Challenge November - December 2011

2011 MBER ECE /D R BE NOVEM

W h a t w i l l i t ta k e f o r u s to m a r r y S i n gapo r e ?

PLUS Do your part to save the Earth: Eat insects | Why saying ‘Sorr y’ is so tough

Cover STORY 08

From Liveable to Lovable City

Ingredients for a “Love Singapore” potion

FEATURES 05

what dinosaurs and kiam-chye looking reefs have in common

Prof Peter Ng of the Raffles Museum explains

14 SENTOSA: GROWING WILD

The party island has other kinds of wildlife worth noting

32 HOW TO COPY RIGHT

Rules to remember when using non

original or copyrighted content

34

spice for life

Part 4 of a series on Unsung Heroes: Rahmat bin Adban of the National Parks Board

HIGHLIGHTS 04 NEWS FROM THE SERVICE

ON THE JOB

Try eating insects

lifestyle 19

8 pages of tips to get smarter in life

38

life.style WALK ON THE GREEN SIDE

Challenge picks five ways you can travel to connect with nature

44

The Irreverent Last Page GREEN IRONY

The Challenge PullOut THE how-to issue

Sorry

ごめんなさい

Doleo

02 Inbox Your views on the Sep/Oct issue of Challenge

03 Your Say

would you take a 20% pay cut for a 4-day work week?

Ma’af

Readers share their views

18 Thinking Aloud

“OISHII NEI!” SLUDGE BURGER, ANYONE?

There are better ways to use sludge than eat it, says NTU Prof Wang Jing-Yuan

27

Letters to a Young Public Officer ON FINDING HAPPINESS

SPRING Singapore Chairman Philip Yeo shares three life lessons

28

A Cuppa With… “sometimes public officers take themselves too seriously.”

Dean and CEO (CSC) and Deputy Secretary (Development) of PSD Lionel Yeo offers his takes on life and work

30

Word on the street WHY IS IT SO HARD TO SAY SORRY?

Management consultant Wendy Tan makes no apologies about losing face

28

Good intentions don’t always reap great results

VIEWPOINTS

05

16 THE BIG IDEA BUGGED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT?

Je suis désolé

Jag är ledsen

对 不 起

Lo siento

November/De

HOW TO SAVE A WET HANDPHONE For those times when your phone goes for an unexpected swim.

Remove the batter y and everything else that can be easily dismantled.

30

HOW TO BREAK IN NEW SHOES

HOW-TO issue

Dr y your phone with a cloth and use a vacuum cleaner to suck all the moisture out of it.

Give it a few hours and say a quick prayer before attempting to switch on your phone again. Good luck.

cember 2011

The

Save yourself the price and pain of beauty by breaking them in.

19-26 Challenge compiles a handy guide for all the things you have always wished you knew how to do, but have never gotten round to learning. From getting rid of hangovers to being a geek, we’ve got you covered.

HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF

19

Wear them in the house for a few hours daily with a pair of thick cotton socks until they’re stretched to the right fit. You can also try using sandpaper on the soles to make them less slippery and easier to walk in.

pages of tips to get smarter in life

TIP MAKE THOSE SHOES LAST Avoid wearing the same pair of shoes two days in a row. Allow at least a day for the insides to air out.

Um... what's your name?

Uh... do I know you?

PU

Inspired by the movie Miss Congeniality, we encourage everyone to remember to S-I-N-G: solar plexus, instep, nose and groin. This will def initely leave your assailant singing like a soprano. Ow. Nose!

LLOUT

HOW TO ASK SOMEONE’S NAME...

Avoid the awkward moment of failing to recall names with these tips.

Solar plexus!

Groin!

The “introduce a friend” trick. Get a friend who doesn’t know the person to introduce themselves. Make sure you perk up your ears at the crucial moment.

Start the conversation without using any names. Then hope desperately that you will remember their names during the conversation itself.

!

Instep

14

O L L HE

Goats for Christmas, Anyone?

I can’t believe how quickly this year has flown by, and we’re at that time of the year again. This issue of Challenge is broadly themed “sustainable” and is our attempt to spark some thought in this area as we start to wind down (hopefully!) for the year. It ’s no secret that our Earth is aching from abuse but I suppose the real question is what we’re doing about it. In my travels to the UK (I have a soft spot for it since I studied there), I’ve noticed a trend towards “green” and “sustainable” – supermarkets and food producers alike are branding their products and services as being “sourced with integrity”, natural, local and pledged towards contributing to the community and environment. Obviously, there is a demand for this too – consumers are willing to pay more for “Fairtrade” labelled products and are drawn to the proclamations of freshness and fairness.

With “sustainability” becoming an industry in itself, I wonder if Singapore will catch on to this wave. If there is a happy marriage between sustainability and profitability, what ’s stopping us? Besides, it is all about a lifestyle these days, and not just about putting our trash in the recycle bins. That ’s probably the only “sustainable” thing I faithfully do, though I wonder why most of my neighbours’ recycle bins are empty when we don’t even need to separate paper from plastics or wash labels off food containers. Speaking of marriage, our cover story uncovers what it might take for us to say “I do” to Singapore and really cherish it as our own. And we bring you surprising pictures of Sentosa’s biodiversity and its efforts to preserve its sustainability DNA.

If there is a happy marriage between sustainability and profitability, what’s stopping us?

If you’re looking to travel, check out our eco-destinations under Life.Style. Or try a new trick or tip from our ultimate “How-To” Pullout. Challenge launches our latest readers’ survey – tell us what you like and what you don’t, so that we can continue to bring you more great issues. And now, let me settle down to enjoying my favourite season of the year – and perhaps buy a few goats and chicks from World Vision for a few of my lucky urban friends for Christmas. ;) Happy holidays from all of us at Challenge!

OBER 2011 BER / OCT SEPTEM

Publisher

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

INBOX INBOX

100 High Street, #07-01 The Treasury Singapore 179434 Email : psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Web : www.challenge.gov.sg

For enquiries or feedback on Challenge, please write to the Challenge Editorial Team at psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg.

Editorial Advisor

Agnes Kwek Editor

Tay Li Shing

Assistant Editor

Shaun Khiu

I have to say, this month’s Challenge magazine looks really good!

Keep up the good work.

Asanthi Mendis MCYS

Eric Loy

Tuber Productions Pte Ltd

Management Director

Lee Han Shih

Managing Director

Weiling Wong Project Director

Liew Wei Ping Project Manager

Leong May Yin

Editorial

Contributing Editor

Bridgette See

Editorial Consultant

Koh Buck Song Staff Writer

Chen Jingting Intern

Abigail Kang & Ng Swan Yee Contributors

The approach for the article

‘Making them a cut above the rest’

where you trail former hairstylist Luke Arthur Lim for a day

is a great way to celebrate public sector heroes.

It makes great stories because it is grounded in the everyday instead of the abstract.

George Ng

$2 Pg 39

The One-der map and $2 food pages were very interesting but...

Editorial Assistant

298 River Valley Road Level 2 Singapore 238339 Tel : 6836-4030 Fax : 6836-4029 Email : info@tuberproductions.com Web : www.tuberproductions.com

PLUS FILL YOUR STOMACH FOR JUST

IN A WE NEED WHAT DO MPLEX WORLD? INSIDE MORE COEARER PICTURE GET A CL

I spotted a mistake in the “The Art of Cool” pullout. The most expensive painting in the world is Jackson Pollock’s No.5, 1948, which sold for US$140m in 2006. According to Wikipedia, Picasso’s Nude, Green Leaves and Bust ranks 7th on the list.

Jonathan Ng PSD

(Ed: Sorry for the mistake.

We should have specified that Picasso’s piece was the world’s most expensive artwork sold at an auction sale.)

DesignSingapore Council

Ryandall Lim, Siti Maziah Masramli, Debby Ng, Sheralyn Tay & Wong Sher Maine

Creative

Creative Director

Graphic Designer

Ng Shi Wei

Take the

Production Manager

Nurul Malik

Staff Photog rapher

Farhan Darma

Cont ributing Photog raphers

John Heng (www.daphotographer.com) Lumina Studio (www.animulstudio.com)

All information correct at time of printing.

Printed by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd (Registration No: 197801823M) 57 Loyang Drive Singapore 508968

Here’s your chance to let us know how we’re doing and how we can improve. Go to www.challenge.gov.sg/survey2011, complete the short 10-minute survey, and you will stand a chance to win $700 in Takashimaya vouchers!

You have until December 16, 2011 to participate in the survey.

Do note that only online submissions will be considered and you are allowed to participate only once. Multiple submissions may disqualify you from the lucky draw.

s

Challenge is published bimonthly by Tuber Productions Pte Ltd (Registration No: 200703697K) for PS21 Office, Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office. 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 or Tuber Productions Pte Ltd and no liabilities shall be attached there to.

All rights reserved.

Readership Survey

0

Yip Siew Fei

er in w ch to vou e nc ya ha a a c shim d an k a St Ta in

Art Director

0 $7

Ashik

Your Say03

YAY

NAY

If we work like we’re going on holiday on Fridays, we could get all our work done in four days. It takes concentration, dedication and zero tolerance to distractions. The reward is an extra 52 days off a year. To do this, I would make a reasonable list daily and work through it methodically. I would go for a movie, visit the park with my kids or take up a new hobby.

As enticing as it sounds, our pay just isn’t enough to keep up with inflation to cope with a 20% cut.

Parents: Scrap the overseas trip.

Kids: We’re going to East Coast Park for the holidays. Married couples: You’re moving back to your parents’. To spend the day out, we would incur extra spending.

A teaspoon of pay cut and a ladle of expenditure makes an age-old recipe for disaster.

Lynna Tan

Anwar Bin Asger Ali

Both money and time are valuable means to a more comfortable and fulfilled life.

But as a middle-aged mother, my perspective has changed over the years. I don’t remember much of my childhood as my parents were busy but I remember the times my mom spent a rare evening with me. Our family will always remember the experiences shared with us. Would I sacrifice 20% of my pay for a day off ? Yes. Will I be poorer for it? Financially yes but it will be worth it.

I want more pay so I’ve more money to shop with. I enjoy the challenge and can use my vacation leave if I need a break. As Prince Henry said in Henry IV (Part I): “If all the year were playing holidays, To sport would be as tedious as to work.” And yes, this applies even if three days of every week were “playing holidays” too.

SPF

BCA

Eunice Sui MCYS

Engaging the public – overrated or necessary?

Involving the public will deliver more effective policies and services, but may also require us to put in more time and resources.

Is it worth it? Tell us what you think!

Email us: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg The best entry will win an attractive All other prize worth up to published entries will win shopping vouchers worth each. Please include your name, agency email address, agency and contact number.

$100!

$30

All entries should reach us by November 27, 2011.

We asked readers for their views.

“Sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward,” says writer John Colanzi.

Wo rk i n g Leong Wai Kheng adults often Melissa miss the beauty People’s Association of this statement, losing sight that time does not necessarily equate to efficiency. A p e r s o n wo rk i n g s e ve n d ay s a we e k m i g h t n o t produce better qualit y work than someone focused on the task for four days. Take the time to smell the roses.

One should strive to have work-life balance, working on yourself first before having the energy to work on other aspects of your life. So, take 20% of my pay if you may! Who knows, with the renewed energy, I might soon be slated for promotion!

Congratulations Melissa for sharing your views with us. Here’s $100 in Kinokuniya vouchers so you can kick back and relax with a novel, some magazines, or even a DVD. No need for a pay cut to enjoy life, in this case!

Nazeera Ebrahim ICA

I’m a recent graduate bursting with energy and wanting to channel it to doing something worthwhile. A four-day week is unacceptable as I’ve so much to contribute to. Enjoyment is often tied to indulgence, which requires money. I can’t afford to be indulgent two days a week let alone three. Anyone happy to accept a shorter work week must be rich, self-indulgent and probably not too dedicated to the job. If they believed in their job’s value to society, they wouldn’t dare work any less hard than the people whose activity they are regulating or than those they’re protecting.

My work is important to me. It’s not a form of entertainment.

Sudhanshu Ahuja MAS

EDITOR: Wow, this was a question close to readers’ hearts as more than 200 of you responded. Please go to www.challenge.gov. sg for more views.

04 Highlights

NEWS

Coming up...

from the

SERVICE VITAL CLINCHES AWARD AT 14TH ASIA PACIFIC SHARED SERVICE & OUTSOURCING 2011 V ital, a shared ser vices department of the Ministry of Finance, edged out some 450 Asia Pacific entries to win the Excellence in People & Communications category at the 14th Shared Services & Outsourcing 2011, beating three other contenders from P r o c t o r & G a m b l e , P T. Bank Mandiri, Indonesia, and Genpact. V ital came in second to Microsoft in the Excellence in Customer Ser vice categor y, and was Vital Chief Executive Clarence Ti (left) receiving the award for Excellence in People & Communications from Mr G V awarded an Honourable Prasad, Executive Vice President of AXA Business Services.

Mention. It edged out Citibank, Accenture, Maersk Global Shared Services and National Healthcare Group in this category.

Vital’s Chief Executive Clarence Ti said: “For long-term sustainability, there must be a social compact between employees and the organisation.

It is our belief that we must never treat our people as economic digits in a transaction processing centre but as a family community at work.”

PUBLIC SERVICE STAFF CONFERENCE 2011 This year’s Public Service Staff Conference “Being Exceptional: The Journey Ahead” took place on October 10, 2011. Head of Civil Service, Mr Peter Ong shared with 1,200 senior public officers that while Singapore and the Public Service have Closing plenary session chaired by Mr Peter Ong, Head of Civil been exceptional in Service (third from left) at the Public Service Staff Conference 2011. many areas thus far, the Service needs to actively transform in order to remain distinctive. Mr Ong identified two areas for the Public Service to focus on: policy-making with a heart and public engagement. Mr Loh Khum Yean, Perm Sec (Manpower), and Mr Chew Hock Yong, Chief Executive of the Land Transport Authority also spoke at the conference, sharing their agencies’ experiences in these areas. www.flickevents.com/pssc2011

Credit: Science Centre Singapore

DINOSAURS – LIVE! This dramatic exhibition reflects current scientific evidence of these colossal creatures and their environments and opens a window on a world lost to history. On display are dinosaurs from all prehistoric periods. Don’t miss the towering animatronic creatures in action! Now till February 26, 2012 at the Science Centre Singapore. Tickets at bit.ly/dinosaurslive.

NEW BOOK ON BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS The Civil Service College launches its new book Behavioural Eco n o m i c s a n d Po l i c y D e s i g n : Examples from Singapore on November 9, 2011. The book shows how successful policies in Singapore integrated conventional economic principles with insights from the emerging field of behavioural economics even before the latter became popular. www.flickevents.com/BESymposium

20TH WORLD ORCHID SHOW IN SINGAPORE A must-see event for orchid lovers, the 20th edition of the World Orchid Show will have the finest and rarest orchids on display at Marina Bay Sands Singapore from November 13-20, 2011. Visitors can also catch a sneak preview of the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay, ahead of its opening in 2012. www.20woc.com.sg

Fairy Point Chalet 7

The Changi Cottage and Fairy Point Chalet 7 (part of Aloha Resorts in Changi) have been newly refurbished. Now you can host a party or have a quiet beachside staycation in greater comfort. www.aloharesorts.com.sg.

What and kiam chye-looking reefs have in common To Professor Peter Ng, the Director of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity and Research, they help us understand biodiversity a little more.

Te x t by

Bridgette See

P h o to s by

Lumina Studio

I’M A HYPOCRITE TOO “We’re all guilty of something,” says Prof Ng, who recently co-authored the first Encyclopaedia of Singapore’s Biodiversity.

“I don’t drive but I still call myself a hypocrite because I enjoy sitting in an airconditioned room and using my computer.”

PROFESSOR PETER NG leans in and, in a hushed conspiratorial tone, goes: “ To be a successful museum, other than having a good endowment, it must have… dinosaurs.” He pauses dramatically, then intones: “Dinosaurs attract people like nothing else can.”

When Challenge first met the Director of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity and Research in August, his team was scrambling to raise money to buy a family of dinosaurs from the USA. He was convinced they would be the perfect centrepiece for the new Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum when it opens in 2014. (See “Coming Full Circle”.)

After missing a July deadline, the Museum bought time and raised enough funds in September to buy three authentic skeletons of giant diplodocid sauropod (long-necked) dinosaurs.

Why the doggedness? Is he obsessed about dinosaurs? No, he replies flatly, it is a sound investment.

Prof Ng recalls a $1m dinosaur exhibit the Museum organised with the Science

Centre some years ago. Tickets sold like hot cakes, and costs were recovered in six months, with profits to boot. “And the visitors knew they were just seeing replica bones,” he adds, with a grin. So when the Museum was offered a chance to buy genuine ones in April – at a price they felt reasonable – they grabbed it.

Dinosaurs are a draw

Six years ago, Prof Ng began to look into museum planning intensively after the then National Heritage Board Chairman Tommy Koh suggested setting up a national natural history museum. He arrived at two conclusions after visiting the most successful ones in the US and Europe.

One: Museums with private endowments have a more sustainable business model as they can survive tough economic times – this is how future museums will be run.

Two: If “you have dinosaurs, you’re in business” as they are crowd-pullers.

Prof Ng recounts how former President S R Nathan was awed when he held

some genuine dinosaur fossils: “The President asked, ‘Is this real?’ That sense of wonderment can’t be hidden – not even in adults. The reaction was fantastic.”

Hard-sell

But while the natural history museum had unanimous support, some donors were not convinced that dinosaurs were relevant to Southeast Asian biodiversity.

They weren’t found here. They’re a waste of space and money. You don’t need to spend millions on gimmicky dinos, critics said.

But the Museum was undeterred, saying it had good scientific and educational reasons for wanting dinosaurs. It will set up a History of Life gallery to explain evolution, with the sauropods as key exhibits. A donor appeal letter read: “When dinosaurs walked the Earth over 100 million years ago, Singapore was part of a mega continent that had such giants… Dinosaurs will help (us) understand the biodiversity, climate change and extinction challenges now facing mankind and the planet.”

Feature07

COMING FULL CIRCLE

The Raffles Museum was started in 1849. From 1970 to 1987, it was a semi-nomadic collection until it found a permanent home in NUS. The impetus to have a full-fledged museum came after 3000 visitors thronged the little-known gallery on Museum Open House Day 2009. News of how it failed to cope with the crowd led a donor to put down $10m towards the construction of a new facility. In 2010, another $36m was raised, with the museum to be renamed the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum when it opens, in NUS, in 2014.

Is there a risk they’ll destroy (the dinosaurs)?

Yes. But is the risk worth it?

Yes! Prof Ng, a firm believer in public education and outreach, wants to have a supervised corner where children can handle real fossil fragments (not from the three dinosaurs but from nearby excavation sites in Wyoming, USA).

“Is there a risk they’ll destroy them?

Yes. But is the risk worth it? Yes! We live in a very video- and IT-centric world, so touching something real helps kids to identify with the real thing and hopefully gets them excited enough to want to do Science!”

With the dinosaurs funded by private money, the Government will give a matching grant. This endowment will provide scholarships to study Southeast Asian biodiversity, the raison d’être of the Museum currently located within the National University of Singapore.

Find out how the Raffles Museum narrowly escaped the junkyard at Challenge Online www.challenge. gov.sg.

MUCH MORE TO SEE Currently there are thousands more specimens (left) that are not exhibited in the Raffles Museum gallery due to a lack of space.

When the new museum is ready, more of them will be seen by visitors.

Natural heritage in our cultural DNA

Over the years, the Raffles Museum evolved from being a “reference collection” for scientists, to having a public gallery with an education outreach arm.

Its staff have studied and catalogued specimens from the region, including Singapore’s coastal areas such as Chek Jawa, and have contributed to the discovery of new species from all over Southeast Asia. “(Our local reefs) are so kiam chye (ugly like salted vegetables) so why do we keep them? So I can boast about our biodiversity… Because no matter how sad our reefs are, they are ours,” says Prof Ng with indignation and pride, “especially since if we conserve and manage them well, the reefs can only get better over time.”

The biologist is adamant that natural heritage contributes to a nation’s identity but is frustrated that it has been overlooked. “People say it’s just science, but it ’s... linked to our (collective) memory and culture.” The changi and tampines trees that estates have been named after are nearly extinct; flying foxes are long gone.

But even the feisty professor has learnt to “give and take” in the struggle to preserve natural heritage: “You can’t conserve all, but you can do your best.”

But he expects Singapore, as a first world economy, to walk the sustainability talk better than before.

“Thirty years ago, you couldn’t stop the destruction of Chek Jawa. People would have laughed at you (for trying)” as bread-and-butter issues were critical then.

Happily, he observes, environmental education has increased vastly with schools improving their curricula, civil society becoming more active and young people taking keener interest. The secluded Raffles Museum, currently displaying a fraction of its 500,000 specimens, has become a popular school visit destination.

The Lee Kong Chian Museum is set to take biodiversity awareness to a new level. Visitors can step back in time to see Singapore’s lost flora and fauna.

“What was here during (Sir Stamford) Raffles’ time? The (new) museum will unlock that,” promises Prof Ng.

What will it take to love and “marry� Singapore, as if it were a person? Debby Ng looks at some ingredients for a love potion for Singaporeans.

Cover Story09 On M arch 19, 2011, some 1,600 people gathered in a park ing lot in downtown Durham to shout out the words, “I do”. The people of the American cit y had simply got enough of f lirting around and decided to make a commitment to a shared and sustainable Durham, capital of North Carolina state.

They vowed to keep their streets clean and safe, protect natural resources, shop locally, support the arts and local non-prof it organisations, cherish diversit y, and elect responsible leaders.

So what is it that ignites this sort of passion bet ween people and their cities?

“The mutual love affair bet ween people and their place is one of the most powerful inf luences in our lives, yet we rarely think of it in terms of a relationship,” writes Peter Kageyama in his book For the Love of Cities: The love affair between people and their places. “ We all recognise that when children, pets, plants or even objects are loved, they thrive (yes, objects – just look at the car of someone who loves it). So this emotional dimension to infrastructure should not be seen as superf luous,” writes Mr Kageyama.

The importance of cit y design – how its physical spaces and architecture can bring people together to create memories, communities and positive aff iliation – has been increasingly emphasised by pundits.

(Read Suzanne Lennard ’s Cities for Kids in Challenge Sep/Oct 2010).

But there are other factors beyond the built environment. A threeyear Gallup study of 26 American cities (Knight Soul of the Community) focusing on residents’ emotional attachment to their communities found three main qualities: social

I DO! offerings (entertainment venues and places to meet), openness (how welcoming a place is, how diverse it is), and the area’s aesthetics (physical beaut y and green spaces). The study also found that cities with the highest levels of attachment had the highest GDP growth.

So what of Singapore? Is it as lovable as it is liveable? There is increasing evidence that residents are falling in love and becoming more passionate about the cit y, particularly relating to the environment and sustainabilit y. Through this lens, Challenge examines some factors contributing to this love – especially the actions of civil societ y, individuals and government agencies – and whether more can be done to make sparks f ly.

Speak up, love

In her 2008 book Government, Politics and the Environment – A Singapore Study, Hong Kong Universit y social sciences professor Maria Francesch-Huidobro argues that, with Singapore’s “ highly centralised power structure and the government’s good management records, the scenario is set for rather unequal power distribution bet ween the government and NGOs, and little room for power sharing or even participation of civil societ y groups in the running of public affairs.”

But the nature of this relationship has changed as the political space given for NGOs has grown. In 2004, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stated in a landmark speech to the Har vard Club that he had “no doubt our societ y must open up further.”

As recently as September this year, hundreds of people concerned about

the welfare of dolphins bought by Resorts World Singapore gathered at Hong Lim Park to make a stand for their release back into the wild.

In October, the Nature Societ y (Singapore) submitted a proposal, The Green Corridor: A Proposal to Keep the Railway Lands as a Continuous Green Corridor, to the government; the f irst time a collective of interest groups led by civil societ y has taken initiative so actively.

Such movements would not have happened this way in the 90s.

Steps

to Fall in Love With Your City 1 Open up communication channels – Every date begins with a phone call. Open up a channel and make it known!

2 Research and scout – Browse around and find out who’s interested in the same things you are! It’s easier to communicate with someone who has a shared interest!

3 Make contact – Set up a date to meet and have a chat.

4 Make more contact! Keep checking that you still share the same ideas and interest. If not, what’s changed?

5 Commit to the process – staying in love is a work in progress. Make regular contact, sound out ideas, discuss and resolve disagreements. Return to step one to make new contacts and share the love!

Times have changed and people today are educated.

Institutions should be open to listening to, and receiving, effective criticism.

Walks in the park

In the past decade, public education helped foster greater appreciation of the environment, especially among young Singaporeans. Private initiatives have sprung up to encourage learning and ref lection through interaction with the natural environment.

For instance, Kampung Temasek (w w w.kampungtemasek.org) in Johor Bahru was founded by architect Tay K heng Soon to be an “outdoor laborator y” for Singapore schools to run their curricula.

The Ground-Up Initiative (see sidebar), based at the Bottle Tree Park, is work ing to nurture environmentally-conscious life practices. Volunteers, educators, or anyone with something to share can realise their personal capacit y to contribute to their communit y through projects in the park, and they can immediately ref lect on the outcome of their participation.

In these spaces, diversit y is embraced so anyone can be an educator, because ever yone has something to teach. Interests are not conf ined to living green but to living on the whole, so people f ind many ways to resonate with their communities. Collectives like these can nurture a sense of shared goals and an inspired communit y.

Shared ownership

For decades, Singaporeans have known the Public Utilities Board (PUB) as a utilit y agency you pay bills to. These days, PUB is tr ying hard to change its image to that of

get in touch with yourself The Ground-Up Initiative (GUI), is a growing community of people that is taking the initiative to create the world we all want from the ground up.

Through the power of community from all walks of life – local and foreign – they are realising the dream of building a centre, called Sustainable

Living Kampung, to foster social and environmental consciousness through programmes and activities that emphasise living in harmony with the earth and how to get in touch with ourselves.

to remain relevant and people on the ground need the agencies’ support to get around blind spots that policies, being administrative tools, overlook,” said Chia Chia, a full-time volunteer with GUI.

“Policy-makers need to have an understanding of ground situations

Learn more: www. groundupinitiative.org

Cover Story11 an organisation that wants to interact with Singaporeans to discuss the issue of water.

Pulau Hantu

PULAU

The “3P Partnership for Environmental Sustainabilit y” was launched in 2001 to gather public views on the Singapore Green Plan 2012, and to promote closer coordination among government agencies and greater public consultation.

Ms Lau Ying Shan, Senior Off icer at the PUB’s People, Public and Private (3P) Net work Department, meets with communit y members at People’s Association (PA) Centres regularly after off ice hours, to gain a better understanding of how grassroots leaders are tr ying to engage their communities to become more involved with the spaces they share with water, such as at the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) sites.

She believes that the more a project is built (literally) by a communit y , the better assurance of success, as the participants are passionate and have a sense of ownership. “ We have become used to letting [government agencies] make decisions for us because they were deemed the experts. Perhaps this was the case when the PUB was set up in the 60s and citizens had little, if any, understanding of these issues, but times have changed and people today are educated. Institutions should be open to listening to, and receiving, effective criticism.”

Ms Sharon Chan, Assistant Director at the National Parks Board (NParks), shares Ms Lau’s sentiments. “People must believe in what they’re doing before we can see change. If we don’t believe in it, and it was just a top-down approach, things will still happen but the product will be different, and the ownership too.”

Nature Societ y President Shawn Lum obser ves that civil societ y groups are now being routinely consulted or engaged informally by government agencies. “This would have been unthinkable 20 or even

work out your differences In 2005, volunteer groups The Hantu Bloggers and Blue Water Volunteers wrote a letter to the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) and Shell Petrochemicals expressing concern that a reclamation project on Pulau Ular were threatening the coral reefs of Pulau Hantu, an island teeming with marine life.

Online awareness campaigns educated the public about the plans and its potential damage, which led JTC and Shell to work together with the groups to mitigate the environmental impact of the reclamation and remain in communication with the groups during the process.

A blog that followed the dialogue process helped bolster Shell’s image of working together with, instead of against, the community. It was the first time in Shell’s 50-year history of operations in Singapore that they had engaged with NGOs. Learn more: www.pulauhantu.org, www.bluewatervolunteers.org

10 years ago. Statutor y boards have begun to realise that it is actually benef icial to listen to interest groups.”

“NGOs complement government agencies by addressing issues outside the jurisdiction of these agencies,” adds Dr Lum. “NParks is focused on parks and reser ves and the PUB on water, NGOs have the abilit y to lobby for areas outside of these zones.”

In 1992, the Societ y undertook an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study against a government proposal to build a golf course at Lower Peirce Reser voir and suc-

cessfully managed to stop the project till today. Prof FranceschHuidobro obser ves that successful outcomes such as these are a “conf irmation that governments do not hold all the answers to today’s complex governance questions,” and that the government is changing its way of tak ing criticism.

Little actions can mean a lot

Being part of a group is one way to get ideas going, but ever y now and then there are highly motivated individuals who are not afraid to stand out on their own.

Mei Lin, a marine biologist currently pursuing a doctorate, be

From this...

Create shared spaces

... to this.

The Community Greens initiative empowers residents to create new commons and shared green spaces, where there are none. These commons can be created when neighbours take down their fences and create shared gardens in the middle of their blocks or when they take over under-utilised city property, like alleys.

In Baltimore, USA, a project

by Community Greens enabled the transformation of Baltimore’s rat-infested, drug-ridden, garbagepolluted alleys into a shared green space, after residents were given the legal right to do so.

Through a new Alley Gating and Greening ordinance, residents can now legally create new commons and green spaces at their backdoor.

Learn more: www.ashoka.org/ communitygreens

lieves that parks and nature reser ves will become more important as Singapore progresses: “Green spaces help to maintain a qualit y of life in a fast-paced societ y.” People are driven to protect things or places they have formed a sentimental attachment to, she adds, therefore knowing that nature contributes to their well-being can foster the “ interest, sincerit y and virtues” needed to become proactive in protecting the environment.

Keen to introduce more people to the beaut y of Singapore’s water systems, Mei Lin gives free guided walks along PUB trails in the MacR itchie water catchment reser ve. She also trains other volunteers to do the same. “These trails were designed to teach students about the histor y of the natural reser voir, understand its biodiversit y and the human impact. I hope students will better appreciate our water sources and learn the importance of maintaining green spaces.”

When we love someone, we are willing to do more for them... Cities that have emotionallyconnected citizens will see those same citizens do extraordinary things for their cities.

Play matchmaker

To make sparks f ly, the role of the authorities cannot be underestimated. You could call the government the matchmaker – mak ing the introductions and paving the way for love to blossom.

This couldn’t be more apparent in the example of the Semakau Landf ill, where thousands of tonnes of ash and non-incinerable waste are shipped to daily for disposal. Instead of being cordoned off by the authorities, the landf ill was made open to the public in 2005 as an “eco-landf ill ” for educational and recreational activities.

Mr Ong Chong Peng, General Manager of the Landf ill, operated by the National Environmental Agency (NEA), explains that “ because Semakau Landf ill is an operational landf ill, opening it to the public could not have happened without a top-down initiative.”

Like the PUB, NEA is trying to rebrand itself from the agency that combats littering and dengue to one that cares about the environment.

“Semakau showcases our efforts to manage our impact on the environment and make the urban environment liveable. We want people to

Cover Story13 make conscious efforts to minimise their impact, and to take their own lead. People need to treat public areas as their own. Once they have ownership, they will treasure our environment.”

Thanks to this ‘matchmak ing’, people who have had a chance to fall in ‘ love’ with Semakau’s thriving biodiversit y have tripled: from more than 4,000 in 2005 to 13,000 in 2010.

platforms that reach out to mass audiences have enabled interest groups and government agencies to hear and communicate with each other at a level that was previously impossible.

W hen the initiative to open up Semakau Landf ill k icked off, NEA called in the experts from NGOs and got in touch with prominent individuals such as Ms R ia Tan, an established local naturalist who has done extensive work for Singapore’s shores, to run programmes. Partnerships followed with groups such as the Raff les Museum of Biodiversit y and Research, Sport Fishing Association (Singapore), The Astronomical Societ y of Singapore and the Nature Societ y.

In fact, t wo couples went as far as to have their wedding portraits taken at Semakau, against a backdrop of “sweeping azure skies, wind-swept tall grass, green plains starred with white f lowers, and serene tree-lined paths” according to the TODA Y newspaper in Januar y 2011.

Ms Chan, who has worked with NParks since 1993, has taken advantage of online forums, physical discussion groups, and traditional feedback channels to tune in to public concerns. Through the years, she obser ves that citizens who have conviction and ownership are increasingly becoming involved in helping NParks spread its messages.

Mr Ong says: “Our job is to facilitate and create a suitable environment so that NGOs and civil groups can do what they are good at. They are the experts.”

Love means sacrifice and stewardship

Clearly, environmental issues have moved from a fringe to a central issue. The initiative to “open up further”, an increasingly educated and aware population and civil societ y, coupled with the provision of physical spaces for expression and action like Hong Lim Park, and access to online social media

W hat Ms Chan describes is stewardship which arises when individuals are given the opportunit y to actively participate in the decision-mak ing process; they believe they have a stake in, and a responsibilit y toward, their communit y.

Dr Lum believes that “where you live is where you contribute and invest your time and energ y.” The American citizen says: “The expatriate communit y is a huge untapped potential of motivated and energised people who interact with the environment and societ y the same way ever yone else does.”

Apart from education in schools and working with local civil groups, there needs to be opportunities, through groups such as GUI, for people from any group to become stewards.

And for Singaporeans to truly tie the knot to the city, stewardship cannot be limited to issues only of the environment, but also of heritage, arts and culture, and even politics.

Find common interest Adopt-A-Highway was a campaign that started in the US that encourages volunteers to keep a section of a highway free from litter.

Some communities have also included in their activities the planting of trees and wildflowers, and controlling vegetation growth along roads.

It also provides organisations opportunities to brand their company name and logo while supporting the community where their customers live and work. By installing Adopt-A-Highway signs along busy highways, businesses are offered positive exposure in exchange

for maintaining the condition and cleanliness of a section of highway.

The campaign was so successful that similar campaigns spread throughout the lower 49 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

Learn more: http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Adopt_a_Highway

As Peter Kageyama puts it: “When we love someone, we are willing to do more for them, to make sacrif ices – we forgive shortcomings and f ight for them… Cities that have emotionally-connected citizens will see those same citizens do extraordinary things for their cities.”

It makes a lot of sense, then, to seriously examine how to grow the love so that more would want to take the plunge and say, “I do.”

UNDERWATER GLAMOUR The Red Feather Star (Class Crinoidea) is one of the many living reefs at the Serapong shore in Sentosa that will captivate visitors who venture to the island’s wilder parts.

Feature15

Sentosa

Growing

Wild

It may be a haven for all-night beach parties, but Sentosa also supports other wild life of the plant and animal variety.

Te x t by

Sheralyn Tay

Photo: Ria Tan / www.wildsingapore.com

It is the usual beach party in Sentosa – volleyballs sail across the hot sand accompanied by thumping music from a nearby bar, while a tram ferries visitors along a paved road. But amid the human commotion, a squirrel scurries lithely in the tree branches and a peacock ‘poses’ for an intrigued crowd of Japanese tourists.

Even as tourism flourishes on Sentosa – it welcomed 9.2 million visitors in the first six months of 2011, up 18 per cent from the same period last year – so too do many of the island’s plant and animal species. This is partly thanks to a Sentosa Green Plan launched in late-2009. The plan is part of the Sentosa Leisure Group’s (SLG’s) sustainability efforts, says Mr Chan Mun Wei, Divisional Director of the Corporate Planning Division.

As land managers and administrators of the island, the Group has had to keep environmental concerns in mind as Sentosa’s charm lies in its greenery and nature reserves. “We want to make sure we don’t over-develop the island. If we do so, then we destroy what Sentosa stands for,” says Mr Chan.

The dilemma of development

This has not been without challenges.

Tourism upgrading has had its impact on the natural habitat. During the construction of the Sentosa Luge, for instance, a section of secondary forest had to be cleared to allow construction vehicles access, while the closure of the iconic monorail left the tracks and stations disused.

Mr Chan acknowledges the challenges. “From the economic perspective, increased visitorship is not a bad thing… but there is the dilemma that more people on the island increases environmental impact and our carbon footprint.” This underscores the importance of the Green Plan as it sets the framework to mitigate these pressures, he adds. It focuses on maintaining greenery and conserving biodiversity, testbedding green technologies, resource efficiency and recycling.

Island reserve

SLG is committed to maintaining at least 60 per cent ‘green and open’ areas on the island. This means island partners such as hotels and RWS must follow certain guidelines. At the Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort, the driveway was designed around an existing Angsana tree – believed to be Singapore’s oldest. The Siloso Beach Resort was built to incorporate trees and terrain into its structure.

The development of Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) raised concerns among nature enthusiasts. While most of its complex was built on reclaimed land, Dr Shawn Lum, President of the Nature Society (Singapore), points out that the

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Who would have guessed that so much wildlife exists on Sentosa? They include a giant Ficus tree (pictured) as well as living reefs (below) spotted at the Serapong shore by nature enthusiast Ria Tan of wildsingapore.com.

RWS site includes “a relatively large and very beautiful stand of mature coastal forest… One could argue that this… should never have been included in the Integrated Resort site in the first place, but it unfortunately was.”

Fortunately, plans to build a water theme park within the secondar y coastal forest were shelved by RWS after consultation with nature enthusiasts. “The construction of the RWS complex may have disturbed birds or other animals that lived in the forest,” notes Dr Lum, “but the really amazing part was that the forest was essentially left as it had been.”

Common cerianthid (Order Ceriantharia)

Lumpy pink sponge (Haliclona cf. baeri)

Hidden gems

The island’s leafy residents – more than 55,000 trees and some 45 hectares of secondary forest – are cared for by an arborist and landscape department. In 2004, 31 trees were given protected heritage status, including three towering mahoganies at the Imbiah Lookout.

These were painstakingly transplanted there to save them from being cut down.

Disk hard coral (Turbinaria sp.)

Photos: Ria Tan / www.wildsingapore.com

As an organisation, SLG makes the effort to cultivate environmental consciousness. “Our operations are spread out across more than 20 buildings, making it very hard to find economies of scale to install more efficient technologies,” Mr Chan says. “But we are trying to ensure that future larger buildings can attain a level of Green Mark certification.” Meanwhile, the different SLG units do their bit. The transport department has converted vehicles to use more efficient diesel engines and the golf club offices have installed LED lights.

Feature17 Serapong golf course to include part of the sea for water features led to a healthy cluster of Bakau pasir – a rare species of mangrove tree – taking root in one of the golf ponds.

Sentosa

is home to:

Sustainability drives

Other efforts include testbedding green technologies such as LED streetlamps and solar-powered LED cat’s eye road markers. According to Ms Lieow Shao Wei, Environmental Sustainability manager, the plan is to roll out more LED streetlamps in the future. SLG has installed solar panels on eight observation towers along various beaches.

Hiccups during trials are not unusual. A trial to test retrofitted electric vehicles saw the van break down at least twice but the data collected during the threemonth period showed an average of 20 per cent savings in energy use.

Resource efficiency also means making compost and recycling wood scraps and logs for fences, decorative displays and benches. Areas cleared during development such as a section of the Dragon Trail have been reforested, while old

23% of Singapore’s bird species, including rare birds

such as the Oriental Magpie Robin. This distinctive blackand-white bird became virtually extinct in Singapore by the late 1970s. Sentosa is one of the last three offshore islands to see the bird. Sentosa Nature Discovery has adopted the Magpie Robin as its mascot.

We want to make sure we don’t overdevelop the island. If we do so, then we destroy what Sentosa stands for.

A majestic Ficus tree – the subject of many a wedding photo and video – graces a corner of Sentosa golf course.

A 2010 Nature Society Biodiversity Study revealed that the island’s forests are propagating naturally as a selfsustaining, balanced ecosystem.

It also revealed other hidden gems: of the 120 tree species on Sentosa, 46 are listed as threatened in the Singapore Red Data. One of these, the Aquilaria malaccensis is listed as globally and locally vulnerable. More amazing is that in two separate remote areas lie the last living specimens of Syzygium griff ithii (a native flowering tree related to the jambu) and Fagraea ridleyi (a fig tree) – both listed as extinct on the Singapore mainland. Surprisingly, the reclamation of a portion of the

Sentosa fixtures such as the once iconic monorail have been retrofitted as restaurants and shelters. On the Sentosa Nature Discovery tour, the monorail station serves as a starting point and part of the track forms the aerial boardwalk.

Next year, as Sentosa celebrates its 40th anniversary, it will embark on a new 10year Sentosa Masterplan. This plan will integrate a strong environmental push to help Sentosa maintain its “60-40” green and open spaces versus development ratio, protect the two nature areas at Mt Serapong and Mt Imbiah, and cope with increased visitor numbers.

After all, adds Mr Chan, sustainability is part of the Sentosa DNA: “It is the unique selling proposition that sets it apart from other destinations.”

30% of Singapore’s butterfly species

A bevy of some 80 free-roaming peafowl

– thought to have originated from a pair of birds given to the island in the 1970s by a distinguished guest.

18 Thinking Aloud

There are better ways to use sludge than eat it, says NTU professor Wang Jing-Yuan.

“Oishii nei!”

Sludge Burger, Anyone?

M inimising waste has become a pressing issue for municipalities globally, as they are faced with rapid urbanisation and a severe lack of space for building waste disposal facilities. Tokyo Sewage (the equivalent of Singapore’s PUB) recently asked a Japanese scientist to find a solution to its rising amount of sewage mud.

The result? The world’s first kind of ‘meat’ made from protein extracted from sewage sludge that was described to be as tasty as chicken. This is interesting from a scientific viewpoint, but I’m not sure if Japanese gourmands would still

To us, waste is not waste; they are simply misplaced resources. say “oishii nei” ( Japanese for “tasty”) to it. Even if it seems like a sustainable solution to the global food crisis (by recycling and eating our waste), it does sound yucky, doesn’t it?

Instead of going down that route, here in Singapore, we’re trying to find other innovative solutions. I’ve been a ‘garbage man’ working on waste management research for 20 years. At the Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre (R3C) of Nanyang Technological University, we are developing environmental technologies to convert waste into useful materials and energy.

To us, waste is not waste; they are simply misplaced resources.

In most cities, human waste are flushed down into centralised waste-water treatment plants that use copious amounts of water and energy to process waste into sludge cakes that are then buried or incinerated.

At R3C, we’re developing a new generation of toilets that will require less water to flush waste away and also separate yellow water (liquids) from brown water (solids). If installed in new housing blocks, the brown water collected can be mixed with food waste (collected via dedicated disposal chutes), and converted on-site into biogas and then to electricity. Each cluster of housing blocks would be transformed into renewable resource recovery centres, ensuring that waste is fully harnessed.

Apart from cracking our heads over waste management, it seems natural to look upstream and examine why we are generating so much waste daily. Of course, there is nothing we can do about human waste, but each day, we throw away tonnes of food and other materials that could have been recycled, reused or were unnecessary purchases in the first place.

“All-you-can-eat” buffets, for example, are culprits of unnecessar y waste generation. Some years ago, I saw a teenager pile on a big plate of food at a buffet line. She had a change of heart even before tasting the food. Even the waitress found this unacceptable and refused to take away the plate of “food waste”. This happens every day in

different parts of the world but it can be stopped or minimised with proper education or discipline.

Consumers have also been brainwashed to keep up with the latest technology fads; to “buy and throw away”. But where would these used products, for example the iPhone 4, go when newer models are available? According to a US study, millions of used personal computers now lie buried in landfills and will never be degraded. Is this sustainable?

Definitely not. The Semakau landfill for example, will be filled up by 2045, going by the current rate of disposal.

Recently I visited a landfill in Taiwan and was shocked to see how most of the waste remained in good shape even after 30 years. The Taiwanese now want to “mine” their landfills to see what can be recycled and what can be incinerated – something Singapore can consider for the Lorong Halus landfill which has been inactive for 12 years.

To have a sustainable future, we have to seriously reflect on our choices. Shall we consume less, throw away less, and hence minimise waste? Remember that what we want is usually much more than what we really need.

Dr Wang Jing-Yuan is Director of the Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre at Nanyang Technological University. He has over 20 years’ experience in environmental consulting, research and teaching in the US, Taiwan and Singapore.

Letters to aYoung Public Officer 27 DEAR YOUNG OFFICER, I like to tell young people that if they do what they love, create opportunities for others and boldly make new friends, they’ll surely succeed and be happy. These are lessons I’ve distilled after nearly 40 years of public service.

by Philip Yeo SPRING Singapore Chairman since 2007

Follow your passion

Choose a career path that fits what you already like to do and have passion for.

If you’re going to spend eight to 10 hours a day at work – do something you enjoy!

In primary school, I had a neighbour who retrofitted used car engines in his makeshift garage. Curious, I would pop over and get my hands dirty helping him clean out the greasy parts. Then, at St Joseph’s Institution, I headed the aero-modelling club; making, flying and crashing model planes. Taking up engineering in university was a natural pursuit for me.

When I returned in 1970 after graduating from the University of Toronto on the Colombo Scholarship, the Public Service Commission posted me – an engineer – to the Ministry of Finance’s Budget Division.

After a month of bean-counting, I begged for a transfer to an engineering job – anywhere! That landed me in the Ministr y of Defence for 15 years. It was followed by 25 years at the Economic Development Board and A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research). As an engineer, I love building and creating systems and have been fortunate to have had jobs and opportunities I truly enjoyed.

Create opportunities for others

In 1970, the British Far East Forces, the largest employer in Singapore, had begun its withdrawal. At the ripe “old” age of 24, I was given the responsibility to find jobs for the 70,000 retrenched.

From then on, it’s been my personal mission to identify and build new industries to create jobs. To spot emerging trends, I read avidly, discuss with officers involved, and talk to local and international industry leaders. I never stop learning. When genetics was an emerging technology, I asked NUS

Science staff to create a week’s crash course on “Genetics for Dummies” for me and 14 others.

Creating opportunities includes investing in people. So I set up scholarship programmes in all the organisations that I have been involved with.

It’s satisfying to see the young people I interviewed and selected, grow and develop. It ’s even more satisfying to see them contribute in their career, in their communit y and to Singapore’s development.

ents I helped attract to Singapore have become personal friends.

Years ago, after learning of the strong Chemistry Department of The Scripps Research Institute and reading up on the work of its department head, Professor K C Nicolaou, I visited him in San Diego in 2001.

If you’re going to spend eight to 10 hours a day at work – do something you enjoy!

Make new friends

The final lesson is to make new friends.

Don’t be afraid to look up amazing people and befriend them. In this Facebook and LinkedIn generation, it is even easier to get to know people you respect and can learn from.

In every organisation, I try to build relationships. Many investors and tal-

His office had artefacts from ancient Greece, including a replica of the sword Alexander the Great used in his world conquests. I broke the ice by discussing the conspiracy theory of how Alexander was killed. K C then followed on with stories of Alexander’s conquests. This “connection” subsequently led to him coming to Singapore to help set up the Synthetic Chemistry Lab at Biopolis.

Looking back on my career, what ’s memorable are not so much achievements, it was the fun in all these jobs.

It’s fulfilling to see new opportunities generated for others. Finally, the friendships built along the way made it an enjoyable journey! That is what lasts.

“Sometimes

public officers

take themselves

too seriously.”

Dean and CEO of the Civil Service College and Deputy Secretary (Development) of the Public Service Division, Lionel Yeo offers refreshing personal takes on life, art and trekking.

Text by

Wong Sher Maine John Heng

Photos by

Lionel Yeo is the kind of affable chap you could happily shoot the breeze with on first meeting.

The trim, youthful Dean and CEO of the Civil Service College – the training arm for Singapore’s public officers – and Deputy Secretary (Development) of the Public Service Division regales with delightful, revealing anecdotes about life, his wife, art, trekking and work.

The accidental public officer

As a teenager, he harboured dreams of becoming an ad agency creative director or lawyer. But his biggest wish was to study overseas and a government scholarship was what reeled him into public service.

“The PSC (Public Service Commission) was first to make me an offer and I accepted. Otherwise, I didn’t know very much about public

service,” says the London School of Economics alumnus.

an avid trekker who has hit the trails in Nepal and Mount Kilimanjaro.

Fifteen years later, Mr Yeo, 38 – who served in the Ministries of Trade and Industry (MTI), Finance, Information and the Arts (MITA), and Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) – is still around, earning “psychic income” (non-monetary income that gratifies psychological and emotional needs) by working with great people. “Also, I do get a kick out of doing good for Singapore.”

The two went for a walk in the foothills of Santiago. Taking a break by a stream, they talked business, with Mr Lagos giving Mr Yeo greater insight on the issues that Chile was concerned about and the ones they had more room to negotiate. “Negotiation is not always what takes place in formal meetings. In this case, my trekking came in useful!”

Trekking diplomacy

At MTI, he led the Singapore delegation in negotiating a free trade agreement with New Zealand, Chile and Brunei.

Chief Chilean negotiator Ricardo Lagos Jr, son of the then Chilean President, found out that Mr Yeo is

Investing in relationships

Mr Yeo’s father – a public officer with secondary school education who served in the customs and excise department for over 30 years – was recently hospitalised and was visited by customs officers, despite having retired 20 years ago.

Says Mr Yeo, whose mother was a housewife: “How many of us can

A Cuppa With...29 leave the Service for 20 years and still be well-regarded by currently serving officers? The measure of a man is not based on the titles he holds. To me, it ’s a personal reminder that we have to treat people with respect, that investing in human relationships is important.”

This, he feels, can make a difference in engaging staff. “Internal staff engagement is patchy across public sector organisations and it really boils down to how to relate to each other on a personal basis. If we don’t practise empathy with our own people, there is no chance of practising empathy with the public.”

A supportive workplace

To that end, one key project on his radar is building up Cube, an intranet portal for public officers.

“The aspiration is to create an online community of public officers who can collaborate, share ideas, discuss, connect, find each other.”* Having empathy and a keen eye can help to get the best out of people.

Mr Yeo has seen how some public officers clam up at meetings (if they notice that their bosses are not speaking up) as if in fear of upstaging their superiors.

“If you have something to contribute, let ’s hear it. It doesn’t matter what your title is… If you’re living in constant fear of losing your job, you can’t be a good public officer.

We have to be able to serve without fear or favour.”

and the Arts – before she became a full-fledged actress.

“My wife is better at what she does, than I am at what I do,” says Mr Yeo, who most enjoyed his wife’s acting in the play One Flea Spare, in which she played a 12-year-old girl.

“Not many people are prepared to invest their careers in the arts.”

Mr Yeo earns more than his wife – something he questions. “Our society has decided to pay officials more than artists. It ’s not absolutely clear to me that this is a good thing. In 100 years, who will know the names of today’s permanent secretaries?

But people will still be appreciating the paintings of Chua Ek Kay and reading the works of Alfian Sa’at.”

“There’s a risk sometimes that those of us in public service take ourselves a bit too seriously. Public officers must know our place in history and pay sufficient respect to other professions that play a vital part in nation-building” – not only artists, but also entrepreneurs, civil society groups, “any other person or group whose heart is in the right place”.

Empathy is vital

Respect goes right down to the ground, when a public officer is, say, evaluating appeals from entrepreneurs. “Today we may say we’re not going to give you a licence. Are we prepared to contemplate that this entrepreneur may have an idea which could transform the world?

Mr Yeo’s wife is award-winning actress Janice Koh, who was a National Arts Council officer for about four years. The two, introduced by mutual friends, worked on the Renaissance City project together – he was at the then Ministry of Information

“It may seem obvious to take the public sector position as the correct one. But sometimes we should pause and ask ourselves: Could we be wrong? We shouldn’t be too quick to assume we know best. We need to listen, engage and understand.”

Which is why the CSC aims for public officers to see multiple viewpoints in any issue. “Empathy in policy-making is about being able to wear different stakeholders’ shoes,” says Mr Yeo, who uses the word “empathy” numerous times in the interview.

Hence, as a boss, he believes in “seeking first to understand before you make yourself understood”. At meetings, he tries to “make people feel a bit more secure (and that they can) suggest alternative ideas without fear of reprisal.”

The under-valued spouse

If you have something to contribute, let’s hear it. It doesn’t matter what your title is.

What’s usually in your cuppa?

American ginseng tea.

Where do you get your favourite drink?

The shop at Funan IT mall next to my PSD office.

“It ’s still work in progress, but we want people to see that the government perspective is but one perspective.” * You can follow Lionel Yeo on Cube (www.cube. gov.sg) from Dec 2011 onwards.

Sorry 미안합니다

Ma’af Je suis désolé

λυπάμαι

Why is it so hard to say Sorry?

Management consultant Wendy Tan of The Flame Centre makes no apologies for sometimes losing face. by

Ryandall Lim

ごめんなさい

Doleo

Jag är ledsen

对 不 起

Lo siento

To some, saying sorry is the hardest thing in the world – uttering that loaded word implies you have failed in some capacity.

In businesses, apologising could lead to lawsuits, monetary losses and negative publicity. In society, admitting mistakes could mean public shaming, loss of power and fall from grace. In politics, proclaiming this dreaded word could be the precursor to resignation. And in relationships, saying sorry may be akin to having an ego-bashing – and swallowing humble pie with a bruised ego is too bitter for some.

So, it all boils down to one reason – face value.

However, Wendy Tan, founding partner of The Flame Centre, a management consultancy that helps organisations and individuals create results through partnership, feels that, under the right circumstances and despite loss of face, there is much value in coming clean and saying sorry.

Word on the Street31

“To err is human, and saying sorry makes you more real and connects you more deeply with others,” she says.

Apologies, she explains, are gateways to open dialogue and mark the beginning of events that allow the receiver to determine the apologiser’s sincerity.

So, while apologising has merits, motive is of utmost importance.

Thus, she warns against becoming serial apologisers, who flippantly go through the act just to shut the other party up.

What type of apologiser are you?

According to Ms Tan, there are three types: 1. Passives – also regarded as serial apologisers but with a different underlying motive – are “softer” people who lack power and fear disharmony. In relationships, these may be the submissive other-halves. However, Ms Tan warns that, with time, some Passives may turn into Passive-Aggressives who, with pent-up frustration, may take their anger out on family members with even lesser power, like children.

2. Aggressives – on the other end of the spectrum – typically have TypeA personality traits, are leaders by nature, or others in power who would never apologise under normal circumstances. To them, ego constitutes a strong part of their driving force, and they need to appear infallible – thus, apologising only comes as a last resort when all other means of covering up have failed.

3. Assertives respect others and seek agreement with those they have wronged. In a sense, their apologies are pre-meditated with the motive of settling cognitive dissonance: to free themselves of feelings of guilt and be at peace.

Are women more likely to apologise?

According to Ms Tan, a former psychologist with the Singapore Police Force, the more caring and sensitive a person, the more aware he or she will be of circumstances and people around. Women are generally tuned to emotions and more willing to say sorry.

Indeed, according to American psychologist Sam Margulies in his book Divorce for Grownups, women apologise as a routine aspect of relationships to reconnect with those they may have hurt. For men, apologies are humiliating.

This is apparent especially in fathers of Asian households, says Ms Tan. So, instead of a verbal “sorry”, you get acts of remorse as substitutes – like bringing back one’s favourite food – which, in this context, can have the same value as an apology.

If all goes well, apologies could lift more than heavy burdens for both sides and are very rehabilitative in nature.

Research by the NSE shows that people are twice more likely to forgive a company that says sorry than one that instead offers them cash for a mistake made. Other research has proven that apologies from doctors have saved hospitals millions of dollars in malpractice claims by patients and costly lawsuits.

Thus, while saying sorry may not let you off 100 per cent, it may cut your losses. So, go ahead and give that apology if you owe one – just make sure you are really sorry.

Challenge asks Singaporeans if they find it hard to say Sorry.

Most probably, when Whatever the circumstances, the they were young, they results of an apology, if done weren’t taught to apologise right, can be very positive. After when they did something all, human beings, according to a wrong.

Thus, when they grow 2009 study by the Nottingham up, it’s worse.

School of Economics (NSE), Noraini Binte Jantan, 48, are generally forgiving in I feel that it corporate support officer nature provided they get an takes two hands apology. So is there a techto clap; two nique in delivering a successhands to make a mistake. [So] it’s ful apology?

Not how, but when to say sorr y

“The right time to say sorry is when you have realised that you have actually made a mistake, reflected, and are ready to face consequences. It is when you are ready to seek forgiveness, and forgive yourself,” explains Ms Tan. But as the success of an apology relies on both parties, the correct timing also depends on when the receiver is ready to listen, and cannot be forced.

hard for me to admit that I am wrong first.

Irwan Bin Mazlan, 23, technician

Sorry is an awful word because saying sorry means you are wrong and the other party is automatically right.

Zainuddin Bin Sajat, 50, self-employed

Yes, it is a little hard. It is my ego that is holding me back.

Tan Jun Hong, 20, student

If I’m truly at fault, and by saying sorry I can save the relationship, I will say sorry.

Harendren S/O Vinukupal, 20, student

Pictures

TRY

Hire a production crew to make all the original pictures, music and videos you want.

Why work so hard?

images, Buy stock music and videos.

Eg. Show Zappos.com staff sitting on exercise balls in the office.

you ybe sell a M t to n a . wa ide an r boss ou to y Like...

Siti Maziah Masramli

TAKE or COPY

Presentations can get dreary without some music. We need some tunes...

that says sleeping at work makes employees happier, healthier, and more productive.

Psychology Today

Eg. Quoting an article from

Eg. Play a video of Facebook staff going to meetings on skateboards.

video

Now to convince the Boss! Make a presentation:

by

Question?

Do websites have ‘reasonable portion limits’? for research or study like books?

INFORMATION

Putting together an Oscar-worthy slide show is only half the equation; here are some rules about intellectual property (IP) to observe when using non-original or copyrighted content in your presentations.

HOW TO COPY RIGHT

For music, try:

www.ipos.gov.sg

Thanks to:

cannot

But you

• Embed video in the slides if permitted by content owner

NO

Don’t download or share copyrighted materials like movies, music, software, or games.

on office computers

illegal file sharing

As a public officer, can I copy from another public agency site without asking for permission?

Government agencies are separate legal bodies that can create intellectual property (IP) and own IP rights.

hooray!

• Criticism and review • Reporting current events under fair dealing exceptions

You can copy a portion of work for:

Singapore Law says...

from content owner.

This flowchart is based on questions asked by public officers during a Civil Service College forum on IP in January 2011.

At least you learn abit about IP. Try again?

Is the boss convinced?

After you have sought permission, be sure to give credit.

From

www.wshc.sg

“The Ministry of Manpower Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act will cover all workplaces from September 2011.”

Terms & Conditions

the

READ

NO

How about some more official sounding statements?

SEEK PERMISSION FIRST

Question?

The reasonable portion limit will apply to the articles.

Yes

Does the website contain articles (i.e. literary works)?

Maybe

Published books, plays or musicals can be copied to a certain extent.

Get fined up to $20,000 or go straight to jail.

DO NOT PASS GO

That’s Piracy!

e.g. YouTube is a streaming-only service.

download clips

www.ipacademy.com.sg

The copyright owner can still claim against a person copying material even if credit is given for that substantial portion copied.

Alert!

Don’t deep-link (provide a link other than the home page) unless the website’s terms & conditions allow it.

Don’t link to infringing or unauthorised material.

creativecommons.org

More information at:

Google, Yahoo!, freemusicarchive.org Flickr, YouTube

Try:

When sourcing for images and videos, change search engine options to search only for those with CC licences.

How to use:

• Helps creators retain copyright and get credit • Allows others to copy, distribute and build upon the original work

WHAT IS IT? A CC licence

SOME Rights Reserved

For videos, you may:

34 Unsung Heroes

Spice forLife Meet one of the pioneers who helped cultivate Fort Canning Park into the lush green haven it is today. by

Siti Maziah Masramli

Like the small but potent chilli padi, Mr Rahmat bin Adban gets fired up with passion for his job with a wealth of training and self-taught knowledge.

He had “zero knowledge about plants” when he applied for a job with the National Parks Board (then Parks and Recreation Department) more than 34 years ago. Asked to name three plants during the job interview, he said: “‘Ixora, hibiscus, uh, balsam’ – the standard plants you learn in school”.

“I like to watch and learn... if there is any major damage on this mural wall, I can fix it,” says Mr Rahmat.

Zipping around the park in his buggy, he points out landmarks he is proud of. With a team of workers, he has transformed an empty pocket of land into a Spice Garden and a natural clay pond into a landscaped pond that attracts diverse insect species.

But, determined to find better prospects, he bought books, memorised the names and properties of plants within a month, and got the job.

As a boy, he fancied carpentry and worked as a carpenter’s helper. Now, he uses his skills to make crafts from reusable materials found around the park. Look out for interactive learning stations about spices made from tree stumps.

The 50-year-old Assistant Parks Officer has come a long way from having his schooling cut short due to poverty. Over the years, he has taken many courses to improve himself and uses every opportunity to learn.

The chatty, genial man is also a guide for walks and workshops, and enjoys sharing his knowledge with people he meets. He says: “If you don’t have a positive attitude, you won’t be happy.”

Once, he even “hid in a corner” to observe Balinese artists invited to carve a mural wall. The artists guarded their craft so jealously that they stopped working if they noticed anyone standing around.

This is the four th in a series to celebrate those working behind the scenes to keep daily operations running smoothly.

For more Unsung Heroes stories, go to www.challenge.gov.sg

rth.

Eat insects; do your part to save the Ea IN 2006, A UNITED NATIONS REPORT CITED the livestock industry as one of the top three biggest contributors to today ’s most serious environmental problems. What to do, then? Well, eat insects, as people have done for thousands of years. From the Roman aristocrats who loved their beetle larvae fatted on flour and wine, to the deep fried Thai zebra tarantulas (so reminiscent of hairy crabs) that are a regional specialty of the town of Skuon in Cambodia now, the eating of insects is a practice not limited by time nor space. The logic behind it is quite simple, really. Insects convert feed more efficiently, and rearing them requires far less space and water than livestock. Just look at these nutritional values, do the math, and go on a new food adventure!

Native to Southeast Asia and commonly eaten in the Northeast of Thailand, these beetles apparently taste like scallops. Deep fry them and eat them shell and all.

by

Abigail Kang

Big Idea37

Southern Africa has a thriving multi-million rand Mopane worm industry, which looks set to grow even further. These caterpillars make a great addition to curries or tomato-based stews, or a nutritious snack on their own when freeze-dried.

For the same amount of feed, you’d harvest three times as much cricket as beef, making it the obviously greener choice. When microwaved, crickets taste like shrimp chips. Alternatively, try your crickets as a chocolate covered treat.

DISCLAIMER: Nutritional values were calculated based on information from Internet sources. Excessive consumption of Iron (> 20mg) may cause stomach upset, constipation and blackened stools. Too much calcium intake (> 1500mg) can lead to stomach problems for some individuals. Gorge at your own risk.

Walkonthe

GREENSide

Challenge picks f ive ways you can travel to connect with nature.

by

Abigail Kang

If you totally want to cut your carbon footprint, never ever step on a plane again. But if you can’t do that, dismay not: you can still travel with a clear conscience by going to places that promote sustainable development and tourism. While the concept of eco-travel has taken off in a big way since the United Nations named 2002 as the Year of Ecotourism, beware of companies’ “greenwashed” tours that are eco-friendly in name and little else.

Here are some places and programmes we think you might like.

Life.Style39

An intriguing mix of tourist attraction, educational charity and social enterprise, the Eden Project in Cornwall, United Kingdom, was built out of a 160-year-old disused clay pit, and then transformed into a garden paradise. All year, landscapes across the globe from Mediterranean to rainforest are displayed, complementing the natural beauty of Cornwall just beyond the Eden Project’s walls. Over a million plants from different climates have been planted in the biggest conservatory on Earth to show visitors how plants are part of a wider ecosystem that benefits humans. Music events, workshops and kid-friendly activities are regularly held at the Eden Project, ensuring something for everyone.

Entrance fee to the Eden Project £19.80 (approx. S$39) for a single adult when booked online, £18 (approx. S$35) at the door if you walk, cycle or take public transport. www.edenproject.com.

Photo: Eden Project

RETURN TO EDEN

SEE NATURE’S BEST

With larger populations of European brown bears, moose, wolves, wolverines, lynxes and Arctic foxes than most of Europe, Sweden is a treasure trove of wildlife. It also possesses some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, no matter which season you go.

Visitors are spoilt for choice to get close to nature – you can drive reindeer sleighs with indigenous Sami herdsmen through the snow, or go on horse riding expeditions through the mountains. Sweden’s quality label for ecotourism, Nature’s Best, has a stringent qualifying process that assures travellers of their tour operator’s green credentials.

Photo: Staffan Widstrand

For a list of approved operators, go to www.naturesbestsweden.com.

Photo: www.responsibletravel.com

LEAP INTO THE DEEP

Adventure holidays for the family can be green too. Away from the bustle of Japan’s major cities are hidden gems just waiting to be explored, and what better way to navigate the rivers than through canyoning, where you get the chance to abseil or jump down waterfalls, float down natural chutes and swim through crystal clear pools. Participants of Responsible Travel’s canyoning tours in the town of Minakami in Gunma prefecture are all briefed on the importance of the ecosystem, the environment the tour is set in, and how they can make a difference. Visitors are also highly encouraged to enjoy meals and accommodation locally. As far as possible, the entire organisation process is carbon-efficient, including offset practices like the operator planting three trees for every vehicle ride that takes you to the canyoning site.

P rices per person for half a day at Fox Canyon are 8,000 yen (approx. S$130) and more for full-day or other circuits. www. responsibletravel.com.

Life.Style41 FIND YOUR SHANGRI-LA

Long considered a trekker’s paradise, Shangri-La in Yunnan, China, boasts outstanding views and surprisingly diverse micro-ecosystems. As part of the community-based nature of the trekking programme by Singapore-based operator X-Trekkers, local villagers are engaged as guides along well-maintained hiking paths used by the indigenous Naxi people for decades. The route will bring you from the city of Lijiang to sights such as the Tiger Leaping Gorge, as well as a nomadic cattle settlement in the high plains of Shangri-La. Visitors will also visit local families for an intimate glimpse into the lives of people in this frontier region.

Photo: X-Trekkers

From S$1,180 per person for an 11-day tour, airfare not included. www.x-trekkers.com.

Life.Style43

OH SHOOT!

Support low impact travel with Singapore-based operator Adventure Quests’s Take Only Pictures travel photography workshop in Bhutan. Each year, endangered black-necked cranes flock to the Phobjikha Valley during the winter migration season. With only 3,900 black-necked cranes left in the wild, serious efforts have been made to ensure their numbers do not dwindle any further. The local community has implemented measures such as having no telephones, so no telecommunication lines can injure the cranes that are revered as heavenly birds (Ihab-bja). Contribute to conservation efforts by taking part in this workshop – some of the pictures that you capture of these elegant birds will be donated to Bhutan’s Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN) and the International Crane Foundation (ICF). A photography session with local schoolchildren (pictured) will also be held as part of the trip so these children will have one more keepsake of their childhood as cameras are a luxury item in Bhutan.

Photo: William Chua

S$4,500 per adult for a 9-day tour on twin-sharing basis, airfare not included. www.adventure-quests.com.

44 The Irreverent Last Page

. le m o re s a li tt e lv g e .s rs v at ou p s d .g o la u g h enge@ ? le a rn to e _ c h a ll r d d s n o p a : , s M e Sayt the humour loosceS er vice? Email u le b li NeedwhW re th e P u e we about s e H e re’s k jo eas or H a v e id

TRIVIA QUIZ 1. Th e serv e to reco gnis e inno vativ e and i mpa ctfu l sust aina ble busi ness prac tices and gree n solu tion s of Sing apor e com pani es. a. Sust aina ble Busi ness Awa rds b. Go Gree n Awa rds c. Best Prac tice Awa rd - Sust aina bility d. Mos t Sust aina ble Busi ness Awa rds 2. Ac cord ing to stati stics on the web site of the Nati onal Envi ronm ent Agen cy (NEA ), Sing apor e d ispo sed of tonn es of wast e in 2010 . a. 2,75 9,50 0 b. 3,75 9,50 0 c. 4,75 9,50 0 d. 5,75 9,50 0 3. To enco urag e and enab le like- mind ed indiv idua ls a nd orga nisa tion s to be invo lved in the gree ning o f our Gard en City – Sing apor e; the was e stab lishe d in 2003 . a. Gard en City Fund b. Gree n Sing apor e Fund c. Sust aina ble Sing apor e Fund d. Gree n City Fund 4. World Envi ronm ent Day (WED ) bega n in a nd happ ens June 5 ever y year.

1970 1972 1974 1976 5. Ac cord ing to the Unit ed Nati ons Envi ronm ent Prog ramm e web site, appr oxim ately acre s of natu ral fore st are lost annu ally. a. 36 milli on b. 38 milli on c. 40 milli on d. 42 milli on

Pairs of

Movie Voucherns To Be Wo by

u r a n s w e rs S u b m it y o 2 0 1 1 a t: MBER 3,

DECE

e O n li n e C h a ll e n g g e n g e .g o v.s w w w.c h a ll

e m a il a d ur name, o y e d lu c u m b e r.

P le a s e in c o n ta c t n d n a y c n e d re s s , a g ti fi e d w il l b e n o A ll w in n e rs b y e m a il .

CONGRATULATIONS

to the winners of the September/October 2011 Trivia Quiz Lim Sin Yee MICA

Zaharahtunnisaq Mohd Ramli MOE

Ong Ming Jie SPF

Tracey Joe PA

Lim Soo Hoong URA

2011 MbeR /Dece R e b M NOve

L e b c a i e t v y i L

W hat will it take f or us to mar r y Singapor e?

PLUS Do your part to save the Earth: Eat insects | Why saying ‘Sorr y’ is so tough