Olympic council should review STTA's emotive snub

Olympic council should review STTA's emotive snub

LEADERSHIP in sports is as important as it is in the corporate or political arenas.

Just days into the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) presidency, Ms Lee Bee Wah showed a lack of sensitivity, not only to the Singapore National Olympic Council but also to Singapore with her untimely outburst.

Ms Lee has again shown to her officials and players that she is the boss and their fates are in her hands, that even the coach who nurtured Singapore's Olympic silver medal team can go nowhere without her support.

The fact is that coach Liu Guodong managed to bring out the best in a team to enable Singapore to win the Olympic silver medal. If this is not sufficient to win him the Coach of the Year award, if not the Coach of the Decade, then whoever won before him is a mockery.

We followed the STTA saga from Beijing Olympics to Singapore with great disappointment. We have shown to all sports officials, Singaporean and foreign, that to move forward, they must learn to kowtow to power.

According to Ms Lee: 'Results are not the only criterion.' She may wish to know that results are the No. 1 criterion. She has erred and her judgment appears to be emotive in snubbing coach Liu.

I suggest that the Singapore National Olympic Council review the nomination process, overrule the STTA's decision not to support Liu and restore confidence in the local sports scene by giving Liu his due reward, Coach of the Year.

Han Jit Kwang

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28591.1

Lee Wei Ling criticises Health officials

May 8, 2009
FIGHTING INFLUENZA A
Tackling it better

MUCH has been said about this new variant of Influenza A (H1N1) virus. In brief, it seems to have started in Mexico but spread rapidly throughout the world, especially in the Americas.

As a doctor observing how our health-care system responded to this potential threat, I have several points to make from which we can learn to better tackle the next outbreak of H1N1 or other novel infectious diseases.

First, protecting Singapore from H1N1 must be an all-or-none approach. The present approach is illogical: People from certain countries or regions that have shown significant human-to-human transmission are not allowed into Singapore, or if they have already arrived, are quarantined; yet people from other areas where there is human-to-human transmission are allowed to enter freely. The latter group will bring in H1N1 and waste efforts to protect Singapore.

Second, standard operating procedures cannot be transferred automatically from one medical illness to another. In Sars, there was some logic in using fever to screen for patients who were infected because when they were infectious, the fever had already started. Even then, there was a huge proportion of false positives leading to futile investigations and anxiety.

With H1N1, the situation is worse. More than one-third of people infected have no fever or other features of flu. Of those who will eventually develop fever and symptoms and signs of flu, they are infectious yet appear well on the first day of their illness.

This leads to a high percentage of false negatives, which is worse than not having tested these people because they now have a false sense of security and hence are likely to spread their infection even further.

We must not dismiss H1N1 just because the morbidity and mortality seem mild compared to regular flu.

We should heed World Health Organisation chief Margaret Chan's warning: 'Flu viruses are very unpredictable, very deceptive...We should not be over-confident.'

I agree and would rather the Health Ministry err on the side of over- cautiousness, so we expend a few million dollars rather than relax because Mexico declared it was winning the battle against this new strain of H1N1, and later suffer unacceptable loss of lives.

Prof Lee Wei Ling

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28586.1

MOE not making changes to core sexuality programme in schools

MOE not making changes to core sexuality programme in schools
By Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 May 2009 1809 hrs

	Photos 1 of 1 > " onclick="Next();" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_next.gif" type="image" width="18" height="15"> Sex education talk (file pic)
	Related News • MOE suspends sexuality education programmes by external vendors • AWARE debate still raging in cyberspace • MOE investigates complaints over AWARE's sex ed programme • Controversial content in AWARE's sex education programme sparks debate

SINGAPORE : The Ministry of Education (MOE) said it will not be making changes to its core sexuality education programme, but warned that external providers offering programmes to supplement the core component should comply with the ministy's guidelines.

Speaking at the sidelines of a community event, Senior Minister of State for Education S Iswaran said appropriate action will be taken if programmes are found to be inconsistent with its guidelines.

Referring to the programme offered by the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), he said parts of it are in line with the MOE's message.

Mr Iswaran also said the suspension on sexuality education programmes affects all external providers until the ministry completes reviewing its process of vetting service providers.

"Parents have a right to be concerned. The Ministry of Education strives to keep mainstream sex education in compliance with mainstream values in Singapore," said Mr Iswaran, who is the Senior Minister of State for Education. - CNA /ls

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.76

'Right' to be concerned

May 8, 2009

'Right' to be concerned

By Theresa Tan
		Mr Iswaran stressed that the Ministry of Education strives to keep sexuality education in line with mainstream values in Singapore. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG

SENIOR Minister of State for Education S Iswaran said parents are 'quite right' to be concerned by some parts of the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) sexuality education programme.

While he did not elaborate, he stressed the Ministry of Education strives to keep sexuality education in line with mainstream values in Singapore.

The minister's comments came two days after MOE said it will suspend all sexuality education programmes in schools run by external groups, including the controversial Aware one.

In addition, the MOE will implement a new, tougher vetting process for the selection of such external programmes by schools.

The move was taken after the MOE received complaints, Mr Iswaran told reporters at an event on Friday, at which Cola Cola Singapore and McDonalds treated about 70 poor families to lunch.

He also said that schools are given automony to decide which external agencies to hire to run programmes but added that the MOE will take 'appropriate action' if it finds specific instances where such programmes don't follow MOE's guidelines.

'I think there are specific instances, upon investigation, there's a sense that they (Aware) have exceeded guidelines and we are taking appropriate action now,' he added.

A copy of Aware's instructor guide for its sexuality education programme posted online contained lines such as 'anal sex can be healthy or neutral if practised with consent and with a condom' and 'homosexuality is perfectly normal. Just like heterosexuality, it is simply the way you are'.

However, Aware had earlier told The Straits Times its instructor guide, which is meant to be confidential, contained more responses that what is used.

Aware added: 'The guide includes possible responses for instructors should certain topics, such as homosexuality and premarital sex, be raised during sessions. They are not necessarily the responses actually used, as our instructors always use language and terms appropriate to their audience.'

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.75

MAS SELAMAT: Don't let guard down

May 8, 2009

CAPTURE OF MAS SELAMAT

Don't let guard down

		Singaporeans must continue to be vigilant and keep their guard up against terrorism. --ST PHOTO: ABDUL AZIZ HUSSIN

SINGAPOREANS must continue to be vigilant and keep their guard up against terrorism, even as JI leader Mas Selamat Kastari has been arrested in Malaysia, said Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng.

'I think Singaporeans must not think that just because Mas Selamat is arrested and now in Malaysia, the threat of security, the threat of terrorism will not be there anymore,' he said at a news conference on Friday morning.

VIDEO 'Don't take security for granted' (1:55)

'In fact... the threat of terrorism is real, we are a prime target and therefore there's no question about letting our guard down.'

Mr Wong, who is also Home Affairs Minister, added that Singapore must remain and continue to implement safety measures it has put in place.

'Singapore is a small country with a long coastline. It is porous and it's easy for people and for goods to be brought in, or even to leave Singapore. So we must not assume that just by the arrest of one person, Singapore will be safe from terrorist threat,' he cautioned.

Besides Mas Selamat, he said there are other Jemaah Islamiah members who have not been caught yet and many more that are unknown to intelligence.

'We don't know where they are, who they are and when they will come into Singapore, so we must not believe that with the arrest of Mas Selamat, we can let our guard down.'

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28568.43

Mas Selamat: Will be back at Whitley centre

May 8, 2009

Capture of Mas Selamat

Will be back at Whitley centre

		Mas Selamat Kastari will be detained again at the Whitley Road detention centre when he is brought back to Singapore after the Malaysian authorities have completed their interrogation. --ST PHOTO: FRANCIS ONG

View more photos

ESCAPED Mas Selamat Kastari, who has been caught in Johor Baru, will be detained again at the Whitley Road detention centre when he is brought back to Singapore after the Malaysian authorities have completed their interrogation.

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said the detention centre, where the terror leader of the Singapore Jemaah Islamiah network escaped from, 'is today very different from the one on Feb 27, 2008' - the day Mas Selamat escaped.

'Many security measures have been put in place and that is the place we are going to put him,' Mr Wong, who is Home Affairs Minister, told a media conference on Friday morning, after news broke that the JI terrorist has been arrested.

Mr Wong said from the brief that was given to Singapore, Mas Selamat swam across the Straits of Johor with an 'improvised flotation device.'

'We don't know all the details and until he's brought back to Singapore and ISD interview him, we don't have much information on that,' he said.

After Mas Selamat's escape, a Committee of Enquiry was set up to look into the incident, highlight what went wrong and come up with recommendations to boost security especially at the Whitley Road Detention Centre.

The committee came up with 10 suggestions on how to rectify weaknesses there.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28486.41

Mas Selamat: ISD provides crucial lead

May 8, 2009

Capture of Mas Selamat

ISD provides crucial lead

		Mas Selamat's escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27 last year sparked a massive manhunt in Singapore and the region. -- PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER

DEPUTY Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng commended the Internal Security Department (ISD) officers for going all out to track down the escaped terror leader Mas Selamat, who was eventually caught in Malaysia on April 1.

Mr Wong also said the capture of the Singapore Jemaah Islamiah network leader was the result oft the strong co-operation between security agencies on both sides. Intelligence leads provided by Singapore's ISD late last year played a key role leading to the arrest.

VIDEO Significance of arrest: Terror trends in the region (1:18)

Briefing the media on Friday morning on the capture of Mas Selamat, whose escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27 last year sparked a massive manhunt in Singapore and the region, and involved the Interpol, Mr Wong said details of the arrest are brief at the moment as the Malaysian authorities are still questioning him.

Bernama on Friday reported that Singapore's most wanted man was arrested by Malaysian Special Branch officers near Skudai, about 25km from Johor Baru.

'We know that he has relatives staying in Skudai,' said Bernama, quoting a source, who is familiar with the operation to nab the JI leader, who masterminded a plot to hijack a jetliner and crash it into Singapore's Changi Airport.

Mas Selamat first fled Singapore in 2001 but was captured by the Indonesian police on Bintan Island in 2006 and detained at the maximum security Whitley Road detention centre.

Asked for his reaction on the capture, Mr Wong said at the media briefing: 'I am glad that he is now arrested. We were informed of the arrest soon after the arrest by the Malaysians on April 1. I also reported that to the Prime Minister. As I have said before, so long as we can find some leads on him sometime or other, we will find him.'

He said despite the setback last year, which was 'a painful lesson' for ISD officers, they continued to work very hard and did not give up.

'They continued to work their leads and they looked at every lead possible that it provided, and for this particular one, they developed this lead on their own and eventually, they shared that lead which they think is the most credible one with the Malaysians.

'The Malaysians worked hard on that and eventually found where Mas Selamat was and arrested him.

'On this, I must say that the excellent work done by the Malaysian Special Branch is really highly commendable. Between ISD and MSB, there's a long standing cooperative, cordial relationship and as a result of this kind of relationship, we were able to keep each of our countries safe, and contribute to the safety and security of the region.'

Confirming the arrest of Mas Selamat, Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur on Friday morning that he could not go into the detail because 'this is a sensitive issue which involves three parties namely Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.'

'It also involves intelligence agencies of the three governments and it is something that I do not want to jeopardise,' he said, assuring that the Malaysian authorities would ensure that Mas Selamat would not escape for a second time

Bernama said Mas Selamat is still in police custody and had not been sent to the

Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping, Perak where Malaysian ISA detainees are held.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28568.42