Against the buffeting of external shocks on Singapore's financial sector, the MAS building stands out like a ray of sunshine, acting as the overseer. One scholar tells us what life is like behind the impressive monolith.
By Farhan Shah
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A Ray of Sunshine
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The Heartbeat of Development
Keeping Singapore at the forefront of the business world requires people who have the imagination, courage and integrity to ensure the country stays competitive. We meet two EDB officers who are the embodiment of these qualities.
By Farhan Shah
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Guardians of our Gateways
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has long served as our gatekeepers, ensuring the security of Singapore's borders against the entry of undesirable people and cargo through our land, air and sea checkpoints, as well as enforcing immigration and registration functions. One ICA employee shares with us his role in the organisation and tells us why the ICA offers an exciting and rewarding career.
By Nur Shakylla Nadhra
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Be Remarkable. Think Infocomm
By Benjamin Lim
Today’s infocomm industry is not just about manufacturing the best hardware. Focus has shifted to connecting people, improving business outcomes and integrating economies. All this requires a new generation of infocomm leaders. We speak to two National Infocomm Scholarship recipients, Danny Tan Wei Yang and Kevin Chia, who are leading the charge in this transformation of the industry.
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It’s About More Than The Dollars
Fulfilment, Development and Bright Careers at Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.
By Kevin Lim
Senior Tax Officer Yoong Zi Jie Ndee (pronounced “Andy”) and Tax Officer Michelle Ng Sheng Yan are two fresh-faced Tax Officers from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).
The two polytechnic graduates joined the statutory board straight out of polytechnic, and have been enjoying their time both in, and out, of IRAS.
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Foreign Valour
It takes courage, dedication, and a heartfelt sense of patriotism to represent Singapore on the international front. Two MFA officers share their impressions of the Foreign Service.
By Winifred Tan
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Make the Difference
By Eliza Hamizah
At the Ministry of Manpower, you will find plenty of avenues to make an impact.
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A Career Above All
A changing defence landscape requires a dynamic and flexible armed force, and to this end, the RSAF has been putting in substantial efforts to groom its military experts, uniformed personnel with deep expertise in key military domains and provide expertise to operate complex systems, to meet today's security challenges. Discover what it is like to work with one of the most advanced air forces in the world.
By Farhan Shah
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More Than Fighting Fires
By Shi Tianyun
The mission of SCDF is to protect and save lives and property for a safe and secure Singapore. Two officers who are part of this noble mission share with us how working at the SCDF has not only provided them with the opportunity to help others but also contributed to their own personal growth.
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Taking the LTA Fast Track
The unseen hand of the LTA can be seen everywhere in our lives. From the roads to the rail network, our lives are directly influenced by the work that the team of engineers in LTA carry out. We speak to two engineers who are riding on the LTA fast track.
By Farhan Shah
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Never a Dull Moment
Throughout the country’s evolution, the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board has remained true to its mission of enabling Singaporeans to enjoy a secure retirement in their golden years. Two CPF Board scholars shed some light on the enriching and dynamic career that one can look forward to at the CPF Board.
By Julailah Wahid
Through lifelong income, healthcare and home financing, the CPF Board strives to enable Singaporeans to have a secure retirement. As a firm believer of saving for retirement, this mission resonated strongly with 25-year-old Daphne Wee Miaoyu, who then wasted no time in applying for the CPF Mid-Term Undergraduate Scholarship while studying at Nanyang Technological University.
Similarly, 27-year-old Thomas Zhuo Dianyun, a fellow CPF Mid-Term Undergraduate scholar, had always wanted to play a part in touching the lives of Singaporeans. After all, many working Singaporeans have benefitted from CPF savings, which also contribute to family protection and asset enhancement.
A Rewarding and Meaningful Career
Having launched their careers in the Policy department at the CPF Board, both Daphne and Thomas are now taking on operational roles. As a Manager in the Lifelong Income department, Daphne puts procedures, processes and systems in place based on the objectives of the CPF Lifelong Income For the Elderly (CPF LIFE) Scheme, which is a national annuity scheme that provides CPF members with a monthly payout for as long as they live. On the flipside, Thomas’s role as an Assistant Manager in the Investigation and Compliance department is to ensure that employers and businesses contribute CPF for their employees. (Read More Here!)
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The Cyber Security Warriors - Life On the Edge
They secure your information, protect your data and keep an eagle eye out for emerging hacking threats that will imperil national security. In this day and age, terrorism has evolved into 1’s and 0’s, and these two officers in CSIT are evolving right alongside this paradigm shift.
By Farhan Shah
Threats can come in any shape, size and form, and while the terrorists of yesteryear were stereotypically shifty-eyed, sweating and suspicious, the terrorists of today have evolved into something even more malevolent – and they can strike from anywhere in the world from the comfort of their desk chairs.
All they need is a computer, a working Internet connection and the smarts to exploit vulnerabilities in any country’s computing framework. The recent hacking of Eu Yan Sang’s website in July by a group of Indonesian hackers, while not carried out with malicious intent, underscores the importance of a strong and vigilant cyber security team.
Meet two of the officers in the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT) under the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) responsible for spotting and mitigating ever-evolving infocomm security threats to defence, 30-year-old Manager of Cyber Security Research, Soon Fu Xiang, and 28-year-old Telecom Security Engineer, Ng Kian Yong.
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Taking the Lead in Driving Singapore’s Economy
Two EDB Senior Officers tell us how meaningful and rewarding it is to be responsible for developing, strengthening and building next-generation industries for Singapore.
By Gerald Goh
For over half a century, Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB) has been the lead architect in shaping the Singapore economy, anchoring high-value activities and encouraging multi-national companies to use Singapore as their Home for Business, Innovation and Talent and thereby creating good jobs for Singaporeans.
The rising tide in Asia, which includes China, India and Singapore’s regional neighbours in Southeast Asia, creates immense opportunity for Singapore to entrench and strengthen its status as a premier global city in Asia. EDB will continue to play a critical role to keep Singapore’s economy at the forefront of industry, technology and business opportunities and constantly seeking new growth frontiers.
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At the Vanguard of Defence Technology
The Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) offers stellar opportunities for aspiring individuals to develop innovative technological solutions that contribute to Singapore’s defence and security. Meet Ng Jianhao, who shares how he has benefited from these learning and development opportunities and forged a meaningful career in defence engineering.
By Png Han Yong
As a young boy, Ng Jianhao often enjoyed taking apart objects such as LEGO blocks or stationery and reassembling them to make them ‘move’. A former Scout, he also revelled in various outdoor field craft activities such as constructing wooden structures. These hands-on experiences triggered an interest in how things work and led him to choose a path in engineering.
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Growing Up with Taxation
Numbers and taxes may sound like a dreary combination, but two Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) officers show us just how engaging a dynamic and challenging career with the tax administration can be.
By Gerald Goh
There are few constants in life, and one of them has to be having to pay your taxes. But not everyone might realise the important role taxation plays in nation-building, nor the fact that taxes account for approximately 75 per cent of the government’s operating revenue.
As the administrator of tax policies, IRAS boasts more than two decades of excellent service and strong partnership with taxpayers in creating a competitive tax environment for Singapore’s continued economic growth. Bena Eoon, a Senior Tax Officer with the Corporate Tax Division - Small Corporations Branch, is especially well-placed in describing how progressive tax policies can help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore thrive.(Read More Here!)
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Gatekeepers at Singapore’s Borders
The momentous duty of ensuring that no dangers enter Singapore rests upon the shoulders of the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). One ICA officer tells us more about his duty in helping to secure the country’s national boundaries at the Woodlands Checkpoint, one of the busiest in the world.
By Gerald Goh
ICA is the lead agency in safeguarding Singapore’s borders and is the first line of defence against security and immigration threats at its sea, air and land checkpoints. The bustling Woodlands Checkpoint is one such nexus where ICA officers have to be constantly vigilant in preventing attempts to smuggle in undesirable individuals, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands. The Woodlands Anti-Smuggling and Profiling (WASP) Team plays a key role in thwarting such smuggling attempts. 32-year-old ICA officer and WASP Team member Roger Chen takes time out of his busy schedule to tell us more about the magnitude of his work.
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Collecting Smiles
A non-event for most workers and businesses, the filing and paying of taxes can be easily done with a few clicks, if at all. Walk-in taxpayers enjoy fast and friendly service amidst the ring of the counter dashboard and murmur of voices at the IRAS Taxpayers Service Centre. However, few are aware of the ‘taxing’ work behind closed doors which makes this possible.
By Gerald Goh
In less than a decade, IRAS has realised its dream of serving taxpayers round-the-clock by introducing a personalised online tax portal – myTax Portal. Besides e-filing, taxpayers can now check their tax accounts, pay taxes, update contact details and retrieve documents sent by IRAS in a safe and secure online environment.
This would not be possible without the efforts of IRAS officers like Chua Swee Chin, a 27-year old Senior Infocomm Officer. Swee Chin comments, “We are able to keep the taxpaying community’s personal information secure because our IT systems are highly protected.”(Read More Here!)
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They Keep Your World Moving
Set up in 1995 with the merger of four public sector entities, the LTA is dedicated to developing a land transport system for all residents of Singapore. Helping the LTA to achieve that is a team of talented and hardworking engineers on the ground. BrightMinds speaks to two of them.
By Farhan Shah
Whether you are a fresh graduate just about to take your first few steps in your career or a harried student oscillating between social commitments and project meetings, you will definitely be touched by the invisible hand of the Land Transport Authority of Singapore (LTA) in your everyday travels, whether on the roads, the buses or the trains.
An efficient transport system is the foundation of a productive country, enabling people from all walks of life to reach their destinations in a timely manner, and in Singapore, much of the country’s economic success can be attributed to the finesse and vision of the LTA.(Read More Here!)
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Nurturing the Seeds of Sustainable Development in Singapore
As the leading Industrial Infrastructure Innovator in Singapore, JTC Corporation places great emphasis on developing the country – and its employees – in a vibrant, viable manner.
By Gerald Goh
Singapore’s population continues to climb well above five million, and ensuring that our country’s development remains environmentally sustainable for us and for the generations to come is a key goal of the JTC Corporation.
With that in mind, JTC’s CleanTech Park (CTP) is the location of choice for forward-thinking organisations that embrace an environmentally sustainable business model. It recently won a BCA Platinum Green Mark for Districts Award. Launched in 2009, this award recognises sustainable developmental practices – such as measures to improve energy- and water- efficiency – in planning, design and implementation. The CTP is the first development to attain the highest Green Mark Platinum rating since the launch of the BCA Greenmark for Districts scheme.(Read More Here!)
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Making a Lasting Impact
Teachers are more than merely imparters of knowledge – they shape and influence the young lives under their charge, helping their students realise all that they can be. We meet two teachers who share with us more about their roles beyond the classroom.
By Gerald Goh
A common passion to make a positive impact on young lives led 30-year-old Physical Education Teacher, Foo Qi Hui and 26-year-old English and Mathematics Teacher, Glenda Chiang to join teaching. Although there are challenges they face in the course of their career, both agree that teaching is an absolutely rewarding profession and they would not trade it for any other.(Read More Here!)
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