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Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
New movement to help Singapore lawyers with their mental health and the profession's sustainability
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said the movement represents a collective commitment to ensure that lawyers remain in the profession. SINGAPORE – A movement to help lawyers to eliminate unnecessary stresses in their job, promote work-life balance, and foster healthier and sustainable workplace culture was launched on July 29. The Mindful Business Movement was launched on July 29 during the Legal Profession Symposium 2025. Speaking at the symposium that was held at Parkroyal Collection Pickering, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said the movement represents a collective commitment to ensure that lawyers remain in the profession. He said: 'The Mindful Business Movement aims to drive awareness and adoption of the sustainability principles , support their practical implementation in legal workplaces and promote the mental health and well-being of members of the profession.' Under the movement is a set of sustainability principles developed in response to feedback gathered during various focus group discussions that would be disseminated to law firms. Th e principles include having smart meetings and communications which advocate that meetings are planned properly and run efficiently, and supporting rest and growth, where firms are urged to provide mental wellness resource s. They are also told to set aside protected time for training and mentoring. Another principle is mindful delegation, which entails providing junior staff with clear instructions that include sufficient context, and setting deadlines that are realistic, transparent and appropriately negotiable. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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The Mindful Business Movement was launched in partnership with various groups, including SAL and Britain- based Mindful Business Charter. In an interview with The Straits Times on July 22, SAL chief executive Yeong Zee Kin said the goal of the Mindful Business Movement is to inculcate workplace practices that can lead to sustainable legal careers. Singapore Academy of Law chief executive Yeong Zee Kin said the goal of the Mindful Business Movement is to inculcate workplace practices that can lead to sustainable legal careers. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Elaboratin g on mindful communication, Mr Yeong pointed to boundaries in the workplace and that bosses should consider if an issue is urgent before sending an e-mail or message to their subordinates over the weekend or after work hours. If the matter is urgent, the boss should explain why it is so, he said. 'Being a bit more mindful and smart in the way we communicate – that's actually an important aspect,' he added. The Mindful Business Charter, which was launched in 2018, was founded by Barclays Bank and two of its panel law firms. It now has 140 signatories, including businesses outside the legal sector. The charter's chief executive officer, Mr Richard Martin, used to be a lawyer but left the profession to join the field of workplace culture after he recovered from a serious mental breakdown that occurred in 2011. He told ST that the charte r began with conversations about the mental health crisis faced by the legal practitioners , and that while there have been efforts to raise awareness about the issue and support those struggling , there was little discussion about the causes in the workplace. Mr Martin said that in the legal profession, there is a mindset that lawyers need to do everything their clients ask for and to do it as quickly as possible, at the expense of their own well-being . 'I think that is certainly very present in Singapore as it is in other parts of the world, and it's not an easy mindset to change,' he said, adding that employers and lawyers need to be more caring of themselves and each other. Meanwhile, to help address young litigato rs' disillusionment about a lack of opportunities, CJ Menon said the courts' practice directions will be amended to provide junior litigators with a greater role in oral advocacy. Among these changes, junior assisting counsel in hearings in the Court of Appeal, the Court of Three Judges and the Appellate Division, as well as appeals in the General Division of the High Court, will now be 'ordinarily expected' to make part of the oral submissions. Said the chief justice : 'It is our hope that these changes will make a concrete and meaningful difference to our young litigators. 'But for these initiatives to achieve their intended outcomes, we will need our senior colleagues to embrace them in the right spirit, and to convince their clients that it is ultimately in their interests for certain advocacy tasks to be delegated to junior counsel because it reduces legal costs and allows lead counsel to focus on the main advocacy tasks at hand.'
Arab News
22-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi professional golfer Othman Almulla partners with SAL to support the Kingdom's sports development
JEDDAH: SAL Saudi Logistics Services has entered into a sponsorship agreement with Othman Almulla, the Kingdom's first professional golfer. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The partnership is intended to nurture local talent and advance golf and the Saudi sports sector in general. 'I'm honored to have SAL's support on my journey,' Almulla said. 'Their belief in my mission reflects their broader commitment to the development of Saudi sports. Together, we aim not only to compete but to inspire, and I look forward to representing SAL and our Kingdom on the international stage.' Almulla made history as the first professional golfer from Saudi Arabia to compete on international circuits, currently participating in events such as the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour. His journey in the sport is marked by determination and a strong sense of national pride, resonating with the core values of the sponsorship. The agreement aims to provide Almulla with the support needed to inspire younger generations of athletes in Saudi Arabia. Beyond just financial backing, SAL sees this partnership as a way to foster a sense of community and pride in Saudi sports. Almulla's achievements are not only a source of inspiration but also a representation of what is possible for Saudi youth. Omar Hariri, CEO of SAL, said: 'We are proud to sponsor an ambitious and inspiring athlete like Othman Almulla, who represents a true model of achievement and excellence. This reflects our belief in the importance of supporting and empowering Saudi talent and contributing to a brighter future for sports in the Kingdom. Through this sponsorship, we also aim to expand our brand visibility both locally and internationally.' With this partnership, SAL joins a group of organizations — such as NEOM and Saudi Aramco — whose support champions Almulla's journey and helps to elevate Saudi Arabia's presence in the global sports arena.
Argaam
22-07-2025
- Business
- Argaam
SAL signs addendum with SGS for ramp, cargo aircraft handling
SAL Saudi Logistics Services signed an addendum yesterday, July 21, to its contract with Saudi Ground Services Co. (SGS) to provide ramp handling services for cargo aircraft, including cargo aircraft cleaning and water services for SAL. In a statement on Tadawul, SAL clarified that the contract has a duration of three years, starting on Jan. 1, 2025, and ending on Dec. 31, 2027.
CNA
22-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - The Wellness Hour - Can mindfulness save us from burnout?
A new movement is taking root in Singapore's legal industry, one that puts well-being, balance, and mental health at the centre of work. Hui Wong finds out how mindful business practices could reshape not just legal workplaces, but the future of work itself with Paul Neo, Assistant Chief Executive, SAL.
The Print
21-07-2025
- Business
- The Print
Chandrababu Naidu is dreaming new dreams at 75. What other CMs are missing
That was in 2000. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) provided crucial support to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government then. Garg was the director of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) in the finance ministry. He writes that the hoarding of resources 'was clearly unfair and lopsided.' The World Bank assistance, specifically cheaper credits from the International Development Agency (IDA), was meant for low-income and poorer states. 'Using the efficiency of his administration and his political clout, Chandrababu Naidu was able to manoeuvre the system in Delhi, including the DEA, to divert a disproportionate part of the Government of India budget and external assistance to Andhra Pradesh,' writes Garg. Chandrababu Naidu bays for my blood'—This is a subhead in Subhash Chandra Garg's new book No, Minister . In the section, the former finance secretary of India writes how the Naidu-led Andhra Pradesh had 'cornered more than 40 per cent of the total portfolio of projects' approved by the World Bank in 1999–2000. He has cited another example. In 2001, the Andhra Pradesh Structural Adjustment Loan (SAL) for $250 million was being negotiated with the World Bank. The package also included a $100 million grant from the Department for International Development (DFID) to India. The DFID grant and the World Bank loan were to go to Andhra Pradesh on the standard 70:30 loan–grant ratio. The Naidu-led government, however, reached an understanding with the DFID—without the DEA's concurrence—to make it a 100 per cent grant. Garg wouldn't agree to it; he got them to agree to the DEA's terms. Two days after the negotiations were completed, the DEA Secretary asked Garg to again submit the Andhra file to him. The file came back with orders, approved by the finance minister, that an exception be made in the case and that the DFID grant be given to Andhra Pradesh as a 100 per cent grant. 'Evidently, on his return to India, Chandrababu Naidu had moved heaven and earth and forced the government at the highest level to agree to his completely unjustified demand,' writes Garg. 'The utter disregard for fair distribution of central government resources to all the states and the manic zeal and insistence to grab all resources for Andhra Pradesh were disturbing,' he writes. V Srinivas, private secretary to then finance minister Jaswant Singh, later told Garg that VS Sampath, the Andhra finance secretary who went on to become the chief election commissioner of India, sought his help to 'find ways to fix Subhash'. Nobody would be surprised to read ex-IAS officer Garg's account of how Chandrababu Naidu used his clout in the Vajpayee government to wrangle anything and everything from the Centre for his state. Garg's counterparts in other departments would have similar stories to tell. Let me cite just one more example here. Of the 4 million tonnes of rice the Centre sanctioned for the Food for Work programme between September 2001 and April 2002, Andhra alone got 2.15 million tonnes, 53 per cent of the total. And then it got one million tonnes more. Cut to 2025. Naidu hasn't changed. Only that it's now the Narendra Modi-led government that is going out of its way to please the Andhra CM. The Centre has already committed Rs 15,000 crore for Phase I of the Amaravati capital project. The state has secured Rs 12,157 crore from the Centre to support the first phase of the Polavaram irrigation project. In May, PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation for central projects worth Rs 5,000 crore, including a missile testing centre, Unity mall, Rail overbridge and six national highway projects in Andhra. And these are early days yet. Modi 3.0 still has four years left, and Naidu will continue to be vital for its survival. Also read: Chandrababu Naidu is important in both Centre and state. He is his own double-engine now Political opportunism or Andhra First? The former finance secretary of India has only revived an old debate. Chandrababu Naidu's political rivals and critics have a long list of his political 'betrayals'— marrying NT Rama Rao's daughter and then leaving the Congress to join the TDP; ousting NTR to become the CM; leaving the United Front to support the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1998; Lok Sabha Speaker GMC Balayogi from the TDP allowing then Odisha CM Giridhar Gomang (who was yet to resign as MP) to vote against the confidence motion, which ended up bringing the Vajpayee government down in 1999; joining the NDA in 1999 Lok Sabha election to reap the electoral dividends of the Kargil War; demanding Narendra Modi resign as Gujarat CM post-2002 riots to joining hands with him ahead of the 2014 election; leaving the NDA for the Congress five years later only to re-embrace Modi before 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. It's certainly a long list. Naidu's critics would call them examples of political opportunism. His admirers would cite them as examples of his brilliant political acumen and his ability to play bigger national parties to his advantage. And, ex-IAS officer Subhash Garg as a neutral observer is only the latest to certify that Andhra Pradesh has made the biggest gains from Naidu's political somersaults. I call it his Andhra First politics. Take a look at this report by India Today in May 2002: 'Over the past five years, Naidu has managed to get the Central ministries to pour over Rs 40,000 crore into Andhra Pradesh. While the Central loans have doubled in five years from Rs 1,575.6 to Rs 3,189.9 crore, grants have jumped from Rs 1,528 crore to Rs 3,424.1 crore and external assistance has trebled from Rs 1,118 to Rs 3,640 crore. That the state has cornered a lion's share of resources is proved by just one statistic: while Central grants to all states increased by only 2.6 per cent between 2000-1 and 2001-2, Andhra Pradesh's share rose by 34 per cent.' The report quoted Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury as saying that Naidu's success in extracting resources was due to 'a weak Centre vulnerable to political blackmail'. When you talk to Congress MPs today, as the Modi-led government showers Naidu's Andhra with generosity, they echo similar sentiments. But ask the people in Andhra Pradesh. They would repeat the Onida TV slogan: 'Neighbour's envy, owner's pride.' Also read: Nobody should doubt Chandrababu Naidu's determination. If anything, they should fear it What other CMs need to learn from CBN Chandrababu Naidu, 75, is the third-oldest CM in India today—after Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan, 80 and Karnataka's Siddaramaiah, 76. CBN, as he's known in the state, could afford to rest on his laurels. Creating something like Cyberabad and Genome Valley in Hyderabad would have been a lifetime achievement for any CM. Instead, he is setting new challenges for himself. 'Same things (liked Cyberabad) can't be created but improved versions (can be brought),' Naidu told me in an interview last month. It's not just the creation of the new capital city of Amaravati. CBN has now set out to build India's first quantum computing valley. He has launched a space policy to leverage Sriharikota's strategic location in Andhra Pradesh. It aims to attract investment worth Rs 25,000 crore in space-linked industries. He is very optimistic about his Zero Poverty-P4 (Public-Private-People Partnership) programme. I could tell this by the child-like excitement in his voice when he was telling me about P4. At a time when most Opposition leaders seem to be convinced that poverty can be eliminated only when the rich are made poor, Naidu's P4 is an interesting idea. You don't have to be an Adani or Ambani to participate in it. If you have surplus money to spare, help a family, mentor them. You can do it at the community level, too. What differentiates CBN from other CMs is ideas—original, imaginative and innovative. Look at his counterparts in other states. Most of them are doing the same things, often aping each other. At 75, Naidu stands apart. 'Imagination has no age,' wrote senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh functionary Ram Madhav, quoting Walt Disney, in a column in The Indian Express. He was building a case for PM Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to ignore the unwritten 75-year age ceiling for holding office. Age doesn't matter unless you are a cheese, wrote Madhav. It's true. As I mentioned, Naidu's much younger counterparts in other states already look jaded and spent in terms of originality or ideas or imagination in policymaking. Is Modi 3.0 any different? That's food for thought for another column. DK Singh is Political Editor at ThePrint. He tweets @dksingh73. Views are personal. (Edited by Theres Sudeep)
