RPD Bites (January 2019)

What is RPD Bites?
2
RPD Bites is a monthly scan covering issues and trends surfaced in various local
mainstream media sources that would be of relevance to the Malay/Muslim community. It is
compiled by the Research and Planning Department (RPD) of Yayasan MENDAKI.
The „Food For Thought‟ section seeks to raise thought-provoking
questions to stimulate discussion, with the hope of complementing our efforts to
support the Malay/Muslim community as a whole.
RPD Bites begins with an article count across the different media sources, including
the number of articles that fall within four main areas: (1) Education, (2) Economy, Employability &
Digitalisation, (3) Social and (4) Malay/Muslim Affairs. Other salient areas for the month are also
highlighted. It then delves into emerging themes and trends observed, before culminating in a
„Food For Thought‟ section.
We welcome any feedback or comments you might
have. You can reach us at RPD@mendaki.org.sg

Overall Coverage
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 A total of 134 articles were collated. The Social (35 articles) category occupies the top spot in
terms of article count with coverage on health and family issues, followed closely by the
Education (33 articles) category. The Employability and Future Ready (29 articles) and
Malay/Muslim Affairs (24 articles) categories come next.
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20
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60
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90

Overall Coverage
4
Employability & Future Ready
Future Ready Employability
 The Employability & Future Ready category covers
articles on Future Ready (12), and Employability
(17).
 The Social category covers articles on
Community (24), Health (8), and Family &
Youths (3).
Social
Community Family & Youths Health

Emerging Themes & Trends
Based on Coverage

Education
6
 Minister Indranee Rajah, who chairs UPLIFT, revealed some of recommendations by community and
school stakeholders to tackle long term absenteeism in schools: befriending, mentoring of families, a
good framework for referral of cases, and coordination of assistance and volunteers.
 Details of Uplift's recommendations will be announced and implemented this year. They will be
tracked and evaluated over a one-to two-year period to ensure effectiveness (ST, 27 Jan).
 Minister Ong Ye Kung outlined MOE plans for 2019 as underpinned by the “Learn for Life” movement:
 The first thrust centred on education as an empowering tool, enhance joy of learning, and
cultivating curiosity among our students.
 The second thrust strengthens education as a force that drives and integrates society, and UPLIFT
workgroup plays a significant role in it.
 MOE will enhance motivational support for students, and address long-term absenteeism, and
dropout issues.
 This year, MOE has determined that all secondary schools should provide at least 20% of places
for unrelated students, to ensure healthy social mixing (BH, 3 Jan).
Education news and trends

Education
7
 Ministry of Education (MOE) has launched the Parents Gateway, a mobile
application to improve communication between parents and schools at
the primary, secondary, and junior college levels (ST & BH, 3 Jan).
 The removal of exams that would affect Primary 1 and 2, and Secondary
1 students this year will free up about three weeks of curriculum time every
two years. Minister Ong Ye Kung stated the following changes implemented
this year:
 MOE guidelines for schools where only one class test for each subject
per term is counted towards the year-end score.
 Report books will also no longer show a student's position in relation to
class and cohort, and failing marks will not be highlighted.
 Academic indicators such as L1R5 (English plus five relevant subjects)
or L1R4 scores will not be reflected for the lower secondary levels.
 With the removal of grades at Primary 1 and 2, MOE will also adjust the
academic criteria for Edusave awards to recognize positive dispositions
towards learning. (ST, 3 Jan).

Education
8
 Singapore has consistently outperformed its global counterparts in IB Diploma
Programme (IBDP), often producing more than half of the top scorers
worldwide. Associate Professor Jason Tan of the National Institute of
Education attributed Singapore's performance to the local education system:
"In the local schools, the IB track is positioned as a more selective track,
whereas it's a mainstream exam in other countries… the socio-economic
status of students tends to be higher, so there's also the effect of more home
support and tuition“ (ST, 21 Jan).
 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urges parents to support schools‟ aim in not
only equipping students with the knowledge and skills to earn a living, but also
to develop character and help them acquire the values to be a good person
and citizen (ST & BH, 6 Jan).
 Two volumes of essays from Singapore Management University (SMU) –
Making Sense Of Life (2017) and Still Making Sense Of Life (2018) –
encapsulate SMU‟s business undergraduates voice on meritocracy and the
“opportunity costs of success”. Assessing meritocracy, students concluded
that "we were all unique in our own special ways and society's perception of
what is good or better is just an opinion“ (ST, 9 Jan).

Education
9
 MOE Kindergartens new criteria in 2019 see top priority for admissions going to Singaporean children
from lower-income households living within 1km of the MOE kindergarten. Children with siblings in K1 to
Primary 6 in the MOE kindergarten or primary school the kindergarten is co-located in will have second
priority.
 Previously, top priority was given to children with siblings in the MOE kindergarten in K1, while
second priority went to children from lower-income households.
 A third of the spaces are allocated to Singaporean children from lower-income households living
within 1km of the MOE kindergarten (ST, 16 Jan).
Early childhood care and education
 Associate Professor Dora Chen, the head of early childhood education
at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, view that sustaining
motivation is important in acquisition of literacy skills in young
children.
 On the same issue, Dr Jacqueline Chung, academic director and
senior principal of St James' Church Kindergarten, said it is
important to engage parents in a sensitive manner, rather than
lecturing them: "Some parents may not feel well-equipped to help
their children” (ST, 28 Jan).

Education
10
 Changes to the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and
Children (EIPIC) framework this year ensure early intervention was
more effective in helping families handle the fees required:
 Through increased government subsidies, parents can see the
reduction of fees between 30% and 70% on average.
 The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) will
increase subsidies for early intervention and extend the
income criteria for subsidies so more families can be eligible to
receive it (BH, 29 Jan).
 MSF will also introduce two new early intervention programmes –
EIPIC for Babies and Children Under 2 Years and Development
Support Plus (DS Plus) - starting this July.
 Both programmes will be introduced gradually, beginning with the
EIPIC centre at AWWA, SPD, Thye Hua Kwan and Rainbow Centre
(BH, 30 Jan).
Early childhood care and education

Education
11
 On local-foreign divide in local universities, Singaporeans account for half of the faculty at the six local
universities, with the number remaining stable over the last 10 years, said Minister Ong Ye Kung. He
also pointed to several schemes in place to nurture Singaporean academics and build a local
academic core in the universities.
 Singapore Teaching and Academic Research Talent (Start) scheme to develop Singaporean
academics and to supplement existing schemes at the various autonomous universities.
 Mr Ong added: "It is also very important we recognise that the primary mission of our AUs is
actually to educate the young and develop them, and teaching professorships (and) practice
professorships are in fact very important too” (ST, 15 Jan).
 Separately, Senior Parliamentary Secretary A/P Faishal commented that the Government gives newer
institutions, namely the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Singapore Institute of
Technology (SIT) and Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), a grant of three times the
amount of donations they get.
 This is on top of sizeable seed monies to start up their endowment fund.
 Regardless of which autonomous university, Singaporean students receive a subsidy of around
75% of costs (ST & BH, 16 Jan).
Higher education news

Education
12
Higher education news
 Singapore Management University (SMU) announced the launch of a new social entrepreneurship
programme to help pre-university students become future social innovators.
 This builds on the school's move in 2016 to set up an entrepreneurship major with modules that
teach students about developing low-cost, quick consumer experiments, global entrepreneurship
opportunities and the relationship between play and invention.
 While the major started with only two students, this number grew to 23 in 2017 and 32 last year
(ST, 21 Jan).
 SUTD announces a new programme that allows a select group of students to do research on top of
their regular academic load, and upon graduation, jump straight into their PhD.
 Only 20 out of the 500-strong incoming engineering and architecture cohort will start the SUTD
Honours and Research Programme (Sharp) in May, when the new academic year begins (ST &
BH, 11 Jan).
 About 28,000 graduating ITE and polytechnic students will receive a guide on job hunting by the end of
this month, as part of the Career Starter Programme, newly launched by the Workforce Singapore
(WSG). Graduates would receive more intensive and personalised coaching will be available for
graduates who need help, for example, those who cannot find work despite actively looking for three
months (ST & BH, 22 Jan).

Economy
13
Economic news and trends
 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong disclosed that Singapore’s economy grew
by 3.3% in 2018 - better than expected and similar to the 2017 growth of 3.5%
(BH, 1 Jan).
 Adding on, Singapore’s productivity growth has made good progress
within the eight years of the country undergoing economic restructuring. PM
Lee cited the statistics showed the country's economy was progressing and it
was not only growing, but the increase was also taking place.
 However, the progress is not equal in all sectors of the economy.
 Sectors such as manufacturing, finance and insurance, export services
recorded an increase, but domestic service progress was slower (BH, 12
Jan).
 The Grant for Equity Market Singapore (Gems), a $75 million grant funded
by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and administered by the
Singapore Exchange (SGX), will help defray costs of enterprises hoping to list
on the Singapore bourse, support research initiatives and subsidise the
salaries of Singaporean equity research analysts. The initiative will kick in from
Feb 14 and cease in 2022 (ST & BH, 15 Jan).

Governance
14
Budget 2019
 Analysts project SMEs to be one focus in Budget 2019. Amongst the feedback given is that despite
programmes such as the Professional Conversion Programmes, the level of support provided so far has
been fairly conservative.
 More robust measures may be needed, such as providing more salary support and educating
employers to be more receptive to hiring these career-switching PMETs (ST & BH, 5 Jan).
 Separately, a UOB report suggested enhancement to the SkillsFuture initiative, given Singapore's
need to train and reskill workers to stay relevant in the future (ST, 30 Jan).
 Minister Heng Swee Keat‟s comments on expectations for Budget 2019:
 The Budget's "one simple aim" is to improve the lives of Singaporeans, and
"the needs are very large”.
 Needs for healthcare and education are growing, as the needs for better
security, and better ability to defend ourselves also grow.
 As economy changes, “we must take this opportunity to ride this wave of
change and enable Singaporeans of all ages to do well in the coming years”
(ST & BH, 21 Jan).
 As 2019 is Singapore's Bicentennial year – the 2019 Budget also offers an "opportunity to review
Singapore's progress, and to chart our collective plans to take Singapore forward“ (ST, 21 Jan).

Employability
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Employment news and trends
 The proportion of older workers in the workforce has grown over the years, and there are various
forms of support for employers to hire and retrain them, such as wage subsidies. Some of the concerns
raised by workers included the stress of being on yearly contracts while re-employed, while employers
worried about the rising cost of insurance coverage for older workers (ST, 10 Jan).
 A growing number of people has been placed in jobs through Adapt and Grow programmes. There were
about 30,000 placements last year, a rise from 25,000 the year before (ST, 12 Jan).
 A new skills framework for social service was launched to help more than 15,000 social service
professionals plan their career and development pathways.
 It will provide information on the industry and type of skills and competencies needed for 60 job
roles in five career tracks - social work, youth work, psychology, early intervention teaching, as well
as care and programme (ST, 13 Jan).
 Last year, 72% of employees worked in firms with at least one flexi-work arrangement, such as
part-time work, flexible hours or teleworking, up from 70% in 2017.
 More were offered at least one ad hoc, or impromptu, arrangement.
 The figure rose to 87% last year, from 81% in 2017, according to the latest Conditions of
Employment report released by the Ministry of Manpower (ST & BH, 17 Jan).

Employability
16
Employment news and trends
 Salary is not the biggest driver of satisfaction among Singapore employees, according to a study
by data collection platform Qualtrics, with more than 500 local participants.
 The report sought to provide details of the daily experience of Singapore's workers, and how key
engagement metrics such as work-life balance, job satisfaction, motivation at work, attrition and
retention vary across the working population.
 The findings suggested that the main drivers for job satisfaction locally were confidence in the
company's senior leadership team, and a helpful manager in resolving work-related issues.
 A unique factor for workers in Singapore, in comparison with those in the other countries, was that
receiving sufficient training to perform their jobs effectively was also a key factor behind enhanced
job satisfaction, as well as increased desire to go to work and higher staff retention rates.
 This suggests that employees appreciate it when employers invest in them (ST, 17 Jan).
 Gender pay gap at the median wage for some occupations was 35% to 50% in June 2017, based
on the latest official data from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
 Overall, the median monthly salary of a woman in full-time work was 9%, or $410, less than a man
in full-time work (ST & BH, 19 Jan).

Employability
17
Graduates Employability
 According to the latest graduate employment survey, 89.5% of
graduates found permanent, freelance or part-time jobs last
year within six months of graduation.
 This is 2.2 percentage points higher than the figure for the
2017 batch.
 The proportion of graduates who were unemployed and still
looking for a job fell from 9.7% in 2017 to 8.2% last year, while
the percentage of those working in part-time jobs not by
choice dropped from 5.1% to 2.2%.
 The survey, conducted by the five polytechnics, also showed
that the median monthly salary for graduates who landed full-
time jobs rose from $2,235 in 2017 to $2,350 last year (ST, 16
Jan).

18
 Start Digital initiative allows SMEs to take up two basic digital solutions that run for at least 18
months, with costs waived for six months. They can choose any two of five categories: accounting,
human resource management system and payroll, digital marketing, digital transactions, and cyber
security (ST, 10 Jan).
 A new model of cyber defence will be implemented across 11 critical information infrastructure sectors,
including healthcare, energy, telecommunications and transport (ST, 16 Jan).
 A Glassdoor report on Singapore hiring trends shows that hiring in the tech industry here outpaced
that in the finance sector last year, based on job postings on the platform.
 MOM figures also show that tech and finance hiring in Singapore is on the rise as a percentage of
total vacant positions – from 6% between 2006 and 2013, to over 12% as of June last year (ST, 16
Jan).
 A $72 million fund will support an enhanced iBuildSG Scholarship and Sponsorship programme for
those seeking academic qualifications on a full-time undergraduate, diploma or Institute of Technical
Education (ITE) track (ST & BH, 23 Jan).
 Singapore Business Federation Survey (SBF) 2018/2019 revealed despite the call to improve the
skills of workers, only 12% of Singapore companies invest in training (BH, 20 Jan).
Digital Transformation
Future Ready

Social
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 In an op-ed by Mr Gerard Ee, Executive Director of Beyond Social Services,
he highlighted the need to see people as assets:
 Social issues are not regarded as simply problems to be fixed, but
as opportunities to rally society towards a common good as well as a
shared future that is mutually satisfying and meaningful.
 We must re-imagine the role of the social sector as one that increases
the social capital within our country, rather than one that simply
services those on the margins.
 Create context and conditions that enable people from different
segments and social strata to develop mutual trust and co-create
solutions where they have an active role in their success (ST, 3 Jan).
 Charities and other organisations in the social service sector can set up
endowment funds for businesses and individuals to channel their donations.
The invested capital would provide regular and longer-term contributions for
charities, allowing focus on long-term goals instead of worrying about short-
term funding needs (ST, 20 Jan).
Community news and developments

Social
20
 As part of a three-pronged approach announced by Minister for Home Affairs and Law K.
Shanmugam, to better rehabilitate former offenders, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) will look into
assigning inmates the same case officer - when possible - from the start of their sentence until they are
fully integrated into the community.
 The other two are: To focus more on correctional programmes targeted at the individual, and to get
more family and community support (ST & BH, 12 Jan).
 Adding on, a new law has also been passed to tackle "contaminative behaviours" like teaching a
person to engage in drug-related crimes. The crime carries a jail term of up to 10 years.
 The law also states that adults who recklessly expose children to drugs or drug-related
paraphernalia can be jailed for up to 10 years, in the case of first-time offenders (ST & BH, 16 Jan).
Reintegration

Social
21
Family, youth and elderly issues
 A study funded by UK Economic and Social Research Council, analysed data from nearly 11,000 young
people in Britain, found that 14-year-old girls were heavier users of social media, with two-fifths of
them using it for more than three hours a day, compared with a fifth of boys.
 The study also found that 12% of light social media users and 38% of heavy social media users
(more than five hours a day) showed signs of having more severe depression (ST, 5 Jan).
 Surrogacy is barred in Singapore. Parents who have gone abroad for it and returned home to apply
for adoption of their surrogate children will have their applications assessed on a case-by-case basis. To
date, the courts have granted the adoption of 10 children to married couples who used surrogacy
because of infertility issues (ST, 15 Jan).
 The Government will run ElderShield from 2021 after reaching an agreement with Aviva, Great
Eastern and NTUC Income, the private insurers currently administering the insurance scheme for people
with severe disabilities. With the change, MOH said ElderShield policyholders will be able to make the
switch to CareShield Life more smoothly (ST & BH, 8 Jan).
 Based on a Focus Group Discussion organised by MOH, four recurrent themes were revealed: (1)
Making respite options more flexible for caregivers; (2) Increasing the number of assistance schemes
for caregivers who opt for home care; (3) Helping new caregivers navigate the resources available to
them; and (4) Providing working caregivers with flexibility in their work arrangements so that they can
fulfil their caregiving responsibilities (ST,19 Jan).

Social
22
Health issues and research
 Last year saw a sharp rise in the number of dengue cases from 2017, with 3,285 cases reported.
This was almost 20% more than the 2,772 recorded in the preceding 12 months.
 That trend has continued into the new year, with the first week of 2019 seeing 207 cases - the
highest weekly number since September 2016 (ST & BH, 10 Jan).
 Dengue cases have increased over the past four weeks, with 455 seen in the first two weeks of
January – thrice the number reported over the same two-week period in January last year (ST, 20
Jan).
 2,000 working adults are participating in Health Insights Singapore, a
$1.2 million two-year HPB study that mines their data to personalise
health promotion efforts. It would serve as a resource for future public
health research, and to test policies before they are implemented (ST, 24
Jan).
 Close to seven in 10 young people are unaware that e-cigarettes
contain nicotine and cancer-causing chemicals, according to a Health
Promotion Board (HPB) survey, which polled 600 youth last year (ST &
BH, 27 Jan).

Malay/Muslim Affairs
23
Wisma Geylang Serai
 Wisma Geylang Serai‟s (WSG) aspiration for the future is to build a
social and cultural hub in Singapore that brings together the
different Malay/Muslim organisations, social and government agencies
under one roof. This will allow WGS to provide various programmes and
convenience, and this will better fulfil the needs of the community (ST &
BH, 27 Jan).
 WGS has attracted 60,000 visitors from various backgrounds
including non-Malay visitors since May.
 Last month alone, a total of 6,000 attended the RockFest music
festival, and many participated in programs such as the Malay
youth music festival, and Satay Club Party (BH, 22 Jan).
 WGS is the first social and cultural hub in Singapore that brings various Malay/Muslim, government
and community organizations under one roof:
 The integrated center houses the Geylang Serai Community Club, the South East Community
Development Council (CDC), art facilities, Malay heritage galleries, senior care centers and children,
family service centers as well as retail space (ST & BH, 27 Jan).

24
News from Malay/Muslim Organisations (MMOs)
 Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SMCCI) will introduce more programmes to
assist and empower traders, especially for future economies.
 One programme is trade missions to eight places including Dubai, China, Taipei, Vietnam,
Korea and Japan as an effort to help businesses (BH, 2 Jan).
 People's Association (PA) “Shiok Series” organized by the Coordinating Council of the Malay
Activities Group (MESRA) has received encouraging response last year with over 7,500 residents
participating in around 500 classes and programs.
 The initiative will be extended this year to more than 650 classes offered and hopes to
involve more than 8,500 people (BH, 14 Jan).
 PPIS Oasis - Center for Fostering has been launched, and the center is located at Block 41 Chai
Chee Street. PPIS has played an important role in raising awareness and providing support to
parents (BH, 21 Jan).

25
 Minister Masagos cited the right government policy, a special
community program and family support are three key pillars
that can help the former offender return to society:
 First is the government's support in giving the group,
among others, jobs and housing.
 Second factor is the role of the community in helping the
group.
 Third is family support is very important in this effort (BH, 7
Jan).
 M³ Office – housing MUIS, MENDAKI, and MESRA was
launched on 26 January. Minister Masagos described it as an
office that provides the services that our community desires in
one roof (BH, 26 Jan).
M3: MUIS-MENDAKI-MESRA

26
 The Harun Ghani Education Fund (HGEF) has distributed more than $32,000 for the benefit of 188
children of parents who are drug offenders, to help them stay in school.
 Through HGEF, primary school students receive $120 while secondary school students and the
Technical Education Institute (ITE) are awarded between $ 150 to $ 200. Polytechnic students and
universities each received $ 1,200 and $ 2,000 each.
 The fund also aims to assist family members of the drug offenders who are having problems with
giving them the necessary support. Since its inception, $ 598,870 has been distributed to help over
3,000 students (BH, 6 Jan).
 MENDAKI Tuition Scheme (MTS) will offer a more comprehensive approach in the form of
motivational and career talks in line with the 'Learn For Life' movement.
 Deputy Chairman of MENDAKI, Minister of State Zaqy voiced: we are not only distributing aid from
education but we also want to support them with support, motivation and workshops such as
identifying suitable career in the future as a holistic approach.
 Under the initiative, counselors will organize motivational talks for 15 minutes before the start of
each MTS session (BH, 20 Jan).
Yayasan MENDAKI

Food For Thought
27
1. Singapore Business Federation Survey (SBF) 2018/2019 revealed despite the call to
improve the skills of workers, only 12% of Singapore companies invest in training.
• How can we ensure accountability of training grants and funding that companies receive
are maximized and benefiting the employees well?
2. Gender pay gap at the median wage for some occupations was 35% to 50% in June 2017,
based on the latest official data from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
• What can be done to ensure more equitable wage and employment opportunities for both
males and females in local companies and organisations?

RPD Bites (January 2019)

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