is also egg-free, thus healthier and also appeals to vegetarians.

Our Picks

1. Sea Salt Caramel With a rich base of burnt sugar tinged with sea salt and studded with crunchy toasted almonds, this blend explodes in your mouth with a multitude of flavours.

2. Mango Lassi This mixture of mango and natural yogurt with toasted pistachio exudes a tangy tinge meshed with fruity sweetness.

3. Lime Lemongrass Sorbet Fragrant, juicy and accompanied by a spicy aftertaste, this blend of lime and lemongrass is certainly a special flavour.

4. Lemon Blueberry This blend is a vigorous workout for your palate with its creamy base of yellow lemons and swirls of whole blueberries.

5. Kirsch Cherry If you are looking for a rush, knock back some Kirsch liqueur and whole dark amarene cherries. Surreal, yet pleasant.

Price: $3.30 (per scoop); $9.80 (per 500ml tub) Where: #01-20, Valley Point, 491 River Valley Road Operating hours: 11.30am – 9.30pm (Monday – Thursday); 11.30am – 10pm (Friday); 12pm – 10pm (Saturday); 1pm – 9.30pm (Sunday)

25 The Short Takes Last Page

KnowYour Heritage How much do you know about the vibrant heritage scene in singapore?

1. Which of the following museums is/are operated under the National Heritage Board (NHB)?

A B. C D

8Q sam Memories at Old Ford Factory Singapore Art Museum All of the above

2. The theme for this year’s Singapore HeritageFest (SHF) is:

A B. C D

Know Your Heritage.

What’s Your Heritage?

Who’s Your Neighbour?

Who’s Your Friend?

Send in your answers today!

Online: www.challenge.gov.sg E-mail: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Fax: 6333-4010 Post: PS21 Office, The Treasury, 100 High Street, #02-03, Singapore 179434 Include your name, e-mail, agency and telephone number. All winners will be informed via e-mail.

Deadline for submission: Dec 17, 2009 Compiled By Edmund soo

3. Which of the following museums is housed in a restored 19th century mission school?

A B. C D

National Museum Singapore Peranakan Museum Asian Civilisations Museum Singapore Art Museum

4. Where can one post letters or postcards through the only operational colonial posting box in Singapore?

A B. C D

Singapore Philatelic Museum Reflections at Bukit Chandu Memories at Old Ford Factory All of the above

5. Under which URL address can you find Singapore’s Heritage, Museums and Nostalgia Blog?

A B. C D

www.Today.sg www.Yesterday.sg www.Tomorrow.gov.sg www.heritage.gov.sg

ll thse a t e G swer d an ct an cortraend toie s ov ! winum hers vo c

Be the Agent of

CHANGE

Join other agents at

PS21 ExCEL Convention 2009

2-5 November 2009 • HDB Hub, Basement 1

LEARNING JOURNEYS

TALKS

• Harbour Cruise

• Climb Your Own “Everest” • Blazing the Trail: 1st ever Youth Olympic Games

• Land Transport Gallery • Singapore Botanic Gardens • Tour of Fusion World

WORKSHOPS

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http://excel09.ps21.gov.sg