SINGAPORE - A 35-year-old man has allegedly been living at Jurong Point shopping mall for nearly four years, using the water, electricity and Wi-Fi there.

Mr Chen Jinfu, who works at an electronics factory, makes his "home" outside the mall, along walkways or at staircases there, Lianhe Wanbao reported on Monday (Jan 16).

Wanbao visited the mall in Jurong West and found him sitting on some newspapers, watching a show on his tablet device while drinking soya bean milk and eating bread.

He told Wanbao that he rents a shared room in Boon Lay, but finds the room hot and stuffy, saying he prefers to live at Jurong Point as the $250 room was "no good" and he could not get along with the other tenants.

He added that it was cooler at Jurong Point, which is open late and has a 24-hour supermarket, and that he could use the free Wi-Fi and was able charge his phone at the mall.

A spokesman for Jurong Point told The Straits Times it welcomed Mr Chen as long as he did not pose a nuisance.

"We're heartened that shoppers enjoy using this facility," she said, referring to the complimentary Wi-Fi the mall began offering in 2015.

"If Mr Chen Jinfu uses our facilities in an appropriate fashion without posing any nuisance or threat to the mall's security, we warmly welcome him like any other shopper."

Mr Chen, who is from Ipoh in Malaysia, has worked in Singapore for more than 10 years and currently earns more than $1,000 a month.

He claimed that he has never been chased away, and said he has seen others loitering in the area like himself.

When asked why he rented a place even though he preferred staying at Jurong Point, Mr Chen said that he needed a residential address for his employment pass.

To maximise his savings, Mr Chen goes to Johor nearly every weekend to buy daily necessities.

He visits his retired parents in Ipoh only once a year during Chinese New Year as it is "not cheap to travel there".

Mr Chen is apparently not the first to seek unconventional lodgings.

Two weeks ago, there were reports of a woman who lived in Changi Airport while renting out her three-room flat.

lydialam@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on January 17, 2017.
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SINGAPORE - Singapore will explore the possibility of "more training opportunities" for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in New Zealand and deepen its relationship with the country, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on Monday (Jan 16).

He was speaking to the media following a meeting with his counterpart, New Zealand Minister of Defence Gerry Brownlee.

"Whether it is the US' new president, Brexit, rising powers like China and India in this part of the world, the status quo has been changed," said Dr Ng.

He added that it was important to strengthen relationships with "like-minded" countries during this "period of uncertainty", noting that New Zealand and Singapore were already cooperating in platforms such as the Five Power Defence Arrangement and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus.

Mr Brownlee said he hoped the relationship between the two countries would strengthen in the years to come, noting it "was one of the closest military relationships" New Zealand has.

During the meeting, the two defence ministers agreed to initiate an annual formal ministerial meeting and explore further co-operation between the SAF and the New Zealand Defence Force.

They include annual Air Force staff talks, and the establishment of two working groups - an operational working group and one for education and training.

Mr Brownlee said the Royal New Zealand Navy will use Singapore as a port while travelling through the Straits of Malacca.

Dr Ng noted the Royal New Zealand Navy's participation of a naval task group in Singapore for Exercise Bersama Shield - a multilateral exercise involving members of the Five Power Defence Arrangements - as well as the international naval review in April (2017).

Both men also observed Exercise Thunder Warrior at the Waiouru Training Area in New Zealand.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the artillery live-firing exercise, which saw the participation of 500 Singapore soldiers.

Noting that 20 years is a "long time", Dr Ng thanked the government and people of New Zealand for allowing Singapore to train in the country.

Dr Ng noted that the Waiouru training area is more than twice the size of Singapore, which allows the SAF to conduct live-firing of equipment that would be impossible on the island, such as the Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer which has a range of 30km.

azhaki@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Janauary 17, 2017.
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To support his dream of having a home just for local books, Mr Edmund Wee had to put his own books up for sale.

Last November, he put up over 10,000 books he had accumulated since his college days.

The dream? To keep his online store localbooks.sg going.

Mr Wee, the publisher of local imprint Epigram Books, launched the store last July.

It carries 1,500 local titles, including graphic novels, award-winning fiction and poetry, children's series, lifestyle books and works in other languages.

It has a further 8,000 titles on backlist.

Mr Wee, 64, told The New Paper: "Over the years, I always asked myself, 'How do we make local books more popular?' I thought of making a bookstore just selling Singapore books, but the rentals for bookstores are just too expensive.

"We started with $100,000 as start-up capital. I found that it was not enough, so I went to sell all my books."

This included personal favourites such as the Letterpress Shakespeare set and a special edition of D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover.

Most of the books went for $2 to $5 and some shoppers bought boxes of these. Special editions that cost up to $100 were sold for $10.

Mr Wee raised $30,000, which will be saved for the running of the online store.

Since its launch, the store has seen a steady 20 per cent increase in sales each month.

The team is hoping to list as many Singapore books as possible.

It is also looking to include a list of out-of-print titles for customers to indicate their purchase interest, to help publishers decide whether these titles should be reprinted.

Miss Julie Hyun, 30, co-founder, said: "Local publishers are working very hard to get these stories out there and really need a platform for people to discover them.

"It is important to have this platform for people to know about Singapore titles and if they want to read, they can surely find it."

It took about five months for the team to gather titles and reach out to other publishers, such as Ethos Books and Pepper Dog Press, which have put up their titles for sale at localbooks.sg.

Ms Sim Ee Waun, co-founder of Pepper Dog Press, said: "We were thrilled to hear about the online shop as we were also newbies to the book business.

That they were focusing on local literature exclusively was a positive and encouraging indication to us that there is growing interest and support for local literature, and a reflection that there is a growing interest in all things local.

"It is also an indication that our society is maturing, and we are finding more confidence in ourselves and our identity rather than constantly looking abroad for good things to happen."

Ethos Books, which has published works by writers Claire Tham, Alfian Sa'at and Cyril Wong among others, was approached by the team behind the website in March.

Associate publisher Ng Kah Gay said: "We were fascinated that they were brave enough to venture into the business of selling Singapore books and literature.

"It makes sense for us as publishers to support an initiative that encourages readership and improves awareness of and access to Singapore literature."

Mr Wee hopes the venture will be a success, though he knows it is a gamble.

He said: "I am aware that it is financially risky to start a bookshop but it still has to be done, how else will people find Singapore books?"

This article was first published on January 17, 2017.
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On one side, low-income women looking for jobs. On the other, an ageing population in need of care.

Now, an effort is under way to match both camps. Two organisations here have banded together to train low-income women for jobs in eldercare.

The aim is to train, in two years, 100 women from families with a per capita income of less than $400 a month, and connect them with employers.

Already, pilot runs have helped place three women in such jobs.

The effort is driven by voluntary welfare organisation Daughters of Tomorrow (DOT), which helps women with financial challenges, and the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware).

DOT founder and executive director Carrie Tan said the idea came about because of Singapore's need for manpower in the eldercare industry. By 2030, there will be over 900,000 Singaporeans aged above 65. About one in three will need eldercare services.

"We also know that women here have the heart and the aptitude. So we want to bridge the gap in skills and opportunities that are needed for them to enter the industry," said Ms Tan.

Out of the pilot batch of 12 women who were trained early last year by iCare Life, a training provider whose course is approved by the Agency for Integrated Care, one has found employment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

And that was before DOT and Aware pushed for more partnerships, especially with employers, so they can secure job interviews for the women trained by iCare Life.

Now, NTUC Health and Econ Healthcare - both run nursing homes and day activity centres for the elderly - and social enterprise Homage have come on board to provide jobs for the trained women.

Since December, bank JP Morgan has been funding the programme - this includes paying the women's course fees. Since then, six women have attended the iCare Life course and two of them have found jobs.

The eldercare training comes in two parts: a three-hour community eldercare workshop which gives an overview of the industry, and a seven-hour caregivers' training programme which teaches participants how to perform caregiving tasks.

Mr Raymond Lai, training and development manager at iCare Life, said the introductory course is important. "Many people plunge into eldercare, take courses and are placed in jobs, but find that they are mismatched. So we needed to show what eldercare is about," said Mr Lai.

For example, the workshop looks at communication issues one might have with a dementia patient, and how a caregiver might have to change diapers and wash the elderly. "This makes them think about whether eldercare is what they really want to do," he said.

If so, they continue with the caregiver training programme which includes 5½ hours of online learning, followed by a seven-hour course conducted on a Sunday.

There, participants learn how to shower, feed and dress an elderly person. They are also taught about mobility aids and home safety, as well as how to transfer an elderly person from a bed to a wheelchair.

They learn that a person who has just had a stroke should use a walking frame instead of a walking stick because a frame is more stable. And if a person uses dentures, his toothpaste should not contain excessive fluoride because it can corrode the dentures.

Factoring in those who might drop out after the introductory workshop, DOT and Aware are targeting to get 80 of their low-income beneficiaries to go for training each year.

Ms Tan said of the women who have completed the course: "The work may be trying and emotional, but the women have found it very satisfying. Being able to care for others has helped them gain dignity because they have become a figure of strength for others."

kxinghui@sph.com.sg

SHOWING THEM THE REALITY

"Many people plunge into eldercare, take courses and are placed in jobs, but find that they are mismatched. So we needed to show what eldercare is about. This makes them think about whether eldercare is what they really want to do.''

MR RAYMOND LAI, training and development manager at iCare Life, on why the eldercare training includes an introductory workshop.

FULFILLING PURSUIT

"The work may be trying and emotional, but the women have found it very satisfying. Being able to care for others has helped them gain dignity because they have become a figure of strength for others.''

MS CARRIE TAN, founder and executive director of Daughters of Tomorrow, on the women who have finished their training.

This article was first published on Jan 17, 2017.
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Singapore is exploring the possibility of more training opportunities for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in New Zealand and is also looking to deepen its relationship with the country, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday.

He was speaking to the media alongside his counterpart Gerry Brownlee, after both held the inaugural Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers' Meeting.

Earlier, both ministers observed Exercise Thunder Warrior, an artillery live-firing exercise at the Waiouru Training Area.

The exercise marks its 20th anniversary this year.

It is being held from Jan 6 to Jan 26, and involves about 500 personnel from the Singapore Artillery.

Dr Ng said it was important to strengthen relations with "like- minded" countries during this "period of uncertainty".

He noted that New Zealand and Singapore already cooperate in platforms such as the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus.

"Whether it is the US' new President, Brexit, rising powers like China and India in this part of the world, the status quo has been changed," said Dr Ng, according to a transcript from the Ministry of Defence (Mindef).

"When status quo has been changed, it can be very unsettling so we have to guide this region and even globally to a period where we can continue to have peace and stability in our region," he added.

During the meeting, the two ministers agreed to explore further defence cooperation through new platforms, such as annual Air Force staff talks, and the establishment of one operational working group and one working group for education and training.

Mr Brownlee said the Royal New Zealand Navy will use Singapore as a port while travelling through the Strait of Malacca.

Meanwhile, Dr Ng said a naval task group will come to Singapore for Exercise Bersama Shield- a multilateral exercise between members of the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

The exercise will take place in April.

azhaki@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 17, 2017.
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Senior geotechnical engineer Gavin Chan, 31, is all too familiar with having to go "below the surface" in his job.

He specialises in engineering works that have to do with MRT lines and sewer systems.

After attending a one-year training programme last year, he said he can now also scratch beneath the surface of his speciality, with a broader range of skills he picked up from the Young Engineers Leadership Programme.

It has exposed him to other fields like patent law, soft skills like negotiation, and other engineering specialities.

"It's made me more business-minded. So, if I progress into a business development role, I could go out to find new frontiers for the company and new technology to bring back to Singapore," said Mr Chan, who works at CPG Consultants.

He was among 138 engineers graduating yesterday from the programme, which is organised by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES).

Another 24 senior engineers also graduated yesterday from the Advanced Engineers Leadership Programme, held from August to October last year.

They picked up leadership and innovation skills and also had one-to-one mentorship sessions with industry leaders.

IES president Edwin Khew said at the graduation ceremony at the Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre in Jurong that the programmes are part of an industrywide career development plan to help engineers acquire the necessary skills to move up the career ladder and to encourage others to join the profession.

The job is sometimes seen as low-paying and boring.

Labour chief Chan Chun Sing said having broader skillsets, such as in marketing and communication, will help engineers become more competitive globally.

"If our engineers have the deep domain expertise and the adjacent skillsets, then it's much harder for people to take away our jobs, and it also puts us in a much better position to compete with the rest of the world," he said.

Mr Chan, who is secretary-general of NTUC, also hoped engineers can inspire others to become engineers by talking about their role in helping Singapore overcome challenges, such as countering cyber terrorism or keeping lifts safe if buildings were to go up to 100 storeys high.

Airbus Group Innovations Singapore operations head David Woon, 42, who completed the advanced programme, said he enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with engineers from other companies.

His team of five worked on a project to find a more efficient way to wash airline pillows after every flight.

"With diversity, we can gain more insights," he said.

joseow@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 17, 2017.
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Pilots are reporting an increase in the past decade of people flashing laser pointers near airports, an alarming trend as such lights can disorientate pilots, causing accidents.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) received 53 reports between January and November last year, compared with just 28 for the whole of 2015.

Worldwide, the number of incidents has jumped from one a day in 2008 to 17 in 2012, which is more than 6,200 a year.

The figure has easily doubled since then, worrying pilots, airlines and aviation bodies.

The good news is that except for maybe a few, experts do not believe that perpetrators flash these lights to cause harm.

More likely, they do not understand the harm they can cause.

Flashing laser lights at aircraft is especially dangerous during take-off and landing, the two most critical phases of flight when most accidents occur.

It does not help that laser pointers appear quite harmless.

The reality, though, is that even at a very low power of five milliwatts, the pen-like, battery-operated devices, which emit a red, green or blue light, can be dangerous.

Studies have shown that such incidents - termed laser attacks - result in temporary incapacitation of pilots in 62 per cent of the cases.

In a further 19 per cent of cases, this incapacitation lasts up to a full minute, and in 15 per cent of cases, it lasts up to 45 minutes.

In the most severe cases, pilots can be affected for more than two hours.

Laser lights aimed at the cockpit are potentially dangerous, even if they do not directly hit the pilot's eyes.

In February last year, a Virgin Atlantic flight was forced to turn back to London's Heathrow Airport after a laser beam was shone into the cockpit, hitting the co-pilot in the eye.

The flight was grounded overnight, and all 252 passengers were put up in hotels.

Public education is critical to put a stop to, or at least reduce the number of, such laser attacks.

In the past, the CAAS conducted public awareness campaigns by distributing circulars to households, targeting those in the eastern neighbourhoods close to the airport.

This should continue and be expanded, for example, through partnerships with schools, town councils and grassroots bodies, so that the message can be spread through more channels.

Enforcement patrols at East Coast beach, Bedok Jetty and other open spaces near the airport should be stepped up and perhaps more volunteers could be roped in to do the job.

Apart from educating people, community policing is key.

It is tough to catch offenders, given that it takes just a few seconds to flash and run.

Enforcement officers cannot be everywhere all the time, so it is up to the public to do their part. If you see someone playing with laser lights near the airport, tell him not to do it.

Better still, explain why it is dangerous.

When talk does not work, the stick comes in. In Singapore, first-time offenders can be fined up to $20,000.

A repeat offender faces a maximum penalty of a $40,000 fine and a jail term of up to 15 months.

While no one has been prosecuted so far, the punishment serves as an important deterrent.

But not all countries have such laws.

This is why the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, supported by other industry players, including the International Air Transport Association, has submitted a proposal to the International Civil Aviation Organisation - the commercial aviation arm of the United Nations - for such acts to be classified as unlawful.

If this happens, it would encourage and possibly even compel - depending on how tough a stance the UN takes - countries that do not currently do so to put in place penalties for such actions.

Pilots, airlines, regulators and local communities must work together to reduce the number of incidents of people flashing laser lights at aircraft.

This will become increasingly critical as the number of flights, especially in South-east Asia and the larger Asia-Pacific region, continues to grow.

Changi Airport, which handled 55.4 million passengers in 2015, is expected to announce later this month that passenger traffic last year grew to about 60 million.

During peak hours, a plane takes off every minute.

With plans for a third runway to be added and Terminal 5 - which will eventually be bigger than T1, T2 and T3 combined - to start operating in 12 to 15 years, the skies above Changi will get even busier.

The last thing pilots need is to have to deal with people flashing laser lights at them.

Read Also: 'Control tower, we've a laser-light problem'

karam@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on January 17, 2017.
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A contributor to Stomp citizen website was shocked to see a woman sitting on top of a moving car at Eu Tong Sen Street at 3.20am today (Jan 16).

'Keith' shared a video of the bizarre sighting with Stomp.

He was travelling along Eu Tong Sen Road when he came to a halt at the traffic junction.

Just as the lights turned green and he was about to move off, he saw a car passing by his vehicle.

There was a woman sitting on top of this moving car, seemingly enjoying the wind.

"Should our traffic police commander or government take action against this driver?" asked the Stomp contributor.

"These people are a danger to other road users."

SINGAPORE - It was a painful first week at school for 62 Primary 1 and Primary 2 pupils from Oasis Primary School in Punggol after they suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea.

None of the staff members of the school, which began operations last year, were affected in the Jan 6 incident.

A mother, who declined to be named, told Lianhe Wanbao that her son had a fever in addition to the vomiting and diarrhoea. He was diagnosed with gastroenteritis.

She said: "I did not hear of other pupils falling sick, so I thought that my son fell sick because it was his first week of school and could not adapt to the environment."

All the pupils have recovered and are now back in school.

Through Facebook and WhatsApp, some parents said they found out that kids from other classes were affected, but did not know the specific details of the incident.

Most of the parents interviewed did not know how many pupils were affected in total, Wanbao reported.

On the day of the incident, police and the relevant authorities went to the school to investigate.

Oasis Primary's principal, Mrs Ong-Chew Lu See, said: "On Jan 6, we found that some of our pupils who were absent had exhibited symptoms of vomiting.

"We immediately took pre-emptive steps to disinfect the school premises on top of the regular cleaning.

"At the same time, we engaged the assistance of the Ministry of Health (MOH), National Environment Agency (NEA) and Public Utilities Board (PUB) to investigate the cause."

In a joint-statement, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), MOH, NEA and PUB said: "Sixty-two persons were affected - most of them sought outpatient treatment and have since recovered. Two were hospitalised for dehydration but were discharged the following day.

"There have not been further cases since Jan 14.

"An inspection of the school canteen was conducted on Jan 9. There were no hygiene lapses detected during the inspection... Investigations by MOH, NEA and AVA are ongoing."

This article was first published on Jan 18, 2017.
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A new scheme to help borrowers reduce their debt burden starts on Monday.

The debt consolidation plan, as it is called, targets people who will be affected by upcoming changes in borrowing limits.

Under these rules, which start in June, unsecured debts cannot exceed 18 times a borrower's monthly pay.

In June 2019, that drops to 12 times - half the limit of the 24 times monthly income that is prevailing now.

Unsecured debts are those that have no collateral, such as credit card debt, personal loans or overdrafts.

The rule change will likely catch out many people.

A Monetary Authority of Singapore spokesman said: "As of November 2016, about 4 per cent of unsecured credit borrowers in Singapore had outstanding interest-bearing unsecured debt exceeding 12 times their monthly income, down from 5 per cent in May 2015."

Under the new scheme, an eligible person's unsecured credit balances - these could be held across any of the 14 participating financial institutions - will be consolidated with just one institution, which could reduce fees and other costs while laying out a simpler repayment process.

Credit Counselling Singapore general manager Tan Huey Min noted: "Banks will assess if applicants are a 'good risk' to take on.

"The repayment terms and conditions should be better as this becomes just one loan you pay down over time, instead of a revolving facility, so the interest rate should be more attractive than the typical 16 to 28 per cent a year, with one repayment date to remember."

ONE PLAN AT A TIME

An applicant, who has to meet criteria, can have only one debt consolidation plan under way at a time, said the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS).

Once a bank of the borrower's choice approves the application, the lender will take over the outstanding balances, fees and interest charges from other banks, while the other accounts will be suspended or closed.

They will also get a "concessionary unsecured credit of one month's income" that is to be used for daily needs.

ABS director Ong-Ang Ai Boon said: "The minute customers find they are having a bit of a challenge repaying... (they) should approach the bank. By the time you become a 'delinquent' borrower, you have less bargaining power."

The plan comes after an on-off repayment assistance scheme, set up in April 2015. It ended in December that year.

Out of the 11,000 applications for that scheme, 6,000 were approved, said Mrs Ong-Ang.

About 70 per cent of those were by people aged between 30 and 50, and 60 per cent had an annual pay of between $30,000 and $60,000.

rachaelb@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 18, 2017.
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In 43 visits spanning nine months, Aardwolf Pestkare Singapore, a pest control company hired by Kim San Leng Food Centre, a popular coffee shop in Bishan Street 13, caught 44 rats on the premises.

But the problem persisted.

And after accumulating 12 demerit points for failing to keep the premises free from rats, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said it will suspend the coffee shop's licence for a day on Friday.

The coffee shop has 10 food stalls and one drink stall.

The place will be thoroughly cleaned on that day.

Apart from rat infestation, it also accumulated four more demerit points for failure to deposit refuse into refuse bins lined with plastic bags.

Mr Patrick Chong, 56, managing director of Aardwolf Pestkare Singapore, told The New Paper: "We intensified our visits to the hawker centre from March to June and September to December last year. If there are rats, we will keep going down.

"Now the situation is under control. We caught only one rat last month."

In May last year, active rodent burrows found in the bushes outside the coffee shop were destroyed, he said.

Mr Alfred Hoon, 34, manager of Kim San Leng Food Centre, told The New Paper: "We will lose $100,000 from closing the place to allow the clean-up to take place.

"We can try to minimise the number of rats in the area, but it cannot be completely solved. I don't think the clean-up will do much to resolve the problem."

NETS

He explained that as the coffee shop is in an open area, rats can still enter from the back and the side.

Using nets in front of the shops also doesn't help, he said.

A vendor from Koo Kee Yong Tow Foo Mee, who did not wish to be named, said: "We have no choice but to close for a day, but it is not really a big deal to us."

Another vendor from Ming Ji Chicken Rice, who also did not wish to be named, said that the shutdown would give them a day off.

When TNP visited the hawker centre yesterday during lunch time, it was bustling with customers. There were several pigeons but no rats.

Customers told TNP that they had not seen any rats on the premises before.

Miss Amanda Low, 18, who works at Junction 8, said: "I come to the hawker centre thrice a week just for the chicken rice. I would not stop coming here just because of the rat infestation."

An employee from SKP, a shop which sells partyware, food packaging and stationery, who also did not wish to be named, said: "There will be rats everywhere in Singapore, but I don't think the problem here is serious."

The NEA released a statement on its website stating that the main operator has accumulated 16 demerit points over the last 12 months and will be fined a total of $1,100.

It added: "NEA takes a serious view of these offences and would like to remind food operators to observe good food and personal hygiene practices at all times and to engage only registered food handlers."

myklim@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 18, 2017.
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Singapore's national water agency PUB will take action against a contractor for carrying out unapproved drainage works at Upper Thomson.

The unauthorised drainage diversions led to flooding last month that cost businesses thousands of dollars.

PUB investigations showed that the contractor, Sato Kogyo, had constructed an undersized temporary diversion drain at the Upper Thomson MRT station construction site.

The contractor failed to inform PUB before constructing the drain, PUB said in a press release yesterday.

Upper Thomson Road was flooded on Christmas Eve last year after a heavy downpour.

The drain at the construction site was choked, leading to a flash flood.

Eight businesses there were affected by the flood, The New Paper reported last month.

PUB said it would be taking action against Sato Kogyo under the Sewerage and Drainage Act and has also instructed the contractor to carry out rectification works to improve drainage in the area.

It said in a release: "Contractors must seek approval from PUB and notify PUB before carrying out any works affecting the stormwater drainage systems within and near their construction sites to ensure that these do not affect the functioning of the public drainage system.

"They must not construct, alter, discontinue or close up any stormwater drain without approval from PUB.

"PUB takes a serious view of unauthorised works on the public drainage system."

Contractors who carry out works that affect the public drainage system can be fined up to $50,000, and up to $20,000 for unauthorised alteration of the system.

LOSSES

The Roti Prata House, one of the businesses affected, lost about $15,000.

Mr Syed Ridzwan, 39, a waiter at the eatery, told TNP that they had to repair three chillers.

He said: "We don't get any benefit from PUB fining the contractor. We already suffered the losses, and we spent $2,000 repairing the three chillers."

Udders, an ice cream parlour, was also affected.

The director of Udders, Miss Wong Peck Lin, told TNP: "Our first concern is that it should not happen again because it was a disruption of business. We're trusting that the people in charge will ensure that the drainage will be cleared."

She added that its estimated loss was $3,000, including damaged products and lost business.

Read also: Choked drain at MRT work site caused flash floods​

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ISABELLE LIEW

This article was first published on Jan 18, 2017.
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Three of corporate Singapore's most well-known firms have been named among the 100 most sustainable companies in the world.

Developer City Developments (CDL) was placed 30th, with Singtel 52nd and fellow telco StarHub 69th in the annual rankings announced at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, yesterday.

German conglomerate Siemens topped the list, followed by Norwegian insurer Storebrand, tech giant Cisco Systems from the United States, Denmark's Danske Bank and the Dutch ING Group.

CDL said in a statement that it came in top globally among real estate management and development companies, adding that it is also the first Singapore company to be listed in the Global 100 rankings for eight consecutive years.

CDL chief executive Grant Kelley noted that the firm has been pursuing sustainable development for over 20 years.

"In the long run, this not only enhances CDL's reputation, but also assists in risk mitigation, cost management and drives improved operational performance," he said, adding that there are "tremendous opportunities" for firms to create value through sustainability.

"With increasing interest in socially responsible investment, we believe that CDL's sustainability commitment will enable us to tap these prospects."

CDL said in the statement that it practises sustainability by designing and developing "green" buildings, managing buildings in an energy- and resource-efficient way and engaging and influencing stakeholders to support its commitment to sustainability.

The firm began sustainability reporting in 2004, before the Singapore Exchange's rules in the area were introduced last year.

The WEF ranking is compiled by Toronto-based firm Corporate Knights. Its chief executive Toby Heaps said Global 100 firms are "powerful exponents of the idea that doing better by society and the planet can be financially rewarding".

"I am glad to see that companies like CDL have been consistent in their long-term commitment to sustainability best practices," he said.

This article was first published on Jan 18, 2017.
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Before he became the Attorney-General in 2014, Mr V. K. Rajah twice declined the offer in 2007 and 2013.

"I was a reluctant A-G, but once I decided to be A-G, I put my heart and soul into it," he said in an interview with The Straits Times at his office last Friday.

"I put in 110 per cent, and as long as I held office, I wanted to discharge my responsibilities to the best of my ability."

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Rajah, who left the post last Saturday, said one of the changes he implemented soon after taking the job was a reporting mechanism to review the prosecution's sentencing positions.

If the position was excessive or disproportionate, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) would inform the defence counsel to go ahead and appeal, and prosecution would not object.

Mr Rajah, 60, said prior to this, prosecutors reported to the senior leadership matters that might attract media or public attention.

"I was more interested in (other) matters and our sentencing position that would affect the larger swathe of the population, from shoplifting to property, offences of any sort... and I wanted us to review our sentencing position on every possible area of criminal activity," he said.

All cases that were concluded were reported in the form of a summary report and Mr Rajah would review these cases every evening.

In one unusual case, the AGC even appealed for a sentence to be reduced.

The accused, a cyclist who had knocked down an elderly person, did not have his own lawyer.

Originally sentenced to eight weeks' jail in 2015, his sentence was reduced to three weeks after the Deputy Public Prosecutor appealed to have it slashed.

Mr Rajah said his "obsessiveness for looking at things granularly" boiled down to a need to exercise the power of the prosecution carefully.

Not all were on board at first with the decisions he made, including the move to appeal to have the cyclist's sentence reduced.

Some colleagues had told him the decision would not have been possible in the AGC a decade ago, because "that's not part of our culture".

"But having said that, I think all of them were immediately on the same side because they realised and appreciated that this accorded with their role as ministers of justice.

"My operating ethos in every ... office that I held is to ensure fairness. And fairness includes, apart from due process, proportionality. It's in no one's interest for individuals to be punished harshly," he said.

Another initiative launched in his time involved lawyers in the AGC who volunteered to work with abused foreign workers.

They halved the time it took to resolve cases that otherwise would require the foreign workers to stay for months or even years in Singapore to resolve their situation in court.

Mr Rajah hailed the work of AGC staff.

"Many officers in the AGC and in the public service work anonymously as they should and get very little credit.

"They put in long, long hours of work over weekends, over holidays, and they do this not because they are looking for recognition, but they do this because they believe it's the right thing and they are serving a wider cause."

Mr Rajah spent 20 years in the private sector, becoming managing partner of law firm Rajah & Tann.

In 1997, he was among the first lawyers to be appointed Senior Counsel.

He was then on the Bench for 10 years, first being appointed Supreme Court justice in 2004 and then Judge of Appeal three years later.

It was then, in 2007, that he first declined the Attorney-General post.

"I enjoyed my work. Further, I was keen to continue working with Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong, whom I greatly respected. I regard him as the finest legal mind who has held public office in Singapore."

Outside of his office, Mr Rajah reads extensively on social and political issues that affect Singapore and the wider world, as well as the sciences, such as psychology and neuroscience.

"But since I became A-G, I've read only a handful of books," he said, as he spent more time reading up on ongoing cases, even the minor ones, such as shoplifting.

Mr Rajah said: "I could leave my law firm when I wanted to and the fact that it continues to thrive 13 years after I left it means that I left it with good foundations and in good shape."

Former defence minister Howe Yoon Chong, in a conversation with Mr Rajah years ago, called the same quality a "walking capital" and the term stuck with him.

He entered the role as the "reluctant A-G", but with his retirement, he said: "I made sure everything that I've done, every institution I've done, I have left it in better shape."

V. K. Rajah on two cases of significance

WHY AGC DID NOT PUSH FOR A HEAVIER SENTENCE FOR DAD WHO KILLED SON

Banker Philippe Marcel Guy Graffart, then 42, had killed his five-year-old son last year amid a bitter custody battle.

The charge was reduced from murder to culpable homicide as the Belgian national was assessed to be suffering from a major depressive disorder.

His estranged French wife had engaged lawyers to press for a higher sentence.

The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), said Mr Rajah, would use the full force of law to prosecute cases that were cold-blooded and premeditated.

"Where homicide takes place as a result of mental issues, it's unpremeditated, where there is a momentary loss of control, we appraise the facts differently," he said.

He also observed that the case arose out of a bigger divorce squabble.

This is why family law should be practised in a more collaborative and amiable way, he said.

Mr Rajah added: "Unfortunately after reading the file - and I went through it very thoroughly - I felt that the lawyers advising the couple added fuel to the fire."

WHY PROSECUTION APPEALED TO REDUCE CYCLIST'S SENTENCE

Mr Rajah said the public might not be aware but the AGC has informed counsel to appeal when a sentence is excessive or disproportionate after reviewing the case.

The 2015 case involving Mr Lim Choon Teck, then 35, was different as he did not have a lawyer. Mr Lim had received a jail sentence of eight weeks for knocking down an elderly pedestrian while cycling on a pavement.

After a review, Deputy Public Prosecutor Prem Raj Prabakaran appealed to have the sentence reduced, arguing that the prosecution believed the original sentence was disproportionate to his culpability and the fact that he had pleaded guilty at the first reasonable opportunity.

"If (Mr Lim) appealed, there was no certainty that the High Court judge might agree with him... So I directed my colleagues, and they were taken aback that we should appeal," said Mr Rajah. Mr Lim's jail term was cut to three weeks.

Mr Rajah said: "I'm glad the case was publicised because it also assured the public that AGC was trying to do right rather than to punish people excessively."

vijayan@sph.com.sg

nghuiwen@sph.com.sg

Singapore's consumer watchdog is putting its focus on errant online retailers as the number of complaints against e-commerce merchants climbs.

Last year, the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) received 636 e-commerce-related complaints, up from 523 in 2015 and 485 in 2014.

Case wants to work with the authorities to come up with industry standards for such transactions and help consumers seek recourse if they receive defective products, or do not receive a product at all.

Case's new executive director Loy York Jiun, in an interview with The Straits Times last week, listed this as one of his top priorities now that he has taken over the reins from Mr Seah Seng Choon, 64.

The 43-year-old Mr Loy, who took up his new role on Jan 1, noted that the difficulty in resolving such e-commerce disputes is that some merchants may be based overseas.

"It may be hard to contact them and get a response because they are not bound by our laws, so they may feel we can't do anything to them," he said.

One way to get around the issue is to work with trading platforms that have a presence in Singapore to come up with a refund policy, he said.

For example, an existing platform gives customers a specified number of days to raise any issues about their transaction.

Only after that does it release payment to merchants.

Case is also looking to put out more timely advice for consumers by using a variety of platforms.

For example, during the school holidays, Case plans to offer consumers advice on what to look out for before purchasing a holiday package.

While Case will continue to hold educational seminars for consumers, Mr Loy admitted that this "may not be the most efficient" way to reach out to consumers.

"Nowadays, we get most of our information on our mobile phones, so I think we have to go with the times... (and) use mass media and social media to reach out to consumers," he said.

As for prepayments, Mr Loy said Case would continue to push for the law to be amended to make it unlawful for firms to collect prepayments without offering consumers some protection in return - despite concerns that such legislation would be onerous on businesses and would pass on costs to consumers.

This follows the high-profile closure of gym chain California Fitness last year which left customers stranded with unused packages that amounted to tens of thousands of dollars.

While focusing on online retailers, prepayments and educating consumers, Mr Loy added that Case would continue to resolve as many disputes as possible.

Every year, Case handles more than a thousand disputes and about 70 per cent are settled amicably while the rest involve the consumer taking action against the retailer by going to the Small Claims Tribunal or civil courts.

Mr Loy, who previously held various senior appointments within the National Trades Union Congress, saw similarities between his new role of helping consumers negotiate with retailers and his past experience championing the rights of workers.

"At the end of the day, it's about helping the common man who's at a disadvantage because of an imbalance of power or imbalance of information," he said.

"It's about helping them level up, so they can play in a level playing field."

mellinjm@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 18, 2017.
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The Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) - the highest- level forum between China and Singapore - will be held next month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

The JCBC is the top bilateral body that meets yearly to deepen political ties and economic co-operation between both countries.

It is co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli.

MFA said on its website that Permanent Secretary Chee Wee Kiong and China's Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin yesterday discussed upcoming bilateral exchanges, including the JCBC and the China-Singapore Forum on Leadership.

Mr Liu was here for the 10th Bilateral Consultations between the foreign ministries of both countries, which he co-chaired with Mr Chee.

The consultations, started in 1996, are a platform for both foreign ministries to discuss bilateral co-operation, ASEAN-China co-operation, and to exchange views on key regional and global developments.

Mr Chee and Mr Liu also reviewed the "longstanding and multi-faceted co-operation" between Singapore and China, MFA said.

They noted that both sides maintained high-level exchanges last year, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's meetings with President Xi Jinping at the G-20 Summit in Hangzhou, and with Premier Li Keqiang at the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane.

Mr Chee and Mr Liu also reviewed the good progress of the three government-to-government projects, including the latest Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, which aims to turn the Chinese city into a logistics and services hub.

Mr Chee expressed Singapore's support for China's "Belt and Road" initiative, a new area of collaboration which MFA said would build upon the countries' substantive bilateral ties.

The senior diplomats also discussed how to strengthen ASEAN- China relations and connectivity, as well as how the tourism authorities from both sides can promote tourism between ASEAN and China.

In recent times, Singapore's bilateral ties with China have come under the spotlight after Hong Kong Customs seized nine of the Singapore Armed Forces' Terrex armoured vehicles on Nov 23. Hong Kong has said it would handle the matter according to its laws.

asyiqins@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on January 18, 2017.
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Singapore is beefing up its capabilities to investigate air and maritime accidents that happen globally.

On the air side, the aim is to be not just an aviation hub for commercial flights but also the centre for industry training and expertise in areas like air traffic management and air incident investigations.

From a two-man team in 2002, the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) now has 16 staff, including a pilot and several engineers.

There are also 20 volunteers, including officers from the Republic of Singapore Air Force, who can be activated when necessary.

The TSIB, a unit under the Ministry of Transport, was launched in August last year after a restructuring.

From just focusing on air accidents, its new mandate includes investigating marine incidents.

Before the change, it was called the Air Accident Investigation Bureau.

Over the years, the bureau has also built up its expertise and knowledge.

The capability was further strengthened last year with the opening of a new laboratory at TSIB's Changi Airport office, which The Straits Times visited last week.

While, previously, the team could work only with black boxes that were still intact, it now has equipment to also analyse damaged boxes, for example if they have been submerged underwater.

Black boxes are flight data recorders which contain cockpit voice recordings and other information critical for investigations.

So far, the TSIB has been involved in not just incidents involving Singapore carriers but also assisted in other investigations.

For example, the team was involved in the probe into the crash of an AirAsia Indonesia plane in December 2014 while flying from Surabaya to Singapore and the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in March the same year.

Compared with established entities like the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States, the European Aviation Safety Agency and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the Singapore bureau may still be considered to be in its infancy stage.

However, within the region and, in particular, South-east Asia, the TSIB is ahead of many of its counterparts.

TSIB's deputy director (air safety investigation) Michael Alan Toft said: "I think we have positioned ourselves well and from feedback that we have received from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (a United Nations arm which oversees global commercial aviation), I think they see us as being quite progressive within the region."

As the number of flights continues to grow in the Asia-Pacific and globally, and ship movements continue to increase, ensuring safe practices and processes is critical, experts said.

This is a key role that the TSIB plays, said Captain Kunal Nakra, the authority's deputy director (marine safety investigation).

While the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore ensure that rules and regulations are adhered to, the TSIB is tasked to go further and dip deeper, he said.

"We ask all the 'whys'. So if a ship catches fire, why did the fire occur? Did the crew fight the fire as they were supposed to? If not, there is a lapse there. Why? Maybe there is an issue with the training. So we strip it down to those levels," he said.

Mr Toft added: "We don't just stop at the sharp end of the stick."

karam@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on January 18, 2017.
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Potterheads now have a very interesting place to visit for a Harry Potter-themed dining experience.

Established in December, the Platform 1094 cafe on the corner of 1094 Serangoon Road in Singapore offers more than just an Instagram-friendly setting thanks to its wooden and brick interior, witches hats and wands.

It also serves unique food and drink inspired by the magical world created by JK Rowling, such as the Goblet of Fire, a cocktail made of Blue Curacao liqueur, lemonade and Bacardi rum.

When served, the drink is set aflame in front of diners and sprinkled with cinnamon powder that swirls in the flame and creates sparks.

Also on the Hogwarts-inspired menu is a mocktail named Elixir of Life, which is made with sprite, tonic water and lime sorbet; Wizard's Cup, a stout sponge cupcake; and Black Magic, a black-themed dessert made with charcoal bread, black sesame pannacotta and more.

In addition to the aforementioned creative dishes, Platform 1094 also provides regular meals like plaited brioche with smoked salmon and a grilled chicken tortilla for brunch, with prices starting at $12.

The cafe is the second venture of FFL Fresh Fruits Lab, a bistro and bar that was established in 2013.

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2015-07-30 17:18:53

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Drug offenders with intellectual or mental disabilities will soon have the support of independent, trained volunteers during questioning by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB).

The initiative will draw on some 200 existing volunteers under the Appropriate Adult (AA) scheme, run by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Minds), from Jan 30.

CNB's director of enforcement Ong Pang Thong said the bureau decided to adopt the idea after a review of its practices.

"These AAs are trained by Minds, and we believe they will enable our investigation officers to better communicate with drug offenders with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder or mental health issues," he said.

The volunteer can also provide emotional support to the drug offender, he added.

The CNB is the latest agency to work with Minds, after the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) earlier this month.

Minds volunteers have worked with the police since January last year.

From April, suspects under the age of 16 will also be accompanied by an appropriate adult, from a separate pool of volunteers, during interviews.

While the number of drug cases involving those with mental disabilities is not tracked, Minds volunteers were needed 228 times last year, according to the National Council of Social Service.

The scheme currently has 208 volunteers, with about 30 more to join soon.

The AVA came on board after an AA volunteer was called upon to help in a case of animal cruelty involving a person with intellectual disability.

Lee Wai Leong, 41, who suffers from moderate intellectual disability, was sentenced to 18 months' probation last June for throwing a male cat down 13 storeys to its death in Yishun.

"Subsequently, we established a working relationship with Minds to activate AA volunteers to be present during investigation interviews with persons with intellectual disability," said an AVA spokesman.

AVA has since worked with Minds on two alleged animal cruelty cases, with investigations still ongoing.

Financial consultant Michael Tok, 42, has been asked to help 26 times, among the highest for a volunteer, and welcomed its extension to other offences.

He said: "The needs of this group of people will be similar, so in any case where interviews need to be conducted, we can help them understand the questions by the investigators and monitor their reactions."

For instance, AAs may step in to simplify questions asked or use visual cues, such as drawings and hand signs, said Mr Tok.

He learnt about the scheme about a year ago at Pathlight School, which his nine-year-old son with autism attends.

Ms Tang Hui Yee, 28, who joined the AA scheme last year and has helped in two cases, also said she would be open to supporting CNB and AVA.

"Not many people are educated about those with special needs and how to interact with them," said the programme executive at Youth Corps Singapore.

"Having more agencies on board shows that even if they don't have the experience, they are willing to take the first step by having those who understand them better step in," said Ms Tang, who previously taught children with autism at Eden School.

She said: "No one wants to be misunderstood. I have met people who turned over a new leaf when you give them a chance, and that comes from giving them a fair interview process."

nghuiwen@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 18, 2017.
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The police in Brisbane, Australia are searching for a 23-year-old Singaporean man who went missing in the Brisbane city area.

Norsyafiq Norman was last seen at a hotel on Ann Street yesterday (Jan 17) afternoon, reports 7 News Brisbane.

Police are seeking public assistance to locate him.

Police recieved information that Norsyafiq failed to arrive at the international airport for his departing flight last night and has not been in contact with his family.

He is described as being 175 cm tall and of slim build and black hair.

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