Almost every opposition party candidate who became a Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) has gone on to lose at the next general election they contested in.

Workers' Party (WP) MP Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC) is the only one who has ever bucked this trend.

NCMP Leon Perera cited this yesterday as he argued against the move to raise the minimum number of opposition MPs, including NCMPs, in the House. He said it would benefit only the People's Action Party (PAP).

But Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the NCMP scheme ensures there will always be opposition voices in Parliament, which ultimately benefits Singaporeans.

The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2016, passed yesterday, will raise the minimum number of opposition MPs, including NCMPs, from nine to 12, and will also give NCMPs full voting rights. All six WP MPs voted against the Bill.

NCMP seats are offered to the best performing losing opposition candidates when the number of elected opposition MPs falls short of the minimum.

Mr Perera questioned the motives behind the scheme, reiterating the WP's long-held stance that it dissuades people from voting for the opposition, and goes against the principle that only elected lawmakers have a mandate to represent the people.

He warned that if the scheme was "fully exploited by the ruling party and fully embraced by voters in the way that the PAP hopes", Parliament may end up with 12 "unelectable opposition MPs".

This would allow the ruling party to do whatever it wished, he said. "It can force Singapore into a never-ending dependence on only one party for generations to come, like a computer with no backup. "

Mr Teo countered that the fact that the WP had taken up the full quota of NCMP seats it was offered shows the scheme has merits.

"This shows that being an NCMP offers advantages, not least of which are public exposure and parliamentary experience. Ms Sylvia Lim herself has been a beneficiary of this," he said, rounding up the debate on the Bill.

To this, Mr Perera had said earlier that he had taken up the NCMP seat, despite his objections to the scheme, because "being in Parliament and arguing for what I believe is right outweigh the risk of damage to our politics from accepting the NCMP position".

In his speech, Mr Teo also acknowledged that the scheme had benefited the PAP, but not in the way Mr Perera suggested.

Instead, it gives PAP MPs the experience of sparring with opposition members in the House, and not just during election season, he said.

It also allows the Government to engage the opposition and scrutinise their proposals, he said, adding that opposition politicians would otherwise behave like "'phantoms in the night' that turn up only at general elections, make claims, not engage, and then disappear again".

"Ultimately, Singapore and Singaporeans will benefit from such debate and the diversity of views."

This article was first published on November 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - A Samsung washing machine caught fire yesterday (Nov 9) morning in a flat in Bukit Panjang.

All Singapore Stuff reported that a 42 year-old Singaporean housewife and her 16 year-old daughter were in the flat at Block 469 Segar Road when the incident happened.

They had been washing their laundry for about ten minutes before the machine burst into flames and exploded. Their neighbours smelled the smoke and tried to aid them, but the fire was too intense.

Read also: Samsung washing machines are also exploding now, and has turned Singaporeans into conspiracy theorists

They called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the flames were extinguished.

An SCDF spokesperson told Stomp that they were alerted to the fire at 11.50am, and sent a fire engine, two Red Rhinos, two fire bikes and a support vehicle.

Read also: Now, there are reports of Samsung S7 Edge phones exploding

The spokesperson added: "The fire involved a washing machine which was in a kitchen toilet. The fire was extinguished with one compressed air foam backpack."

"There were no reported injuries and the cause of fire is under investigation."

Just this week, 2.8 million Samsung washing machines were recalled in America due to risk of explosion.

Visit STOMP for more stories.

SINGAPORE - Singapore's white-collar crime unit for the first time on Thursday identified Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho as a key figure in the money laundering investigation linked to scandal-tainted 1MDB fund.

The revelation came from an investigator during the trial of a former wealth manager of Swiss private bank BSI in Singapore's most high-profile money laundering case.

Low is also among the people named in civil lawsuits filed by the US Department of Justice, which alleged that more than US$3.5 billion (S$4.9 billion) was allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.

Singapore authorities have also frozen Low's assets, however the 34-year-old has not been charged with any offence in the investigations into 1MDB.

Founded by Najib, who previously chaired its advisory board, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) is currently the subject of money laundering investigations in at least six countries, including Switzerland, Singapore and the United States.

Najib has denied any wrongdoing and said Malaysia will co-operate with the international investigations.

Oh Yong Yang, an officer with the police Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), told a Singapore court Low had been under investigation since 2015.

"Low Taek Jho is a key person of interest in our investigation, and he is also a person of interest in related investigations in other jurisdictions... It started in 2015," he said.

He made the statement during the trial of Yeo Jiawei, a former wealth manager at Swiss private bank BSI who faces four charges related to his alleged attempt to pervert the course of justice by urging witnesses to lie to police and destroy evidence.

The CAD officer also said Eric Tan Kim Loong and Mohamed Ahmed Badawy Al Husseiny, former chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi's Aabar Investments, are also being investigated in the money laundering probe.

Husseiny was replaced as chief executive of Aabar last year after holding that post since 2010.

Yeo told the court Jho Low was a key client of BSI and also introduced 1MDB to the private bank.

Reuters could not reach Jho Low, Eric Tan or Husseiny for a comment.

Ex-BSI banker Yeo is also facing seven separate charges, including money laundering, cheating and forgery, which the prosecution said will be tried next year.

Singapore's central bank ordered the closure of the operations of BSI in May and asked the Attorney General's Chambers to investigate six members of BSI bank's senior management and staff.

Yeo's trial will last until Nov 11.

SINGAPORE - A washing machine in a Bukit Panjang flat caught fire on Wednesday (Nov 9).

The incident happened around noon at a unit in Block 469, Segar Road, Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported.

The flat owner, a 51-year-old technician, told the paper that his 42-year-old wife was doing her laundry with her Samsung washing machine in the kitchen toilet.

She left the washer for less than 10 minutes, but rushed back after she caught a whiff of an unusual smell, only to find the machine engulfed in flames and thick smoke.

She fled the flat with her 16-year-old daughter who was also at home at the time.

No one was injured.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force was alerted to the incident at 11.50am and sent one fire engine, two Red Rhinos, two fire bikes and one support vehicle to the scene.

The blaze was extinguished with a compressed air foam backpack.

According to Shin Min, the family bought the appliance four years ago for about $400. The exact washer model is not known.

All that was left of the machine was charred metal. The toilet walls, ceiling and air-conditioning pipes were also burnt.

Read also: Samsung washing machines are also exploding now, and has turned Singaporeans into conspiracy theorists

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, Samsung Electronics Singapore said it is working with Shin Min to reach out to the affected user "so that we may look into the matter and provide the necessary support".

"We are unable to comment on this specific incident until we obtain and thoroughly examine the product," the firm said.

"Customer safety remains our highest priority and we want to work with any customer who has experienced an issue with a Samsung product in order to investigate the matter and support them."

Separately, Samsung Electronics began a recall of about 2.8 million top-load washing machines in the United States last week, following complaints that the top of the machine can unexpectedly detach during use, posing an injury risk from impact.

There have been at least nine reported injuries, including a broken jaw, injured shoulder and fall-related injuries, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

The recall affects 34 models sold between March 2011 and this month.

Read also: Now, there are reports of Samsung S7 Edge phones exploding

But Samsung Electronics Singapore assured that the recall does not affect washers in Singapore.

The firm said: "We can confirm that this does not impact top-load washer models sold outside of North America."

This article was first published on Nov 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - A fire engulfed the roof of a two-storey bungalow in Clementi on Thursday (Nov 10) evening, after what was described by neighbours as a lightning strike in the area.

The SCDF was alerted to the fire at 9 Sunset Place at around 5.30pm and two fire engines, a Red Rhino and two supporting appliances were dispatched to the scene, said a spokesman.

Upon SCDF's arrival, the fire had already engulfed the second storey of the house, with flames coming through the roof.

Three water jets were used to contain the fire, which was brought under control in 20 minutes, said the spokesman.

A neighbour who declined to be named said she was in her house when she heard a "really loud clap" and saw a bolt of lightning hitting the ground. "The whole roof was gutted, completely charred," she said.

Domestic helper Evelyn Altuna, 36, who lives in a neighbouring house, also said she heard a loud bang before the fire. "My employer's son saw the smoke and asked me to take a look," she said. "After the fire started, the electricity in our house was cut."

When The Straits Times visited the house at around 9.15pm, authorities had cordoned off the area. The roof of the house was charred and there was a strong smell of smoke.

The home owner, retired surgeon Peter Tan, 80, said he was shocked by the fire, but declined to comment further.

He was carrying a painting and a luggage, which he said was full of important documents and passports. He lives in the house with his wife and their nine cats.

Resident of nine years Mr Jeya Putra P said the woman and her domestic helper who live in the bungalow were not aware of the fire at first.

Neighbours had tried calling out to the them from outside the bungalow, but failed to get their attention. Foreign workers who were working at another house nearby then climbed over the gate to alert the occupants, said Mr Jeya, 53, who is a lawyer.

A resident of more than 20 years, who declined to be named, said lightning is very common in the neighbourhood. He said two incidents in 2015 and in 1992 caused a surge in electricity and appliances including his cordless phone to be burnt.

There were no reported injuries. SCDF said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

This article was first published on Nov 10, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

THE Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) plans to start collecting iris images from Singaporeans and permanent residents from next year, said Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Lee yesterday.

This means local travellers will soon be able to use their irises to verify their identity at automatic checkpoints here.

Such technology has been used in countries like the Netherlands and Germany since the early 2000s, said Mr Lee, speaking about amendments to the National Registration Act, which Parliament passed yesterday.

Iris images are more permanent than fingerprints because fingerprints can wear out over time, for example, if someone does a lot of manual work.

ICA has received feedback from travellers who found it difficult to use automatic checkpoints because of their fingerprints. They had to move to the manual checkpoints, which was a source of frustration to them and those queueing up behind them at the automatic lanes.

The new iris technology provides an additional avenue for persons to verify their identity.

"The end result is more efficient and effective immigration clearance," said Mr Lee.

The changes to the Act allow ICA to collect more forms of personal identification data besides photographs and fingerprints, but not body samples through invasive means, such as blood samples. Iris images will be collected when people register or re-register an identity card or renew their passport.

The changes also set limits on the types of names that people can register with the ICA.

Names deemed to be offensive - such as one containing an obscenity; confusing - such as "Professor" or "Sir"; or too long - exceeding 66 characters - can be refused.

ICA officers will also have the powers to investigate offences under the Act, such as when people use forged identity cards. Such cases were previously handled by the police

joseow@sph.com.sg

Get MyPaper for more stories.

FROM January next year, unmarried mothers will have 16 weeks of paid maternity leave - equal to that of their married counterparts - and fathers will get two weeks of paid paternity leave instead of one.

Giving new parents more time off from work means they can spend more time with their newborns, said Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin in Parliament yesterday.

He urged parents to take advantage of the leave, saying the children will not be babies forever.

"Our children should be our priority now, not later," he said.

"Mothers usually are there, but fathers need to be there as well. This is something that we can encourage and support but ultimately the individual parents must make those choices."

The changes come under the Child Development Co-Savings (Amendment No. 2) Bill that Parliament passed yesterday.

Under the new law, mothers with adopted children will also be entitled to more paid leave from July next year.

They will get 12 weeks against the current four weeks.

There are more than 300 adoptions each year.

Another change will give mothers the option to share up to four weeks of their maternity leave with their husbands from July next year.

Currently, the Shared Parental Leave scheme allows only one week to be shared.

The nine MPs, who spoke during the debate on the Bill, welcomed the amendments.

But they urged the Government to go a step further in its support of parents.

Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC), a champion of unwed mothers, said giving them 16 weeks of maternity leave was "a baby step in the right direction".

But other benefits should also be equalised, including giving unwed mothers the $8,000 Baby Bonus and providing for their housing needs, he added.

His call was echoed by Desmond Choo (Tampines GRC), Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC), Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) and Non-constituency MP Daniel Goh.

Last year, 345 children were born to unwed mothers.

In 2014, these babies totalled 375; in 2013, there were 415.

kxinghui@sph.com.sg

Get MyPaper for more stories.

SINGAPORE - Pedestrians and cyclists can cheer when Bencoolen Street reopens next year.

It will boast a "car-lite" design with wider footpaths and dedicated cycling paths, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday.

Pedestrians can look forward to tree-lined footpaths and a sheltered walkway between the upcoming Bencoolen MRT station and nearby developments like Manulife Centre.

Cyclists can expect 125 bicycle parking spaces and will also have a dedicated path along the street that is set to connect Rochor Canal and the planned North-South Corridor route to the Central Business District.

Bencoolen Street is currently closed with construction under way for the Downtown Line's Bencoolen MRT station, but is set to reopen in the first quarter of next year.

Motorists should expect some traffic adjustments in the process, the LTA said.

Read also: At least 3 people injured in pre-dawn accident on Bencoolen Street

The stretch of Bencoolen Street, between Middle and Bras Basah roads reopens on Sunday.

From Sunday, only buses will be able to turn left from Bencoolen Street onto Bras Basah Road.

Waterloo Street will become a two-way street and the traffic direction for Queen Street will be converted towards Bras Basah Road.

A dedicated bus lane opens in Bencoolen Street on Dec 11, which is also when a stretch of Prinsep Street and Selegie Road, between Bras Basah and Middle roads, will become a one-way street.

Get MyPaper for more stories.

Following India's ban on old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes on Tuesday, people have approached money changers to exchange the now-defunct notes, only to find that neither they nor Indian banks in Singapore are accepting the notes, leaving people stranded with stacks of bills that are no longer legal tender.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the bank- notes would be withdrawn from the financial system overnight in an effort to crack down on corruption and illegal cash holdings.

Indian citizens must go to their local banks or post offices in the country to deposit the outdated currency over the next 50 days. In return, the Indian government will issue new Rs500 (S$10) and Rs2,000 (S$42) denomination notes.

For tourists in India or Indians overseas who do not have a bank account in India, things are murkier.

Five money changers told The Straits Times they had stopped buying or selling the discontinued notes since Wednesday. Mr Mohammad Din, 40, a money changer at Raffles Place, said he stopped trading in the notes when they ceased to be legal tender.

"Almost 20 people came yesterday to sell their notes but we do not take them any more," he said.

Read also: India banks reopen to long queues after rupee withdrawal

A money changer in Little India, Mr Abdul Malik, 56, said the move was very sudden but he too had stopped accepting or issuing the old notes. He added that more than 50 people had tried to get their old notes exchanged.

It is understood that Indian banks in Singapore have stopped accepting the old banknotes as well.

One Singaporean who went to multiple banks and money changers in Little India said he had no luck.

"I decided to go to the place where I had originally changed the money and the money changers would not accept it, so I went to the banks and they would not accept it either, " said Mr Letchman P., 50. "The bank said, you cannot exchange them in Singapore, you have to go to a bank in India."

The construction supervisor was planning to go on holiday in India early next year and had changed about 20,000 Indian rupees, in the old banknotes. "It affects not just India but all countries," he added.

Retiree M. K. Hashim, who had changed $5,000 worth for an upcoming vacation to Kerala, said he hoped that the Indian government would do something about the situation for foreigners.

Attempts to reach the High Commission of India in Singapore yesterday were unsuccessful.

Read also: Stocks slide, ATMs run dry after India rupee shock

rahimahr@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on November 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

When Parliament yesterday passed a Bill that gives unmarried mothers 16 weeks of paid maternity leave - equal to what married mothers receive - it marked a significant shift in government policy.

The debate on the Child Development Co-Savings (Amendment No. 2) Bill was also marked by another notable shift - in tone.

In previous parliamentary debates on the issue of unwed mothers, office-holders - and sometimes even MPs - often struck a judgmental or cautionary note.

In contrast, the mood yesterday was one of warmth and inclusivity, even as Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin noted that the Government ultimately encourages parenthood within marriage.

This has been the Government's consistent stance. But it used to be expressed much more harshly.

Just over a decade ago, in 2004, then-Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan spoke of how the state should not step in when fathers are absent and there is a "breakdown in the sense of responsibility".

"We recognise that there are needs and we will do our best to help them, but (unwed mothers) cannot be pegged at the same level as women who are married, or who were previously married and are now divorced, or are widowed through no fault of their own," he said.

Read also: Unwed mum in Singapore: I've made my bed and I have to sleep in it

A year later, replying to then- Non-Constituency MP Steve Chia, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the Government should not "be encouraging women to make single parenthood a lifestyle choice".

Just last year, then-Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing framed the question as one of competing objectives: supporting single unwed mothers versus supporting parenthood in the context of marriage. His emphasis on how "the child is innocent" evoked - whether intentionally or not - the rhetoric of bad behaviour.

Even MPs urging support for single parents previously used such rhetoric.

In 2011, Dr Lam Pin Min, then an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, first noted how the Government did not want to encourage "the growth of 'undesired' alternative households and the erosion of Asian values" before launching into a plea to help single parents who face pressure and "discriminatory government policies".

In contrast, both Minister Tan and MPs yesterday framed the issue in more compassionate ways.

There was no rhetoric of crime and punishment, or of the dangers of encouraging single parenthood.

In his opening speech, Mr Tan ran through the changes - announced in this year's Budget debate - in simple, non-judgmental language.

In the ensuing debate, MPs did not frame such support as a last-resort measure to save an "innocent" child from parental sins.

Instead, they spoke about equality and inclusiveness.

Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) appealed for compassion not just for the child, but for the single mother as well: "Imagine the stress of a pregnant, unwed mother having to deal with basic housing issues on her own, in an undignified manner, and not able to feel a sense of security nor provide a secure environment to her child once he or she is born."

Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC) spoke of how unwed mothers and single fathers make brave decisions, choosing to keep and raise their child despite the difficulties.

Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) framed it in terms of levelling the playing field for unwed parents and mentioned "the struggles they face and the risks they are exposed to".

Read also: Extended leave for dads, unwed mums from Jan

Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines GRC) hailed the "big move towards greater inclusiveness".

And all four called for more to be done to help single parents, from making them eligible for the Baby Bonus cash payout, to letting them form a family nucleus with their child to buy subsidised HDB flats.

Mr Tan rejected the suggestions. But he did so in a gentler tone than his predecessors. "I think it is... important to understand that we continue to believe in the importance of the family institution. We encourage married couples to have children," he said.

This is why measures like the Baby Bonus are targeted at married parents, he added. "However, as mentioned earlier, for unwed parents, there are also various ways in which we can support them."

He did not pit the well-being of unwed mothers against the Government's priority of parenthood within marriage, nor imply a fundamental inequality between married and unmarried parents.

Such a reply may not satisfy those who want more to be done. Still, it is a step forward.

As Singapore strives to be a more inclusive society, such advances in both policy and rhetoric are to be welcomed.

janiceh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on November 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

VARNAM, an art exhibition which gives artists from the Malayalee community in Singapore a platform to showcase their work while enabling them to meet other established and aspiring artists, is back for a fourth year.

This year, the exhibition will showcase 150 paintings from 25 artists and is expected to draw about 2,500 visitors.

Previously conducted over two days, this year Varnam will be a four-day event from Nov 10 to 13 at the Artrium@MCI, in a bid to reach out to more people.

Artrium@MCI is a one-stop art venue that is fully dedicated to the development and promotion of visual arts in Singapore and is located on the ground floor of the Old Hill Street Police Station.

Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Trade and Industry, will attend the exhibition's opening ceremony on Nov 10.

Organised by the Singapore Malayalee Association (SMA) and supported by the National Arts Council, Varnam (the word means colour in Malayalam) is not restricted to a specific theme and the artists are free to display their creativity in any medium they like.

Each artwork will be of a different style, using mediums such as watercolour, acrylic paint, oil-based paint, charcoal, pencil dots, airbrush or a mix of multiple mediums.

Full-time artist Jaleela Niaz will be showcasing her nature-inspired works of art using a mix of multiple mediums.

"I like to create a 3D effect in my paintings and my favourite subjects are trees and corals," said the 39-year-old, who is also a freelance art teacher. She has used metallic colours such as gold, bronze and copper tones and mediums such as acrylic paint, texture-based paint and glass paint to create her art pieces.

Another participating artist is Mr Anil Kariseril, 48, who specialises in Kerala mural paintings.

Inspired by the beauty of the murals of the Panayannar Kavu Devi temple of Parumala, the self-taught artist from Haripad, Kerala, picked up his drawing skills during his school days.

He has showcased his works from the first exhibition of Varnam in 2013 and will be showcasing six paintings at this year's exhibition. "I take about 100 to 200 hours to finish a mural painting measuring 6ft by 4ft. This form of art from Kerala is unique and there are not many artists in Singapore who do this," said Mr Kariseril.

After the success of the exhibition during the past three years, the team behind Varnam decided to include non-Malayalee artists this year.

Out of the 25 artists, seven are non-Malayalees.

They are Ms Nandini Bajekal, Ms Aarti Bartake, Ms Patralekha Dasgupta, Ms Shilpa Iyer, Ms Kanak Kiran, Ms Rooma Panchmatia and Ms Subina Arora Khaneja. Ms Khaneja is the owner of the art gallery The Right Side and will be showcasing her installation work at Qi@art, a parallel event of the Singapore Biennale.

Said Mr Kariseril, who is also SMA's fine arts committee chairman: "We received a very encouraging response and also many requests from non-Malayalees who wanted to collaborate with us during our art exhibitions in the past years.

"This year, we decided to involve more of the diverse Indian community and include them in our line-up of artists."

In the coming years, the association plans to include international artists in its line-up.

The paintings at Varnam are priced between $100 and $30,000.

SMA will donate a certain percentage of the sales to Very Special Arts, a local charity organisation dedicated to providing opportunities for people with disabilities to be involved in the arts.

Get a copy of tabla! for more stories.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) plans to allow the screening of embryos before they are implanted in women undergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), a move cheered by doctors offering assisted reproduction.

Obstetricians have long urged the ministry to allow the screening for chromosomal abnormalities, which account for more than half the miscarriages that occur.

But the ministry did not give it the nod because "the published evidence had been unclear", said Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health, yesterday when she announced the review in Parliament.

"In recent years, however, newer technologies have emerged and some jurisdictions have now allowed pre-implantation genetic screening," she added, citing the United States, Australia, Britain, Norway, France and Malaysia.

In Singapore, such screening was restricted to parents with an inherited disease, like thalassemia.

Last year, women in Singapore went through more than 6,000 assisted reproduction cycles in the hope of getting a baby. Fewer than one in four resulted in live births.

8 common fertility myths busted

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, The New Paper, Shutterstock

Dr Khor said the National University Hospital (NUH) will start a three-year trial on the clinical effectiveness of such genetic screening early next year.

The criteria for taking part in it are being worked out and will be available closer to its start date, she added in her reply to Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC).

Mr Ng and Ms Cheng Li Hui (Tampines GRC) had asked if the MOH would permit the screening to improve the chances of a healthy birth, while prohibiting gender selection.

Dr Khor also said the MOH will consult stakeholders and the public as well as look into the ethical concerns.

"We will need to ensure that embryos are not eliminated solely based on parental preferences on characteristics like gender," she added.

Today, such screening can detect more than 100 genetic conditions.

Dr Christopher Chong, an obstetrician at Gleneagles Hospital, lauded the review, but said proper monitoring and reporting are needed for pre-implantation genetic screening.

He said: "It can potentially reduce (the number of) abnormal babies, miscarriages, failures, reduce trauma for mothers as they can find out before pregnancy, compared to the anguish of discovering it during pregnancy or even after delivery.

"If there are major defects in the genes of the embryo, we will not proceed with the embryo transfer."

But he cautioned that screening is not foolproof. There is still the risk of miscarriage or damage to the embryo.

Dr Steven Teo of Thomson Fertility Centre said pre-implantation genetic screening "has benefited many infertile couples in overseas centres, with significantly improved pregnancy rates''.

The improved rates may coax more women to accept one embryo, instead of two or three to raise their chances of having a baby. That will also reduce the likelihood of having high-risk multiple pregnancies, he said.

He also said that if resources are limited, priority should be given to older women and those who have tried and failed in the past.

facebook.com/ST.Salma

This article was first published on Nov 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - National swimmer Joseph Schooling will be back in Singapore later this month to sign two books to help raise funds for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STSPMF).

The session on Nov 21 will take place at Singapore Press Holdings' (SPH) News Centre in Toa Payoh from 1pm to 3pm.

From Kid to King

Did you know Schooling imagined sharks chasing him to motivate himself to swim faster?

His success story from kid to swim king is illustrated in a 40-page book for  children aged three to eight.

Penned by The Straits Times News Editor Marc Lim and illustrated by freelance artist Darel Seow, From Kid to King depicts Schooling's early love affair with the water, how he handled failure, and his eventual victory in Rio.

"Joseph's Olympic journey is relatable to so many of us because it all started with a dream. At some point in our lives, we all dreamt of what we'd want to be when we grow up. I hope this book will help set kids, including my son, on that path of self-discovery to realise their dreams, as Joseph did," said Mr Lim, who was formerly the paper's Sports Editor and has a two-year-old son. 

There are activity pages at the end of the book on which kids can sketch out their own dreams.

The book is available in bookshops now for $16.

At the Nov 21 event, Schooling will sign for buyers of the book and read from it to a group of STSPMF beneficiaries. 20 per cent of all the sale proceeds will go to STSPMF.

The Schooling effect: More kids enrolling for competitive swimming lessons

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The New Paper

Schooling Joseph

The second book, Schooling Joseph, is for adult fan collectors and was written by veteran sports journalists Rohit Brijnath and Chan U-Gene, who drew from over a decade of sports coverage by SPH of the Olympic champ.

Readers will get a glimpse of intimate family photos that are released to the public for the first time through the book, and also of notes that Schooling's mother, May, penned to motivate her son before major competitions. 

"I really wanted to share my story because, more than anything, I want people to know that anyone can achieve great things as long as they set their minds on it and give it their absolute best. Because I'm just like everyone else - a Singaporean boy with a big dream. I hope my story can inspire readers. This is also my way of saying thanks to everyone who has stood by me all these years," Schooling said in a statement today (Nov 11).

This book will be available in bookshops from Nov 12 at $27.82.

At the signing session, Schooling will sign 20 limited edition, hardcover copies of the book. All 20 copies were pre-sold, raising $26,000 for STSPMF.

Crowds gather to catch glimpse of Joseph Schooling on victory parade

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

AsiaOne

SINGAPORE - A Singapore court on Friday jailed a former banker who handled Swiss bank BSI's relationship with state investor 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) for 18 weeks for forgery and failure to disclose suspicious transactions.

Yak Yew Chee, who worked as a senior vice president at BSI Singapore, was also a private banker for Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho, who was described by Singapore authorities as a key figure in the money laundering investigation linked to 1MDB.

Founded by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who chaired its advisory board, 1MDB is currently the subject of money laundering investigations in at least six countries, including Switzerland, Singapore and the United States.

Najib has denied any wrongdoing and said Malaysia will co-operate with the international investigations.

BSI Bank caught in 1MDB scandal

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, AFP, Reuters, Facebook screengrabs

Yak pleaded guilty to four of seven charges at Singapore's state court. He was also fined S$24,000 ($17,000).

Two charges related to forging reference letters vouching for the Low family and two to turning a blind eye to hefty sums - allegedly proceeds from criminal conduct - coursing through BSI bank in Singapore.

Yak is now expected to assist the ongoing 1MDB money laundering investigation.

Read also: S'pore 1MDB probe: Banker Yak Yew Chee earned $27m in 5 years

Singapore earlier this year shut down BSI and Falcon Private Bank in its biggest crackdown on alleged money laundering connected to 1MDB.

In May, Singapore's central bank referred Yak among six members of BSI Bank's senior management and staff to the public prosecutor to evaluate if they had committed criminal offences in the wake of its money laundering investigation.

Yak earned S$27 million during about four years of work for BSI, including hefty bonuses, court documents showed.

SINGAPORE - The mysterious signal interference which interrupted service on the Circle Line MRT in recent months is a mystery no more.

According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and train operator SMRT, investigations showed that signalling problems on the Circle Line were caused by an intermittent failure of the signalling hardware on one train.

Between Nov 2 and 6, the hardware failure on the train - No. 46 - had caused trains in the proximity of it to lose signalling communications.

The loss of communications on these trains resulted in their emergency brakes being automatically activated as a safety measure.

It is believed that the same problem was what caused the loss of signalling communications on Circle Line trains between Aug 28 and Sept 2.

An initial hypothesis - that interference from telecommunications signals may have caused the repeated activation of the trains' emergency brakes - was tested and proven wrong.

Train No. 46 was tested at its manufacturing location as well as under local conditions before it was deployed in June 2015, LTA and SMRT said in a joint statement.

At the moment, it remains unclear why the train's signalling hardware has been experiencing intermittent failure.

The statement added that no other train has been found to have the same hardware issue.

No. 46 has since been pulled out of service, and an examination will be carried out on the signalling hardware for the rest of the fleet.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is filing a police report over a hoax photo of Build-To-Order project Waterway Terraces in Punggol that has been circulating online.

The photo, which was shared widely online on Friday (Nov 11), showed the upper storeys of a block of flats that appeared to be collapsed.

It is unclear whether the photo is of Waterway Terraces I or II.

At around 5.40pm, HDB clarified on its Facebook page that the photo is an "online hoax".

Separately, developer Tiong Seng Group also confirmed that the photo is a hoax, in response to queries from The Straits Times.

The SCDF said it did not receive any calls for assistance at Waterway Terraces, but dispatched a fire engine and Red Rhino vehicle to the location at around 3.30pm.

After investigating the area, the SCDF said it found no sign of a collapsed structure.

This article was first published on Nov 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - Commuters on the Circle Line can enjoy a glimpse of Olympic champion Joseph Schooling's journey with the launch of the 'Hello, My Name Is Joseph Schooling' concept train on Friday (Nov 11).

The project was launched by The Schooling Effect, SMRT Corporation and SMRT subsidiary The X Collective Pte Ltd this morning, and it encourages people to dare to dream.

Comprising three cabins - The Pledge Cabin, The Book Cabin and The Exhibition Cabin - the train reflects Schooling's journey, his commitment to encourage Singaporeans to dream and The Schooling Effect's credo to give back to society.

The train will run on the Circle Line till Dec 8.

Schooling, 21, achieved glory on the worldwide sporting stage when he beat 23-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps and reigning world champion Chad le Clos to clinch the 100m butterfly gold in August at the Olympics in Brazil.

This article was first published on Nov 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Crowds gather to catch glimpse of Joseph Schooling on victory parade

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

AsiaOne

SINGAPORE - An advice column in Teenage Magazine that suggested that an apparent rape victim had only herself to blame for being sexually assaulted has led to a flurry of outraged responses, including from gender equality advocacy group Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware).

Aware has hit out at the magazine's "Dear Kelly" column, saying that it could "discourage readers from reporting their own sexual assaults, as it would reinforce their expectation of judgmental and unsupportive responses".

In a letter published in the magazine's latest issue, the victim related her experience of going over to her boyfriend's home for dinner and a movie, drinking, and waking up the next morning naked in bed with him, without any memory of what had happened the night before.

"I had too much to drink and did not protest," wrote the girl, of how she reacted when he started undressing her.

"Kelly" responded by telling the writer that she had misled her boyfriend into thinking she wanted to have sex with him by acting "like a girl who has been around" - spending time at his home without his parents around, drinking and kissing him.

The column, which is a staple of the magazine targeted at teenage girls, went on to tell the writer that she should be "grateful that he wore a condom so there is little fear of an unplanned pregnancy and contracting a Sexually Transmitted Disease".

It is not known if the letter is a genuine one. The Straits Times has contacted Teenage Magazine for comment.

However, the magazine has responded in a comment on a Facebook post: "It was never the intention of Teenage to condone rape and victim-blaming... We seek your patience while we investigate this matter fully."

In a published e-mail to the magazine's editor-in-chief, Aware accused the column of having a "condescending and unsupportive" tone and implying that it is acceptable to sexually assault someone who has had sex before.

It added: "Consent needs to be acquired at every stage of physical intimacy - if a person is too drunk or intoxicated to give fully voluntary agreement, they are not legally able to give consent."

Aware said: "In Singapore as globally, sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes. Many victims cite disbelieving and unsupportive attitudes from their peers and family as a major reason why they choose not to report the crime.

""Kelly's" column would very likely discourage readers from reporting their own sexual assaults, as it would reinforce their expectation of judgmental and unsupportive responses."

The incident comes on back of the infamous Stanford rape case, in which a former Stanford University swimmer, Brock Turner, 20, was sentenced to six months' jail in June this year for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster after a campus party in January last year.

In its wake, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam had emphasised the need for Singapore to take a strict approach when it comes to serious crimes like rape, as well as to make it easier for victims to come forward.

This article was first published on November 11, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

JOHOR BARU - The RM20 (S$6.40) road charge (RC) imposed on Singaporeans entering Johor via the Causeway and Second Link remains a hot topic since its Nov 1 implementation.

A number of motorists have posted their views on Facebook, claiming that they were charged twice the amount after accidentally tapping their Touch 'n Go cards twice on the RC deduction machines.

(The RC is be collected via Touch 'n Go each time a motorist enters Malaysia at the Causeway and Second Link).

Read also: New fee takes toll on Singapore drivers in JB

"Tap carefully. I was charged double (RM40)," Facebook user Min Tat wrote on the JB Traffic, Road Block and Potholes Report community page.

However, in another comment, he acknowledged that he made the mistake of tapping his card twice.

In a posting on the JB Carpool to SG page, user Sky Liew King also claimed that RM40 was deducted from his Touch 'n Go.

Read also: Singaporeans find ways to make trip across to Malaysia worthwhile

"I asked the staff at the JPJ office, but they could not explain why RM40 was deducted. Instead, they told me to head to the Touch 'n Go office in Perling, which is 20km from the Causeway," he wrote.

Limousine driver Ricky Ang, 29, said he had not encountered any problem with the RM20 payment, but expressed disappointment with the congestion at the Causeway.

Scammers who target those looking for love online are upping their game, with more taking on a new identity by using Chinese names instead of Caucasian ones, to draw in their quarry.

After gaining the trust of their victims, many feign a death in the family or tell of a troubled business to evoke sympathy, before asking for a sum of money.

Their change in modus operandi, revealed by the police yesterday, also involves requesting the money be sent to bank accounts in China and Hong Kong, instead of Singapore or Malaysian banks.

Social media platforms and dating apps such as Tinder, OKCupid and WeChat are gaining traction among scammers, who would previously scour mainly Facebook for victims.

In the last few months, a woman was cheated of $1.7 million, the biggest amount lost by an individual to Internet love scams so far.

From January to September, there were 448 cases of such scams reported, with at least $17 million pocketed by conmen. The figure stood at 244 cases for the same period last year.

A majority of the victims this year were Chinese women aged between 30 and 59 years old.

"Many people live very busy lives nowadays and they tend to find the fastest way to look for a partner," said Mr Daniel Koh, a psychologist with Insights Mind Centre.

"They use dating apps to connect with people as they often believe the companies have some form of filter against fake accounts."

He added that the danger of such platforms is that people often share a myriad of personal information, through their profiles or postings, that scammers can use to their benefit.

"When a person is caught up in the emotional connection, their only goal is to keep the relationship going," he said.

"They feel good when they are able to help and they hope it can lead to something more."

Other types of online scams involve those impersonating government officials or stockbrokers.

From January to September, victims lost at least $21 million in 428 cases, after they were told by "Chinese officials" that they had committed criminal offences.

Some were asked to provide their Internet banking details, while others were directed to a fake website of the Singapore Police Force or the Chinese police, where they had to key in their banking details, to redress those offences.

Other con artists approach victims on social media, claiming to be stockbrokers or finan- cial executives with attractive investments.

There were 86 such cases from January to September, resulting in at least $4.4 million in losses.

Scammers would ask for the victim's personal particulars, before directing him or her to transfer money to banks in Hong Kong or China. Extra money in the form of fake administrative fees or taxes were also collected.

Top 7 scams in Singapore and more

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

www.scamalert.sg

This article was first published on Nov 12, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.