8/13/2019 Bread-And-Butter Issues Dominate Forum on Values

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hot news2TODAY MONDAY26 NOVEMBER 2012

Bread-and-butter issuesdominate forum on valuesASHLEY CHIA

ashley@mediacorp.com.sg

SINGAPORE A forum for Singapo-reans and Permanent Residentsto share what societal values andqualities are important to them

was dominated by bread-and-but-ter issues instead.

The discussion held at the Wood-lands Galaxy Community Club yes-terday was organised as part of

the Our Singapore C onversationnational project. It was hosted bySembawang Group RepresentationConstituency (GRC) grassroots ad-

visers, National Development Min-ister Khaw Boon Wan, Mr HawaziDaipi, Ms Ellen Lee and Mr OngTeng Koon, who are also Membersof Parliament.

The 250 participants resi-dents who come from all walks oflife were broken up into groupsof up to 12, with facilitators to leadthe discussion. The participants,about a quarter of whom were newcitizens or Permanent Residents,had been expected to provide in-put on the type of society and homethey would like to have in 2030 as

well as how they can work towardsachieving their desired future.

However, the one-and-a-half-hour discussion was mostly spent

Younger participants the challenge of balancinfamily while they try to kthe rising cost of living.

Among those who kepcussions theme was Singagement University undClarine Chai, who felt Sishould have a sense of grtiree Chong Weng Yoke scusing on moral educationto inculcate values such

while Garry Luyun stresfor new citizens like himgrate ourselves and woras a community.

At the end of the sessionoted that many of the pused the opportunity to enhousing concerns, given hHe also assured the residavailability and affordabi

Speaking to TODAY, SGRC MP Ellen Lee said thairing their grouses at th

was not surprising at allOn the challenge of g

dents to focus on the themtional project, Ms Lee saidis not obvious but the proimportant because the pshows that the Governmehear them ... even if they cfar ahead, it doesnt mattehave approached them.

OUR SINGAPORE CONVERSATION

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

OCBC moves tosecure Sports Hub

naming rightsentertainment programmes all

year round.The source noted: OCBC will be

a key commercial partner ... as theyhave an established network to helpstage some of the events at the Hub.There is synergy between them.

An est abl ish ed practi ce in theUnited States, commercial brandingof sporting arenas to defray buildingand operating costs is catching onaround the world.

Recent high-profile deals includea deal between New York Mets andCitigroup for the naming rights to the

baseball teams homeground in Flush-

ing for US$20 million (S$24.5 mil lion)annually in a 20-year deal.

In 2006, Emirates Airlines a lsostarted paying Arsenal Football Clubabout 3 million (S$5.9 million) a yearfor the rights to the English PremierLeague sides home stadium, in a dealthat will expire in 2021.

In Singapore, OCBC has beensponsoring arts and entertainmentevents for more than a decade. In thelast five years, the bank has been theprincipal backers of the annual OCBCCycle Singapore. It also sponsors theOCBC Singapore Pro Cycling Teamto the tune of about S$200,000 a year.

But the deal for the naming rightsfor Singapores most ambitious sport-ing project would likely eclipse allcorporate sponsorships in Singa-pore sports.

The Sports Hub is scheduled toopen its doors in April 2014.

on issues such as cost of living andhousing, as well as municipal com-plaints like the low frequency of busservices and the litter situation in theestate.

For example, a participant in her60s cited worries about rising health-care costs. When a facilitator askedher what could be done to alleviate thesituation by 2030, she replied that shedid not want to think so far ahead.

Other older participants said theywere worr ied that their chi ldren orgrandchildren may not be able to af-ford their own homes, while some won-dered if there will be enough homes foreveryone in the future.

NationalDevelopmentMinister KhawBoon Wan at theOur SingaporeConversationdiscussion held atWoodlands GalaxyCommunityClub yesterday.PHOTO OOI BOON KEONG