6 Thursday 22 October 2009 ●

THE NEW PAPER

Local
GRAPE STOMPING GROUND: These women had a fun time
stomping on grapes at Villa Bali restaurant and lifestyle resort
last Thursday to mark Wine for Asia 2009, which will be held from
today to Saturday at Suntec Singapore. About 50,000 bottles of wine
from all over the world will be put up for tasting by 376 exhibitors.

News
watch
Car COE prices up, open and
commercial COE prices drop
THE latest tender for Certificate of
Entitlement (COE) yesterday saw
mixed prices.
COE premiums for cars up to
1,600cc rose to $18,899 – the high-
est in more than four years – from
$16,201 two weeks ago.
COE for cars above 1,600cc rose to $19,510, one
of the highest prices this year.
Prices in the Open category, which can be used
PICTURE: WINE FOR ASIA for any vehicle type, fell from $21,301 to $19,901.
Commercial vehicle COE fell to $18,110 from a
high of $21,692 in the previous tender.
Motorcycle COE prices crept upwards from $902
ELDER ABUSE to $931.

Most abuse cases NEA: Singaporeans more

environmentally friendly
by victims’ children MORE Singaporeans adopted ener-
gy-saving habits last year, noted a
National Environment Agency sur-

A
BOUT two-thirds of elder abuse incidents are
committed by the victims’ children.
This is a worrying trend even though the
number of elder abuse cases remain small, said
Minister for Community Development, Youth and
Sports (MCYS) Vivian Balakrishnan.
He was speaking at the National Family Violence
Networking Symposium yesterday.
He said some children take their anger out on
their parents not out of malice, but because they are
unable to cope with caring for an old person.
Children must hence be given the right informa-
tion and taught the skills to care for their elderly
parents.
An average of 178 elderly abuse cases are report-
ed annually, a number which social workers say is
the tip of the iceberg, The Straits Times reported.
To better protect victims of family violence,
MCYS has revised a manual on the Integrated Man-
agement of Family Violence Cases in Singapore to
ensure better coordination between agencies.
CALVIN AND HOBBES BILL WATTERSON
The manual was first produced in 1999 and last
reviewed in 2003. It spells out the sets of rules for
agencies involved in the management of family
violence cases.
These agencies play crucial roles in protecting,
intervening and, later, rehabilitating families experi-
encing violence, reported Channel NewsAsia.
New chapters by the Community Court, schools
and polyclinics are included in the revised manual
as they are also important parts of the Family
Violence Networking System.
Dr Balakrishnan said children and women are
thought to be the usual victims of family violence,
but there are other vulnerable groups, including the
elderly and adults with disabilities.
By 2030, one in five residents in Singapore will be
a senior citizen. Those aged 65 and above will
increase from 300,000 now to 900,000, increasing
the potential pool of vulnerable adults.
SINGAPORE
WEATHER
■ Thunderstorms
■ High 31˚
■ Low 25˚
vey that tracks consumers’ knowl-
edge of environmental issues.
Of the 1,546 respondents,
87.2 per cent said they would adopt greener practic-
es, up from 85.5 per cent in the 2007 survey.
Those adopting energy-saving habits at home
rose sharply by 8.5 per cent. Over 75 per cent said
they have switched to energy-efficient refrigerators
and air-conditioners, reported The Straits TImes.
Awareness of breeding spots for dengue-carrying
mosquitos also increased. But hygiene standards in
public toilets and littering was still a problem.
Trade between India and
Singapore growing rapidly
INDIA is one of Singapore’s fastest
growing trade partners, said Senior
Minister of State for Trade and In-
dustry S Iswaran yesterday.
Ever since a major trade deal,
the Comprehensive Economic Co-
operation Agreement, was signed by the two coun-
tries in 2005, two-way trade has grown by 20 per
cent annually, hitting nearly $30 billion last year,
reported The Straits Times.
Singapore is now India’s No. 2 foreign investor
with US$3.6b ($5b) invested in total since the trade
deal. As of 2007, India has invested more than
$12.8b in Singapore, a tenfold jump since 2005.