Adequate supply of water 'even if population hits 6.5m'

DRINK and be merry, because Singapore's water needs are well provided for.

That was the message yesterday from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, which said the island has more than enough water resources to cope with an expanding population.

'Even if the population hits 6.5 million, we will have adequate supply to cater to the people and the needs of industries,' said Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment and Water Resources.

Set by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the 6.5 million figure is used as a 'planning parameter' to guide development strategies.

Dr Khor said the healthy state of the Singapore water supply is down to 'careful planning and design', helped in no small part by Newater, the country's fourth so-called 'national tap'.

The other three 'taps' are the local catchment areas, imports from Malaysia and desalinated water.

Described as the 'Singapore success story' by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Newater will supply some 30 per cent of the island's water needs by 2011, double the original target of 15 per cent set for 2010.

The new target was announced last week at the opening of the fourth and largest Newater plant here at Ulu Pandan.

More than 300 companies use Newater, not just for industry but also for air-conditioners and toilets.

But Singapore's success is in stark contrast to water problems faced by countries worldwide. According to the United Nations, 20 per cent of the world's population face water shortages. This number is expected to rise to 30 per cent in 2025.

To raise awareness of this global plight, yesterday was designated World Water Day.

Speaking at the event yesterday, Dr Khor said: 'We are very fortunate...we have an adequate supply of water from our four national taps.'

The event, which took place next to Suntec City's Fountain of Wealth, the largest fountain in Asia, kicked off with the official launch of PUB's inaugural lifestyle magazine, titled Pure.

The glossy publication, which will be published quarterly, will focus on highlighting water issues to the young.

Readers can pick up a free copy at various MRT stations, bus stops, restaurants, cafes and tertiary institutions.

Taking another step to encourage greater water awareness, PUB, the national water agency, also announced the opening of nominations for the inaugural Watermark Award.

A follow-up to last year's Friends Of Water programme, the award recognises individuals and organisations actively involved in water conservation efforts, promoting awareness and keeping waterways clean.

Nominations close on May 15.

Singapore's water conservation efforts are not just local.

Non-profit group Lien Aid has been involved in projects to provide drinkable water and sanitation to rural communities in China, Indonesia and Cambodia. The one-year-old organisation is a spin-off from the local philanthropic group, the Lien Foundation.

taniat@sph.com.sg

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Window changes mar beauty of Punggol 21

I WOULD like to highlight a situation that is occurring at Punggol 21.

Each cluster of flats in Punggol has its unique look and identity. For instance, some flats have azure blue full-height windows.

However, many flats in the estate have crossed the five-year mark and have been put on the market. Then comes the renovation. Unfortunately, this often involves a change of windows which are invariably different from the original ones.

Aesthetically, these window changes just do not work and end up marring the facade of the blocks.

Punggol 21 was featured in The Straits Times last year as the HDB town that most resembled a condominium in terms of its facade.

Sadly, the windows that new owners put in result in

a hotchpotch design that is far from any condominium look.

I propose that HDB puts on the market window frames and panels that match the original ones so that new owners who wish to refurbish their windows can do so without marring the external aesthetics of the flat.

I have loved my estate since the very first day I set foot in it. I would hate to see the intrinsic beauty of Punggol 21 deteriorate over the years.



Veronique Andrea Dawson (Ms)

Makelele, Lampard consider Chelsea exit over contract stand-off

LONDON - CLAUDE Makelele is close to quitting Chelsea at the end of the season.

The 34-year-old midfielder's deal with the club expires in the summer of 2008, and he wants an extra two years.

But, to his surprise, Chelsea want to offer only 12 more months.

According to The Independent, the France international is willing to listen to other offers.

There will be plenty of suitors around Europe and England for the player.

He has so defined his position in the Chelsea team that it has become known as the 'Makelele role'.

One of the supposed untouchables in the side, he was substituted at half-time in Chelsea's last two big games.

In the League Cup final, he made way for the pace and influence of Arjen Robben.

Against Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday, he was removed for John Obi Mikel.

The youngster was far more effective as Chelsea went on to win 2-1.

Mikel is considered a long-term replacement for Makelele.

Chelsea will point out to Makelele that they are offering him a deal that will take him beyond his 36th birthday in February 2009.

However, the player is said to believe that he deserves a greater reward.

He has played a stellar role for the club since he joined them from Real Madrid for £16.6 million (S$49 million) in the summer of 2003, soon after Roman Abramovich's takeover.

Makelele is also a headstrong character.

He was in dispute with Real before his departure, as he believed that he was under-paid.

He also had a similar falling out with a previous club, Celta Vigo.

The future of Frank Lampard, for long linked with Barcelona, was also shrouded in uncertainty on Wednesday.

He claimed he had not been offered a new contract by Chelsea, reported The Guardian.

He signed a five-year deal with the club in May 2004. But Fifa's law enables players to terminate a contract with 15 days' notice, provided they have served three years of it and signed it when under 28.

He will be eligible to invoke that rule in less than two months' time.

And, with Chelsea seemingly preoccupied by the precarious nature of Jose Mourinho's tenure as manager, the 28-year-old may be forced to take matters into his own hands.

Microsoft slams Google over global copyright

NEW YORK - SOFTWARE giant Microsoft has prepared a blistering attack on rival Google, accusing the Web search leader of taking a cavalier approach to copyright protection.

The censure by top Microsoft lawyer Tom Rubin came as the two corporate titans step up their competition in both software and online content.

But Google won support from the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), which charged that Microsoft had given an 'unfortunate mischaracterisation' of copyright law that was outdated in the digital age.

Google 'appears to be trying wherever possible to skirt copyright law's boundaries', Mr Rubin, Microsoft's associate general counsel for intellectual property, wrote in a Financial Times opinion piece.

His remarks were a foretaste of a speech he was making in New York on Tuesday to the Association of American Publishers. Google has already said its practices generate more earnings for authors and publishers.

Mr Rubin wrote that Microsoft is working 'to collaborate with copyright holders in developing technologies' so as to uphold copyright, 'without which no artist or writer - and no society that aspires to a living culture - can thrive.' Google, in contrast, was accused of a 'unilateralist approach' by scanning books 'by the truckload' without the permission of writers or publishers. In 2005, Google launched a controversial project to digitise millions of books on the shelves of libraries around the world.

Mr Rubin called Google's goal of compiling a vast database of indexed literature, accessible from anywhere, 'a worthy goal'.

But he stressed: 'This project may well bring significant commercial advantage to Google. By contrast, those who own the copyrights in these works would gain little or nothing from Google's plan.'

The Microsoft lawyer noted that Google faces a copyright minefield following its acquisition of the fast-growing video-sharing website YouTube.

'Companies that create no content of their own, and make money solely on the back of other people's content, are raking in billions through advertising revenue and initial public offers,' said Mr Rubin. 'Google takes the position that everything may be freely copied unless the copyright owner notifies Google and tells it to stop.'

And he dismissed the Internet company's justification of its book scanning as 'fair use' under US copyright law, calling it a 'novel' interpretation that would stretch to countries where the fair use concept is not even recognised.

Agence France-Presse has sued Google in both France and the United States, alleging that the Internet search engine includes the agency's headlines, news summaries and photographs without permission on its 'Google News' portal.

Last month, a court in Belgium ruled against Google in a similar copyright case brought by Belgian newspapers.

CCIA president Ed Black, however, said Microsoft and others had to update their thinking in an era where content is fast shifting from print to the online world.

'Microsoft would do well to consider that its own business depends on fair use before brushing aside that important doctrine,' he also said, noting that Microsoft's software programmers were covered by this protection 'when reverse-engineering competitors' products'.

Both Google and Microsoft are members of the CCIA.

Mr David Drummond, Google's senior vice-president for corporate development and its chief legal officer, said in response that Google worked with more than 10,000 publishing partners to make books searchable online and had recently added the BBC and the National Basketball Association as YouTube video partners.

'We do this by complying with international copyright laws,' he said.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

Clariden Leu Singapore Masters

Dates: Tomorrow to Sunday

Venue: Laguna National Golf and Country Club

Tomorrow and Friday: Masters and Classic courses

Saturday and Sunday: Masters course only

Total prize money: US$1.1 million (S$1.7 million)

Golfers to watch: David Howell, Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, Nick Dougherty, Ian Woosnam, Mardan Mamat, Shingo Katayama and Jeev Milkha Singh

Tee-off: 7.40am

Tickets (through Sistic): Tomorrow and Friday: $15 a day. Saturday and Sunday: $40 a day. Season pass: $80. Under-16s: free. U-21s and seniors (over 60s): tomorrow and Friday free. Women: Friday free.

Transport: From S'pore Expo MRT and car park J, 7.30am to 6.30pm

Tomorrow and Friday: Every 15 minutes

Saturday and Sunday: Every 10 minutes

Mirko faces fine for pushing table

MIRKO Grabovac could face disciplinary action by the Football Association of Singapore for alleged 'unruly behaviour' last Friday.

The Tampines Rovers striker was one of six footballers taking the mandatory Beep Test at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall when the alleged incident happened.

The 35-year-old, who had failed his previous three attempts, was the only one to pass that day.

After the test, he allegedly continued running beyond the test area and pushed a table before walking off.

The table flipped over, with Singapore Sports Council and FAS officials watching.

The FAS has written to both Grabovac and Tampines club manager Wilson Chong for an explanation.

Said FAS director of competitions Quah Kim Song, who was present during the incident: 'Mirko's behaviour was uncalled for. He was also aggressive to the officials there.'

The striker, who is with the Tampines team in India for today's AFC Cup tie against Mohun Bagan, could not be reached for comment.

The team return tomorrow, and Quah said Grabovac will have about three days from then to respond.

If there is no response, or it is unsatisfactory, the player would be fined. However, Quah did not specify the amount.

Chong said he would wait for Grabovac, a Singapore citizen since 2002, to return before getting a statement from him.

In the Beep Test, players go on continuous 20-metre shuttle runs at a starting speed of 8 km/h.

Each minute the speed is increased by decreasing the interval between the beeps (this is called the next stage).

Each level has a fixed number of shuttle runs. The player's score is the level and number of runs reached before he is unable to keep up with the beeps.

The higher the level he attains, the fitter he is. This year's standard has been set at 12.10.

Those close to Grabovac said the Croatia-born player had questioned the need for such a test.

A player who had taken the test with him said: 'Mirko is quite lonely here. Soccer is his rice bowl, and he always works hard for it.

'But he's been quite upset that he must first pass the Beep Test before he can play. He feels it isn't practical.'

Grabovac's team manager, Syed Faruk, said yesterday the outburst was 'part and parcel of his emotions'.

'Mirko was upset, and missed his family,' he said.

Grabovac had said as much on Friday, adding: 'I've not slept well for the past five days worrying about this test.

'My family is waiting in Croatia to hear if I passed before flying over to join me.

'If I cannot play, there's nothing else I can do in Singapore.

'It has been a huge strain on me.'

limze@sph.com.sg