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Singapore appointed 2 idiots to lead the task force.
- Thread starter LaoTze
- Start date
Lawrence hears stories from overseas Singaporeans. 
Our little red dot may be small compared to the world, but it certainly doesn’t stop us from going places. I am happy to meet and hear the inspiring stories of our overseas Singaporeans who are living in New York.
This was Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations’ first physical networking gathering since the pandemic hit — great that we can reconnect with friends, nurture existing relationships and make new friends!
Home is where our family is. I hope our overseas Singaporeans will continue to make us proud and fly our
high overseas!
Lawrence Wong
3 hrs ·Our little red dot may be small compared to the world, but it certainly doesn’t stop us from going places. I am happy to meet and hear the inspiring stories of our overseas Singaporeans who are living in New York.
This was Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations’ first physical networking gathering since the pandemic hit — great that we can reconnect with friends, nurture existing relationships and make new friends!
Home is where our family is. I hope our overseas Singaporeans will continue to make us proud and fly our
Lawrence took walks in the USA. 
When I had some free time these last few days in DC and NY, I enjoyed going out to nature for walks, and seeing the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Wrapping up my US trip and heading back to Singapore soon!
Lawrence Wong
11 hrs · Instagram ·When I had some free time these last few days in DC and NY, I enjoyed going out to nature for walks, and seeing the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Wrapping up my US trip and heading back to Singapore soon!
from straitstimes.com:
JAKARTA (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Since the establishment of Asean on Aug 8, 1967, Singapore has been one of the anchors of the regional grouping along with other founding member countries Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.
In particular, the triangle connection between the leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore is often described as the reflection of Asean's face. They have demonstrated leadership in punishing Myanmar's junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing for arrogantly breaking his promise to Asean leaders.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has been in power since 2004, and therefore has deep knowledge and strong personal relationships with other Asean leaders at various levels. Even before assuming the post, his predecessor Goh Chok Tong gave him extensive access to Asean as deputy prime minister.
PM Lee's father Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father and first prime minister, also mentored him for years not just to lead the city-state, but also to become a leading player in the regional trading bloc.
Singapore is tiny in terms of size and population but gigantic in terms of economic power. It is a destination of foreign direct investment and sets a world standard in clean governance. It is also among the wealthiest nations in the world.
Therefore, Singapore's stability is also instrumental in the growth of the regional economy because of its role as one of the world's top financial hubs.
At the age of 70, PM Lee needs to make it clear to neighbors near and far who will succeed him. And the potential next prime minister must familiarize himself as early as possible with the neighboring countries, just to avoid a generational gap between the older and younger generations of regional leaders.
Just recently, PM Lee revealed incumbent Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, 49, as his successor. The announcement, however, has received a lukewarm welcome at home and in other Asean members. PM Lee will only transfer the power in 2025 and there is the precedent that PM Lee dismissed his heir-apparent due to a poor election showing of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).
It is also possible that PM Lee is not ready to leave politics yet. A similar situation also happens in other Asean countries, where democracy is a luxury.
Mr Wong is expected to become Singapore's fourth generation (4G) leader, after the late Lee Sr., Mr Goh and Mr Lee Jr. Mr Wong will bear the responsibility to lead the PAP to a majority win in the general election in 2025, which will be the final and most difficult leadership test for PM Lee.
Mr Wong came to public attention because of his role as the co-chair of the government's COVID-19 task force along with the 52-year-old health minister, Ong Ye Kung.
"The plan is for Lawrence to succeed me as PM, either before or after [if the PAP wins] the next general election. It is due in 2025 and will surely be a tough fight," PM Lee said in his social media post on Saturday.
In a press conference, PM Lee said he would hand over the power to Wong "once he is ready". PM Lee did not say when he named Mr Wong his deputy and who will be in charge of leading the PAP in the 2025 election.
The selection and grooming of Singapore's leaders look to follow the textbooks widely used by global corporations in preparing managerial succession. There is almost no surprise because everything is perfectly prepared.
The country's first PM Lee Kuan Yew relinquished the post to his deputy Mr Goh in 1990 at the age of 67 years old. Mr Lee then became a senior minister and later a minister mentor. He died on March 23, 2015. Mr Goh ruled Singapore for 14 years until 2004, when he transferred the PM's post to his deputy Lee at the age of 63 years old.
PM Lee started to prepare his successor in 2016, or one year after his father's death, with six candidates, all of them ethnic Chinese men and non-Muslims. As of November 2018, only then finance minister Heng Swee Keat had passed the probation. But in April 2020 he stepped down following a poor election result in his constituency.
How about the welfare of Singaporean leaders? The remuneration for a Singaporean PM is lucrative, but also very demanding. But even after a 36 percent reduction compared with the 2010 rate, PM Lee remains the world's highest-paid head of government with an annual income of US$1.6 million (S$2.18 million), followed by Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam and United States President Joe Biden at US$672,000 and US$400,000 respectively.
Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo receives only Rp 736 million (S$69,900) annually or Rp 61 million per month.
Indonesians often pride themselves on being more democratic than Singapore. But many of them pretend not to know that the city state ranks fourth in the world's anticorruption index while Indonesia ranks 96th.
Stability has long been one of Singapore's major trademarks, leading to it being consistently chosen as one of the world's most attractive destinations for foreign direct investment. It has also become one of the world's most important financial and technology hubs.
Mr Wong only has three years to prepare himself for the transfer of power, but also for his future role as an Asean leader. The group needs to know more about him, as he is still little known in the region.
The Asian Voice
Singapore's next PM Wong is little known to Asean: Jakarta Post contributor
The writer says Mr Lawrence Wong only has three years to prepare himself for the transfer of power, as well as his future role as an Asean leader.
JAKARTA (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Since the establishment of Asean on Aug 8, 1967, Singapore has been one of the anchors of the regional grouping along with other founding member countries Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.
In particular, the triangle connection between the leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore is often described as the reflection of Asean's face. They have demonstrated leadership in punishing Myanmar's junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing for arrogantly breaking his promise to Asean leaders.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has been in power since 2004, and therefore has deep knowledge and strong personal relationships with other Asean leaders at various levels. Even before assuming the post, his predecessor Goh Chok Tong gave him extensive access to Asean as deputy prime minister.
PM Lee's father Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father and first prime minister, also mentored him for years not just to lead the city-state, but also to become a leading player in the regional trading bloc.
Singapore is tiny in terms of size and population but gigantic in terms of economic power. It is a destination of foreign direct investment and sets a world standard in clean governance. It is also among the wealthiest nations in the world.
Therefore, Singapore's stability is also instrumental in the growth of the regional economy because of its role as one of the world's top financial hubs.
At the age of 70, PM Lee needs to make it clear to neighbors near and far who will succeed him. And the potential next prime minister must familiarize himself as early as possible with the neighboring countries, just to avoid a generational gap between the older and younger generations of regional leaders.
Just recently, PM Lee revealed incumbent Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, 49, as his successor. The announcement, however, has received a lukewarm welcome at home and in other Asean members. PM Lee will only transfer the power in 2025 and there is the precedent that PM Lee dismissed his heir-apparent due to a poor election showing of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).
It is also possible that PM Lee is not ready to leave politics yet. A similar situation also happens in other Asean countries, where democracy is a luxury.
Mr Wong is expected to become Singapore's fourth generation (4G) leader, after the late Lee Sr., Mr Goh and Mr Lee Jr. Mr Wong will bear the responsibility to lead the PAP to a majority win in the general election in 2025, which will be the final and most difficult leadership test for PM Lee.
Mr Wong came to public attention because of his role as the co-chair of the government's COVID-19 task force along with the 52-year-old health minister, Ong Ye Kung.
"The plan is for Lawrence to succeed me as PM, either before or after [if the PAP wins] the next general election. It is due in 2025 and will surely be a tough fight," PM Lee said in his social media post on Saturday.
In a press conference, PM Lee said he would hand over the power to Wong "once he is ready". PM Lee did not say when he named Mr Wong his deputy and who will be in charge of leading the PAP in the 2025 election.
The selection and grooming of Singapore's leaders look to follow the textbooks widely used by global corporations in preparing managerial succession. There is almost no surprise because everything is perfectly prepared.
The country's first PM Lee Kuan Yew relinquished the post to his deputy Mr Goh in 1990 at the age of 67 years old. Mr Lee then became a senior minister and later a minister mentor. He died on March 23, 2015. Mr Goh ruled Singapore for 14 years until 2004, when he transferred the PM's post to his deputy Lee at the age of 63 years old.
PM Lee started to prepare his successor in 2016, or one year after his father's death, with six candidates, all of them ethnic Chinese men and non-Muslims. As of November 2018, only then finance minister Heng Swee Keat had passed the probation. But in April 2020 he stepped down following a poor election result in his constituency.
How about the welfare of Singaporean leaders? The remuneration for a Singaporean PM is lucrative, but also very demanding. But even after a 36 percent reduction compared with the 2010 rate, PM Lee remains the world's highest-paid head of government with an annual income of US$1.6 million (S$2.18 million), followed by Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam and United States President Joe Biden at US$672,000 and US$400,000 respectively.
Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo receives only Rp 736 million (S$69,900) annually or Rp 61 million per month.
Indonesians often pride themselves on being more democratic than Singapore. But many of them pretend not to know that the city state ranks fourth in the world's anticorruption index while Indonesia ranks 96th.
Stability has long been one of Singapore's major trademarks, leading to it being consistently chosen as one of the world's most attractive destinations for foreign direct investment. It has also become one of the world's most important financial and technology hubs.
Mr Wong only has three years to prepare himself for the transfer of power, but also for his future role as an Asean leader. The group needs to know more about him, as he is still little known in the region.
- The writer is a senior editor at The Jakarta Post. The Jakarta Post is a member of The Straits Times media partner Asia News Network, an alliance of 23 news media organisations.
Lawrence is glad to see Singaporeans flying our flag high overseas.
We are a small and open country.
That's why we take a deep interest in the world - not only what the risks and opportunities represent to ourselves, but also to the global system as a whole. And we remain heavily open to trade and investments.
So I was glad to fly our flag overseas, to reaffirm relations with our international counterparts, and discuss new areas of cooperation ranging from the economy, to sustainability and innovation.
All of these will help strengthen our ties with the world, and attract more opportunities for our people - especially as we reopen post-pandemic, and as we chart our new way forward.
I was also glad to see Singaporeans flying our flag high overseas, in many different roles. Let's keep the Singapore spirit strong!
Lawrence Wong
11 hrs ·We are a small and open country.
That's why we take a deep interest in the world - not only what the risks and opportunities represent to ourselves, but also to the global system as a whole. And we remain heavily open to trade and investments.
So I was glad to fly our flag overseas, to reaffirm relations with our international counterparts, and discuss new areas of cooperation ranging from the economy, to sustainability and innovation.
All of these will help strengthen our ties with the world, and attract more opportunities for our people - especially as we reopen post-pandemic, and as we chart our new way forward.
I was also glad to see Singaporeans flying our flag high overseas, in many different roles. Let's keep the Singapore spirit strong!
Lawrence squeezes between SQ girls for photo shoot. 
It was a challenging time for the aviation sector during the pandemic, and I was glad to feel the flight crew's optimism at taking to the skies again.
(#didyouknow that the longest commercial passenger flight in the world is Singapore Airlines’ service between Singapore and New York? The journey is about 18 hours, and covers a distance of more than 15,000 km!)
Lawrence Wong
11 hrs ·It was a challenging time for the aviation sector during the pandemic, and I was glad to feel the flight crew's optimism at taking to the skies again.
(#didyouknow that the longest commercial passenger flight in the world is Singapore Airlines’ service between Singapore and New York? The journey is about 18 hours, and covers a distance of more than 15,000 km!)
from straitstimes.com:
SINGAPORE - Employees at workstations will be allowed to remove masks because it will be difficult to be masked up constantly while back at the workplace, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (April 22).
But even with this exception to the rule, which requires masks to be worn indoors, employees should still be mindful about safe distancing, added Mr Wong, who is co-chairman of the ministerial task force on Covid-19.
"It would be very hard to be back at work throughout the day and then wearing a mask and working. And therefore, this flexibility is extended for such an occasion, but we would continue to encourage everyone to exercise responsibility," said the minister during a press conference by the task force on Friday.
"And if you take off your mask when you're working, ensure that you're maintaining a safe distance from your colleagues and, obviously, do not gather together in a crowded setting."
The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced a major easing of Singapore's remaining Covid-19 safety measures from next Tuesday, including the lifting of limits to workplace capacities. This is up from the current 75 per cent cap for those who can work from home.
There are two conditions where workers will be allowed to remove their masks in the workplace, said Mr Wong.
The first is when they are not physically interacting with one another, and the second is when they are not in any customer-facing areas, where interaction is likely to happen.
"So if you're just back to the office in your workstation working, then we will allow you to take off your mask," said Mr Wong.
During the press conference, the task force was asked why the number of new Covid-19 cases in Singapore has not increased much after restrictions were eased from March 29.
This included the expansion of maximum group sizes to 10 people, mask wearing being made optional outdoors and the increase in capacity limits for events.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung sketched out three reasons for this.
First, Singapore has managed to achieve a high vaccination rate, which is one of the highest in the world, said Mr Ong. The Ministry of Health said on Friday that Singapore's vaccination coverage is at 96 per cent of its eligible population.
Second, the country has raised its collective resilience, given how there are "quite a number" of people who have been infected with Covid-19.
And third, Singapore has cooperated as a society by abiding by the rules, safety precautions and all the other measures that were put in place.
"So all these help. But it's a combination of factors. It's very hard to isolate which are the main factors," said Mr Ong.
Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is also a co-chairman of the task force, reiterated the importance of the cooperation and support of Singaporeans, as well as their trust in the system.
But the country must not become complacent, given how new variants can emerge from time to time, and that there are ongoing waves in different parts of the world.
"We must continue to remain vigilant even as we continue to ease up our measures. And in the weeks to come, we can expect that the number of cases may increase because of a greater easing this time round and, therefore, we also have to remain vigilant and continue to monitor the situation and be prepared to adjust our measures from time to time," said Mr Gan.
Singapore could not have got to where it is without the contributions of each and every person, including its healthcare and front-line officers, said Mr Wong, as he thanked everyone for playing their part.
"We can now have a well-deserved breather after two very difficult years of fighting the virus. But let's always remember, we are getting closer to the finish line but the race is not over," he said.
"The pandemic is certainly not over. A new variant will emerge sooner or later… No one can predict what this next variant will be. And if need be, we may very well have to tighten our restrictions."
Flexibility allowed in workplace as 'very hard' for employees to wear mask all day: Lawrence Wong
SINGAPORE - Employees at workstations will be allowed to remove masks because it will be difficult to be masked up constantly while back at the workplace, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (April 22).
But even with this exception to the rule, which requires masks to be worn indoors, employees should still be mindful about safe distancing, added Mr Wong, who is co-chairman of the ministerial task force on Covid-19.
"It would be very hard to be back at work throughout the day and then wearing a mask and working. And therefore, this flexibility is extended for such an occasion, but we would continue to encourage everyone to exercise responsibility," said the minister during a press conference by the task force on Friday.
"And if you take off your mask when you're working, ensure that you're maintaining a safe distance from your colleagues and, obviously, do not gather together in a crowded setting."
The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced a major easing of Singapore's remaining Covid-19 safety measures from next Tuesday, including the lifting of limits to workplace capacities. This is up from the current 75 per cent cap for those who can work from home.
There are two conditions where workers will be allowed to remove their masks in the workplace, said Mr Wong.
The first is when they are not physically interacting with one another, and the second is when they are not in any customer-facing areas, where interaction is likely to happen.
"So if you're just back to the office in your workstation working, then we will allow you to take off your mask," said Mr Wong.
During the press conference, the task force was asked why the number of new Covid-19 cases in Singapore has not increased much after restrictions were eased from March 29.
This included the expansion of maximum group sizes to 10 people, mask wearing being made optional outdoors and the increase in capacity limits for events.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung sketched out three reasons for this.
First, Singapore has managed to achieve a high vaccination rate, which is one of the highest in the world, said Mr Ong. The Ministry of Health said on Friday that Singapore's vaccination coverage is at 96 per cent of its eligible population.
Second, the country has raised its collective resilience, given how there are "quite a number" of people who have been infected with Covid-19.
And third, Singapore has cooperated as a society by abiding by the rules, safety precautions and all the other measures that were put in place.
"So all these help. But it's a combination of factors. It's very hard to isolate which are the main factors," said Mr Ong.
Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is also a co-chairman of the task force, reiterated the importance of the cooperation and support of Singaporeans, as well as their trust in the system.
But the country must not become complacent, given how new variants can emerge from time to time, and that there are ongoing waves in different parts of the world.
"We must continue to remain vigilant even as we continue to ease up our measures. And in the weeks to come, we can expect that the number of cases may increase because of a greater easing this time round and, therefore, we also have to remain vigilant and continue to monitor the situation and be prepared to adjust our measures from time to time," said Mr Gan.
Singapore could not have got to where it is without the contributions of each and every person, including its healthcare and front-line officers, said Mr Wong, as he thanked everyone for playing their part.
"We can now have a well-deserved breather after two very difficult years of fighting the virus. But let's always remember, we are getting closer to the finish line but the race is not over," he said.
"The pandemic is certainly not over. A new variant will emerge sooner or later… No one can predict what this next variant will be. And if need be, we may very well have to tighten our restrictions."
from straitstimes.com:
SINGAPORE - Singapore will continue to play its part in the global fight against money laundering and terrorist financing, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said on Saturday (April 23).
Mr Wong gave this assurance in a Facebook post, after he attended a ministerial meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) - a global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog - in Washington last Thursday.
Mr Wong, who has been on a 10-day work trip in the US since April 16, met other leaders such as FATF president Marcus Pleyer, Canada's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak.
Following the meeting, FATF ministers committed to taking decisive action to fight illicit money transfers, including implementing global rules strengthened this year to stop criminals from hiding dirty money behind shell companies.
Mr Wong attended the ministerial meeting with Mr T. Raja Kumar, who is senior adviser for international matters at the Ministry of Home Affairs and the current head of Singapore's delegation to FATF.
Mr Raja will assume the post of FATF president on July 1 for a fixed two-year term. Singapore has been a member of the task force since 1992, and this will be the first time it is taking on the presidency.
Mr Raja has, since July 2018, been part of the steering group that provides advice to the FATF president. He has also served as co-chairman of the national inter-agency committee on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism since January 2015, and has driven Singapore's efforts to meet FATF standards.
Established in 1989, FATF is an inter-governmental body that sets international standards to prevent and combat money laundering and terrorism and proliferation financing.
These standards help governments deal with proceeds from transactions of illegal drugs, human trafficking and other crimes.
The task force also works against funding for weapons of mass destruction. It evaluates and monitors member jurisdictions to ensure that they implement the standards fully and effectively.
In a joint declaration after the meeting, FATF ministers said the body is committed to further work on beneficial ownership of legal arrangements such as trusts to improve transparency and prevent abuse of corporate structures.
The ministers also committed to getting the FATF to lead global efforts to help countries build meaningful and effective asset recovery capabilities, which can improve the clawback of criminal proceeds and return these assets to victims.
An effective system to deprive criminals of monies will also remove incentives to criminal activity and protect the financial system, the statement added.
S'pore to keep up fight against money laundering: Lawrence Wong
SINGAPORE - Singapore will continue to play its part in the global fight against money laundering and terrorist financing, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said on Saturday (April 23).
Mr Wong gave this assurance in a Facebook post, after he attended a ministerial meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) - a global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog - in Washington last Thursday.
Mr Wong, who has been on a 10-day work trip in the US since April 16, met other leaders such as FATF president Marcus Pleyer, Canada's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak.
Following the meeting, FATF ministers committed to taking decisive action to fight illicit money transfers, including implementing global rules strengthened this year to stop criminals from hiding dirty money behind shell companies.
Mr Wong attended the ministerial meeting with Mr T. Raja Kumar, who is senior adviser for international matters at the Ministry of Home Affairs and the current head of Singapore's delegation to FATF.
Mr Raja will assume the post of FATF president on July 1 for a fixed two-year term. Singapore has been a member of the task force since 1992, and this will be the first time it is taking on the presidency.
Mr Raja has, since July 2018, been part of the steering group that provides advice to the FATF president. He has also served as co-chairman of the national inter-agency committee on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism since January 2015, and has driven Singapore's efforts to meet FATF standards.
Established in 1989, FATF is an inter-governmental body that sets international standards to prevent and combat money laundering and terrorism and proliferation financing.
These standards help governments deal with proceeds from transactions of illegal drugs, human trafficking and other crimes.
The task force also works against funding for weapons of mass destruction. It evaluates and monitors member jurisdictions to ensure that they implement the standards fully and effectively.
In a joint declaration after the meeting, FATF ministers said the body is committed to further work on beneficial ownership of legal arrangements such as trusts to improve transparency and prevent abuse of corporate structures.
The ministers also committed to getting the FATF to lead global efforts to help countries build meaningful and effective asset recovery capabilities, which can improve the clawback of criminal proceeds and return these assets to victims.
An effective system to deprive criminals of monies will also remove incentives to criminal activity and protect the financial system, the statement added.
Lawrence eats bak chor mee.
Jet lagged and craving for some local hawker food…So it’s Bak Chor Mee for early morning breakfast at Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre!
Lawrence Wong
14 hrs · Instagram ·Jet lagged and craving for some local hawker food…So it’s Bak Chor Mee for early morning breakfast at Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre!
Lawrence provides more support.
In #SGBudget2022, I shared that the Government will provide families with additional support — a top-up of $200 for their children’s education-related expenses.
Joshua Kee, a Secondary 4 student from Tampines Secondary School, is one of the 540,000 young Singaporeans who will enjoy this top-up, in addition to the annual Edusave contribution that the Government makes.
I wish Joshua all the best in his studies. I hope parents and students will continue to tap on these additional support measures to extend their learning beyond formal education and realise their full potential, seizing better opportunities in the future. You can read more here: https://go.gov.sg/2022-edusave-psea
Lawrence Wong
12 hrs ·In #SGBudget2022, I shared that the Government will provide families with additional support — a top-up of $200 for their children’s education-related expenses.
Joshua Kee, a Secondary 4 student from Tampines Secondary School, is one of the 540,000 young Singaporeans who will enjoy this top-up, in addition to the annual Edusave contribution that the Government makes.
I wish Joshua all the best in his studies. I hope parents and students will continue to tap on these additional support measures to extend their learning beyond formal education and realise their full potential, seizing better opportunities in the future. You can read more here: https://go.gov.sg/2022-edusave-psea
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