Tuesday, March 27, 2012

蔡振杰 Chua Chin Kiat

Chua Chin Kiat completed his pre-university 2 in 1971 at Catholic High School and was awarded the President Scholarship in the following year. He graduated with a First Class Honours in Bachelor of Science (Computer Science and Mathematics) from the University of Aston in 1975 on a President-cum-SAF Scholarship. He joined the Singapore Police Force in 1977.

Since assuming the post of Director of Prisons in 1998, Mr Chua has been instrumental in the dynamic transformation of the Singapore Prisons Service. Challenging mindset and old ways of doing things, his "Captains of Life" vision changed the mindset of Prisons officers from one of being custodians of prisoners to captains of change – to turn offenders into responsible and contributing citizens.
Under his leadership, the Singapore Prison Service introduced several breakthrough initiatives such as the Yellow Ribbon Project, the Community Action for the Rehabilitation of Ex-Offenders (CARE) network, the establishment of Kaki Bukit Centre (KBC) as a Prison School, the introduction of the Rehabilitation Framework for inmates and virtual prison visits. Through his efforts, the Singapore Prison Service is today among the world’s most progressive prison systems with impressive results for their rehabilitation initiatives.

He is currently the Chairman of Centre for Enabled Living, Singapore.

He recently published a book titled "The Making of Captains of Lives - Prison Reform in Singapore: 1999 to 2007" which tells a story of successful prison reform that brought the recidivism rate of prisoners down from 44% to 24%. In the process of this reform, the entire Prison Service was transformed from a custody focused mindset to a rehabilitation centred culture. This change was wrought despite the lack of enthusiasm of the then political leadership.

He describes his personal role in the reform effort, the methodology used to engender change in organizational culture and the struggles for the soul of the prison service and the hearts and minds of all those involved. These include organizations involved in the aftercare of ex-offenders, volunteers who came forward to assist in the efforts and the families and employers of offenders and ex-offenders. The journey ends with the Yellow Ribbon Project that now embodies the rehabilitative efforts for ex-offenders.

The Making of Captains of Lives is a personal account of a public sector leader who has helped built a highly efficient prison system in Singapore, providing a strong case study for successful change management and public sector leadership. It will encourage the hearts of all those civil servants who believe in serving their nations and societies by devoting themselves to a worthy cause in their day-to-day work.

Contents:
  • My Entry
  • My Initial Steps
  • The Lead-up to Visioning
  • Visioning
  • Re-visioning
  • The Prison School
  • The Rehabilitation Framework
  • Strategy to Achieve Vision
  • The First Initiatives
  • Overcoming Resistance from Within
  • Corporate Image Campaign
  • Yellow Ribbon Project
  • Some Insights into Rehabilitation
  • End of Tenure
  • The Leadership Model
  • Epilogue
 
“Chua Chin Kiat's clear-mindedness about what needed to be done and his dogged determination to get it done have transformed the way our prisons impact our prisoners. Other prison services study how their officers too can be ‘Captains of Lives’! Our prisoners owe a large debt of gratitude to him.

This is a story that is still unfolding. The balance between security and rehabilitation; resources and needs; what is desirable and what is achievable; being tough and showing a soft touch are issues that will confront any Prison Directors. This book should inspire and energise our prison officers to press on resolutely with the task of reforming our prisoners, to inject hope in their lives, supported by committed volunteers and buoyed by strong community support.”
Professor Ho Peng Kee
Former Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Law and
the Ministry of Home Affairs

“Mr Chua is a visionary, a strategist, a learning organisation expert, a father-figure, a mentor, and a true servant leader. We need more leaders like him. Evidence of his leadership is clearly shown in The Making of Captains of Lives.”
Mr Jason Wong
Senior Director, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports &
Former Deputy Director of Prisons


Saturday, March 17, 2012

Han Tan Juan 韩山元

韩山元1955年毕业于公教中学附小

韩山元1942年生于马来亚(今马来西亚)半岛柔佛州。现为新加坡公民。1949年,他随母回海南岛,在乡下念小学,1951年返新加坡。1955年毕业于公教中学附小,1962年毕业于中正中学高中部.韩山元曾任《知识报》、《民报》编辑兼记者.1983年起任《联合晚报》编辑兼记者,后任副刊部代主任。1996年年中调到《联合早报》任执行级记者兼编辑。20045月底,退而不休,继续活跃于文教界,并报读厦门大学历史系硕士班。他也活跃于社,1985年起担任新加坡海南会馆理事,现为该会馆文教部主任。

2012317日《联合早报》于言论版交流站发表了题为《我们有双语优势吗》的短文,其中提到“我曾参加过母校公教中学校友会纪念特刊的编撰工作,征稿时收到很多公教中学高中毕业的校友,有在军界、警界、商界、各政府部门担任高级职务的学弟,写来的是英文稿,问他们为什么不用华文,回答是:华文写不出来了。”。

希望校友读后提醒自己,我们的终身学习一直应该是“双轨”之旅啊。

韩山元:我们有双语优势吗?
常常听人说:新加坡有双语优势,但是现实生活告诉我们,新加坡实际上是单语强势的社会,真正通晓双语的人其实很少,精通双语的人才更是难求。

很多华人会讲华语,但那是日常生活会用到的简单华语,到小贩中心点食物、咖啡店叫茶用得上,但是谈论国家大事、民生或人文历史的话题。很多受过中等或以上教育的华人就很难用华语表达,换言之,他们的华语是文化含量很低的巴刹华语

最近发生了好多事件,一再告诉我们,新加坡的双语水平是一高一低,高者并不高到哪里去,低者则低到词不达意,不知所云,让人啼笑皆非。
马林百列市镇会日前在乌美1道第319座组屋升降机旁,张贴了一张中英文告示,提醒宠物主人要清理宠物在公共场所留下的排泄物。这张告示的中文有漏字和语句不通等。短短两行字,错误竟达10处。这张告示海报从制作、印刷到张贴,过了一关又一关,竟然没有人看出那么明显的疏漏和错误,难道马林百列市镇会的人都是华文的文盲?他们没有接受过双语教育吗?
再说说近年来华人社团为了自我更新,引进了一些专业人士当理事,他们讲方言与华语都是词不够用,讲三两句就死火,只好转换波道,改用英语。我知道,有个会馆的理事会开会,竟然以英语为第一语文,有些理事几乎是完全不会讲华语。他们在学校不是有学华文的吗?

新加坡越来越多工商企业,明明是华人开办经营的,却没有华文名,我接触过这样的只有英文名的公司的老板,问他为什么没有华文名?回答竟然是有个华文名就显得土里土气。的确,很多没有华文名的公司照样赚钱发财。我认识几个来自中国的商人,他们的公司都只有英文名,没有中文名,我问他们为什么?回答是入乡随俗。这些公司的老板和执行人员的名片,全都把华文驱逐,只见横行的豆芽,不见方块

许多原来在传统华校(从小学到中学)接受母语教育的成功人士,到了社会上工作、经商或当官之后,就自废华文武功,华语还能讲,华文文章不能写。我曾参加过母校公教中学校友会纪念特刊的编撰工作,征稿时收到很多公教中学高中毕业的校友,有在军界、警界、商界、各政府部门担任高级职务的学弟,写来的是英文稿,问他们为什么不用华文,回答是:华文写不出来了。
学了12年华文,最后是将华文荒废,这是不是一种教育的耗损呢?能全怪这些弃华文不用的成功人士吗?一个很现实的问题是:他们离开学校也就离开华文,在工作中几乎完全用不到华文,十几二十年下来,华文早已经生锈,不能再用了。
他们的子女看到老爸老妈弃华文不用(因为没有用的必要),能看得起华文吗?他们愿意步老爸老妈的后尘吗?我的一名老同学说:我也希望孩子能掌握华文,极力鼓励他们学好华文,他们问我一句话:学了华文将来像你一样把它丢掉,学来做什么?我哑口无言了。
这就是我们面对的现实问题,我不能不担心,我们只是抽象强调华文重要,但是具体做法上则是华文可有可无。如果这个局面没有扭转,我们哪有什么双语优势?

双语政策绝对是好,建立双语优势完全有必要,但将双语政策落实到行动中最重要。双语教育的成功不仅仅是看学生在学校学习双语的成绩如何,更看学生离开学校之后有没有继续使用双语,如果在学校学双语,离开学校就变成单语者,双语教育的成功就要大大打折扣了。

双语政策尚未成功,国人仍需努力。

(上文发表于2012317日《联合早报》言论版交流站.