Challenge August - September 2012

012 ober 2 r / oct e b m e sept

Best Government Publication (Silver)

What a dog and a Pile of rubbish taught the Public Service s fr om th e gr ou nd Se rv ic e de li ve ry le ss on

Cover STORY 08

FRom A DOG AND A PILE OF RUBBISH: PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY LESSONS

How the Public Service is coping with rising public expectations

38

FREE YOUR MIND BEFORE YOU LOSE IT

Making a Lasting Power of Attorney could help you do that

HIGHLIGHTS 04

FEATURES

NEWS FROM THE SERVICE

38

VIEWPOINTS

05

EMERGING MARKETS TRADE MISSIONARIES

Exploring unchartered territories for the good of the nation

14

ONLY STRONG HEARTS NEED APPLY

Two frontline staff on the ups and downs of their jobs

16

WORLD’S OLDEST CORRUPTION FIGHTER

CPIB celebrates 60 years of fighting corruption

30

LIKE CANARY BIRDS IN THE COAL MINE

Artic Circle leaders share what climate change and rapid development have brought to the North Pole

32

A CRADLE FOR INNOVATION

02

Inbox

Your views on the July/Aug issue of Challenge

03

Your Say DOES THE PUBLIC SERVICE HAVE A FUNNY BONE?

We asked readers for their views

18

Thinking Aloud DO YOU KNOW MORE THAN YOUR BOSS?

Teo Hee Lian says you should

27

Letters to a Young Public Officer HONOUR YOUR PROFESSION

Ho Peng, Director-General of Education, shares lessons from her teaching career

Real science takes place at Science Centre Singapore

28

A Cuppa With…

“WE HAVE A STRONG ADVERSITY QUOTIENT.”

34

MAKING A BALD STATEMENT

Three officers from Vital shave their heads for a good cause

Land Transport Authority chief Chew Hock Yong on the challenges of managing Singapore’s public transportation infrastructure

ON THE JOB

05

rest & relax 19

37

The Challenge PullOut THE HIGHLY CONDENSED SONGBOOK 8 pages of must-know music content

Officers with a passion HE IS A CONSTANT GARDENER

An NParks officer with a love for all things green

40

life.style SHOPPING FOR NOSTALGIA

Retro furniture shops that celebrate the timeless beauty of the past

44

The Irreverent Last Page THE NO WRONG DOOR POLICY No wrong door, but a long corridor?

28

36 LEVEL UP

INCUBATING SOCIAL MEDIA

Communities & ADVOCATES

Tips from an engagement strategist

September/O

19

ctober 2012

MUSIC ENOUGH TO RAISE THE DEAD Virtual appearances have existed for years, but the technology shot to prominence when an original Tupac Shakur graphic performed at the Coachella music festival. The dead rapper’s graphic was created out of his videos and photos. With Dr Dre planning on touring with the virtual Tupac, the opportunities for bringing back more dead stars seem endless.

Watch Tupac perform with Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg at bit.ly/tupacperforms

DID YOU KNOW? Kitaro scrapped a concert here in 1984 because Singapore officials demanded he snip off his luscious locks before they would let him enter, in line with a government campaign against men with long hair.

CLASSICAL PERFECTION pages of must-know music content

19-26 If you’ve always wanted to wade into the realm of classical music or wondered what the Millennials are listening to, then you’ve come to the right place. Step right in and immerse yourself as we conduct you through, in 1, 2, 3 and…

LISTEN Skrillex is one of the most prominent dubsteppers of our time. Listen at bit.ly/skrillex_dubstep. Check out dubstep pioneer Skream at bit.ly/dubstep_skream. For a more mainstream, dubstep-influenced tune, listen to Britney Spears’s Hold It Against Me at bit.ly/dubstep_britney.

CLASSICAL MUSIC CHEAT SHEET

If you ever feel like sounding more cultured…

DAWN OF DUBSTEP The disconcertingly syncopated rhythms of Dubstep emerged in late-1990s south London, and have worked their way into mainstream consciousness since. Manipulation of drum and bass tracks produces the “wubwub” sound seemingly omnipresent in most pieces, which aren’t for the faint-hearted.

In the 1998 film The Red Violin, a fabled “perfect violin” travels between hands, leaving love, loss and heartbreak in its wake. With a moving soundtrack from world class violinist Joshua Bell. We guarantee you won’t fall asleep halfway through.

PU

LLO

Aria: Meaning “air” in Italian, arias are self-contained songs for a solo voice within an opera, for example, Mi Chiamano Mimi from La Boheme.

Get your DJ to steer clear of these popular wedding tunes so you don’t kill the romance.

From This Moment On by Shania Twain – Skip this if you want a unique wedding experience. So overplayed it’s not even funny.

My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion – Harking to a tragically doomed love story on what should be the happiest day of your life does not bode well.

I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston – It’s a bit late (and out of place) to be thinking of “bittersweet memories” at your wedding, don’t you think? Avoid this breakup song like the plague.

UT

Soprano: On a scale of vocal ranges from earth-shaking boom to glassshattering trill, the list goes from bass, baritone, tenor, contralto, mezzosoprano to soprano. Maria Callas, one of opera’s greatest divas, was a soprano.

Sonata: Music of a particular form containing four distinct movements ranging in melody, rhythm and tempo, most widely developed during the Classical period from 1750 to 1820.

Vivace: A direction for a piece to be played in a lively manner.

To find out more, the Austin Symphony has a comprehensive glossary: bit.ly/austinsymphony

40

Walking in the Public’s Shoes

Walking in a public officer’s shoes isn’t easy nowadays.

The minute people find out I’m a public officer, they can’t wait to tell me what’s wrong with the Public Service. Recently an acquaintance said to me, “They make decisions using this,” pointing to her head. “But do they also use this?” she asked, this time pointing to her heart. Her question summed up one prevalent public sentiment about us: we lack empathy.

Yet, inside these pages you will also find stories of empathetic officers. In A Cuppa With… Land Transport Authority’s CEO, Chew Hock Yong, shares how he has tasked his senior management team to put themselves in the shoes of the average commuter, so as to come up with better ways of getting around.

Only Strong Hearts Need Apply tells of the patience and perseverance of staff at Community Mediation Centres in getting conflicting parties to the mediation table. In Letters to a Young Public Off icer, Director-General of Education, Ho Peng, relates how listening to students, parents and teachers helped her as a principal.

So while we may have some way to go in first-class service delivery, one good way forward may be to take a walk in the public’s shoes. It would help us to walk a little easier in our own.

Happy reading!

Editor

Tan Hui Min

Top and pants Gap Blazer Banana Republic Shoes Forever 21

I can understand the public’s frustration sometimes. One example from this issue’s cover story From a Dog and a Pile of Rubbish: Public Service Delivery Lessons tells of how a passer-by had reported that a dog was knocked down by a car, only to be subjected to a whole string of questions about whether the dog was dead or alive, and whether it was lying on the road or the grass. This was to determine which agency was responsible, but incidences like this irritate the public as they are not interested in who is in charge. They just want the problem resolved.

UST 2012 JULY / AUG

Publisher

INBOX INBOX

PS21 Office, Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office 100 High Street, #07-01 The Treasury Singapore 179434 Email : psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Web : www.challenge.gov.sg

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw

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

my fellow NSmen whip out a copy of Challenge during reservist training.

Editorial Advisor

Agnes Kwek Editor

Tan Hui Min

Assistant Editors

You know you’re doing something right when you make

Ruth Lim, Christopher Teo & Geraldine Yeoh Editorial Assistant

Eric Loy

Tuber Productions Pte Ltd

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

it to the reading list of tired men during outfield training.

Management

Leon Voon

Director

Lee Han Shih

PSD

Project Director

Liew Wei Ping

Editorial

Contributing Editor

Bridgette See

Bernice Tang Staff Writers

Chen Jingting & Siti Maziah Masramli Contributors

Douglas Chew, Richard Hartung, Abigail Kang, CK Koo, Ryandall Lim, Wong Sher Maine & Sheralyn Tay

Creative

Creative Director

Ashik

Art Director

Yip Siew Fei

Graphic Designer

Ng Shi Wei

Cont ributing Photog raphers

The digital copy is definitely useful and the content is exciting, as usual.

Keep up the good work!

Lewis Liu

All information correct at time of printing.

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

future issues (I promise I will be looking out for these in future).

Heng San San MCYS

PSD

John Heng (www.daphotographer.com) Justin Loh (shininghead.com) Norman Ng (www.normanng.com) 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.

I really like how this mag has morphed into a modern, relevant read.

Well done! I look forward to

40 The Irreverent Last Page

I liked The Noob’s Ten Commandments of the Public Service.

It was very amusing and had good suggestions,

especially Commandment V on avoiding awkward moments at work!

Lim Chee Gee IDA

I

important Thou shalt address never by people by their ranks, use “Dear DD…”, their names. So morning, PS”.

“Dear PS…” or “Good loo.

Yes, even in the

II

correct when Thou shalt be politically carbon copying writing emails by ng order of rank. people in descendi

III

and emails in concise Thou shalt draft . Avoid sharing non-emotive language sad self. sob stories of thy

IV

e and to understand, appreciat up of Thou shalt attempt made k – a language largely embrace gov-spea . mind-boggling acronyms

V

awkward the art of evading Thou shalt learn in the lift. “Oops, the PS, especially one-on-ones with an important loo!” or “I forgot I need to use the es work. document” sometim

Need We Say More?

VI

And when thou faileth to avoid the PS, thou shalt avoid foot-in-mouth disease by keeping mum until spoken to.

VII

Thou shalt arrive early at meetings to get the best seat... in the back row.

VIII

Thou shalt master the art of sleeping with eyes wide open at meetings.

Unless thou art the designated minute-tak er.

IX

Thou shalt never attempt to understand why finance procedures are so complicated.

X

Thou shalt master the art of networking.

When thou art stumped, there will always be someone who can help.

DISCLAIMER: The Challenge n00b Induction Team holds no responsibility for any loss of income or drop in as a result of n00bs following these commandmenCEP ts. *n00b: Slang for a newcomer, or someone inexperienced

Here’s where we let the humour loose, and learn to laugh at ourselves a little more. Have ideas or jokes about the Public Service?

Email us: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg

Illustration by Mindflyer

Sub-editor

I don’t usually pay much heed to Challenge but my interest was piqued to pick up the July/Aug copy.

I started with your Editor’s note; I even took the extra step of googling for Nipun Mehta’s Baccalaureate address because of your brief mention of it. It is such an insightful and positive speech, providing so much for reflection. Thank you for a wonderful issue of Challenge –

Your Say03

44 The Irre

verent Las t

HA~ HA

Page

PUBLIC OFFICER

We couldn’ t resist com

ing up with a vers Internet meme. Do ion of the “What you agree?

I really do”

Wh at my frie nds

thin k I do

Wh at my bos s thin ks I do

Wh at my mum thin ks I do

Wh at I thin k I do

Wh at citiz ens

thin k I do

Wh at I real ly do

Need We

Say More?

Here’s wher e we let Email us: the humo psd_ chall ur enge @psd loose , and learn to laugh .gov. sg at ourse lves

~ A ~ H A H HA~ ~

Our Public Officer Meme went viral online, with more than

1,000 Facebook shares!

So we asked readers if they think that the Public Service has a funny bone or whether public officers take themselves too seriously.

Here are their views.

a little more . Have ideas or jokes abou t the Publi c Servi ce?

As public off icers, we need to strike a balance between being professional, and being human enough to laugh at ourselves. People who can laugh at themselves are humble and approachable – traits that are equally important to a public off icer. Being serious when the time calls for it and having a sense of humour are virtues of a truly well-rounded individual.

M

Congratulations Murshida! We’re sending you a $100 Sistic voucher so you can use it to catch a side-splitting comedy show! Bring a (serious) friend, maybe?

Moh urshida ’s Pe o p l e

d Kadir

Associa

tion

Of course we have a funny bone, simply because we are all human beings to begin with. We joke and spread joy to our family and friends, so why not just extend it to the rest of the Service? I feel we should be our true selves and contribute the best we can in the workplace, whilst still upholding integrity as a public officer.

Allyne Han CPF Board

Using humour to raise public awareness can create a positive view of the Public Service. The high number of shares that the meme generated is good evidence of our success in engaging the public. With similar efforts in the future, not only will we gain strong public support, we will also be able to attract more talent into the Service.

Suguna Sundaram

Singapore Prison Service This meme proves that public officers do have a funny bone. It builds on the existing ideas (or stereotypes, if you wish) of how people perceive the Public Service. All public officers understand the meaning of “wayang” and “getting arrowed”; this helps us bond, something which we can joke about during coffee sessions after a hard day’s work. We should celebrate this funny side of the Public Service to show that we also have a touch of humour that makes us all human, and approachable.

Dominic Ng

People’s Association

Meetings can be a yawn!

How do you and your colleagues make them engaging, productive and even fun? Share your ideas with us.

Email us: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg The best entry will win an attractive prize worth up to

$100!

All other published entries will

$30

win book vouchers worth each. Please include your name, agency email address, agency and contact number.

All entries should reach us by September 30, 2012.

04 Highlights

NEWS

Coming up...

from the

SERVICE

Road to acceptance The Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 2012 on September 16 is your chance to experience challenges, endurance and community involvement – all the elements that make up the reintegration journey of ex-offenders back into society. End your run at the Changi Prison Complex and find out more about helping ex-offenders at the carnival. www.yellowribbon.org.sg

HIGH SPEED THRILLS

CELEBRATING Excellence in Tax Administration

To mark its 20th anniversary as a statutory board, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) created a special microsite (http://_www. iras20.sg) and online games to reflect how taxpaying and tax administration have evolved over the past 20 years. The microsite features the significant moments of IRAS’s history, while the online games are helping IRAS to reach out to younger taxpayers and youths. Part of the celebratory activities included fundraising for President ’s Challenge 2012 through the sale of decommissioned revenue stamps, as well as in-house charity events organised

by IRAS staff. A visit by President Tony Tan to Revenue House on August 31 delivered the perfect finale to the celebrations!

The electrifying 2012 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix packs thrilling race action and world-class entertainment all in one fully loaded circuit park. From September 21-23, be thrilled by superstars Katy Perry, Maroon 5 and Jay Chou as they take to the Padang stage. Tickets at www.singaporegp.sg.

PS21 EXCEL CONVENTION 2012

INNOVATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT The inaugur al Clean Enviro S ummit S ingapore and WasteMET Asia ( WMA) 2012 were held July 1-4.

Themed “Innovative Clean Enviro-Solutions for Asia’s Growing Cities”, the Summit saw the participation of high-level government and industry leaders, as well as international organisations like the World Bank and the United Nations.

The Clean Environment Leaders Plenary Sessions brought together participants to address and discuss the challenges and issues in waste management, while close to 100 exhibitors from international and local companies featured in WMA 2012. The Summit also saw the launch of the National Environment Agency’s first sustainability report, based on the guidelines by the Global Reporting Initiative, the most widely accepted international standard for sustainability reporting.

Mark your calendar this November 15-16 for this annual Public Service event at the Gardens by the Bay. It will showcase innovative ideas and projects that create significant people-centric outcomes and public value. Sign up for Learning Journeys to learn more about the work of other government agencies. More details will be provided to agencies once available.

NEW! MyNiceHome.SG The Housing Development Board has launched a new website on housing and home -related matters for home owners and anyone shopping for a new home.

Be inspired by the home decoration tips and ideas for green living, or uncover interesting facts about your neighbourhood. Visit www. mynicehome.sg and “Like” the site on Facebook.

Follow the leader: Dr Francis Chong, Director of the Emerging Markets Division, leads a 15-strong team to sell the idea of entering the emerging markets to Singaporeans.

Dr Francis Chong is a man on a mission.

He heads a 15-strong team from the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Emerging Markets Division (EMD) that is charged to develop and establish Singapore’s trade negotiations, agreements and policies relating to the world’s emerging markets.

To achieve that, they first have to sell their own countrymen (and women) the idea of trading with “exotic” places.

Think Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and South and Central Asia.

EMD officers were invited to an audience with Otumfuo Osei Tutu, the King of the Ashanti people who are based in present-day Ghana and Ivory Coast.

It is no easy task: in recent surveys conducted by the team on students’ impressions of these places, it was clear that plenty of stereotypes still existed.

Latin America is perceived as a blown-up war zone in the grip of the mafia and drug cartels; Africa is the dark continent of poverty and disease, plagued by “blood diamond” scandals.

Dr Chong is adamant that such attitudes and outlooks need to change.

For the record, Singapore has sizeable oil, gas and education business ties in Kazakhstan and the people there are definitely not Borats.

So to fight these stereotypes and help Singaporeans better understand the potential returns of emerging markets, EMD officers make frequent study trips to collate ground data and information about the countries.

According to EMD, Singapore’s total trade with emerging markets, excluding China and Southeast Asia, doubled from S$106 billion in 2007 to S$213 billion in 2011.

Also compare the European Union’s exports to emerging markets such as Russia, Central Asia, Turkey, India, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, of US$366 billion (approximately S$465 billion), with Singapore’s mere S$30.5

EMD officers Chan Kah Mei (left) and Serena Liau sampling biscuits in a small confectionary shop in Mumbai, India.

billion in 2011 – a clear indicator of the massive trade potential that could be realised.

“Besides, why restrict yourself to what you already know? In developed markets, you enter as a small fish in a big pond, with lots of sharks; in emerging markets, there are still sharks but you might be a bigger fish,” Dr Chong adds.

Given that growth in the G3 economies (the US, Europe and Japan) is slowing down, it makes even more sense to diversify Singapore’s portfolio by seeking opportunities elsewhere, to “rejig the system”, as he puts it.

His deputy Kelvin Tan agrees: “The US will not always dominate, and China may not always be there to sustain our growth. We need a competitive edge.”

Developing a global imagination Currently, EMD is talking to differ-

The pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan, Mexico. The country was Singapore’s 27th largest trading partner in 2011.

ent ministries and studying existing mechanisms and policies across government sectors, so as to develop a comprehensive framework for promoting emerging markets.

Their overriding goal? To stimulate the “global imagination” of Singaporeans; that is, the ability to understand, accept and adapt to the cultural and business practices of different countries. Only with that extra edge can Singapore and Singaporeans excel in this globalised age, explains Mr Tan. An d t h i s , EM D b e l i e ve s , c a n b e achieved by targeting the young. The team hopes that all Singapore schools will be eventually twinned with foreign ones – including those from emerging markets – to pique our students’ curiosity about other cultures.

S o far EMD has conducted pilot projects, such as art competitions, and

Feature07 EMD officers witnessed the launch of the Jewel of Muscat, a replica of an Arabian Dhow, in 2010 before it sailed from Muscat, Oman to Singapore.

Matryoshka dolls at a souvenir flea market in Moscow, Russia. Singapore’s trade with Russia reached S$4.68 billion in 2011.

supported students’ overseas community service projects by providing contacts or facilitating tie-ups for post-trip events.

The bulk of their outreach opportunities, however, comes from building on existing events. For example, when worldrenowned Lebanese composer and oud player, and UNESCO Artist for Peace, Marcel Khalife, visited Singapore in May 2011 for a concert as part of a Middle East symposium, EMD invited him to conduct an oud masterclass for students from the School of the Arts.

The event yielded wonderful memories for all involved, and a relationship was established. That’s how future trade partnerships are born, says Dr Chong, whose team’s work includes building relationships through social media.

Working by faith

Yet, the effects of these outreach methods may only be perceptible in time, and Dr

(From right) EMD officers Oeij Ek Siang and Valerie Yuen, with colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Economic Development Board, touring Keppel’s BrasFELS shipyard in Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Chong is realistic about the outcomes: “Do we know that whatever we’re doing will work? We don’t. But the only 100% guarantee is that if you don’t do anything, nothing will change.”

the King of the Ashanti tribe wanted to meet us. We went to his Kingdom and all of a sudden, these tribal chiefs, in royal regalia – some on sedan chairs – began arriving. It was surreal.”

His “never say die” attitude seems to have rubbed off on his EMD officers, who relish the unpredictable nature of their work as a constant source of excitement.

Freezing trips to pristine Siberia, feasting on camel meat in Saudi Arabia and visiting sites of biblical proportions in Petra are just some of the epic adventures that these officers have lived to tell.

Assistant Director Joanna Tan who oversees the Africa portfolio, recalls how terrified she was upon learning that she was going on a trip to South

But lest one begins to think that a day in the life of an EMD officer is all about flying to exotic places, be warned: these trips can be highly pressurising, with notes to prepare for ministerial staff, conferences to attend and projects to lobby for – on top of making post-trip reports and economic assessments.

In developed markets, you enter as a small fish in a big pond, with lots of sharks; in emerging markets, there are still sharks but you might be a bigger fish.

Africa and Angola, just weeks into her first job after graduation.

Four years on, her passport is filled with immigration stamps from Libya to Zanzibar, and she is now more than ready to hop onto a plane at the word “go”.

She recalls: “We were in Ghana and suddenly we had a phone call, saying that

Ultimately, Dr Chong and his team hope that all their hard work, experiments and outreach programmes will lead to fruition.

They are a zealous bunch, always ready to go forth, as if instructed by higher orders to explore the unchartered territories and later return to convert the uninitiated, despite the odds. They are the modern trade missionaries.

If you have any ideas or suggestions to share, please contact Dr Chong at Francis_CHONG@ mti.gov.sg.

r o d a e d g o d e h Is t s i e r e h w d n a , a live ? g n i ly w o n g o d the

Cover Story09

from a dog and a Pile of rubbish s n o s s e l y r e iv l e d e ic v Public Ser A look at how the Singapore Public Service is coping with rising public expectations.

Text by Richard

Hartung Photos by John Heng

I f t h ere w ere a m et er t h at measures public expectations of the Singapore Public Service, it is likely to be inching higher and higher. Across the board, frontline service officers are reporting a more demanding public.

tations are increasing. “We created a certain standard and citizens hold us to it,” said PS21 Office Director Agnes Kwek, who is responsible for service delivery policies across the Public Service.

They are also encountering more unreasonable, sometimes aggressive, members of the public who wouldn’t take “No” for an answer.

Mr Pang agreed: “The older generations inherited a less efficient, less developed Singapore.

Expectations were lower, and the improvements made were seen as a quantum jump in service levels. [Now] we’ve become inured to a very high standard of efficiency and effectiveness.”

Just last year, a man who didn’t like the responses he got from several government agencies persisted in calling the officers repeatedly.

He made over 200 phone calls in a single morning. “It was mentally and emotionally very draining for [those] officers,” said Pang Kin Keong, Chairman of the Public Service’s Quality Service Committee, adding that public officers now get more training to manage such members of the public. (See sidebox ‘Saying “No” firmly’.)

Rising public expectations

In a sense, Singapore is a victim of its own success when it comes to why customer expec-

Also, “the new generation [of Singaporeans] is more educated, well travelled and more knowledgeable,” said Assistant CEO and Quality Service Manager Roger Tan at the Civil Service College (CSC), explaining why the citizenry now wants greater accountability and a bigger say in policies.

Technology plays a key role too. Internet-savvy citizens now expect faster resolution of problems and instant access to information. And if anything goes wrong or if service simply

10 Cover Story doesn’t meet expectations, they use everything from Twitter and Facebook, to YouTube and blogs, to broadcast their complaints. Feedback received

by REACH, the government feedback unit’s web portal, tripled between 2007 and 2011.

The Housing Development Board (HDB) says one area it finds relatively challenging is email correspondences.

“We receive requests from customers demanding a reply to their email within two to three working days. At times, they don’t realise their case is complex and requires more time for investigation,” said Goh-Wong Tze Ying, HDB’s Director of Organisational Excellence.

Underlying factors

There are deeper issues worth examining. To start with, the ever-increasing range of government programmes could result in over-complicated systems, hampering the delivery of better customer service. Head of Civil Service Peter Ong explained: “People have commented that the Government is quite prolific at conceiving new schemes. This may lead to a proliferation of schemes

that becomes complex and challenging to administer and access.”

New service principles

The way Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are used can hinder good service too. There may be a disconnect between the agency and the public where KPIs are concerned, said Professor Marcus Lee, who heads the Singapore Management University’s Institute of Service Excellence.

The Public Service introduced the principles of CARE (Courtesy, Accessibility, Responsiveness and Effectiveness) in 1995. Following a thorough review in 2010, three new service principles were added in 2011. They are: PeopleCentricity, Mutual Courtesy and Respect, and Shared Responsibility for the Public Good.

KPIs tend to be driven by agencies’ needs and what they are capable of delivering, rather than by the customer so Prof Lee suggested agencies make sure they link KPIs to the organisation’s vision and mission, and to actual customer needs. A good example of this, he said, was the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS)’s introduction of the innovative No-Filing Service (NFS) in 2008. Under the NFS, employers can submit information directly to IRAS, and taxpayers whose employees do so, do not need to file a tax return (unless they have other sources of income). Instead of adding more staff to handle queues and queries to fulfil its KPIs of getting tax returns filed, the agency thought out

We receive requests from customers demanding a reply to their email within two to three working days. At times, they don’t realise their case is complex and requires more time for investigation.

Mopping up grey areas:

The case of public cleaning

In 2011, a huge pile of rubbish was left uncollected for months.

The reason, said the Department of Public Cleanliness (DPC) Acting Head Roger Ng, was that agencies engaged different contractors for cleaning different areas. Drains were under the Public Utilities Board, for example, while footpaths came under the Land Transport Authority (LTA). For this pile of rubbish, it wasn’t clear who was responsible. The search for a rightful “owner” took months; the pile of rubbish languished and sparked criticism from the public who couldn’t understand the inaction. This prompted the founding of an inter-agency Public Cleanliness Steering Committee to look into the issue.

The Committee eventually set up DPC as a whole-of-government approach to cleaning roads, pavements, drains and other common areas. DPC would take care of all municipal cleaning services across government agencies. The new department taps on technology to enhance its work: Radio Frequency Identification technology is used to tag and track litter bins and web-based cameras enable remote monitoring of cleanliness in public areas.

Public officers are happier too.

National Environment Agency Officer Manjit Singh said he is now able to spend more time on inspections and clean-up, rather than coordinating with other agencies to figure out who is responsible.

Case study:

Saying “No” firmly Situations can get tough when you have to say “No” to customers.

Here’s what tax officer Mohamad Fauzi Bin Mohamad (above) did when he was confronted with a difficult taxpayer who was upset at having to pay a penalty for her late tax return and shouted at him. Mr Fauzi calmly continued to explain why the fine was applicable. His patience and empathy finally calmed her down and she paid the fine. Mr Fauzi’s firm yet sincere service turned a nasty situation into one with a positive ending.

of the box in implementing the NFS. It was a case of an organisation meeting both its KPIs and customer needs.

There is sometimes a gap between the officers delivering the service and the people receiving it. Well-educated public officers may have difficulties, for example, in fully understanding the situations of lowly educated or out-ofwork citizens. One case in point is job fairs, said Prof Lee, since fresh graduates who have never lost a job are often assigned to help out-of-work job seekers in their 40s and 50s. When the gaps are so wide, it is difficult to connect.

And finally, some issues are compounded when there’s no clear agency in charge. While the Public Service’s “No Wrong Door” policy is designed to solve such problems, even Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean has said there are still situations that are poorly defined and fall through the cracks. (See ‘Mopping up grey areas’.)

Identifying the gaps

The first step is to identify the gaps and develop plans to tackle them. At a broad level, Ms Kwek said that an inter-agency team’s thorough review in 2010 of service principles led to a new service paradigm based on peoplecentricity, mutual courtesy and respect, and shared responsibility for public outcomes. (See ‘New Service Principles’.)

What is being stressed now is for agencies to design and deliver services from the public’s point of view, instead of what the Public Service thinks is most efficient and logical. Officers are now being exhorted to “put ourselves in the shoes of our customers” so methods such as design thinking are being encouraged. (See Challenge Jan/Feb 2011 for the cover story on Design Thinking.)

Next, the PS21 Office identifies “structural problems” and solves them so that the causes of issues, rather than mere single problems, are resolved.

Leveraging that new paradigm, the Public Service is changing processes, structures, training and technology to raise service delivery levels. If problems aren’t resolved within a certain number of days, they get escalated from the frontline up to the agency’s Quality Service Manager, and sometimes even to the PS21 Office.

Whose turf is it anyway?

The “No Wrong Door” policy, for instance, was designed to make sure members of the public get directed to the right place, even if they start out at the wrong agency. However, a review of the policy in 2011 found that while it has resolved many issues, it does not work so well when the issue is in a grey area where no agency is clearly in charge, or where the problem can only be addressed by several agencies working in tandem.

Mr Pang related this story to Challenge: “A dog was knocked down by a car on a public road. The question posed to the member of the public who reported it was: Is the dog dead or alive, and where is the dog now lying? If the dog is dead, it would be NEA (National Environment Agency)’s responsibility, but if it is still alive, AVA (Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore) would take charge. It could also be LTA’s responsibility if the dog is still lying on the road, but if it now lies on the adjoining grass verges, then NParks (National Parks Board) should be alerted.”

Such cases lead to frustration because members of the public don’t care which agency is in charge. All they want is to have someone from the government take care of the matter.

To cope with what Mr Pang described as “turf ” issues, the First Responder Protocol (FRP) was introduced. With the FRP, an agency which has some ability to deal with the issue, even if the issue is not under its charge, should adopt a “just do it first” mentality and lead an inter-agency response. This presents to the public a more coordinated government; more importantly it tackles the public’s concerns immediately, reflecting its new people-centric service principle.

Case study 2:

Going the extra mile Principal Animal Welfare Inspector Soh Seng Beng (above) from AVA has devoted 37 years to animal welfare. He leads a team of junior officers to inspect pet shops and farms, and to investigate animal abuse cases. Mr Soh was praised by his colleagues for often going the distance to give great service.

Once he was so determined to check on the well-being of a dog that he agreed to visit the dog’s owner at midnight – the only time the owner said he was available.

Mr Soh will retire from the Public Service this year.

Cover Story 13

Lessons from abroad One Stop Shop Consulting firm PwC reported that public sector agencies worldwide are increasingly adopting a “One Stop Shop” model that enables customers to use a single access point to get information and services.

Residents in New York can dial 311 to speak to a customer service agent 24/7 about where to get help, for example, while Hong Kong residents can log onto HKGov.org for the same.

Across the world a “One Stop Shop” has the potential to “improve the customer experience and reduce cost by transforming the way governments deliver services,” PwC said. The Singapore Public Service has also conducted in-depth studies on the feasibility of a one stop call centre, including a visit to New York City’s 311 team to understand the challenges.

While there are some considerations such as resource and training, work is underway to introduce integrated hotlines; for example, the Department of Public Cleaning’s hotline and the People’s Association’s OneConnect hotline.

Speech analytics The London Borough of Lambeth Council is tapping on speech analytics technology to improve its service levels. It is expected to save more than £2 million by using this technology, which was originally designed for military communications. While the military uses the technology to spot words like “bomb” or “terrorist”, the Council uses it to highlight phrases like “repeat visits” and “second time I’ve called you”.

Currently, it takes staff an average of three calls to solve residents’ issues, costing the Council about £5 per call. The Council expects to identify key problems across hundreds of calls and help get things right the first time, thereby driving efficiency up and costs down.

The extremely unreasonable customers can place a burden on public resources with their demands. This means staff have to be trained to handle them deftly and know when to “disengage” tactfully, and focus on other customers who genuinely need their help.

The FRP was piloted earlier this year with AVA serving as a First Responder for all animal-related issues. The FRP is now being extended to all inter-agency issues.

Earlier this year, there was a request to trim an unruly grass patch. Though agencies were unable to quickly determine which agency was in charge, the Singapore Land Authority went ahead to get their contractor to trim it as it had received the feedback first. It then claimed the amount incurred from the rightful agency. Turf issue resolved.

Improving training

Apart from introducing changes to structure and processes, training – one of the most important steps to improving service – is being revamped.

CSC’s Mr Tan said that in the past, training focused narrowly on procedures and what to do. Now, he said, it focuses on soft skills, such as building relationships, empathising with customers and co-creating solutions.

“We rely more on experiential learning to deepen the value of training”, he said, so officers now engage in more role plays or simulations. The College has also rolled out training to enhance teamwork and will be developing similar programmes for using social media and other newer technologies.

Individual agencies are also ramping up customer service training. HDB has an elaborate training roadmap for frontline staff. This includes training staff to draft better email responses, with some of the outstanding replies compiled into a manual for other officers to refer to.

Learning to deal with tough customers is also essential. The extremely unreasonable ones can place a burden on public resources with their demands.

This means staff have to be trained to handle them deftly and know when to “disengage” tactfully, and focus on other customers who genuinely need their help.

Tapping technology

Technology is another tool wielded by the Public Service to improve customer experience. As mentioned, IRAS introduced the No-Filing Service in 2008 that relieves employees of the need to file tax returns if their employers do so directly. HDB launched the Mobile@HDB application to complement its HDB Infoweb, giving customers with smartphones another channel to interact with the Board.

Technology also helps public officers to improve service delivery. NEA Officer Manjit Singh, who is responsible for cleaning services, now uses his new office-issued iPad to respond to problems more quickly. While on-site, he can send out details and photographs of problems immediately, without having to wait till he returns to the office.

From tweaking a broad-based framework at the top to introducing better technology and process improvements on the ground, a breakthrough in service delivery by government agencies is on the way. And as innovations such as the FRP have shown, so long as the Public Service continues to review and adapt its policies by standing in the shoes of the public, it has a good chance of pleasing even the toughest of them.

Nasty remarks, unreasonable demands and occasional violence – these are all in a day’s work for the frontline staff at Community Mediation Centres.

Text by Chen

Jingting

It could have been a scene right out of a Hong Kong drama serial. A woman, accused of being the third party in a marriage, had made a complaint to the Subordinate Courts after the wife assaulted her.

Both parties were ordered to go for mediation. During a heated session at the Community Mediation Centre (CMC), the woman struck the wife in the face.

Centre Manager Diana Heng had to call in security and halt the session.

The fracas was reported to the courts and both women were ordered to go for another mediation appointment.

Dealing with high-strung members of the public who can turn violent is something Ms Heng has to be prepared for. She is not a mediator, but she schedules mediation sessions for disputing parties and mediators, who are all volunteers.

In her 14 years at the CMC, Ms Heng has at times been the punching bag of frustrated parties in conflicts.

Her job is not for the faint-hearted because sometimes when Ms Heng calls to arrange appointments with disputants, “they start complaining and shouting.”

There are currently two CMCs; one at The Treasury and the other at the Subordinate Courts, where Ms Heng works with another frontline colleague.

Operated by the Ministr y of Law, CMCs provide mediation services to members of the public who wish to resolve disputes without going through costly legal proceedings.

At a cost of $5 in administration fee upon registration, parties get to sit down with mediators to discuss solutions to their conflicts.

Parties either sign up for mediation on their own or are referred to the CMCs by the police, town councils and other agencies. In other cases, parties are ordered by the courts to do so, such as the wife-mistress tussle.

Paving the way to peacemaking

Most cases that come to CMCs are quarrels between neighbours, says Senior Centre Manager Tan Chong Yang, who has been coordinating mediation

sessions for the last 12 years. He works with two other frontline staff at CMC Central within The Treasury.

The number of mediated cases at CMCs has been increasing yearly; as of July, there were already about 600 cases seen this year.

“The public has become more demanding,” Mr Tan observes. He often receives calls from disgruntled parties, insisting that the CMCs conduct investigations and “take action” against the other side.

At times like these, all Mr Tan can do is listen patiently to the caller and explain politely, but firmly, that CMCs do not have enforcement or investigative powers.

Once, he was even yelled at on the phone by a member of the public who

Feature 15

For those who wish to sign up for mediation, you can contact the following: CMC (Central) – 6325 1600 CMC (Subordinate Courts) –6536 9665 or register online at bit.ly/cmcmediate

threatened to report his “unsatisfactory performance” to a higher authority.

The public officer of more than 40 years – he started out as a clerk in the Ministry of Education and later worked at the Singapore Land Authority, before joining CMC – takes such unpleasant experiences in his stride. He chuckles: “I’m just doing my work, serving the community. It’s quite interesting to help them solve their problems.”

Besides taking the heat from frustrated members of the public, CMC officers also devote much time and effort to the administrative work for every case.

Though they do not attend mediation sessions, which can stretch beyond office hours, they have to stay back to time the sessions, send the mediators

off, and then complete some paperwork before calling it a day.

CMC officers also need to be alert to uncommon behaviour among those who turn up for mediation, for example, those who mumble to themselves. To prevent any violence during mediation sessions, no one is allowed to bring helmets, walking sticks or umbrellas into mediation rooms.

For all the trouble CMC officers go through, “it ’s quite a thankless job because the thanks go mainly to the mediators,” admits Ms Heng.

No pain, no gain

Still, happy endings in some cases do motivate the staff to continue in what they do.

“Sometimes I feel so touched, especially when once, the disputing parties came out of mediation hugging each other,” Mr Tan says.

As work at the CMC is full of ups and downs, for Ms Heng, separating work from personal life was a challenge when she had just started working there.

“In the beginning I did have second thoughts about continuing,” she says.

“Every day I went home and thought: why are people fighting? I felt very upset and depressed... Now, I have learnt not to take things personally.”

She has also gleaned a precious life lesson. “We should not be fighting over little things… There are better things to do with our lives.”

World’s Oldest Catching crooks since 1952, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) celebrates its 60th anniversary this September. Find out what the Bureau has achieved all these years.

Text by Siti

1

At 60 years old, CPIB is the world’s oldest dedicated anti-corruption agency.

Maziah Masramli Illustration by Ng Shi Wei

2

CPIB is an agency, under the Prime Minister’s Office, dedicated to investigating and preventing corruption.

3

CPIB investigates both public and private sector corruption.

4

CPIB officers who stray are punished without favour. In 2002, a CPIB officer was jailed two years for receiving $1,350 in exchange for revealing investigationrelated information.

5

CPIB specialises in investigating corruption cases.

Complaints received that are not corruption-related are referred to relevant authorities such as: • Commercial Affairs Department investigates commercial crime, fraud and scam cases • Immigration and Checkpoints Authority handles sham marriage cases

WHAT IS CORRUPTION? Corruption is receiving, asking for, or giving any gratification (bribe) to reward or induce a person to do or not do any act, with corrupt intent. It involves using power or position dishonestly to give advantage (favour) to a person or organisation over others.

Power

Exchange of Bribes & Favour

Intent

Act

TIMELINE September 1952

1959

1960

1984

The British Colonial government sets up the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau in the Supreme Court building. But CPIB lacks resources, and legislations to punish corrupt offenders are largely ineffective.

Singapore attains self-government. The new government strengthens CPIB’s position as an enforcement agency. The judiciary is reformed and anti-corruption laws are revamped.

The Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) is enacted to provide for more effectual prevention of corruption.

CPIB relocates to Hill Street Centre.

HILL STREET CENTRE

Infographics17

BRIBES

Money, gifts, property, loans or payment of loans

FAVOURS

Employment or contract

Sexual favours

Special Leniency privileges (e.g. speeding up or interfering in a process)

Free service, meals, or entertainment

Confidential Influence over information a superior’s decisions

BIGGEST CASE

COMPLAINTS RECEIVED & INVESTIGATED IN 2011

757 COMPLAINTS The biggest case (in monetary value) involved Choy Hon Tim, former Director of the Electricity Department and Deputy Chief Executive of the Public Utilities Board (PUB). He was charged in 1995 of receiving bribes of up to $13.85 million in exchange for awarding contracts to suppliers and contractors of PUB.

OTHER TYPES OF CASES

Non-related complaints are now handled by other law enforcement agencies Some corruptionrelated cases were not pursuable due to lack of information in the complaints

1989 The Complaints Evaluation Committee is set up to deliberate on complaints of alleged corruption and to decide if any investigation should be conducted.

493 or 65% of complaints were corruption-related.

138 Cases

INVESTIGATED

The number of cases investigated has been falling since 2007 because...

Sexual bribery

Of the 138 cases investigated...

77%

23%

from private sector

from public sector

Number of persons charged

143 Private sector

1995 Polygraph testing as an investigative tool is introduced.

VS

13 Public sector

In 2007, volunteer police corporal Ng Wan Fu Ivan asked three female foreigners for sex in exchange for not arresting them (for vice-related activities).

Immigration-related corruption In 2006, an officer took bribes from foreigners and gave falsified official documents to immigration authorities to help the foreigners extend their stay in Singapore.

Football match-fixing and bribes Two former Korean professional football players were charged in May 2012 for match-fixing, involving bribes of $8,000. (CPIB completed the case in two days. )

1996

1998

2004

2008

CPIB begins its own basic training course for new CPIB officers.

CPIB moves into the former Keppel Primary School building at Cantonment Road, where it starts its Heritage Centre.

CPIB moves to its current location at Lengkok Bahru. The Computer Forensic Unit is set up. The Bureau's flag is commissioned to strengthen identity.

The Financial Investigation Unit is set up.

18 Thinking Aloud

Do you know more than your boss?

As a report writing trainer at the Civil Service College, I am often asked, “What must I include in my paper?” and “Why can’t my boss tell me exactly what she wants?”

Officers remember draf ts that go through several, sometimes painful, revisions. Come end of the year, a third question is, “ Why don’t they recognise my work?”

In school, when teachers and examiners read our work, they are also correcting and grading it. They, who know more about the subject than we do, know the answer before they read. There may be a model answer for comparison.

At work, our readers want to know,

There are also no model answers. So, writing papers at work is different.

First, we tell our readers something they need to know now, and probably did not know before. Therefore, unlike in school where we have a more knowledgeable teacher who checks our facts, now we must ensure our papers are accurate before sending them out.

Second, we help our readers understand and decide the next step. This includes showing them what the information means. How serious is it? What do we

In whatever area we are directly responsible for, we must know more than our boss.

“What happened in the past, and why?”, “What should we do now?”, or “Why are we thinking of this for the future?”

They do not have the answer – until they read our paper. Even our boss may not have the answer – until she reads our paper.

She may have some idea of what the answer should be. But it is only after we have investigated the case, interviewed the people, or researched the issue, that she knows for sure what happened and why, or what should be done now, or what we should be preparing for next. Only then can our boss give clear directions.

have to do now, and why? Should our policies or priorities change in future?

Third, we want to show why what we do matters. Why is our work worthy of recognition? Why is what we propose necessary and important? If we cannot do this, we risk our work being dismissed as merely routine. We may even end up always reacting to problems because we fail to persuade our readers to prevent them from occurring in the first place.

This means that in whatever area we are directly responsible for, we must know more than our boss.

Teo Hee Lian says we should know more about our work than our bosses do.

This is quite reasonable. Let us take the school example again. A teacher knows the subjects she teaches and every student in her class well. She knows who needs a slower pace and who more challenging assignments, and how best to reach both students. The principal has other responsibilities; he leads the whole school and knows the student profile and all his staff well.

But if he is a Science specialist, he does not have to know as much about teaching English as the English teacher does. He also need not know every student well, only the ones brought to his attention.

We are like the teacher. We are the experts and know more about our own work than our readers (including our bosses) do.

So when we write papers, we first give our readers Information they may not have known before but need now. Then we explain the Implications. Finally, we convince our readers of the Importance of our proposal and work.

This is how we can add value to our writing. This is also how we show the value of our work.

Teo Hee Lian is an associate trainer with the Civil Service College and former director of the Institute of Public Administration and Management.

Letters to aYoung Public Officer 27

Honour

your

Profession

by Ho Peng Director-General of Education

DEAR YOUNG OFFICER, Much of the way I live my life bears the imprint of my mother’s teachings. She was promised school if she worked hard growing sugar cane and sweet potatoes during the Japanese Occupation. She worked hard, but school never materialised.

Fortunately, there was the itinerant teacher of Chinese classics, who gave Mum a strong grounding in Chinese history and classics. When I told her my decision to become a teacher, she was overjoyed.

I clearly remember what she said to me: “jing ye le ye” (敬业乐业). Honour your profession, and find joy in it. Give it your very best. This has been a guiding principle in my life. As teacher, it was hard work juggling the myriad of tasks in teaching and knowing the students.

It was especially in extra-curricular activities that one got to know the character and temperament of students.

Those moments were invaluable in guiding their growth as young adults.

Going the extra mile often meant burnt weekends and school holidays. Perhaps it was my stubborn nature that made me dig in my heels, refusing to give up even when the going was tough.

As a principal in the 1990s, I saw the world through the eyes of my students, many from struggling homes, and sadly, non-intact families. Discipline was poor when I took over the school. It took me six months to evolve a clear set of school rules.

As principal, it was a true test of leadership: balancing the needs of students and teachers, deciding on what to do in the

short run, as well as the future direction of the school. It required clear thinking, stamina, drive and perseverance.

To listen was important. This had a ripple effect, with more and more teachers and parents stepping up when they saw discernible improvements in the school that had resulted from feedback.

There were countless suggestions on ways to build school pride and improve learning, programmes and facilities.

Af ter extensive consultation with stakeholders, we wrote to the Ministry of Education, requesting to move the school out of the vicinity of the railway station to quieter surroundings. The approval was a powerful rallying call

Honour your profession, and find joy in it. Give it your very best. This has been a guiding principle in my life. that gave the school a new verve. I could see the school turning round, as discipline improved and a strong sense of community emerged. The school was later selected as one of 22 “Demo Schools” when the first ICT Masterplan was launched, with the inspection team summing it all up – that we had a “caring school”.

From this success, what are the lessons distilled?

• L i s t e n i n t e n t l y a n d w a l k t h e ground, to know issues and concerns, to know who could be tapped on, and be alerted to pitfalls. This helps in clarifying your thinking. When in a dilemma, I often ask myself what would benefit the most people in the longer run. It also pays to consult key stakeholders and seek advice from those with the relevant experience.

• People are important. Respect them.

B e f a i r a n d i m p a r t i a l . R a l l y people and build strong teams so that improvements would be sustainable. Be patient too – the best results are obtained when there is a confluence of the right people coming together at the right time.

• Finally, go the extra mile. To be a leader, you have to work harder than anyone else. This means you need to be physically fit and emotionally ready to run the course well. Have a regular exercise regime, and take time out to re-charge. Most importantly, connect with family and friends. They provide you the emotional support to keep on going.

I have no regrets – this has been a life worth living, a good life, because I make a difference to the many young lives that pass through my hands.

“We have a

Strong Adversity Quotient.”

Land Transport Authority chief Chew Hock Yong talks about the challenges of managing Singapore’s public transportation infrastructure.

Text by

Wong Sher Maine Norman Ng

Photos by

Here IS probably the question you have always wanted to ask the man at the helm of Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA): Do you take public transport?

The answer is a reassuring “yes”.

Every workday morning, Mr Chew Hock Yong, 47, catches the train from Potong Pasir to the Little India MRT station just outside the LTA office at Hampshire Road.

“I try to get in early, before 8am,” he says, on his strategy to beat the crowds.

With that elephant out of the room, talk turns to how he has had to “fight fires” at a time when LTA is under intense public scrutiny.

Because of service disruptions on MRT lines and some niggling train faults, some commuters worry if they can get to work on time. Meanwhile, COE prices continue their unrelenting ascent, and car buyers are unhappy about the prices they have to pay.

Singaporeans, it seems, are increasingly dissatisfied with getting around in the city-state – and they are making it known.

A Cuppa With...29 Onslaught of feedback

LTA is receiving more feedback than ever. It now gets 1.5 million instances of feedback yearly, which is about one every 24 seconds!

What does Mr Chew make of this?

“I think people want to be heard and to have their views considered as well. We’ve a population that ’s better educated. They want to have a say in how certain things get done in the community, which is a good thing, rather than to have people who don’t care,” he says.

LTA has hired more frontline officers to handle the rise in feedback, and it pays even greater attention to listening to and communicating with commuters. But he concedes that it can get tricky when officers have to say “No” to customers.

“I always tell our officers in LTA, ‘Don’t be disappointed if people still don’t accept your explanation after you have carefully explained our approach’,” says Mr Chew. “As long as you have done your job diligently and fairly, given due consideration to people’s suggestions and addressed them, the management will always be behind you.”

Caught off-guard

Mr Chew, who has worked at five different ministries before LTA, acknowledges that the public transport crunch is due to a surge in commuter numbers, and transport infrastructure is struggling to cope. “ We’re doing a bit of catch-up in our transport hardware. The main infrastructure will be completed in the next few years,” he says. “The challenge is how we manage public expectations before the cavalry (new trains and MRT lines) starts arriving from about 2015. We are doing whatever we can to alleviate the situation. And we are laying the foundation for a better transport system and better ways of getting around, going forward.”

“On hindsight, what probably caught some planning agencies a bit offguard was that the population grew at a faster pace than the forecast,”

says Mr Chew. “ When we look back we can always find things that we can do better. We’ve picked up from this experience, and we’re making our planning and coordination systems more robust.”

was trying to get to the HDB block, it rained. “He saw there were a lot of people who were all stuck. He came back convinced of the need for a sheltered walkway there, and we built it.”

LTA will also increase its checks on MRT stations and tracks: “ We are also tightening the regulatory framework so that the operator will put in more effort in maintaining the trains properly and running them well.”

From walkways to cycling paths, LTA aims to create what Mr Chew calls a “portfolio of mobility options” to further ease the nation’s dependency on cars.

Being a commuter champion

Away from the glare of policy and big engineering projects, Mr Chew’s heart is firmly with the commuters. He has tasked senior management staff to champion the man in the street.

His “pedestrian champion” walks the ground and “pays special attention to how things can be improved at street level”. For example, whether mothers with prams can walk around the MRT station easily. The “cycling champion” does the same for cyclists.

Despite the challenging times, Mr Chew remains incredibly proud of his staff.

“I don’t know if it ’s because we have to deal with difficult issues, but it takes people with resilience and a good spirit to deal with it on a daily basis and not get demoralised.

At LTA, we have a strong adversity quotient.” He concludes: “You know what LTA stands for? It stands for ‘Let ’s Try Again’ – to persevere and push on and do the right thing, even when times are challenging.”

“There are things we won’t see if we approach it from just the higher perspective of train networks and lines, and engineering systems,” Mr Chew explains.

He recounts the story of the “pedestrian champion” who didn’t think there was a need to build a sheltered walkway from a train station to an HDB block in Jurong.

But when he was at the station and

What’s usually in your cup?

Jasmine tea.

Where do you usually have your cuppa?

In the office. My secretary brews 2-3 cups a day for me.

Like Canary Birds in the Coal Mine Recently in town to learn more about sustainable development, two leaders from the Arctic Circle warn of the challenges brought on by climate change.

Text by Bridgette

See Portrait Photos by Justin Loh

Before the days of electronic detectors, canary birds were brought into coal mines to test the air quality. They acted as an early warning system as they could detect toxic gases quickly. A distressed canary was a clear sign of unsafe conditions.

Today, the indigenous people of the Arctic Circle say they are the canary birds of the world. They are the first to feel the effects of climate change, with the Arctic warming up twice as fast than anywhere else.

In 2009, 3,500 walruses were stranded on Alaska’s north-west coast because of reduced ice. Scientists estimate that polar bears are likely to be extinct in 70 years when they lose their breeding and hunting grounds because of melting ice.

“We don’t want to die. We want our cultures to flourish, and not be wiped out,” said Chief Gary Harrison of the Arctic Athabaskan Council.

Chief Harrison and five others from the Arctic Council Permanent Participant organisations (see side box) were in Singapore recently on a study visit. For five days, they met government agencies

and institutions that shared with them Singapore’s experience in environmental protection, sustainable development, education and community-building. They also visited the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, an internationally recognised site for migratory birds.

Chief Harrison and Mr Olav Mathis Eira of the Saami Council (representing the Saami indigenous people) were impressed by Singapore’s focus on sustainability and planning for the future, they told Challenge. Mr Eira said that the government seems unafraid to impose environmental standards on industries and that private companies are well aware of them. Also, he observed that instead of seeing environmental concerns as barriers, businesses here see them as opportunities.

Not against development

Chief Harrison, who leads the Chick-

aloon tribe in Alaska, said the extraction of oil, coal, copper, gas and other resources in his village has led to heavy pollution, threatening animal and plant species. Natural resources are being exploited too quickly, without long-term planning. As a result, the tribe’s traditional way of living off the land – foraging and hunting – has been affected. “ We should look seven generations ahead, but they look at the now,” he said.

Fearful of further pollution, his people are fighting plans for a new coal mine in Chickaloon. After spending US$1.2 million to rehabilitate their waters that had been badly polluted by previous coal mining activities, salmon is finally breeding well again in their area. But a new coal mine could halt the recovery.

“I don’t want to revolt,” said Chief

Feature 31

generate clean energy. But the windmill farms have encroached on traditional reindeer grazing lands, impacting the reindeers’ hunt for food yet again.

The need to innovate

The indigenous people know they have to innovate and adapt if they are to survive climate change and rapid development.

Fo r i n s t a n c e , t h e A t h a b a s k a n s of Chickaloon Village set up Alaska’s only tribally owned full-time school to teach and preserve the Athabaskan culture. Their salmon rehabilitation project, called the Moose Creek Restoration Project, has been recognised for habitat conservation.

Olav Mathis Eira (far left) of the Saami Council and Chief Gary Harrison of the Arctic Athabaskan Council.

Saami culture. But climate change is a big threat.

Harrison, “but I want to change a revolting situation. We’re not against development but if you can’t do it cleanly, don’t do it. In the long run, the clean-up is costly.”

Feeling the effects of climate change

Agreeing, Mr Eira, an ethnic Saami who lives in the northernmost part of Norway, said his people are also feeling the ill effects of climate change and rapid development.

Warmer temperatures mean there are now rains in the winter. The rain causes traditional winter herding routes over lakes and rivers to become dangerous – the normally frozen ice becomes unstable. Two of his nephews have fallen through ice before.

I don’t want to revolt, but I want to change a revolting situation.

Mr Eira is a reindeer herder who inherited the ancestral occupation from his father.

For the Saami people, reindeers are a source of food, clothing and trade.

Mr Eira hopes his three sons will take over his reindeers and continue the

“Winter is crucial to the reindeers,” Mr Eira said.

“When it rains in the winter, they can starve.” The ice that forms after a rain covers up the reindeers’ only source of food during winter – lichens. To cope, Saami herders now feed the reindeers with expensive food pellets.

Ironically, the Saami people are also affected by climate change mitigation programmes, pointed out Mr Eira. For instance, the Scandinavian countries are now installing giant windmills to

Reflecting on his study visit, Mr Eira said he was impressed by Singapore’s unique situation of having no natural resources, and yet being able to thrive and “find new ways to be sustainable”.

Chief Harrison hoped that more countries, even those that are still resourcerich, would think this way before it is too late.

For that to happen, the world would have to take its canary birds’ distress signal more seriously.

“The world is a living thing and we’re all co-dependent. You people down here (in the south) are all co-dependent on us up there (in the north),” he said.

The Arctic Council Member States Canada • Denmark • Finland • Iceland • Norway • Russian Federation • Sweden • United States of America

The Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council Arctic Athabaskan Council • Aleut International Association • Gwich’in Council International • Inuit Circumpolar

Council • Russian Arctic Indigenous Peoples of the North • Saami Council

www.arctic-council.org

A CRADL∑ for Innovation More than just a collection of exhibits, real science takes place at Science Centre Singapore.

Te x t by

V i s i to rs to t h e S c i en c e Centre may be familiar with its fascinating interactive and hands-on exhibits, but little do they know that behind closed doors, serious science is taking place.

About a third of the centre houses a large number of scientific facilities that are available only to students. They include a DNA learning laboratory, a movie-making studio and a robotics

A/Prof Lim, who heads the Science Centre, at the newly opened CRADL∑ lab.

Douglas Chew P h o to s by John Heng

learning centre. There, youths aged 12 to 18 carry out experiments and conduct projects, transforming the science they had learnt in their textbooks into real experiences.

“To really learn, you must immerse yourself in a project,” says Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, the Science Centre’s Chief Executive. “When you apply science to a problem, it will inspire and push you to understand

more, because you need to know why this bit of science applies.”

Launched in April 2012, CRADL ∑ (Centre for Research and Applied Learning in Science) is the Science Centre’s latest initiative to inspire young scientists and engineers to stretch their abilities.

Through experiments, data collection and analysis, CRADL ∑ ’s structured

A student learns about the Arduino microcontroller during a CRADL ∑ workshop. A light sensor is attached to the Arduino that has been programmed to turn on or turn off a lamp, depending on what is detected by the light sensor.

Feature33 An assortment of gears being cut out from acrylic by a laser cutter at the CRADL ∑ lab. With its speed and ease of use, the laser cutter allows students to quickly test out ideas and prototypes for their projects.

Joel Tong, a member of the Science Centre’s Singapore Academy of Young Engineers and Scientists, demonstrates his Arduino-controlled blimp he had built for the Singapore Mini Maker Faire in August 2012.

experimentation programmes explore scientific concepts and aim to bridge the gap between the theory and practice of science.

Participants get to measure the speed of sound and light, and explore related phenomena, such as standing waves, diffraction and resonance, using the same types of electronic test and measurement devices found in professional research laboratories.

Students can also make use of the high tech scientific equipment at CRADL ∑ , such as its atomic force microscope, scanning electron microscope, 3-D printer and laser cutting and engraving equipment.

defining the problem and designing their experiments, to project planning and management, the young scientists and engineers take responsibility for their work.

Meanwhile the sponsorship of DSO National Laboratories and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) helps fund deserving projects. The Ministry of Education is also supporting CRADL ∑ , through the secondment of teachers as Educa-

ing teachers to be research mentors.

A/Prof Lim intends to work with schools for them to become satellite Cradles, bridging the geographic distance that being in the western part of Singapore can pose.

A/Prof Lim has big plans for CRADL∑: “We want to give every student, who has an aptitude for science, a chance to develop it. We should not leave behind any potential scientist or engineer.”

Aiming to handle tens of thousands of students in future years, he notes that CRADL∑ needs to scale up. He hopes to generate more results and attract more funding in the process.

We want to give every student, who has an aptitude for science, a chance to develop it. We should not leave behind any potential scientist or engineer.

“ CRADL ∑ a i m s t o c u l t i v a t e t h e research mindset so that research and development becomes part of the nature of our students’ training,” says A/Prof Lim. Another workshop gets students to measure the non-linear conducting properties of semiconductors. Students have to work out for themselves the elementar y charge of an electron.

Other workshops deal with electromagnetism, electronic circuits and even quantum physics.

More advanced students with the aptitude for scientific work can sign up to conduct research at CRADL ∑ .

From proposing the research project,

tor Researcher Mentors. They develop and teach CRADL∑ programmes, and mentor student research.

One recent project studied microwaves in ovens. From the results, the student researchers learned that the waves are not evenly distributed within the oven, and thus discovered problematic hotspots.

Another tackled whether plants moved in the dark. The students had to think of how to isolate any stray light waves in a darkened space, and how to measure the minute movements.

Recognising that the research programmes at CRADL∑ will have a limit in capacity, the centre is also train-

Already linked up with DSO and A*STAR, the Science Centre plans to enlist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to provide real technical problems in their businesses that student researchers can tackle, at the same time exposing them to entrepreneurship.

Some real-world problems might prove to be too difficult for the students so research scientists from CRADL∑ and the scientific organisations sponsoring CRADL∑ act as consultants to guide them.

But A/Prof Lim notes: “ We don’t underestimate the power of youth.”

The fresh eyes of the young scientists might see what the more experienced have missed, bringing to the table novel perspectives that might open up new dimensions in science.

Making a bald statement Shaved heads at Vital help open hearts and minds to the issue of cancer.

Text by Douglas

Chew Photo by Justin Loh

For Mr Clarence Ti, the Chief Executive of Vital, cancer is a subject that cuts close to the heart. The 40-year-old lost his father to cancer last year, after a year of fighting.

“I know first-hand that it’s not an easy time,” he says. “Support is so important, not only for the patient but also for the caregivers who have to make sacrifices.”

So when a colleague mooted the idea of getting their heads shaved to help attract donations for the Children’s Cancer Foundation’s annual Hair for Hope (HfH) fundraiser, Mr Ti wasted no time in saying yes.

Together with 16 others from Vital, a shared ser vices centre under the Finance Ministry, Mr Ti had his head shaven at an HfH satellite event held on Vital’s premises on June 21. That inspired more than 180 Vital colleagues to support the cause, raising more than $9,000 – nearly double the original $5,000 target.

Mr Ti is clearly moved by this. “We all need great colleagues to rouse us from our preoccupation with our own lives, to remind us that there are those in our society whose lives are more difficult, more in need than our own,” he says.

Mr Ti, however, is also quick to point out that the satellite event was not an official corporate event.

“Beyond letting our staff send out e m a i l s on t h e s u b j e c t , t h e re w a s actually very little that the ‘organisation’ did,” he says. “The word of mouth, the buzz, the rallying was all done by the equivalent of a grassroots movement. It was an effort from the ground up.”

Creating awareness

For Vital’s Operations Director Wong Wai Mun, shaving his head was his way of sharing hope.

Less than a year ago, he had suffered a stroke and lost his speech and memory temporarily. Now getting back on his feet again after months of rehabilitation, he shares, “As I pondered over what life is about and the blessings which I have received, I realised that giving a little hope to others is perhaps a small but right thing to do.”

Mr Wong, who last shaved his head during his National Service, says his family fully supported his decision to participate in the fundraiser. Like the rest of his newly bald colleagues, he is doing his part to start conversations with curious friends and colleagues on the issue of cancer. He hopes their efforts will help more people become aware of cancer, and boost the chances of early detection and cure.

For Mr Jason Toh, Head of Business Growth at Vital, going “botak” for the

cause is about delivering a vital message to cancer patients: do not give up.

Mr Toh, whose grandmother and uncle both passed away from cancer some years ago, understands only too well the importance of encouraging patients in their battle against cancer. He adds: “Through my action of shaving my head, I [also] want to teach my kids the values of empathy and care.”

Rallying Vital

Having participated in HfH the past two years, Mr Toh was about to shave

Feature 35 Going bald for a reason (from left): Clarence Ti, Jason Toh and Wong Wai Mun.

It is important that people are aware of and understand cancer so they can join in giving encouragement and showing support to the patients in their fight against cancer.

his head for the third time as an individual “shavee” when he thought he could, in fact, rally the entire Vital to join him in the fundraising.

when no one was willing to take the lift with him, as he took advantage of the enclosed space to ask for volunteers to join in the shave.

As the main coordinator for the satellite event, he encouraged his colleagues to sign up as “shavees” or to donate to the cause. Part of this involved sending out publicity emails to explain to his colleagues the work of the Children’s Cancer Foundation and about childhood cancer.

He also organised an educational talk by the Foundation, where a child who had recovered from cancer and was a beneficiary of the foundation shared with Vital officers his story of battling cancer.

Mr Toh jokes that there was a period

“It is important that people are aware of and understand cancer so they can join in giving encouragement and showing

support to the patients in their fight against cancer,” Mr Toh says.

And while he is pleased that the donations surpassed the $5,000 target, he also makes it clear that the fundraiser is about more than dollars and cents.

“It’s not the monetary value,” Mr Toh says. “It’s about having the heart to want to do your part. So you find donations coming in between $5 and $500. And these add up.”

36 Level Up

Incubating

Social Media Communities &

Twe et

Tw ee t

Advocates

Tweet

et Twe et Twe Twe et

Creating deep engagement, from the bottom up.

Text by

YOUR MONTHLY PROGRESS report on your social media campaigns is due: you cross your fingers that your fan acquisitions have increased with more likes on your Facebook page and more follows on your Twitter site. After all, aren’t these numbers supposed to indicate the level of success of your social media endeavours?

Or so we think. In fact, as we mature and move towards Government Social Media 2.0, we are actually more concerned with the quality of engagements, as the real measure of the success of our social media communications. This means looking beyond acquiring likes, shares and follows, to developing strategies to build advocacy from the online community as a powerful tool of influence, since 90% of online participants trust peer recommendations, compared with 14% who trust advertising.

As such, we’ve refined an Integrated Social Media Engagement framework to help government enterprises establish and sustain public engagement, for tomorrow.

1. Listen Enterprises should closely monitor online conversations, to decipher pertinent issues and pick out key trends, tonalities and sentiments. In short,

Norman Ng

take a macro perspective of the online conversation landscape.

2. Profile Stakeholders No two stakeholders are alike, so to conduct deep engagement, we must recognise their diverse positions and concerns. This means understanding the ASPINE (Actions, Sentiments, Perceptions, Interests, Needs and Expectations) of stakeholders, and leveraging these as key target points of engagement. Using ASPINE as a tool, government agencies might uncover blind spots and anchor constructive points of engagement that relate to stakeholders.

3.Communication Strategy & Roadmap We need to ask, what are our desired communication outcomes? The answer: Mindshare, Heartshare, & Action.

Mindshare refers to creating stakeholder awareness and interest in your engagement; Heartshare, to the buy-in through positive influence and support engendered; and Action, to the acting on your engagement. Use this framework to guide your engagement strategies.

4. Engage-Influence-Advocate Manage and influence the relationships and experiences of online stakeholders. Don’t go in with a transactional

mindset. Rather, execute your engagements in a way that supports conversations on a personal level. This could mean adopting a people-oriented tonality of engagement, addressing each participant in person; or sustaining real two-way conversations.

Do this and you will then develop a credibility that gives people compelling reason to engage you online. Because they will start to see that you’re not merely keen to “market” to them the government, but you’re listening and empathising with them, as real people with real concerns.

So for government agencies thinking of how best to move forward beyond Social Media 1.0, start by putting the “social” back into social media: build relationships through quality conversations and focus on the online experience of your stakeholders.

Norman Ng is an Engagement Strategist, and is the Managing Director of Icon Media Group. He has delivered consultancy and enterprise capability development solutions to Fortune 500 corporations and public enterprises. He adjunct lectures at the Civil Service College on various programmes covering traditional-new media and public communications.

Officers With A Passion 37

He is a ConstanT Gardener An NParks off icer has cultivated a love for all things green from a young age.

The van of Clarence Chua sprouts a grass roof.

Text by Sheralyn Tay Photo by Samuel He

It is a green and innovative way to keep cool in Singapore’s blistering heat.

Made up of a series of shallow trays that could support a lush lawn and yet be secured safely on the van roof, the mobile patch is the brainchild of Clarence, a manager of visitor services at Gardens by the Bay. “My van does not have roof insulation, so on a hot day it is like an oven,” he said. “So I thought, why not make my own insulation, but on the outside?”

The 29-year-old is an ardent fan of nature who spent his growing-up years catching spiders and roaming in parks like a kampong boy (despite living in an HDB flat), thanks to the enthusiasm of an equally nature-loving father.

But it was at university when he worked on a photo essay of Singapore’s green spaces for his final-year project that his simple love for nature deepened into a conviction. Now Clarence is a supporter of local green spaces, knowing how important it is to “strike a balance between preserving natural heritage and development”.

The eye-catching garden van is a simple creation resulting from Clarence’s green philosophy. And it doesn’t hurt that the vehicle always brings on smiles wherever it goes. He recalled: “Once, a woman and her child ran after the van and told me how cool the idea was. She put her young daughter on the roof and took a picture.”

Well, who wouldn’t? After all not only is it a cool idea in tropical Singapore, it’s a heart-warming one too.

Text by Siti

Maziah Masramli

Feature 39

For most of us, planning for sickness or death doesn’t come easily.

People tend to remember only the best parts of life and there is a general reluctance in today’s culture to think about growing old and losing memories, said Richard Magnus, Chairman of the Public Guardian Board.

So when Mr Magnus, 66, decided to make a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) and wanted to discuss with his family about who should handle his affairs should he lose mental capacity one day, his children initially resisted.

“They didn’t want to talk about this now; they said we could resolve the issue when it comes,” the former senior district judge recounted.

Such a mindset and the taboo of talking about death and sickness tend to deter many people from planning for contingencies in life.

Why the need to plan

However, Singapore’s population is ageing rapidly. The number of persons aged 65 and above was 300,000 in 2010 and is estimated to rise to 900,000 by 2030.

The likelihood of suffering age-related illnesses like dementia or stroke increases as a result. Dementia cases are set to grow from 28,000 in 2010 to 80,000 in 2030. This means one in 15 Singaporeans aged 60 and above will likely lose their mental abilities by 2030.

The ageing population led the government to enact the Mental Capacity Act in March 2010. The Act allows an adult (the “donor”) to appoint one or more trusted persons (“donees”) to act and decide on matters of personal welfare and/or property and affairs through an LPA. For example, a personal welfare donee can decide where a donor should live or what to eat or wear. A donee given responsibilities over property and affairs can manage a donor’s bank accounts, finances, property and assets.

Overcoming attitudes

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), a Division of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), was set up in 2010 to maintain the register of LPAs as one of its functions.

To raise public awareness and to overcome resistant attitudes, the OPG has held 14 LPA workshops and 277 public talks from March 2010 to end-2011. So far, close to 2,000 people have already made an LPA. Public officer Low Sze Wee, 42, made a will after buying a flat. He also made an LPA. Unlike a will, which functions only after a person passes away, the LPA comes into effect when a person is still alive but is vulnerable and unable to make decisions due to reduced mental capacity.

It is a relatively simple process for a donor to appoint donees while being sound of mind. “To save everybody the

The LPA comes into effect when a person is still alive but is vulnerable and unable to make decisions due to reduced mental capacity.

• OPG encourages individuals to plan proactively through an LPA so that their interests can be protected if they should lose their mental capacity.

• Making an LPA involves appointing a trusted person(s) to take care of specific areas of one’s life – personal

hassle, why not make an LPA when I’m still able to make the decision?” said Mr Low, who works at the National Art Gallery.

Life is unpredictable

Hence the OPG wants to move citizens to make the decision sooner rather than later, and to think about their lives the way they think about their assets.

“When we buy a house and want to pass it on, we make a will. But our life is more valuable than a house,” said Mr Magnus. “An LPA is more than just filling forms. You’re affirming that even if you lose mental capacity, your dignity and autonomy should still be protected.”

“Many people don’t realise that the capacity to make decisions is integral to themselves,” he continued. “If you lose a hand, you can still function without it or use a prosthetic. If you lose your mind, you lose your personality.”

The LPA isn’t just for the elderly. An accident could make a person mentally incapable as well. The OPG hopes their campaigns will persuade more Singaporeans to sign an LPA and encourage their loved ones to follow suit.

After Mr Magnus convinced his two children of the benefits of an LPA, they have become his donees.

“If every public servant brings the message home to their family, it will help to change mindsets,” said Mr Magnus.

welfare and/or property and affairs matters. To make sure that a person is signing the LPA voluntarily, it must be certified and witnessed by an accredited doctor, practising lawyer or psychiatrist.

• The OPG organises workplace talks and free regular workshops for the public to

learn more about the LPA. On-site mobile clinics to facilitate LPA registrations can also be arranged. There are guidebooks and online instructional videos to take applicants step by step through the LPA form. For more information, visit www.publicguardian. gov.sg or call 1800 226 6222.

Shopping

Nostalgia Ryandall Lim scours modern Singapore for retro furniture shops whose products and designs celebrate the timeless beauty of eras past.

P h o to s by

Norman Ng

Vintage chair haven ReStore Living Pte Ltd

ReStore Living represents a small number of young, mid-sized, retrothemed household shops started by entrepreneurs keen to marry their passion for preserving old furniture with a self-satisfying career. Just two years old, this vintage furniture shop is the baby of good friends, Megumi Wettstein and Liew Hwee Min. The simply decorated shop is bright and cheery, with a row of colourful, newly upholstered dining chairs perched on the shop’s railing. Below them, a number of retro wooden cabinets sit side by side. Everything in the shop is unique and for sale. They were sourced from HDB void decks or industrial estates and restored. The shop also houses a cafe, where one can relax around old tables, on chairs of different shapes and sizes, enjoying home-made waffles, ice cream and piquant coffee. The store-and-cafe concept, explains Ms Liew, allows young homeowners to have a cozy, stress-free environment as they contemplate possible buys over a cuppa. But don’t take too long to decide, or that perfect chair you were eyeing might just get sold as you sip on your cuppa.

Address: 124 Tanjong Pagar Road Singapore 088533 Opening hours: 11am-7pm (Tue – Fri) 11am-6pm (Sat & Sun) Closed on Mondays Telephone: 62223510 Website: restoreliving.blogspot.sg Item price range: Dining chairs from $190 onwards

Life.Style41

Second-hand homeware specialists Hock Siong & Co

Reputed as Singapore’s leading second-hand furniture and homeware store, Hock Siong sells items sourced mostly from local hotels. Look out for unique finds such as silverware with dragon head handles, shisha lamps and old-school marble dustbins. The best part? You can even bargain down the already oh-so-low prices. Started 20 years ago by karang guni man Mr Toh Chin Siong, Hock Siong today shares a special bond with its customers. Says its store manager Brillyn Toh: “We’re more a community than a shop. We’ve loyal customers who pop by every weekend, and sometimes even bring snacks or home-cooked food to share with us!” Indeed the friendly atmosphere of the place is contagious, courtesy of the cheerful staff. You’d wish you could bring some of that great hospitality back!

Address: 153 Kampong Ampat #01-03 Junjie Industrial Building Singapore 368326 Opening hours: 9.30am-5.50pm (Daily) Telephone: 62818338 Website: www.facebook.com/hocksiongco Item price range: From $0.50 for a shot glass to about $2,000 for display shelves

Antiques treasure trove Changi Junk Store

Pak Haji Basman Johari’s 40-year-old Changi Junk Store is an odd inhabitant among the numerous eating outlets, karaoke joints and budget hotels that line colourful Joo Chiat Road. It is packed with all kinds of furniture and knick-knacks, some spilling out into the common walkway and onto the road.

Curious passers-by peek in, and some quickly dismiss the store as containing what its name says; but those with a good eye will spot some rare prized pieces.

In fact, nearly half of Pak Basman’s more than 1,000 items – most of which are kept in a Kallang Pudding Road warehouse – are precious antiques.

Interesting finds include a gold-leaf bridal dais that once belonged to Bugis royalty, a pair of wooden Peranakan clogs, intricately carved bird cages, classic Malay sireh sets, Indonesian oil paintings and teak carvings. And if you have a piece of old furniture, Pak Basman will gladly restore it to its former glory for a fee. Today, the sprightly 72-year-old still cuts a strapping figure and continues to single-handedly collect, deal and restore his wares.

Life.Style43

Loyalty through time Just Anthony Pte Ltd

From the outside, the bungalow that Just Anthony occupies looks and feels like an old museum. Its spacious driveway is half-filled with ceramic vats and lined with pot-bellied statues and stone lions. Step inside, and you’ll find that most of the products – from traditional wooden chests, dressers, cupboards to an original Shanxi horse-cart – are from China. Many of the items come with their histories intact.

Just Anthony also restores, reproduces and customises popular wooden furniture styles, including those from the Ming dynasty. Feast your eyes on elaborately carved wedding beds, shiny mother-of-pearl dining sets, a fish-shaped stone pillow, hand-painted wash buckets and iconic circular shelves. Just Anthony bills itself as having Singapore’s largest selection of Chinese antique furniture. Ms Danielle Lee manages the place with her father, Anthony. Here, loyalty is very much the name of the game. “Customers who’ve been buying from my father long ago, now have children who come back to us,” says Ms Lee. Just Anthony has been around for 30 years, and with the level of product authenticity maintained through time, future generations may just keep coming back.

Address: 379 Upper Paya Lebar Road Singapore 534972 Opening hours: 9am-6.30pm (Daily) Telephone: 62834782

Address: 125 Joo Chiat Road Singapore 427413 Opening hours: 9am-5pm (Daily) Telephone: 96359425 Website: www.facebook.com/pages/Changi-JunkStore/279725578711337 Item price range: From $15 onwards

Website: www.justanthony.com Item price range: $25 for hand-painted dishes and ceramic tiles, to $18,000 for a 150-year-old original canopy bed from Shanxi

44 The Irreverent Last Page

No Wrong Door There’s never a wrong door. It’s just that sometimes there’s a very long corridor.

Need We Say More?

Here’s where we let the humour loose, and learn to laugh at ourselves a little more.

Have ideas or jokes about the Public Service? Email us: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg

1

At the 2012 Excellence in Public Service Awards, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced the addition of new service principles to the existing four of Care, Accessibility, Responsibility and Effectiveness (CARE). a. one b. two c. three d. four

2

The newly implemented First Responder Protocol, which builds upon the Public Service Division’s No Wrong Door policy was first . piloted in 2012 by the a. Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority b. National Environment Agency c. National Parks Board d. Singapore Land Authority

3

The Customer-Centric Initiative (CCI) assistance package covers up of eligible costs for SMEs to encourage them to raise to service standards in their industry. a. 50% b. 60% c. 70% d. 80%

4

Launched in 2011, the is awarded to the most outstanding organisation that has demonstrated the highest levels of customer satisfaction and organisational service excellence. a. Premier Customer Satisfaction Award b. Singapore Service Excellence Medallion c. Best Customer Service Award d. Gold Medal for Excellent Customer Service

5

is the second phase of the Go the Extra Mile for Service (GEMS) movement which aims to raise the level of service excellence in Singapore. a. GEMS 2.0 b. GEMS Up c. Next GEMS d. NuGEMS

Pairs of Movie Vouchers to be won Submit your answers by OCTOBER 3, 2012 at: Challenge Online www.challenge.gov.sg Please include your name, email address, agency and contact number.

All winners will be notified by email.

Congratulations to the winners of the July/August 2012 Trivia Quiz Roslinda Arsad ICA

Tein Jun Gang NEA

Lim Zhongyan HDB

Tong Woei Cheng EMA

Yeow Keshin MCYS

For answers to last issue’s quiz, please go to www.challenge.gov.sg.