Food portal HungryGoWhere now offers delivery and takeaway services in partnership with FoodPanda.

The delivery service went live last December in beta mode and is now officially launched.

HungryGoWhere - which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year - is best known as a restaurant review site but wants to evolve in response to shifting consumer demands, chief executive Frank Young told The Straits Times.

"HungryGoWhere is not just about discovering great food, it's also about helping people satisfy their cravings," said Mr Young, who took on his role last June.

Users can now use the platform to make reservations or place orders for food delivery from about 2,000 restaurants, hawker stalls and other food and beverage outlets.

They can also place takeaway orders before heading down to pick up their food without needing to wait.

The platform has Singapore's largest database of food and beverage options, Mr Young said, though he declined to divulge revenue numbers.

It is teaming up with food delivery service FoodPanda "because they have the whole logistics infrastructure in place and re-creating that would have been a monumental task", he added.

HungryGoWhere is owned by Singtel Digital Media and its site receives one million unique visitors per month on average.

Its expanded suite of services will also benefit food and beverage merchants squeezed by high rents and labour costs, said Mr Young.

"They are trying to find new ways to generate revenue with the same space and with fewer people."

The company, which also has a presence in Malaysia, has no plans to move into new markets but is open to exploring opportunities, he added.

chiaym@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Mar 22, 2017.
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He's built one of those iconic dragon playgrounds we all love, an old TransitLink bus ticket machine and even famous Singapore landmarks like the Merlion and the Changi Airport control tower.

He did it all with Lego bricks and to date, he has some 250,000 Lego parts which he has sourced on his own from all over the world.

His works which cost anything from a few hundred to thousands of dollars are largely commissioned by organisations or companies, or built out of his own personal interest.

Singaporean Mr Jeffrey Kong, 37, has now caught the attention of Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen after he built a series of brick pieces inspired by the Singapore Armed Forces such as an F-15SG fighter jet, the SAFTI MI tower and the BMTC 2 School logo.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday (March 22), Dr Ng referred to Mr Kong as a "Lego Master" saying that his time as a regular officer in the Army "must have served as an inspiration for his SAF pieces".

In particular, the Lego version of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's F-15SG posed a real challenge to him because he wanted to make sure the model aircraft came out perfect.

He said: "This was a satisfying challenge because it took me a long time to nail the proportions in such a small scale, and I made sure the wings were completely smooth on top."

"By figuring things out on my own, I was able to apply many of the same principles to other works. So this was quite an intellectual endeavaour."

Mr Kong runs Artisan Bricks, a company which creates commissioned Lego brickworks, but only started dabbling in the craft when his father was diagnosed with cancer in 2012.

While spending time with his father at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Mr Kong tinkered with a Lego digital designer software and it took off from there.

His works later caught the attention of members of the public who expressed interest in buying his stuff, and learning how to do what he does.

"I started doing simple projects and now I can do a lot more," he said.

Since going full-time two years ago, Mr Kong says he enjoys a steady stream of clients who approach him to work on projects,

He firmly said: "I do not use paid advertisements or do cold calls."

Aspiring Lego enthusiasts who aim to take their skills up a notch should listen to these words of advice.

Mr Kong said: "It's not (about) how many bricks you have, it's what you do with them. I realised the lack of parts actually forced me to become creative, and many of my early creations are my attempt to create art with as few parts as possible."

"If you're a new builder, just start somewhere. Don't be afraid to try."

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2017-03-22 17:06:25

Photo Gallery

Lego master Jeffrey Kong and his creations have caused a stir

Source:

Ng Eng Hen/Facebook

Jeffrey Kong/Facebook

Artisan Bricks/Facebook

sujint@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - A Singaporean woman inseminated with a stranger's sperm in a startling in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) mistake cannot be compensated in full for raising the child, the city-state's top court ruled Wednesday.

Allowing the woman compensation would go against public policy on one's obligations as a parent, the Court of Appeal said, adding that the expenses incurred in raising the child should not be considered as a loss.

"The duty to maintain one's child is a duty which lies at the very heart of parenthood, and thus the expenses which are incurred... are not capable of characterisation as a loss," the five-judge appeals court wrote in a 141-page ruling.

In a long-running lawsuit that started in 2012, the woman sued a private hospital, its fertility clinic and two fertility doctors after she was inseminated with the wrong sperm.

According to court documents, it was the second time that the ethnic Chinese Singaporean woman had IVF treatment at the privately-owned clinic. Her German husband is of Caucasian descent.

But she was mistakenly inseminated with the sperm of a complete stranger, an Indian man.

The mistake surfaced only after the child was born and her parents realised she had a different skin tone from her brother.

Worried she might have a genetic problem, the child - known as Baby P in court proceedings - was sent for tests which revealed the mix-up.

The hospital admitted to its mistake - there had been two sets of sperm in the processing area - and was fined S$20,000 in 2011.

The mother sued for damages in 2012 for mental distress as well as pain and suffering relating to the pregnancy, and for upkeep of the child.

This was dismissed by a lower court and upheld by the appeals court on Wednesday.

The judges noted that Baby P was a healthy child who was planned for and that allowing a claim would mean recognising the birth as a mistake.

However, the court also ruled that the woman had suffered a loss of "genetic affinity" with the child and should be awarded damages which come up to 30 percent of the cost of raising Baby P.

"This loss of 'affinity' can also result in social stigma and embarrassment arising out of the misperceptions of others, as was the case here."

The girl, who will be seven this year, is attending an international school in Beijing where the family is now based.

Are the events that have happened in Yishun in recent years too strange to ignore?

If you think so, you'll probably like the new promotional clip for sci-fi horror show Stranger Things posted by Netflix on its Facebook page. But don't expect everyone to appreciate the humour.

In the 11-second clip shared on Mar 22, the entrance of Yishun MRT Station is pictured as an eerie place very much like the "Upside Down" parallel universe in the Netflix series. Just when you think that nothing much is happening, an unknown shadow dashes across the screen.

The caption on the post reads: "Is #Yishun cursed, simply unlucky, or struck by something stranger? We'll leave you to decide..."

Singaporeans were quick to pick up the obvious reference to online jokes about Yishun's "bad reputation", giving the clip over 28,000 views in just 18 hours.

Read also: Is this fair? Yishun gets own website detailing series of unfortunate events

Many were amused and tickled by Netflix's jab at Yishun. One Facebook user identified as Yong Jian Lee commented: "New show 'Yishun Things'".

Stuart Kuek also jumped on the bandwagon, writing: "Even Netflix is making fun of Yishun.....time to build a wall around Yishun".

Despite a strong show of "likes" for the post (476 at last count), some netizens who identified themselves as Yishun residents said they did not see the humour in the post.

Netizen Shawn Siau wrote: "I'm an Yishuner and I feel offended by this post".

Another netizen Joseph Lo also voiced his displeasure by commenting: "Lame not funny...been living here my whole life, wasn't so bad like 10 years ago....who to blame?".

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2014-10-29 19:10:11

Photo Gallery

Cats found dead in Yishun and other parts of Singapore

Source: Stomp, Facebook screengrabs, Shin Min Daily News, Lianhe Wanbao, The New Paper, Facebook / Yishun 326 Tabby Cat, Tra Cy's Facebook

Since last year, online jokes about negative news surrounding Yishun have been rife. There have even been satirical sites and articles created to poke fun at the neighbourhood for its cases of neighbourly spats, cat killings and murders.

Read also: 2 men caught on video raining blows on each other in Yishun carpark

But experts interviewed by The Straits Times in February said that public perception had been shaped by media reports and confirmation bias, instead of facts.

High-res map

Last month, MP Lee Bee Wah voiced her concerned over the jokes that refer to Yishun as a dangerous place.

"People are cherry-picking incidents to fit the myth, including some that were not in Yishun or done by Yishunites, but victimised innocent Yishunites," she wrote in a Facebook post.

She added that some residents have been upset by these jokes, and warned that the skewed perception could affect the morale of police and community partners in Yishun.

Read also:Are you an Ang Mo or Punggolite? Funny list tells you what to call yourself according to where you live

ljessica@sph.com.sg

Singapore's headline consumer price index in February rose the most in more than two years on the back of increased private road transport cost, data showed on Thursday.

The all-items consumer price index (CPI) in February rose 0.7 per cent from a year earlier, matching the median forecast in a Reuters poll, the highest since September 2014.

Headline CPI rose at 0.6 per cent in January after climbing for the first time in two years in December.

Singapore's core CPI rose to 1.2 per cent in February from a year earlier, also matching the Reuters poll.

Many Singaporeans disagree with the upcoming water price hike announced in Budget 2017, a poll of more than 1,100 citizens by government feedback unit Reach found.

Overall, 52 per cent of those surveyed in the two weeks after the 30 per cent hike was announced were supportive of the Budget, with more than two-thirds backing measures on housing, social support and jobs, Reach said yesterday.

But 43 per cent of those polled disagreed that it was reasonable to increase water prices to fund higher costs of production and encourage conservation. Only 32 per cent agreed while 24 per cent indicated that they were neutral.

Read also: Water price hike necessary, but why now?
About 100 gather for water price hike protest
Masagos: Consumers must feel the full price of water

The price of water will go up by 30 per cent in two phases, starting in July.

"The results show that Singaporeans largely welcomed the social measures in Budget 2017, in particular the initiatives to assist families with the costs of raising a family," said Reach chairman Sam Tan.

"We also hear the suggestions of some Singaporeans to improve communication on the water (price) increase, and to do more public education so that everyone can work collectively to understand the need for water conservation," added Mr Tan, who is Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Manpower.

Reach also said many Singaporeans at its listening points - feedback booths for people to find out more about policies and give views - had voiced their unhappiness over the water price hike.

But after various agencies and political office holders explained the reason for the move, more people at these booths said at the end of February and this month that they supported the hike.

"They understood the rationale behind the move and accepted that water is vital to our country's survival and that it should be priced properly," Reach said.

Mr Tan said: "We understand Singaporeans' concerns." He noted that there are steps to help households cope with rising costs through extra U-Save rebates.

One- and two-room HDB households will not see any rise in their water bill on average while bills for other HDB households will go up by $2 to $11 a month.

Reach conducts a telephone poll on the Budget each year. This year's survey was done from Feb 22 to March 3, after the Feb 20 Budget, and involved 1,111 randomly selected citizens aged 20 and above. The sample was weighted by gender, age and race to make it representative of the national population.

The poll also found other Budget measures were strongly supported:

• 80 per cent agreed enhanced post-secondary education bursaries would better support lower- and middle-income households.
• 72 per cent agreed the increase in the CPF Housing Grant to up to $50,000 for couples buying their first resale flat would provide young families with significant support.
• 66 per cent agreed an increase in the number of infant-care places will make Singapore a more conducive place to raise a family.
• 72 per cent agreed that the third Enabling Masterplan, a road map to better support those with disabilities, will help these citizens integrate better.
• 66 per cent agreed that enhancements to Adapt and Grow and training support under SkillsFuture will help create better job opportunities.
• 58 per cent agreed that the extension of the additional Special Employment Credit will encourage employers to keep on hiring older workers.

Reach contributors suggested that the integration of persons with disabilities could begin in schools.

Said Mr Tan: "Building an inclusive society is a continuous effort, and we should strive towards a society with no pre-conceived notions on issues such as disabilities."

Read also: 
Water an existential issue for S'pore, says Chun Sing
Price hike reflects scarcity value of water: Masagos
Water price hike: Water users worried but see need to curb wastage
Budget 2017's water price hike: What you're not hearing about the 30 per cent increase

This article was first published on March 23, 2017.
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Teacher Yusrina Ya'akob has a second chance to give Singapore the present she had been planning for its 50th birthday.

Two years ago, she was the co-leader of Aluminaid Team Singapura Everest, which saw its ascent up the mountain cut short by an avalanche. Her team wasat the 5,500m mark, more than halfway through the 8,848m climb.

In June, Ms Yusrina and two friends are hoping to become the first Singapore team since 2009 to reach the summit of the world's tallest mountain and plant the country's flag.

The 30-year-old is currently pursuing a postgraduate diploma at the National Institute of Education (NIE). She will be joined by Dr Arjunan Saravana Pillai, a teaching fellow at NIE, who has more than a decade of climbing experience, and 26-year-old Nanyang Technological University sports science and management graduate Jeremy Tong.

"We hope this will encourage others to take the first step and achieve their dreams," said Dr Saravana, 47.

Mr Tong, an events company executive, added: "Our expedition is also about inspiring various age groups to pursue a healthy lifestyle."

Read also: Singaporean drives from Singapore to Mount Everest in his Nissan GT-R

The 2015 avalanche, which forced Ms Yusrina's team to abort its climb, killed more than 15 other mountaineers. Her new team is not underestimating the task and will count on the members' experience and preparations.

Since last January, they have trained up to five times a week by climbing up 40-storey buildings and carrying 20kg backpacks while hiking around the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, said Ms Yusrina, who is also aiming to become the first female Malay-Muslim Singaporean to reach the top of Everest.

"You can never be trained enough for Mount Everest," she stressed. Still, their attempt could be derailed by poor weather.

All three have taken between two and three months of unpaid leave for this mission, which Dr Saravana described as the "epitome of achievement" for all mountaineers.

The team also managed to raise more than $190,000 through two runs and from sponsors.

Read also: This 16-year-old Malaysian made his way to Everest, on his own

This article was first published on March 23, 2017.
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Lawyer S. K. Kumar, a familiar figure in the courtroom, was yesterday disbarred for misconduct that included misleading the court and wasting its time through being absent from hearings or seeking unnecessary adjournments.

Once, he asked a client to get a medical certificate (MC) to cover his mistake after a warrant of arrest was issued to the man for not showing up at a hearing. Mr Kumar had failed to inform his client he was due in court to plead guilty.

The client said Mr Kumar offered to arrange an MC for $300 but the client chose to see his own doctor.

Mr Kumar, who has practised for 29 years, was disbarred after a Court of Three Judges said he had fallen short of the required standards of integrity, probity and trustworthiness. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon called his conduct "intolerable".

The paramount duty of a lawyer, as an officer of the court, was to assist the court, said CJ Menon. But Mr Kumar's conduct shows "a gross failure... to apprehend even the most basic duty to the court". By his frequent absence and seeking of adjournments, Mr Kumar had shown "utter disregard" for the court.

He faced 11 charges of misconduct arising from two sets of complaints, one filed by the State Courts and the other by the Attorney-General's Chambers.

The Law Society asked for no more than 30 months' suspension but the court found this "grossly inadequate". Mr Kumar's lawyer, Senior Counsel N. Sreenivasan, portrayed his client as a hardworking lawyer who took on more cases than he could handle.

But the Chief Justice rejected the argument, painting Mr Kumar as a "bumbling" lawyer "doing his incompetent best" to cope with his workload. He noted: "He chose to disregard the legitimate expectations of all the other stakeholders in the justice system over a sustained period of time."

Read also: Ex-lawyer guilty of practising while disbarred

This article was first published on March 23, 2017.
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A sales executive who got 14 months' jail for subjecting her maid to abuse almost daily for about three weeks was yesterday unsuccessful in appealing for a lighter sentence.

Instead, High Court judge See Kee Oon increased Ang Lilian's sentence to 16 months' jail.

He said Ang, 45, who asked for a fine or one day in jail, showed a complete lack of remorse.

The judge added that the mother of two, represented by lawyer Foo Cheow Ming, capitalised on her maid's vulnerability.

The prosecution argued that there was no reason for the court to grant Ang's appeal and depart from sentencing precedents.

They noted that the original sentence of 14 months' jail meted out by the State Courts last year was well within the range of sentences given in similar cases.

Ang was found guilty last July on 11 charges of abusing Ms Moe Myint Aye, now 28, after an 11-day trial.

Read also: Murder suspect's husband charged over maid abuse

However, she was cleared of one count of using criminal force on the Myanmar national, who began working for Ang's Marine Terrace household in January 2013.

Apart from the jail term, Ang was also ordered to pay $3,150 in compensation.

The maid, who now works for another employer, was assaulted almost daily between mid-April 2013 and May 1 that year.

Ang hit her with her fist and objects such as a dustpan, a shower head and a cane. The attacks were targeted mainly at the maid's head and face.

Ang also pulled the victim's hair, threw her to the ground and slapped her face repeatedly.

The maid testified during trial that her life was "very bad'' and that Ang would attack her for any slight mistake.

Read also: Warrant officer hit maid over ironing

Ang's crimes came to light on May 7, 2013 after a public-spirited neighbour noticed the maid's injuries and alerted the police.

The repeated blows resulted in severe bruising around the eyes.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Ruth Teng and James Chew, who sought a jail term in the range of 14 to 16 months in the State Courts, earlier argued that the serious injuries were a significant aggravating factor.

"This is not a case of a light smack or a quick shove. This is a case where the victim was systematically brutalised by Ang," the prosecutors said in their submissions to the court.

District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan, who presided over Ang's trial, found her conduct particularly egregious.

The abuses were prolonged and showed a pattern of escalating severity, he noted.

Read also: Mum and daughter jailed for abusing maid

He also rejected the defence's argument that the victim had fabricated all the incidents of abuse to engineer the premature termination of her employment contract.

Ang could have been jailed for up to three years and also fined up to $7,500 for each charge of maid abuse.

This article was first published on March 23, 2017.
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There is no need to close the pre-school in Clementi where a staff member was found to have tuberculosis (TB), said Social and Family Development Minister Tan Chuan-Jin yesterday.

He assured parents that the TB Control Unit (TBCU) is taking "very active management" of the situation, and that it is under control.

As of Monday, 66 staff members and children at the PAP Community Foundation Sparkletots pre-school had been screened - 45 tested negative and results for 21 were pending. None of the 66 has active TB.

Speaking to reporters at the opening of a centre for the intellectually disabled, Mr Tan said TB protocols set by the Health Ministry, the Early Childhood Development Agency level and the pre-school level were followed.

While parents may be concerned, he added that TB is different from other diseases such as the hand, foot and mouth disease which is contagious and requires pre-schools to be closed in some cases.

TB is contracted only after prolonged exposure to infected patients. It cannot be passed through objects or surfaces touched by the patient. The staff member who had active TB was immediately put on medical leave on March 3 after being diagnosed.

Said Mr Tan: "Whatever measures that need to be taken will be taken, so I'd like to assure parents and staff that this situation is under control and we're managing it actively."

Some parents of children at the pre-school told The Straits Times they were still worried about their kids being diagnosed with latent TB.

Unlike active TB, the latent form of the illness has no symptoms and is not contagious. Both require treatment that takes up to nine months, and nine in 10 patients fully recover after proper treatment.

One parent who wanted to be known only as Madam Teng, 38, said her two sons, aged five and three, were diagnosed with latent TB after the mass screening. As TB is endemic in Singapore, the source of her children's latent TB might not be the pre-school staff member. She revealed that her 18-month-old daughter contracted latent TB last year and has a month of treatment left.

She added: "We've to take leave for monthly check-ups at Tan Tock Seng Hospital."

Some parents wondered why they were informed only on March 10 about the incident. TBCU had contacted the school on March 3 and, on March 6, conducted a site visit to identify who should be screened.

Said one parent, who declined to be named: "There was probably no risk once the affected staff member was put on leave but I would have appreciated it if they had told us as soon as they could."

ngjunsen@sph.com.sg
goyshiyi@sph.com.sg
byseow@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 23, 2017.
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Most building conservation efforts in Singapore are led by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), which decides what to add to the country's stable of 7,000-plus protected structures.

In a rare case, a group of heritage enthusiasts, including executives from a property company, banded together to have the building they rent - The Quadrant in Cecil Street - gazetted for conservation by the URA.

About $1 million of the company's money was spent restoring it. It started off as just another project for Homestead Group chief executive Low Jeng-tek, portfolio asset director Sue Ann Lim and design lead Sue Lynn Oliveiro, whose company specialises in refurbishing heritage properties for new uses.

As master tenants, they were sprucing up the dilapidated building in the Central Business District and turning it into a tech office complex after taking over from a childcare operator in 2012. They had signed a nine-year lease with the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).

Read also: Homeowner forced to move out after tenants skip rent for 3 years and refuse to leave Hougang flat

They soon began uncovering stories about the 1930s low-rise landmark's history and architectural merits, prompting them to question why it had yet to be protected.

Last month, Mr Low's former classmate, heritage enthusiast Gareth Lee, sent a letter to the URA proposing its conservation.

The letter by Mr Lee, 49, the vice-president and Asia-Pacific general counsel of an American healthcare company, described The Quadrant as an "art deco structure which sits at the gateway to Raffles Place and Marina Bay", and a "lone relic" of pre-WWll Singapore in an area dominated by skyscrapers.

The Homestead executives had shared their findings with him:

•The Quadrant had served as the South-east Asian headquarters of the Kwangtung Provincial Bank, which was used by immigrant Chinese to remit money, and its original banking hall layout and bank vault were still intact.

•It was set up by finance minister T.V. Soong of the Republic of China, brother-in-law of Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat Sen.

Their year-long restoration also brought back to life its original iron-gate traction lift - one of the few remaining in Singapore.

Mr Low told The Straits Times: "Our lease expires in 2021. Our worry is that the historical and architecturally unique building could one day be torn down and replaced by a skyscraper, given the value of land in the district.

"While we are still the stewards of this property, while it is still in our care, we must do something to ensure it stays beyond this date."

A Facebook group, Conserve The Quadrant, has been set up.

Read also: Penang ups landed property threshold

Most ground-up efforts to conserve buildings are usually led by owners of private buildings under the URA's voluntary conservation scheme. A URA spokesman said there have been "a handful" of such cases over the last decade, including the Parochial House at St Joseph's Church in Victoria Street.

Independent conservation bids by non-owners are even rarer.

Experts whom the group contacted, including cultural geographer Lily Kong, expressed surprise that The Quadrant had yet to receive conservation status.

A possible reason is that a road reserve line runs across the building.

Professor Kong said the private sector stepping forward to propose its conservation would belie a nation coming of age "in which our values include pride in our history and heritage". She said: "As Singapore matures, it would be great not to rely only or largely on the Government for conservation. There is certainly a prima facie case for this building to undergo assessment."

Read also: Property expert cautions against stalling market

The URA said it welcomes the suggestion, adding however that as there are no immediate plans for the site, "the merits of conserving the building will be studied as part of the larger plans for the area".

As custodian of state properties, SLA has been opening up places with "heritage value and historical charm" to optimise their use, said chief executive Tan Boon Khai.

Mr Low said juxtaposing older heritage buildings with modern skyscrapers is an internationally proven "sure-fire way to attract creative techies like bees to honey".

He added: "Conserving The Quadrant will educate the public about our yesterdays, and also connect us to an innovative new tomorrow."

This article was first published on Mar 23, 2017.
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Despite the challenging economy, philanthropy still remains strong here, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean yesterday.

He highlighted how more than 700 corporate donors and 400 individuals had raised $5.79 million for the Singapore Children's Society (SCS) last year.

"Our economy is in transition and many corporates are undergoing restructuring but I am glad that this spirit of giving remains strong," said Mr Teo to a crowd of philanthropists and companies at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel.

The amount was about $100,000 shy of the $5.89 million record in 2015, and went to two SCS programmes: 1000 Enterprises for Children-in-Need (1000E) and the 1000 Philanthropists (1000P).

The former, which encourages firms to pledge an annual donation, raised $2.91 million last year, compared with $3.33 million in 2015.

The 1000P programme, which encourages individuals to contribute $1,000 a year to society, raised $2.88 million last year, compared with $2.68 million in 2015.

SCS chairman Koh Choon Hui said it would continue to ramp up its services this year, such as the new Appropriate Adult Scheme, which involves trained, independent volunteers accompanying young suspects in police investigations.

This means 2017 "will be another challenging year" for the SCS, with an increase of about 14 per cent in budgeted expenditure, from $15.6 million last year to $17.8 million in 2017, he added.

DPM Teo said SCS could also look at early intervention and research as two areas for long-term benefit.

He added: "Early interventions can help provide a safe environment for the children in need to develop good character and pick up life skills... Research in children-specific domains will provide insight to raise awareness and help channel limited resources into areas of high impact."

ngjunsen@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 23, 2017.
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Works to see if the future Cross Island MRT line will be built under Singapore's largest nature reserve have started.

Due to start last December, the investigation works, to determine the soil and rock profile under the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, began last month. They were delayed because of "extensive discussions" between the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and National Parks Board on measures to reduce the environmental impact of the works, said LTA geotechnical and tunnels deputy director Goh Kok Hun.

Some of the mitigation measures include keeping works to between 9am and 5pm, erecting noise barriers and keeping investigation works to public trails, to avoid disturbing wildlife in the area.

The number of investigation sites has also been reduced from 72 to 16.

"Workers have to observe the stringent requirements stipulated under the environmental management and monitoring plan for the works," said Dr Goh.

Trial runs of borehole operations and geophysical surveys were also conducted off-site prior to actual works to familiarise workers with the requirements of working in the reserve, said an LTA spokesman.

"These mitigating measures are the result of three years of engagement between the LTA and other stakeholders," said Nature Society president Shawn Lum.

Expected to be ready in 2030, the 50km Cross Island Line will stretch from Changi to Jurong when completed. The authorities are considering two paths for the line - a 4km route, half of which would be under the nature reserve, and a "skirting alignment" that would take a 9km route around it.

While the latter option is expected to tack on $2 billion to the cost of constructing the line, it could allow for an additional station to serve Thomson residents.

It would also satisfy nature groups which have raised concerns about the possible environmental impact of running an MRT line under the reserve.

Earlier this month, a tunnel boring machine digging in mixed ground conditions caused an old tomb at Mount Pleasant Chinese Cemetery to cave in during works on the Thomson-East Coast Line. Over-excavation had created a localised depression on the surface, said LTA.

Such cave-ins are unlikely to occur should the authorities decide to run the line under the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, said Dr Goh. This is because tunnelling in the area would go much deeper and only through the granite of the Bukit Timah profile, not mixed ground conditions, he added.

Soil investigation works are expected to be completed by the end of this year. Studies on the total impact of the project will be ready only by the end of next year, and a decision on the route of the MRT line will only be made after.

Dr Lum, a senior lecturer at the Nanyang Technological University's Asian School of the Environment, is still hopeful that the new rail line will go around the reserve.

"The skirting alignment would not just be beneficial for the environment, it would also allow for wider ridership for the MRT line," he said.

This article was first published on Mar 23, 2017.
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Two days after its formal launch in Singapore, Chinese-owned bike-sharing app Mobike still has some major issues to iron out.

The New Paper tried the three bike-sharing platforms - Mobike, ofo and oBike over two days.

Eight out of 10 times, those who tried Mobike could not find the bicycle.

The team combed areas like Tampines, Clarke Quay, Bras Basah and Kallang, and while the app indicated the bikes were at spaces like MRT stations and along pavements, they would be missing from these locations, even after a "reservation" had been made on the app.

Some of the bike icons on the app would even indicate the bicycles were inside private residences, hospitals, storerooms and construction areas.

Although the TNP team managed to find a Mobike at Tampines and Kallang Leisure Park, the bike icon on the app showed it was a distance away from where the two bicycles were supposed to be located.

Mobike uses a dockless bike-share system and users can unlock its bicycles by scanning a QR code on it.

Each bicycle comes with a proprietary "smart lock" containing GPS technology.

In response to TNP queries, Mr Florian Bohnert, head of international expansion at Mobike, said: "If the bike icons are not showing up correctly, we advise users to look around their surroundings and across the streets to locate the bikes, as the marker on the map may be affected by the surrounding environment such as buildings and other possible obstructions affecting the accuracy of the GPS signal on the map view."

A spokesman said the company has more than a million bikes in operation. As it can monitor the location and health of Mobikes in real time, "the number of bikes that are lost or damaged is negligible".

He added: "When necessary we can intervene, for example when a bike is damaged or parked in an unsuitable location."

Mobike had a team studying the local market to prepare for its launch from last October and have ramped up the deployment since Tuesday's launch.

There were similar struggles with China-based ofo, which does not use a GPS system. Users would have to find a bike and enter the bike number in the app.

It will return a combination code which can be used to release the lock on the bike.

The New Paper team searched various MRT stations from the heartlands to the CBD area, parks and Housing Board void decks, but none of ofo's bright yellow bikes were spotted.

Based on the team's two-day mission, local venture oBike seems to have the least issues.

Bicycles from oBike could easily be found, with many parked at various MRT stations.

Unlike Mobike, oBike tracks its bicycles through the GPS system on the user's app, and a bicycle was found at the first attempt, near the McDonald's outlet at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.

This article was first published on Mar 24, 2017.
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The 4,265km Pacific Crest Trail stretches from Canada to Mexico - roughly the distance between Singapore and China.

But it didn't stop Mr Prasatt Arumugam from doing the trek from July to December last year, as he tramped through parched deserts and icy mountain passes along the US Pacific Coast, starting in Washington State near the Canadian border and ending in Campo, California, by the Mexican border.

He is the first Singaporean to conquer the trail - walking more than 40km a day for five months.

What kept the 26-year-old going was his campaign to raise funds for the Children's Cancer Foundation (CCF).

LEFT HIS JOB

The English Literature graduate from the National University of Singapore left his job as a tutor at The Learning Lab in July to undertake the social initiative he named TrekInvicta (inspired by his favourite poem, Invictus) to raise awareness and funds for CCF where he volunteers.

He saved up while working to fund the trek, and the National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) and the National Youth Council also helped pay his expenses.

Mr Prasatt had hoped to raise $26,650 - $10 for each of the 2,650 miles he walked.

He raised $47,131.

Mr Prasatt first heard about the Pacific Crest Trail when he was on a student exchange programme at Yale University in 2013.

He visited Yosemite National Park (one of the parks on the trail) and liked it.

It intrigued him that the trail covers a diverse range of terrain, including deserts, mountain passes, meadows and river crossings.

Mr Prasatt is no stranger to treks, having hiked the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal.

He said: "The altitude demands were more on that trek but the physical demands in terms of amount climbed and distance travelled on the Pacific Crest Trail far exceeded that."

Mr Prasatt flew to Seattle, in Washington State, and started at Hart's Pass on July 16, finishing his trek at Campo near on Dec 9.

He prepared for the trek by climbing flights of stairs at places such as Pinnacle@Duxton, Mount Faber and Bukit Timah.

He did this for at least two hours every day, with trekking poles in hand and a loaded backpack.

Even after all that, the Pacific Crest Trail proved tough.

"Exhaustion, running low on food and water, and coping with the high altitude and extreme weather conditions, you name it," he said.

Mr Prasatt, who slept in his tent or in motels, told tabla! that his meals consisted of Pop-Tarts (a pre-baked pastry with sugary fillings) for breakfast, and 10 to 12 energy bars that he ate throughout the day.

At night, he would have a more substantial dinner - ramen, mashed potatoes or instant rice with tuna. He would carry a few days worth of food with him, bought from shops in towns he passed along the way.

DESPERATE

One incident, when he was in the town of Chester in North California stocking up on his food supplies and taking shelter from a storm, touched him.

Said Mr Prasatt: "I had already been delayed by bad weather and was anxious to move on.

"There was no transport and the place I had to get to was not on a well-travelled route.

"I tried asking everywhere to see if anyone knew how I could leave town - my motel, stores and such - but to no avail."

By this point, he was getting desperate as he did not want to spend more days off the trail.

"I remembered that the local bank has a visitor's centre and told the staff I was trying to find my way out of town before the storm hit."

Many of the staff stopped what they were doing and made calls to people they knew who could help.

"Eventually, one of them - Ms Amy Jarrad - found someone willing to go out of her way to give me a ride. Amy asked me more about from where I was and why I was hiking, and she was moved by the story."

She later found him on Facebook and sent him a message of encouragement and promised to donate.

OVERWHELMED

"The help came at a low point in my hike - a point where I was uncertain if I could complete the trail.

"As I walked out of the bank, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the kindness I had received and broke down - not sadness, but tears of joy.

"Till then I had been cursing my luck, but perhaps if things hadn't been as hard as they had been, I would not have had the chance to meet such beautiful souls," he said.

When Mr Prasatt was in the second month of his trek, he often got dizzy and light-headed.

He visited a clinic in Ashland, Oregon, where doctors found that he had a heart murmur.

"They said I should stop hiking, but I felt I couldn't stop, not after coming all the way.

"Instead, I took potassium supplements and carried on," said Mr Prasatt, admitting that he felt scared as worst-case scenarios flashed through his mind.

But his determination saw him through and he completed the trek.

Mr Prasatt will be receiving a medal from the Pacific Crest Trail Association for finishing the trek.

Mr Prasatt, who has started a full-time job as an English literature teacher at a secondary school, said: "The Pacific Crest Trail was an immense challenge that saw me hike through rough terrain and harsh weather for five months.

"The journey of children fighting cancer is far longer and harder. If I, as a healthy individual, could not have overcome the challenges I faced alone, what more these children?"

amritak@sph.com.sg

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A Chinese man died after he was hit by a train at Fajar station on the Bukit Panjang LRT today morning (Mar 24).

SMRT, which operates the LRT, said that his body was found on the tracks after the last train in service left the platform at about 1am.

"The police and SCDF were immediately alerted and arrived on site shortly after. We are extending our full co-operation to the police in carrying out their investigations," said Ms Margaret Teo, SMRT's head of corporate marketing and communications.

According to The Straits Times, he did not have any identification on him.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), who dispatched one fire engine and one ambulance after receiving a call for assistance, said that paramedics pronounced the man dead at scene.

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Aviation giant Airbus said it will reveal more details "in the coming months" about an unmanned parcel-delivery drone trial in Singapore, one that could be extended to transporting passengers too.

Its comments come a day after the city-state's Ministry of Transport told The Business Times that it is talking to some firms about trying out human-carrying drones as a mode of transport. No additional details were shared then.

When approached by BT and asked whether it was exploring such a possibility in Singapore, Airbus said: "Airbus is heavily involved in studying the future of urban mobility with several projects underway, including the Skyways initiative in Singapore.

"This project is ongoing and we will provide an update on the trial phase in the coming months."

The project came into being after an agreement signed in February 2016 between Airbus and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). Under the contract, the Europe-based plane-maker is to test a drone parcel delivery service on the campus of the National University of Singapore in mid-2017.

But that's not all: Airbus says on its website that after that pilot, it is hopeful that commercial projects can be launched in Singapore, and that testing can be extended to "passenger transport".

Air traffic-management researcher Mohamed Faisal bin Mohamed Salleh noted that Airbus is already developing concepts that will enable commuters to fly over traffic jams at the push of a button.

"We know that developers in France and Germany are working on an electrically-operated platform concept for multiple passengers," the deputy director at the Air Traffic Management Research Institute (ATMRI) of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) told BT. ATMRI is a joint research centre by NTU and CAAS.

This Airbus platform, which goes by the working name CityAirbus, would have multiple propellers and resemble a small drone in its basic design, said Prof Faisal.

On Wednesday, Pang Kin Keong, the top official at Singapore's Transport Ministry, told BT that it is working with some companies to put human-carrying drones through tests.

In his speech at the Business Times Leaders' Forum that day, he had presented some examples of prototyped human-carrying drones - the Hoversurf Scorpion, the Volocopter VC200 and the Ehang 184 autonomous aerial vehicle.

Read also: Singapore Airlines collects its sixth Airbus A350-900

By the year 2030, he said, it would be conceivable to ride in a driverless pod to work, cycle to the gym after work, and then take an aerial taxi home.

"In 2030, you bet your money that aerial transport will also be a means of urban mobility."

Alex Atamanov, the chief executive officer-cum-founder of the Russian startup Hoversurf, which prototyped the Hoversurf Scorpion, told BT that though his company has not been in talks with the Singapore government, it was "very interested in this dialogue".

Urban mobility researchers are divided on the issue, with some excited about the prospects of flying taxis, and others, hesitant about their being made available to the masses.

ATMRI's Prof Faisal said: "Singapore has the motivation to enable aerial taxis in its urban environment. Our future and advanced urban infrastructure could very well support the new era of urban transportation."

But Alexander Erath, project leader of the engaging mobility group at the Singapore-ETH Future Cities Laboratory, was reticent.

He noted that heavy investments must be made to have the necessary infrastructure such as take-off and landing points for flying taxis to operate.

Regulations about airspace management and noise pollution will also have to be looked into.

And even after these issues are resolved, he said, there may still be a "last-mile" issue to overcome - that of passengers needing to figure out how to get to and from the take-off and landing points.

"As a niche product, flying taxis have their purpose," he told BT.

"But it's a new technology, a new concept that may become cheaper to build."

This article was first published on March 24, 2017.
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Singapore's industrial production rose more than expected from a year earlier in February, driven by a surge in electronics manufacturing output, data showed on Friday.

Manufacturing output in February rose 12.6 percent from a year earlier, the Singapore Economic Development Board said.

This exceeds the median forecast of 12 economists in a Reuters survey, which predicted a 10.8 percent expansion.

On a month-on-month and seasonally adjusted basis, however, industrial production fell 3.7 percent in February. The median forecast was for a rise of 0.4 percent.

In his 60 years representing Tanjong Pagar, Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew paid close attention to its environment and made it a point not to miss its annual Tree Planting Day.

Yesterday, MPs for Tanjong Pagar GRC, grassroots leaders and 100 residents planted 13 species of shrub in two areas of the constituency, in a nod to the late Mr Lee.

The plants were favourites of Mr Lee and his late wife, Madam Kwa Geok Choo, and Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Indranee Rajah made the selection with the help of the Istana's plant curator.

Ms Indranee, who is also Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law, described the simple ceremony as a "happy observance" meant "not to remember death and passing, but what his life stood for".

The GRC will commemorate Mr Lee's death anniversary every year with similar ceremonies, she added. Mr Lee died on March 23, 2015, at the age of 91.

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Photo Gallery

Lee Kuan Yew was part of their growing up years in the 1990s and beyond

Source: The New Paper, RedBox

Ms Indranee also announced an annual national competition for young Singaporeans to offer ideas to improve the country. Its purpose is to get them to start thinking about the future of Singapore, which was Mr Lee's lifelong commitment, she said.

More details will be announced later. The contest will be held between September, Mr Lee's birth month, and November, when Tree Planting Day is usually held.

Mr Lee began Tree Planting Day in 1963 to create a greener Singapore. Every year, he planted a tree until November 2014, which was also the last time he appeared in public. A species that had pride of place at the revamped Tiong Bahru community club is the Vallaris glabra, also known as the bread flower.

Mr Lee had specifically asked for it to be planted in the Istana garden before he died.

At Duxton Plain Park, next to the Pinnacle@Duxton housing blocks, the Pleiocarpa mutica was planted. A favourite of Mrs Lee, it is widely planted on the Istana grounds. Species that attract butterflies were also planted there so that over time, the area will become a butterfly garden.

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Photo Gallery

Series of events held as tribute to Lee Kuan Yew

Source: The Straits Times, AsiaOne

Ms Indranee also read out a message from Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, the anchor minister for the GRC.

Said Mr Chan, who is on an official visit to Vietnam with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong: "Planting a tree is a reminder to all of us of what it takes to build our country, one tree at a time, one step at a time, but always doing it together."

Pet business owner Shelby Doshi, 32, who lives in Pinnacle@Duxton, attended the ceremony held near her home.

She said: "It is well known that Mr Lee had a passion for nature, so it is fitting to do this in his memory, and it is a good tradition to carry on."

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Photo Gallery

In pictures: Artists pay tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew

Source: The Straits Times, Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Mandala Fine Art Gallery, Tan Swie Hian, Fan Shao Hua, Boo Sze Yang, Ricky Goh, Berita Harian

Meanwhile, ministers and MPs went online to pay tribute to Mr Lee's legacy in Facebook posts, while social media users posted photographs of Mr Lee or images with his quotes.

At Gardens by the Bay, some visitors attending an exhibition on the work that had gone into crafting a future memorial to honour Singapore's founding fathers and their values suggested ways to remember Mr Lee.

Teacher K. Durga, 27, hoped that small commemorative events like film or documentary screenings could be held yearly to remind younger Singaporeans of Mr Lee's contributions.

Administrative executive Nisha Ramdzan, 27, added that simple ceremonies like the one held in Tanjong Pagar are good because they can serve as a gathering point for those who wish to commemorate Mr Lee's life.

Similarly, retiree Goh Ngoh Khang, 73, said in Mandarin: "There is no need to organise large-scale events, as those who want to mark the day will find their own way to do so."

This article was first published on Mar 24, 2017.
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Even though he was on a remission order and later out on bail, an unemployed man stole mobile phones and a handbag left unattended by his victims.

Azman Murad, 46, was sentenced to 50 months' jail yesterday for stealing. He was given an additional sentence of 228 days' jail, or about 7½ months, for breaching the prison remission order.

From March 30 to Dec 28 last year, he was subject to the remission order, which is usually given to inmates for good behaviour.

But he reoffended from May 11, and was liable for an enhanced sentence of imprisonment for a term not exceeding the remaining duration of the order.

Azman, who faced 10 charges of theft, theft in dwelling, and dishonest misappropriation of property, admitted to three charges of stealing mobile phones and one of stealing a handbag from a woman at a shopping mall. In all, he stole items worth about $8,500, plus two iPhone 6s of unknown value.

Investigations showed that on May 15 last year, Azman was at a Gong Cha outlet in Clementi Mall when he stole a $400 Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone from Ms Yong Yi Qing.

The Chinese national was not looking when he reached behind the counter and grabbed the phone, which he later sold to an unknown person for $100.

Two days later, he stole shop assistant Wang Yue's mobile phone, worth $1,150, when the 28-year- old left it unattended at the Zinc store in Bugis Junction.

He sold the phone to a stallholder in Clementi West Avenue 2 for $120.

After Azman was charged and out on bail, he stole yet again.

This time, he was walking around Paragon on Feb 18 when he saw bank executive Michele Yap's handbag that was left unattended on the baby stroller at Mothercare.

He stole the 39-year-old's bag containing $1,000 cash, two mobile phones, personal belongings and valuables totalling at least $3,680.

He took the cash and the two cellphones. He claimed that he placed some items in a plastic bag and deposited it into a postbox near Clementi West Street 2, and threw away the remaining items. He sold the phones to an Indonesian sailor in Clementi for $200 each.

None of the stolen items was recovered, and no restitution has been made.

Azman had previous convictions for drug consumption, cheating and theft in dwelling, and was last given 27 months' jail for theft in 2014.

District Judge Tan Jen Tse backdated his sentence to March 15, and took six charges into consideration in sentencing. The maximum penalty for theft in dwelling is seven years' jail and a fine per charge.

This article was first published on Mar 24, 2017.
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