Wanted: Experts to give rail network thorough health check

Wanted: Experts to give rail network thorough health check 

As glitches persist, LTA calls for tenders to assess system 

THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) is looking for experts to assess the health of the entire rail network as the regulator 

and operators grapple with glitches that do not seem to go away. -- ST PHOTO: KUA SEE SIONG 

THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) is looking for experts to assess the health of the entire rail network as the regulator and operators grapple with glitches that do not seem to go away.

The authority has called one tender inviting parties to analyse the condition of the operating system, and another to look at the state of the infrastructure.

An LTA spokesman said the move is part of "continuous efforts to ensure the safety and reliability of rail services".

"The assessment builds on the studies that LTA conducted two years ago," she added.

In 2013, the authority conducted an assessment of the North-South and East-West lines' maintenance regimen.

A separate study assessed the condition of the North-East Line and Sengkang-Punggol LRT.

Observers welcome the new check as the number of major breakdowns - those lasting more than half an hour - hit a four-year high of 12 last year.

Veteran transport consultant Bruno Wildermuth said: "We obviously need an independent assessment. To what degree outsiders can give a valid opinion will depend a lot on the access that they will have to the systems, the operators' staff as well as maintenance records.

"But equally important will be the background experience of the outside consultant. Somebody like the British Rail Inspectorate or an experienced operator such as the Hong Kong MTR might be able to do the job."

According to the LTA, 73 per cent of delays lasting more than five minutes last year were caused by train and signalling faults - down from 79 per cent in 2011. Power supply and track problems accounted for 19 per cent of delays, up from 18 per cent in 2011.

But external causes - such as poor weather and track intrusions - shot up from 3 per cent in 2011 to 8 per cent last year.

The network health check could also help operators understand why certain stretches are problematic.

For instance, both SMRT and the LTA are baffled as to why the Kranji-Yew Tee stretch is the most problematic section of the North-South Line. So far this year, there have been seven breakdowns arising from faults there, lasting between five minutes and nearly five hours.

The last one happened on Monday, which lasted around 20 minutes but had ripple effects across the network.

Commuter Ethan Guo, who travels from Eunos to Orchard for work, said it caused him to miss a 50 per cent fare discount granted to travellers who exit at selected stations before 8am.

"I've always been able to get the discount," said the civil servant, who is in his 30s. "But the connecting train at City Hall took much longer to arrive than usual."

Mr William Lee, an adviser to the National University of Singapore's engineering faculty, said that to improve cost efficiency and technical expertise, Singapore should buy a single train model, instead of the current four.

"A mechanic might be able to work with various Japanese cars, but to have him also work on German, American and Korean makes is very challenging," he said. "It also makes skills upgrading more difficult."

National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der-Horng said getting an external party to assess the system is "a positive move".

"It will allow the LTA to tap the best available expertise and technology to keep our rail network up to date."

The Straits Times / Singapore                                                           Published on Wednesday, 22 April 2014 

By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent                    christan@sph.com.sg

Wanted: Experts to give rail network thorough health check

HDB survey also shows those who buy less likely to go for smaller flats

Young couples more likely to rent first home

HDB survey also shows those who buy less likely to go for smaller flats

Taking the pulse of the Heartland

YOUNG couples are more likely to start their married life in a rented flat, with one in five of those aged younger than 35 doing so.

But those who do buy flats are less likely to get smaller ones, compared to older households, according to the Housing Board's (HDB) latest Sample Household Survey.

Conducted every five years, the latest report surveyed 7,800 HDB households in 2013.

Of these, almost nine in 10 heads of households were or had at some point been married.

And for 21.2 per cent of those younger than 35, the first place they lived in after marriage was a rented flat or private property.

This is higher than the overall average of 15.2 per cent, and also higher than most other cohorts.

For household heads aged 35 to 44, for instance, only 17.2 per cent lived in rented property upon getting married.

Experts said that renting is an affordable way to "live the high life", at least for a few years.

Some young couples might want to live in a mature estate or in a condominium with facilities, said OrangeTee research manager Wong Xian Yang.

With the young valuing privacy highly, some might also be renting while waiting for their Build-To-Order HDB flats to be ready. "They feel that so long as their budget can accommodate it, they would like to rent a small flat to have their own living space, compared to being cramped with the in-laws," said R'ST Research director Ong Kah Seng.

The figures refer to units rented on the open market. Separately, 4.7 per cent of young households started married life on the HDB public rental scheme, which is for the low-income.

But for most households, a purchased flat was the most common housing type upon marriage.

Three-roomers have become less common as a starting home for younger couples. They were the first housing type for 9.6 per cent of young households, compared to 11.2 per cent for those with household heads aged 35 to 44, and 19.2 per cent overall.

The proportion of young households with four- and five-roomers as a first home was higher than the average, though lower than their older counterparts in the 35 to 44 age range.

Also, of all age groups, young households were most likely to have an executive flat as their first home, with 3.2 per cent having one. The overall average was 2.1 per cent.

Younger couples might be less keen on three-roomers because aspirations have risen and incomes are higher, said Mr Ong.

Straits Times / Top of The News                  Published on Thursday, 16 April 2015

By Janice Heng                                                               janiceh@sph.com.sg

RELATED LINKS

Non-landed private home prices dip again

But new figures show significant rise in volume after Chinese New Year

Resale prices in the central region fell an estimated 0.3 per cent month on month, and 7 per cent from a year back. City 

fringe resale prices rose 0.4 per cent for the month. -- PHOTO: BLOOMBERG 

RESALE prices dipped again last month although volumes rose significantly after Chinese New Year, according to new figures.

Resale prices of condominiums and private apartments fell 0.2 per cent, on average, in March compared with February. They were down 3.9 per cent from March last year.

The flash estimates released by SRX Property yesterday also indicated that the month-on-month change in the price index for February has been revised from no change to a 0.4 per cent decrease.

Resale volumes rose 31 per cent month on month to an estimated 440 units for the month.

This could have been due to the fact that more properties were put up for sale after the Chinese New Year period, said R'ST Research director Ong Kah Seng.

Some projects marketed late last year may have taken a breather during the festive season.

Still, last month's volume was up an estimated 18.6 per cent from the same month last year.

Resale prices in the central region fell an estimated 0.3 per cent month on month, and 7 per cent from a year back.

Suburban resale prices fell about 0.4 per cent month on month, and 2.8 per cent for the year.

City fringe resale prices rose 0.4 per cent for the month, though this could be due to thin volumes and the types of properties transacted, said OrangeTee manager of research and consultancy Wong Xian Yang.

Resale prices for the region were down 1.4 per cent from a year back.

Overall, resale prices have fallen 6.2 per cent from the last peak in January last year.

ERA Realty key executive officer Eugene Lim said the gradual downward trend is likely to continue.

"While sellers have become more reasonable in their expectations, they are not under tremendous pressure to sell and are not prepared to consider ridiculously low offers from opportunistic buyers," he said.

Home loan interest rates may be on the rise, but the increase has been slight so far and has not been "unbearable" for property owners. But overly leveraged owners of multiple properties are beginning to feel the burden and may begin divesting their portfolios, he said.

Mr Wong added that the volatility of the overall SRX price index for resale properties has been narrowing over the past few months, which points to a stabilising market.

"New information has to come in, such as the tweaking of cooling measures or a higher than expected hike in interest rates, before we see any large price movements in the market."

The Straits Times / Money                                    Published on Wednesday, 15 April 2015

By Rennie Whang                                                wrennie@sph.com.sg

Non-landed private home prices dip again

Maths question catches world's attention

Newspapers, websites ask readers to solve problem set for S'pore teens

A PUZZLING question that tests upper secondary students' logical thinking skills in a mathematics contest here has taken the world by storm.

Several newspapers and websites around the world - from Britain and Malaysia to Canada and the United States - picked up the maths question and asked their readers to solve it.

The question, which had a photograph, was shared more than 4,500 times. The question gives 10 dates and asks students to figure out the birthday of a girl named Cheryl using limited information.

Some netizens had issues with the way the question was phrased and criticised the English used, while others made comments about Cheryl's coy behaviour.

The question was first posted by TV talk show presenter Kenneth Kong last Saturday. It stumped many netizens and prompted a rush of attempts online to try and tackle it.

The Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiads (SASMO), which set the question as part of its yearly contest, clarified on Monday that it was for Secondary 3 and 4 students.

Mr Kong had said he obtained the question from a friend whose Primary 5 niece had it as homework from her school.

British newspaper The Guardian said the question shows why Singapore comes out tops in international rankings in maths.

In the latest Programme for International Student Assessment, held in 2012, Singapore students came in second in maths, behind their peers in Shanghai.

Educators and publishers abroad now pay close attention to how maths is taught in Singapore - dubbed Singapore maths.

But the baffling question is not the toughest in maths contests here. Mr Henry Ong, founder of SASMO, said the contest, first held in 2006, was formed to give students a chance to try questions that are more manageable.

SASMO is meant for the top 40 per cent of primary and secondary schoolchildren. More than 28,000 contestants last week took part in the competition for primary and secondary schoolchildren. About 5,000 were from Singapore.

"The question highlighted was one of the top two most difficult questions in the test, but it would still be considered easy in the other competitions," he said, referring to contests held by the Singapore Mathematical Society (SMS).

An estate manager who took part in Olympiads in school said contests held by Raffles Institution, Hwa Chong Institution and the SMS are actually harder. Singapore is very well-regarded in the competitive maths scene, globally, he added.

Associate Professor Victor Tan, SMS' vice-president, said about half of the questions in a typical contest are "more challenging" than the regular maths curriculum, in order to sift out the best students.

A team of six is then chosen to represent Singapore at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

The Straits Times / Home                                   Published on Wednesday, 15 April 2015

By Amelia Teng                                                   ateng@sph.com.sg                                         

Maths question catches world's attention

New private home sales jump 57% in March from February, URA figures show

New private home sales jump 57% in March from February, URA figures show 




Buyers bought 613 new private homes from property developers in March, a whopping 57.2 per cent more than the 390 units in February. -- PHOTO: ST FILE 

SINGAPORE - Buyers bought 613 new private homes from property developers in March, a whopping 57.2 per cent more than the 390 units in February.

Buyer interest grew even at projects which had been launched for some time, as only 400 units were launched in the month.

On a year-on-year basis, the sales tally was 27.8 per cent up from the 480 units sold in March 2014. 724 units were launched at the time.

Including executive condominiums, which are a hybrid of private and public housing, a total of 692 new homes were sold in March, up from 455 in February.

The jump in sales could be attributed to slightly more new units being launched for sale in March compared with February, as well as reasonable prices in an increasingly price sensitive market, said Mr Mohd Ismail Gafoor, PropNex Realty chief executive officer .

"This drew bargain-hunting homebuyers back to showflats...Buyers may also have realized that prices will not drop very much and so the current sentiments of a 'buyer's market' will not last long," said Mr Ismail.

Last month's tally takes the total number of new private home sales for the first quarter to 1,379, said Mr Ong Teck Hui, JLL national research director. This is comparable to 1,376 new private home sales in the fourth quarter of last year.

"Going forward, the question is whether quarterly volumes have bottomed out, which would give some indication of underlying demand," said Mr Ong.

The top selling project in March was Kingsford Waterbay in Upper Serangoon View, which was launched in the month. It sold 155 units at a median price of $1,111 per sq ft (psf).

Other popular developments included Sims Urban Oasis in Sims Drive, which was launched in February. It sold 107 units at a median price of $1,401 psf in March.

The Skywoods in Dairy Farm Heights sold 27 units at a median of $1,186 psf, while Symphony Suites in Yishun Close, which launched in January, sold 20 units at a median of $1,016 psf.

The New Straits Times / Business                                                  Published on Wednesday, 15 April 2015

By Rennie Whang

New private home sales jump 57% in March from February, URA figures show

Key Mahathir ally wants Muhyiddin to take over Umno leadership

Key Mahathir ally wants Muhyiddin to take over Umno leadership 





Former finance minister Daim Zainuddin says Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is the most suitable candidate to 

bring change to Umno.

KUALA LUMPUR - A senior and influential ally of former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has spoken out in favour of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to take over the leadership role in the ruling Umno party.

Amid the recent stepped-up criticism by Tun Dr Mahathir against Prime Minister and Umno leader Najib Razak, former finance minister Daim Zainuddin told the Malaysia Gazette news portal that Umno would face divisions if Tan Sri Muhyiddin was not given the torch to lead the party.

He added that he believed Mr Muhyiddin was the most suitable candidate to bring change to Umno.

"A leader needs a smart team which has brains and understands the country. Muhyiddin is able, but he must know the nation's history. If not, how would we move forward?" Tun Daim was quoted as saying in the interview published last Thursday.

Tun Dr Mahathir has called for Datuk Seri Najib to resign over a range of issues, saying he fears the ruling party would lose the next election under the Prime Minister's leadership.

Analysts say Mr Muhyiddin would stand to benefit the most if Mr Najib steps down, although he previously indicated that he is not interested in the top post. Last week, Mr Muhyiddin broke weeks of silence, urging Dr Mahathir to end his attacks and accept that he would not agree with the Prime Minister on every issue.

The Straits Times / Top of The News                      Published on Monday, 13 April 2015

Key Mahathir ally wants Muhyiddin to take over Umno leadership 

Ex-PM turns to social media in campaign to oust leader

TUN DR Mahathir Mohamad has resorted to using non-establishment media to continue his campaign to oust Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Dr Mahathir, who had used his personal blog to attack his successor Abdullah Badawi and succeeded in forcing him to resign, gave an exclusive interview to a group of pro-Mahathir bloggers on Saturday. The video of the interview was uploaded on dinturtle. blogspot.com at the weekend.

Din Turtle is part of a wider network of over 60 conservative nationalist blogs. The blog called Blog Parti Melayu (Malay party blog) has been consistent in its attacks on Datuk Seri Najib and his leadership. Prominent bloggers in this network include Life of Annie, Karim Omar, Pisau.net, Kluang Diamond and Bigdogdotcom.

The bloggers are usually ordinary Umno members or Mahathir supporters. They often advocate the importance of the New Economic Policy (NEP) in safeguarding national harmony.

The NEP was a socio-economic restructuring affirmative action programme launched by then Prime Minister Abdul Razak in 1971 to close the economic gap between the Malays and the Chinese. In 2010, Mr Najib launched the New Economic Model to replace the NEP and liberalise the economy.

Right-wing alternative bloggers have also been highly critical of Mr Najib, who they feel has been very lenient towards the "ungrateful" Chinese community. The social media commentators often state the need for a strong conservative leader like Dr Mahathir to stand up for Malays, Islam and the royal families.

Mainstream media such as the New Straits Times and its sister publication Berita Harian, The Star and Sin Chew Daily gave extensive coverage to Mr Najib's televised interview on Thursday, during which he responded to the charges made by Dr Mahathir.

Most of the major newspapers are owned or linked to a component party in the Umno-led ruling Barisan Nasional. Umno mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia yesterday also urged Dr Mahathir to stop his attacks.

As expected, Dr Mahathir's comments were downplayed by mainstream media. That he has turned to social media as a platform to launch his attacks is deeply ironic.

The irony was noted by Mr Najib during his televised interview.

"I have to face it. It is an era of perception, not reality, with the influence of the vast social media nowadays. There was no social media during Tun Dr Mahathir's era. The social media has a big influence now," said Mr Najib.

"The perception can turn into reality if it is not addressed. This might be the biggest challenge that my colleagues and I have to face in combating perception."

The Straits Times / Top of The News            Published on Monday, 13 April 2015

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, Malaysia Correspondent In Kuala Lumpur   

asruls@sph.com.sg

Ex-PM turns to social media in campaign to oust leader