Retiree Jenni Tan, 61, never imagined that she would be dragon- boating or rock-climbing in her 60s.

Fellow retiree Sophie Kho, 64, used to declare herself "allergic to exercise".

But thanks to Aspire55, which markets itself as Asia's first "virtual retirement village", both of them have been able to step out of their comfort zones.

Like retirement villages, Aspire55 offers social, health and care services, but it is more of a clubhouse than a village - its members do not make Aspire55 their new home, instead heading there only for activities.

Officially launched in 2014, Aspire55 is co-founded by entrepreneurs Janice Chia, 37, and Loke Yiing Ching, 43.

The clubhouse in Commonwealth Lane comprises a 900 sq ft indoor space with floor-to-ceiling windows and a 100 sq ft balcony and garden growing basil, sunflowers, chillies, pomegranate and pineapples in well-tended pots.

The indoor space houses nine pieces of senior-friendly gym equipment specially imported from Finland. The machines use an air-pressure system that is gentler on muscles and joints.

Smart cards ensure that equipment settings adjust automatically to the user and every member's performance on a machine is tracked by software, so trainers can then customise each person's regimen.

Read also: Best tonic for the elderly may be a gym workout: Survey

Beyond the equipment and technologies, Aspire55 members say what makes the gym different from others is its environment and the caring attitude of the trainers.

Some of the Aspire55 members live in condominiums and are members of country clubs, but shun the gyms located there.

"There's no pull factor for me to exercise in those gyms no matter how good their equipment is because I will be exercising alone," says Ms Kho.

Another club member, Ms Annabella Sim, 65, says: "We're not interested in the quantity of gym equipment either. The gym may be big, but who's teaching you?"

After trying out commercial gyms, some of them found that the trainers there are not interested in teaching "aunties" to use the equipment.

At the clubhouse, members are encouraged to exercise together in group sessions and interaction among them is facilitated by trainers, who not only advise them on exercises, but also give them quarterly progress updates.

The club's event and fitness facilitator, Mr Norman Koh, 28, is an "auntie killer", says Ms Chia, using the local colloquialism for a man who knows how to charm older women.

He holds a degree in Sport Science and Management from Nanyang Technological University and joined Aspire55 full-time last year.

Read also: New fitness test helps seniors work out best exercise for them

He is in a WhatsApp chat group with some of the members and organises events for them beyond the exercise sessions.

Some of the activities that members have taken part in include dragon-boating and taking on the aerial obstacle course and "flying fox" at Sentosa's MegaZip Adventure Park.

"I would not have done these things on my own, especially as they are new to me," says Madam Tan.

"But when I see my peers signing up, I tell myself, 'If they can, of course I can too.'"

The sense of community and belonging among the members is enhanced with post-workout meals and regular pot-luck sessions organised by the club.

Ms Kho says: "This place is not your typical money-making enterprise. Through all that they do, I feel that I really belong here."

Aspire55 started with just three members and now has about 80 Gold members who are in their 50s to 80s. These members exercise at the clubhouse twice a week and pay $1,800 a year for their membership.

Read also: Free Fitness programme for seniors

It has another 1,500 Silver members, who pay a one-time sum of $50 for lifetime membership.Silver members get access to events at special prices and a one-time free workout session trial.

Ms Chia says the club has yet to break even and estimates that it will take a few more years before it becomes profitable.

She, her parents and Ms Loke have ploughed several hundred thousand dollars into the business, simply because they saw a need for this.

"There isn't a fun gym here for older people where they can exercise and socialise at the same time. We felt this could benefit this age group," says Ms Loke.

Ms Chia says the Gold members have had 100 per cent membership renewal and attendance since the club started.

She hopes to continue to grow this club and will make plans for another clubhouse when the membership number approaches 200.

Since Aspire55's launch, she has also received inquiries from Australia, China and Malaysia about her business model.

"Our clubhouse is like our members' own home," says Ms Chia.

"Here, we want to make our members laugh. We believe in creating purpose and happy moments in their lives."

Read also: Robots to lead fitness lessons for the elderly​

Where seniors can go

Aspire55

What: Billing itself as Asia's first "virtual retirement village", Aspire55 offers seniors the opportunity to exercise and socialise at a clubhouse in Commonwealth.

Where: 08-34 One Commonwealth, 1 Commonwealth Lane

Info: Call 6473-6993

North West SwimSafer Club for Seniors

What: The first of the North West SwimSafer Clubs for Seniors was launched in 2014.

As of February last year, there were eight such clubs across Bukit Panjang, Yishun, Bukit Timah and Woodlands.

Besides equipping seniors with basic swimming and water-survival skills, the clubs are places for them to exercise regularly and socialise.

The swim clubs are run by the North West Community Development Council.

Where: Various locations

Info: E-mail Elise_Phang@pa.gov.sg

AWWA Rehab & Day Care Centre

What: On weekdays from 4 to 7pm, the AWWA (Asian Women's Welfare Association) Rehab & Day Care Centre's gym is open to members of the public.

Where: Block 126, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, 01-1929

Info: Call 6511-6790

ActiveSG Inclusive Gym @ Enabling Village

What: Located within the Enabling Village - the first community space here dedicated to integrating people with disabilities into society - the ActiveSG Inclusive Gym welcomes not only those with disabilities, but also the able-bodied and senior citizens.

The Enabling Village has outdoor fitness corners that are open to the public.

The equipment at these fitness corners is suitable for use by the elderly.

The Village, a five-minute walk from Redhill MRT station, was developed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development and SG Enable, an agency that helps people with disabilities.

Where: Enabling Village, 20 Lengkok Bahru, 01-05

Info: Call 6265-1292

Sundays @ The Park

What: Started in 2013, Sundays @ The Park is a programme initiated by the Health Promotion Board.

Targeted at both young and old, the programme has a variety of instructor-led workouts held at parks across Singapore.

Where: Various locations

Info: tinyurl.com/j6xqs4k

Exercise video

What: Seniors can watch the video, 7 Easy Exercises To An Active Lifestyle.

Produced by the Health Promotion Board, the 30-minute exercise video features seven exercises developed with the help of physiotherapists.

The exercises do not require special equipment and seniors can do them at home and at their own pace and time.

Info: tinyurl.com/zvr6777

brynasim@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 01, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Can one die of a broken heart?

Yes, say doctors.

Undertakers also say it is possible, and they cite cases of people who die within months or even weeks after the death of their loved ones.

The death of actress Debbie Reynolds last Wednesday - a day after her daughter Carrie Fisher died - has led to talk that she died from grief.

In Singapore, doctors said they have seen patients who suffered from "broken-heart syndrome", a condition where the heart is weakened after a patient goes through severe emotional stress.

Emotions such as sadness, anger and fear can trigger the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline. In excess, this temporarily "stuns" the heart muscle, said cardiologists.

The condition, also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, does not usually cause death.

Tako tsubo is the Japanese term for octopus trap, which is similar in shape to the left ventricle of the heart of someone who suffers from the condition.

Read also: Disney faces 'Star Wars'-size dilemma over loss of Carrie Fisher

Associate Professor Yeo Khung Keong, a senior consultant at the National Heart Centre Singapore, said the condition appears to be more common in post-menopausal women.

He said: "This weakening of the heart is usually temporary, and mimics a heart attack. Patients can have chest pains, difficulty breathing and even heart failure."

Before she died, Ms Reynolds was said to have suffered a stroke, and was rushed to hospital.

According to reports, her son said the stress of his sister's death was too much for her.

Dr Edgar Tay, a senior cardiologist at the National University Heart Centre, said patients who experience this condition are usually those who have been through a highly stressful event.

He said: "They may have witnessed the death of a family member or they may have been with a family member while he or she suffered a heart attack."

According to a 2014 study done in Britain and published in a journal called the Jama Internal Medicine, the number of people who had a heart attack or a stroke in the month after a loved one died was double that of those who were not grieving.

Read also: Hollywood mourns 'Star Wars' icon Carrie Fisher

Undertaker Roland Tay said he sees about one case every one or two years of loved ones dying within weeks or months of each other.

They are usually elderly couples who do not have children.

Mr Tay said: "It could be due to the lack of support. Somebody needs to be around to take care of the person who is mourning."

Ms Ang Jolie Mei, the managing director of funeral parlour The Life Celebrant, said grief can be handled in two ways.

People can succumb to it or find the strength to face the situation they are in.

She recalled a case in 2010 when five family members died in a tragic accident after a trailer tried to overtake their MPV.

One woman survived but her husband, mother and three children died in the crash. "But the woman did her best to stay strong for her family," said Ms Ang.

kcarolyn@sph.com.sg 

This article was first published on Jan 01, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Melwani Erwan was about six years old when she started cooking rice on a stove under her father's guidance. Her family could not afford a rice cooker then.

By the time she was about nine, she could cook dishes such as assam pedas - a sour and spicy fish stew - for family meals.

Her father, Mr Erwan Agos, who worked in a small restaurant in his 20s, imparted his cooking skills to Melwani, now 15. He was a single parent before he remarried in August last year.

She and her two siblings have also been doing housework from a young age.

"The children came to an understanding of my situation (as a single parent) and supported me. I asked them, if you can do cleaning at school, why not at home?" says Mr Erwan, 43, who works in the distribution section of a printing firm.

Melwani's school, Stamford Primary, had implemented cleaning activities for its pupils before the initiative went nationwide.

All schools in Singapore have implemented cleaning activities, The Straits Times reported the Ministry of Education as saying last month.

The aim is to help students cultivate lifelong good habits. When school reopens this week, all students from primary school to junior college will have to clean classrooms, canteens and corridors daily.

In Japan, students traditionally do soji, or cleaning, in school every day, including sweeping the floor, tidying classrooms and cleaning tables after meals.

Family experts say starting children on housework earlier rather than later is beneficial.

Ms Sarah Chua, Parenting Strategist at Focus on the Family Singapore, says: "In a society where convenience is highly valued and having a live-in domestic helper is commonplace, children are at risk of missing out on the positive values and habits that come from doing housework, (such as) self-discipline and confidence.

"It's never too early to start cultivating a sense of responsibility in children. The key is to set age- appropriate chores."

For example, she says, preschoolers can set the dinner table with supervision and help to carry light groceries. Children in lower primary school can be asked to wash dishes and make their beds.

Those in upper primary can learn to use the washing machine. Secondary school children can babysit and occasionally prepare family meals.

Mr Edwin Yim, director at AWWA Family Service Centre, says youth and teenagers may not take to doing household chores they are not used to.

In contrast, when children are younger, they may do chores simply because, as with other things such as taking piano lessons, their parents ask them to.

"The key is communicating the purpose behind it. There are many long-term achievements to be gained, such as the cultivation of civic responsibility," he says.

Polytechnic lecturer Simon Eng, 42, started his two children on chores around the age of four, so that doing housework "would be as natural as brushing teeth".

His children - Isabelle, eight, and Caleb, five - fold laundry, wash their own dishes, wipe the dining table and, at least once a week, they clean the floor with a dry mop.

Besides learning responsibility, doing chores helps the youngsters boost their motor skills, says Mr Eng, who is married to housewife Karen Lee, 39.

He hopes his children will develop empathy by doing chores for the family and extend their care of the home to the wider community.

The family are already volunteers with their church, distributing bread to low-income households every few months.

The favourite chore for Isabelle and Caleb is washing their own bowls.

"We also learn not to waste water," says Isabelle.

Having a domestic helper can hinder children picking up the habit of doing chores.

Ms Lim Su Lin, a stay-at-home mum and freelance copywriter, found that her instructions to her three daughters to put away their toys, for instance, were not enforced by her domestic helper.

She also discovered that her helper would follow her youngest daughter, Hannah, then five, around to feed her, something she did not approve of.

Ms Lim, 49, finally did without a helper and became a housewife about five years ago.

She and her husband, financial services manager Lynden Pung, 55, believe one parent should stay home to spend more time with their daughters, aged 16, 15 and 13, to nurture them and ensure they share their values.

Although she sometimes nags her children to do chores such as tidying up, she empathises with them: "Even I don't enjoy household chores, but they have to be done. It's about having the children contribute to the household, rather than having someone pick up after them."

Indeed, when Melwani started doing housework such as cooking and washing the dishes, she felt it was "a bit unfair" as her peers did not do it.

"When I grew older, I realised that doing housework benefits me. I became more independent," she says. 

Ms Tan Ai Cheng, 41, reckons doing housework has helped her children hone their problem-solving skills.

When Ms Tan, a part-time relief teacher, is watching a television programme and her younger child, Bethley, wants a meal, she sometimes asks the eight-year-old to make something for herself.

As a result, Bethley has Googled and tried out recipes for cookies and even learnt to steam fish. She knows how to fry salmon and to make dishes such as udon soup and scrambled eggs.

Ms Tan, who stopped working full-time after Bethley was born, says she cannot recall introducing Bethley and her older brother, Lambert, nine, to housework.

Her children have been helping her with chores, including packing away their toys and hanging out the laundry "since they were able to walk".

The main reason for this early start is that she and her pastor husband, Mr Choa Chang Loong, 40, have neither a domestic helper nor family members living with them to help around the home.

Doing chores also prevents a sense of entitlement seeping into the kids' minds, says Ms Tan.

Lambert and Bethley perform chores such as laying the table for meals, wiping it and washing the dishes after meals, putting away the laundry, watering the plants, sweeping the floor and washing their school shoes.

Mr Choa says: "My wife and I grew up doing household chores and we expected our children to do so too. When we had our own place, no one needed to teach me to wash dishes or cook."

Sometimes, their household expands and the volume of housework increases, as the couple have been fostering children since 2014, taking in babies and toddlers for weeks or months at a time.

"Our children need to be role models for these younger kids. The foster children clear their own toys when they see our kids doing so," says Mr Choa.

Lambert and Bethley have also been cleaning tables and emptying dustbins in schools.

Bethley says she prefers cleaning up in school rather than at home.

She says: "I prefer school chores because my friend helps me."

venessal@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 01, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - Lights, laser and fire displays lit up the night sky at the stroke of midnight as revellers at the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown welcomed the new year.

The countdown, organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), is Singapore's largest New Year's Eve party.

There are no official figures yet, but organisers expected more than 300,000 people to join in the event.

The celebrations were extended to the Civic District for the first time to make space for the activities.

Roads in the city centre began to close from 4pm onwards, while St Andrew's Road and Connaught Drive were converted to pedestrianised streets.

The heavy presence of police and auxiliary police officers did little to dampen the mood of revellers, who pointed cameras at the fireworks or looked at their watches as 2017 approached.

The crowd began to pick up at around 7pm, with eager photographers and family groups reserving the most ideal spots at the Esplanade, The Promontory@Marina Bay and the Marina Bay Sands boardwalk ahead of time.

366379

2017-01-01 14:50:43

Photo Gallery

World parties to ring in 2017 despite terror jitters

Source:

AFP

Reuters

Four firework displays - at 8pm, 9pm, 10pm and 11pm - entertained the early birds.

Then at 11.54pm, the crowd turned to the sky again for a final eight-minute fireworks display, which was the largest of the night and choreographed to music by local artists.

Said Mr Jonathan Yew, 54, who attended the countdown with his family of four: "This is a yearly tradition for us to put the old year behind and welcome the new.

"2016 has been a happening year for many and you can see that everyone here is looking forward to a new start in 2017."

This article was first published on Dec 31, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

On Dec 15 and 16, The Sunday Times visited seven clinics offering traditional Chinese medicine treatments to investigate if the services were legitimate.

Six of them, located in Chinatown, Tanjong Pagar, Jalan Besar and North Bridge Road, were registered to the same man - a licensed TCM practitioner, ST learnt. The seventh clinic was registered to another name.

This clinic, located along a row of restaurants and travel agencies in North Bridge Road, listed services sometimes offered at TCM clinics. They included aromatherapy, body scraping and "twin body therapy".

Read also

• No TCM at clinics, but other 'services'

The clinic was tucked away from prying eyes, on the second storey of the shophouse.

On Dec 15, this reporter visited the clinic on the pretext of needing a shoulder massage for an old motorcycle injury. An old scab was proof of that injury.

To get into the clinic, patrons would first have to ring the bell at the locked glass door that was further protected by an overhead security camera.

This reporter was then led to a lounge area about the size of a housing board living room.

The therapist, clad in a black dress, spoke in halting English. She later claimed to be from China.

211399

2015-07-22 15:14:26

Photo Gallery

Nightclubs, massage parlours in China quiet after vice crackdown

Source: YouTube screengrabs, The Straits Times

The therapist, who looked to be in her 30s, pointed to a menu at the reception table. It showed the types of massage available and their respective prices.

After picking a 30-minute shoulder rubdown for $35, this reporter was led to a room with an attached bathroom.

Patrons at this clinic are told to remove all their clothing for the massage. In contrast, patrons are told to change into shorts provided by the establishments at legitimate spas.

No more than 10 minutes into the massage, the therapist offered sex for money which was immediately declined. She only stopped pushing the "special" services when this reporter promised a tip of $50 on top of the $35 charged for the 30-minute massage.

She was unaware that the conversation was being recorded. A similar routine was experienced at another TCM clinic in Tanjong Pagar Road.

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2016-10-18 18:07:53

Photo Gallery

Vices that are costing Singaporeans big money

Source:

ST also approached five other clinics registered to the TCM practitioner besides the one in Tanjong Pagar on Dec 16.

When asked if they offered "happy" or "special" massages, four of them admitted to offering sexual services, as captured by a hidden camera. They were all fronted by women in short dresses rather than uniforms, as is required of staff at legitimate TCM clinics.

At one TCM clinic in Chinatown, a therapist said the doctor was not in, adding in halting English: "Here, all is (sic) girl masseuses." When asked about "extras", she said: "(For) other things, (there are) other fees." But the clinic was unable to take any more clients. It was full for the day.

This article was first published on Jan 1, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

236010

2015-11-07 20:31:34

Photo Gallery

Woman alerts cops to alleged vice activities in condo

Source: The New Paper

Because ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Ladies and gentlemen, Singapore has a new social media sensation.

He didn't have to win any gold medals in sports and didn't do anything extraordinary, to the best of our knowledge at least.

Instead, he was just being himself.

Meet Ganesh, a teen who attended the New Year's Eve Countdown at Suntec City and found himself unwittingly thrust into the social media limelight for telling everyone on live national TV what his highlight of 2016 was.

Firstly hosts Mike Kasem and Vernetta Lopez seemed at a loss when they momentarily could not find an audience member to take the mic and say what their most memorable event in 2016 was.

366379

2017-01-01 14:50:43

Photo Gallery

World parties to ring in 2017 despite terror jitters

Source:

AFP

Reuters

The crowd retreated in typical Singaporean-fashion, with an exasperated Vernetta Lopez asking: "Somebody?"

For that one second, anxious Singapore viewers were glued to the screens, hoping for a saviour to save the day.

And that was when Ganesh emerged.

Boldly stepping up to speak into the mic, Ganesh told Lopez: "Going out with my friends (was the highlight of 2016)".

"Going out with your friends was the highlight? You kept indoors or what," Vernetta Lopez asked.

Clearly nonplussed, Kasem threw him a line, hoping to steer the boy in the right direction (and do some damage control) on national TV: "All right. How about something involving a swimming pool, might have been a highlight for us in Singapore?"

The brave boy clearly didn't get the hint, or from the looks of it, simply couldn't care less.

Ganesh said in a completely deadpan manner: "I went to my friend's house. He is living in a condominium so I went there for swimming with my friends."

Hold up. Pause for just one second and think about what just happened on TV.

This was gold. And this is what Donald Trump meant when he said: "We have to stop being so politically correct." In a way.

Meanwhile, Ganesh's friend standing behind him went off on a selfie frenzy before giving his buddy a handshake for telling it like it is on national TV.

"You know what? Whatever the highlight is for you, that's fantastic," Vernetta Lopez said, clearly amused.

"Absolutely. I was thinking Joseph Schooling for me," said Mike Kasem.

Smooth.

The clip was posted on Facebook by user Justin Hui, who wrote: "Singapore went into 2017 in the most cringe-inducing way."

Anthony Theophilus Loon commented on Facebook: "Highlight of 2016. He might have misunderstood the question. Pretty much summed up the year."

"Officially never calling him over to swim at my condo," another Facebook user Shaun Gill quipped.

It seems 2017 is off to a good start.

grongloh@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - The new year marked a fresh start for a group of about 20 stallholders who lost their livelihoods after a huge blaze destroyed a Jurong West coffee shop and wet market in October.

On Sunday (Jan 1), 23 of them were able to resume their businesses at a temporary market in front of Block 495, Jurong West Street 41, ahead of Chinese New Year.

The temporary market, which took six weeks to build, was officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

"The building of the temporary market shows that when something unfortunate happens, we are able to come together to make things better in the future," said Mr Tharman, who was joined by fellow Jurong GRC MPs Desmond Lee and Ang Wei Neng.

A multi-agency effort was previously launched to help the 51 stallholders who were affected by the fire at Block 493, Jurong West Street 41.

It included job fairs and financial assistance as well as emotional support from grassroots volunteers.

Plans for a new permanent market at Block 493 is on track, with construction to begin in the middle of the year (2017), Mr Ang also announced at the event.

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Photo Gallery

Fire destroys Jurong coffeeshop and wet market

Source:

The New Paper

The Straits Times

Shin Min Daily News

Lianhe Wanbao

Berita Harian

It will take about 1½ years to complete.

The new two-storey complex will house a market (420 sq m), eating house (433 sq m) and facilities for elderly residents, he added.

It will also include wider aisles, better ventilation and an elderly friendly designs, such as non-slip tiles.

About $6.2 million will be needed to build the new market, which will be fully funded by the Government.

A total of 34 out of the 35 stalls available at the temporary market have been taken up by the 23 stallholders, including 70-year-old Wang Chiow Wee.

"I am happy to be back in business so soon. The temporary market is clean and spacious, but I especially miss seeing all the regular costumers who have been supporting me over the years," said Mr Wang, who has been selling meat at the Block 493 wet market for the past 30 years.

He has taken up two stalls at the temporary market and he will pay $900 a month for each stall.

Several donors, temples, clan associations and other organisations raised about $600,000 needed to build the temporary market, which was completed on Dec 15, Mr Ang said.

Factory worker Pay Shaw Ping, 62, who has been living in Jurong West for 17 years said: "I enjoyed visiting the market every weekend with my friends to buy vegetables and fish. After it was burnt down, we had to go to another market further away. I'm glad to have this temporary market, as it is much more convenient."

This article was first published on Jan 1, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - Singapore's first baby of 2017 made a dramatic entrance, arriving at 12.26am following an emergency caesarean operation.

Baby boy Hazim Syukri was born at KK Women's and Children's Hospital weighing 2.4kg; both baby and mother are healthy.

Ms Syazwani Mohamed, 29, said that she began having mild contractions on Friday (Dec 30) night, two weeks ahead of schedule, and admitted herself to hospital. As she had low levels of amniotic fluids, which could pose a risk to the baby, she decided to induce labour at 11am the next morning.

After more than 12 hours of contractions with only 6cm dilated and the baby in distress, doctors made the decision to perform an emergency c-section.

"His heartbeat was on and off, but for a tiny baby he's quite strong," said Ms Syazwani, who works in make-up and prosthetics at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).

Father Nor Hazwan, 29, stayed with his wife throughout the process, which he said was "indescribable".

"There were too many emotions at once, I was worried at her, worried about the baby, excited," said Mr Hazwan, who works as a dolphin trainer at RWS.

"I didn't expect to have the first baby of the year, I was just thinking I want him to be safe, and I was praying hard for him to survive the process," said Ms Syazwani.

"When I finally got to see him I was so emotional, when he had his first cry I was also crying," she said.

The couple, who met while studying landscape architecture at Singapore Polytechnic nearly a decade ago, have been married for just over a year.

They named their first child Hazim Syukri as Hazim means smart and hardworking and Syukri means blessing and gratitude towards the Almighty.

Ms Syazwani said that she is tired, but excited to go home with her newborn.

"I just want to sleep next to him," she said.

This article was first published on Jan 1, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Reunion dinners this year look to be more expensive, thanks to the rising prices of traditional Chinese New Year favourites like abalone, fish maw and scallops.

Prices for abalone, which have fallen in the past two years, are now back to 2015 levels, retailers said.

A can of New Moon abalone from New Zealand now costs $39.80 at the Giant supermarket chain, similar in price to 2015 - compared to $33.80 last year.

At Teck Yin Soon Chinese Medical Hall in Temple Street, for example, a can of Calmex abalone from Mexico now costs $160.

It was $158 in 2015 and $145 last year.

These prices were taken from around the same period before the New Year.

Prices of delicacies usually peak a month before the festival.

"There's just less supply in general due to poor weather and overfishing. It's not just abalone; all kinds of seafood are affected too," said Teck Yin Soon's general manager Chow Chew Yong, 33.

Prices of fish maw and dried scallops at the medical hall are also up by 15 to 20 per cent.

The Straits Times reported last Tuesday that mandarin oranges, a New Year staple, are also set to cost 10 to 15 per cent more this year.

A spokesman for the Victoria Street Wholesale Centre Merchants' Association said the reduction of abalone production, especially in China and Mexico, affected overall prices.

"Abalone production in the past two years fell by around 10 per cent, which is why the cost also went up by 10 per cent," he told Shin Min Daily News.

A depreciating Singapore dollar has also contributed to the higher prices, he added.

Retailers said they will offer more package deals in the hope that customers who buy the delicacies will purchase more.

Madam Sun Da Jie, manager of Chang Bai Shan Ginseng Medical Hall at Lucky Chinatown, said she will bear the additional cost of the seafood to avoid discouraging customers.

"With the prices and the economy this year, I won't dare to import so much. Otherwise, I will make a big loss," said Madam Sun, 75.

Likewise, supermarkets here said prices of abalone, fish maw and scallops will be comparable to last year's. Said a Sheng Siong spokesman: "We have absorbed the price increase (of abalone) in some measure, so that our customers can continue to enjoy affordable abalone during the festive season."

NTUC FairPrice's senior director of purchasing and merchandising, Mrs Mui-Kok Kah Wei, said it has continued to work closely with its suppliers "to ensure stable prices and supply of these items".

But people are likely to continue buying these delicacies, a Giant supermarket spokesman added.

"As Chinese New Year is still a traditional celebration about abundance, we do not see that consumers will buy fewer items or buy replacements for traditional delicacies."

But some families will be making adjustments for the festive period.

The first day of Chinese New Year falls on Jan 28.

Mr George Toh, 41, a flight attendant, said he will reduce his reunion dinner budget this year because he received a smaller bonus.

"That, or the kids get less hongbao (red packet) money," he said.

Retiree Koh Hui Fun, 70, told The Straits Times her family will just have to make do with fewer cans of abalone this year.

Her solution? Poultry.

"I'll feed them more chicken instead. Since it will be the Year of the Rooster, I hope they won't mind since it's traditional after all," joked Mrs Koh.

ngjunsen@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 02, 2017.
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The Malaysian couple who were hurt two weeks ago in an ill-fated crash along the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) will have to live apart as they recover from their injuries.

Mr Teh Tze Yong was riding a motorcycle with his wife Janice Choo as a pillion rider when a Mercedes- Benz came hurtling towards them.

The couple, both 34, have been discharged from hospital but will be living apart for at least six months so that family members can continue to care for them.

Madam Choo, who works as an administration officer, left National University Hospital last Wednesday while Mr Teh, a driver at a logistics company, was discharged on New Year's Eve.

Read also: AYE accident: First glimpse of each other, days after crash

Madam Choo fractured her left leg while her husband had fractures on both hands and injuries to three fingers.

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1 dead, 3 injured in AYE accident

Source:

Lim Wee Teck

Rozaidy

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The couple, who have been working in Singapore for 10 years, will not be returning to their flat in the Pioneer area just yet.

Speaking to The Straits Times yesterday, Madam Choo said she has been staying at her aunt's flat in Pioneer since leaving the hospital, while her husband has moved in with his uncle in Woodlands.

"After our check-up this week, I will be going back to Ipoh and my husband to Yong Peng to recover. It's easier for our families," she said.

They hope they will both be well enough in about six months' time to attend a relative's wedding in Malaysia together.

Mr Teh has not yet seen the video footage of the incident, which was captured by a motorist's dashboard camera and later went viral.

"I can't bring myself to watch it. I still feel scared and in shock," he said.

But Madam Choo said: "I don't want to let the incident stop me from living here. I definitely hope to return to Singapore to work, as my colleagues and the people here have been very nice to me."

Read also: AYE accident victim flung from bike says: I was lucky

On Dec 20, businessman Lim Chai Heng, 53, was charged with causing death by reckless or dangerous driving for his role in the accident that claimed one life.

nghuiwen@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 02, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Working as a freelance contractor, Mr Lim Ka Hock was earning barely enough to support his elderly father and teenage son, when misfortune struck in November last year.

On Nov 12, his 64-year-old father, Mr Lim Chwee Leong, fell backwards while riding an escalator at Bishan MRT station.

He suffered serious head injuries and went into a coma.

Almost two months later, the elder Mr Lim remains comatose, with chances of a full recovery still uncertain, Mr Lim, 46, told The Straits Times.

Mr Lim's father, who has diabetes and high blood pressure, underwent surgery immediately after the accident to remove a blood clot in his brain.

He later went through a tracheostomy to enable him to breathe on his own and has since been transferred out of intensive care.

The elder Mr Lim's case was one of 63 accidents involving escalators in November and December, according to figures in a Building and Construction Authority (BCA) media release last Thursday.

Nearly four out of five such accidents involved those above the age of 60, like the elder Mr Lim.

The BCA also asked the public to use escalators safely during the holiday season. There are more than 6,000 escalators in Singapore.

Mr Lim, who visits his father at the hospital about once a week, said: "My father is able to open his eyes only sometimes, but just for a few seconds. He is still unable to recognise others."

Over the past month, he has had sleepless nights worrying about his father's medical costs and his son's school fees and expenses.

"We were already living from hand to mouth, but now, life has been much tougher," he said.

Mr Lim, who is divorced, lives in a four-room HDB flat in Bishan with his retiree father, two siblings and 15-year-old son.

He said that with the help of a government subsidy and insurance payout, the family is able to afford the hospital fees for now.

But without freelance projects to work on in the past weeks, Mr Lim has seen his savings quickly depleting.

Last Wednesday, he started working for a friend as a delivery driver, which will earn him about $1,400 a month.

He hopes the money will help cover the cost of housing his father in a nursing home in the future.

"Doctors have told me not to give up hope, as there is a chance my father will wake up," he said.

"But even then, he may not be able to take care of himself. My siblings and I are working so there won't be a caregiver at home."

His father is eligible for a 50 per cent subsidy at the nursing home, but it will still cost the family about $2,000 a month, Mr Lim said.

The family has also had to make other adjustments to its lifestyle.

Instead of eating takeaway meals, Mr Lim sometimes turns to instant noodles with eggs or plain rice with eggs.

He said: "I just want to focus on earning enough money for my family first."

nghuiwen@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 02, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Dutchman Guus van Bladel, who helped introduce local superstar Fandi Ahmad to Dutch professional soccer but gained prominence here for 24 years of social work involving death row and drug inmates, has died.

He was 85.

A death notice was placed in The Straits Times on Saturday informing of his death in Malacca, where he had lived since 2001.

"He died in the car as I was driving him home on Nov 2 after one of his frequent trips to the hospital," said his caretaker and long-time friend David Tang, who looked after him for 28 years.

Mr Tang, 52, said yesterday Mr van Bladel could not walk and suffered from several "old age illnesses", which meant he required help with daily routines.

"Two days before he died, he shook my hands and said 'there will be no more next time' for me to attend to him personally and he was happy... But I was very sad."

Mr Tang said Mr van Bladel was buried on the grounds of a Malacca church.

His sister and nephew in Holland were notified.

After he came to Singapore in 1976, Mr van Bladel worked as a freelance journalist and introduced a young Fandi to Dutch football.

The striker signed with Dutch football club FC Groningen in 1983.

Mr van Bladel became a voluntary after-care officer with Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (Sana) in 1977 and served till 2001 as one of its longest-serving counsellors.

His work in Sana impressed then chief probation officer K.V. Veloo, who got him to become a volunteer probation officer as well as to deal with young offenders.

Mr Veloo, who was with the then Ministry of Social Affairs, said yesterday: "Guus gave so much of himself to the rehabilitation of offenders and drug addicts.

Not only did he give his time, but he helped families in financial crisis out of his own pocket.

"Parents of those placed under his care spoke with love and admiration for Guus. Those who knew Guus must have shed a tear, for he was more than a legend. His fusillade of personal values of love, care, and assistance for those who had fallen between the cracks, is legendary and will live on in our memories."

Mr John Wee, 55, was a Lion City Cup player when he met Mr van Bladel around 1978.

"Without his guidance, support and counsel, I would not be where I am today. I owe a lot to him. He paid for me to study French in Singapore for two years and I went on to work in SIA, retiring as chief steward after 23 years," said Mr Wee.

Mr van Bladel, a former human resource director in Holland before he came to Singapore, was on the Dutch Probation Service's list of counsellors to deal with Dutch cases abroad.

In 1992, Mr van Bladel was awarded the Public Service Medal on Singapore's National Day for his social work.

Three years later, he was knighted by the Dutch Queen on Holland's national day.

In 2011, the Dutch Probation Service organised an occasion in Singapore to mark his official retirement and honour his  contributions.

Said Mr Veloo: "Guus was a collector of Chinese classical paintings and kept expensive birds. His early-morning activity was to be among bird-watchers at a coffee shop in Tiong Bahru."

vijayan@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 02, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The landscape of early schooling is drastically changing.

More and more children are attending school at an earlier age. At the same time, early childhood and kindergarten programmes are increasing focus on academic content.

But are these children ready for school?

Most parents and teachers will tell you that children's abilities to "self-regulate" - that is, follow directions, pay attention, sit still and minimise disruptive behaviours - are among the most important skills necessary.

And with good reason: Such early behaviours predict academic success throughout school and even later educational attainment.

We are researchers who evaluate what skills prepare children to succeed in school.

The problem that our work has identified is that most children are still learning to manage their own behaviour at the start of kindergarten.

Many are simply not ready for the behavioural demands of kindergarten.

And some are already two years behind their peers at kindergarten entry.

HERE'S HOW WE FOUND OUT

To look at differences in how children develop self-regulation, we tested nearly 1,400 children from diverse backgrounds.

Children were tested multiple times in pre-school, from pre-school to kindergarten, and pre-school into first grade.

We used a game-like assessment called the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task to measure children's developing self-regulation skills.

Every time the experimenter said "touch your head", the child had to remember to touch her toes instead, and when told to "touch your toes", the child had to touch her head.

Sounds easy?

Perhaps for the first part.

The assessment became a lot harder as we added shoulders and knees.

This task required children to engage their ability to remember the rules, do a different action than what the experimenter said, and keep focused throughout the task.

LEVELS OF SELF-REGULATION

We found that children had three different patterns of development: Some children entered pre-school already demonstrating higher levels of self-regulation compared with their peers and quickly gained higher skill levels.

For example, if most children start at "zero" on a scale of zero to 40, then the early developers started approximately 10 points ahead.

But most children started with lower self-regulation skills and gradually developed during pre-school until they were ready for kindergarten.

The most troubling finding was that around 20 per cent of children hardly showed any gains in self-regulation skills - such as remembering complex directions, raising their hand before speaking or taking turns with others - during their pre-school years.

These children were attending pre-school programmes, usually four days a week, for one or two years, and yet they were lagging behind their peers in the self-regulation skills they would need in kindergarten.

The ones who had the most difficulty were more likely to be children from families where mothers had lower education levels, and children with lower levels of English vocabulary.

They also tended to be male children.

For example, in our study, even though we had slightly fewer boys than girls (about 49 per cent), when we looked into who the later developers were, up to 58 per cent of them were boys.

That is a noteworthy difference.

Other researchers who recently studied the same question as ours found remarkably consistent results.

Specifically, researcher Michael Willoughby concluded that at least 10 per cent of children showed few or no gains in self-regulation across pre-school.

This had devastating consequences during their kindergarten years related to behaviour and academic achievement.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

Children who develop self-regulation later are generally the same kids who lag behind their peers in the academic skills we value and target.

There is some evidence that the children who start kindergarten with lower self-regulation not only do not catch up by first or even second grade, but in some cases also may be falling even further behind.

For example, a child with lower self-regulation in kindergarten is likely to have lower maths skills throughout elementary (primary) school.

What is worse, in early elementary grades that skill gap could further widen.

Our ongoing research evaluating literacy skills among children until second grade echoes these findings.

Just as with maths, later developers do not appear to catch up when it comes to letter and word recognition, awareness of word sounds and reading comprehension.

In fact, the gaps grow wider across kindergarten and first grade.

SO WHAT CAN WE DO?

Does this mean that early childhood programmes should eliminate their academic focus?

We are not arguing for this.

Research shows that the early introduction of academic material does help prepare children for school success.

Rather, what we are arguing for is what teachers have been observing for at least two decades - that programmes that value children's early social emotional development, and particularly their self-regulation skills, are critical.

The development of these skills requires individualised focus along with academic materials.

Teachers need to make sure children are not overtired or hungry, or that there is not some other physical need.

Research shows the body and brain work together to self-regulate.

Parents can set strong routines including bed time, other rest times and consistent snack times.

Such routines ensure children's brains are ready to engage in tough academic work.

After that, children need practice.

It is important to understand that paying attention, remembering directions and avoiding disruptive behaviours are all skills that can be practised through daily interactions.

Games that require rules can be used for practising these skills.

If children are to get the most out of early academic content, they need to be prepared for it.

As it turns out, some of us need both a little bit more practice and a lot more help in order to be ready to succeed. 

This article was first published on Jan 02, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

A new drone centre at Republic Polytechnic will also open its doors to people who want to learn how to fly these unmanned craft.

Students can try their hand at tinkering with them too.

The Republic Polytechnic UAV Centre - to be officially launched at the poly's open house on Thursday - was developed in line with growing interest in drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), from students, the public and organisations.

The $200,000 centre houses more than 50 drones with wing spans ranging from 150mm to 1.2m.

Student at the polytechnic who stand to benefit from the centre include those pursuing diploma courses in aerospace avionics, aerospace engineering as well as interactive and digital media.

The public can also sign up for a two-day basic drone flying course for $1,380 at the centre.

Mr Muhammad Firman Jumat, 20, an interactive and digital media student, is looking forward to the centre's opening.

"You can use drones to help capture whatever you can't get using hand-held cameras and videos on the ground," he said.

Occupying 118 sq m, the centre can accommodate 50 students.

It has an application lab where students can carry out simulations and image processing on computers, as well as an integration lab, similar to a workshop, where students can tinker with drone components.

Drone-flying lessons are conducted on the school's field.

Said Mr Sasidharan Nair, 39, a trainer at the centre: "One of the most important things we want our students to take away from this is safety. Flying a drone requires a lot of responsibility: A drone is not a toy."

This article was first published on Jan 02, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The world's first-ever escalator was installed in 1896 on New York's Coney Island - as a novelty ride.

Today, the device has become a ubiquitous people-mover, and in Singapore, there are more than 6,000 of them.

But for all their speed and convenience, escalators are also potential sites for accidents, especially when people do not exercise care while using them.

Last Thursday, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said that since Nov 1, it had received reports of 63 incidents - or about one a day - relating to the use of escalators.

The BCA said that 95 per cent of the cases were attributed to "user behaviour".

The common causes?

Escalator users carrying heavy or bulky objects, and losing their balance.

Users also fell due to "inattentiveness, intoxication, being unwell, or from leaning against the sides of the escalator", the BCA revealed.

To promote the safe use of escalators, the authority is working with owners of escalators - including malls, schools and hospitals - to raise awareness through posters on safety.

The BCA has also introduced new guidelines on escalator maintenance, which include notifying the authority when incidents result in deaths or injuries.

The findings on escalator incidents serve as a timely reminder for Singaporeans to exercise care when using them daily.

Last month, a 71-year-old man fell 3m from an escalator in Tiong Bahru MRT station while trying to support his wife who became unsteady, The New Paper reported.

The month before, a 64-year-old man fell down an escalator at Bishan MRT station, and had to undergo two brain operations.

The BCA said that about 78 per cent of the escalator incidents involved those above the age of 60.

It is timely to study how design and function can make escalators safer, especially for senior citizens.

This is already under way, with the Land Transport Authority - along with SMRT and SBS Transit - testing out reduced escalator speeds at selected MRT stations.

Hopefully, other escalator owners will take a page from their book and look to improve safety.

adrianl@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 02, 2017.
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Dogs with broken jaws and skin conditions seen in video by animal welfare group

Broken jaws, heart murmurs and skin conditions. These are just three of the many afflictions that nine dogs were diagnosed with after animal welfare group SOSD Singapore went to their rescue in 2016.

According to the group, the dogs were living in inhumane conditions under a former breeder - which has since folded.

SOSD posted a video on its Facebook page on Jan 1, highlighting the various medical conditions the dogs have. As of publication, the video has been viewed over 70,000 times.

Dr Siew Tuck Wah, President of SOSD told AsiaOne that these breeders usually hand the dogs to animal welfare organisations on the condition that their identities are not exposed.

"Once we get these breeders and anonymous sources into trouble, they may not want to contact us again. And our priority is the dog's health and safety," said Dr Siew.

"These middlemen will say, 'If you want to get us into trouble, we don't want to give you any more dogs.' We are held hostage.

"If we reveal their identities, (these middlemen or breeders) rather take the dogs back. They don't want to be known."

It is a quagmire for animal welfare organisations, Dr Siew lamented, who added that there is more the government can do to protect breeding dogs.

See their full post here:

The dogs in the video are mainly of French bulldog and poodle breeds.

Reactions to the video online were harsh. Many netizens were outraged and they condemned the breeders for their actions.

SOSD is currently helping to rehabilitate these dogs, but preliminary medical costs have already surpassed $2,000. The group has since reached out to the public to make a donation on their site.

The group has also responded to netizens on their post, explaining that the investigations are ongoing.

"AVA has contacted us, but again, because of the lack of information, investigations may be difficult," Dr Siew said.

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Animal welfare group rescues 9 dogs from inhumane living conditions

Source:

Facebook video screengrabs

Animal welfare groups strongly advocate adopting from shelters instead of buying from breeders to contain the growing number of strays in the country.

Puppy mills are driven by profit and sometimes little regard is given for the dogs' welfare.

The issue of pet overpopulation and abandonment is not a new one.

According to The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), commercial breeding has resulted in a proliferation of pet shops and farms.

This encourages consumerism which may lead to abandonment when the novelty wears off.

"We hope that the case can highlight the plight of breeding dogs - for every puppy you see in the window there is a breeding dog which is suffering in the puppy mill trade," said Dr Siew.

debwong@sph.com.sg

grongloh@sph.com.sg

Read also:

Irresponsible owners 'the worst type of animals'

Singapore to increase penalties for animal abuse

Singapore - As Singaporeans bid a sluggish 2016 adieu, expectations are running high for the Committee on the Future Economy's (CFE) report - expected later this month - to be the panacea for all economic ills.

But experts say those anticipating big bang recommendations should temper such expectations, given the constraints surrounding Singapore's more mature economy. The seeds may be cast for future growth, but there will unlikely be quick cures for Singapore's economy.

CIMB Private Banking economist Song Seng Wun told The Business Times: "There's a lot of expectation that this (30-member CFE panel) will come up with some magical solution - one that will transform this slower growth environment into something that will leap . . . But we already know we have to operate within certain constraints that all mature economies face - so it's not like there is some magic wand that the government can wave to make us suddenly vibrant again so that everyone is happy."

Still, it's not hard to see why some may be holding out for a miracle pill in the CFE report, which is due for release by end-January. For starters, latest official indications peg 2016's economic expansion at a mere one-plus per cent - a slowdown from 2015's meagre 2 per cent, which already marked the country's slowest pace of growth since 2009. The government will announce advance GDP estimates for Q4 and 2016 on Jan 3.

This has been exacerbated by heightened global uncertainty - not least due to the threat of "de-globalisation" from a looming Donald Trump presidency in the US, as well as talk of a pullback in China's overseas investments.

Said UOB economist Francis Tan: "If we were living in a year where China is doing well and the global economy is fine, people wouldn't really pay so much attention to the CFE report. But it's coming at a time where there's not much light at the end of any tunnel, so now people are hanging on to it like the last rung on a monkey bar. So people are saying: 'Don't worry, there's still the CFE.' But those expectations need to be tempered."

This is especially since earlier strategies - such as picking winning sectors to kick-start economic growth - are far more difficult to execute today, given the rapidly changing global environment and ongoing trends of technological disruption.

Retooling the economy is more difficult these days too, given Singapore's ageing demographics, anaemic productivity, and foreign labour restrictions. As a more mature economy, there is also a limit to how much infrastructure spending can boost Singapore's expansion.

"The reality of today is that you can't plan like how you used to," stressed Mr Song.

As such, economists like Mr Song, Mr Tan, and Credit Suisse's Michael Wan aren't holding their breath for "anything groundbreaking" in the CFE report.

Said Mr Wan: "It's not going to be big-bang reforms, but more of a continuation of what the government has already been trying to do over the past three to four years . . . There will likely be more of a push on technology and Smart Nation ambitions, perhaps some expansion of the SkillsFuture (initiative) to help encourage lifelong learning, and maybe some assistance to help workers cope with increased automation and disruptive technologies."

And while those hoping for more may be disappointed by Mr Wan's assessment, UOB's Mr Tan thinks there's no cause to be.

Said Mr Tan: "Traditionally, if you want to push growth, you'd stimulate capital, labour, and technology. Year after year, the government has already been stimulating all three . . . So maybe it's not a bad thing that they continue on the journey, and keep at what they've been doing."

Both he and Mr Wan think the move to restructure in a more targeted fashion - through the S$4.5 billion Industry Transformation Programme announced in Budget 2016 - is a good one, although they emphasise that its successful execution is crucial.

Noted Mr Wan: "The past policies (like the Productivity and Innovation Credit) have been prone to abuse. So by taking a more targeted approach, the general idea is right in that you can reduce the chance of abuse and cater more to individual sectors. But I think as with anything, implementation will be key - or else it could turn out essentially to be the same thing but wrapped in a different ribbon."

Schemes and industry roadmaps aside, the common theme emerging in the lead-up to the CFE's recommendations - at least according to private-sector economists - is that the CFE will be less about weaving magic to evaporate immediate concerns, and more about seeding Singapore's long-term future.

This article was first published on Jan 3, 2017.
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Singapore

2016 was a heartening year for startups, which were propelled into the limelight for driving record venture capital (VC) investments in Singapore, being recognised as vehicles for disruption and innovation, and invoking concerns about their sustainability and burn rates.

Tech startups, in particular, led the Republic's US$3.5 billion (S$5 billion) worth of private equity and VC investments in 2016, its best showing in the last five years based on a Duff and Phelps report. Among the most notable investments were Alibaba's US$1-billion acquisition of a controlling stake in Lazada, and Softbank's US$750-million investment in Grab.

It was, in fact, a banner year for local VC firm Wavemaker, in terms of exits by its portfolio startups. Pie, a chat app, was acquired by Google for an undisclosed sum. Mobile advertising firm ArtofClick was snagged by Philippines-based firm Xurpas for US$45 million. Cosmetics e-commerce site Luxola's buyout by LVMH won VC Exit of the Year, an award handed out in October by the Singapore Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SVCA).

There were also acquisitions by local startups of global big-names, which turned the world's gaze on Singapore. These included gaming company Razer's buyout of George Lucas's theatre sound company THX, as well as YuuZoo's purchase of a majority stake in Beverly Hills-based movie studio Relativity Media.

Mergers and acquisitions aside, Singapore startups exited through IPOs (initial public offerings) as well, though a few were overseas. CMON, a board games company, and Anacle, a property and energy management systems startup, both filed for a public listing on Hong Kong's GEM (Growth Enterprise Market) board, citing greater publicity and liquidity.

Even as Singapore lost IPO opportunities, it is now home to two of South-east Asia's largest tech unicorns. Garena is reportedly the highest-valued unicorn in the region with a US$3.5 billion price tag, while Grab is the highest-funded, having raised US$1.43 billion since its incorporation in 2012, going by the same Duff and Phelps report.

More funds were set up this year, many of which were backed by Chinese investors. Pang Shengdong invested S$5 million in Tembusu's S$70-million ICT Fund I, while Stanley Zhang and George Gong co-founded Jubilee Capital Management, which rolled out a US$100-million tech fund. Venturecraft, whose investors are Alibaba co-founder Sun Tongyu and Xiamen Meitu Technology executive chairman Cai Wensheng, launched a S$50 million medtech fund.

Jeffrey Chi, SVCA chairman, said: "2016 has been a good year for entrepreneurship and startups in Singapore. The ecosystem is becoming more mature. Funding, talent and opportunities are becoming more readily available than before. We are currently in a virtuous cycle that will continue to feed itself as the ecosystem continues to develop."

Meanwhile, startups have been acknowledged as vehicles for disruption and innovation by the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE), an entity set up by the Singapore government to develop strategies to build a vibrant and resilient economy. Janil Puthucheary, who chairs the CFE's Group on Disruptive Technologies, said the government will work towards becoming a "flexible regulator", so that legislation can catch up with startups and their new technologies and business models.

Coworking spaces - popular enclaves for startups and innovators - multiplied in 2016. A*START Central, a co-innovation lab for medtech and biotech firms, opened at the JTC LaunchPad @ one-north. Hub Singapore and The Working Capitol unveiled new coworking facilities at Cuppage Terrace and Robinson Road, respectively. Hong Kong-based The Work Project became the coworking space partner of OUE's Downtown Gallery in Shenton Way. New player, Spacemob, opened in Claymore Hill with US$5.5 million in seed money.

Focal sectors - among them fintech and cybersecurity - saw prominent activity. For instance, there were at least three inaugural festivals held to celebrate entrepreneurship in these areas - the Singapore Week of Innovation & TECHnology (SWITCH), the Singapore FinTech Festival and the Singapore International Cyber Week.

Isaac Ho, chief of Venturecraft, said: "The fintech industry is receiving a lot of interest with the Singapore FinTech Festival and the Monetary Authority of Singapore's Regulatory Sandbox for fintech experiments. I believe that fintech will continue to grow and receive strong investment interest locally and regionally."

For all that, the startup space saw a few upsets during the year, raising age-old concerns about sustainability of new business models and VC funding. Several startups in Singapore closed down, including e-commerce sites Rakuten and Ensogo, ridesharing app Karhoo, and wireless charging solutions provider Novelsys.

Homegrown accelerator JFDI shut down its startup bootcamp programme, after it had raised some S$3 million to support over 70 startups, and is said to be a stalwart of South-east Asia's tech startup ecosystem. JFDI cited high costs and a tight market for tech talent.

Additionally, e-grocer service RedMart was sold to Alibaba-owned Lazada for a reported US$40 million - an underwhelming price tag given that RedMart had raised over US$55 million from investors. The startup had reportedly chalked up an operating loss of US$21 million for 2014 and an operating loss margin of 78 per cent maintained from 2014.

A spokesman from Cocoon Capital, an early-stage VC fund, said: "The failure of RedMart to return a profit to its investors has surely been a slight damper. But overall, the market capitalisation of startups has seen a strong growth and a high number of follow-on funding rounds have been completed." (See table)

Alex Lin, head of Infocomm Investments Pte Ltd (IIPL), said that the year's developments point to Singapore being at the midpoint of a five-year strategy to transform its startup ecosystem. The strategy - initiated in 2014 by IIPL and now led by new entity SGInnovate (of which IIPL is a part) - has since accelerated over 300 startups. Of these, over 100 have gone on and raised Series A funding.

Dr Lin told BT: "This intensity has drastically changed the Singapore startup ecosystem and resulted in more stakeholders jumping on board the startup bandwagon."

The spokesman from Cocoon Capital noted that there still needs to be more activity (such as acquisitions) to really put Singapore on the map. "However, we definitely see that South-east Asia and Singapore in particular are getting noticed by the global investor community."

Xavier Pavie, a professor at ESSEC Business School, is hopeful. He said: "Singapore loves ecosystems. You can easily find partners, institutions and potential clients here. Universities and startups are very close, which is useful for finding fresh eyes and a young, motivated labour force. This diversity means there are greater chances to develop disruptive ideas."

This article was first published on Jan 3, 2017.
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Study shows incidents of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease here is rising and half of adults may be affected

Last month, news of Deputy Speaker of Parliament Charles Chong undergoing a liver transplant took many people by surprise.

Three years ago, the MP for Punggol East, 63, was diagnosed with a severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) steatohepatitis but did not make it public.

While NAFLD is an unfamiliar term to most people, a recently released study by SingHealth doctors found that its incidence is rising in Singapore, and could well be affecting half of the adults here.

This could put more people at risk of liver failure or cancer, the main causes of which are hepatitis or heavy alcohol use.

But the damage caused by NAFLD is similar.

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10 ways alcohol wrecks your health

Source: Various sources

Professor Pierce Chow, the lead doctor in the study, said it suggested the rate here could be higher than the Asian average of about 30 per cent of adults.

While the causes of the disease are not clear, people with NAFLD tend to have hypertension and high cholesterol levels - the same risks for heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

The study looked at Singapore General Hospital patients who had surgery to remove their gall bladder, an organ next to the liver, for the periods 2001 to 2004 and 2011 to 2014.

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First in Singapore to donate liver to stranger

Source: The New Paper, The Straits Times

GROUP

From the pre-operative scans of the earlier group of 127 patients, 40 per cent had NAFLD. Ten years later, 57 per cent of 99 patients had it.

More patients in the later group also had high levels of cholesterol - 46 per cent versus 19 per cent. 
Almost half of the patients in both groups had high blood pressure.

The study, published online on Dec 20 prior to printing by the Singapore Medical Journal, said it was "a significant increase" and intervention is needed to prevent NAFLD's progression to more advanced liver disease such as liver cirrhosis (hardening) and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer).

Prof Chow said fatty liver disease is a growing concern in many developed countries that face rising obesity. In the US, NAFLD is the third most common cause of liver cancer after hepatitis and alcoholic liver disease.

As it has no symptoms, NAFLD is rarely discovered until much damage has been done. Researchers also found that the more obese the person, the higher the risk of having a fatty liver. Indians also appear to be at higher risk.

According to the National University Hospital, which carries out the bulk of liver transplants here, "common causes of liver failure include hepatitis B, cirrhosis, cancer and autoimmune disease".

There are about 60 people waiting for a liver transplant, about five times the number 10 years ago. Last year, 38 people had liver transplants.

This article was first published on Dec 3, 2016.
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About a month before Emily (not her real name) was due to appear in court last November for a maintenance trial, she was shocked when she found that her husband had cancelled her Dependant's Pass (DP) in the midst of their separation.

After four years of calling Singapore home, the 51-year-old British mother of one faced a four-week deadline to leave the country and her teenage daughter, who has yet to finish school here.

This method of "getting rid" of expatriate spouses by terminating the pass was becoming more common, but for the past half year or so, there have been more cases where the courts prevented this tactic, said lawyers.

They attribute this change to a growing awareness of the predicament of trailing spouses in divorces or separations.

In Emily's case, after a tense two-week wait, the judge ruled that her British husband was to reinstate her pass for two years, she said.

"I want to stay here for my daughter, who still has 18 months back at school," said Emily, who lives with her 17-year-old and is looking for a job here. "My husband travels often, and a child needs her mother."

SIM University senior lecturer Yvonne McNulty said that in her research involving 252 expat spouses going through divorce in Singapore, about 100 either had their DPs cancelled or been threatened with cancellation.

The three-year study ended last year.

She added that with a minimum of three years needed to finalise divorce here, the DP holder is at "a clear disadvantage with the law" if he or she loses the pass in the first month of separation.

But she said that the number of reinstated passes remains a "very small number" and more can be done to stop the cancellation of spouses' DPs.

When an expat moves here, his or her company sponsors the Employment Pass.

The employer of the expat - who is typically male - then sponsors his wife and children as dependants on his pass, which he can ask to cancel any time.

Divorce cases in Singapore with at least one party of a different nationality rose from 31 per cent of cases filed in 2011 to 40 per cent in 2015.

British permanent resident Catherine Rose Yates, who set up a support group for expats going through separation, said her group has grown from some 250 members in September last year to more than 300 now.

Most members have children, making separation complicated due to care and custody issues, she said.

But she has seen at least three cases in the past two or so months where the courts ordered a spouse's DP to be reinstated for the duration of the proceedings, she said, "so the other party can have a fair trial".

Lawyer Yvonne Sweeney, whose expertise includes cross-border divorces, said: "It's been happening more and more in the past six months."

Calling such rulings "a significant move" for access to justice, lawyer Franca Ciambella said: "It also makes it a more level playing field as the working spouse can no longer use (the pass) as extra leverage to force the non-working spouse to accede to their demands."

This will allow the trailing spouse to remain with his or her children as well, and have an option to work here, she added.

Family lawyer Foo Siew Fong said: "The court has always placed the welfare of children as paramount. It is certainly not in the interest and welfare of the children if their mother is forced by circumstances to leave them behind."

Kate (not her real name), a Kazakhstani who managed to enforce a court order to reinstate her DP last month, said this was important as she could represent herself in court proceedings.

She has a two-year-old son.

The 26-year-old added: "By cancelling my DP and forcing me to leave Singapore, my ex-husband was trying to separate me and my child (using the system)."

byseow@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 03, 2017.
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