The new Vehicle Emissions Scheme (VES) will inevitably push car prices up but for now, some dealers are facing uncertainty over actual vehicle pollutant levels because these need to be confirmed with the manufacturers, and also because of the impending change in emission standards for petrol vehicles.

VES replaces the current Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS) on Jan 1, 2018 and is more stringent.

In addition to carbon dioxide (CO2), four more pollutants are measured - hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM).

"The additional pollutants are mainly targeting diesel cars but petrol will also have it bad," said a spokesman for Komoco Motors, the authorised Hyundai distributor. "Models in the market which currently enjoy a rebate may fall into the surcharge territory."

Read also: S$9.2b to come from car taxes and COE premiums in FY2017

Vincent Tan, managing director of well-known parallel importer VinCar, said that "the whole industry will be affected".

He added: "Diesel cars will no longer enjoy rebates but across the board, the rebate level has dropped and the CO2 limit has been lowered."

CEVS's nine bands for cars and taxis will collapse into five under VES, with two rebate/surcharge bands and one neutral band.

For cars, the rebate or surcharge will either be S$10,000 or S$20,000 (from the current S$5,000, S$10,000, S$15,000 and S$30,000).

Read also: Motorbike COE price rise surprises

The higher rebate is also capped at below 90g/km from below 100g/km, while the neutral band will be tightened from the current 136-185g/km to 125-160g/km.

As a result, all diesel models are "badly affected", lamented an executive at a dealership. An example: a 2.0-litre turbodiesel sedan's S$10,000 rebate will become a S$20,000 surcharge. "All because of NOx (nitrogen oxide); PM (particulate matter) is not so bad," he said.

As for petrol cars, VinCar's Honda Vezel hybrid, which now attracts the highest S$30,000 rebate, will still qualify for the maximum rebate under the new scheme but only S$20,000.

Komoco also has a hybrid model, the Hyundai Ioniq, and it should still qualify for the maximum rebate under VES, said the spokesman. But he added that this is based on a preliminary check and requires official confirmation from the factory.

While a lower or no rebate should lead to higher sticker prices, Nicholas Wong, general manager of authorised Honda distributor Kah Motor, said that much depends on the COE levels.

Read also: COE tender postponement sparks speculation of major car tax changes

"Most models will fall from S$5,000 into the neutral band because of the tightening but if COE premiums drop, then overall prices will not be higher," he explained.

"We still have eight or nine months to react but moving forward, it will be very difficult to own a big car."

As an example, the Honda Odyssey large MPV with a 2.4-litre naturally aspirated engine is now in the neutral band. Under VES, it will be slapped with a S$10,000 surcharge.

But even as prices are set to rise, distributors are not completely sure by how much. This is because the Euro 6 vehicle emission standard will be adopted on Sept 1, 2017. Most models sold here today are only Euro 4-compliant, with the data on pollutants based on that standard.

Read also: Motorbike COE price rise surprises

"Since a vehicle's VES rebate or surcharge will be determined by its worst-performing pollutant, after Euro 6 kicks in, we won't know whether PM will be the worst performer instead of CO2," Mr Wong said.

One distributor, who asked not to be named, said that there was a "rush for everyone to switch over".

"There are too many different dates at the moment," he said, referring to Euro 6 implementation for petrol in September but Jan 1, 2018 for diesel. "We still have to request the manufacturers for the data and the wait can last a couple of weeks or a couple of months. But we don't have the luxury of time because homologation takes two to four months."

This article was first published on Mar 10, 2017.
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A flight of stairs covered with gold foil that made the headlines this week was a talking point in the House yesterday. The artwork in a Jalan Rajah HDB block, created by 25-year-old Lasalle student Priyageetha Dia, was raised by Nominated MP Kok Heng Leun, who called it an example of "ground-up community art".

"Some residents have safety concerns about it, but others, including myself, think it is a brilliant piece of art," he said. Such artwork is "often spontaneous and interventionist" and "engages and enlivens the community in a positive manner", he added during the debate on the Culture, Community and Youth Ministry's budget.

"Should our policies not adjust, so as to allow more community engagement and participation in the arts?"

Replying, the ministry's Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng said he was "very encouraged" by Ms Dia's "creativity to enhance our living spaces", but added the town council has to address residents' concerns.

Read also: Gold stairs earn praise but are out of step with rules

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Photo Gallery

Artist dresses up HDB staircase in gold: Yay or nay?

Source:

The Straits Times

Jalan Besar Town Council said while it appreciated Ms Dia's "desire to enhance her surrounding space", her act was unauthorised under its by-laws. Pictures of the work have been online since Monday, and drawn debate about whether it is a work of art or vandalism.

In his reply, Mr Baey cited artist Jaxton Su, who last year painted a mural in Race Course Road with the support of the property owner and the National Arts Council (NAC). "We encourage young artists to work closely with precinct and space managers to enliven our community. NAC will be happy to facilitate this process."

Said Culture, Community and Youth Minister Grace Fu: "The first rule of any artist who wants to do community art is ask for permission from the property owner. That's basic courtesy."

She added: "Both parties can sit down and see how to best meet the needs of both."

Yesterday, Ms Dia's mother Susela told The Straits Times her daughter will be taking down the gold foil from the staircase in the coming days.

Read also: The Internet thinks this gold staircase is a brilliant idea, even though authorities don't

This article was first published on March 10, 2017.
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Four key amendments to Singapore's laws were tabled in the House yesterday to keep up with cybercrime's changing and increasingly transnational nature.

The Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill seeks to criminalise the act of dealing and trading in personal information, such as credit card details for nefarious purposes, even though the trader may not have hacked into computers to obtain it.

The buying and selling of hacking tools, such as malware and port scanners from online marketplaces, will be an offence if the intention is criminal, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a statement.

If the amendments are passed, it will also criminalise offences under the existing Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act which are committed abroad, against an overseas computer.

"This amendment makes this an offence... if the act causes or creates a significant risk of serious harm in Singapore," said MHA.

Serious harm includes illness, injury or death, and disruptions to essential services, national security and Singapore's foreign relations.

Essential services include energy, water, finance, government, healthcare, information communication and transportation.

Examples of offences include releasing to the public people's bank account details, hospital patients' medical records or confidential government documents.

A new Section 11A also proposes to allow, among other things, multiple unauthorised access to one computer, for a period of 12 months or less, to be combined under a single charge.

A perpetrator may do this to prepare for a cyber attack on the system.

Combining the multiple acts into a single criminal charge will allow for damage caused to be aggregated, so that a heavier penalty under a specified section can be imposed.

The maximum penalty under the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act varies, depending on the crime, from a $5,000 fine and two years' jail, to a $100,000 fine and 20 years' jail.

The Act was last amended in 2013 - when it was renamed from the previous Computer Misuse Act - to grant the Government enhanced powers to counter cyber threats against Singapore's national security and essential services.

There is currently no overarching cyber security law in Singapore to tackle cyber threats.

But a new Cybersecurity Act will be introduced in the middle of this year, after public consultations to plug any existing legislative gaps.

itham@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 10, 2017.
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The Ministry of Education (MOE) is taking false SkillsFuture Credit claims very seriously and will take legal action against those who do not return the money.

Parliamentary Secretary for Education Low Yen Ling said yesterday: "We will leave no stone unturned as we take considered measures to review all processes to ensure a very robust system to deter abuses and also (the) making of false claims."

Recently, roughly 4,400 people were found to have claimed about $2.2 million without attending the courses that they said they had.

Statutory board SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), which comes under her ministry, issued letters last month and this month to those involved, to demand that the money be returned within 30 days.

As some of them have until April to comply, it is too early to look at the amount recovered, Ms Low said.

"SSG is tracking the recovery of monies closely, and will not hesitate to take necessary actions, including legal measures, against those who fail to return the monies," she said, in her reply to Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC).

The SkillsFuture Credit scheme gives $500 in credits to Singaporeans aged 25 and older to pay for training courses.

Either individuals or training providers can make the claim for the training fees from the SSG.

All the 4,400 individuals named the same course when they made their false claims.

Ms Low said that investigations showed they did not conspire with the training provider.

Under the law, people who give false information to SSG can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to 12 months or given both punishments.

To prevent further abuse, SSG is conducting more checks and audits on training providers and claims by individuals, she said.

Those being audited have to submit documents such as attendance lists, course enrolment records or proof of payment.

A committee is reviewing how training-related claims and disbursements are processed.

While the SSG strengthens its enforcement, it will also ensure that the system continues to be user-friendly, as most people "are responsible users of the SkillsFuture system", Ms Low said.

joseow@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 10, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will reconfigure and expand the road network in the Safti training area to provide a continuous space of urban and forested environments for troops to train in more realistic settings.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who visited an SAF rafting exercise in the western part of Singapore on Tuesday, said changes to the road network are part of the army's efforts to meet future challenges by "maximising the potential of its training areas".

During the exercise, which began on Feb 27 and ends today, Dr Ng witnessed the army's tactical mobility capabilities as Belrex Protected Combat Support Vehicles were transported across a simulated river using the Mobility 3rd Generation (M3G) Raft.

"The idea is to have our battalions be able to mimic the terrain that they would (operate in) during conventional operations, move from urban terrain to natural terrain such as this, where there are axes to be crossed, and river bodies or water bodies to traverse.

"That will take us a good part of a decade, but it is a significant investment and the general idea is that we want to maximise the resources given to us," he was quoted as saying in a statement released yesterday by the Ministry of Defence (Mindef).

Dr Ng had announced last Friday in Parliament during a debate on Mindef's budget that a new training area - dubbed Safti City - would be built in the training area for soldiers to train in realistic settings.

The 88ha area - the size of Bishan town - will have a sector packed with shophouse clusters, high-rise interconnected buildings, low-rise residences, basement carparks, a bus interchange and an MRT station with multiple exits.

Another sector near the Poyan Reservoir will house a petrochemicals complex, warehouses, container parks and industrial buildings.

Separately, new grounds for infantry and armoured vehicle drills will be developed in three existing training areas of Pasir Laba, Ama Keng and the Murai Urban Training Facility.

The three areas will also feature simulated training scenarios called Instrumented Battle Circuits.

Dr Ng had described Safti City as part of Singapore's efforts to build world-class training facilities here and "guard against over-dependence on overseas training grounds".

The Straits Times understands that the road network is for military use only and that the reconfiguration is part of the Safti training area's revamp, which will cost about $900 million and take 10 years to complete.

During his visit on Tuesday, Dr Ng also piloted the M3G raft, and talked to active personnel and operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) taking part in the exercise, which involved about 1,100 personnel from the Headquarters Singapore Combat Engineers and 35th Battalion Singapore Combat Engineers.

Besides underscoring the important role that combat engineers play as a vital support arm of the army, Dr Ng - accompanied by Chief of Army Melvyn Ong and senior SAF commanders - also spoke about the value of the exercise in honing the army's operational capabilities and readiness.

He said: "During National Day, many Singaporeans will be familiar with our M3G rafts in Marina Bay for the 21-gun (presidential) salute.

"But beyond the ceremonial functions, the real function of the M3G rafts is to allow the SAF to cross water bodies... I think it is a great boost for the SAF to be able to test these capabilities, and use these rafts for what they were meant for."

Mindef said "the training transformation efforts will allow the army to hone its ability to operate continuously across different terrains, and conduct realistic training to meet the needs of the next-gen army".

Dr Ng also applauded the professionalism displayed by the NSmen in the exercise, adding that a strong and effective SAF is made possible only by the commitment of the NSmen.

"We are full of confidence (in what) they have done. They understand the challenge, and they are very competent," he added.

kianbeng@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 10, 2017.
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The H5N1 bird flu outbreak in a village in the Malaysian state of Kelantan has not affected Singapore's poultry and egg supply, said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) yesterday.

The outbreak was reported on Wednesday.

The AVA said that Singapore permits poultry and eggs from disease-free zones in five Malaysian states only - Johor, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Perak.

The Star newspaper reported that Kelantan has taken measures such as setting up roadblocks, which state agriculture committee chairman Che Abdullah Mat said were set up within a 1km radius of Kampung Pulau Tebu.

The infection was reportedly limited to the village, where 15 chickens recently died.

Datuk Abdullah said: "The veterinary services department has since culled 170 avians, including chickens, ducks and birds, and destroyed 100 eggs in the affected village."

He added that the culling took place on Monday and three positive cases were recorded in the one village, but no farms were affected.

The AVA said that it has stepped up surveillance and inspections at the points where poultry enters Singapore, as of yesterday morning.

The number of inspecting officers has been increased from two to three.

Poultry typically undergoes documentary and physical checks at the Singapore border.

The AVA also said that it has told Singapore's three poultry farms to step up their security measures.

Such measures include discouraging non-essential visitors to the farms and not allowing other birds and eggs inside.

The AVA will also increase its monitoring of the Republic's 14 poultry slaughterhouses.

Under normal circumstances, the AVA inspects about a third of the slaughterhouses every day, but it will now inspect all of them daily.

At the slaughterhouses, the poultry is inspected and samples are taken to ensure compliance with Singapore's animal health and food safety requirements and standards.

The AVA tests these samples for diseases and threats, such as bird flu and chemicals.

According to a press statement, it will increase its monitoring of free-roaming chickens, although no further details were given.

These measures will remain in place while the AVA continues to monitor the situation.

Singapore imports 35 per cent of its chickens, 93 per cent of its ducks and 76 per cent of its eggs from Malaysia.

The H5N1 virus has also been detected in Cambodia in recent weeks, but The Straits Times understands that Cambodia is not approved for poultry export to Singapore.

josehong@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 10, 2017.
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The Ministry of National Development (MND) yesterday flagged several issues with financial statements submitted by the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC).

The town council's external auditor had raised several instances where the AHTC's statements for the 2015 financial year failed to comply with the Town Councils Act and Town Councils Financial Rules, the ministry said in a statement.

It did not disclose what these instances of non-compliance were, but noted the auditor had similarly flagged the AHTC's financial statements for its 2014 financial year.

The MND has sought clarifications from the Workers' Party-run AHTC and will present the finalised financial statements to Parliament upon receiving them, it said.

The ministry's statement comes a day before Parliament debates changes to the Town Councils Act that will give the Government greater oversight over town councils.

The ministry also noted that this is the fifth year that the AHTC's external auditor has qualified its financial statements.

The AHTC submitted the statements on Feb 24, and sent in accompanying documents the subsequent week - six months after the deadline on Aug 31, said the MND.

It was the fourth time the statements were late since the Workers' Party won Aljunied GRC in May 2011.

The AHTC submitted statements for the 2014 financial year on time.

The ministry also laid out a brief timeline related to the submissions.

On Aug 12 last year, the AHTC wrote to the MND requesting an extension for the submissions, citing "outstanding issues to resolve with its auditor", the ministry said.

Over the next few months, the MND repeatedly asked the AHTC for a timeframe of when its audit for financial year 2015 would be completed.

But the AHTC could not give a firm reply on the timeline, nor the exact reasons for the delays, it said.

Responding in a statement yesterday, AHTC chairman Pritam Singh said the town council has explained the reasons for its late submission to the ministry.

He also said the AHTC recently called a public tender for an internal auditor, "to ensure compliance with the Town Councils Act and the Town Councils Financial Rules on an ongoing basis".

However, the town council did not receive any submissions from accounting firms in Singapore.

Mr Singh said it will call a second tender and put its statements for FY2015 on its website after it has addressed the issues raised by the MND.

asyiqins@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 10, 2017.
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SINGAPORE - Stalls at the Chinatown Street Market will be affected by upcoming refurbishment works that are aimed at improving fire safety and enhancing the visitor experience.

All stalls within the street market area of Pagoda, Sago, Smith and Trengganu Streets will be involved in the makeover, which will begin on May 15 this year.

But to minimise disruption, the works will take place in phases, especially during the festive periods of Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival. As such, retailers in non-affected areas will continue with business, ensuring that most of the market will remain open during this period.

The refurbishment will see standalone street stalls at the market get better roof insulation, as well as extended shelters and rain curtains to protect them from weather elements.

Rain curtains will also be installed on the units in front of the shophouses, which will also incorporate enhanced fire safety features such as water sprinklers and fire-rated shutters.

During the refurbishment, temporary hoarding around Chinatown Street Market will have directional signs to various attractions and businesses, while fans and lightings will be installed along the pathways of affected shophouses.

The project is targeted to conclude by the end of 2018, and the market will have 140 stalls selling a mix of merchandise.

debwong@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - The adorable "Bishan 10" family of otters may have become the face of Singapore wildlife, but now it looks as though monitor lizards are intent on giving them a run for their money.

On Thursday (Mar 9), a monitor lizard was caught on video taking a dip in a condo swimming pool.

But not before it tried to enter a Yishun resident's condo unit by - gasp - attempting to slide open the balcony door with its leathery claws.

Reader Paveena Kumar, 27, sent photos and videos of the incident to AsiaOne.

The public relations professional told AsiaOne that the scaly visitor was first spotted by her domestic helper in the balcony of her ground floor unit at her home in Yishun at about 4pm.

"It looked like it was trying to open the sliding door of our balcony to get into the house, and then jumped to the balcony of a neighbour's unit before going into the swimming pool," she recounted.

Read also: Monitor lizards sighted in bizarre places: Here's where and why

Ms Paveena said that the fork-tongued creature spent about half an hour in the pool. It was eventually cornered and caught by a resident, who released it into the forested area near the condo.

She added that it was the first time that she could recall seeing a monitor lizard enter her condo.

Taking a dip in the pool seem to be a favourite past time of these reptiles lately. In February, another lizard that was filmed having a swim in the lazy pool at the Jurong East Swimming Complex. And who can blame them with when the weather is so blistering hot?

Basking in the sun and frolicking in pools may seem like what these reptiles love to do, but they can be involved in pretty fast and furious activities too, such as the one that zipped past the race track last September during the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.

It caused Red Bull driver Max Verstappen to exclaim in shock: "There's a giant lizard on the track!"

Mr Kalai Vanan, deputy chief executive of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), previously told AsiaOne that the organisation gets between 20 and 30 reports on monitor lizards in a month.

He added that these creatures are shy animals that are typically harmless, despite their large size.

Shy? Not anymore, it seems.

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2016-04-22 18:58:13

Photo Gallery

Monstrous monitor lizard feasts on cat at Japanese Garden in Jurong East

Source: Stomp

seanyap@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - The minimum legal age for smoking Singapore will be raised from 18 to 21, as was announced in Parliament on Thursday (March 9).

The new restriction, which will be phased in over a few years, covers both the sale to and purchase of tobacco products by those under 21, as well as the use and possession of tobacco products.

Here's a look at how the new number compares with other countries around the world.

Read also: Health Ministry to raise legal age for smoking in Singapore from 18 to 21

21

Singapore is not the first country to set the age limit at 21. Others include: Honduras (Central America), Kuwait (Middle East), Samoa (Oceania), Sri Lanka (South Asia) and Uganda (East Africa). All these countries are the only ones in their respective region to set the minimum legal age at 21, as Singapore will be within South-east Asia.

The situation is murkier within the United States, where individual states and even cities have raised the minimum purchase age to 21 years of age, while others have maintained it at 18 or 19 years old.

354764

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Photo Gallery

15 sneaky ways smoking ruins your life

Source:

Various sources

Some of the places where the legal age is set at 21 in the US include New York City (but not the entirety of the state of New York), Boston (but not the entirety of the state of Massachusetts) and Hawaii.

In California, where Los Angeles and San Francisco are located, an 18-year-old is allowed to smoke but will need to get someone aged above 21 to buy his or her cigarettes.

18

The vast majority of countries in the world have the minimum purchase age set at 18. But unlike Singapore, the age limit for most does not cover the use and possession of tobacco products.

Among the many such countries are Australia, China, India, Russia and South-east Asian neighbours Malaysia and Indonesia.

Some notable exceptions include Germany, where the limit applies across the board like in Singapore, and the United Kingdom, where the minimum smoking age is 16. In Ukraine, it is legal for people to smoke at age 14, although they must be 18 and above to purchase tobacco products.

Outliers

Iraq, Palestine and Egypt are among the countries with the lowest stipulated age limit - 14.

And in three countries - Antigua and Babuda, Belize (both in the Americas) and Gambia (Africa) - there is no age limit at all.

All alone at the other end of the spectrum is Bhutan, often called the happiest country in the world, where smoking is illegal regardless of how old you are.

This article was first published on March 9, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - A husband and wife pair were sentenced on Friday (Mar 10) to 28 months' and two months' jail respectively for physically abusing two foreign domestic helpers that they employed.

Tay Wee Kiat, 39, and his wife Chia Yun Ling, 41, were charged with abusing Indonesian maid Fitriyah and Myanmar maid Moe Moe Than between February 2011 and December 2012, Lianhe Wanbao reported.

According to online reports, Tay, a former IT manager, was found guilty of abusing Ms Fitriyah, as well as offering to pay her salary and send her home in return for not reporting his offences. He was also found guilty of bribing her to lie to the police that he did not abuse Ms Than.

Meanwhile, Chia was convicted of slapping Ms Fitriyah twice and punching her on the forehead in 2012.

The couple's offences only came to light after Ms Than lodged a police report against them, according to the Chinese evening daily.

Read also: Maid says she was punished in bizarre ways

Shin Min Daily News reported that the prosecution sought heavy sentences for Tay and Chia, citing aggravating factors such as repeated abuse over an extended period, the severity of the assaults and the couple's abuse of their authority.

For example, in one instance Tay punished Ms Fitriyah by making her stand on one leg on a stool while holding on to another stool. He also forced a bottle into her mouth, and she was forced to maintain the posture for half an hour, Wanbao reported.

In another instance, when Tay suspected that one of the maids had touched a statue in their Yishun home, he made them slap each other before forcing them to pray before the statue 100 times.

Meanwhile, Wanbao reported that Chia imposed unreasonable restrictions on the maids. She allegedly only allowed them to drink water and use the toilet three times a day, and would make them "jump like a rabbit" around the flat if they failed to obey the rule.

Having faced abuse for a few months, Ms Fitriyah decided to deliberately steal $50 from Chia's wallet in the hope that she would be sent home. However, the couple instead made her sign a confession letter that also praised their kind characters.

The couple have appealed against the conviction and sentences. They are currently out on bail, which was set at $15,000 each.

Read also: Man kicked two maids, hit them with canes, court told

In a statement, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) stressed that while cases of employers mistreating maids are rare, the authorities will take strong action against employers when they do occur.

The ministry also urged employers to be patient and understanding towards their maids. "Some foreign domestic workers may experience initial difficulties in adapting to a new culture, home and work environment. Employers will need to guide and supervise their foreign domestic workers, and give them time to learn and adjust."

Employers or maids who are facing problems with their employment relationship are also advised to approach their employment agency or call the Centre for Domestic Employees for assistance.

MOM added that Ms Fitriyah had been provided counselling, and has been able to put this difficult episode behind her.

seanyap@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - It will soon be an offence for town councils to not record conflicts of interest and submit their financial accounts on time.

These new regulations are part of wide-ranging changes to the law governing town councils that were passed in Parliament on Friday (March 10) after a three hour-long debate.

For starters, the amendments to Town Councils Act will require town councillors and employees, town council committee members, or anyone delegated with town council responsibilities to declare any conflicts of interest.

The town council secretary will also be required by law to keep a register of these disclosures.

Town councils will also have to submit audited financial reports within six months of the financial year ending, and may also be required to submit financial projections.

Senior Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee told the House in a speech that these changes would boost "transparency and public accountability".

Mr Lee also said the new laws are meant to clarify the town councils' roles, improve governance and strengthen financial management, as well as give the Ministry of National Development (MND) greater regulatory oversight.

One key change will give the MND powers to conduct regular checks on the financial health of town councils and look into suspected irregularities.

The MND will be able to appoint inspectors, who could be public officers or professionals, to conduct investigations into suspected irregularities.

"While the Bill has introduced stronger enforcement powers to investigate and require town councils to take specific remedial actions, they will generally be exercised when a town council is uncooperative or recalcitrant, refusing to correct irregularities despite due and fair notice," said Mr Lee.

He also pointed out that before the changes were passed, MND lacked the "regulatory levers" to intervene if rules were flouted.

For instance, MND has no power to compel town councils to give information on their finances, and there are no penalties if a town council refuses to do so.

Mr Lee added that the amendments to the law seeks both to preserve the autonomy and latitude of town councils, while protecting residents' interests and public funds.

A total of 14 MPs spoke during the debate, with all nine Workers' Party (WP) MPs present voting against the Bill at the end of the debate.

The opposition members took issue with the change that allows the MND to appoint inspectors to conduct investigations into suspected irregularities in a town council.

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Photo Gallery

Workers' Party Town Council saga

Source: The Straits Times

This article was first published on March 10, 2016.
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The Workers' Party (WP) yesterday objected to giving the Ministry of National Development (MND) powers to govern town councils, as part of changes to the Town Councils Act.

During the debate in Parliament, the WP MPs argued that civil servants will find it hard to be politically neutral because they report to political office-holders.

These ministers may wield the enforcement powers bestowed by the Act as a political tool against elected town councillors from a different political party, said Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC).

But Senior Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee defended the impartiality of the civil service, saying her allegations were serious and unwarranted.

He cited three broad reasons. First, public servants understand the need for fairness and will act and do what is right, he said.

Second, the People's Action Party's track record shows it will act on alleged wrongdoing and not sweep things under the carpet. A case in point is the investigation of Ang Mo Kio Town Council's general manager and secretary, said Mr Lee. AMKTC is the town council of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

"Even in the PM's town council, when allegations were made, they took the first step to make a report and now the CPIB (Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau) is investigating," he said.

Third, any abuse of public powers is subject to the jurisdiction of the courts.

In the debate, Ms Lim and Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC) zeroed in on Part 6(A) of the Bill. It allows MND to appoint inspectors to investigate town councils that have flouted regulations, and issue an order to specify remedial action, among other things. These may be public servants or qualified professionals.

Mr Singh said this can lead to the politicisation of the public service, adding: "The MND risks becoming a tool of the ruling party of the day to fix the opposition."

Ms Lim said: "It is not possible to argue that the ministry is a politically neutral body as recent history unfortunately belies that claim."

She said the ministry was "an active campaigner against the WP" in the 2015 General Election, regularly issuing statements on alleged misconduct of the WP-run town council. But after Polling Day, she said, little was heard for weeks. She added that civil servants cannot be expected to issue stinging reports against a town council run by a minister.

Mr Lee objected to what he called Ms Lim's insinuation that public officers acted in a partisan way, and said MND gives town councils the chance to correct inconsistencies and accounting errors in their submitted financial statements.

Ms Lim, a former police officer, said she recognised civil servants do their best to act responsibly, but realistically might find it difficult.

Countering, Mr Lee said: "First she says on the one hand... her former colleagues are people of integrity with spines of steel... and on the other hand, she says they will kowtow their timorous souls.

"I think we all object to that. Our officers are brought up with an ethos of integrity, service and excellence."

charyong@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 11, 2017.
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A 25-year-old van driver was arrested on Saturday (March 11) for a rash act causing death.

This was a collision on the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) involving the driver's van and nine motorcycles.

The collision left two motorcyclists dead and six injured.

The two motorcyclists, aged 34 and 50, were pronounced dead at the scene. The six injured motorcyclists were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

Police said they were alerted to the accident at 3.49pm.

Videos posted on Facebook and circulated on WhatsApp show at least two police tents at the area under the Seletar Expressway (SLE) flyover, towards Woodlands near the SLE exit.

According to a message circulating on WhatsApp, the motorcyclists had sought shelter from rain under the flyover when the accident occurred.

A video accompanying the message shows six men sprawled on the ground, with two bleeding.

BKE accident: Motorcycle being removed from site

Another video, posted by Facebook user Aishah Osman, shows police vehicles at the scene, with at least nine motorcycles at the side. Some of them had toppled over and looked damaged. An ambulance was also seen.

One motorcyclist who had been taking shelter and whose bike had been slightly damaged told The Straits Times that "it was chaotic".

Investigations are ongoing.

The van driver's driving licence will be suspended with immediate effect, police said.

The police have urged the public not to circulate photos or videos of the deceased, out of respect for the families.

381636

2017-03-12 11:40:29

Photo Gallery

Fatal BKE crash leaves 6 hospitalised and 2 motorcyclists dead

Source:

The Straits Times

Lianhe Wanbao

Stomp

This article was first published on March 11, 2017.
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Singapore - Depsite a commonly held view that Singapore could aspire to be a test-bed for global innovation, some veteran entrepreneurs say local companies would do better to focus instead on global markets, or internationalisation, from the get-go.

Tan Min-Liang, chief executive officer of Razer, a San Francisco-based gaming hardware company, said: "While it might seem like common wisdom to first test (an idea) in Singapore, and then take it regionally and to the world, with all due respect to the government, I think it doesn't make sense in today's world."

The Singaporean, who founded Razer in 2005, said the domestic market is fundamentally too small and the rewards from test-bedding here are rarely worth the same effort spent to test-bed outside of Singapore.

"Furthermore, by the time you're done with test-bedding in Singapore, somebody's already tested the same (idea) in China, or in California, reaching out to North America and so forth. You're better off starting in the US and China from the get-go."

Isaac Ho, CEO of venture capital firm Venturecraft, which operates an incubator in Hangzhou, shares the same sentiment. "Even if you successfully test-bed a product here, the small population means you will not be prepared for large volume transactions. This could result in under-building a product."

Notably, Uber, whose headquarters is in San Francisco, is trialing self-driving cars in Pittsburg. It deliberately chose the industrial city because of its erratic weather and winding roads. An Uber director was quoted in Fast Company as saying: "If we can drive in Pittsburgh, we have what it takes to drive in other cities."

In a similar vein, Mr Ho noted that the environment in Singapore is not a true test of the actual global market - test-bedding here is akin to drafting a business plan based on theory, and not experience.

"If startups test-bed here, they will need to expend effort to undo what they've built for use in other markets, increasing business expenditure. Instead, they should go quickly into the global markets where they want to be anchored."

Mr Ho also said the government's efforts to promote entrepreneurship may be counter-intuitive. "Singaporeans are well taken care of by the government. Every young person I've spoken to acknowledged they will not have an issue owning an HDB. The hunger level is not the same. Most entrepreneurs know there is always another job for them."

He suggested that the government do less to promote entrepreneurship ("it's not for everyone") but do more to expose youths to technology and innovation from a young age, such as through overseas attachments. "The students will be exposed to real hunger and passion, and see how fast the other countries are racing ahead."

Mr Tan said the Republic should focus less on bringing in foreign talent and companies, and more on investing in Singaporeans who are prepared to go global but who will bring employment, innovation and profit back to the country.

"As for companies, what they need to do today is be incredibly nimble, take advantage the best talent found in Singapore, but ensure that they are always looking global at the same time."

International Enterprise Singapore (IES) is helping enterprises do that by looking for tech co-creation opportunities and business ideas from key markets such as the US. Natalie Choo, group director for North America and Europe at IES, said: "The goal is to help them identify innovations, businesses or solutions that can be deployed and scaled up overseas."

For instance, IES facilitated a partnership between CapitaLand and Chinese co-working operator UrWork to create a co-working solution in China. Co-working is a concept popularised in the US.

"In this regard, we are helping CapitaLand source new innovative business models in the US to be deployed across their assets around the world."

Cap Vista Singapore, the VC arm of the Defence Science and Technology Agency, has also set its sights abroad. It recently invested in Canadian accelerator TandemLaunch, citing complementary focus areas, such as cognitive performance, human-machine interaction and data analytics, that can translate into products beneficial to Singapore's defence.

Kevin Foo, head of investment at Cap Vista, told The Business Times: "With the rate of technological disruption happening in the world, stakeholders more than ever expect quick deployments of chosen products before the next wave of competing technologies come around."

That said, Mr Foo believes that Singapore is an exemplary test-bed for innovation and technologies benefiting the global market. "The level of infrastructure development within our small cityscape allows for close co-operation between different organisations, public or private, to co-develop and test technologies."

Mr Tan urges Singapore to take a longer-term approach to innovation. He said: "It's not going to happen overnight, we need to be prepared to be investing heavily in the long term without seeing any short-term rewards."

jaccheok@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Mar 13, 2017.
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A new scheme allowing young suspects to be accompanied by an independent party during police interviews will be administered by the Singapore Children's Society (SCS), sources told The Straits Times.

On track to be rolled out in stages from next month, the Appropriate Adult (AA) Scheme for Young Suspects will benefit those under 16.

When minors have to be taken to a police station for an interview, the authorities will call upon its pool of trained volunteers, who must arrive within 11/2 hours of being activated.

These volunteers, or AAs, will help to look for signs of distress in the young suspects and provide them with emotional support.

They may take notes of the interview process and intervene if necessary, such as to request a break or ask officers to rephrase a question, if they notice that a young suspect may have trouble understanding it. But they must remain neutral.

Volunteers may not provide legal advice or disrupt the course of justice in any way.

The Straits Times understands that about 180 members of the public have indicated their interest to the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) in becoming a volunteer.

Close to 100 have been through a training session on working with youth, and basic police procedures.

Among them are retired educators. ST understands that the Education Ministry had reached out to them about the new programme.

NCSS, which is appointing SCS as the service provider, is expected to reveal more details about the roll-out soon.

The AA scheme for minors, similar to an existing one for offenders with intellectual or mental disabilities, was announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs in January.

It followed an inter-agency review of investigation processes after a 14-year-old schoolboy, Benjamin Lim, fell to his death on Jan 26 last year, hours after being questioned by the police.

No other adult, such as Benjamin's parents, was present during his interview at the police station, and it sparked a discussion on whether officers should be able to interview minors alone.

The new AA pilot is expected to start at the Bedok Division, the Criminal Investigation Department of the police as well as the investigation division of the Central Narcotics Bureau.

A recently confirmed volunteer, Mr Henry Wang, 45, has a child who was diagnosed with mild autism six years ago.

He hopes that his knowledge and experience in handling a young child in stressful situations will come in useful.

Mr Wang recalled how his son, now eight years old, would scream in public if he was uncomfortable with the environment.

"Initially, I felt quite embarrassed, could not control my own anger and shouted back at him," said the director of a business consultancy.

But through his own research, Mr Wang learnt to change his attitude and consider how his actions affected his son, who has begun to open up to him, and is doing well in school after getting professional help from therapists, he said.

"I felt that since I learnt a lot, I wanted to volunteer and give back to society," he added.

Others, like civil servant Vincent Tan, 46, decided to join the scheme after learning of Benjamin's death in order to help young people who may find themselves in a similar situation.

"I feel for (Benjamin) and his family, and I think that this scheme can help to minimise such incidents," he said.

An AA can look out for young persons so they are not left to "fend for themselves during the interview".

"As a father, I definitely would want the well-being of my children to be taken care of, if they have any brushes with the law," added Mr Tan, who has three children aged 18 to 21.

"Everyone makes mistakes. My belief is that we should not allow such mistakes to cost a life."

byseow@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 13, 2017.
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Singapore - Significant changes to the law governing companies will come into effect in just a matter of weeks.

Singapore will be implementing changes to its Companies Act - which will include making the beneficial ownership of business entities more transparent - come March 31.

Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law Indranee Rajah announced this in her speech on the second reading of the Companies (Amendment) Bill to Parliament last Friday. The Bill was passed on the same day.

Among the key changes are a set of amendments "to make the ownership and control of business entities more transparent and thus reduce opportunities for the misuse of corporate entities for illicit purposes," she said.

Locally incorporated companies and foreign companies registered in Singapore will be required to maintain registers of controllers at prescribed places.

A controller, or beneficial owner, is the individual or legal entity that has more than 25 per cent interest in or control over a company.

"Companies will be required to take reasonable steps to identify and obtain information on their controllers, including sending notices to potential controllers or persons who have information about the controllers," said Ms Indranee.

The amendments will also compel beneficial owners or controllers to provide and update their particulars to the company.

Foreign companies registered in Singapore will also have to maintain public registers of their members.

And lastly, locally incorporated companies will be required to maintain a register of their nominee directors. "This mitigates the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing being done through nominees," said Ms Indranee.

The changes follow from the Financial Action Task Force's recommendation that Singapore enhance the accessibility of information on beneficial ownership of legal persons to law enforcement agencies.

Singapore is also hoping that, as a member of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, these changes will enable it to better implement international standards on tax transparency.

Another key change to the Companies Act pertains to record-keeping. The liquidator of a wound-up company will have to retain the company's records for at least five years, instead of the current two. A company wound up by its members or creditors will have to retain its records for at least five years.

The former officers of a company that has been struck off and dissolved will have to similarly retain all books and papers of the company for at least five years, including its accounting records and registers.

"These amendments will boost Singapore's ongoing efforts to maintain its strong reputation as a trusted and clean financial hub," said Ms Indranee.

While the amendments are intended to come into effect at month's end, existing companies will have a transitional period of 60 days from March 31 to maintain the registers of controllers. This is to help them prepare to comply with these new requirements.

"Acra (Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority) will also issue further guidance to companies. This includes samples of the notice that companies can use to send to their shareholders, directors and any other relevant persons to assist them in obtaining the information required for their register of controllers."

Other amendments that will come into effect later seek to reduce the regulatory burden on companies and improve the ease of doing business here.

The timelines for holding annual general meetings (AGMs) and filing annual returns will be aligned with the companies' financial year-end.

The amendments will require listed companies to hold AGMs within four months and file annual returns within five months after their financial year-end. Non-listed companies must hold AGMs within six months and file annual returns within seven months after their financial year-end.

All private companies will be exempted from AGMs, subject to safeguards. This is in addition to the current regime where private companies can dispense with the holding of AGMs if all shareholders approve.

The Bill will also introduce an inward re-domiciliation regime in Singapore. Foreign corporate entities will be allowed to transfer their registration to Singapore, besides the current options of setting up a subsidiary or branch in Singapore.

Ms Indranee also detailed changes in the Companies Act that aim to enhance Singapore's corporate rescue and restructuring processes. "The proposed changes will further enhance our legal framework and status as a centre for international debt restructuring," she said.

These amendments will strengthen the scheme of arrangement and judicial management regimes, which are the procedures used for corporate rescue and restructuring in Singapore.

Additionally, amendments will also be made to enhance Singapore's capability in dealing with cross-border insolvencies.

michquah@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Mar 13, 2017.
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The sky was overcast, so plumber Lau Kam Pong, 53, pulled over on the road shoulder on the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) last Saturday, along with several other motorcyclists, to put on a raincoat.

An instant later, he was lying on the ground in pain. "It came from behind. I didn't see what happened. I didn't even know if I was hit by a motorbike or a car," Mr Lau, who broke his left leg and hurt his right shoulder, told The Straits Times yesterday at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

Mr Lau, who was on his way home to Johor Baru, was one of six Malaysian men hurt when a van drove into the motorcyclists sheltering under a flyover on the BKE, after the Seletar Expressway exit.

The accident killed two other Malaysian men - Mr Loke Whay Nam, 50, and Mr Lim Chun Hong, 34. Yesterday, their family members were at the mortuary to identify their bodies.

381636

2017-03-12 11:40:29

Photo Gallery

Fatal BKE crash leaves 6 hospitalised and 2 motorcyclists dead

Source:

The Straits Times

Lianhe Wanbao

Stomp

The Singaporean van driver Koh Boon Ping, 25, has been arrested for a rash act causing death.

Recalling the accident, which took place at around 3.50pm, Mr Lau said: "I was still awake (after the crash). People around me kept talking to me to ensure I didn't lose consciousness."

The Straits Times understands that he and another of the victims, Mr Lau Kam Long, also 53, were to undergo surgery yesterday. The two men are unrelated.

The other injured are: Mr Chin Boh Fatt, 54; Mr Mohd Zahir, 41; Mr Suriakumaran, 36, who goes by one name; and Mr Muhammad Rafie, 31.

Read Also: Family thought news of motorcyclist killed in BKE accident was a scam

"I told my family not to come to see me, because my children are still schooling," said Mr Lau the plumber, who has two children aged 17 and 18. The sole breadwinner has been commuting to Singapore for work for more than 20 years.

Mr Lau, who had hopes of sending his children to Singapore for their tertiary education, said that he now worries about the cost, as he might not be able to work for half a year.

His operation alone is expected to come up to $14,000, said his sister-in-law, who was at the hospital with his elder brother yesterday morning. She declined to be named.

Singapore Road Safety Council chairman Bernard Tay said that to avoid such accidents, motorists should not expose themselves along the road, even if there is a shelter. He added: "If it is along a stretch where vehicles are moving, there are not many precautions that you can take."

Read Also: Driver arrested after BKE collision leaves two motorcyclists dead and six hospitalised

byseow@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 13, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

In search of a greater "kick" to satiate his appetite for marijuana, Jack (not his real name) went online. But the websites he visited are not easily found by the average netizen.

Instead, these are online marketplaces on the "Dark Web" - a hard-to-access part of the Internet often used for illegal activity - that allow users to buy not only marijuana, but also substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs.

On these sites, drugs are shipped globally and payment can be done through an escrow account - meaning money is transferred after the transaction is fulfilled.

Buyers also use bitcoins.

Jack, now a 23-year-old polytechnic student, said he was given website links by his friends, who told him that he could find better-quality drugs online.

"People go online because they think it is safer, and that they can try to hide their IP (Internet Protocol) address. They get the drugs straight in their mailbox," he told The Straits Times.

Read also: 'Fake drugs' made with ingredients from China: Taiwan authorities

Jack bought 25g to 50g of marijuana "once or twice" in two months, about two years ago he said.

But he has been caught for consumption and possession of paraphernalia, and is undergoing counselling at the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association.

Like him, more young drug abusers have been found turning to the Internet for their purchases.

The latest Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) figures showed close to a sevenfold increase in the number of people arrested for buying drugs or related paraphernalia online.

Numbers soared from 30 in 2015 to 201 last year, with most of those arrested aged between 20 and 39.

Read also: Man given life sentence for drug trafficking is acquitted

The number of online drug buyers accounts for a fraction of the total of 3,245 drug abusers arrested last year, with offenders under 30 making up about 41 per cent.

In a recent case on March 3, a student aged 26 was arrested for buying drugs online, after the CNB was alerted to a parcel suspected of containing 136g of cannabis.

Former drug abusers tell ST that online black markets are channels for purchases, apart from private messaging groups or online forums.

ST recently saw one of the sites on the Dark Web which showed listings for sellers of "benzos", "opioids" and "psychedelics", among other substances.

Sellers are rated on their "stealth" and quality of products.

A listing for heroin, based abroad, for example, offered "free samples" of its "high-quality" product as well.

Read also: Indonesian court jails former Reuters journalist 7 months for drug possession

There are also listings under "Singapore", where people here inquire about purchases, with some sellers assuring potential customers of drug deliveries. Others use the platform to look for fraudsters.

A former drug user in his 40s who declined to be identified said that besides such marketplaces, some sellers route their payments through legitimate businesses in an attempt to evade detection.

He called the online buying process "no different from (using) any online blogshops, supplement stores and legitimate businesses".

He said buyers, who include university and junior college students, arrange for a "drop-off" or have the substances delivered through the postal system if they do not meet the seller.

Mr Ang Thiam Hock, 53, a former sales consultant who spends time with at-risk youth in his personal capacity, said though youth are more tech-savvy these days, not all may know how to buy drugs online.

"Some buy in small quantities as and when they have the money, while others do not have access to Web payment methods, making online buying an unlikely option," he noted.

Read also:'Buyer-seller' relationship with Metro founder's grandson: Convicted drug trafficker

Another former drug abuser, Joe (not his real name), who used to buy drug paraphernalia online, said it is common for people to tout drugs on private social media groups, or forums.

"While people may try to quit drugs and share their personal experiences on forums online, pushers sometimes take advantage of the situation," said the 33-year-old operations manager, who is currently a resident at Pertapis Halfway House.

"If they know that you're trying to detox and cannot cope, they will start to give you more information, and say that they are willing to send the drugs to you," he added.

"If your willpower is not strong, you just give in to whatever they are trying to sell you," he said.

Read also: Two Singaporeans jailed overseas for drug offences

He added that while such "pushers" may be based overseas, they often have accomplices in Singapore who can reach out to users here.

The temptation is a lot stronger for youth today, as many of them have ready access to the Internet via their phones and computers, unlike in the past, said Joe.

He was caught in 2015 for buying smoking apparatus for methamphetamine at $15 apiece on a mobile-marketplace app - which he had done six to seven times during that year.

When he met sellers to collect the goods, they asked him no questions, he said, and sometimes told him in advance about new products or code words they were using. "It used to be quite hard to get these instruments; usually you'd be able to get them only overseas," he said. "But, through these platforms, it becomes quite easy."

This article was first published on Mar 13, 2017.
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When students sit one of the papers in next year's A-level Literature in English examination, they may find themselves dissecting poems not just from foreign lands, but closer to home - verses on chopstick superstitions, perhaps, or the brief history of Toa Payoh.

The syllabus has been revised to expose students to more Singapore literature, said the Ministry of Education (MOE).

At least one question in the poetry section of the exam, which Junior College (JC) 2 students will sit from next year, has a new requirement for them to respond to a Singapore poem.

To spark students' interest in local literature, MOE has also commissioned a collection of poetry by local writers, which schools can use to teach practical criticism skills for that section of the paper.

This is the first such anthology that will be published for A-level study.

Tentatively titled Lines Spark Code, it will feature works by about 40 poets, including literary pioneers like Edwin Thumboo and Lee Tzu Pheng, as well as newer voices like Singapore Literature Prize-winning author Joshua Ip, Tania De Rozario and Theophilus Kwek.

Edited by poet Aaron Lee, 44, and writer and teacher Christine Chia, 38, the collection will be published by Ethos Books.

This comes on the back of concerns about declining literature enrolment in recent years. The number of students taking O-level literature has dropped from close to 17,000 in 1992 to 5,500 in 2014.

In 2015, two National Institute of Education professors said part of the problem is that parents and students think the subject is difficult to score highly in, and that it has little practical value.

Currently, the A-level syllabus mostly features works by international writers. But works by home- grown authors such as Boey Kim Cheng and the late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun have also been studied in the past, said MOE.

The 20 junior colleges and Millennia Institute, a centralised institute, all offer Literature in English as an A-level subject. Enrolment usually hovers at around 15 per cent of the JC cohort, said MOE, though precise figures are unavailable.

Ms Chia said that the new syllabus can raise students' awareness of the variety of local works, as they would study more local poetry.

But she also acknowledged that there could be resistance from some teachers who have had limited exposure to local texts.

She added that as the unseen poetry part of the paper requires students to compare a local poem with one by another writer, teachers who are unfamiliar with local writers may struggle to find suitable texts thematically related to other poems when they set internal tests.

Megan Mah, 17, a JC1 student at Victoria JC, welcomed the opportunity to study poetry by local writers, as "a local text resonates more".

The Lines Spark Code anthology is not compulsory for schools. But Ethos associate publisher Ng Kah Gay said that there have been "very encouraging" responses from several JCs.

Mr Marc Lim, 33, who teaches Literature in English at Eunoia JC, said that many teachers were initially apprehensive about teaching students how to compare local poetry with other texts.

"But the study of Singaporean poetry is not meant to be parochial... We can try to see the familiar in the foreign, and vice versa. Doing such a comparison helps us reach deeper, and see the themes in local writing as universal."

Poet Cyril Wong, whose work will be included in the anthology, said that it is rewarding to see how perceptions of local literature have improved, with more people recognising that local poets do not just write about "boring Merlions and HDB void decks".

"Local poems teach our students that Singaporeans have lives worth discussing and recording," he said.

yuensin@sph.com.sg and oliviaho@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Mar 13, 2017.
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