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A fight for the soul of Aware?

P
OLICE asking for a change of venue
for the Aware special meeting tomor-
row, for law and order reasons, is not
the first indication of official frowning
over a civic dispute gone overboard.
Community Development Minister
Vivian Balakrishnan had put out a
reminder that religion had no place in
what he termed petty politics. The cat-
egorisation presumably included
ding-dong fights for control of non-
governmental organisations. Despite
the injunction, battle lines have been
drawn between Aware’s opposing
camps: the new team led by Ms Josie
Lau and the defeated old leadership
seeking the newcomers’ removal in a
no-confidence vote. Both sides should
be mortified that an argument over val-
ues and the manner of executing pro-
grammes could not be conducted free
of righteous cant and religious under-
tones. Undoubtedly, a Christian fer-
vour has seeped through the proceed-
ings.
Government intervention in civil
society affairs, should it happen over
Aware, would be damning of the dispu-
tants. It should be avoided if civic
organisations are to discharge their
role fearlessly as support agents in pro-
gressive change. Each side in the
Aware dispute needs to act rationally
in calming its supporters at the meet-
ing, now moved to Suntec City. If cho-
reographed shows of noisy support are
being planned, they should be aborted.
This is not meant to be a test of
strength. Sensible people don’t do bar-
racking.
From the looks of the frantic recruit-
ing going on for members, this is ap-
pearing disagreeably like a fight for the
soul of Aware, an outfit most tempo-
ral. The controversy should never have
descended into a contest between secu-
larists and religionists. The new team
has clear faith-based leanings, evident
in its virulent condemnation of homo-
sexuality. It is free to make a stand, but
how is gayness such a burning issue?
There are matters of import, such as
family deprivation in bad times, that
could gain traction if they receive
Aware’s campaigning zeal.
If the Christian women who cap-
tured Aware believed they had to be-
cause the secular outfit had gone down
the wrong path, they needed only to
set up their own society to promote
their cause. They could campaign open-
ly on a Christian platform and leaven
their social programmes with Chris-
tian values. Let the public judge wheth-
er they make a contribution to socie-
ty’s well-being. Whatever the out-
come tomorrow, the ex-leaders could
walk away from the wreck with their
dignity intact. They could set up a new
organisation and continue with their
work, retaining the secularism that the
old Aware was known for.

PM’S MAY DAY MESSAGE resorts will be completed soon. Beyond

that, we will have the Gardens by the Bay,
the International Cruise Terminal and

Time for gumption

Asia’s first River Safari in Mandai.
We are also growing our external wing.
International Enterprise (IE) Singapore is
helping companies to win projects in
China, India and the Middle East, where
many opportunities still exist. It is also

and collaboration
working with trade associations and cham-
bers of commerce to access markets world-
wide, in Latin America and even Africa.
We must venture further afield to find
new business opportunities, and think of
more creative ways to make a living for
ourselves.
Unions, employers and the Government are working together to find practical The basic strategy for Singapore must
still be to stay open and linked to the
solutions to see Singaporeans through the downturn, says Prime Minister world. We prosper by servicing the re-
Lee Hsien Loong in his May Day Message gion, Asia and the world, and by being
equal to the best in niche areas.
Thus banks in Singapore service cus-
tomers from all over the region. We will
still be a major financial centre, especially Singapore leads the Global Financial
in areas like fund management or global Centres Index’s list of locations where
treasury business. Our factories produce “new offices are likely to be opened”.
critical components for computers and ac- PHOTO: REUTERS
tive ingredients for drugs, often account-
ing for a third or more of the world mar-
ket for those products. Unfortunately, our
access to foreign markets will become
more difficult, because governments will
Bankers’
raise more protectionist barriers as they
come under political pressure to help
domestic producers. As we continue to de-
new hope –
velop new markets, our wide network of
free trade agreements with major trading
partners will prove invaluable.
As an open economy, we must make
Singapore
ourselves globally competitive rather than AS THE fortunes of Wall Street and
try to protect ourselves from competition. the City of London decline, money-
We must gather talent from all over the men are looking east for new bases.
world to strengthen the Singapore team. And so far, the biggest beneficiary
At the same time, we must upgrade the seems to be Singapore.
knowledge and skills of our own people. The latest Global Financial Cen-
This downturn is an opportunity to mount tres Index shows that Singapore
a major effort in this area. Schemes like overtook Hong Kong to secure third
Spur and Professional Skills Programme place – right behind New York and
(PSP) convert slack manpower into learn- London – in the global competitive-
ing opportunities. They help workers to ness rankings. And the city state
become more productive, flexible and now leads the list of locations
competitive. “where new offices were likely to be
Every Singaporean must do his or her opened”.
part. I urge workers to go for training, to Singapore’s clean reputation has
up-skill and re-skill yourselves. If you are aided its rise. Its bankers played no
seeking a new job, do take up one of the part in the tricky dealings that
many jobs still available, even if it is not brought down the global financial
your first choice. system.
Have realistic salary expectations, and It’s also got a leg-up on Britain
be willing to learn new things and adapt and America when it comes to regu-
to different working conditions. I urge em- lation: Singapore’s rules are clear
ployers to think of all possible ways to and well established, thanks in part
save costs, and consider retrenchment

M The basic
UCH has changed in the
course of a year. When I
was preparing my May Day
Message last year, we were
in a very different situation.
The economy had a strong first quarter in
2008, and workers were enjoying good
bonuses from the year before. The United
States had already run into difficulties,
but we still hoped that the world could
avoid taking a major tumble.
Unfortunately, the US problems grew
into a major financial crisis which has
caused a severe worldwide recession.
World financial markets are no longer
frozen, but things are far from back to nor-
mal. All the major economies are contract-
ing simultaneously, for the first time since
the Great Depression. The World Bank
expects global industrial production to fall
by 15 per cent by the middle of this year,
and world trade also to fall sharply, espe-
cially in Asia. Governments have taken
bold steps to boost their economies, but in
this unprecedented situation nobody can
be sure what measures will work, or how
quickly.
Singapore is doing all we can to buffer
ourselves from the storm. We have
launched the Skills Programme for Upgrad-
ing and Resilience (Spur), and the Resil-
ience Package, which includes the Jobs
Credit scheme. We have focused on pre-
serving jobs, because when people have
jobs they can look after themselves and
their families. Unions and employers have
supported these schemes. They have
aligned the interests of employers and
workers, and helped companies to think
of cutting costs to save jobs, instead of
cutting jobs to save costs.
Singapore’s recovery will depend on
how the situation develops worldwide,
especially in the US. An optimistic scenar-
io is for the US economy to stabilise by
the end of this year, and begin a gradual
recovery next year. But this is not at all
certain. The US recession may well contin-
ue into next year. In the worst case, if the
troubled banks are not put right, the prob-
lems can drag on for several years.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry has
revised our growth forecast down to
between -6 per cent and -9 per cent.
While retrenchments and unemployment
have gone up, new jobs are still being
created. The situation would have been
worse if not for the Resilience Package.
Employers have more reasons to keep jobs
with the support they get from the Jobs
Credit, Spur and other measures in the
Resilience Package.
But if global demand continues to be
weak, we must expect more job losses,
despite all our measures. In some sectors,
things will get worse before they get
better. We must prepare for a prolonged
difficult period and continue to build capa-
bilities for the future.
But we have reason to be quietly confi-
dent. Our economy has important
strengths. Our banks are sound, our indus-
tries are competitive, our wage systems
are flexible, and many good jobs are still
strategy for
Singapore must
still be to stay
open and linked to the world.
We prosper by servicing the
region, Asia and the world, and
by being equal to the best in
niche areas.
available. Our workers are cooperating
with employers and the Government, to
acquire the skills which will make them
more productive and employable. Our sub-
stantial reserves are funding programmes
to counter the recession. Few countries
are in as secure a position as Singapore.
Despite the unfavourable climate, our
economic agencies are actively seeking
new business opportunities. The Econom-
ic Development Board continues to win
investments. Many global companies have
long-term perspectives and are still
launching projects in Asia. They see oppor-
tunities in this dynamic region, and know
that Singapore provides a stable base for
their Asian business.
Upcoming projects in the service sec-
tor, particularly the tourism industry, will
create more jobs. Our two integrated
only as a last resort. Make full use of gov-
ernment programmes and work closely
with the unions. For any cost-cutting
measures, management should lead by ex-
ample. Most importantly, everyone must
be mentally prepared and be ready for sac-
rifices in these difficult times.
In many countries, workers are mount-
ing angry protests and demonstrations as
the economic pain deepens and more peo-
ple lose their jobs. These outbursts are un-
derstandable, but unfortunately they do
not make things better. In Singapore, our
response to the crisis has been rational
and constructive. Unions, employers and
the Government are working together to
find practical solutions, to explain to Sin-
gaporeans what is happening, and what
we must do to see through the downturn.
This cooperation depends on the trust
and confidence among the tripartite part-
ners built up over many decades. In this
moment of stress and uncertainty, it is
helping Singapore to stand out from other
countries, enhancing our reputation and
bringing in more investments and jobs.
We must use this crisis to prepare for a
different, more competitive world when
the storm passes. We must build resil-
ience in a new generation of Singaporeans
and strengthen their bonds with a new
team of leaders. Most of all, we must
unite as a nation, keep our calm, unflinch-
ing spirit and emerge stronger from the
crisis.
I wish all Singaporeans a Happy May
Day.
to an overhaul in the wake of the
Barings Bank scandal of the early
1990s.
These attributes are likely to fur-
ther boost Singapore’s popularity,
which had already been on the rise
before the crisis, thanks to the coun-
try’s reduced tax rates for offshore
funds, unmatched even in Hong
Kong.
Singapore’s financial services
sector grew by 16 per cent in 2007
– and the number of hedge fund
managers rose 50 per cent to 300 –
before slowing to 5.6 per cent last
year as the recession set in.
Meanwhile, the biggest loser may
be London, which found favour as a
setting for international business in
the boom years but is now suffering
as globalisation recedes.
(So far, New York seems better
cushioned, since the United States
accounts for a quarter of the world
economy.)
Up to 20 per cent of all jobs in
London’s financial services sector
have already disappeared since
early last year, with another 80,000
job-holders estimated to be on the
chopping block. Many of them are
highly skilled and footloose.
Maybe they’ll follow the money
– and head to Singapore, too.
WILLIAM UNDERHILL
The above article appeared in the
April 27 issue of Newsweek.