East Coast Plan unveiled

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Heng Swee Keat​

Yesterday at 17:04 ·

My thanks to Sheng Siong’s CEO Lim Hock Chee for the informative tour!

(MCI Photo by Betty Chua)
— with Gan Siow Huang 颜晓芳.

 

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from straitstimes.com:

Tech and upskilling crucial to transform facilities management and draw talent​

DPM Heng Swee Keat said the facilities management sector has moved into providing spaces that promote occupants' well-being. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Tay Hong Yi

PUBLISHED

JUL 26, 2022, 3:22 PM SGT

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SINGAPORE - Sensors and cameras connected to an online portal will allow engineers at facilities management firms to monitor the state of buildings from anywhere in the world, even from their homes.
And drones can conduct inspections of building facades at height - all managed by skilled operators, who may concurrently be trained in security.
Robotics, the Internet of things (IoT) and a broader and deeper skills base form three prongs the facilities management sector reckons it will need to adopt widely to thrive in the post-pandemic environment.

"The challenge in attracting people is that jobs in facilities management are seen as mentally and physically demanding work requiring 24/7 operations," said Mr G. Segar, who chairs the strategy and innovation committee at the Singapore International Facility Management Association (Sifma).
Speaking to The Straits Times at the World Workplace Asia-Pacific industry event on Tuesday (July 26), he added that the change to work routines these three trends entail will help dispel notions that facilities management is a menial, largely blue-collar role.
The reduced headcount needed will alleviate the labour crunch in the sector too, he noted.


Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, in a speech to open the event, said the sector has also moved beyond merely maintaining physical fixtures into providing spaces that promote the well-being of occupants.


"Beyond the aesthetics and architecture, a building must also be conducive and responsive to the needs of its occupants, in terms of how it is designed and how it is run," he added.
Although technology could unlock the potential of the industry, Mr Heng cautioned against adopting it in a piecemeal manner.
"One can deploy security and cleaning robots - but how do these robots interact with lifts to move across floors, and with each other?"

He said this fragmentation applies more broadly to how facilities management services are delivered today.
Yet, to thrive and attract good talent, the industry will need to transform to an integrated facilities management model, where a single team delivers the full spectrum of services.
"We can also go further, by aggregating the provision of facilities management services across multiple buildings to achieve scale, or what is commonly known as aggregated facilities management."
Mr Heng said applications will open shortly for a $30 million grant by the Building and Construction Authority to support the adoption of progressive practices that are integrated or aggregated.
The grant was unveiled during the Budget debate in March.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat speaking at the World Workplace Asia-Pacific industry event at Marina Bay Sands. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Mr James Chan, managing director of SMM, Surbana Jurong's facilities management arm, told ST that the firm is looking into applying for the latest grant to introduce more solutions to customers.
Smart technologies that Surbana Jurong already uses include virtual reality headsets to visualise buildings, and numerous sensors to detect the conditions of building fixtures - all of which require cutting-edge talent that it is competing against other sectors for.
But Mr Chan remains upbeat: "The smart solutions that we are now introducing are beginning to attract young minds to join this industry because you can do so many things with the building... (and) one day you can see the real benefit it can bring to a building's performance."
The call to transform the sector follows closely pilots at seven firms spearheaded by the Singapore Business Federation to redesign facilities management jobs and contracts from last March to this May.
According to Ministry of Manpower statistics, 72,600 people worked in the real estate service sector as at March this year.
The two-day World Workplace Asia-Pacific, organised by Sifma and held at Marina Bay Sands, ends on Wednesday. The hybrid event has 250 participants present physically, and more online.

 

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from straitstimes.com:

Bowling alley, rooftop futsal pitch among facilities at new Siglap Community Club​

SINGAPORE - A bowling alley, a supermarket and a rooftop futsal pitch are among the amenities East Coast residents can look forward to at the new Siglap Community Club in Bedok South Road.
The club was officially opened by East Coast GRC MPs, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Maliki Osman, Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How, Ms Jessica Tan and Miss Cheryl Chan, on Saturday (Aug 6), when they joined about 800 residents for a National Day dinner.
The community club was built in tandem with the Bedok South Horizon Build-To-Order project, and is situated next to the upcoming Bedok South MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, which is slated to open in 2025.

With pedestrian bridges linking it to Bedok South Horizon estate, it has been open to the public since April, and replaces the old Siglap Community Centre in Bedok South Avenue 3, which was opened in 1984.
The new club, like all CCs in Singapore, is open to everyone.
DPM Heng said at the opening that Dr Maliki, who oversees the Siglap ward, had, with the help of residents, surveyed about 700 households on what they wanted in the new community club.


Dr Maliki also met school principals in the neighbourhood to encourage them to use the club's facilities, for instance, in offering bowling as a co-curricular activity and using the club's alley for training.


The bowling alley is the first in a community club in the east.
Mr Heng added that the club will also serve families in need by providing meals for them every weekend, cooked in the club's culinary and baking studios using vegetables harvested from community gardens in Siglap.
Siglap resident Sani Ismail, a lawyer, said the new club is a good place for "everyone from all walks of life to interact and integrate".
The 47-year-old added that the supermarket was well stocked and that he looks forward to using the bowling alley. The 500 sq m outlet - just larger than five four-room flats - is run by Sheng Siong.

The club was officially opened by East Coast GRC MPs on Aug 6. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Dr Maliki said the total building cost was not readily available as works are still being done.
He said that after the Government approves requests to build a community club, it is committed to 90 per cent of the building up to a cap, while the remaining 10 per cent has to be raised by the community.
Dr Maliki and grassroots leaders organised a fund-raising dinner for the community club's building fund in 2017, and it raised close to $3 million.
Part of the building cost was contributed by the community through donations to the club's building fund, and supported through efforts such as the Siglap Brick Art Project.
Under the project, residents purchased tiny plastic bricks at $1 each that were used in an art display of 204,800 bricks. It was unveiled by the MPs on Saturday.

 

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HSK glad to reconnect with Aichi Governor Ohmura Hideaki.

Heng Swee Keat​

4 hrs ·
Glad to reconnect with Aichi Governor Ohmura Hideaki, whom I last met in 2019.
Aichi Prefecture is one of the most economically significant prefectures in Japan, home to many large corporations, including household names such as Toyota. It is also increasingly a vibrant start-up scene.
Governor Ohmura and I had a good discussion on ways to deepen collaboration with Aichi Prefecture and Singapore, especially in innovation and R&D. In fact, he was here to explore opportunities for collaboration and signed an MOU with the National University of Singapore.
Governor Ohmura is a regular visitor here. I wish him a fruitful stay and look forward to welcoming him here again.
(MCI Photo by Terence Tan)

 

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HSK did a round of house visits.

Heng Swee Keat​

8 hrs ·
Did a round of house visits this week.
I was immediately drawn to the large black wooden sign with gold calligraphy hanging outside Mr and Mrs Cheok’s unit. The Cheoks told me that the words mean “beautiful home”. Indeed, it was a beautiful home. Their vision of a beautiful home is also similar to what we hope to achieve in East Coast — a greener, more caring and vibrant home for residents. It was nice to feel the warm hospitality as many residents invited me into their homes — thank you!

 

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Heng Swee Keat​

9 hrs ·

With Mr and Mrs Cheok and their outdoor garden.

 

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Heng Swee Keat​

10 hrs ·

Mr and Mrs Cheok invited me in to look at their indoor garden.

 

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Heng Swee Keat​

10 hrs ·

With the Eng family who has an interesting background. Mr and Mrs Eng worked in HDB and HSA respectively before retiring. Now, their daughter Florence Eng is working in the National University Hospital - NUH. Thank you for your service to Singapore!

 

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Heng Swee Keat​

10 hrs ·

Chatted with Mrs Wee who shared with me an interesting collection that she has (see next photo)!

 

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Heng Swee Keat​

10 hrs ·

Mrs Wee collected these 101 Dalmation toys from McDonald’s happy meal sets for her grandchildren!

 

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Heng Swee Keat​

11 hrs ·

With Mr Abdul Qadir, one of our RC members and his family outside their home.

 

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HSK is glad that NDR is back to full capacity.

Heng Swee Keat is with Amy Khor and
5 others
.​

22 hrs ·
Glad that NDR is back to an almost full capacity crowd this year at ITE Central, as we learn to live with COVID-19. Singaporeans have been through many ups and downs in the past two years. By and large, we have stayed united and emerged stronger from the pandemic.
COVID-19 is not yet over, but has stabilised sufficiently for us to reduce mask requirements. Looking ahead, there are many uncertainties we have to face, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, US-China tensions, global inflation, slowing growth.
But there are also opportunities, which we must take, to secure Singapore’s place in the world. Our ability to attract top talent will be key. Many years ago, Philip Yeo recruited top global scientists when we made a big push on biomedicine. Today, we have a vibrant biomedical eco-system, whose scientists made significant contributions in fighting the pandemic, including maintaining the international database for the sharing of COVID-19 genomic data. We now have a window of opportunity to attract more top talent here. If we can get the people we want to come here, it will really help Singapore to shine and every Singaporean will benefit.
If there is one thing that we have learned from COVID-19, it is that we will be able to overcome any challenge so long as we stay united. In a society as diverse as ours, there will be difficult issues that evoke strongly held opposing views. The only way to move forward is for all groups to exercise restraint, and accommodation. PM Lee Hsien Loong has also set out our approach this evening on S377A, and I hope that we will be able to expand our common ground and find a new balance.
PM also spoke about the long term plan for Singapore, including the new Terminal 5 at Changi. For East Coast residents, you can look forward to many new and exciting opportunities.
To strengthen our social compact, DPM Lawrence Wong is leading the Forward SG movement. Let us give him our full support.
You can read PM Lee’s speech here: go.gov.sg/ndr2022-eng. May we continue to remain united as we continue to build an even better future for our children.

 

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HSK praises unsung heroes.

Heng Swee Keat​

47 mins ·
There are many unsung heroes and heroines who went above and beyond during our battle with COVID-19. Alice Chua, an East Coast resident and volunteer, was featured in PM Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech last night. She went door to door to encourage seniors who were not yet vaccinated to do so. Her ability to speak Malay and dialects was helpful in addressing the concerns of our seniors.
There are many others like Alice, who were actively supporting our vaccination outreach efforts in East Coast, and looking out for residents, especially seniors. Although Bedok CC Vaccination Centre has since ceased operations, I would like to give my sincere thanks to all volunteers, as well as the Fullerton Health staff who worked extra hard behind the scenes to ensure everything ran smoothly. Each and every one of you helped make East Coast a more caring place to live in!

 

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Heng Swee Keat​

1 hr ·

With Alice Chua after National Day Rally 2022

 

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Heng Swee Keat​

21 hrs ·

A big thank you to the staff, doctors and nurses for your dedication in ensuring that the entire vaccination process runs smoothly for residents!

 

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HSK launched Ravi's book.

Heng Swee Keat​

23 hrs ·
Launched Ravi Menon’s book “The Singapore Synthesis: Innovation, Inclusion, Inspiration” this evening, which is based on the four lectures he delivered as the 9th S R Nathan Fellow. Contained within are his convictions on what we needed to do to create a better future – from raising carbon and wealth taxes to studying having a minimum wage.
I have known Ravi for many years, and greatly value his advice. When I entered politics in 2011, Ravi took over from me at the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He now has the distinction of being Singapore’s longest serving central banker. It came as no surprise when Ravi was appointed a S R Nathan Fellow, and I immediately agreed to launch his book when approached.
These lectures show that we have a very healthy dose of productive pluralism in Singapore, which makes for more rigorous policy making. Groupthink and gridlock are on extreme ends. As with most things, we must continue to tread a path that works in our context.
I hope his book will inspire Singaporeans to step forward to shape the next chapter of our nation’s history, through Forward Singapore and beyond.
(MCI Photo by Chwee)

 

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HSK visited Eco-Ark.

Heng Swee Keat​

13 hrs · Instagram ·
In Singapore, each person consumes an average of 22kg of seafood per year.
Local fish farms are one way to meet the growing demand for seafood. Anchored off Pulau Ubin is Aquaculture Centre of Excellence’s Eco-Ark — one of the sea-based fish farms that produces almost 100 tonnes of barramundi, grouper, and red snapper every year!
During my visit to Eco-Ark with @kohpohkoon on Monday, CEO and founder, Leow Ban Tat showed me how he combined his offshore marine experiences and technology to design this floating fish farm. I saw its end-to-end innovative fish farming methods and even got a taste of its harvest!
With support from the @sgfoodagency, it is contributing to our 30 by 30 goal of producing our food needs by 2030. Wonderful to have companies like ACE in East Coast. You are an example of how we can make East Coast more vibrant and green!

 

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HSK has been looking forward to this day.

Heng Swee Keat​

5 hrs ·
Singaporeans have been looking forward to this day.
From next Monday (29 Aug), masks will no longer be required indoors, except on public transport and in healthcare facilities.
As the COVID-19 situation has improved significantly, we are now back to “almost normal”.
But given the unpredictable nature of the virus, we must be prepared for a sudden turn of events.
So do continue to stay safe and exercise social responsibility.

 

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HSK wants to stay healthy and active.

Heng Swee Keat​

2 hrs ·
As people live longer and grow older, how do we stay active and healthy, continue to lead meaningful and purposeful lives? This is a question that people around the world are asking, especially as many researchers think that at current rates of improvement, a child born today in a developed country can live to 100.
I was very happy to join Prof Victor Dzau at the US National Academy of Medicine, and our team from the Ministry of Health, Singapore and National University Hospital - NUH at the Singapore Summit of the new “Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity” report. The report was put up by a team of top minds from around the world, and co-chaired by Prof John Wong of National University of Singapore and Prof Linda Fried of Columbia University. It sets out a roadmap for how the world can achieve healthy longevity and unlock the “longevity dividend” to benefit all societies. I learnt much from the presentations this morning on the very complex issues.
In Singapore, the well-being of our elderly is a key priority. We have piloted and scaled up initiatives such as the Community Network for Seniors, and the Silver Generation Ambassadors. We are continuing to try new approaches, such as the upcoming Health District @ Queenstown, which will integrate senior-friendly infrastructure, community support, active ageing, and other elements.
I am also very happy that many researchers in Singapore are doing excellent work, to advance the frontiers in science, technology and innovation, to address issues associated with ageing. We saw several exciting projects when I recently visited the Institute of Geriatrics and Active Ageing (TTSH IGA) with Ong Ye Kung (see photos below).
Let us continue to work together, in Singapore, and with global partners to find solutions to major challenges that affect all of humanity, such as ageing, pandemics, or climate change.

 

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Heng Swee Keat​

3 hrs ·

[L-R] Professor Linda FRIED, MD, MPH (Co-Chair); Dr. Victor DZAU, President, National Academy of Medicine, USA; Dr. Mary Ann TSAO, Chairman, Tsao Foundation, Singapore and Professor John Eu-Li WONG, Isabel Chan Professor in Medical Sciences;

(MCI Photo by Sin Thai)