NUSS bids farewell to Suntec City Guild House for the

THE GRADUATE OcTOber - DeceMber 2012 

A PUblicATiON Of THE NATioNAl UNivERsiTy of siNGApoRE sociETy 

The Magazine of The National University of Singapore Society October - December 2012 

for the 

NUSS bids farewell to 

Suntec City Guild House

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School of 

Law 

www.law.smu.edu.sg/llm smullm@smu.edu.sg Masters

President’s Message 

Dear Fellow Members 

Of the many significant events this year, the impending closure of Suntec City 

Guild House (SCGH) at the end of November poses the greatest challenge. 

SCGH will be dearly missed by many and the fond memories of the place will 

surely linger for a long time to come. Meanwhile, the Task Force has looked at 

quite a number of potential properties to date but has yet to find one that is 

suitable and financially sustainable. I will keep members fully updated when able to do so. 

We have had a hectic previous quarter with major events like the talk by Dr Catherine 

Lim, Groceries on Wheels, Weaving Hope and the NUSS Choir’s fundraising concert. More details 

are available in this issue or via our Facebook. 

In the coming months, we look forward to the activities 

organised by the Community Care Sub-Committee such as the 

NUSS 24-Hour Charity Stationary Bike Challenge 2012 “Pedalling for 

Diabetes” on 10 November in aid of the Diabetic Society of Singapore. 

This will be an exciting 24-hour event preceding World Diabetes Day 

at Kent Ridge Guild House on 11 November. This will be followed 

by the Annual Christmas Bash for the disadvantaged children jointly 

organised with our partners, The Salvation Army and the Ang Mo Kio 

Family Service Centres. Please come and bring along your family to 

join us for a meaningful cause. 

On the sporting front, I am pleased to share that we participated in the 

inaugural CUAA-NUSS-PAUM Friendship Golf Classic in Pattaya, Thailand, hosted by the 

Chulalongkorn University Alumni (CUAA) and emerged worthy champions in a very 

close contest played in the spirit of camaraderie and excellent sportsmanship. We will 

be travelling to Kuala Lumpur on 9 November for the annual NUSS-PAUM games. I hope 

more sports Section members will sign up for some of the games or simply go along 

to support our teams. We are planning to introduce other social games such as social 

mahjong at our Guild Houses. The S&R Sub-Committee also welcomes suggestions for 

games aimed at encouraging participation by both the young and seniors in your family. 

The Management Committee (MC) has deliberated on participating in the National 

Conversation and would like to encourage champions to step forward to contribute actively in this 

exercise. In due course, the Society hopes to map out the discussion topics and gather inputs from 

all segments of our membership before submitting our views to Minister Heng Swee Keat. 

Earlier in the year, the MC initiated a critical review of the Society’s operating costs and 

the adequacy of its existing reserves to fund capital expenditures. This review exercise has taken 

a greater urgency in light of the need to make fresh provisions for a new replacement clubhouse 

for SCGH and expected higher operating lease. The MC has always adopted a prudent approach 

in managing the Society’s finances and with an enlarged Kent Ridge facility, I believe a revision of 

the subscription, last adjusted in 2002, is long overdue if we are to maintain the service standards 

and level of activities that members now expect of the club. 

Wishing you well always … 

David Ho C’72 

President 

OCT-DEC 2012 THE GRADUATE 1

OCtOber-DeCember 2012 

8 

14 

17 

COVeR STORy 

Paint the little Red Dot 

green 

Global warming speaks of an average 

increase in the earth’s overall 

temperature which affect climate and 

natural resources. without a global 

effort to quickly reverse the trend, the 

potential for food shortages, wars over 

water and displaced habitats in this 

century is very high. 

HigHligHTS 

wheeling grocery bags of 

love to the less Privileged 

NuSS volunteers gave their time and 

efforts to put smiles on the faces of the 

less privileged with bags of love. 

SPeCiAl RePORT 

Consuming with Caution 

consumer protection consists of laws 

and regulations designed to ensure the 

rights of consumers as well as fair trade 

competition and the free flow of truthful 

information in the marketplace. 

22 

HigHligHTS 

The way Forward 

for Hougang 

NuSS hosted politicians and political 

commentators at the Post-hougang byelection 

Dialogue. Members went away 

with new insights and takeaways for the 

political landscape of Singapore. 

ClUb NewS 

4 Saying Farewell with Fond 

Memories 

HigHligHTS 

23 From Public to Private 

PROFile 

24 Achievement through 

Resilience 

CAReeR 

36 How to impress at Appraisals 

liViNg 

38 Colorectal Cancer – The Most 

Common Cancer in Singapore 

MONey 

40 Financial Planning 

14 4 

22 

27 

TRAVel 

42 eye Candy Copenhagen 

SPORTS 

47 Rolling Along the Challenge 

NUSS ClUb NewS 

1 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 

14 hIGhlIGhTS 

26 club NEwS 

30 SNAPShOTS 

47 SPORTS 

48 DINING 

53 cAlENDAR Of EvENTS 

COVeR PHOTO by Frank Foo Photography 

CORRIGENDUM we regret the spelling oversight on the 

following individual’s name in ‘Making the Gift of love 

count’ in the Jul-Sep 2012 issue of The Graduate - it should 

instead read “Mr laurence lien, chief Executive Officer 

from National volunteer & Philanthropy centre.”

Kent Ridge guild House 

9 Kent ridge Drive 

singapore 119241 

tel: 6779 1811 

Fax: 6778 8095 

email: secretariat@nuss.org.sg 

the Graduate is the quarterly publication of the national university of singapore society (nuss) 

Suntec City guild House 

3 temasek boulevard 

#05-001 suntec City mall 


tel: 6779 1811 

Fax: 6887 3802 

bukit Timah guild House 

1F Cluny road 


tel: 6779 1811 

Fax: 6469 6019 

eDiTORiAl 

editor: lisa Tan-Koh 

art Director: S T leng 

Contributing Writers: Patricia Ang, Anthony Koh, Sonia Shah 

Contributing Photographers: yap yew Piang, genesis Photography 

For advertising enquiries, please email: thegraduate@nuss.org.sg 

The Graduate is produced by the Corporate Communications department of nuss. 

NUSS Advisory Panel 

gerard ee, Professor Tommy Koh, Professor Arthur lim, wong Ah long 

NUSS Management Committee 2012/2013 

OFFiCe bearers 

President David Ho Peng Cheong 

Vice-President Archie Ong liang-gay 

Honorary secretary yip Kum Fei Honorary treasurer edward lee Jim Teck 

Honorary assistant secretary Paul wang Syan (Dr) Honorary assistant treasurer lau geok Theng (A/Prof) 

immediate Past President Johnny Tan Khoon Hui 

COmmittee members 

Mohan balagopal, Fong Poh Him (Dr), Jeffrey Khoo Poh Tiong, lai Kim Seng, 

lim wie Ming (Dr), Chandra Mohan K Nair, Francis Pavri (Dr), Toh yong Soon 

sub-COmmittee CHairPersOns 

alumni Development & university relations Jeffrey Khoo Poh Tiong 

Community Care Archie Ong liang-gay 

Cultural Fong Poh Him (Dr) 

Disciplinary Chandra Mohan K Nair 

Facilities Toh yong Soon 

Finance lee Hay Keong 

Food & beverage Archie Ong liang-gay 

intellectual Pursuit Mohan balagopal 

membership lau geok Theng (A/Prof) 

s-Connect Francis Pavri (Dr) 

sports & recreation Paul wang Syan (Dr) 

Secretariat Management Team 

Chief executive Officer Tong Hsien-Hui ceo@nuss.org.sg 

Finance Director Ong Cheng lee (Ms) chenglee@nuss.org.sg 

Operations Director Sasidharan Pillai sasi@nuss.org.sg 

membership Director Jenny Ng (Ms) jennyng@nuss.org.sg 

assistant Director, Corporate affairs Almeta Chia (Ms) almeta@nuss.org.sg 

senior manager, Facilities and sports Complex administration Richard Chitrakar richardc@nuss.org.sg 

senior Operations manager (btGH & sCGH) Desmond lim desmondlim@nuss.org.sg 

Adam Park guild House 

7 adam Park 


tel: 6467 0777 

all rights reserved. Copyright 2012. reproduction in whole or part of the magazine is strictly prohibited without the expressed permission of the publisher. 

the views of the contributors are entirely their own and do not necessarily represent those of nuss or the management Committee. 

nuss does not endorse all products and services featured in the magazine’s advertisements, except for its own advertisement(s). 

Printed in singapore by times Printers Private Limited miCa (P) 226/01/2012

Club News 

Saying Farewell 

with Fond Memories 

The news that Suntec City Guild House (SCGH), a popular meeting place for so many 

NUSS members in the heart of town, will close by end November this year was met with 

much sadness and regret. What arose has been an outpouring of emotional goodbyes to 

this popular niche and the recounting of great moments spent there. 

For many NUSS members, 

SCGH proved to be more 

than just a place to hang 

out. Full of wonderful memories 

shared with family 

and friends, SCGH has endeared itself 

to many with its charm, buzz and life 

since its official opening in 2004. 

Walking through the lift lobby 

leading to the reception of SCGH, it 

is understandable how this city Guild 

House will be greatly missed as it has 

offered a sense of belonging to many 

members through shared experiences 

and memories. 

Sophisticated 

dining, superblyappointed 

function rooms, 

an accessible 

location and the 

attentiveness 

of our staff are 

all elements 

that made 

SCGH such a 

great place to 

entertain and 

be entertained. 

SCGH 

has had the honour of many 

distinguished individuals contributing 

to its colourful history - those who 

have graced the hallways included 

dignitaries such as President Dr Tony 

Tan, former President S R Nathan 

and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh 

Chok Tong. In fact, it was ESM Goh 

who as Prime Minister, officially 

opened SCGH. All three distinguished 

individuals are Honorary Members of 

the Society. 

With heavy hearts, members recall 

their fondest memories of SCGH. 

Mr Ramesh Loganathan, a 

frequent patron at The Terrace, 

recalled, “My fondest memories are 

4 THE GRADUATE OCT-DEC 2012 

Mr Goh Chok Tong officially opened SCGH.

“My fondest 

memories are of 

the times when it 

rained heavily. The 

staff made the effort 

to bring umbrellas 

to ferry us from 

outdoors to indoors 

and table to table 

despite the rain.” 

Mr ramesh loganathan 

A frequent patron 

“It is sad as I would 

be missing my 

regular lunches 

with my colleagues 

there as well as 

our favourite 

fish noodles 

soup. I remember 

celebrating my 

birthday at The 

Bistro as well as 

our family reunion 

dinners during 

Chinese New Year.” 

Ms Jennifer Yuen 

A frequent patron 

Mr S R Nathan honouring the Society with his presence at SCGH. 

of the times when it rained heavily. 

The staff made the effort to bring 

umbrellas to ferry us from outdoors 

to indoors and table to table despite 

the rain. I also recall the 2012 New 

Year’s Eve Party which my nieces and 

nephews thoroughly enjoyed with all 

that foam! There was also the fly-past 

of the F16s during the National Day 

performances. I will certainly miss the 

view from The Terrace overlooking 

the buildings along Nicoll Highway 

and at Beach Road district.” 

Ms Jennifer Yuen, another regular 

patron at SCGH also expressed her 

sadness over the closure of SCGH. 

“It is sad as I would be missing my 

regular lunches with my colleagues 

there as well as our favourite fish 

noodles soup,” she said. “I remember 

celebrating my birthday at The Bistro 

as well as our family reunion dinners 

during Chinese New Year. Hopefully 

the staff at The Bistro would continue 

to work with the Guild House after 

the closure.” 

Club News 

So as the clock approaches the 

moment when SCGH finally closes 

its doors and when the shutters are 

finally drawn for good, NUSS will 

close this chapter in its history and 

keep moving forward by embarking 

on a new beginning together with its 

members for the future. 

Towards The Closure 

Tenants at Suntec City Mall have been facing 

uncertain times as the mall prepares to 

undergo a major S$410 million makeover 

with some tenants being told to move out 

while others will have to pause operations. 

NUSS’ Suntec City Guild House was 

among those told to move out. In a letter 

sent on June 1, Suntec Real Estate Investment 

Trust (REIT), which owns the mall, 

informed NUSS that they were exercising 

a clause in the tenancy agreement which 

allows termination with six months notice 

in the event of redevelopment. 


Cover story 

PAint 

tHe LittLe red dot 

Green 

Global warming has created havoc in the world’s climate and all eyes are on countries 

with big carbon footprints. Singapore’s carbon emission is one of the lowest but 

still we are striving to lower it further. Anthony Koh takes a closer look at the best 

ways to do our part to save the earth in spite of limited resources in Singapore and 

alternatives to saving energy by adopting greener technology and habits. 

the world now thinks in 

green. Even the organising 

committee of the London 

2012 Olympics Games had 

green in mind: Green partners. 

Green stadium. Green transport. 

The green concept has permeated 

every aspect of our life since scientists 

realised that what we do or not do can 

inadvertently harm our environment. 

Since the 1950s, the focus on 

environmental issues had been on 

ozone depletion. However, from the 

late 1980s onwards, attention began 

to shift toward greenhouse gases 

(GHG) emission with the formation 

of the Intergovernmental Panel on 

Climate Change (IPCC). Worldwide 

effort to reduce GHG emission in industrialised 

nations under the Kyoto 

Protocol preoccupied scientists, 

politicians and environmentalists. 

One particular GHG stood out - carbon 

dioxide (CO2). Our planet, once 

8 THE GRADUATE Oct-Dec 2012 

capable of removing CO2 from the air 

can no longer catch up with the rate 

that human activities are releasing it. 

The burning of fossil fuels for energy 

and deforestation for agriculture and 

urban sprawl are blamed for our 

omnipresent carbon footprint. Because 

GHG trap heat, they cause the 

Earth to become warmer. Scientists 

have unanimously agreed that rising 

temperatures contribute to climate 

change. Curbing the ever-increasing 

carbon emission has, therefore, become 

a top priority in our resolution 

to slow down global warming. 

Human’s role in carbon dioxide 

emission 

As human civilisation advances, 

natural landscape is making way for 

modern construction and agriculture. 

According to Global Forest Watch, 

70,000 to 170,000 square kilometres 

of rainforest are lost annually. Farm- 

ing-wise, over-rearing of farm animals 

and uncontrolled grazing have depleted 

plant leaf areas. The perceived CO2 

reduction benefit of burning biofuels 

derived from corn, sugar cane and 

palm oil has also led to more clearing 

of rainforest, which in turn exacerbate 

the problem of global warming. As 

plants and trees absorb CO2 from the 

air during photosynthesis, forests act 

as major carbon sinks, second only to 

oceans and seas. With lesser forests, 

CO2 in the air increases leading to 

more warming. This fuels forest fires 

which means more CO2 emission. 

And the cycle continues. 

Another human-induced CO2 

emission is the burning of fossil 

fuels (coal, oil and natural gases) 

to generate energy for power 

stations and vehicles. According to 

International Energy Agency (IEA), 

the estimated emission from fossilfuel 

combustion was 31.6 gigatonnes 

Photo: HDB

(Gt) in 2011, a 3.2 percent increase 

from the emission in 2010. Electricity 

generation takes up more than 

40 percent of energy-related CO2 

emission globally. 

Cost factors make coal the 

most competitive option for power 

generation in many countries. 

However, it also produces the most 

CO2. Out of the total emission in 

2011, coal accounted for 45 percent, 

followed by oil (35 percent) and 

natural gas (20 percent). The United 

States (US) used to be the champion 

CO2 emitter but since it had switched 

to natural gas for power generation, 

its emissions in 2011 fell by 92 million 

tonnes or 1.7 percent. Though its per 

capita emission is still higher than 

China, its total CO2 emission is lower. 

This comes as no surprise as China 

remains one of the highest burner for 

coal for its energy generation. 

According to Transport, Energy 

and CO2 Report published by IEA 

in 2009, fuel combustion to power 

transport constitutes 25 percent of 

global CO2 emission; trucks and cars 

make up 75 percent in that sector, 

The US itself is accountable for half 

of the global warming associated with 

cars. In China where the production 

of bicycles was over 79 million, it was 

reported in 2004 that more people had 

replaced bicycles with cars with the 

emergence of a larger middle class. 

impact of global warming 

After the ice age ended, the concentration 

of CO2 in the atmosphere had 

increased from 180ppm (parts per 

million) to 280ppm. As of May 2012, 

it was about 397ppm based on data 

from CO2 which republishes global 

climate information from worldwide 

science sources. The oceans absorb 

22 million tons of CO2 and considering 

that 72 percent of the earth is 

filled with oceans, it seems hopeful 

that atmospheric CO2 will eventually 

be reduced to a safe level. However, 

believing so is as good as thinking 

that heavy smokers who quit smoking 

now will have their lungs returned to 

their original state of health. Furthermore, 

the ocean is ill itself. As 

the Earth gets warmer, so does the 

ocean. This threatens marine life like 

algae and aquatic plants and affects 

the oceanic uptake of CO2 through 

As 710 square 

kilometres of land 

area in Singapore 

is less than 15m 

above sea level, Dr 

Hails warned that 

Singapore will be 

in danger of going 

under water by 2100. 

photosynthesis. Experts warn that the 

world will plunge into a climate crisis 

once the atmospheric concentration 

of CO2 reaches the earth’s threshold 

of 500ppm. If the incremental of two 

ppm per year is to be believed, then 

in about 50 years’ time we will reach 

that limit. 

The early harbinger of global 

warming is said to be the mass 

coral bleaching in 1998 - the year 

that scientists saw climate change 

beyond ozone depletion. The increase 

in the tropical sea temperature 

damaged every reef system in the 

world. If climate change is not 

minimised, coral reefs would face 

extinction globally by 2100. Before 

that happens, one million species 

will be exterminated by 2050, as 

research by Chris Thomas, Professor 

of Conservation Biology at Leeds 

University revealed. 

Thanks to the adorable polar 

bears and penguins, global warming 

has gained wider concern as the 

Greenlandic glacier is melting faster 

than scientists have calculated. From 

about 1,300 metres in 1931, the 

glacier terminus has retreated from 

34 metres in 2010 to 22 metres a year 

later. If all the glacier ice melts, we 

may experience an increase of sea 

level by 230 feet all over the world. 

Climate change and singapore 

Whenever natural disasters strike 

places far and away from Singapore, 

we deal with the tragedy with little or 

no fear for climate change and global 

warming when in fact, we had felt 

their impact on our shores. Who can 

forget the flash floods last year that affected 

businesses along Orchard Road? 

Dr Chris Hails, Chairman of World 

Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Nature Singapore 

said these floods were only a 

tip of the iceberg of climate change. 

As the world continues to heat 

up, oceans expand and glaciers 


melt, causing a surge in sea level. 

As 710 square kilometres of land 

area in Singapore is less than 15m 

above sea level, Dr Hails warned 

that Singapore will be in danger of 

going under water by 2100. Hence, it 

is not only important that we tackle 

the problem on a national level 

but to also work closely with other 

countries to stop our climate from 

worsening. Since the early 1970s, 

Singapore has become one of the few 

countries with a ministry that focuses 

on environmental issues. Though 

our CO2 emission is only 0.2 percent 

compared to global emission, we have 

never been complacent. As part of 

our National Climate Change Strategy, 

Singapore has pledged to reduce our 

CO2 emission by 16 percent, below 

2020 business-as-usual (BAU) level 

provided that a concerted effort is 

seen from other countries. 

not enough energy 

The energy sector is a major contributor 

of CO2 emission, accounting 

for 48 percent as of 2005. According 

to Singapore’s electricity fuel mix statistic 

which was reflected in the same 

year as the National Energy Policy 

Report, Energy for Growth in 2007, 

it consists of mostly natural gas (76 

percent) and fuel oil (22 precent); the 

remaining being diesel and refuse. 

Though coal is cheap, Singapore 

has at the onset opposed its use as a 

fuel option because it has a high CO2 

emission and causes pollution. However, 

in recent years, our stance has 

softened due to our disadvantaged 

position; a coal-fired plant at Tuas is 

currently under construction. 

The change is ineluctable as our 

fuel mix is less diversified than the 

global average and our dependence 

on imported piped natural gases from 

Malaysia and Indonesia predisposes 

us to the latter supply risks. A shortage 

in their own countries or a geopolitical 

conflict will disrupt our power 

and plunge Singapore into a state of 

darkness and immobility. This has 

also pushed us to build our own liquefied 

natural gas (LNG) terminal to 

import LNG from global gas markets, 

slated for completion in 2013. 

In spite of these preemptive 

solutions, our energy cost is still 

subject to rising prices in gas and oil. 

Oct-Dec 2012 THE GRADUATE 9


If only we can tap on the full potential 

of renewable energy, we can save 

both money and the environment. 

Wind energy would not work for 

us because wind speed in Singapore 

is too weak to generate power 

efficiently. Nuclear energy is also not 

feasible because our land area is too 

small and too populated. Our only 

hope is the sun. 

The Housing and Development 

Board (HDB) first experimented with 

solar energy in 2008 before using it to 

power common facilities such as lifts 

and corridors at Punggol, Singapore’s 

first eco-town. More extensive use is 

being tested under the solar leasing 

project, says Mr Alan Tan, Director 

of Environmental Sustainability 

Research, Building Research Institute, 

HDB. “The aim of this model is to 

fuel existing research on solar power 

generation for the tropics, and to 

develop the solar industry further.” 

Though sunlight is free, the 

installation of solar photovoltaic 

panels is costly. In addition, there 

is the cost of investing in backup 

power in case of a solar power dip. 

However, with improvements in 

photovoltaics technology, industry 

observers are optimistic that solar 

energy may become cheaper as costs 

of manufacturing solar cells drop. 

save energy and the 

environment 

With the challenges we face in energy 

resources, it is important to use energy 

efficiently across all sectors. In 

power generation, up to 75 percent 

saving is achieved through cogeneration 

and trigeneration by recycling 

waste energy to provide heat, electricity 

and cooling. Energy saving is 

also preached to the heartland since 

households consume 90 percent of 

Singapore’s total energy consumption. 

“Only 10 percent is used to power 

the common areas such as lifts and 

lights,” says Mr Tan. 

HDB has rolled out several initiatives 

to educate residents on green 

habits that contribute to a lower 

electricity bill and CO2 emission levels 

due to lesser fuel combustion. Under 

the Mandatory Energy Labelling 

Scheme (MELS), consumers can also 

make more informed choices when 

purchasing appliances as they are 


“Think of the case of a landlord installing an 

energy-efficient but expensive air-conditioner, and 

the tenant enjoying lower electricity cost every 

month. While one may argue that the landlord can 

charge a higher monthly rental because 

of the energy-efficient air-conditioner, 

in practice this seldom works. 

Associate Professor Chai Kah Hin 

Department of Industrial and Systems 

engineering, NUS 

labelled with their energy performance. 

Indirectly, the scheme pressures 

manufacturers to design products that 

outperform their competitors in term 

of energy efficiency. 

To encourage conscious use of 

energy, Singapore also chooses not to 

subsidy energy costs. “This is in contrast 

with several countries in ASEAN 

which typically subsidise fuels and 

electricity, and hence have poor 

records in promoting energy efficiency,” 

says Dr Tilak K Doshi, Principal 

Fellow & Head, Energy Economics 

Division, Energy Studies Institute. 

Dr Tilak mentioned that more can 

be done to raise energy efficiency, 

such as promoting “higher technical 

standards” for buildings, better 

labelling for appliances and taxing 

automobiles based on their carbon 

emission level. However, there is 

a caveat, he adds, “It should be 

noted that in all these initiatives, it 

is important that their costs do not 

exceed the benefits to be derived from 

improving energy efficiency.” 

The biggest stumbling block 

with investing in energy efficiency 

is its high upfront cost and long 

payback period. These are not all 

as Associate Professor Chai Kah 

Hin, Department of Industrial and 

Systems Engineering, NUS, noted, 

“In some countries, it is possible for a 

manufacturer to borrow money from 

a bank or a special financial agency to 

finance the investment of expensive 

and energy-intensive equipment, 

with the future energy savings shared 

between the two entities. However, 

implementing such a scheme is not 

easy because of the difficulty in 

determining the baseline from which 

future savings will be calculated and 

shared.” In making his point clearer, 

A/Prof Chai draws up a scenario. 

“Think of the case of a landlord installing 

an energy-efficient but expen- 

sive air-conditioner, and the tenant 

enjoying lower electricity cost every 

month. While one may argue that the 

landlord can charge a higher monthly 

rental because of the energy-efficient 

air-conditioner, in practice this seldom 

works.” So regulation, A/Prof Chai 

says, would overcome such problems. 

“In the case of air-conditioners, government 

may need to ensure that only 

those products which meet certain 

minimum energy-efficiency standards 

can be sold in the market.” The Minimum 

Energy Performance Standards 

(MEPS) serves this purpose but right 

now, it only covers refrigerators and 

air-conditioners. 

Greening our skyline 

If not for the green walls or the roof 

gardens, green buildings are hard to 

distinguish from other buildings. Maybe 

the low-E windows (windowpanes 

that have a special metal coating 

or low-E ‘emissivity’ coating which 

reduces the transfer of heat or cold 

through glass) and sun shading are 

tell-tale signs but their water-saving 

feature, energy efficient air-conditioner, 

natural ventilation and natural 

lighting are less obvious. These 

features are the must-haves for all 

new buildings since 2010 - a mandate 

under the Green Mark Certification 

established by the Building and Construction 

Authority (BCA). Buildings 

use 16 percent of our total electricity 

consumption. And because studies 

have demonstrated saving up to 30 

percent for energy efficient buildings, 

the emphasis of the rating is hence on 

energy efficiency. 

BCA targets to green 80 percent 

of the buildings in Singapore by 

2030. To encourage developers to 

go green, BCA has enhanced its 

Green Mark Incentive Scheme for 

Existing Buildings (GMIS-EB) with 

co-funding of up to 50 percent for

cash incentives when adopting 

green features and energy audit 

for air-conditioning plants (since 

air-conditioners consume the most 

electricity). Considering that all these 

green features cost money, do green 

buildings make any business sense in 

the long run for developers to invest 

in resource efficient capabilities? 

Responding to this, Mr Tan Tian 

Chong, Group Director, Technology 

Development, BCA sees the need to 

clear some misconceptions towards 

green buildings. 

“BCA has been raising awareness 

in the industry of the strong business 

case for green buildings. Firstly, 

green buildings can be developed 

with minimal cost premium if the 

project is handled holistically by 

competent professionals from the 

onset to incorporate inputs from 

various specialists in the building 

design process,” he says. “For existing 

buildings, disruption is minimal 

if retrofitting works are effectively 

planned and scheduled by the owners 

and their consultants. Also, the 

cost premium involved in greening 

buildings is gradually decreasing 

with greater economies of scale and 

the industry’s familiarity with green 

building design.” 

It is possible, Mr Tan says, for 

green builders to recover their cost 

premiums in less than two years 

though the payback period is usually 

between two and eight years. In addition, 

greening buildings also help 

to increase their property value. To 

support his claim, he highlights the 

HDB’s Waterway@Punggol 


“The cost premium involved in greening 

buildings is gradually decreasing with 

greater economies of scale and 

the industry’s familiarity with 

green building design.” 

Mr tan tian Chong 

Group Director, technology Development 

Building and construction Authority 

result of a joint study by BCA and 

the Department of Real Estate, NUS, 

with the top six real estate valuation 

firms in Singapore. He explained, 

“With an average expected savings 

in operating expenses of 10 percent 

as a result of green building retrofits, 

commercial buildings could reap an 

increase in capital value of about 

two percent. In view of rising energy 

costs, there is a strong business case 

for green buildings.” 

Greener driving neccessary 

The transport sector is the third 

largest consumer of energy after the 

industrial and building sector. Within 

this sector, private cars (35 percent) 

and commercial vehicles (26 percent) 

are the two biggest emitters of CO2; 

the greenest mode of land transport 

are motorcycles (three percent) and 

Mass Rapid Transit (four percent). To 

mitigate emission of transport fuels, 

all vehicles are required by law to 

undergo inspection for environmental 

and safety reasons. Depending 

on the age and type of vehicles, the 

Photo: HDB 

frequency of inspection varies from 

six-monthly to annually to biennially. 

Come January next year, cars that 

emit less CO2 will be rewarded with 

a higher rebates under the Carbon 

Emissions-Based Scheme (CEVS) 

which replaces the existing Green 

Vehicle Rebate (GVR). For commercial 

vehicles, buses and motorcycles, GVR 

will remain in force till the end of 

2014. Alongside with GVR, a new Fuel 

Economy Label was introduced in 

July whereby all automobile retailers 

will have to display the label on 

every passenger cars and light goods 

vehicles (LGVs) in their showrooms. 

The label offers drivers information 

on the car model’s carbon emissions 

per kilometre, fuel consumption and 

relative carbon emission performance. 

Green vehicles are also promoted 

as other means to reduce carbon 

emission. Global trend predicts 

that electric cars will eventually 

be introduced into mainstream 

automobile market. As of 15 July this 

year, the Energy Market Authority 

(EMA) listed 28 Electric Vehicles 

central to Punggol’s eco-town’s development is HDB’s newly-launched Punggol 

Waterway. At 4.2km long, it is Singapore’s longest man-made waterway. the 

housings around the waterway are developed with energy and water efficiency 

in mind. the green haven is also community friendly with facilities for everyone 

to relax and play, particularly water-based sports close to their homes. 

Sustainable design include: 

• energy-saving light fittings and LeD lighting are used along the promenade, 

town Park and footbridges. Boardwalks along the promenade are made from 

recycled materials. 

• energy efficiency features such as motion sensor lights are placed in car park 

and staircase landing. Solar panels are installed on rooftops to harness solar 

energy to power lifts and common area lightings. 

• Matured trees around the town park area and along old Punggol Road are preserved 

and more than 5,000 new trees are being added along the promenade 

and within the town park. 

• eco-drains are constructed along the entire 4.2km stretch on both banks of the 

waterway to collect surface runoff, filter and cleanse the run-off before they 

are channelled into the waterway. Source: HDB 



test-bed participants on their website. 

For local drivers to go green, Mr 

Raymond Tang, Honorary Secretary of 

Singapore Vehicle Traders Association 

(SVTA) says their receptiveness will 

depend on the savings. 

“The electric cars are not out 

yet and hybrid cars available in the 

market cost more than a normal 

car. Singaporeans will not buy new 

green cars unless more incentives 

are granted to encourage them to 

consider the eco-friendly option. 

They have been driving normal cars 

for years and for them to make the 

switch, the current 40 percent GVR 

Rebate is not enticing enough.” 

Go Green, Go Public 

However green a car is, its energy 

efficiency pales in comparison to that 

of buses or MRT which can transport 

masses. In terms of per passengerkilometre 

transported, the amount 

of energy used by a bus and an MRT 

train is estimated respectively to be 

nine times and 12 times lesser than a 

car. Under the Green Mark for Rapid 

Transit Systems, all MRT lines will use 

equipment that are energy efficient 

and eco-friendly. To make our overall 

public transport greener, diesel hybrid 

buses are also being tested on the 

road. Taxis too are going green with 

SMRT taking the lead. Their green 

taxis fleet from the brand run on compressed 

natural gas instead of diesel. 

However, green public transport 

can only work if more people are 

riding them. The obvious choice 

is to discourage car ownership. 

The government do so by making 

private cars less affordable through 

Additional Registration Fee and 

Certificate of Entitlement (COE). 

However, affordability is not all. Our 

current vehicle population growth 

rate at three percent is expected to 

rise and by 2020, the population 

will increase to 40 percent or 1.2 

million vehicles. Not only will it 

aggravate the CO2 emission, it will 

also create congestion issues as our 

road space cannot grow to meet the 

increasing demand. So the Vehicle 

Quota System is also in place to 

limit the number of cars on the 

road. Additional measures such 

as Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) 

and Off-Peak Car Scheme were 


city Square Mall 

city Developments Limited (cDL) took its corporate social responsibility to a greater height 

with its ambitious vision of building Singapore’s first eco-mall. In 2009, their dream not only 

came true but won them several green awards, including the BcA Green Mark Platinum. 

every nook and cranny of the 11-storey mall near Little India is equipped with green features. 

energy efficient features include: 

• Sunpath analysis for effectiveness of sunshades and wall insulation. 

• High-performance low-emissivity double glazing to reduce heat transmission. 

• High-efficiency air-conditioning plant system. 

• Motion detectors for toilets and staircases 

• Motion lighting sensors for vehicles at Basement 4 car park. 

• eco green roof with solar panels and water harvesting capabilities and indoor landscaping 

Water efficient features include: 

• Rainwater harvesting for plants irrigation (use of non-PUB potable water) with rain sensors 

for landscape 

• Recycling of condensate water from Primary Air-handling Unit for cooling tower make-up. 

• Water sub-meters to monitor water consumption and leak detection. 

Innovative green features include: 

• electric-car ready car park with charging stations and dedicated lots for hybrid cars. 

• A twin chute pneumatic waste disposal system to separate general and recyclable waste. 

• eco-restrooms with waterless urinals. 

• Sensors to monitor levels of indoor carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. 

environmental impacts made simple 

• 12 million kWh of electricity saved per year = electricity consumption by 2,000 4-room 

HDB flats 

• 6,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (cO2) emission reduced per year = uptake of cO2 by 

160,000 trees 

• 20,000 m3 of water saved per year = 10 Olympic size swimming pools 

introduced to influence car usage. 

Despite these deterrents, Mr Tang 

says he did not notice a drop in car 

sales. “People still find that travelling 

by trains and buses is not as 

comfortable and reliable as driving 

their own cars,” he notes. 

Singapore aims to achieve a 70:30 

model split between public and 

private transport by the year 2020. 

To give car owners a reason to make 

the switch, comfort, accessibility and 

convenience have to be experienced 

in public transport. In the pipeline, 

34 new trains and 800 buses will 

be added to the existing fleet to 

ease internal overcrowding. Plans 

to double our rail network from 142 

kilometres to 278 kilometres by 2020 

is already underway. 

For commuters to better plan their 

journey, real-time travel information 

are made available online and extended 

to mobile platforms. The Parkand-Ride 

Scheme was introduced for 

drivers to park their cars at concessionary 

rates at car parks near MRT 

stations or bus interchanges before 

connecting to a train or bus. 

Similarly, an additional 2,500 

bicycle racks will be installed at 20 

MRT stations in the next two years 

for commuters to change to train en 

route to their destinations. Foldable 

bicycles may also be allowed on buses 

and trains during off-peak hours. 

To explore more green transport 

choices, electric vehicles (EVs) are 

Source: cDL 

being tested within the NUS campus 

for future adoption. 

Explains Professor Chua Kee 

Chaing, Head, Department of Electrical 

and Computer Engineering, NUS, 

“We think that micro EVs as a mode 

of personal mobility can be a popular 

alternative to other personal mobility 

solutions for localised mobility needs 

such as within a township or for 

the first-mile or last-mile problem of 

moving a person from her home to the 

nearest MRT station or from the MRT 

station to her destination.” 

Green City, Green People 

It has been a decade since Singapore 

embarked on greening our city. 

As a result, the world admires us 

as we blossom into a renowned 

garden city. 

About half of our sunny island 

is shaded by trees and covered with 

water catchment. Nearly 10 percent 

of our land is reserved for parks 

and green spaces. Reservoirs and 

waterways are also being transformed 

into recreational and community 

bonding spaces. 

With the opening of Gardens By 

the Bay this year, more green eyes 

are looking on at our heart-stopping 

greenery. However, we cannot be just 

green on the outside. Therein, lies the 

daunting task of the Singapore Green 

Plan 2012 to green our people — to 

care for our surroundings, our climate 

and beyond.

HIgHlIgHts 

Wheeling grocery Bags of 

love to the less Privileged 

Groceries on Wheels 2012 

saw grocery bags being 

delivered to 2,200 less 

fortunate residents in the 

North East district, putting 

a smile on their faces. 

grOcerIes On WHeels 

Date: 21 July 2012 

Venue: Kent Ridge Guild House 

Delivering the grocery bags to residents are 

(second from left) Mr Ong Ye Kung, Mr Archie 

Ong, Mr David Ho and Mr Johnny Tan. 

Scan your QR 

code reader to 

see more pictures 


On a fine Saturday 

morning, there was a 

flurry of activity within 

Kent Ridge Guild House 

as volunteers and their 

family and friends readied the 2,200 

grocery bags for delivery. A sea of 

striped yellow grocery bags filled the 

lobby and Multi-purpose Hall, ready 

to be delivered to residents living in 

one and two-room flats in Tampines, 

Bedok North, Pasir Ris and Hougang. 

This year, NUSS had the privilege 

to have Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister 

for Education, flag off the delivery 

convoy, and Mr Ong Ye Kung, 

Adviser to Kaki Bukit GROs, visit 

and speak with residents during the 

delivery rounds. 

An initiative started in 2010 and 

organised by NUSS Community 

Care Sub-Committee, Groceries on 

Wheels aims to deliver grocery bags 

containing basic supplies and goods 

to the less privileged. While lots of 

preparation and hard work preceded 

the flag-off day, it was well rewarded 

with 250 volunteers turning up to 

lend their support and working 

tirelessly for the cause on the 

day itself. 

Besides volunteers from NUSS, 

volunteers from National University 

of Singapore (NUS), Anglo-Chinese 

Junior College (ACJC), Ngee Ann 

Polytechnic, Lions Club, Leo Club, 

Queenstown Rotary Club, NTUC 

Foundation, Holcim Singapore and 

family members, sponsors and wellwishers 

were present to lend their 

helping hands throughout. At flag-off 

time, 40 cars, 10 buses and 20 shopping 

trolleys were lined up and ready 

to transport the goods to residents.

“Feeling Blessed” 

… say the beneficiaries of the 

Groceries on Wheels efforts 

from Bedok North 

“I am thankful and appreciative 

of the concern shown with 

giving these things. I do 

look forward to many more 

moments like this.” 

Mdm noorjahan Binte D/O Peer Mohd 

“I am happy that they have 

the means to and are willing 

to help us by giving us things … 

it helps us lighten our burden 

as we are out of work 

and have little means to 

support ourselves.” 

Mdm Pong Yoke sim 

“I have been sick and my wife 

and I have not been working. 

It has been good that someone 

has come around, given me 

things and spoken to me about 

my concerns and issues.” 

Mr razali Ahmad 

“I have been a resident in this 

unit for the past six years. I am 

very grateful and thankful for 

receiving help from them.” 

Mdm latifah Binte Mohammad 

We would like to thank the following sponsors 

for their generous gifts of love: 

• Lee Foundation 

• NTUC Foundation 

• Pernod Ricard 

• Jurong Cold Store Pte Ltd 

• BonCafe 

• Akbar 

From left: Mr Archie Ong, Mr Heng Swee Keat, Mr David Ho and Ms Irene Tan. 

Best summing up the experience 

was Mr Archie Ong, Vice-President 

of NUSS and Chairperson of the 

Community Care Sub-Committee, 

“Groceries on Wheels was started 

because we wanted to let others 

know that we do not just care about 

ourselves, but we also do care about 

those in the community, those who 

need help the most and this is the 

opportunity and experience to do 

just that.” 

“Well-worth the experience” 

… say our volunteers 

“It was hot but lots of fun for the 

whole family to be involved in 

the event!” 

Ms Phoebe chew 

Volunteer of NUSS initiatives 

“It’s a very meaningful event to 

be able to contribute in a 

small way to help others, and 

just to show our little boy the 

importance of serving.” 

Mr David chong 

Supporter of NUSS initiatives 

“The residents were very friendly 

and even showed concern to 

us, those who delivered the 

groceries to them. It was very 

heart warming and touching to 

receive such concern in turn. I 

would definitely do this again the 

next time.” 

Ms teo Wei ger 

Volunteer from ACJC 

HIgHlIgHts 

“We got to see how others live 

and support their family. Some 

did not even have furniture in 

their home. It made me realise 

that I had the responsibility to 

take care of my own parents and 

not leave them alone at the end 

of the day.” 

Ms tan Hui ting 

Volunteer from Leo Club 


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Special report 

conSuming 

With Singapore being a world-class retail venue and World consumer Rights Day falling 

on 15 March annually, consumer rights has been in the spotlight in recent years garnering 

momentum with a global movement to commemorate consumer rights and to raise the 

profile of the consumer movement. patricia ang finds out more about what it means to 

have consumer rights, the Lemon Law and how it works in the local context. 

Singapore employs a free 

trade model, where goods 

and services are sold and 

consumed in an open 

market. In a free trade 

model, consumers play an important 

role in setting the prices of products 

sold in the marketplace. There are 

occasions when consumers do not 

have full and unhindered knowledge 

of the product or service they are 

purchasing, and rely on the business’ 

representations. There are also occasions 

when consumers are unable to 

obtain redress for a perceived unfair 

practice committed against them by a 

business, or when businesses engage 

in anti-competitive behaviour, to the 

detriment of consumers. 

with 

According to Mr Lim Biow Chuan, 

President of Consumers Association 

of Singapore (CASE), consumers in 

Singapore have a right to be heard, 

educated, informed and protected. 

CASE, together with their partners, 

constantly keeps up with the 

changing landscape of consumerism 

in Singapore and responds to the 

needs of consumers. Consumers also 

have a right to be empowered in 

making smart consumption choices 

through education. In order to 

ensure that consumer’s interests are 

further protected, there are consumer 

protection laws in place to ensure 

that consumers are empowered with 

redress options in situations of 

unfair practices. 

consumer protection (Fair 

trading) act (cpFta) 

In Singapore we have the Consumer 

Protection (Fair Trading) Act or 

CPFTA, which is the main consumer 

protection legislation in force here. 

Statistics from CASE showed that 

for the year 2011, the Association 

received a total of 22,240 complaints. 

Out of these complaints, CASE took 

up 1,396 cases. In comparison to 

2010, there were more assisted cases 

and fewer filed cases. Consumers are 

getting more empowered and savvy 

in taking up their disputes with retailers 

after receiving a written opinion 

from CASE. 

Under the CPFTA, consumers 

can file for a civil claim if they are 



victims of unfair trade practices, 

making the dispute resolution process 

clearer and less onerous. CASE and 

the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) 

are also appointed specified bodies 

under the CPFTA that can commence 

injunction proceedings against errant 

businesses. They can also work with 

the businesses to ask them to sign 

a Voluntary Compliance Agreement 

(VCA) which is an agreement that 

is entered into voluntarily between 

CASE or STB and the supplier. In the 

VCA, the supplier will have to agree 

not to engage in unfair practices. 

“Consumers in Singapore have 

accessible channels to seek redress in 

the instances where they face unfair 

practices or receive defective goods 

from businesses. A readiness to allow 

customers to seek redress also needs 

to come from the businesses since 

not all cases of customers seeking 

redress need necessarily become legal 

disputes.” mentioned Ms Bernadette 

Wong, Manager of Special Projects 

at Creative Eateries. “Without this 

readiness, it may not be easy for 

Singaporean customers to seek 

simple forms of recourse when faced 

with defective goods even with laws 

protecting consumers in place.” 

“The focus on consumer rights 

in Singapore is usually spotlighted 

on the right to redress. It is equally 

important that the consumers have 

the right to be heard and to be 

informed. Consumer interests should 

be explicitly represented in the making 

and execution of government policies, 

not only through establishments like 

CASE but also through newer special 

interest groups. Manufacturers also 

need to be more responsible.” Said 

Ms Janice Wong, Communications 

Business Partner of an aerospace 

company, “Consumers need to be 

given correct facts and honest labelling 

to make informed choices. Social 

media has been a great boost to the 

consumer movement ensuring that 

the black sheep are identified and 

minority voices are heard.” 

lemon law 

On 9 March 2012, Parliament passed 

the ‘Lemon Law’ to strengthen 

consumer protection in Singapore. 

Under the law, consumers can report 

a defective item within six months of 


“With the Lemon Law in place, 

businesses will be encouraged to 

adopt good business practices and 

to sell quality goods. This in turn 

will allow consumers to have greater 

confidence in the retail industry. 

The intent is to achieve a 

win-win situation for all.” 

mr lim Biow chuan 

President of consumers Association of Singapore (cASe) 

delivery. The onus lies on the retailer 

to prove that the defect did not exist 

at the time of delivery. Otherwise, 

the consumer can request for repair 

or a replacement, and if not possible, 

ask for a reduction in price, or even 

a refund. The Lemon Law which will 

be implemented on 1 September 2012 

applies to all goods, including consumables 

and perishables but 

not services. 

Minister of State for Trade and 

Industry, Mr Teo Ser Luck said in 

Parliament that the amendments will 

expand and make more explicit the 

remedies available to both consumers 

and businesses, as well as clarify 

timelines and burden of proof. 

Mr Teo said, “Introducing such a 

law in Singapore will bring us in line 

with international jurisdictions, and 

assure both locals and tourists that 

the products they buy are of good 

quality, thus improving the image of 

the retail industry in Singapore.” 

“The Lemon Law provides 

consumers with certainty of the types 

of recourse available to them when 

they purchase a defective product. In 

the past, businesses could easily turn 

down consumers’ requests for some 

form of remedy when a product was 

defective. With the Lemon Law in 

place, businesses will be encouraged 

to adopt good business practices and 

to sell quality goods. This in turn 

will allow consumers to have greater 

confidence in the retail industry. The 

intent is to achieve a win-win situation 

for all,” said Mr Lim Biow Chuan. 

“I am happy to learn about the 

consumer movement. They serve to 

give consumers like me confidence 

and assure tourists that it is 

absolutely safe to shop for anything 

in Singapore. I hope the authorities 

would publicise more about the 

Lemon Law and teach the public how 

to make use of the laws to protect 

their consumer rights,” noted 

Dr David Woon, Head of Operations, 

EADS Innovation Works South Asia 

(EADS Singapore Pte Ltd). 

Ms Cherie Tseng, Executive 

Director of Rie Ink Training and 

Consulting feels that the Lemon Law 

ensures safer and more confident 

consumer retail transactions. 

Whether it is enforceable in practice 

is another matter. Much depends 

on the interconnectedness of the 

Singapore retail environment. There 

are public forums, review aggregation 

sites, social networks (Facebook and 

Twitter) and active citizen journalism. 

These count towards a more 

transparent consumer environment. 

A bad review on Twitter goes further 

along, for instance, if there has been a 

legal case of consumer-retailer dispute. 

“It is a pity that the Lemon Law is 

not enforceable on service. Singapore 

has a significantly poor service level 

compared to our SEA and Asian counterparts,” 

said Ms Tseng. “It is healthy 

that there has been greater awareness 

and momentum on consumer rights. I 

feel, in Singapore, more could be done 

about service, at least, that is where 

we are sorely lacking.” 

the effects of lemon law 

According to Mr Nicholas Aw, Partner 

at Clifford Law LLP, the Lemon Law 

mean a free warranty and better 

protection for longer periods of 

time. However this would create the 

uncertainty relating to what extent 

a defect is caused by wear-and-tear 

and a manufacturing defect. The 

pre-empt of purchasing goods may 

become a long tedious process where 

the retailer would be concerned 

with bringing to the consumer’s

consumers association of Singapore (caSe) 

StAtiSticS 

caSeS FileD anD aSSiSteD 

2010 

Filed cases: 1,574; assisted cases: 2,087 

2011 

Filed cases: 1,396; assisted cases: 2,666 

top 10 categorieS 

motocars 

9% 

Furniture 

9% 

electrical & 

electronics 

10% 

miscellaneous 

8% 

maid 

agencies 

10% 

Beauty 

11% 

top 3 common DiSputeS (2011) 

the top three common disputes received by cASe, in relation 

to the provision of services or product by the supplier 

Beauty 1,565 

contractors 1,488 

timeshare 1,458 

the consumer Protection (Fair trading) Act (cPFtA) provides the 

legislative framework to allow consumers aggrieved by unfair practices to 

have recourse to civil remedies before the courts. there is also a cooling-off 

period for direct sales and timeshare contracts. this allows specified bodies 

to enter voluntary compliance agreements with, or apply for injunction 

orders against errant traders. 

numBer oF DiSputeS receiveD unDer the act 

2010 667 

2011 498 

contractors 

11% 

timeshare 

11% 

tele- 

communications 

11% 

travel 

10% 

top 3 inDuStrieS that have Been 

Breaching the act (2011) 

timeshare 

Beauty 

motorcars and Slimming (a tie) 


attention to every stretch, tear, thread 

and scratch in every product one 

purchases in the future. 

From a consumer’s point of view, 

the implementation of the Lemon Law 

would be beneficial in instilling more 

confidence in products purchased. 

For instance, consumers may be more 

inclined to pay better prices if they are 

guaranteed quality proportional to the 

price paid. Stricter laws with regard to 

quality may also dissolve stereotypes 

that certain goods compromise quality 

for low cost. Customers may then 

be encouraged to buy goods that are 

value-for-money instead of relying on 

confidence of branding. 

Lemon Law also provide better 

clarity in relation to guidelines as to 

what recourses are available to the 

consumer besides the typical rejection 

of goods and refund. Therefore, in a 

situation where it is accepted to be 

a manufacturing defect, consumers 

and sellers can be certain as to what 

remedies the consumer is entitled to. 

On the other hand, retailers in 

Singapore may find that the Lemon 

Law may lead to consumers abusing 

their rights, where consumers 

may attempt to pass off defects 

which were a result of their own 

misuse as ‘manufacturing defects’. 

Retailers, who are more often than 

not middlemen and have no hand 

in the manufacturing process of 

the products they sell, would then 

be caught between a rock and a 

hard place. Many products sold in 

Singapore are imported from many 

different countries where the Lemon 

Law does not apply, hence should 

there be any manufacturing defects, 

while the consumer can return the 

product within a period of six months, 

retailers may not be able to do the 

same with their respective suppliers. 

“The Lemon Law would be 

expensive for the seller to implement 

as many products are not produced 

here. Such law will lead to prices 

being raised, as the seller has to go 

back to the overseas supplier. I feel 

the seller should have the option of 

refunding a certain high percentage 

of the amount paid, as an alternative 

to supplying a replacement product,” 

shared Dr Lee Soo Ann, Part-time 

senior fellow in the Lee Kuan Yew 

School of Public Policy and the 



The Lemon Law implemented on 1 September 2012 applies to all goods, including consumables and perishables but not services. 

Department of Economics at NUS. 

“This percentage can vary between 

two-third and three-quarter of the 

price excluding GST. If the seller 

exercises this option, the seller can 

keep the defective product and then 

resell it somewhere else.” 

Lemon Laws are therefore tailored 

to create a better consumer-seller 

relationship, for instead of viewing 

the seller as the enemy, better 

transparency would provide better 

cooperation between the two. This 

however may be a double-edged 

sword. Unless relating to a software 

defect, there is a fine line between 

manufacturing defects and defects 

caused by misuse. For instance, when 

the stitching of a button from a shirt 

purchased four months ago comes 

undone, at what point would it be due 

to poor quality in its manufacturing? 

To what extent should defects be 

blamed on natural wear-and-tear? 

“The Lemon Law is a positive 

move towards the protection of 


“The Lemon Law 

would be expensive 

for the seller to 

implement as many 

products are not 

produced here. 

Such law will lead to 

prices being raised, 

as the seller has 

to go back to the 

overseas supplier.” 

Dr lee Soo ann 

Part-time Senior 

Fellow 

Lee Kuan Yew 

School of Public 

Policy and the 

Department of 

economics, NUS 

consumer rights. As it is relatively 

new, the jury is still out as to how far 

it can protect consumer rights,” said 

Mr Aw. 

According to Mr Lim, consumer 

rights have evolved over the years 

to become a topic of much greater 

importance. Consumers are now more 

educated and much more aware of 

their rights. However, there is still a 

large proportion of consumers who 

are elderly and illiterate and difficult 

to reach with educational messages. 

These are people who may be 

unaware of their rights and avenues 

of seeking redress. 

“Ultimately, consumer protection 

involves everyone, and in this respect, 

we definitely can do more to engage 

different segments of the community 

to empower them. I also believe that 

unethical businesses are the exception 

rather than the norm. Increasingly, 

businesses are adopting more 

consumer-friendly practices,” shared 

Mr Lim. “They see this as part of the

caSe 

StuDieS 

Dr tan Puay Siew, Deputy 

1 Group Manager (Singapore 

institute of Manufacturing 

technology) recalled 

her experience with Singtel on 

mio tv. She had to make countless 

complaints about their poor 

broadcast quality. She watches the 

ePL football broadcast. On the first 

day of the first season, the system 

promptly collapsed and the family 

experienced jerky or frozenedscreen 

video. After lengthy phone 

calls to their service hotline and 

multiple home visits, the staff finally 

agreed to provide another land line 

for free. this is after their service 

personnel tried to ‘sell’ to her 

family their standard alternative. 

After some months, Singtel started 

charging them. the same ‘jerky’ 

issue happened on the last day of 

the 2011/12 season. Dr tan indicated 

that her entire season’s football 

experience was totally spoilt by the 

incident on the last day of the season. 

Dr tan and her husband were 

clueless whether a goal was scored. 

She obtained the information from 

the people in Malaysia. Singtel only 

compensated them with a onemonth 

rental credit citing goodwill 

although the fault lied with them. 

2 

Recently Ms Vicki Loh 

purchased two computer 

cables which turned out 

to be the wrong cables for her 

computer. the first purchase was 

from a major electronics retailer 

and the other purchase was from a 

small shop in Sim lim Square. With 

a bit of negotiation she was able 

to get an exchange and refund on 

both the cables even though both 

receipts stated that there would be 

no refunds. the major electronics 

retailer allowed her to exchange the 

wrong cable for another item of the 

same value. the small shop in Sim 

Lim Square gave her a refund. 

customer service experience that they 

use to differentiate themselves. Our 

consumer protection laws also serve 

as a deterrent to errant businesses. 

In order to remain relevant, the laws 

are constantly reviewed and updated 

to provide more comprehensive 

protection to consumers. The Lemon 

Law is one such example.” 

exercising consumer rights 

Ms Bernadette Wong recalled the time 

when she exercised her consumer 

rights. She had a laptop that failed on 

her thrice. The service centre of that 

particular brand was all too willing to 

repair her laptop as it was still under 

a one year warranty. She had to insist 

on a one-to-one exchange upon the 

fourth crash of the hard drive within 

a one year duration. It was unjust that 

the option was not offered to her since 

there were already multiple repairs on 

what was clearly a defective product. 

“The Lemon Law makes it obligatory 

for retailers to replace, exchange 

or give refunds to consumers should 

there be any defective items sold to 

them. It means that I would have solid 

grounds for asking retailers to replace 

a product I am not satisfied with. I do 

feel that a culture shift is needed for 

businesses to invest more in sourcing 

for quality products, in drawing up 

strong buying contracts that protect 

themselves from their suppliers and 

in maintaining strong after-sales support 

services,” commented Ms Wong. 

“Without the above, businesses would 


“I do feel that a culture shift is needed for 

businesses to invest more in sourcing for quality 

products, in drawing up strong buying contracts 

that protect themselves 

from their suppliers and in 

maintaining strong after-sales 

support services. Without the 

above, businesses would feel 

hard-pressed by the lemon law 

and caught between a rock 

and a hard place...” 

ms Bernadette Wong 

Manager of Special Projects 

creative eateries 

feel hard-pressed by the lemon law 

and caught between a rock and a hard 

place if they have not protected themselves 

and yet have to cater to the 

demands of consumers with higher 

expectations on service and quality 

of goods.” 

Many business retailers are 

mindful of leaving a positive 

impression on their customers, 

especially if they hope to be in 

business in the long term. It is 

possible to negotiate one’s way out 

of a bad or even just a mistaken 

purchase. When all else fails, it is 

important to have the consumer 

protection rights in place to protect 

the consumer. In addition, the 

new amendments provide clarity 

on what happens when or if the 

consumer receives a defective or 

non-conforming item. The consumer 

may then ask the retailer to repair or 

replace the good in question, within 

a reasonable time and with minimal 

inconvenience to the customer. 

“As a consumer it is important 

to know your rights. Without an 

awareness of your rights, you will 

not know what you can expect 

from a retailer,” concluded Ms 

Vicki Loh, Senior Associate at Legal 

Solutions LLC. “At the end of the day, 

the best protection is really your self. 

Know your rights, know what you 

are buying and ensure you are 

getting what you are supposed to be 

getting. Prevention is always better 

than cure.” 


HIgHlIgHts 

the Way Forward for Hougang 

After a watershed election in 2011, the most closely- watched political development in 

Singapore in 2012 was the exciting by-election in Hougang on 26 May. At the closed-door 

Post-Hougang By-Election Dialogue, NUSS members were treated to the insights and 

thoughts from the panel of speakers comprising political party representatives as well as 

political commentators in Singapore. 

POst HOugang By-electIOn 

DIalOgue 

Date: 21 June 2012 


the evening saw sincere 

and heartfelt speeches 

from Mr Baey Yam Keng, 

elected Member of Parliament 

for Tampines GRC 

from the People’s Action Party (PAP), 

and Mr Low Thia Khiang, elected 

Member of Parliament for Aljunied 

GRC from the Workers’ Party (WP). 

Both gave their frank views on how 

the Hougang By-election went and 

what it meant for Singapore moving 

forward. They were also joined 

by Dr Derek da Cunha, independent 

scholar and analyst, and Dr Lam 

Peng Er, Senior Research Fellow at 

the East Asian Institute, National 

University of Singapore. 

Mr Baey reflected that the many 

issues facing Singapore are getting 

more complex and will be harder for 

any government to command the 

undivided support of the electorate. 

He commented that the Government 

understands this and is doing its 

best to meet the rising expectations 

of the electorate. 

Mr Low shared his opinions on 

what he believed were the messages 

sent to both the PAP and WP by 

Hougang residents during the Byelection. 

He also commented that 

regardless of who was voted in, the 

voters in Hougang would expect the 

same high level 

of service from its 

elected Member of 

Parliament. Mr Low 

was also candid in 

his views on the 

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challenges WP faces 

in building a strong 

From left: Dr Derek da Cunha, Dr Lam Peng Er, Mr Baey Yam Keng and Mr Low Thia Khiang. 

opposition party in Singapore under 

the current political climate. 

Dr da Cunha opined that the 

by-election was effectively a draw 

between the incumbent WP and 

the PAP with both not making any 

inroads into issues that will have a 

bearing in the next General Elections. 

He also expressed his belief that 

more Singaporeans are pushing the 

boundaries of freedom of expression 

– a situation which all parties have 

to address. He drew laughter from 

the crowd when he gave his take on 

how political party logos serve as 

important symbols that are instantly 

recognisable and which voters find 

appealing when they are making their 

votes in the polling booth. 

In this new social climate, plus the 

small size of Singapore, it is hard to 

make a distinction between national 

and local issues said Dr Lam. As 

such, he viewed the by-election as a 

referendum on the level of popular 

support for both contesting parties 

and shared his views on what was 

the real aftermath of the by-election. 

The evening was rounded off 

with a very lively Q&A segment, 

moderated by Mr Mohan Balagopal, 

Chairperson of the Intellectual Pursuit 

Sub-Committee. Issues brought up 

included the pace of population 

growth in Singapore, the challenges 

for the opposition in the next General 

Elections and the tone and style of 

dialogue needed when engaging 

voters of today. 

Mr David Ho, President of NUSS, 

was very pleased at the good turnout 

and was happy that members had 

walked away with “more positive 

answers as to what the future of 

Hougang will be, for Singapore and 

for our political development.”

From Public to Private 

Mr Liew started the 

evening by sharing 

snapshots of his 

career journey over 

the last 42 years in 

which he picked up many lessons in 

management and leadership. 

He learned that “to get things 

done, (one has to) forget about the 

procedure as long as you do it the 

proper way and meant for good.” He 

believes in focusing on the objectives 

rather than following procedures 

blindly, adding that “fast action and 

no hesitation” is important when it 

comes to getting things done. 

Mr Liew moved on to the Public 

Works Department of Singapore 

(which was later corporatised to 

become CPG Corporation in 1999) 

and was involved in the building of 

Singapore Changi Airport. 

He was later given the opportunity 

to head the Singapore Institute 

of Standards and Industrial Research 

(now part of SPRING Singapore) and 

the National Science and Technology 

Board before making a significant 

move to cross over to the private sector 

to lead a listed engineering company, 

L&M Group Investments Ltd. 

That was when he realised 

having people with the right core 

competencies, in this case, “very 

good and experienced engineers”, 

is not sufficient to run a company 

successfully. They must also have 

the right core values. To turn the 

company around, he had to “clean 

up the house” and make the tough 

call of firing some of the 

employees. 

He went on to join 

Pidemco Land which 

later merged with DBS 

Land to form CapitaLand 

Ltd in 2000. 

HIgHlIgHts 

Having spent about 20 years each in both public and private sectors, Mr liew Mun 

leong, President and CEO of CapitaLand Group, has a wealth of insights and experiences 

to share with the packed room of members eager to learn from him. 

Meet-tHe-CeO serIes 2012 

Date: 18 July 2012 


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Mr Liew believes in “the decentralisation of 

authority”. 

“I had to fight for survival. You 

acquired the company and you might 

not survive,” Mr Liew said candidly 

as he detailed how he had to compete 

with the then-CEO of DBS Land for 

leadership in the merged company, 

CapitaLand. 

Public versus Private 

Mr Liew used the ‘buyer-seller 

mentality’ as an analogy to 

differentiate between the public and 

private sectors. 

“The people in government 

always think that they are buyers 

whereas in private sector, you have 

to sell something.” He explained that 

there is no bottom line in the public 

sector compared to the private sector 

where you are always responsible for 

making profits. 

Mr Liew further elaborated that 

in the private sector, one has to 

constantly create new products and 

features and translate them into 

profitable businesses while this is not 

necessary in the public sector. 

Touching on the topic of leadership, 

Mr Liew highlighted in the 

public sector, due to it hierarchical 

nature, it is command-driven. On the 

other hand, a leader in the private 

sector has to communicate, motivate 

and persuade his employees and not 

lead by authority. 

Summing up, Mr Liew shared that 

while he was in the public sector, 

he had to learn how to deal with 

hierarchy while still maintaining his 

integrity. In the private sector, he had 

to understand demand, be in tune 

with global events, and understand 

how these events affect his business. 

He also needed to take risks and be 

flexible, decisive, be competitive and 

sometimes even combative. 

He remarked, “I considered myself 

privileged to have this very unique 

experience of both equal span of 

time (spent) in the public and private 

sector in leadership positions. I think, 

very frankly, very few people have 

done that.” 

Answering the Questions 

When the floor was opened for the 

Q&A segment, the audience wasted 

no time in asking Mr Liew many 

questions on a wide range of issues 

such as his leadership style, corporate 

values, corporate governance, future 

directions of CapitaLand and his 

future plans. 

Mr Liew said that his leadership 

style is to inspire and support. He 

believes in “the decentralisation of 

authority”, choosing the right people 

(not necessarily the cleverest) to do 

the job with minimal supervision. 

When asked about his core 

values, Mr Liew cited that integrity, 

people (referring to treating 

employees well), fairness, community 

service and courage as values which 

govern how he runs his business. 

“I don’t believe in retirement,” said 

Mr Liew when asked about his future 

plan after leaving CapitaLand*. He is 

considering, amongst other options, 

providing consultation service for 

organisations, doing a Ph.D., and 

venturing into the realm of arts. 

*At press time, Mr Liew had already announced his 

impending retirement from CapitaLand having given 

one year’s notice of his intention. He is scheduled to 

retire from CapitaLand in June 2013. 


Profile 

Achievement through Resilience 

Ms Wendy Wong strikes an air of comfort as The Graduate caught up with her since 

her graduation from the MEM (Master of Science - Environmental Management) NUSS 

Scholarship programme. 

recalling the day she 

received news that she 

had won the MEM NUSS 

Scholarship, Wendy 

quipped, “I was beyond 

ecstatic! As I was at work that day, I 

had to restrain myself from jumping 

out of my chair and squealing with 

joy. For the rest of the day, I kept 

feeling that the whole experience was 

surreal and that I might be dreaming. 

Fortunately, I was not and for that, I 

am thankful.” 

The first person she told and 

shared the joy with was her husband 

who has been her strongest supporter 

in her journey since then. She 

revealed that going back to school 

was a tough decision but with her 

husband’s support, she decided 

to apply for graduate school. She 

remarked, “He 

gave me his fullest 

support especially in 

helping to take care 

of our two young 

children. I would 

not have taken this 

journey and gotten 

the scholarship 

subsequently if not 

for my husband’s 

encouragement and 

support. I am glad 

I stayed resilient 

during the whole 

journey.” 

With warmth 

in her heart and 

giving credit to her 

life partner, she 

went on to recount how the scholarship 

changed her learning experience 

while reducing her financial 

burden then. She reflected, “With the 

scholarship, apart from not having to 

worry about using my own savings 

to pay off the school fees, I found 

myself wanting to try even harder in 

my studies so as to maintain good 

academic standings expected of a 

scholarship recipient. In this regard, 


THe eXPerieNCe 

“I found that at the Masters’ 

level, students tended to be 

more eager to offer their views 

and opinions … the ensuing 

exchanges often give varied 

perspectives and depth to the 

topics discussed.” 

the scholarship had given me the extra 

push that helped me attain betterthan-expected 

academic results.” 

Wendy recalled how she enjoyed 

class participations and the process of 

continuous learning, “I like learning 

experiences that are engaging and 

stimulating and I found that at the 

Masters’ level, students tended to be 

more eager to offer their views and 

opinions … the ensuing exchanges 

Wendy graduated in July 2012. 

often give varied perspectives and 

depth to the topics discussed. 

However, after getting my Masters, 

people assumed that I must know the 

answers and solutions to everything. 

Instead, I think I am now better at 

saying ‘I don’t know’ without feeling 

ignorant. I do make it a point to find 

out the answers later and after all, 

the information helps in expanding 

my knowledge.” 

Having started the MEM 

programme in August 2011 on a 

full-time basis and graduated in July 

2012, Wendy has since resumed 

her work in the civil service and 

is currently applying her newly 

acquired skills and knowledge in 

whatever ways possible. 

Staying in the MEM programme 

was short but sweet for Wendy and 

during that period, she was exposed

to many dimensions and realms 

of the environment, encouraging 

her to think about how one can 

better manage it to attain greater 

sustainability. 

On a personal level, she felt 

great to be a scholarship recipient 

and gushed, “I now feel even more 

confident and assured of my own 

abilities and I know at least one 

other person felt strongly about my 

abilities too - the people who voted 

for me to receive the award. It is a 

wonderful feeling. Because the award 

is only given out to at most one 

eligible Singaporean each year, I feel 

extremely honored. Both my parents 

are in their 60s and I can tell that 

this achievement has brought them 

immense pride and joy.” 

Moving forward, she 

contemplated, “I want to take what 

I have learned beyond the classroom 

THe fUTUre 

Profile 

“I want to take what I have learned beyond 

the classroom and apply them to address 

current and future environmental issues 

and challenges in the real world. ” 

and apply them to address current 

and future environmental issues 

and challenges in the real world. 

My existing work offers me many 

opportunities to do that and I 

hope I can have many more such 

opportunities outside of work to 

make a difference in my own 

small ways.” 

Wendy said that she would not have taken the journey if not for her husband’s encouragement and 

help in taking care of their two children. 

About the NUSS MeM (Master 

of Science-environmental 

Management) Scholarship 

The National University of Singapore 

Society (NUSS) Scholarship was established 

in 2010 by NUSS to encourage 

studies in environmental management 

and to assist impassioned students 

of this discipline reach their goals by 

allowing worthy participation in this 

masters programme. 

NUSS provides two scholarships 

of S$6,000 each per academic year. 

The recipients of the NUSS Scholarships 

should be Singapore citizens or foreign 

students who will work in Singapore 

for a minimum period of three years 

after graduation. If there are no worthy 

candidates in any particular year, no 

scholarship will be awarded. If only 

one candidate satisfies the criteria of 

the award in a particular year, only one 

scholarship will be awarded that year. 

The scholarships are awarded to 

candidates who have applied to take 

the MEM programme and who satisfy 

the following criteria: 

• meet the entry requirements of the 

programme 

• demonstrate scholastic aptitude 

(gauged from the grades) 

• demonstrate leadership potential 

(gauged from the candidate’s 

essay and performance at an 

interview). 


club news 

Among the winners are (clockwise from left) Esther Chang, Ahmed Shafeeq Bin Mohd Shariff, Goh Chern and Teo Wee Kiat. 

NUSS celebrates 

Outstanding Achievements 

Recognising excellence 

and diligence, students 

from National University 

of Singapore (NUS) 

were rewarded 

with Outstanding 

Achievement wins. 


In 2010, the Society established the NUSS Medal for Outstanding 

Achievement to recognise NUS students who excel academically and have 

a proven track record in student activities, community and voluntary 

services. It is one of the initiatives aimed at forging closer ties with the 

alma mater by way of financial endowments for educational purposes 

and synergistic partnerships to strengthen bonds between the graduate 

community and NUS. 

This year, the awards were given to 10 graduates from various 

schools and faculties. They each received a certificate, a gold medal and 

an NUSS membership. 

We congratulate the following winners and wish them all the best in 

their future undertakings: 

cHAnG weI YIn, esTHeR 

Doctor of Medicine (Duke) 

Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School 

FIKA FAwZIA 

Master in Public Policy 

Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy 

TAn ZHen Yue MIcHelle 

Bachelor of Arts 

University Scholars Programme 

RebeccA GRAce TAn TIAn en 

Bachelor of Social Sciences 

Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences 

wOnG Tse JIAn 

Bachelor of Engineering 

Faculty of Engineering 

GOH cHeRn 

Bachelor of Science 

Faculty of Science 

KweK HsIen YAO 

Bachelor of Business Administration 

NUS Business School 

AHMeD sHAFeeQ bIn MOHD sHARIFF 

Bachelor of Computing 

School of Computing 

TeO wee KIAT 

Bachelor of Science 

School of Design & Environment 

KAAn HunG lenG 

Bachelor of Medicine, 

Bachelor of Surgery 

Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Nuss Choir 1st AsiA CANtAte | 15-18 July 2012 | Phuket, Thailand 

NUSS Choir Victorious at 

International Choral Festival 

Pitting their vocal prowess 

against 17 other competitors 

from China, the Philippines, 

Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, 

Thailand and Sri Lanka, 

the NUSS Choir triumphed 

at the International 

Choral Festival. 

Preparation met reward 

for the NUSS Choir when 

they took the plunge and 

participated in the 1 st Asia 

Cantate held in Phuket, 

Thailand, from 15 to18 July. They 

were awarded the Golden Voices 

Award and topped the Senior 

category by winning a silver medal. 

Amidst uncertainty of what was 

to come, 30 choristers made up of 

22 ladies and eight gentlemen took 

on the challenge with practised grace 

and with one voice, sang their hearts 

out, vying for the top spot. As they 

stood under the spotlight, their voices 

reverberated through Metropole 

Hotel ballroom with gusto under the 

leadership of Darius Lim, the Choir’s 

Music Director, winning the judges 

over with their singing. 

The Choir was rewarded for 

their months of practices and was 

especially pleased with winning the 

Golden Voices Award which they 

learned is not specific to the 1st Asia 

Cantate and in the past, was awarded 

only to worthy choirs who meet the 

criteria of winning such an award at 

other competitions. 

The Choir sang two songs; 

the first being The Lonely Sea 

written by John Parker and Vicki 

Courtney and the second, a specially 

commissioned song composed by 

Darius entitled Gloria. 

Rehearsals and practices were 

held at Kent Ridge Guild House in the 

preceding months of the competition, 

including a weekend ‘retreat’ where 

Choir members underwent many 

hours of rigorous and memory-taxing 

practice sessions with Darius. 

However, beyond the results and 

awards, the NUSS Choir forged an 

unforgettable and priceless bond 

with one another as well as built 

friendships with members of the 

other choirs at the competition, 

making this win one to be well 

remembered. 

Club News 


Club News 

Nuss KArAoKe CompetitioN FiNAls | 14 July 2012 | Kent Ridge Guild House 

Vocal Talents 

Rewarded in 

Karaoke 

Competition 

contestants and guests decked out in 

style at the NUSS Karaoke competition 

2012 Finals held at Kent Ridge Guild 

House. After rounds of heats and semifinals, 

eight finalists were selected to 

vie for the championship. 

After one and a half 

months of training and 

practices, the finalists 

were ready to face 

the judges and have 

their vocal quality, tone and pitch, 

diction and clarity, rhythm and 

showmanship assessed. 

The choices of songs were varied 

with an interesting mix of Mandarin, 

Cantonese, Hokkien and English pop. 

In the first round, contestants were 

required to serenade the judges with 

their slow numbers and in the second 

round, the heat was turned up with 

upbeat songs. One of the male contestants 

did the mambo rock and another 

hurled his glasses off the stage and 

unzipped his jacket causing an adrenaline 

rush among the audience. Then 

there was this romantic guy who ran 

down the stage during the interlude to 

present a stalk of plush flower to his 

girlfriend in the audience. The ladies 

performed with pure vocal prowess 

and from their stage presence, it was 

hard to tell that most of them were 

first-timers in the competition. 

While the judges adjourned to 

the unenviable task of assessing 

the contestants, the audience were 

treated to special performances and 

exciting games such as the Guess- 

The-Champion contest and were 

asked to cast their vote for The Most 

Popular Award. The highlight of the 

evening was the emergence of Dr Tan 


Dr Tan Cheng Bock plays his ukulele. 

Right: Mr Tung Wee Peng hits a high note. 

Winners (from left, with trophies) Ms Janiz Goh, 

Ms Chui Kai Ling and Ms Diana Ho, with 

Mr Desmond Moey. 

Cheng Bock who walked up the stage 

with a ukulele in his hand. He began 

with an anecdote of his presidential 

election rally before thanking his supporters 

with his talent and sincerity. 

Club News 

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NUSS Karaoke 

Competition 2012 

Finals Champion 

Ms Janiz Goh. 

Mr Jeffrey Khoo, Convenor of the 

Karaoke Section belted out ballads 

to the guitar accompaniment of Mr 

Archie Ong, NUSS Vice-President. 

The 

moment 

everyone was 

looking forward 

to finally 

arrived when 

Mr Wong Ah 

Long, member 

of the NUSS 

Advisory Panel, 

took the stage 

to present The 

Best Newcomer 

and The 

Most Popular Awards. The tension 

heightened as Dr Tan returned on 

stage to announce the champion. 

Like last year, the ladies bagged 

all the top three prizes. Ballad 

songstress, Ms Diana Ho was 

2nd runner-up. Ms Chui Kai Ling 

reclaimed her 1st runner-up position. 

Janiz Goh upped her win from 2nd 

runner-up last year to champion this 

year, a triumph she did not expect. 

“Probably top three,” Ms Goh 

replies when asked about her victory. 

For karaoke fans who are already 

itching for the next competition, 

Ms Goh speaks from her experience, 

“A lot of hard work offstage. Just give 

your best and the main thing is to 

enjoy yourself.” 


VIsIt to st theresa’s home | 30 June 2012 | St Theresa’s Home 

Bringing a Smile 

to the Faces at 

St Theresa’s Home 

Volunteers together with members of the Community Care 

Sub-Committee took to the meaningful task of spreading 

love and joy to residents at St Theresa’s Home on a 

beautiful Saturday morning. 

It was a morning of entertainment 

and good company for the 

250 residents of the St Theresa’s 

Home. Volunteers from the Leo 

Club of Singapore Metropolitan 

and members of the Community Care 

Sub-Committee mingled, interacted 

and served a sumptuous vegetarian 

lunch to the residents. 

Shakespeare once said, “If music 

be the food of love, play on”, which is 

exactly what NUSS’ very own band – 

The SilverStones – did. 

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Belting out English, Mandarin and 

dialect hits, the residents swayed and 

clapped along, thoroughly enjoying 

the performance. 

It was especially memorable for 

Mr Jude Wee Chong Guan who turned 

105 that day, when the band took a 

song request and broke into a heartfelt 

rendition of Hey Jude. 

With a twinkle in their eyes as they 

retired to their rooms, the residents 

were clearly delighted by the company 

of NUSS members and volunteers. 

Club news

NUSS bids farewell to Suntec City Guild House for the

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