Woodlands Checkpoint extension

Woodlands Checkpoint extension to be built at Old Woodlands Town Centre

An extension of the Woodlands Checkpoint will be built at the Old Woodlands Town Centre as part of efforts to upgrade the checkpoint, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said on Thursday (Mar 30).

To build the extension, two privately owned plots of land within the town centre - 268 Woodlands Centre Road, or Woodlands Point, and 270 Woodlands Centre Road - will be acquired by the authorities. Both land plots are located immediately east of the current checkpoint.

The total land area to be acquired is 3,264 sqm, and the land was gazetted by SLA for acquisition on Thursday.

Three lessees and 14 tenants are affected, SLA said, adding that it will assist affected owners and tenants throughout the acquisition process.

"As the sites are needed for the extension of the Woodlands Checkpoint, we have given the affected lessees and tenants 18 months (by Oct 1, 2018) to hand over the properties," a spokesperson said.

Market value compensation as at the date of gazette will also be paid, he added.

EXTENSION TO INCREASE CAPACITY, SECURITY

The extension of the checkpoint will increase the clearance capacity and enhance security, ICA and SLA said in the joint news release.

“Since the opening of WCP (Woodlands Checkpoint) in 1999, traveller and vehicle volumes through WCP have been increasing over the years while the security threat has heightened significantly. The WCP has to be upgraded to meet growing traffic needs and ensure that immigration clearance remains secure,” the release said.

ICA said it is conducting a feasibility study to determine the optimal design of the extension and the full extent of upgrading and redevelopment works required.

The Old Woodlands Town Centre, which housed a cinema, bus interchange, hawker centre and retail shops in its heyday, was earmarked for redevelopment by the Housing & Development Board under the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme in June 2012.

Upgrading works will be progressively carried out at the existing Woodlands Checkpoint without compromising checkpoint operations, ICA and SLA said.

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~

All airports are safe, says Liow

All airports are safe, says Liow

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has assured Malaysians that airports in the country are safe following tight security.

 "The airports are safe, and we will we will continue to strengthen our security," he told reporters after the launch of the Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre for Social and Policy Studies at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Sungai Long Campus).

This follows the Feb 13 murder of Kim Jong-nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2).

The 45-year-old half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was killed at KLIA2 when two women swiped his face with a liquid. 

The liquid has since been identified as the deadly nerve agent VX, a banned chemical weapon of mass destruction.

The airport was declared cleared of any trace of the VX nerve agent after a sweep by the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB), the Fire and Rescue Department and police early Sunday.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Get ready for a wet, wet new year

Get ready for a wet, wet new year

Downpours and intermittent showers around the country are expected to persist until the end of the year causing floods especially in the east coast states.

The Meteorological Department issued a heavy rain warning for Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan with Maran, Bera, Rompin, Pekan, Kuantan and Jerantut in Pahang, and Terengganu likely to experience moderate intermittent showers until Wednesday during the mid north-east monsoon season.

“The heavy rain warning (Orange Stage) issued at 10.15pm on Dec 25 is still valid,” it said in a Facebook posting yesterday.

It said Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya were set to experience isolated rain until the new year mostly in the afternoon and evening.

Terengganu was on high alert between Dec 13 and Dec 22 following an earlier forecast of heavy rains and high tides of up to 3.5m in Kemaman.

The first wave of floods in several states in the peninsula had receded, but the wet weather due to the North-East monsoon will persist for those living in the east coast.

Early this year, authorities were pre-occupied with the big clean-up following the big floods that swamped many states, especially in the east coast.

Torrential rain which lasted for days caused several main rivers such as Sungai Galas, Sungai Lebir, Sungai Nenggiri and Sungai Kelantan to burst their banks, submerging almost all of the state’s districts.

Statistics from the Kelantan National Security Council showed that over 170,000 families were relocated to 170 relief centres at the height of the floods.

Kuala Krai was among the worst hit districts with 16,734 families reportedly affected.

This year, the authorities are already on standby while flood simulation exercises have been carried out with the Fire and Rescue Department as part of preparation to face the rainy season.

Science, Technology and Inno­vation Minister Datuk Seri Madius Tangau had said Kelantan, Tereng­ganu, Pahang and eastern Johor were expected to get more than 500mm of rainfall this month.

Heavy rain is expected over Kelantan beginning yesterday until Wednesday.

Johor and Sarawak (Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah and Bintulu divisions) can also expect heavy downpours from Wednesday until Friday.

Updates on the weather conditions are available on MetMalaysia’s website at www.met.gov.my, myCuaca mobile application, Facebook malaysiamet, Twitter @malaysianmet or MetMalaysia Hotline 1-300-22-1638.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Singapore's ICA explores automated clearance for cars

Singapore's ICA explores automated clearance for cars



The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) is looking into automated self-clearance for all cars, following a revamp of motorcycle counters at both land checkpoints that will be completed tomorrow.

The automated self-clearance system allows motorcyclists and their pillion riders to scan their thumbprints and have their passports verified by a machine to clear immigration. ICA confirmed it is considering automating car clearance as well but would not give further details, including whether it would be similar to that for motorcycles.

Starting Monday, Singapore- and foreign-registered motorcyclists and their pillion riders can carry out self-clearance at the same time at 164 automated checkpoint counters, which were rolled out progressively.

Initially, the automated counters could clear only single riders.

"These automated counters speed up motorcycle clearance by up to 30 per cent and help reduce congestion," said the ICA.

This allows the ICA "to redeploy officers to other critical tasks such as conducting checks on travellers with higher risks".

The roll-out of the automated self-clearance system comes after the ICA won an award at the annual Global Performance Excellence Awards, which recognises organisational excellence, at the Asia Pacific Quality Organisation conference last month.

It also took home awards for Contributing to Excellence as well as Best in Innovation, said ICA commissioner Clarence Yeo. He added that "to meet the increasing demand for immigration and registration services, the ICA has looked to deploying innovative solutions" for customers while ensuring security.

"We benchmark our services globally to ensure that our service delivery timing remains the shortest," he said, citing the example of iCollect as the world's first dedicated self-service machine.

Among the new services introduced are two self-service kiosks called iCollect, which were launched in 2013. iCollect involves two kiosks that allow for passport collection.

Users make an appointment online before picking up their travel documents from the kiosks at the ICA building. When doing so, they are identified automatically by facial features and fingerprints.

The same machines currently allow applicants to collect their identity cards and Long Term Pass cards from the kiosks, with a take-up rate of some 65 per cent on weekdays. On Saturdays, all slots are fully booked. But this forms only a fraction of the documents collected from the ICA every day.

ICA said it is building on the success of iCollect to explore the viability of robotics to automate document collection. Last year, a total of 675,747 Singapore passports were issued, including those collected through the automated kiosks.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Thomson Medical to build hospital in JB

Thomson Medical to build hospital in JB

Singapore private healthcare group Thomson Medical is building a general hospital in Johor Baru in the hope that lower prices there will get Singaporeans crossing the Causeway for their medical treatment.

It is part of a mega-healthcare hub that wants to take care of patients from cradle to grave. The project will also incorporate a school for would-be doctors and nurses from the Republic.

Getting Singaporeans to shuttle between the two cities is not new - already, they are living in nursing homes in Johor Baru. Parkway Health's 300-bed Gleneagles Medini hospital also opened there last December.

But the endeavour by Thomson is one of the most ambitious to date. At 11ha, the project is a quarter the size of Singapore General Hospital's 43ha Outram campus.

When fully completed in 10 years, it will have its own general and community hospitals, specialist centre and a medical school with research facilities. It will also incorporate residences for the elderly such as those undergoing rehabilitation.

The site is located a five-minute drive from the Causeway.

With its 37-year-old premises in Thomson Road packed to the rafters, Thomson Medical Centre is looking to ramp up its capacity. Related Story

Thomson Medical Centre may get makeover soon

When The Straits Times visited this month, most of the land was boarded up but still empty. What is already up is a retail pharmacy which officially opened on Dec 10.

Thomson chairman Roy Quek hopes the new facilities will help reduce the load on Singapore's crowded hospitals and eventually add to the number of doctors and nurses familiar with the local healthcare landscape.

"I'm basically trying to build a private-sector version of the public healthcare clusters," he told The Straits Times, referring to the groups that run Singapore's various general hospitals, polyclinics and other healthcare services.

"I think in the private sector we are able to move a bit faster, respond a bit more quickly. It is very hard for the public sector to handle this load on its own, but we can make it such that the load gets rebalanced," added Mr Quek, who used to be deputy secretary of health policy at the Ministry of Health (MOH).

On why Thomson did not build in Singapore, he said it was due to limited land here.

PLAYING CATCH-UP

Gone are the days when you build a standalone general hospital. In Singapore, based on the current model of care, we are always playing catch-up. Instead, healthcare needs to be integrated.



THOMSON MEDICAL CHAIRMAN ROY QUEK (main photo, at the project's site in Johor Baru), who said he is trying to build a private-sector version of the public healthcare clusters.

Work will start on the main hospital - designed to house up to 500 beds - by next year. It is expected to be up and running by 2020, with the community hospital and medical school to follow.

Treatment there will be "very competitively priced" compared with Singapore, said Mr Quek, citing how products sold at the pharmacy are on average about 30 per cent cheaper than in Singapore.

Singapore patients would be able to use their Medisave to fund treatment if MOH gives the green light.

Healthcare adviser Jean-Luc Butel, president of consultancy firm K8 Global, said that while some people might be turned off by shuttling between Singapore and Johor Baru, the new developments will appeal to those who are very cost-conscious or fed up with public hospitals here.

"The delivery system in Singapore is pretty much at capacity, and this (new project) could be a solution, depending on the quality of care," he said.

"A lot of people may be frustrated at issues they face in Singapore."

Thomson's newest project is estimated to cost RM5 billion (S$1.6 billion), with the general hospital and adjoining medical centre alone costing around RM1.3 billion.

The healthcare group is controlled by billionaire Peter Lim, who bought over the company in 2010.

Mr Quek has also signed an agreement with well-known Irish medical school University College Dublin, and is in talks with other universities to set up the medical school.

Its graduates will be mainly nurses and allied health professionals - although there will also be a handful of doctors - to meet Singapore's most pressing needs.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

AirAsia to deploy 84 more flights this CNY

AirAsia to deploy 84 more flights this CNY

There’s good news for travellers with more flights servicing selected domestic and international routes ahead of the Chinese New Year festive period.

AirAsia Berhad will deploy an additional 84 flights from Jan 25 to Feb 1.

“We would like to encourage travellers to book their flights early for the upcoming festive season,” said AirAsia’s head of commercial Spencer Lee in a statement.

“These flights will have an added capacity of 15,000 seats to facilitate the high demand of air travel during that period.”

Among the routes are from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, Penang, Sibu and Tawau, as well as from Penang to Singapore and from Johor Baru to Miri and Sibu.

“Whether it’s a family reunion or a quick getaway, we hope that these additional flights with everyday low fares will help everyone to have a memorable Chinese New Year celebration,” Lee added.

Travellers are advised to book their flights early at airasia.com or through the airline’s mobile app on the iPhone and android devices. For more information, follow AirAsia on Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsia) and Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsia).

~News courtesy of The Star~

S'pore, M'sia made very good progress on high-speed rail agreement

Singapore, Malaysia have made very good progress on high-speed rail agreement: PM Lee



PM Lee in an interview with the chairman of Malaysian state news agency Bernama Azman Ujang on Monday (Nov 28).

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says Singapore and Malaysia have made very good progress on a bilateral agreement on the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High-Speed Rail (HSR), and hopes both sides can sign the agreement when he and Prime Minister Najib Razak meet at the Leaders' Retreat. 

"It is a very ambitious, very complicated and a very expansive project, in terms of scale. We have to try our best to anticipate what the likely issues are, when we build it, when we operate it, and have a clear understanding on how we will deal with it if a situation arises," Mr Lee said in an interview with the chairman of Malaysian state news agency Bernama Azman Ujang on Monday(Nov 28).

"The first thing is to have a sound agreement between the two countries on the basis of how the project is structured, how it is going to be executed, and how it is backed by the two governments," said Mr Lee in the interview, the transcript of which was released by the Prime Minister's Office today (Nov 30).

"That is the first requirement, that we have a very good agreement which sets out clearly a sound basis to build and operate the system."

Singapore, KL 'working towards' inking High Speed Rail pact on Dec 5

Both countries have been discussing the agreement for more than a year, Mr Lee noted.

"We are almost there, and I hope that when I meet Prime Minister Najib at the next retreat, we will be able to sign the agreement," he said.

On Tuesday (Nov 29), Malaysian Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan met Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, and Mr Abdul Rahman said on Instagram they met "to harmonise last minute details of the Bilateral Agreement on Malaysia-Singapore High Speed Rail project before signing ceremony in December".

A memorandum of understanding for the HSR project was signed in July this year by Mr Khaw and Mr Abdul Rahman, and it was witnessed by the two prime ministers.

Construction for the project is expected to begin in 2018, with trains running in 2026.

Secondly, Mr Lee noted that the project's execution will be very important - designing it, calling for tenders, evaluating the proposals.

"Several high-speed rail systems in the world have been lobbying very hard to get this contract - the Japanese, the Koreans, the Chinese high-speed rail," he noted.

"Each has its strengths, and we will have a very difficult decision evaluating the bidders who come along and deciding which one is the best overall."

Asked about the cost-sharing of construction, PM Lee said things like that had to be clearly specified, and it was one of the items that made the project complicated.

"When you have two authorities involved, you have to decide how to partition, where the line is drawn. I build my part, you build your part, and we have to meet at the same point," he said. "If it does not meet then we have a big problem."

PM Lee added: "It is complicated but there is a will. And there is a good will, and we would like to make it succeed."

He was also asked if a third bridge between Singapore and Malaysia - which some in Malaysia had suggested recently - is necessary with the HSR project.

Mr Lee said there are currently no plans for it.

"We are not currently planning for a third bridge," he said. "I have seen some statements in Malaysia suggesting one, but the high-speed rail is a very ambitious project. I would focus all my energies doing that one before we launch a new big project."

~News courtesy of Straits Times~