Singapore Update: Singapore Seeks to Become a "Smart Nation"

• Please join us on June 3 for the ASEAN Agricultural Attaché Roundtable. This is an opportunity for members of the Council to meet with Nydia Ngiow from the Singapore Embassy as well as the Agricultural Attachés of the other 9 ASEAN member states in Washington, D.C. The roundtable takes place 1-2 times per year for the purpose of exchanging views and identifying a roadmap for improving the business environment in ASEAN and supporting our ASEAN friends with their efforts in the U.S. For additional details, please contact Hai Pham at hpham@usasean.org.

• In an interview session with various ASEAN media outlets, Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director of the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), discussed Singapore’s ambition to become the first Smart Nation.  Smart Cities are on the rise as governments seek to sustain growth and efficiency via technology.  Examples of “smart” tools include cloud-based services, the Internet of Things (IoT), city-wide or nation-wide electronic record systems, and integrated government services and transportation systems.  Singapore is aiming to become a Smart Nation, one in which the national government enhances its smart sectors such as transport, health care, immigration, and sanitation.  Singapore already maintains a national electronic health record system.  Doctors can access every citizen's records, removing the administrative burdens of collecting this information.  Singapore’s Smart Nation scheme follows from its Intelligent Nation 2015 initiative (iN2015)—a 10-year plan to improve the country’s ICT infrastructure led by the IDA.  The iN2015 seeks to double the value-add of Singapore’s ICT sector to US$19.69 billion (S$26 billion) and triple its ICT export revenue to US$45.44 billion (S$60 billion).  Ms. Poh mentioned the IDA’s desire to augment the country’s radio spectrum in order to augment connectivity between devices such as phones and products with sensors.  Consumers benefit from increased broadband and efficient services, while the government benefits from improved opportunity and economic efficiency.  Businesses may profit from a tech-savvy workforce and highly accessible e-commerce.  As a pioneer in the use of new technologies, the plan demonstrates how Singapore is becoming a leader in ICT integration.
   
• On May 6, Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen argued that his Ministry can overcome its demographic problem by upgrading its defense technology.  Dr. Ng was speaking at an event honoring Singapore's pioneer defense scientists and engineers.  He noted that although the number of full-time national servicemen are expected to shrink by about a third by 2030, Singapore’s defense will not lose its effectiveness.  This speech came a day before Singapore announced a US$130 million (S$173 million) purchase of F-16 fighter jets from the U.S.  The government is allocating more of its spending on technological upgrades of its security assets.  Other recent modernizations include heat stress monitors to reduce heat-related injuries in servicemen and satellite-based soldier-tracker systems.  In the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Ministry of Defense, 5,000 personnel are devoted to defense technology.  Singapore's first chief defence scientist, Professor Lui Pao Chuen, noted that this emphasis on technology is a drastic increase since the SAFs origins in the 1960s.  Dr. Ng acknowledged that technology-based defense spending is vital in maintaining Singapore’s deterrence strategy.  Singapore’s 2015 national budget increased defense spending by 5.7 percent from the previous year. 

Indonesia Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan visits Singapore Channel NewsAsia 12th May 2015
Indonesia’s Minister of Transport Ignasius Jonan is visiting Singapore from Tuesday (May 12) to Wednesday (May 13), at the invitation of his Singapore counterpart and Second Minister for Defence Lui Tuck Yew under the Ministry of Transport’s Distinguished Visitors’ Programme. During his time here, Mr Jonan will call on Mr Lui and visit the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, the Land Transport Authority of Singapore (LTA), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) as well as other transport operators. On Wednesday, he will speak at the Singapore Business Leaders Programme, organised by the Human Capital Leadership Institute with the Singapore Economic Development Board, the Ministry of Manpower, and the Singapore Management University as strategic partners.

Singapore’s Path to Ending an Old Rivalry The New York Times 11th May 2015
The growing Singaporean presence in Iskandar signals an accelerating détente between Singapore and Malaysia. In recent years, some complicated issues, such as the transfer of Malaysian rights over Singaporean railways, have been resolved. And as the prime ministers of the two countries, Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore and Najib Razak of Malaysia, emerged from a two-day retreat recently, it was clear both were pressing for increased cooperation. They announced, for example, the construction of a high-speed rail connection that will eventually cut travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to a mere 90 minutes. In fact, until 2013, Malaysia was Singapore’s largest trading partner, with annual bilateral trade reaching over $90 billion, a figure only recently superseded by Singapore’s trade with China.

Singapore Convicts Teenager of Obscenity and Insulting Religious Feelings The New York Times 12th May 2015
A teenager who posted a video criticizing Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of modern Singapore, was convicted on charges of obscenity and insulting religious feelings by a court in the city-state on Tuesday. Prosecutors had asked the court to sentence Amos Yee, 16, to probation and counseling rather than prison time or a fine. A June 2 hearing has been scheduled for the announcement of his sentence. His arrest this spring, at a time when many Singaporeans were mourning the March 23 death of Mr. Lee, brought a renewed focus on Singapore’s reputation for tight limits on expression.

10 things Singapore does better than anywhere else CNN 12th May 2015
1. High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs); 2. Flamboyant car parking; 3. Celebrations; 4. Colonial architecture; 5. Most striking hotel swimming pool; 6. Best interjection, lah; 7. Nighttime Grand Prix; 8. Street food for wimps; 9. Man-made gardens; and 10. Neatness.

Singapore's religious harmony a legacy to be treasured: PM Lee Channel NewsAsia 12th May 2015
As Singapore celebrates 50 years of independence, citizens should remind themselves that religious harmony is a precious legacy to be treasured, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at an event marking the 66th anniversary of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO). Leaders of the 10 main faiths in Singapore attended the event at the Istana on Tuesday evening (May 12). In a speech, Mr Lee said efforts of the organisation has strengthened religious harmony in Singapore over the years. Religious leaders have built up mutual trust and can discuss sensitive issues that arise from time to time, he said. This includes the threat of self-radicalisation and the Islamic State or managing public issues such as the wearing of religious symbols or the conduct of festivals like Thaipusam.

Public holidays of 2016 announced: Six long weekends next year The Straits Times 12th May 2015
The Government on Tuesday announced the public holidays in 2016. Chinese New Year falls on Feb 8 and 9 next year. Labour Day and Christmas Day fall on Sundays, which means that the following Mondays will be public holidays. Good Friday will fall on March 25, while Vesak Day on May 21. Hari Raya Puasa will be on July 6, and Hari Raya Haji, Sept 12. Deepavali will be celebrated on Oct 29.

4-person Singapore households spend S$1,250 a month on essentials: Survey Channel NewsAsia 11th May 2015
Based on the latest Household Expenditure Survey conducted in 2012/13, the Average Household Expenditure on Basic Needs (AHEBN) for a four-person household was about S$1,250. The AHEBN is an estimate of how much households spend per month on essential needs such as food, clothing and shelter. This was revealed in Parliament by Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan on Monday (May 11), in response to a request by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Gerald Giam for an update.

Good education alone does not guarantee Singapore success: Heng Swee Keat Channel NewsAsia 10th May 2015
Good education alone does not guarantee Singapore success, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat. Speaking during a ministerial visit to Bishan East on Sunday (May 10), Mr Heng stressed that the country should look forward and outwards in terms of how Singapore responds to societal challenges and international developments - for it to be successful in the future.

Science, maths skills critical to Singapore's future: PM Lee TODAYonline 8th May 2015
A strong foundation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) was what underpinned Singapore’s development over the past 50 years, and continued capabilities in these areas are needed to create a vibrant, exciting and advanced society. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stressed the importance of STEM at today’s (May 8) opening of the Singa­pore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) campus in Changi. He pointed out that as a small country, the Republic will always have constraints that need to be overcome through ingenuity and technology. New ways of creating space and boosting productivity in a shrinking workforce are just a few of such instances.

Singapore must "run together" with productivity initiatives: Lim Swee Say Channel NewsAsia 1st May 2015
Singapore must "run fast and run together" with the SkillsFuture and JobsFuture initiatives, so workers will always have the skills to be employable, and businesses can be productive, innovative and competitive in the future, said outgoing labour chief Lim Swee Say on Friday (May 1). Speaking at this year’s May Day Rally, Mr Lim stressed that the SkillsFuture and JobsFuture initiatives, like the "DNA of Singapore", must move forward in tandem ahead of the competition so that the country can secure an SG100 that is better than the SG50 today. He highlighted MediaCorp cameraman Ng Sher Hak as an example of a worker who constantly picked up new skills during his career. Mr Ng has been in the business for more than 40 years. He started off as a trainee cameraman in the '70s and became a senior cameraman in the '90s. He now helps to run the camera unit, edits and uploads footage, and even gives input to producers. Mr Ng has also travelled all over the world during his career, to places like Italy, Poland, France and China.

US approves S$173m deal to upgrade Singapore's F-16 jets Channel NewsAsia 8th May 2015
The United States has approved a US$130 million (S$173 million) deal to upgrade Singapore’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on Thursday (May 7). The items in the proposed sale include transponders, missile launchers, global positioning systems and spare and repair parts, to upgrade 60 of the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) F-16 aircraft, said DSCA in a news release. The deal will also include technical and logistics support services and personnel training and training equipment.

Defence technology community is Singapore's secret weapon: Ng Eng Hen Channel NewsAsia 6th May 2015
The greatest upcoming challenge for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is demographic, as the number of full-time national servicemen will shrink by about a third by 2030. Speaking at an event on Wednesday (May 6), honouring Singapore’s pioneer defence engineers and scientists, Dr Ng said this will increase the SAF’s dependence on technology. “Thankfully, the SAF is fully prepared for this and has been deploying more platforms that require fewer men and women and more unmanned systems in the air, land and maritime domains,” he shared. “The SAF of the future will be a hybrid force of man and machines, working in unison. You can expect the use of more fully autonomous platforms able to operate in challenging and hostile environments. Cyber threats and dis-information warfare also call for expertise from the defence technology community to engage in the internet."

Military will continue asset upgrades as a deterrence: Minister Today 5th May 2015
While exercises and operations have affirmed the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) capabilities, spending on upgrades of its assets will continue at a steady pace to keep up its deterrent force, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday. Asset upgrades in the pipeline include the Army’s new Protected Response Vehicle for island defence that will replace the V200. For the Navy, the new Littoral Mission Vessels will take over patrol duties from next year. And over the next decade, the Air Force will have to find replacements for its Super Puma helicopters, which have been in service for almost 30 years.

Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia could extend joint patrols in South China Sea Channel News Asia 11th May 2015
To deal with a resurgence of piracy, navies of the littoral states - Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia - are in discussions to extend joint patrols to the lower reaches of the South China Sea where piracy hotspots are, Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Lai Chung Han told TODAY. However, the extension of these patrols - which have been successful in curbing piracy in the Strait of Malacca - is complicated by competing territorial claims in these waters. “When will (the extension) be realised, we hope (it will be) sooner rather than later,” RADM Lai told the media in an interview last Friday (May 8) at Changi Naval Base, where he also talked about the terrorism threat and congested waterways in the region.

Lloyd's Asia growth good for Singapore's global hub ambition Asia Insurance Review 13th May 2015
Although London, with its insurance talent concentration, geographical and time-zone advantages, will remain the global hub for Lloyd's, CEO Inga Beale said that it is only by growing its Asia platform that Lloyd's will remain the world's market of choice for specialist insurance and reinsurance. "In a multi-polar world, new centres of excellence will emerge, and we would be fool-hardy to ignore these." Lloyd’s strategy, she said, is to “embrace those new centres”, with the development of Lloyd’s Asia as one of its top priorities. “I firmly believe that a growing Lloyd’s in Singapore will be good for the city state, helping strengthen even further this vibrant international hub.” Speaking at an event organised by the General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIA) yesterday, Ms Beale laid out a few unique features of the Lloyd’s platform which she believes will help grow the Singapore market.

RAM Ratings: Maybank can meet S’pore’s DSIB capital requirement New Straits Times Online 11th May 2015
RAM Ratings expects Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) to be able to organically strengthen its capital base to address the impact of having to locally incorporate its Singaporean operations. Maybank and three other foreign banks alongside the three Singaporean banks have been designated as domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs) by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). MAS requires D-SIBs to hold an additional capital buffer of two per cent on top of the minimum common equity tier (CET-1) capital ratio of seven per cent. RAM Ratings in a statement said Maybank has been operating in Singapore for more than 50 years with an estimated market share of more than five per cent. It said as at end-December 2014, Maybank’s CET-1 capital ratios stood at 11.7 per cent (consolidated level) and 16.3 per cent (entity level).

New MAS Bill ensures high standards of integrity, trust: Lawrence Wong Channel NewsAsia 11th May 2015
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) (Amendment) Bill will ensure high standards of integrity and trust in the domestic financial system - amid constantly evolving threats of money laundering and terrorism financing risks. Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Lawrence Wong - speaking on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam - said this in Parliament on Monday (May 11), as the Bill was passed. With the changes, the central bank's supervisory powers will be strengthened - against money laundering and terrorism financing. Currently, MAS' power to carry out inspections is found in sector-specific legislation, such as the Banking Act, Insurance Act and Securities and Futures Act. For greater efficiency and consistency, these powers will now be centralised in the MAS Act.

Singapore: Strong sales growth in single premium products in Q1 Asia Insurance Review 8th May 2015
The life insurance industry in Singapore saw a significant 22% increase in sales of single premium products, totalling S$204.4 million (US$153.6 million) for the first three months of this year, according to the Life Insurance Association, Singapore (LIA Singapore). In the first quarter of 2015, the total sum assured for new business saw a 4% increase, totalling SS$19.9 billion compared to the corresponding period in 2014. In the same period, the industry achieved a total of S$649.4 million in weighted new business premiums1, a marginal 1% dip compared to the first quarter of 2014. Dr Khoo Kah Siang, President of LIA Singapore said: “Grounded by strong foundations and quality growth, we are confident that the life insurance industry is in good stead to continue contributing to our nation’s growth and improved well-being of the community.”

Insurance portal raises transparency, pushes insurers to be competitive AsiaOne 8th May 2015
A month after the launch of a one-stop web aggregator that lets consumers compare life insurance policies before they decide which to get, at least one insurer is trying to re-price its products to up its game. compareFIRST, which has made the market more transparent, is a joint effort of the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Life Insurance Association Singapore (LIA) and national financial education programme MoneySENSE. It is understood that AIA Singapore, whose term and whole-life products have not been as competitive in pricing and benefits, has re-priced some of its direct-purchase insurance (DPI) term products, pending approval from the MAS.

Telstra connects Australian and Singaporean financial hubs Herald Sun 8th May 2015
Telstra has furthered its Singapore connection, launching a low latency network between Australia’s ASX and the Singapore Exchange (SGX). Matthew Lempriere, Telstra’s Global Head of Financial Services Market Segment, said the investment was driven by customer demand in both markets, and builds on existing services that Telstra rolled out last year for financial markets in Chicago, Hong Kong and London. “Today, millisecond improvements in network speed can be what it takes to get the edge over the competition. This new connection is highly scalable and easily handles fast-changing bandwidth demands, common among low latency financial trading.”

See how Singapore’s three largest banks fared in 1Q15 Singapore Business Review 8th May 2015
Which bank emerged on top? Singapore’s three listed bank - DBS, OCBC, and UOB - remained competitive as they reported their first-quarter earnings for 2015. According to a media release by SGX, UOB outperformed both DBS and OCBC in growing its net interest income and improving net interest margin from the fourth quarter of last year. UOB posted a 2.5% growth to $1.2b, which also reflected an 8.3% YoY gain. OCBC saw a 2% QoQ fall in 1Q15 net interest income to $1.25b, which was up 15% YoY. Lastly DBS increased its net interest income by 1% QoQ and 14% YoY to $1.69b. Meanwhile, OCBC and DBS maintained the highest return on equity (ROE) levels at 13.2% and 12.2% respectively in the first quarter. Asset quality for the three banks remained stable compared to the previous quarter and the year-ago period.

Singapore life insurance business dips 1% in Q1 The Straits Times 7th May 2015
Singapore's life insurance business dipped in the first three months of this year as total weighted new business premiums - a key metric for the industry - down one per cent to $649.4 million, according to figures on Thursday from the Life Insurance Association Singapore. LIA Singapore said single premium products where consumers pay only a one-time premium - rose 22 per cent to $204.4 million, of which 16 per cent were CPF-funded policies. However, this was offset by a nine per cent fall in annual premium products to $445 million, which the association attributed to the comparable period last year being the last quarter which carried the impact of insurers' pricing revisions in 2013.

Singapore well-poised to build vibrant FinTech sector: Industry players Channel NewsAsia 7th May 2015
Industry players said in a conference organised by the Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics (SKBI) on Wednesday (May 6), that Singapore is well-positioned to tap the massive prospects of financial technology, or FinTech. “Now in Singapore, we have a great ecosystem of banks and technology companies, universities and research organisations, so it’s a wonderful ecosystem to support the development of a vibrant financial technology sector,” said Ms Anju Patwardhan, Group Head of Risk Innovation at Standard Chartered Group. She added: “It provides all of us an opportunity to stay ahead of the game by leveraging the Singapore ecosystem and also using some of those things to spread the positive experiences into ASEAN and Asia.”

Singapore ranked best country in Asia to be a mum The Straits Times 7th May 2015
Singapore is the best country in Asia to be a mother. The Republic came out tops in the region in an annual index released by international aid agency Save the Children and was also ranked 14th worldwide, well ahead of the next-best Asian countries South Korea and Japan in 30th and 32nd spots. Singapore moved up from 15th spot worldwide last year but short of its 2002 best of 13th. The 16th annual Mothers' Index, released on Monday, rates 179 countries based on five indicators relating to maternal health, children's well-being, education, income levels and the political status of women. Singaporean women have a one in 13,900 risk of dying in childbirth while the infant mortality rate here is 2.8 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Singapore's medical-tourism sector facing strong headwinds: report Business Times 7th May 2015
It will be increasingly difficult for Singapore to maintain its position as the leading medical-tourism hub in South-east Asia, given the high cost of medical treatment and strength of the Singapore dollar, said BMI Research in a report released on Thursday. In addition, government support has remained limited as compared with Thailand and Malaysia, which will see Singapore losing medical tourists to these competing hubs, it said. This will in turn pose downside risks to multinational drugmakers as medical tourism has been a strong source of demand for high-value medicines, BMI said. "The country's vulnerability was accentuated following a 25 per cent year-on-year decline in medical tourists revenue in 2013, from S$1,110 million in 2012 to S$832 million. This comes as the overall tourism industry continues to grow, rising by 1.7 per cent year on year to S$23.5 billion for 2013."

PM Lee given clean bill of health AsiaOne 2nd May 2015
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has been given a clean bill of health after undergoing surgery in February to remove his cancerous prostate gland. Doctors told him after a blood test two weeks ago that his survival rate for prostate cancer is 98 per cent after 15 years, he revealed in his May Day Rally speech yesterday. "Over the next 15 years, my chances of dying because of the prostate cancer is just 2 per cent. It is not bad... you can go to the bookies with that," said Mr Lee, drawing laughter from the audience at the Star Performing Arts Centre. But on a more sober note, he noted that he will be 78 in 15 years, saying: "Even if the prostate cancer doesn't cause me trouble, something else will act up." The same risk applies to the other ministers, which is why Singapore needs to form the next team of leaders, he said.

More therapists 'may ease negative impact of dementia' The Straits Times 4th May 2015
With 300 to 400 more occupational therapists, Singapore might be able to "significantly" reduce the negative effects of dementia in its rapidly ageing population. Dr May Lim, who lectures on occupational therapy at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), said international figures show that four in five people suffering from mild cognitive impairment progress to dementia in six years. But stimulation and exercises designed by an occupational therapist to suit the individual's needs could delay the progression by as much as five years.

Infectious diseases and occupational health nursing: a Singapore perspective Personnel Today 1st May 2015
Experience as an occupational health (OH) professional based in Singapore has led Grant Ciccone to the view that biological hazards, such as infectious diseases, should be a global priority. Traditionally, many of the OH risks encountered and managed by OH nurses have been related physical and chemical hazards. More recently, psychosocial and ergonomic hazards have become increasingly important.

Singapore explores green technologies for data centers eGov Innovation 12th May 2015
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) recently launched the Green Data Centre Innovation Program (GDCIP) that aims to boost the competitiveness of the data center industry by raising their overall energy efficiency. A first of its kind in Singapore, the program follows the launch of the Green Data Center Roadmap in late 2014. According to IDA, the program intends to spur innovation by catalyzing development and adoption of innovative green data center related products, solutions and services, and direct local R&D efforts in green data center technologies by providing research funding for key areas of research.

Light-touch approach on new technologies AsiaOne 12th May 2015
The challenge of legislating evolving technologies was on full display in Parliament yesterday, as the House debated and passed new laws that regulate drones and third-party taxi apps. Both technologies - flying pilotless vehicles, and services that seamlessly match those in need of a taxi with cabbies - are powerful and have the ability to transform lives and lifestyles. They are also morphing at speeds which can force many a plodding legislature onto the back foot. There will always be a gap between new technologies and the law's ability to rein them in. So it was encouraging to see Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew avoid the presumption that he could do so. Instead he adopted an approach that erred on the side of under-regulation and which provides ample room for development and experimentation. - See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/light-touch-approach-new-technolo...

Singapore is still Southeast Asia’s startup hub, but neighbors are encroaching Tech in Asia 6th May 2015
The number of venture capital deals in Singapore has stagnated, according to Jason Lin, the head of business development at Tech in Asia‘s own Techlist, who spoke on stage today at our annual Singapore conference. While Singapore is often thought to be the leading country when it comes to tech startups in Southeast Asia – its 39 deals last quarter still outnumber the rest of the region by a wide margin – other countries are closing the gap fast. Indonesia and Malaysia both roughly doubled the number of VC deals in the first quarter of this year to 24 and 13, respectively, according to Techlist data.

Taking lessons from Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative AsiaOne 4th May 2015
Singapore has set its sights on becoming the world's Smart Nation. As the world's population increases, technology is continuously being leveraged on to improve efficiency, eco-friendliness and the productivity of people living in cities and nations around the world. In a sit-down session with ASEAN media, Business Reporter Koo Jin Shen managed to speak with Jacqueline Poh, managing director of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, the agency spearheading Singapore's Smart Nation Initiative to try and find out more about the city-state's efforts.

How the start-up scene in Singapore is changing CNBC 5th May 2015
"Four years ago, capital for new start-ups was virtually non-existent here. The past couple of years have really changed that," he added. Venture capital invested in Singaporean tech firms by funds has been rising steadily in recent years, reaching $1.71 billion in 2013 before slipping back to about $459 million last year, according to data from Hong Kong-based Asian Venture Capital Journal. That still it put it ahead of its Southeast Asian peers and Hong Kong in 2014. Lauria said that for most start-ups the challenge up until recently was finding investors for series A funding, investments of between $1 million to $5 million. "With 2015, we're starting to see that change; we're launching a fund to do series A and there are a number of funds that are also coming online do to this series A funding," he said.

Government to own, fund all bus infrastructure TODAYonline 9th May 2015
Under the bus contracting model, announced in May last year, the Government will own and fund all bus infrastructure — such as buses, depots, and fare systems — while contracting bus routes out via a competitive tendering process. This shake-up from the current privatised model — where SBS Transit and SMRT own their buses and keep all fare revenue — is aimed at raising service standards by increasing competition and creating more flexibility in response to changes in ridership and commuter needs. Under the new model, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will determine the bus services to be provided and the service standards. For example, the waiting period for all buses should not exceed 15 minutes during peak periods.

Financing Singapore-KL high-speed rail a complex task: Analysts The Straits Times 7th May 2015
Financing the high-speed rail linking Singapore and Kuala Lumpur will be a complex undertaking, say experts. In addition to construction and design costs, the Republic and Malaysia will both have to decide what funding model to use. They will also need to contend with the risk of delays due to design changes and cost overruns. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that the Singapore terminus for the rail link would be in Jurong East. The project will require significant investment in land, stations, tracks, power and permits, among other things, said Associate Professor Willie Tan, head of the department of building at the National University of Singapore's School of Design and Environment. Land acquisition is also a major issue and could be a potential cause of delay, he added.

Commentary: Glamour heads to Jurong East at high speed The Straits Times 6th May 2015
A high-speed rail station in Jurong East will be another jewel in the crown of what was once an unlikely urban area, but which is now getting shinier by the day. The area is part of a bold mixed-use precinct dubbed the Jurong Lake District. It spans 360ha - the size of Marina Bay - and it will be the biggest commercial hub outside the Central Business District (CBD). For those still unconvinced that this sleepy hollow in the west will be a bustling live-work-play district of the future, a high-speed rail station should put the doubts to rest. Besides the obvious advantage of a doorstep access to superior-to-air cross-border connectivity, it adds much needed glamour to the area. Why? Well, simply because high-speed trains are still relatively rare and, by that token, futuristic and exciting.

Experts suggest possible sites within Jurong East for High Speed Rail terminus Channel NewsAsia 5th May 2015
After Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that Singapore’s High Speed Rail terminus will be located at Jurong East, experts have suggested several possible sites within Jurong East where the High Speed Rail terminus could be located. They said it is no surprise that Jurong East was chosen as the place to house Singapore's High Speed Rail terminus as it is set to become Singapore's next Central Business District (CBD), and plans to develop the general area had been announced previously. A transport expert suggested that a possible location is the site of the former Tang Dynasty City theme park, along Yuan Ching Road. Another option is the area carved out after a portion of the Ayer Rajah Expressway is realigned. A housing analyst also suggested the reserve site along Jurong Town Hall Road. Wherever the site is located, experts stressed that connectivity will be the key. They noted that many had hoped the terminus could be connected with the current Jurong East MRT station and bus interchange.

'Made in Singapore' electric taxi charges fast, goes the distance The Straits Times 12th May 2015
Singapore has created a fast-charging electric taxi that works well in tropical cities and could help the country to combat climate change. Conventional electric vehicles take six to eight hours to charge and usually cover up to 160km on a full charge. But EVA, the taxi designed and built here by TUM Create - a collaboration between Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Germany's Technische Universitat Munchen - has a 200km range and a charging time of just 15 minutes.