Month: July 2020

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公众即日起，可到住家附近的民众俱乐部和居民委员会中心，领取今年的国庆礼包。

人民协会和国庆庆典筹委会联合发表文告指出，每户家庭只限领取一份礼包。新加坡公民和永久居民在领取礼包时，必须出示身份证。

国人能够从今天到这个星期六，可到居民委员会中心领取礼包。民众俱乐部和联络所的国庆礼包派发活动，则会持续到8月2号。

除了公共假日除以外，公众可以在每天上午10点到傍晚6点，领取礼包。

The Straits Times published a forum letter that discussed that more support should be given to those who have mental issues.

Anecdotally, I know that there are more than a handful of people out there who delay seeking treatment for their mental condition because they fear being labelled at their workplace, or are afraid it might affect their chances of securing a job.

It is why some choose to seek help from medical experts in the private sector as they believe that there is less of a chance of it being found out that they were undergoing treatment.

In the United States, psychiatric problems are looked upon and treated almost like the common flu, and there is little stigma.

Clearly, there is a lack of public awareness in Singapore.

There are some obvious ways to help those with mental issues.

One is for employers to keep an open mind about hiring these people. Some employers lump everyone with a mental condition as being a possible self-harm or potential suicide case, and reject their job applications for this reason. This kind of discriminatory behaviour must stop.

There should be more laws to protect those who have mental issues. There should also be more avenues for those with mental issues to seek help, for instance, by having psychiatric clinics in the neighbourhood.

Also, public and private health records should never be shared and those undergoing treatment must be given that assurance.

I urge employers to stop asking employees to make declarations on mental issues as it will only cause more distress to those affected.

It was reported that 239 scientists signed an open letter to the World Health Organisation, calling for a new set of safety recommendations in the light of evidence that the spread of the coronavirus could be airborne.

However, it seems like many companies are eagerly sending their employees back to the office. It is a perilous move if the virus spread proves to be airborne, placing productivity above the health of every Singaporean.

We have seen how quickly the virus spread among foreign workers living in dormitories. We cannot afford to let the pandemic pick up momentum and hit us hard again.

If companies insist on getting employees back to the office, then appropriate safety precautions must be in place, and companies that compromise on safety should be fined hefty amounts.

A dedicated hotline should also be set up for all Singaporeans to report firms or individuals who are taking unnecessary risks, so as to safeguard the interests of all employees.

I am sure Singaporeans do not want to have to experience the circuit breaker all over again. And there is a real danger of it happening.

Already, Australia’s second-largest city Melbourne went into lockdown again from midnight yesterday to contain the outbreak. The authorities should send out a strong message that working from home should remain the default.

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贸工部长陈振声表示，执政党希望国人知道，人民行动党正完全专注于如何协助国人克服眼前挑战。

他今天(8/7)召开记者会指出，自己从国人那里接获的反馈是，新加坡人希望政府集中精力帮助他们渡过难关，并在这之后变得更加强大。

陈振声说，他有信心，当选民去投票时，他们将非常清楚地知道在他们面前的选择有哪些，而哪个政党最能带领他们走出危机，能够最好地和他们合作、一起克服难关。

另外，对于2019冠状病毒疾病疫情带来的挑战，贸工部长陈振声坦言，未来半年到一年我国将面临非常艰苦的环境，各个领域的复苏情况将是不一致的。

他说，在过去3个月新加坡失业率虽然上升，但由于雇佣补贴计划等政府援助措施，失业率涨幅并没有想象的那样糟糕。

陈振声补充，在对抗疫情的战役中，不论是在经济层面还是公共卫生层面，一定会造成冲击，因此我国必须动员集体社会力量，以相互照料，共同渡过挑战。

The Straits Times published a forum letter which discussed how National Service has evolved to better suit servicemen’s needs.

It was mentioned that with Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Day having been marked this week, we should ponder the growth and changes that have taken place in national service, and the impact NS has had on Singaporean men’s lives.

NS has evolved to better suit the people’s needs. It has also improved in terms of benefits and incentives for full-time national servicemen (NSFs) and operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen).

The Committee to Strengthen National Service made several recommendations in 2014, including allowing young men entering NS to indicate which vocations they want to serve in (NS pre-enlistees will get to indicate vocational choice, July 1, 2016). This is aimed at making the NS experience a more meaningful one.

The committee also aimed to make the experience a safer one for all Singaporean men. Other than the setting up of the Inspector-General’s Office last year, more safety precautions have been put in place for the benefit of NSFs and NSmen.

In May, the Officer Cadet School said that officer cadets are now each given a Safety Stoppage Card. During an exercise, if safety precautions have been breached, the cadets have the right to flash their cards to stop the exercise immediately.

Also, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, large-scale activities such as mobilisation and in-camp training have been put on hold.

Since March 1 last year, NSmen have no longer needed to notify the authorities for overseas travel of less than six months, up from the previous 14 days.

All these efforts are aimed at easing any inconvenience that NS activities may bring to servicemen.

The announcement of NS Square last year, as well as more awards being given during in-camp training, further shows the efforts to strengthen NS.