Kahler Slater opens office in Singapore - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Six years ago, with investment in health care facilities declining in the United States, Milwaukee architectural and design firm Kahler Slater Inc. tapped into the market in Singapore.

In a sign that investment is paying off, Kahler Slater opened a permanent office in Singapore in September.

The company made its Singapore debut in 2007 with the $1.3 billion redevelopment of National University Hospital Medical Center and National University Cancer Institute. Work on that project is expected to end in July, when the 1 million-square-foot hospital opens.

Recently, Kahler Slater partnered with Singapore-based Consultants Incorporated Architects Planners – better known as CIAP – to add the Yishun Community Hospital and the Geriatric Education and Research Institute to its portfolio. The 10-story, 700,000-square-foot center housing the two organizations is expected to open in June 2015.

Through its partnership with CIAP, Kahler Slater plans to pursue work in Malasia, Myanmar, Indonesia and China.

Kahler Slater is a 105-year-old company that specializes in health care, higher education, corporate, hospitality and recreation facilities.

“It’s a profession where firms are looking to diversify, so they’re not vulnerable to regional or national downturns that we’ve seen in the U.S. in the last five to six years,” said Kermit Baker, chief economist at the American Institute of Architects in Washington. “I’m guessing their strategy is to try and work off of the projects they currently have in Singapore, and then demonstrate their credibility as an expert within that international area.”

The company’s three-person Singapore team targets health care and higher education markets. Jim Rasche, who leads the office, is the firm’s co-CEO, along with George Meyer, who works in the Milwaukee office.

“I think Kahler Slater has made one of the largest investments in Singapore, in terms of other international firms,” Rasche said. “It’s a matter of showing that we are here and committed.”

Singapore is an island no wider than the distance from Pewaukee to Lake Michigan, nestled at Malaysia’s southern tip. As a former British colony, all business is done in English. It’s become a destination for non-Asian company headquarters such as Johnson Controls, Harley-Davidson, Snap-on and Manitowoc Co.

Christian Bartley, chief executive officer at World Trade Center Wisconsin, said a lot of large companies locate in Singapore because it’s a regional hub and strong financial and business center that has proximity to different Asia-Pacific countries.

“It’s important to be closer to the customer because it shows that your company is invested in the region,” said Bartley. “It is smart business.”

According to a 2011 study conducted by European Chamber of Commerce and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, Singapore is attractive to non-Asian offices because of its stable political environment and desire to increase industry competition while focusing on creativity and innovation.

In striving to be a world-class economy, Singapore invests in large capital projects costing $100 million to $300 million, Meyer said.

Its economy is expected to grow by 2.8% in 2013, with construction projected at 5%, according to a quarterly survey released in March.

In 2009, Singapore’s construction sector led growth by 16.2%, according to a 2010 country report. The U.S. dollar is also stronger in Singapore, so signed contracts increase in value.

Unlike in the United States, where 80% of architectural requests for proposals do not include preliminary designs, the Singapore Ministry of Health requires it, along with research and an interview. The process can take up to eight months, Meyer said.

Singapore’s culture values sustainability because of the nation’s proximity to the equator, its tropical climate and heavy rain. Rasche said Kahler Slater’s design proposals cater to the region’s appreciation for the preservation of greenery, natural ventilation and water conservation technology.

U.S.-based clients benefit from the materials and design inspiration Kahler Slater gleans from Singapore culture, as well.

“From a health care planning point of view, we’ve been able to show the way Singapore and other countries think about how intensive care units and surgeries should be organized,” Meyer said. “We’re showing those to our clients, and they’re seeing how they can change operations in a new way.”

Kahler Slater opens office in Singapore - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Singapore-like underwater tunnel aquarium in city

For the first in the country, an Underwater Tunnel Aquarium and Entertainment and Leisure Park is going to come up in Hyderabad at Budvel near the Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University in Rajendra Nagar soon.

The park will have an underwater tunnel aquarium, indoor sky diving, indoor gaming zone, musical and laser water fountain, drive-in theatre, resort and spa, water park, seal stadium, roller coaster, wax museum, 7D theatre, a dinosaur park and an underwater restaurant bar. 

The project, costing about Rs 100 crore, will be taken up in Swiss challenge method on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis in public-private partnership (PPP). The state tourism and culture department has invited requests for proposal (RFP) from  developers and consortia for taking up the project in a 30-acre land at Budvel. The department has already received a suo motu proposal from a developer in this regard.

Speaking to Express, Project Monitoring Unit escort officer Y.Satyanarana said the underwater tunnel aquarium would be the first of its kind in the country. Such aquariums exist in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

He said Budvel was selected for the project as it is a fast-growing township near ANGRAU and is 1 km away from the Outer Ring Road. It is at a distance of about 10 km from the Central Financial District in Nanakramguda. The last date for receipt of bids is May 25 and the bids will be opened on the same evening.

The land for the project will be provided to the developer on a lease for 33 years (including construction period). At the end of the concession period the project should be transferred to the tourism department.  Apart from construction, the developer will be required to operate, manage and maintain the project as per the best practices.

One developer, Big Blue Entertainment Leisures Pvt Ltd, has submitted a suo motu proposal to the state government for development of the project in the name of recreation, adventure, amusement and entertainment activities on a brownfield site.

The company has submitted a detailed proposal along with the details of technical and financial capabilities of the consortium members and proposed project structures for implementation. The department has invited counter proposals from interested and eligible bidders for this project. The bidder with the best counter proposal will be considered as qualifying bidder.

Satyanarayana said the tourism department has put the proposal for bidding under Swiss Challenge format to have transparent procurement and competitive price discovery in awarding the project on PPP basis. It has appointed Tanikella Integrated Consultants Pvt Ltd. (TICL) as the management consultants for undertaking the transparent bid process.

Major attractions

■ Underwater tunnel aquarium

■ Indoor sky diving

■ Indoor gaming zone

■ Musical laser water fountain

■ Drive-in theatre

■ 7D theatre

■ Resort and spa

■ Water park

■ Dinosaur park

■ Seal stadium

■ Roller-coaster

■ Wax museum

■ Underwater restaurant bar

Singapore-like underwater tunnel aquarium in city

Banks in Singapore jettison rich clients as tax evasion crackdown looms

Banks in Singapore are urgently scrutinizing their account holders as an imminent deadline on stricter tax evasion measures forces them to decide whether to send some of their wealthiest clients packing.

The Southeast Asian city-state has grown into the world’s fourth-biggest offshore financial centre but, with U.S. and European regulators on the hunt for tax cheats, the government is clamping down to forestall the kind of onslaught from foreign authorities that is now hitting Switzerland’s banks.

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Before July 1, all financial institutions in Singapore must identify accounts they strongly suspect hold proceeds of fraudulent or willful tax evasion and, where necessary, close them. After that, handling the proceeds of tax crimes will be a criminal offence under changes to the city-state’s anti-money laundering law.

“Because of banking secrecy, Singapore used to be an attractive place to put money if you didn’t want the authorities back home to know about it,” said Erik Wilgenhof Plante, head of compliance at Germany’s DZ Privatbank in Singapore.

“That has left legacy problems for some banks.”

Singapore officials have said the city-state’s secrecy rules were aimed at safeguarding investors’ legitimate interest in privacy and did not mean it was a haven for illicit funds. The tighter rules are intended to fall in line with new global standards announced last year that treat tax crimes as a money-laundering offence.

Bankers may now feel compelled to give up some of the lucrative accounts that have fuelled a boom in Singapore’s assets under management to more than $1-trillion (642.05 billion pounds), with 50 per cent growth in the five years to 2011, according to the latest government data.

But as the centre for managing wealth in fast-growing Asia, and with more millionaires per capita than any other country, Singapore’s pain from the purge is likely to be short-lived and the gains long-lasting.

“Having a more robust framework against illicit money flows is a fillip for Singapore,” said Deepak Sharma, chairman of Citi Private Bank Singapore and co-chair of the Private Banking Industry Group. “I think Singapore’s size and reputation as a clean and efficient global financial hub will grow.”

While banks do not have to check that their clients are fully compliant with all their tax obligations, they must check if there are reasons to suspect the accounts contain the proceeds of serious tax offences such as fraudulent or wilful tax evasion.

Identifying high-risk accounts will be a challenge, although most banks have a red-flag system to help guide them. Examples of red flags include clients who use complex corporate structures to hold their wealth and those who bank almost all of their assets in Singapore when they have no other business or personal interests in the city-state.

‘REPUTATIONAL RISK’

Singapore has already faced accusations from politicians in Europe that, as the veil of secrecy over Switzerland is lifted, wealthy tax evaders are shifting their money to Southeast Asia.

It has gone some way to countering that perception by signing close to 40 agreements with other countries about the exchange of tax information in the past three years. In 2009, it moved off the anti-tax avoidance “grey list” of countries kept by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

But Singapore’s image as an alternative to Switzerland for hiding money was not helped by the case this year of France’s former budget minister Jerome Cahuzac, who admitted to having an undeclared foreign bank account last month.

French media reports said Mr. Cahuzac transferred €1-million ($1.3-million U.S.) from a UBS account to another Swiss bank, Reyl Cie. That account was then closed in 2010 and its contents sent to a Reyl Cie account in Singapore where half a million euros still sat.

Clients like Mr. Cahuzac will soon become less welcome.

“Many of these accounts have been giving us loads of money over the years,” said one European banker, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the topic. “Now we have to decide if we need to terminate that relationship.”

Banks in Singapore already have strict controls to guard against handling money from crimes such as drug trafficking and corruption but have never had a legal obligation to report on tax evaders – unlike rival financial centre Hong Kong.

From July 1, banks suspected of abetting tax evasion or having insufficient controls to prevent it can face hefty fines, criminal charges and even the loss of their licences.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has issued guidelines saying banks must identify and review all existing “high-risk” accounts before the deadline and “discontinue the relationship” where appropriate. Banks will have until June 30, 2014, to review their remaining accounts.

Even if banks cannot determine for sure that a client is wilfully trying to flout tax rules, they may opt to close accounts they feel “may potentially bring about reputational risk,” said Kwok Wui San, a partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Many of the major private banks, including UBS AG, have already set up special task forces to train their staff and prepare for a change in mindset to accompany the new rules.

OASIS FOR THE RICH

The new measures are part of a delicate balancing act by Singapore, which by 2020 could overtake world leader Switzerland in the volume of offshore assets it manages, research firm WealthInsight forecast last month.

The authorities are keen to ensure the city-state is not seen as a tax haven for the wealthy from Europe, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and elsewhere without dulling its allure as an oasis for the rich, replete with casinos, luxury properties and high-end boutiques and restaurants.

More than 70 per cent of Singapore’s S$1.34-trillion ($1.08-trillion) in assets under management at the end of 2011 came from overseas, an MAS survey showed.

Singapore sees a cautionary tale in Switzerland, where an image as catering to tax evaders and a zealous drive by cash-strapped Western governments to track down unpaid taxes set the stage for a witch hunt against its banks.

“Because of the exponential growth of the number of private banks in Singapore, the MAS is stepping up and making sure it is ahead of the curve and does not become a haven for illicit money,” said Andrew Chow, a partner at local law firm Wong Partnership.

Industry professionals expect the banks to take the effort at ferreting out tax dodgers seriously and to start flagging them to the authorities from July 1.

“As banks trawl through their existing client base, I suspect there will initially be a spike in the number of suspicious transaction reports being filed,” said Eric Chan, a partner at law firm Drew and Napier.

New foreign clients may find that banks become far more picky and inquisitive as the change in mindset takes hold.

“The good old times in Singapore are over,” said the European banker. “We don’t need that dirty money any ore.”

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Banks in Singapore jettison rich clients as tax evasion crackdown looms

Malaysia coalition extends rule in tight election

By Yantoultra Ngui and Siva Sithraputhran

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s governing coalition won a tight national election on Sunday to extend its 56-year rule, fending off an opposition alliance that pledged to clean up politics and end race-based policies in Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy.

As counting went late into the night, the fractious multiracial opposition proved unable to unseat one of the world’s longest-serving governments and pull off what would have been the biggest election upset in Malaysia’s history.

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The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), or National Front, passed 112 seats, giving it a simple majority in the 222-seat national parliament. The opposition alliance had 60 seats.

With more than two-thirds of seat results confirmed, it remained to be seen if Prime Minister Najib Razak would receive a strong enough mandate to continue gradual reforms aimed at boosting investment and easing authoritarian laws.

He is under pressure to improve on the coalition’s worst-ever result, recorded at the last election in 2008 when it won 140 seats and lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority. Failure to do so could weaken his leadership, unnerving investors and raising uncertainty over policy in the multi-ethnic nation of 28 million people.

“I hope the opposition accepts the result with an open heart and will allow the democratic process to continue,” Najib told a news conference.

The opposition retained economically important Penang state as its leader Anwar Ibrahim sought to build on stunning gains in 2008, when it took over four state governments and deprived the BN of its two-thirds parliamentary majority.

It also claimed to have retained the crucial industrial state of Selangor, which Najib had vowed to win back, although that could not be confirmed with election officials.

The ruling coalition had been expected to win, but opinion polls showed a tightening race with Najib struggling to translate strong economic growth and a deluge of social handouts into votes.

The possibility of a disputed result loomed large amid opposition claims of widespread election fraud. Before most votes were counted, Anwar declared victory in a surprise statement that appeared to be a tactic to whip up support.

“PR has won,” Anwar wrote on his Twitter account, urging the ruling party and the country’s Election Commission “not to attempt to hijack the results”.

Election officials said voter turnout was about 80 percent, a record high.

The campaign heated up in recent days with Anwar accusing the coalition of flying up to 40,000 “dubious” voters, including foreigners, across the country to vote in close races. The government says it was merely helping voters get to home towns.

The 2008 result signalled a breakdown in traditional politics as minority ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indians, as well as many majority Malays, rejected the National Front’s brand of race-based patronage that has ensured stability but led to corruption and widening inequality.

Partial results from Sunday’s election suggested that the trend of ethnic Chiense deserting the BN had accelerated, with the opposition Chinese party chalking up significant seat gains in the BN stronghold of southern Johor state. (Additional reporting by the Reuters Kuala Lumpur bureau; Writing by Stuart Grudgings and Niluksi Koswanage; Editing by Jason Szep and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Malaysia coalition extends rule in tight election

48 Hours in Singapore: A "Biyahe ni Drew" itinerary

With its unique ethnic tapestry, Singapore has long been one of the top tourist attractions in Southeast Asia.

This city-state offers visitors a wide range of sightseeing and culinary opportunities. Just like any other trip abroad, an adventure to Singapore would entail much preparation and a little bit more cash. But don’t fret, budget traveller! Drew has got you covered.

Quick Facts

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  Singapore’s national symbol is the merlion—a mythical creature with the body of a fish and the head of a lion. Its name combines “mer,” meaning the sea, and “lion.” The fish body represents Singapore’s origin as a fishing village, while the lion head represents Singapore’s original name of Singapura or “Lion City.”

  
  
  


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  Singapore’s Changi Airport was dubbed the “World’s Best Airport” in the 2013 Airport Awards.

  
  
  

How to get there

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  Get yourself to Singapore. We booked a three-hour flight with our exclusive partner: Cebu Pacific Air! They’re a budget airline that offers great discounts all year round. Their regular rate for Manila-Singapore is about P8,000, round-trip and inclusive of taxes. During their seat sales, this can drop to around P4,000.

  
  
  

Cebu Pacific Air’s seat sales sell out fast, so follow them on Facebook and Twitter to get a heads up on their promos.

Here’s a tip: To avoid the usual airport crowd, we recommend you to book a flight from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport at Clark, Pampanga instead. It’s only a one-hour trip by car from Manila!

Where to stay

Drew’s tipid tip: When looking for hotels abroad, check for options at agoda.com. Booking hotels through their site can give you up to a 50 percent discount! They also have an app you can download to your mobile device.

Drew recommends: Rendezvous Grand Hotel | Bras Basah Road

While shooting, the ‘Biyahe ni Drew’ production team checked into the Rendezvous Grand Hotel. This 4.5-star hotel’s interiors boast an elegant blend of local heritage and contemporary design. Each room comes with air-conditioning, a mini-bar, free wi-fi and—get this—a bathroom equipped with its own control system! You can adjust your toilet seat’s temperature and even make use of its automatic cleaning feature.

The hotel is also conveniently located in the heart of Singapore’s commercial and cultural district. You may opt to walk or to take cab going to top tourist attractions like Orchard Road, Chinatown, Little India, Suntec City, Esplanade, Fort Canning and the National Museum of Singapore. Two subways stations are also located within walking distance from the hotel.

A solo bedroom can cost you up to P24,000, but if you book through Agoda, you can get one for as low as P9,000.

Gusti Bed Breakfast | Penhas Road

On a budget? Why not stay at Gusti Bed Breakfast instead? It provides guests with a homey atmosphere for only 10 to 30 SGD per person, or P300 to P900.

Adler Hostel | Chinatown

If you’re the kind of tourist that appreciates history, we recommend that you check in at Adler Hostel. Singapore’s “first luxury hostel” used to be pawnshop. The owners even converted the pawnshop’s old vault into a room! They call it “The Vault.”

You can stay here for one night at 60 to 70 SGD per person, or P2,000 to P2,350 per head.

What to see

Marina Bay Sands

The Marina Bay Sands is a world-class luxury hotel and casino renowned for its Sands SkyPark. Non-hotel guests can dine in their luxury restaurants and bars, but only those checked-in have access to the famous Infinity Pool. From afar, the hotel resembles a yacht.

Esplanade

With architecture that resembles a microphone, the Esplanade is truly a sight to behold. It is one of Singapore’s performing arts venues, regularly featuring local and international performances.

Merlion Park

Here you will find the world-famous statue of the merlion. There’s no entrance fee, so you can go sightseeing and take pictures to your heart’s content.

What to do

Go on a walking tour

Are you a sucker for history? Then we suggest you join one of the walking tours at www.yoursingapore.com.

“Yes, take this!” Drew says, recommending the experience to tourist families. Tour guides will give you everything you need to know about Singapore’s past, complete with pictures!

Tickets for adults cost 15 SGD or P501, while tickets for children cost 12 SGD or P401.

Become “British”

If Filipinos sleep and have their siesta at 3 p.m., Singaporeans take out their porcelain cups and enjoy their tea. This is a custom that locals have picked up from their British colonizers, who occupied Singapore between the 16th and 19th centuries. A good number of restaurants and hotels in Singapore offer customers the traditional beverage.

Drew says tea is best enjoyed with finger foods like sandwiches, scones and pastries.

Drink the Singapore Sling in Clarke Quay

No trip to the Lion City is complete without tasting the national cocktail—the Singapore Sling. It was originally created by Hainanese bartender Ngiam Tong Boon for the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel, Singapore. Other bars in the country offer variations of the drink too.

The cocktail is usually a mixture of gin, brandy, orange or pineapple juice, lime juice and a dash of clear soda.

You can enjoy a glass for around 16 SGD or P535. (Biyahero Tip: “Clarke Quay” is pronounced as “Clark-Kee.”)

Ride the G-MAX

Not a big drinker but still looking for a night time adventure? Get on the G-MAX, a reverse bungee ride that will shoot you through the Singaporean skyline. Definitely the best way to get an adrenaline rush in Singapore!

“What is the real definition of a night out in Singapore?” Drew asks. “Drinking? No. Exposing your deepest, darkest secrets while drinking with your friends? No…You drink, and then you ride the G-MAX!”

You and a friend can experience the human slingshot for only P1,500.

Where to eat

Singapore Food Trail | Raffles Avenue

The Singapore Food Trail is a 600-seater foodie’s heaven with the nostalgic feel and charm of Singapore in the 1960’s. Delight your taste buds with local dishes like sambal stingray smothered with shrimp paste and rojak, a fruit, vegetable and pastry dish topped with crushed peanuts. You can also choose from a wide range of noodle dishes. Down all that with a glass of Singapore’s own sago’t gulaman, the Bird’s Nest.

Budget: 5-8 SGD/dish

Chinatown

Of course, a stay in Singapore wouldn’t be complete without enjoying a plate of the classic Hainanese Chicken Rice. Both the meat and rice are cooked in chicken broth, giving the dish its world-famous savoury taste.

“Find the long line and you’ll find the best Hainanese Chicken Rice,” says Drew.

Budget: P800 for 6 persons

What to buy for pasalubong

Bak kwa | Chinatown
A bag of Singaporean sliced pork or bak kwa will sure to make your friends and family back home happy. Bak kwa is a salty-sweet dried meat product similar to jerky, cut into flat thin sheets.

You can buy bak kwa in two establishments in Chinatown: in Bee Cheng Hang, which has other branches all over Singapore, and in Lim Chee Guan, which has been selling sliced pork since 1938.

Drew’s Budget

Transportation (excluding airfare): P668.20

Accommodations: P2,004.60

Food: P1,670.50

Activities: P2,539.16

Pasalubong: P835.25

Total: P7,717.71

—Mara Cepeda/CT/PF, GMA News

48 Hours in Singapore: A "Biyahe ni Drew" itinerary

Dengue cases near 6000 mark

The number of dengue cases in Singapore is quickly approaching the 6,000 mark, with over 5,800 cases reported so far this year.

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A worker fogs a housing estate in Singapore. (AFP/Roslan Rahman)

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SINGAPORE: The number of dengue cases in Singapore is quickly approaching the 6,000 mark, with over 5,800 cases reported so far this year.

Housing estates that are not dengue hotspots are determined to keep it that way.

Grassroots leader Kholyn Suarez, who is leading her troop of grassroots volunteers in the fight against Aedes mosquitoes, is telling residents to keep watch even though Sembawang Division is not a dengue hotspot.

Lending firepower to the effort is National Development Minister and Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC, Khaw Boon Wan.

A door-to-door approach has been taken to remind people to rid their premises of conducive breeding conditions for Aedes mosquitoes.

“It’s one of the best solutions where we can also inform everyone what’s going on and what to do about it, especially nowadays we have a lot of dengue cases. So, one of the things maybe we can help is educate and inform them,” said Kholyn Suarez, grassroots leader from Sembawang Zone ‘F’ Residents’ Committee. 

Residents have also been given mosquito patches to drive away mosquitoes.

Two dengue cases have so far been reported in Sembawang Division’s Zone ‘F’.

Resident Deen Jehabaideen said: ”We have to do our part and it’s very important to let other people know, from their part, what they can do to avoid this dengue case.”

Sembawang Division’s grassroots leaders intend to cover as many of the 120-odd blocks of flats as possible to spread the message that dengue prevention is better than cure.

- CNA/ir

Dengue cases near 6000 mark

Wild About Nature: Nature groups catching on in Singapore - The Straits Times

Youth for Ecology members include (back row, from left) Ruth Ng, 19, Eric Bea, 19, Huang Xinyuan, 19, and Moira Low, 18, and focus group participants (front row, from left) Samuel Chan, 21, Joanna Hioe, 23, Pearlyn Sim, 19, and Rocky Howe, 19. The focus group discussions centred on what young people want for the environment and Singapore’s future. — ST PHOTO: DIOS VINCOY JR

Wild About Nature: Nature groups catching on in Singapore - The Straits Times