TR EMERITUS

From our Correspondent The United States, and not Singapore, is the top destination of Chinese who wants to immigrate. Gallup's recent poll of China found that 6% of Chinese overall say they would like to emigrate permanently if they had the opportunity to do so, but among college-educated Chinese the percentage rises to 20%. (read report here) The top destination choice among those Chinese who say they would like to move is the United States (28%), followed by South Korea (14%) and France (8%). Singapore is not even featured in the top three. Previously a staunch anti-communist ally of the United States in the region, Singapore changes its stance completely after establishing diplomatic relations with China in the 1970s. The ruling party of Singapore has opened the floodgates to immigrants from China over the years to maintain the racial balance on the island state where ethnic Chinese made up about 75 per cent of the population. The Chinese came initially as low-cost laborers to work in the construction sector which is shunned by the locals. However, as China's economy continues to develop, more and more semi-skilled and qualified professionals are flocking to seek work in Singapore. Singapore's Ministry of Education also actively courts the brightest college students from China to pursue their tertiary education in Singapore. Not only is their education free, they are given a monthly allowance as well. Most of these scholars are required to serve in the sponsoring agency or state-linked companies for a number of years. It is not known how many of them has stayed on in Singapore. For those Chinese students who don't qualify for government scholarships, they can come to Singapore on a 2-year student pass to study in its private institutions. No official figures are available on the number of Chinese who took up PRs and citizenship yearly and the number who subsequently returned to China. The case of Zhang Yuanyuan which sparked a considerable furore in Singapore lately highlighted the rising resentment on the ground against the ruling party's liberal immigration policy. Ms Zhang came to Singapore to study on a student pass. She got her PR within 2 months of application even when she worked only as a Chinese language teacher, not exactly classified as a "skilled" worker. Based on anecdotal evidence, the majority of Chinese who have settled in Singapore are from the improverished inland provinces like Hunan, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hebei, Sichuan, Liaoning and Heilongjiang rather than the prosperous coastal cities of Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing. According to friends from China, the residents of these cities prefer to immigrate to Australia, Cananda and United States instead of Singapore. Despite Singapore's desperate attempts to lure the Chinese to study, work and live here, it appears that it is not an attractive destination compared to the above countries. In fact, with China becoming more and more prosperous and affluent, the brain drain may reverse with Chinese returning to work in China and educated Chinese preferring to stay put there. Singapore may end up getting the "leftover" Chinese citizens who cannot "make it" in China even as its own local ethnic Chinese continues to seek greener pastures elsewhere. It is not surprising that Singapore is not a favored immigration destination for Chinese though the island is predominantly Chinese. The nanny state offers few social welfare benefits for its citizens and its quality of life does not quite commensurate with the European and North American countries. Furthermore, young Chinese growing up under the repressive communist regime will abhor switching from one party-dictatorship to another. With about 35 per cent of its population being made up of foreigners, Singapore risked losing its national identity if the current immigration policy of the ruling party continues unabated.  Read More →

OPINION The recent announcement that the long-awaited H1N1 vaccine has arrived and is available in Singapore has stirred considerable interest among Singaporeans who have flocked to clinics islandwide to get themselves vaccinated. The H1N1 vaccine is generally quite safe with rare side effects like fever, flu-like symptoms, swelling at the injection site and risk of anaphylaxis. The Singapore Health Ministry had earlier annnounced that it had secured one million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine from drug maker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) on top of its existing contract with Australian drug manufacturer Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL).  Health Minister Mr Khaw Boon Wan revealed that more than 80 per cent of the doses will be sold to General Practitioners at cost price according to demand. (CNA, 17 September 2009) The rest, he says, will be given to essential personnel including frontline and healthcare staff.  While he leaves it to the GPs to determine the pricing, Mr Khaw highlights that the ministry will make sure the vaccines remain affordable. Some 50,000 doses of the vaccine have been distributed to all 18 polyclinics as well as 440 family doctors on Tuesday. The 440 are part of the 600 Pandemic Preparedness Clinics in Singapore. (CNA, 3 November 2009) The Health Ministry said that clinics have pre-ordered more than 110,000 doses so far, with more orders coming in. Polyclinics will start offering the single-shot jabs from Friday and will charge SGD$29. It is not stated if GST is included. (Straits Times, 4 Nov 2009) At least one chain of private clinics has said that it will charge less. The Healthway Medical Group, which has about 40 clinics around the country, said it will charge SGD$26, excluding GST. The Dayspring group of clinics will charge a flat rate of SGD$30. If the $29 selling price by polyclinics is not inclusive of GST, the total charges will be $31.03 which will be higher than what the two private medical groups are charging. Shouldn't the polyclinics, being public healthcare facilities, charge much less than the private clinics? According to a medical doctor we spoke to on the condition of anonymity, the cost price of the Panvax vaccine (per dose) manufactured from CSL is only SGD$15.88 excluding GST. Unlike the single-jab vaccine offered by polyclinics, the vaccine in private clinics come in a 10ml vial sufficient for 10 doses. There is no difference between the two types of vaccines except that the single-jab vaccine comes with a pre-filled syringe and needle while syringes and needles will have to be provided by the clinic for the latter. The cost price of the vaccine used by the polyclinic is not revealed. It may or may not be the same as the vaccine used in the private clinics. If the cost price is higher, why didn't polyclinic use the cheaper multi-dose vaccine which comes in a vial instead? Who is responsible for setting the price of $29? Why can't the vaccines be subsidized and sold at below cost price? Why can't vulnerable groups of Singaporeans be subsidized for the flu jab? When asked by the state media about the polyclinic pricing, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the $29 price tag – including GST – covers not only the cost of the vaccine, but also "storage, delivery and other overheads." No figures were provided. The polyclinics and MOH are not earning any profit, a ministry spokesman said. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that certain groups of the population receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine. These target groups include pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical services personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, people above 50 years of age, nursing home residents and people ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems. (Source: CDC) This is in line with MOH's own guidelines which recommends that people at high risk – pregnant or those with medical conditions like heart disease – and those travelling to countries in the north where winter increases the risk of catching the pandemic flu should get the vaccine. The elderly are particularly suspectible to H1N1 influenza with higher complication rates and should be strongly advised to be vaccinated against the virus. Unfortunately, for those elderly belonging to the lower income group, the price of the vaccine may be too steep for some which discourage them from coming forward to be vaccinated. The polyclinics should consider vaccinating elderly Singaporeans above the age of 65 at cost price of the vaccine instead of making a profit out of them. While Singaporeans who can easily afford to pay for the vaccine can be charged at the stipulated selling price of $29, special allowance should to be made for those belonging to the vulnerable group. Our nation-builders have made tremendous contributions to the progress of Singapore over the years. They deserve a little more care, love and respect from the government.   Related articles: >> Why you do not need the H1N1 flu vaccine >> Medication guide for H1N1 influenza vaccine >> H1N1 flu vaccination begins   EDITORS’ NOTE: If you like our work and would like to support us, please transfer your donations via paypal to our account ([email protected]). Any amount will be greatly appreciated! Alternatively, you can also help boost our advertising revenue by clicking on the ads displayed. Thank you! Join our tweet at: http://www.twitter.com/temasekreview  Read More →

Asiaone, 5 November 2009 A primary school teacher was found to have posted sex clips on his account with online social networking site, Facebook. The links to video clips and pictures with nudity and sexual content were readily available to all his 'friends' on his contact list, which included some of his young pupils. According to a report in Wanbao, the teacher was exposed only after an uncle of one of his students spotted the girl viewing one such clip that the teacher had posted online. Angry and alarmed, he had called the Wanbao hotline to make a complaint. He told the paper that it is 'not right' for a teacher to demonstrate such morally reprehensible behaviour. The teacher is allegedly from a primary school located in Tiong Bahru. According to the uncle, the teacher's links featured video clips and pictures taken from sex films and films rated R21. MOE has taken action In an email response to queries from Wanbao's reporters, the school's principal said the Ministry of Education is looking into the matter. The school has also carried out disciplinary action against the teacher. The principal stated that the teacher has expressed remorse for his actions, and has since deleted all offensive material from his online profile. According to a report in The New Paper, the teacher is an untrained teacher on contract, who had been with the school for less than two months. A spokesperson told The New Paper that the teacher has since resigned and removed all pupils from his Facebook Account. The school counsellors will also be providing guidance and support for pupils who were on his contact list. Counsellor: Teachers should know right from wrong A counsellor from Fei Yue Community Services, Ling Zhan Hui, 49, told Wanbao reporters that teachers need to be able to differentiate right from wrong. He says some people have the misconception that Facebook belongs to one's 'private life'. Said Mr Ling, "If the teacher had been a sales assistant, it would not be that big of a problem. However, teachers have a social responsibility to do the right thing, and set a right example for their young charges. "If students are able to gain access to a part of your life, such as Facebook, that realm can no longer be considered 'private'." - Asiaone    Read More →