Kelly Poon - Singapore Polytechnic

I s s u e
Typhoon Charles
on Hainan
SPGG
3 1
N o v e m b e r
2 0 0 7
William Toh -
Thrive and
Drive in China
Ministerial Dialogue
with Mr
Lim Swee Say
Good Golf,
Great Memories
Kelly Poon :
Quit Smoking
with Louis’ Help
our lass in
Bright Lights
POLYTECHNIC
Graduate
Employment
Survey 2007
Visit
www.polyGES.sg
& be Rewarded!
1 st
Oc
to
ber
- 3 0 th
Nov
em
Grand Prize
NV
BY I
ber 20
07
IT
N
AT I O
ONL
Y
Thank you for participating in the survey
The Polytechnic Graduate Employment
Survey 2007 is for:
• Graduates of 2007 who have completed or are not liable
for National Service
Samsung Bordeaux+ 40” LC D T V, H D Re a d y
L A40R8 1 B
More Prizes!
• Graduates of 2004 who have completed National Service
between 1 April 06 and 31 March 07
1 unit
4 units
• Graduates of 2002
Log on to www.polyGES.sg to complete the survey
Samsung Bordeaux 26” LCD T V, HD Re a d y
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Samsung SGH U700
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A p a i r o f S $ 2 0 0 Je t s t a r vo u c h e r s t o a n y
one of 12* Asian destinations
*B ali, B angkok, Jakar ta, Ho Chi Minh City,
Ho n g Ko n g , Ma n i l a , Ph n o m Pe n h , Ph u k e t ,
Si e m Re a p, Su ra b a y a , Ta i p e i & Ya n g o n
and stand to win attractive prizes!
For more information, please contact the GES hotline
at 6350 3964 or email feedback@polyGES.sg
All eligible graduates would have earlier received a personal invitation
letter from the Joint Polytechnic GES Committee.
The online survey and lucky draw of the Graduate Employment Survey 2007 are
conducted and administered by the appointed research agency, Media Research
Consultants, an independent market research arm of MediaCorp Pte Ltd.
J O I N T LY O R G A N I S E D B Y
S PAN contents
I s s u e
3 1
Typhoon Charles
on Hainan
N o v e m b e r
2 0 0 7
William Toh -
Thrive and
Drive in China
SPGG
Ministerial Dialogue
with mr
Lim Swee Say
Quit Smoking
with Louis’ Help
Good Golf,
Great Memories
Kelly Poon :
our lass in
Bright Lights
EDITORIAL ADVISOR
SPecial Mention
02
- Principal’s Farewell
03
- Good Golf, Great Memories
Liew Beng Keong, Director
Student & Alumni Affairs
04 -SPGG Ministerial Dialogue
with Mr Lim Swee Say
EDITORIAL TEAM
06
Anna Neo, Coordinating
Editor & Alumni Officer
Student & Alumni Affairs
Tel: 6772 1591
Email: annaneo@sp.edu.sg
Pearly Gan, Associate Editor
Email: pearly.gan@gmail.com
CONTRIBUTORS
B.TECH. Office, NUS
Daniel Tan – Alumnus, DECC’91
Poh Kim Siong – Alumnus, DBA’89
Joey Chew – SMA
Ong Tiong Hui – SAA
SPGG Office
ADVERTISEMENTS
Ng Kwee Chek, Alumni Officer
Tel: 6772 1529
Email: kweechek@sp.edu.sg
http://advertise.span.sg
DESIGN & PRINTING
HoBee Print Pte Ltd
PUBLISHER
Dept. of Student & Alumni Afairs
Singapore Polytechnic
500 Dover Road
Singapore 139651
SPAN News is published four times
yearly, twice in magazine format and
twice in The Straits Times. The views
and opinions of the authors are not
necessarily espoused by Singapore
Polytechnic, nor can the Singapore
Polytechnic be held responsible for
the claims made in the advertisements.
- Thank You for Your Generosity
-Support Our Needy Students
SPotlight
08 - Kelly Poon : our lass in Bright
Lights
11
- Typhoon Charles on Hainan
13
- Quit Smoking with Louis’ Help
15
- Thrive and Drive in China
28 - Pang Sin Wah Finds the Best
Way to Upgrade
SPAN
05 -SPIMA Annual General Meeting
- A Heartwarming SPEC Annual
General Meeting
20 -SMA Celebrates 50 years of
Maritime Education and
Training
21 - Aroma, Body, Acidity and Flavour
- First Class Honours From Local
Universities
22
- CLS Homecoming 2008
23
- MM 50th Anniversary Dinner
Alumni Special Interest
Groups
17 -Successful Leadership through
Toastmasters
18
-SP Rovers’ Dinner & Dance
25
- Calendar
27 - Survey
Respond and get a gift
S Pe c i a l m e n t i o n
Farewell
Message from
Principal Low
Dear Alumni
I joined the Polytechnic on 1 January
1996 and when I retire on 31 December
this year, I would have served exactly 12
years, coinciding with the 12-year cycle
of the Chinese Zodiac. It has been a
rewarding 12 years.
When I came from the Ministry of
Manpower, I had no experience in
education administration at all. Many
times over the years, I reminded myself
that I did not know how to be a principal
and that I had to learn. Based on my own
experience, I have always emphasised to
students and alumni the importance of
Lifelong Learning.
not gain admission to any Institution of
Higher Learning as he did not do his “O”
levels. In 2003, his parents approached
me and I decided to give him a chance by
allowing him to take the Entrance Test.
He passed the Test and was admitted
to the diploma course in mechanical
engineering.
He graduated in 2006,
passing the course with flying colours,
scoring 19 Distinctions and 18 “A”s and
was awarded the Diploma with Merit.
This is but only one example of how
working in education can touch people’s
lives.
Beyond the new facilities and innovative
technology centres, I have also
emphasized our SP CORE values of Selfdiscipline, Personal integrity, Care and
concern, Openness, Responsibility and
Excellence. So I hope all of you will hold
on to the CORE values and other good
values that you have picked up in SP.
We have many successful alumni and
a significant number have shown
their willingness to stay affiliated with
SP. The alumni network is a valuable
resource for everybody to tap into. In
this interdependent world, how wellconnected you are and who you know
can be more important than what you
know. So, my next exhortation to you
is to cherish your relationships with the
people you studied with, learned from
and played with.
I leave SP in the good and competent
hands of the new principal, Mr Tan
Hang Cheong. I am confident that he
will be able to take the Polytechnic to
greater heights. And seeing Singapore
Polytechnic attaining greater heights is
indeed my wish.
My best wishes go to each and everyone
of you. It will give me great pleasure
should our paths meet again. May you
prosper in every aspect.
Low Wong Fook
One thing that I will bring with me into
my retirement is the profound realisation
that education is the most meaningful
human undertaking as it touches people’s
lives. I am thankful that I was given this
opportunity and privilege to work with a
group of very talented people to educate
and nurture the young. I have seen
many students grow and rise above the
limitations of their circumstances.
Let me elaborate. Just last month, Ng Li
Ping, a graduate from the class of 2006
came with his parents to thank Singapore
Polytechnic for what we had done for
him. He was not an ordinary student,
being home-schooled. At the age of 20,
after serving NS, he found that he could
2
Principal Mr Low Wong Fook with
Principal (Designate) Mr Tan Hang Cheong
S Pe c i a l m e n t i o n
Highlights of Achievements under Principal Low’s Term
•
Introduced new diplomas like Environmental Management & Water Technology, Tourism & Resort Management, Games Design
& Development, Aeronautical Engineering, Aerospace Electronics, Integrated Events and Project Management, and Music and
Audio Technology.
•
Established Technology & Innovation Centres.
•
Introduced the Diploma Plus scheme to allow students to pursue their full-time diploma concurrently with a Specialist Diploma
or a Certificate course.
•
Introduced General Elective Modules.
•
Established a new School of Design, which has infused the teaching of creativity, innovation and enterprise into the curricula
of other courses in the entire Polytechnic.
•
Forged international links through staff and student exchanges and community projects.
•
Developed new facilities for a convention centre and new buildings for the Schools of Electrical & Electronic Engineering and
Chemical & Life Sciences.
•
Awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2004 and the NTUC Medal of Commendation award in 2007.
•
Led SP to achieve several awards like Singapore Quality Class, ISO, People Developer, Public Service Award for Organisational
Excellence, Total Defence Award and SHRI awards.
Good Golf, Great Memories
The clouds and the rain did not deter some members of the Graduates’
Guild, Entrepreneurs’ Club and Industrial Management Alumni from
enjoying the Alumni Golf Networking Event 2007 held on 29 August
2007. Mooted by former Principal Dr Khoo Kay Chai, SPGG, SPEC and
SPIMA are now planning to make this networking golf a quarterly
event. One of the alumni golfers, Daniel Tan (DECC 1991) tells us how
it went….
T
he day didn’t get off to the best of
starts. As I drove to the Singapore
Island Country Club (SICC), the sky
was gloomy and light rain pelted my
windscreen. Fortunately the rain stopped
when I arrived at SICC. The heavens were
indeed smiling on us.
Everyone wasted no time in exchanging
name cards and joining in a bit of friendly
banter. Inevitably the most popular topic
was school days … in SP of course! Being
one of the youngest participants (if not
the youngest), it was enlightening for me
to learn bits and pieces of SP’s rich history
as seen through the eyes of umm…more
experienced alumni.
The game soon got underway and we
were grouped into flights of four. My
group consisted of School of Business
Director Mr Maheantharan, Compact
Power Pte Ltd’s Mr Seah Lam Kok of and
Flotech Controls Pte Ltd’s Mr Yap Teck
Huat.
SICC’s well-maintained Sime Course
and the cloudy weather made playing
conditions perfect. The rain earlier had
softened the greens, making our game
a bit slower than usual. It took me a
while to adjust to that, as well as the
thick rough. Two triple-bogeys in the
front nine holes blemished my score for
the front nine holes. It could have been
much worse if not for my playing partner
Mr Yap who is also an SICC member.
After a quick refreshment break, my
flight resumed play on the back nine
holes. With wise guidance from Mr Yap
(by now nicknamed ‘Course Pro’), my
game started to improve. Three Pars
(including two narrow birdie misses) on
the back nine were just rewards!
The post-game dinner was another great
opportunity for mingling and making
new friends. Imagine my pleasant surprise
when it was announced that I scored fifth
position overall! I was blissfully unaware
that the golf game was a competition.
However the highlight of the day for me
was the photograph-taking sessions.
I was honoured to be ‘sandwiched’
between former principal Dr Khoo and
current principal Mr Low! This photo was
a fitting end to a thoroughly enjoyable
day. I am already looking forward to the
next Alumni game and hope SP will make
this an annual event!
Daniel Tan (mail@daniel-tan.com) is a
Certified Financial Planner and has been
in the financial services industry for over
10 years. Daniel runs his own agency
(www.daniel-tan.com) and is a SPEC
member with a golf handicap of 24.
3
S Pe c i a l m e n t i o n
SPGG Ministerial Dialogue
with Mr Lim Swee Say
L
abour Chief and Minister in Prime
Minister’s Office, Mr Lim Swee Say
was invited to the SP Graduates’
Guild (SPGG) Grand Ballroom on 29
September 2007 for a much-awaited
ministerial dialogue. Also there to grace
the event was Mr Low Wong Fook, the
principal of Singapore Polytechnic (SP).
Themed “Remaking Singapore”, the
dialogue session was a timely opportunity
for the 150 SPGG Members and guests,
including current and graduated
SP students, to meet and exchange
perspectives with Mr Lim who was also
one of the key persons in the National
Trades Union Congress (NTUC). It was
a great moment for the participants as
they could not be in a better position
than to have their concerns addressed in
this exclusive closed-door session.
SPGG’s president, Mr Jimmy Lim started
the ball rolling by commenting on the
prospects of Singapore’s economy as
4
recently reported in local newspapers.
Job opportunities created alongside
with the upcoming Integrated Resorts
(IRs) in two to three years’ time would
contribute positively to the growth of
the economy. However, along with the
exciting development of the IRs, there is
anxiety regarding increasing prices - the
main concern with the general public of
Singapore.
the CPF system. The influx of foreign
workers was necessary as there were
sectors which Singaporeans tended to
shy away from. To improve employment
in the basic service sectors such as
cleaning, especially among Singaporeans,
training schemes were made compulsory
which greatly improved the wage
structure in these sectors as well as the
employment rate.
The invitation was open to the audience
by SPGG Honorary General Secretary
Dr Lim Boh Soon to participate in the
question-and-answer segment shortly
after the opening speech. Various
questions were raised such as the
CPF changes, foreign workers and
employment competitiveness.
Mr Lim answered questions with much
ease and illustrated his points with
examples, providing the audience direct
information in reply to the questions
raised. As engaging and interesting as
the dialogue session went, it was brought
to an end as Minister Lim Swee Say and
distinguished guests were ushered to
partake of the refreshments. Participants
could not get enough of the session and
asked for more! Pleased with the positive
outcome and feedback, SPGG would like
to thank SP students and graduates for
their participation and look forward to
their continuous support.
Mr Lim explained that the workforce
income
supplement
(WIS)
was
implemented to make up for the
reduction in the CPF of the greying
population in effecting the changes to
S Pe c i a l m e n t i o n
SPIMA Annual
General Meeting
A
bout 15 SP Industrial Management
Alumni (SPIMA) members gathered
on 20 Aug for their Annual General
Meeting. Chairman George Wong gave
a report of the activities held for the last
financial year. He was proud to share
that these activities received encouraging
feedback from the members.
3) Professional sharing and exchanges
with final year students of SP
4) Community involvement and service
5) Health and wellness programmes
for members
6) Members’ networking evenings
About SPIMA:
George also revisited the vision of
SPIMA which is ‘To be the premier
Management Alumni group providing
social, recreational, professional and
entrepreneurial development activities
for our members’. He hopes that SPIMA
will continue to grow with this vision in
mind. George went on to share with
members some of the future activities of
SPIMA. They are:
1) Formation of Interest Groups in
SPIMA according to the interests of
members
2) Business exploratory cum overseas
networking missions
Registered in 1984, SPIMA provides
an excellent platform to facilitate
entrepreneurial, professional, and social
interaction among the graduates of
the Diploma in Industrial Management,
Certificate of Industrial Management
and the Advanced Diploma in Industrial
and Engineering Management.
Chairman: Mr George Wong Hock
Vice Chariman: Mr Wilson Fu
Hon Secretary: Ms Cecilia Lim
Hon Treasurer: Mr Alfred Heng
Publicity Officer: Mr Choy Tuck Wai
Programme Officer: Mr Loh Cheng Hoe
Membership Officers: Mr Eric Lim Hon Keong,
Mr Edmund Er
Over the years, SPIMA has been
organising many activities based on the
needs of its members and also that of
the wider SP community. The Executive
Committee members are :
If you are keen to be a member of
this professional alumni group, SPIMA,
please contact Ms Anna Neo at
67721591 or check out their website
at www.spima.org.sg or email them at
enquiries@spima.org.sg.
A Heartwarming SPEC
Annual General Meeting
the Chinese New Year Lo-hei. At the
AGM, they were certainly warmed by
the SPEC members who offered advice
on the economic outlook, job prospects
and opportunities in the market.
SPEC President Kelvin Tan, seated
second from left, with some
members and students
T
he SP Entrepreneurs’ Club (SPEC)
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
this year was a milestone when it
was held on 8 Oct. In addition to the
usual annual report by President Kelvin
Tan and discussions on the income and
financial status of SPEC, the members
had the opportunity to meet up with the
first batch of recipients of the new SPEC
Bursary.
The 14 needy students had earlier
received $1000 each from the SPEC
Bursary, launched early this year during
SPEC will be holding their annual Lo-Hei
on 11 Feb 2008 at Ah Yat Restaurant.
We welcome alumni who are interested
to join us in this joyous occasion to
usher in the Lunar New Year. Member
of Parliament Liang Eng Hwa who is an
SP alumnus will also be joining us. For
more information, please email the SPEC
secretariat at annaneo@sp.edu.sg.
About SPEC:
SPEC was formed more than ten years
ago, with the purpose of bringing likeminded entrepreneurial alumni to come
together and network. The objectives of
the Club are:
- To promote the interests and
development of entrepreneurs among
-
-
its members;
To facilitate the exchange of ideas
and knowledge on entrepreneurship
with professionals and peers; and
To nurture an entrepreneurial spirit
among
Singapore
Polytechnic
students by providing opportunities
for
them
to
participate
in
entrepreneurial activities.
SPEC members meet bimonthly to
network. Usually, there will also be a
guest speaker who will share about his/
her entrepreneurial experiences or area
of expertise.
Presently, the membership size for SPEC
stands at about 70. They are either
established entrepreneurs, budding ones
or equity owners. More aspiring young
alumni are joining SPEC too - to network
and learn from the more experienced
members. For more information on SPEC
and to contribute to the SPEC Bursary,
do email to annaneo@sp.edu.sg.
5
S Pe c i a l m e n t i o n
Thank You for Your
Generosity
I
I s s u e
n our last issue of SPAN News, we featured Thiru’s effort in raising funds for the
Alumni Scholarship Awards. We are glad that many alumni responded and donated
generously after reading the article. We received a total of $3610 for Alumni
Scholarship Awards and $500 for SAA Needy Funds from the following alumni:
• Low Kok Kim
• Leong Yee Thye
• Chee Chong Kim
•Sim Kok Wee Sunny
•Sakeena Begam
• Jolene Liew
• Lee Hock Lim
• Tong Mei Mei
A BIG
Thank You to you, our alumni for the kind donations.
I s s u e
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Support our Needy Students
W
e appeal to you to make a difference in the lives of needy students with your generous donations. Students from
disadvantaged families face difficulties in paying tuition fees and other related expenses. The tuition and miscellaneous
fees are about S$2,200 and S$2,400 (per academic year) for our local and international full-time students respectively. With
your kind support, more needy students will be able to continue and eventually complete their polytechnic education. We thank you
in advance for the generous donation.
Donation / Pledge Form
Please send cheque and completed form to:Student Counsellor, Ms Karen Choo
Department of Student & Alumni Affairs,
Singapore Polytechnic,
500 Dover Road, Singapore 139651.
Fax: 67721960. Tel: 67721143/68706114
Yes, I / We* support the award of scholarships / bursaries for needy students at the Singapore Polytechnic and wish to make a
pledge / donation of S$ ________________ via a crossed cheque no. ________________________________.
(Please make cheque payable to “SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC”.)
Donor’s Particulars
Name of Individual Donor: ______________________ IC/FIN* No. __________________ Corporate Donor: ____________________
RCB/ROS* No. ____________________ Name of Contact Person (Mr/Mrs/Ms/Dr/Assoc Prof/Prof*) ___________________________
Designation of Contact Person: ________________________________ Email address: _______________________________________
Contact No.: _________________ (Office/Home/Mobile*) Fax No. _________________ Mailing Address: ______________________
Postal Code: __________________
*Please delete where appropriate. Note: Named and un-named donations will be granted double tax deduction.
6
Cover Story
SPotlight
Kelly Poon :
our lass in Bright
Lights
Kelly Poon is growing from strength to strength. Her new
album, titled ‘In the Center of the World’ was released just
weeks ago and uses different approaches to music.
I
t has some songs that incorporate the
use of traditional Indian instruments.
Some other songs are light-hearted,
accompanied by the soothing sounds
of the violin. The album’s title song is
actually a Korean love song that may
bring you to the brink of tears.
We last saw Kelly - the female champion
of the inaugural Project Superstar –
perform a cameo role in our first musical,
“Superstar – The Pop Musical” at the
University Cultural Centre last year. That
was probably her last performance in
Singapore before she went to Taiwan to
be trained under the famous producer,
Yao Chien.
One year down the road, Kelly has a new
look and a new album. We hear that Yao
Chien, who was behind the success of
pop stars like Elva Hsiao and Coco Lee,
is hoping that Kelly will be the next ‘Jay
Chou’.
8
When we caught up with her at the
Universal Music office, Kelly certainly
looked refreshed and energetic. Back in
Singapore to promote her album, Kelly
who graduated from SP with a Diploma
in Maritime Transport Management
in 2004, confided that she missed
Singapore, so much so that her computer
was on 24/7, even when she went to
bed. Kelly explained, “I miss everything
about Singapore, especially my family
and friends. To keep myself updated on
Singapore, I would surf the internet and
chat on my MSN with my friends.”
Staying away from home is not
something new for Kelly since she was
working as an SIA cabin crew before she
joined Project Superstar. But this time in
Taiwan, she needed to learn new things
and adapt to the lifestyle in Taipei. “I had
to learn hip hop dance for my fast song,
Shakalaka Baby which was different from
my Chinese dance background. Singing
and dancing at the same time also proves
to be a little challenging for me,” Kelly
shared with us when asked about her
challenges.
Kelly also confessed that she usually
would not pay special attention to her
appearance but due to the nature of the
work, she would dutifully treat her face
with facial masks and work out at the
gym before her photo and MTV shoots.
In the course of her work, she also learnt
how to accommodate and adapt, and to
discuss her concerns with her producers
and manager. Quoting an example,
she said, “The look for this album is
young, carefree and a little bit sexy. As
I am basically a traditional person, I will
discuss my concerns on the dressing with
my image consultant but at the same
time, be open to suggestions.”
The long-legged lass credits SP for what
she is today - independent and selfdisciplined. Kelly also holds dearly what
she has learnt from her lecturers, that
is, “If you want to be good, no one can
stop you. But you have to do your part
well.”
Certainly, Kelly has played her part well in
this new album – trying new things that
she has not done before and doing her
‘homework’. However, we nearly did not
get to see this new album if Kelly had her
way last year. “I was thinking of quitting
the show business as I was getting tired
and wanted a more stable life after my
debut album. Furthermore, I wanted
to spend more time with my family,”
confided Kelly. Fortunately for her fans,
Kelly was signed on by Yao Chien after a
dinner set up by Li Weisong, one of the
judges in Project Superstar.
We can rest assured that this will not
be the last that we will hear from Kelly.
With her right attitude and hard work,
plus the able tutelage of Yao Chien, we
are seeing the next Stephanie Sun in the
making.
SPotlig h t
www.northumbria.ac.uk/singapore
Study in the UK
The UK’s best modern university*
Alumni include Jonathan Ive CBE – Vice President of APPLE
Inc and designer of the iMac and iPod, and Gordon Sumner (Sting) –
Internationally renowned musician, songwriter and actor.
Subject areas include:
Applied Sciences: Biotechnology,
Microbiology, Medical Biosciences,
Pharmaceutical, Human Nutrition
Built Environment: Architecture,
Construction, Project Management,
Building Services Engineering,
Facilities Management
Computing/IT: Information Systems,
Network Technology, Computer
Science, Computer Games
You can know more about Kelly and her life in Taiwan by
visiting her blog at http://blog.pixnet.net/kellypoon. Kelly
has also autographed two pieces of limited edition Kelly Tee’s
to be given away to our alumni. To win, simply email us at
alumni@sp.edu.sg telling us what you like about Kelly’s new
album and SPAN News.
I was thinking of quitting
the show business as I was
getting tired and wanted a
more stable life after my debut
album. Furthermore,
I wanted to spend more time
with my family
Design: Fashion, Graphic,
Industrial, Interior, 3-D
Engineering: Mechanical,
Communications, Product,
Electrical
Business/Management:
MBA, Accounting,
Marketing
Also: Health, Law, Fine Art,
Social Sciences, Sports
Science.
Distance learning programmes are
also available.
Intakes in September (all courses)
and January
(selected courses only).
Yee Siew Mang
South East Asia Office (Malaysia)
Northumbria University
Email: siewmang.yee@northumbria.ac.uk
Local Representative Agent
AS EduCentre
Tel: +65 6100 9800 Email: general@asedu.net
SPotlight
Typhoon
Charles on
Hainan
Charles is a fish biologist
and production manager at
Genomar Supreme Hatchery
China, a Norwegian-owned fish
farm on Hainan Island.
Charles, in front of his office
H
ainan Island is in the path of
typhoons. Whenever Charles
Chan Siew Kee (Materials
Engineering, ‘97) gets a warning of an
impending typhoon, he springs into
action. He and his men will tighten the
‘hapas’ or fish nets, put cement weights
into the nets to prevent them from being
blown away, and prepare large quantities
of kerosene to ignite the emergency
generators in case of power failures.
He supervises three technicians and 44
workers in stocking tilapia fingerlings
and making sure that these fingerlings
grow in clean hapas in nursery ponds
and tanks. After a period of three weeks,
the fingerlings are graded according to
size, put through stress tests and then
packed and exported as per customers’
requirements.
Charles, 30, finds his aquaculture work
invigorating. It has a lot to do with his
pet interest: Conservation Biology. His
growing-up years saw him watching many
of British Naturalist David Attenborough’s
“Life” series on television. So, after Poly,
National Service and a job in a wafer
manufacturing plant, he took off to
Murdoch University, Perth, to pursue his
first love. He tells you he was baffled at
achieving a Second Class Upper honours,
being a very average student in school
and in Poly. But as they, love conquers
all.
The Chinese are
very simple people.
You just need to
be fair to them,
but to be firm
when necessary.
You need to hear
their thoughts and
understand what’s
in their minds.
Work is hectic but life on Hainan is
simple. He appreciates the provincial
government’s
massive
efforts
in
conserving and making sure that the
beaches are clean and clear and the
mountain landscapes are “captivating”.
He lives on the farm with his colleagues
and for relaxation, he hacks away at his
backyard, trying to grow vegetables.
Weekends find him shopping in the
capital city Haikou, or sightseeing in
other parts of the picturesque island.
A noteworthy past-time is reading
management and leadership books in
Chinese. This is important to him as he
knows creating teamwork among his
technicians reaps benefits. They come
from different parts of China and Charles
is quietly glad that his understanding of
Chinese history and classics is putting him
in good stead. So the biggest challenge
for Charles now is managing his staff. His
emphasis on teamwork harks back to SP
days when his Track and Field Club was
the Poly 50 champion for several years.
He recalls once when the locals and the
Mainlanders were unhappy with each
other. On patient investigation, he found
the problem to be work allocation. He
says: “The Chinese are very simple
people. You just need to be fair to them,
but to be firm when necessary. You need
to hear their thoughts and understand
what’s in their minds.”
11
SPotligh t
ww
Charles and a technician checking for
parasites in the fish fry
w. s
aa.
org
.sg
For one so young, Charles is very adaptable to changes
and displays a lot of wisdom. His biodata reveals that he
worked at diverse jobs – event management, data checker,
accounting, laboratory work in transgenic prawn research
and relief teaching - while waiting to go to university and
before he landed this job.
Something else catches your eye: in his National Service,
Charles won the “Most Courteous Soldier” award. When
quizzed about it, he shyly explains that he was a “very
cooperative and polite” administrative support assistant
helping to manage the National Servicemen database.
“I provided assistance to my officers without failure.”
And, no, he has not found a Chinese girl friend.
olders
ploma H
ant Di
Relev
12
are eligible fo r exemptions for UOL Degree a
nd ACCA
Course
s.
SPotlight
Quit Smoking
with Louis’
Help
Louis and wife Corine at their centre
L
ouis Goh (DME, 1990) has a proven
method of helping smokers quit
at his AntiSmoking Center at
Roxy Square. After 26 years of working
as a Sales Engineer and Technical
Sales Manager, Louis is now a Master
Franchisee of AntiSmoking Center,
started in 1986 by an Italian doctor.
His Singapore outlet – one out of a total
of 240 in Europe and South America is the first privately-run anti-smoking
center in Asia. He came across the
electronic anti-smoking product at a
franchising exhibition held in a Middle
Eastern country. The treatment product
promised to help smokers quit smoking
and the extremely high success rate
of 95% sure impressed Louis. In the
beginning, of course he was sceptical.
After a year of intensive investigation
and interviews with smokers who had
used this method, Louis was finally
convinced of its efficacy.
What then is this amazing product and
treatment? Before the Center starts the
treatment process, its staff will conduct
a nicotine dependence test and a selfdetermination test to evaluate the
condition of the smoker’s addiction. The
nicotine dependence test will indicate
whether the smoker is in control of his
nicotine habit or otherwise. The selfdetermination test is to evaluate his
motivation for quitting. Anxiety for
“From my personal experience, I know
that if you intend to quit smoking, you
should avoid as much as possible the
sight of cigarettes. It keeps enticing you
through your inner thoughts to puff again
the minute you see it. It’s like an evil spirit
within you. This, I understand now, is
Nicotine Addiction.”
his health condition counts as high
motivation which would make him
highly determined, thus ensuring a high
success rate.
There are of course certain groups of
people who should not undergo the
treatment – those with pace-makers for
their cardiac condition, those suffering
from epilepsy and pregnant women in
their first five months.
Before the treatment begins, the patient’s
data - his age, number of cigarettes
smoked per day, and number of years of
smoking - are entered into the computer
which will customise and generate the
appropriate time and frequency of the
In cases of relapse
or if the first
treatment does
not yield positive
results, the patient
can return for
another treatment
without additional
costs.
electromagnetic waves to send to the
ear tent via a metallic probe. The soft
micro-massage on the meridian points
of the ear releases the natural hormone
endorphin from the pituitary gland. This
will cover the nicotine molecules and
stop the desire to smoke. In the posttreatment stage, specially formulated
Phytotherapy tablets (plant extracts) are
prescribed to rid the body of toxins and
alleviate anxiety and stress during the
withdrawal periods.
Each treatment session lasts about 20
minutes and is totally natural, painless
and highly effective without any side
effects. Most patients only have to
undergo one treatment to eliminate
their habit successfully. What is more,
the highly effective treatment method
also comes with a written guarantee
period of six months for a maximum of
five treatments. In cases of relapse or if
the first treatment does not yield positive
results, the patient can return for another
treatment without additional costs.
Louis did a lot of reading and research to
familiarise himself with this revolutionary
business. He roped in his wife, Corine
to help him in the clinic. Fortunately,
his sales and engineering experience has
helped him to understand the technical
requirements underlying the treatment
and the operation procedures, as well
as the proper marketing of the product.
13
SPotlight
attaining the diploma, strong bonds of
friendship were engendered with his
classmates throughout the five years.
Although they did not have time to join
any co-curricular activity, Louis and his
classmates managed to organise outings
such as canoeing expeditions and short
weekend trips to Tioman Island.
Auricular Therapy with Patented
Computerised system
Besides, having been a smoker before
years ago, he certainly knows what he is
talking about.
He also credits SP for the well-structured
engineering education he received during
his five-year evening diploma course. The
demands of a full time job and studying
for a part time diploma course were not
easy for Louis back then. He recalls,
“The first year was the toughest for me
and my classmates as we had to manage
our jobs in the day and study four times
a week in the night. Weekends were
spent on tutorials.” But all the hard work
was worth it as Louis feels that besides
Now, although his business needs his
attention, Louis manages to squeeze
in Taiji every morning and weekly
badminton sessions with his friends. He
also enjoys spending quality time with
his two children.
Louis hopes to reach out to as
many smokers as possible and is
offering a 20% discount for Alumni
Cardholders. So, if you are thinking
of quitting for real, do email Louis
at antismoking@singnet.com.sg. For
more information, check out this
website www.antismoking.com.sg .
An Exclusive Privilege Card
for SP Alumni
S
tanding tall as an SP alumnus?
Want to enjoy a range of benefits
and discounts at participating
merchants? Get your SP Alumni Card.
Offers from new merchants on the list:
•Stay two nights for the price of one
in any room category at Angsana
Resort & Spa Bintan. Please quote
SPAN Special when making your
reservation at Tel: 68495788 or email
reservations@angsana.com.
Visit
their website at www.angsana.com .
• Get fashion items at 10% discount
at myTwinkleBox Online Store, www.
mytwinklebox.com . Please enter the
discount code ‘SPalumni’ and include
your Alumni Card no. in the ‘Add
14
Comments About Your Order’ during
the check out process.
• Get 20% discount for treatment at
the Antismoking Center, #02-14 Roxy
Square. Email antismoking@singnet.
com.sg or call 63460150. Visit their
website at www.antismoking.com.sg .
To apply for the card, please send your
cheque payment of $10 made payable
to “Singapore Polytechnic” with your
name, NRIC/FIN No, Mobile No, email
address and mailing address behind
and mail to Department of Student &
Alumni Affairs, Singapore Polytechnic,
500 Dover Road, Singapore 139651. For
more information and details, please visit
http://alumnicard.span.sg.
SPotlight
Thrive
and
Drive in
China
- William Toh
Being the vice president
of human resources and
administration for a chain
of 75 Supercenter stores
in China, William Toh has
much to share on working
with the Chinese.
W
William (seated in the middle) with
HR Chinese staff based in Shanghai
illiam
Toh
(Electrical
Engineering, ’87) would have
all Singaporeans - who are
venturing overseas - know that they
should never be over-enthusiastic when
singing about Singapore’s string of
successes and virtues. With 15 years
of experience working in and out of
Singapore into the region and China, he
should know.
when it comes to asking about everyone’s
salary!”
In his current job at Lotus Supercentre
chain (Chai Tai Group of Companies)
based in Shanghai but overseeing
five regional offices with 400 HR
professionals, William can well dole out
gems of advice:
William, 45, was headhunted from
his previous job as Director, Head of
Outserve at Standard Chartered Bank,
Shanghai. Before that, he was poached
from STATSChipPAC where he was
corporate director, in charge of training
and organisation development. Prior
to leaving this huge worldwide
manufacturer of test and assembly
solutions, he was regional principal
consultant for OyramiD Associates,
Singapore.
• China is a diverse country with many
facets. Each province is different and
every Chinese maintains strong bonds
with his hometown. By knowing their
hometown and showing interest, you
can quickly build trust and rapport
with them.
• Never despise their way of doing
things as they must have a reason for
doing so. Observe and then ask if you
need to know more.
• The Chinese are very proud of their
culture and practices, so never try to
be superior. When they recognise that
you are different, then it is the right
time to share more by being humble.
“By the way,” confides William, “They
believe in sharing information, even
In a typical work week, he might be
holding senior staff meetings, attending
events of corporate social responsibility,
restructuring long-term initiatives and
projects, coaching local managers,
or travelling to other cities to meet
government officials and affiliates.
He had also worked for other brandname companies. He was the manager
overseeing regional HR for IBM-Lotus
Development - developing business
leaders and setting up its Virtual
Corporate University. In General Electric
International, he was the regional
director for corporate leadership and
change management.
It was in Motorola where he spent the
longest time, seven years, leaving as
regional consultant for the Motorola
University initiative in Tianjin, China.
But it was in Siemens where he made
the switch from being, in turn, an
education officer at the Singapore
Technical Institute, and a training officer
at Beecham Pharmaceuticals, to human
resource development.
How did an electrical engineering
graduate get in so deep into organization
development, leadership training and
change management? He never stops
learning and he genuinely loves to teach.
He is a certified Six Sigma black belt
holder; and studied for four diplomas,
a degree in business management from
LaTrobe, Melbourne, and a Master’s in
Human Resource Management from
Leicester, United Kingdom.
In National Service, he was awarded
“Best Soldier” for his problem-solving
skills and making improvements in
productivity. He also trained new recruits
on safety, engineering handling and
communication skills.
All said and done, William firmly
believes that his engineering training
makes him a better HR manager,
giving him insights into how staff are
performing. For example, in a power
failure – which is quite common in
China – William can well interrogate
his engineering staff on their recovery
plans. He wants to tell all young
SP
graduates
that
“engineering
has
broad
opportunities
in
service and business applications,
even in sales and consultancy work.”
15
Successful Leadership
through Toastmasters
ASIG
How often do we promise ourselves that we will finally get down to
working on our communication skills and then we sit on it? Poh Kim Siong
(Business Administration, ‘89) recommends joining the Toastmasters
International (TI). He is the only Toastmaster in Asia with the distinction
of serving as a judge at the World Public Speaking Championship Final
2005 and 2007. A Distinguished Toastmaster, he has led his District 80 in
2006 to 2007 to achieve Top 11 in the world; having conducted training
sessions in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Macau
and Singapore.
“
I
t all began in 1924 and now
Toastmasters International (TI) has
chapters all over the world. Its
mission: to foster self-confidence and
growth in its members, through ‘learning
by doing.’ As with anything, the most
important thing is knowing how and
when to apply the skills. Only then can you
truly become an effective communicator
and leader. TI’s programme focuses on
three essentials: clear thinking, clear
listening and clear speaking.
Some people think that to pick up public
speaking skills, they can just go to the
library and take out a book on the
subject, or attend a seminar workshop.
But, at the end of the day, you have to
actually do it. It’s like learning to swim
–– you can’t just read about it, you have
to get into the pool. Similarly, you really
have to stand in front of an audience and
speak.
In the first few sessions, you learn how
to organise your speeches, and use
body language, your hand gestures, and
your voice. You also learn about words:
some words can touch the heart of your
audience –– but others may lose your
sale. The Toastmasters International
Communication programme enables
you to pick up all the basic skills: how to
inspire, inform, and entertain.”
At a typical Toastmasters meeting, the
president usually gives an opening
address. This is followed by a ‘table topic
session’ which consists of impromptu
speaking. Members will then talk about
the president’s speech. Impromptu
sessions like these are designed to train
members on clear thinking.
Becoming a Successful
Communicator
Having mastered Impromptu Speaking,
each member receives a Competent
Communication Manual which breaks
the initial training into three modules.
First comes ‘The Icebreaker’, focussing
on how you speak and how you stand.
Evaluators give members feedback on
their strong points, together with tips on
how to improve.
Next is ‘Organisation of Speech’ which
helps members structure their speeches
into a logical format of introduction,
body and conclusion. Training in style of
delivery teaches you how to engage an
audience –– and most importantly, how
to project sincerity.
Later levels of training focus on ‘Technical
Skills’ like choosing and using words
effectively, and employing body gestures.
Members learn about vocal variety –– by
raising the pitch or the volume of your
voice, for example, to provide emphasis
– and using props to illustrate a topic,
and also the effective utilisation of Power
Point.
After acquiring all the basic and technical
skills, a Toastmaster moves on to
‘Applications’. This final stage deals with
the four purposes of speaking: to inform,
to inspire, to entertain and to motivate.
Each time you want to do better, you
have to come up with more ideas. You
push yourself to be much more effective.
In the 83 years that Toastmasters
has been in existence, it has inspired
thousands of people all over the world.
Effective communication equals effective
leadership.
Join the SP Toastmasters Club. Chartered on 21 November 2005 (Club no: 855761), it provides a supportive environment for alumni
members who wish to improve their public speaking and leadership skills. With the motto of “We Speak with Passion!” the club
meets on the third Wednesday of every month, 7.00pm - 10.00pm, at Moberly Block, Level 2, Room 1, Singapore Polytechnic.
As Winson Lim, Past President says: “If learning is the way for a man to know more about himself, then Toastmasters is a learning,
unlearning and relearning process. Through the meetings, for example, I learn about how important the humble toilet roll is. I relearn
that the miracle healer is our own body. I learn that there is no better place for us to find what we want than to look inside us.
Through the preparation of speeches, I gain knowledge of how important sleep is. I rediscover the simplicity of water. Through the
Evaluation of speeches, I learn that it takes a lot to listen before we can talk.”
Contact
E-mail Address sptoastmasters@gmail.com
Club President, Cheryl Beh at maddinton@yahoo.com.sg
SPTMC Website - http://www.sptoastmasters.blogspot.com
SPTMC Forum - http://sptmc.cca.sg
Toastmasters Websites - http://www.toastmasters.org , http://www.district80.org
17
ASIG
SP Rovers’ Dinner & Dance
W
ith
faces
masked
and
hair gelled, the SP Rovers
celebrated
their
26th
anniversary with a Dinner & Dance at the
SP Vanda Room on 13 Oct 2007. More
than 40 alumni supported the annual
event which brought back memories
of the SP days. The occasion also
provided an opportunity for alumni and
current student members to interact and
network.
Besides the usual games and dinner, 22
alumni received a token of appreciation
from Andy Ou, President of the SP
Rovers.
These alumni participated
actively in the Rovers events and shared
their expertise and knowledge with the
current students.
“I would like to thank my organising
committee for making this event a
success. The alumni are very supportive
18
and we really feel very encouraged by
their participation. Next time when I
graduate, I will also come back to keep
the spirit of Rovers going.” quipped
Andy when asked to share his thoughts
about the event.
Hey, we’re wearing
masks because we
Rovers are err…
a-roving!
Yes, indeed, alumni involvement is
important to keep the campfire burning.
So to all Rovers alumni out there, do
contact Ms Karen Choo, the Officer-incharge at chookaren@sp.edu.sg to stay
in touch.
Mark Wong, SP Rovers
Scout Leader receiving a
token of appreciation from
Club President Andy.
Family of Rovers
S PA N
SMA Celebrates 50 years
of Maritime Education and
Training
Fifty years old and still
re-inventing
itself,
SMA
opens a new hub and offers
scholarships for maritimerelated degree programmes.
T
o mark its 50th anniversary, the
Singapore Maritime Academy
(SMA) launched ‘SatCom@SMA’, an
innovation hub which comprises SingTel’s
satellite communication facilities in a
simulated maritime environment. SMA
also launched its inaugural Scholarship
Scheme for its graduates at its 50th
anniversary celebration on 19 October
2007 at Goodwood Park Hotel. The
Guest-of-Honour was none other than
Mr Raymond Lim, Minister for Transport
and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Through SatCom@SMA, in addition
to learning about the many aspects of
advanced maritime communications,
students will be exposed to the
technology being made available for
them to keep in touch easily with their
families and colleagues when they
are sailing at the far-flung corners of
the world. Shipping companies can
also train their staff at sea through
e-learning. All this is made possible
through the use of SingTel’s Maritime
VSAT (very small aperture terminal)
service.
A total of nine scholarships worth
$260,000 will be awarded to deserving
From left: Mr Tan Hang Cheong, Principal (Designate); Mr Teh Kong
Leong, SP Board Member; Minister Raymond Lim, Mr Low Wong
Fook, Principal; Mr R Sinnakaruppan, SP Board Member and
Mr Roland Tan, Director SMA at the cake cutting ceremony
SMA graduates to pursue degree
qualifications in maritime education.
To start off, three full scholarships will
be awarded yearly from Academic Year
2008 for an initial period of three years.
The function was attended by maritime
industry players, SMA staff and
spouses, and SMA alumni who took
the opportunity to network and catch
up with their friends and lecturers. The
evening ended with happy staff who
won lucky draw prizes which included
top prize - two air tickets to Hong Kong.
Students from the String Ensemble club
delivered great music pieces too.
The Scholarship Scheme is funded
by contributions from SMA staff’s
consultancy and external work for the
industry. The scholarships will be for
studies at the Maritime Institute Willem
Barentsz, Netherlands for its Bachelor of
Maritime Operations (BMO); the Bachelor
of Engineering in Naval Architecture
and Marine Engineering or a related
programme at a foreign specialised
institution; and the Bachelor of Science
in Maritime Studies at Nanyang
Technological University.
SMA has been involved in the training of
quality maritime manpower since 1957,
and has supported Singapore’s move
from being a major hub port to becoming
an international maritime centre. Many
of its alumni are now holding important
positions in the maritime industry.
Scholarship Scheme for SMA graduates
For
Awarding Institution
Course Duration
Total Course Fees
Bachelor of Science in
Maritime Studies
Course Name
1 DMTM graduate
Nanyang Technological
University (NTU)
3 yrs
S$38,000
Bachelor of Maritime
Operations
1 DNS or DMR graduate
who want a sea-going
career
Maritime Institute
Willem Barentsz,
Netherlands (MIWB)
About 1.5 yrs
S$27,500
1 DMR graduate
Foreign Specialised
Institution (FSI)
2 yrs
S$20,000
BEng Naval Architecture
and Marine Engineering
or related programme
20
For more information, please contact Ms Joey Chew at 6870 6173 or joeychew@sp.edu.sg.
Aroma, Acidity, Body and
Flavour
Can coffee be appreciated the same way
that one appreciates wine? SP Alumni’s
first coffee appreciation saw 16 alumni
from all walks of life coming together
to share a common passion – their love
for coffee. Conducted by Starbucks, the
session was held at their outlet at Capitol
Tower on Saturday, 15 September 2007.
such as fruitiness, slurped the coffee to
detect the acidity and body, and tried
to identify the flavours such as spiciness
or other added tastes such as wine or
chocolate. The coffees were also paired
with different types of food which
served to enhance the enjoyment of the
coffee.
Ms Faith Ng, the Starbucks district coffee
master, shared on the following:
• Coffee – where it is grown and
how it affects the taste.
• How different processing methods
affect the taste.
• How different roasting methods
affect the taste.
• Dimensions of coffee appreciation
– aroma, acidity, body and
flavour.
Some of the alumni who were selfconfessed coffee addicts found the
session to be useful in helping them
make future choices on the type of
coffee they would buy and how best to
make their own coffee at home. One of
the participants, Dr Lisa Ng (DBT 1993),
who works at the Genome Institute of
Singapore, told us, “I never realised
that brownies could taste so good with
Guatemala Antigua coffee.”
The participants were given the
opportunity to taste three different
coffees - Guatemala Antigua, Gazebo
Blend and Sumatra. They went through
the various steps in coffee tasting, which
actually mirrored wine tasting. They
smelled the aroma, detected the notes
Other participants, like Ms Nadine Kang
(DBA 1997) and Ms Phoebe Ewe (DBA
1997), were just so glad that they could
now attach dimensions to the different
types of coffee that they normally
enjoyed. Nadine works in Corporate
Communications at CAAS and Phoebe
S PA N
is starting at her new appointment with
IBM after taking a few months off to
take care of her newborn son, Ryan.
Phoebe, who had not attended a coffee
appreciation session until now said, “I
enjoyed the session and it was fun to
meet up with other alumni. Now I know
how to enjoy a cuppa without adding
milk/sugar/syrups etc.”
If you have interests that might lend
themselves to an appreciation session
like this one, please drop us an email
at alumni@sp.edu.sg and we will try to
organise something if there is sufficient
demand.
Congratulations to Singapore Polytechnic graduates who obtained First-class
Honours/Summa Cum Laude.
Name
SP / Year
University / Year
MM / 1986
NUS / 2007
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
(MECHANICAL ENGINEERING)
LIN WENJUN VINCENT
DE / 2002
NUS / 2007
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING (CIVIL)
SABESTION DASS
CLS / 1995
NUS / 2007
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
(CHEMICAL ENGINEERING)
TAN JUNJIE
DE / 2001
NUS / 2007
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (BUILDING)
TAN WEE KEK
SMIT / 2001
NUS / 2007
BACHELOR OF COMPUTING
(INFORMATION SYSTEMS)
TEE WEN KAI
EEE / 2001
NUS / 2007
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING (ELECTRICAL)
WONG CHEE HONG
MM / 1983
NUS / 2007
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
(MECHANICAL ENGINEERING)
SB / 2003
SMU / 2007
BACHELOR OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
BACHELOR OF ACCOUNTANCY
FOO HOONG HING
ERWIN SETIAWAN
CLS – School of Chemical & Life Sciences
DE – School of Design & the Environment
EEE – School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
MM – School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering
SB – School of Business
Course
SMIT – School of Media and Info-communications Technology
NUS – National University of Singapore
SMU – Singapore Management University
21
SPA N
CLS
Homecoming
2008
Attention all CLS alumni! Come back to SP and usher in “A
happy and healthy New Year” with friends and family.
Date: 5 Jan 2008
Time: 9:30 am to 1 pm
Venue: MLT 1
Come and listen to a talk on “Maintaining Good Health from
a TCM point of View” by fellow alumnus, Mr Seow Kwee
Yong. Mr Seow, who graduated with a Diploma in Chemical
Process in 1992, is now a qualified Traditional Chinese Medicine
practitioner.
There will be brunch provided, fund raising activities for needy
students, song dedications and networking opportunities.
Mr James Ang (MD of Creative Polymer (S) Pte Ltd & K-Plas (S)
Pte Ltd) will be sharing his passion in organic farming experience.
He has agreed to donate 200 pineapples on this day for sales.
Monies raised will be channelled to CLS needy fund.
Places are limited. Please register by 8 Dec. by contacting your
respective representatives:
•
Aw Cheong Soon at samaw@sp.edu.sg
•
Ho Thiam Aik at thiamaik@sp.edu.sg
•
Christopher Ng Chee Bing at ChrisNg@sp.edu.sg
•
Xu Weijun at xuwj@sp.edu.sg
•
Woo Wee Hong at whwoo@sp.edu.sg
•
Amos Goh Choon Ngee at amos_goh@sp.edu.sg
•
Lau Hua Huat at LauHuaHuat@sp.edu.sg
Maintaining Good
Health from a TCM
point of View
22
SPA N
MM 50th
Anniversary
Dinner
Calling all MM Alumni and friends of MM ….
J
oin in the celebrations of the School of Mechanical and
Manufacturing Engineering (MM) as it turns 50 in this
academic year 2007/08. The culmination is the grand MM
50th Anniversary Dinner to be held on 15 Feb 2008. A special
invitation is going out to all of you to join in the grand dinner to
commemorate MM’s 50 steadfast years. Details of the dinner:
Date
Time
Venue
Price of Ticket :
:
:
:
15 Feb 2008 (Friday)
6.30 pm
Raffles Town Club (Dunearn Ballroom)
$68 per pax ($680 per table)
It will be a big reunion with a few generations of MM Alumni,
past and present staff members and also current students
present. Some MM alumni will even be there with their children
who are past or current students of MM. Don’t miss this night
of warm reminiscences and the opportunity to rekindle long lost
friendships.
In its 50 years, MM has produced many successful graduates
and hence we are expecting a big turnout. To make your
evening more enjoyable, we encourage you to form tables
so that you can be together with all your friends for a night
of fun and laughter. Contact your friends now and send in
the registration form with ten names per table (on first come
first served basis). You may download the registration form
at http://www.sp.edu.sg/schools/mm/mm50dinner.doc .
We look forward to seeing you on Friday 15 Feb 2008
which happens to be in the midst of the 15-day Chinese New
Year celebration. This event is the first in 50 years. So gather
your friends now and form your tables early to avoid
disappointment. For further information, please contact
Ms Sung Ying (Tel: 68704766, Email: SungYing@sp.edu.sg)
3D Modelling using Rhinoceros 4.0 Level 1 (3 days)
Date
: 17 to 19 December 2007
Duration : 3 days (Total: 24 hrs); Mon - Wed; 9.00 am - 6.00 pm
Fee
: $786.45 (inclusive of GST)
AutoCAD 2006 Basics (2D & 3D)
Broad-based Skills Training Course (SDF Assistance)
Date
: 2 to 28 January 2008
Duration : 5 sessions (Total: 15 hrs); Mon, Wed & Fri; 6.30 pm - 9.30 pm
Fee
: $502.90 (inclusive of GST)
Basic Science of Feng Shui (35th intake)
Date
: 3 January to 27 March 2008
Duration : 24 sessions (Total: 72 hrs); Tue & Thu; 6.30 pm - 9.30 pm
Fee
: $1,819.00 (inclusive of GST)
10% discount - $1,637.10 per participant for those who register before 1 December 2007
15% discount - $1,546.15 per participant for SP Graduates
Certificate for Employment Agencies (CEA) Course
Date
: 24th intake - 14 April to 4 June 2008
25th intake - 23 June to 13 August 2008
26th intake - 24 Sep to 19 Nov 2008
Duration : 22 sessions (Total: 66 hrs); Mon, Wed & Fri; 6.30 pm - 9.30 pm
Fee
: $856.00 (inclusive of GST)
Introduction to Machine Vision Programming in Factory Automation
Date
: 10 to 15 December 2007
Duration : 5 days (Total: 40 hrs); Mon - Fri; 8.30 am - 5.30 pm
Fee
: $1,861.80 (inclusive of GST)
Science & Art of Wine
Date
: 7 January to 3 March 2008
Duration : 10 sessions (Total: 30 hrs); Mon; 7.00 pm - 10.00 pm
Fee
: $642.00 (inclusive of GST)
User Implementation of Foundation Fieldbus
Date
: 17 to 18 December 2007
Duration : 1½ days (Total: 10 hrs); Mon - Tue; 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Fee
: $856.00 (inclusive of GST)
24
Spice up Your Nails
E
xude your personality or moods
through nail art that reflects your
style! Design your nails to celebrate
that special occasion. Casey Ang, a
trained nail technician from Beau & Nailz
will teach you how to produce special
effects using only basic techniques with some designs taking as little as 30
seconds!
This two-hour hands-on workshop
introduces you to proper basic manicure
steps including cutting of cuticles, hand
massage and buffing. The workshop
will cover proper application techniques
in nail polishing and simple nail art. Get
some tips on how to keep your hands
and feet in tip-top condition. Nail polish
and tools will be provided.
Date :
Time :
Venue :
8 Dec 2007 (Sat),
10.00 am to 12.00 noon
Tulip Room, SP Staff
Centre (enter via Dover
Road Gate 3)
Calendar
(Code : SN3101)
Cost :
Min size
:
All participants will receive a 5 piece introkit which includes nail file, buff block,
orange sticks, Swarovski crystals and toe
separator.
Farm Education Tour
J
oin us in this special educational tour
to local farms: Kin Yan Agrotech, for
a whole range of organic wheatgrass
products; Jurong Frog Farm – the only
frog breeder in Singapore; and Qian
Hu Fish Farm, an integrated “onestop” ornamental fish service provider.
Transportation will be provided from SP
to the farms and back to SP.
Date :
Duration :
Meeting
Time/Place :
15 Dec 2007 (Sat).
8.30 am to 1.00 pm
8.30 am at Dept of
Student & Alumni
Affairs,
Singapore
Polytechnic Car Park M
(enter via Dover Road
Gate 1)
$15 (Alumni/Staff), $18
(Guest)
10 pax. Closing date : 4
Dec 2007
(Code : SN3102)
Cost :
Min size :
Closing date : $5 per person
(baby in arms FOC)
20 pax
10 Dec 2007
Souvenirs will be given to each participant.
For more information, please refer to
http://calendar.span.sg.
Registration Form
Activity Code: SN_______________________ Name of Alumnus:_______________________ I/C No: ____________________________
Course/Yr Graduated: ___________________________________ No. of friends/relatives attending : ______________________
Contact No: ____________ (Off) _______________ (Hp) Email:________________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*The Alumni Office reserves the right to cancel any course which has a low subscription.
*All payments are non-refundable unless the course has been cancelled or if there are no vacancies.
Please send your application accompanied by your cheque (made payable to “Singapore Polytechnic”) to: Dept. of Student &
Alumni Affairs, 500 Dover Road, S.139651. Attn: Ms Connie Ng.
For more information on the above events, please contact Connie at Tel: 67721342 or email: conniengkh@sp.edu.sg.
Data Protection Statement for Alumni
The personal data which you provide to the Polytechnic as an alumnus will be treated as strictly confidential. Such data may include
personal particulars and contact information. They will be used to facilitate the organisation of activities by the Polytechnic, your alma
mater. The personal data that we collect may also be shared with external parties where we are required to do so by law or in order
to fulfill a statutory obligation.
Department of Student & Alumni Affairs
Singapore Polytechnic
25
SP Survey
Survey on Alumni Affiliation
& Services
Dear Alumnus
To help us improve our services to you, we hope you will take five minutes of your time to answer this questionnaire.
All respondents who return complete answers will receive a gift. Please be assured that your comments will be kept
confidential. Fax back to the Alumni Office, at 67721960. Closing date: 31 Dec 07.
Name: _____________________________________ Contact no: ___________________ Email: _____________________________________
Mailing address : ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. As a graduate, how closely do you
identify with SP?
a. Closely
b. Quite closely
c. Not at all
If your answer is ‘C. Not at all’,
what is/are the reason (S)?
_________________________________
_____________________________
2. Were you an active member of any
SP Student Club while studying at
SP? If so, which club?
a. Yes
b. No
Club/s _____________________
_______________________________
3. What benefits do you see in
keeping in contact with SP and
other alumni? (You can tick more
than one)
a. Social contact with former
classmates and lecturers
b. For academic, professional and entrepreneurial information & networking
c. For SP’s services and facilities eg. Library, Continuing Education courses, F&B outlets
d. For identity and a sense of belonging
e. Others ____________________
_____________________________
4. How can SP tap on its alumni? (You
can tick more than one)
a. Sharing experiences with current
students
b. Providing industrial projects and collaborations
c. Providing industrial training or jobs for students & alumni
d. Raising funds for scholarships and charity
e. Others ____________________
_____________________________
5. Which of the following would
you be interested in? (You can tick
more than one)
a. Sharing experiences at student assemblies and events
b. Networking activities like
reunions and talks on self-
development
c. Sporting activities like Poly 50 or friendly matches
d. Talks/seminars on further education
e. Overseas business trips
f. Mentoring students in professional/entrepreneurship activities
g. Industrial projects and collaborations
h. Providing industrial training or jobs for students or alumni
i. Fund-raising for scholarships and charity eg. Charity Golf
j. Serving in alumni groups/
chapters
k. Others ____________________
_____________________________
6. Which of the following services/
events have you used or
participated in? (You can tick
more than one)
a. Reunion/homecoming
b. Fund raising
c. Alumni Directory
d. Alumni Updates
e. Alumni card
f. SP Library
g. SP Career Portal/Job Fairs
h. Alumni Special Interest Groups (ASIGs) eg Toastmasters, Rovers
i. Registered Alumni groups - SPEC, SPIMA, SPGG
j. Alumni Scholarship Awards
k. SP Diploma Accreditations
l. UOB-SP Alumni Platinum Card
m.SP-wide events - Poly 50, River
Raft Race
n. Others ____________________
_____________________________
7. In addition to the above services/
events, which of the following
services/events would you be
interested in? (You can tick more
than one)
a. Alumni email
b. Overseas Alumni Chapter
c. Online forum
d. Online Business Directory
e. Blogs
f. Others ____________________
_____________________________
8. SPAN News aims to keep you in
touch with SP and with other
alumni. It is published twice in
magazine format and twice in
The Straits Times as a one-page
supplement for wider outreach.
Would you still like to receive free
copies of SPAN News?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Can’t decide now
9. Would you prefer to be sent a
shortened online version of SPAN
News every two months?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Can’t decide now
10. Which section of the SPAN News
do you like to read? (You can tick
more than one)
a. SPMention (Happenings in SP)
b. SPotlight (Success stories of Alumni)
c. SPAN (Alumni activities/
Highlights of Academic Schools)
d. Calendar of Events
e. Continuing education courses offered by SP
f. SP Job News
11. What OTHER types of news/articles
would you like to see in future
SPAN News publications?
a. Lifestyle - Home décor, travel news, book reviews, recipes ___________________________
b. Hobbies - car racing, sports, ___________________________
c. Dining - features on new restaurants, discounts)
d. Job ads
e. Others (pls specify): _______
_____________________________
Thank you for your time. For any
queries, email annaneo@sp.edu.sg
27
SPotlight
Pang Sin Wah
Finds the
Best Way
to Upgrade
“The B.Tech lecturers were kind,
patient and understanding and
were able to handle many tough
questions that we posed to
them.”
Y
ou have a diploma from SP and
after working for a few years, it
is time to think about that degree
you have always wanted. Not for any
esoteric reason but just to make sure
that you are not totally left behind in the
fast-evolving business world. You have
two options: to go overseas as a fulltime student or to sign up locally for a
distance-learning course as a part-time
student.
For Pang Sin Wah (MM 1986), both
options were unattractive. He discloses:
“The first option would have been too
much of a financial burden and the
He is especially
satisfied as his
B.TECH degree in
Manufacturing
Engineering has
been accredited by
the Institution of
Mechanical Engineers
(UK) to the Master of
Engineering level.
28
second lacks academic credibility. I was
left with no choice but to wait for a local
reputable university to open its doors to
a student like me.” When the B.TECH
Programme was launched by NUS in
1995, he was among the first to enroll in
the programme.
Sin Wah appreciated very much the
flexible modular curriculum structure of
the B.TECH courses, which was specially
designed for working polytechnic
graduates like him. It allows students
to study at their own pace without
having to give up their full-time jobs.
Classes are all conducted in the evenings
and the students have the flexibility to
complete the course within a minimum
and maximum period, making it smoothsailing for students who have to juggle
work and family commitments.
The four-year course was also
comparatively very affordable at $30,000.
If he had quit his job and gone overseas,
in addition to a much higher cost of living
and tuition fees, the loss of a few years
of salary would have easily set him back
by another $100,000.
Studying for his B.TECH degree proved
to be a great challenge for Sin Wah as he
had to juggle between study, family and
work especially when his job required
him to travel as well. “There was
always not enough time to do anything.
Completing my coursework and day-time
job assignments was always a challenge.
At the same time, I have to spend time
with my family.” Still, he found that
life in the university was a pleasant
experience.
He felt a very strong sense of
accomplishment when he graduated
with no less than a second class upper
honours degree in four years. He is
especially satisfied as his B.TECH degree
in Manufacturing Engineering has
been accredited by the Institution of
Mechanical Engineers (UK) to the Master
of Engineering level. Plus, NUS has been
ranked Eighth among the world’s top
engineering and IT universities by the
Times Higher Education Supplement of
the UK.
Sin Wah is extremely glad that he
enrolled in the B.TECH course at NUS. He
is the first to admit that his new found
knowledge and degree has helped him
to make significant progress in his career
as he was given many opportunities
by his company. After he obtained
his B.TECH degree, he found a more
challenging job as Regional Manager
for Future Electronics. Recently, he was
promoted to be Director of the company
and is the team leader spearheading
the Supply Chain Solutions team. He is
also blessed with a wonderful wife and
a son. What more can a man ask for?
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