Woodlands Checkpoint, currently among the world's busiest land crossings, will be extended into the nearby Old Woodlands Town Centre as part of efforts to accommodate growing traffic needs and ensure secure immigration clearance.

Two lots of private land - one housing Woodlands Point and another a disused cinema - were acquired by the state yesterday for the extension, said the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).

The acquisitions will enable upgrading works to be progressively carried out at the checkpoint without compromising operations, said the SLA and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

"Since the opening of the (Woodlands Checkpoint) in 1999, traveller and vehicle volumes... have been increasing over the years while the security threat has heightened significantly," said the statement. "The (checkpoint) has to be upgraded to meet growing traffic needs and ensure that immigration clearance remains secure."

Along with the Tuas Checkpoint, it is among the world's busiest now, clearing up to 400,000 travellers daily. This touches 430,000 during festive peak periods.

The two lots acquired - each measuring 1,632 sq m - are to the east of the checkpoint and located at 268 and 270 Woodlands Centre Road, respectively.

ICA is conducting a feasibility study to determine the optimal design of the checkpoint extension and the extent of upgrading and redevelopment works required on the facility.

This will take into account the capacity of the checkpoint, overall traffic flow and upcoming developments such as the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System, said ICA.

An agreement on the Rapid Transit System, a quick shuttle service from Johor Baru via Singapore's upcoming Thomson-East Coast MRT line, is set to be inked next year.

The latest acquisition will affect a total of three lessees and 14 tenants, said the SLA, adding that the HDB is the head lessee of both properties.

"Market value compensation as at the date of gazette will be paid," said a spokesman, adding that those affected will have 18 months, up to Oct 1, 2018, to hand over the properties.

"SLA will work closely with the affected lessees and tenants, and assist them throughout the acquisition process."

Among the lessees is C.J. Management & Development, which runs Woodlands Point. The company did not respond to queries on the acquisition yesterday.

The announcement did not come as a surprise to most tenants and residents, who had noticed growing traffic jams in the area as well as thinning business at the sites being acquired.

When The Straits Times visited the affected areas yesterday, only seven shop units at Woodlands Point were open.

byseow@sph.com.sg, nghuiwen@sph.com.sg

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Photo Gallery

Old Woodlands Town Centre (OWTC)

Source:

The Straits Times

This article by The Straits Times was published in The New Paper, a free newspaper published by Singapore Press Holdings.

More people are making insurance claims for high-impact incidents such as extreme weather, medical outbreaks and socio-political volatility, said insurance companies here.

Travel claims for such incidents have increased by 85 per cent from three years ago, said leading insurance company AIG Singapore. Natural disasters were the costliest claims, averaging $2,610.

AIG Singapore, which is also Singapore's leading travel insurer, said it predicts a 10 per cent rise in demand this year for premium travel products that offer more coverage.

It also said that travel insurance claims related to socio-political volatility have more than doubled in the last three years.

Travel plans have been disrupted as a result of political instability, increased border security or terrorist attacks.

NTUC Income head of personal lines Annie Chua said the insurer has seen an increasing trend of Singaporeans buying travel insurance, and that it can be attributed to "the process of buying travel insurance becoming increasingly convenient for consumers through various platforms such as the web and mobile phones... coupled with the lowering of travel insurance costs".

Ms Chua added that claims related to trip cancellation and flight disruptions are not big in amount, but "generally very high in the volumes".

Mr Jerry Ng, head of bancassurance at OCBC Bank, said they have also seen an increase in travel claims made for delays due to adverse weather conditions, trip cancellation, trip postponement and trip curtailments.

Great Eastern also saw an increase in such claims, citing recent incidents such as the snow storms in Japan and the Christchurch earthquake.

"There is an increasing awareness that travel disruptions and events such as natural disasters, epidemics or terrorist attacks can happen anytime and anywhere," said Ms Shirley Tan, the local marketing head of Etiqa Insurance, the insurance arm of Maybank.

Etiqa and other insurance companies also saw more Singaporeans buying travel insurance.

OCBC has seen travel insurance purchases increase 350 per cent since 2011, while Etiqa has seen a 250 per cent growth in travel insurance sales from 2015 to 2016 here, after launching the online sale of packages.

Great Eastern has seen about a 20 per cent increase per year in Singaporeans buying travel insurance over the past two years.

All travel insurance plans under the insurance companies The New Paper spoke to cover claims related to high-impact incidents.

A basic, single-trip travel insurance plan could cost from below $10 to about $800. There are also monthly or yearly plans available.

The companies said they are monitoring the situation, but have no immediate plans to raise prices.

Mr Himanshu Upadhyay, assistant vice-president at Ergo Insurance Singapore, said: "With that awareness comes the understanding that the cheapest products often do not provide all the coverage you are expecting."

Mr Nazri Eddy, a 27-year-old civil servant, and his wife were stranded for a night at New Chitose Airport in Sapporo after the snowstorm late last December.

Their original flight on Christmas Eve was cancelled and they were transferred to another one the next day. The couple had paid $57 each for travel insurance for their 20-day trip, and managed to claim $165 each.

Mr Nazri said: "You are putting in so much money into flying... what is a little bit of money (for travel insurance) compared to buying a new plane ticket?"

hmang@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 31, 2017.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

SINGAPORE - Police have warned of a false message circulating on social media claiming that two children were kidnapped at Jurong Point Shopping Centre on Monday (March 27).

The message also claimed that two men were arrested.

"The information is not true. There were no reports made to the police of a child kidnapping incident," police said in a post on their official Facebook page on Thursday.

The police also urged members of the public not to spread unsubstantiated information which may cause public alarm.

"The police take a very stern view against anyone who knowingly spreads false information to mislead the public and will not hesitate to take action against such individuals," they said.

The shopping centre also called on the public not to further circulate this false information to avoid unnecessary alarm in a post on their own Facebook page.

A similar case happened last July when a kidnapping that was reported at VivoCity turned out to be untrue.

This article was first published on March 30, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Roadworks for cabling and utility services, which have become more frequent over the years, have often meant delays and annoyance for motorists.

But from July 1, these projects will have to be scheduled more efficiently - or there will be more to pay.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is revising its fees for road work applications from a flat rate of $165 to include a time- and distance-based charge.

The price also goes up during peak periods.

With the new formula, a five-hour closure for a 5m lane of road will cost more than $300 if the work begins at noon. After midnight, the fee will be more than $150.

The current flat fee charged to telcos and utility service providers that need to dig on public roads does not take into account the length of road lanes closed or how long the works take.

This has led to applicants applying for a "longer time window than needed", an LTA spokesman told The Straits Times, adding that it resulted in "unnecessary disruption and inconvenience to road users".

The authority explained that it has seen an "increasing trend" in the number of permits issued annually - from an average of 725 a month in 2010 to 1,000 last year.

Around three-quarters of these involve constructing and repairing utility lines, and take an average of around two weeks to finish.

The new fee structure states that for every peak hour, the base amount is $60, with an additional 30 cents for each metre of road lane closed.

The charges are half for off-peak hours, when the LTA said road works should "preferably" be conducted, where possible.

The length of lane closure will be restricted to not more than 300m. Each permit can also stretch for only three weeks.

If the works cannot be finished within that time, an extension is needed. This costs an extra $165 in addition to the daily charges.

These charges apply to both private and public agencies.

Road works are also generally not permitted between 6am and 9.30am, and between 5pm and 8pm, from Mondays to Saturdays.

M1 said the hike will mean higher business costs, but insisted that it does not plan to pass this on to customers. Instead, it "will look at ways to minimise such costs".

StarHub said that it is reviewing the effect of LTA's new charges.

"We strive to ensure such essential works are carried out efficiently, and after hours where possible, to minimise impact to the public," the telco added.

PUB, the national water agency, said it works closely with the LTA for any lane closures or diversion needed for its pipe-laying and drainage projects.

"We will continue to take appropriate measures to minimise the impact on traffic," it said.

adrianl@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Mar 31, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has spent $123,500 to buy a machine to remove the tattoos of youth offenders at the Singapore Boys' Home.

Before the MedLite C6 laser tattoo-removal machine was delivered to the home late last month, the MSF subsidised 90 per cent of the treatment fees - an average of $3,000 for each youth - at public clinics for those who wanted their tattoos removed, its spokesman told The Straits Times.

Each year, between 15 and 20 youths at the home ask for help to get their tattoos removed, as they want to go back to school, find a job or signal their resolve to leave their gangs and turn their lives around, the MSF spokesman said.

Social workers interviewed said that schools and employers generally frown on tattoos and this could hurt the youths' chances of getting a job or even going back to school.

Yet most of them could not afford the thousands of dollars needed to remove the tattoos.

The MSF spokesman also said that many youths felt embarrassed to be seen in public escorted by auxiliary police officers and the home's staff to the tattoo-removal sessions. Hence, the ministry decided to buy the machine. He said: "This is to facilitate their integration into schools and workplaces successfully, and re-integration is a key component of rehabilitation, so this is a service we want to provide."

General practitioner Kevin Chua, who volunteers to remove the youths' tattoos, said most of those that he has removed at the Singapore Boys' Home are self-etched or done by amateurs.

The boys often used needles and Chinese ink to tattoo themselves or their friends, as they could not afford the services of a professional.

The tattoo removal is performed by Dr Chua, 43, who offers his services pro bono. He said popular designs include the names of the youths, their girlfriends or best buddies, as well as symbols that identify them with certain gangs. Pokemon tattoos are also popular now.

The designs are usually tattooed on their limbs, torsos, wrists, knuckles and even faces. Dr Chua said: "Some got themselves tattoos out of peer pressure as they feel it makes them look cool or macho."

While it can be expensive to get a tattoo, it is more costly - and a lot more painful- to get it removed.

Dr Chua said it costs between $50 and $2,000 a session, based on market rates, to get a tattoo removed. It can take eight to 12 sessions to get the job done. The tattoo removal is free for the home's residents.

The MSF allowed The Straits Times a rare visit to the Singapore Boys' Home to observe the tattoo-removal process. Some of the youths, like Aris (not his real name), had multiple tattoos all over their bodies.

Aris, 17, wanted to remove his former girlfriend's name, which was etched on his wrist, and his best friend's name, spelt out on his knuckles. He also wanted to get rid of gang-related symbols on different parts of his body, as he had left the gang.

He said that he wants to make his parents and his new girlfriend's parents happy by being free of his tattoos. He also believed that it would help in his job search after he is discharged from the court order.

The Youth Court sent him to the home for 30 months for drug offences, rioting and other offences.

Aris, who has more than 10 tattoos and is in the midst of getting them removed, said: "While it is very painful to get the tattoos removed - like getting ash dropped on my skin - I'm thankful that the Singapore Boys' Home is doing this for us and for our future."

The Youth Court sends about 200 boys to the home in Jurong West each year, with most having committed theft and other offences.

The residents are aged between 12 and 18 and typically remain at the home for 18 to 24 months.

theresat@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 31, 2017.
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Singapore - It has been almost two years since former technician Tan Whee Boon (52) lost all his limbs to a Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteria infection. Since then, he had gone full circle from being depressed with his loss, to finding a new purpose in life in various activities including wheelchair rugby.

After being discharged from the hospital, Mr Tan had locked himself at home for 2 months.

"I felt I didn't know what I was thinking the whole time, I was very depressed," recalls Mr Tan. It was through his new found faith that Mr Tan regained the confidence to face life once again. Now, Mr Tan has no qualms eating raw fish - the dish that had caused the infection. He says laughingly, "I have nothing to fear now, I'm lucky to be alive."

In the fifth episode of "The Newsmaker", Mr Tan Whee Boon takes us through the ups and downs he had gone through before coming to terms with his disability. He also shares how he feels being awarded with a new lease of life, through his involvement in Singapore's wheelchair rugby team.

311566

2015-07-16 12:26:36

Photo Gallery

GBS bacterial infection 'unusual' for healthy adults: Doctors

Source: The Straits Times, The New Paper

About "The Newsmaker":

"The Newsmaker" (封面人物) is one of 10 SPH-produced short form digital video series as part of a pilot Public Service Broadcast initiative. In this 13-part series, people who have made news headlines in the past share with the host Fred Lai (Content Producer, Chinese Media Group Digital) how the news events changed their lives and how they have been coping since then. All episodes come with English subtitles.

This series is also available on the zaobao.sg website and mobile app.

Read also:Man loses hand and legs to infection

The chairman of Hong Kong-listed Brightoil Petroleum Holdings lost a court case involving the law on common property in Singapore on Tuesday (March 28).

Dr Sit Kwong Lam, whose net worth is listed at US$2.1 billion (S$2.9 billion) by Forbes, lost the case to keep floor deckings and an air-conditioning unit affixed to common property adjoining his Ardmore Park penthouse in Tanglin.

At issue were the timber deckings he had installed over the entire roof outside his unit, including the floor trap and drainage system, as well as two ledge areas that ran along a segment of his condo unit's external facade.

Here are other disagreements over condominium matters:

1. Leonie Towers

Owners at the condo in River Valley Road area faced off over a decision regarding the condominium's cooling towers.

The management corporation (MC) wanted to dismantle the cooling system, which has outlived its estimated service life of 20 years. The decision was backed by 82 per cent of owners at a meeting in 2016, but can only be done if there is a unanimous resolution.

The lone dissenter, Madam Yap Choo Moi, 67, felt that removing the cooling towers would require her to install a new system, which would "lower her quality of life".

Condo owners now want to take the spat to the High Court for a final decision

2. The Seaview

Residents of the Amber Road condomonium brought a $32 million lawsuit against four parties over numerous alleged defects, including foul odours, falling concrete blocks and popping swimming pool tiles, in 2011.

The management corporation (MC) of the Amber Road condo had sued developer Mer Vue Developments, a subsidiary of Wheelock Properties; main contractor Tiong Aik Construction; RSP Architects Planners & Engineers; and engineering firm Squire Mech.

The parties settled the case out of court in 2016. The terms are confidential.

3. Neptune Court

The High Court ruled in March that members of the outgoing Neptune Court Owners' Association (NCOA) management committee will have to pay more than $420,000 to the condo's estate fund.

It had not observed proper procedures when it decided, without permission from its residents, to use the funds to pay for legal fees for a failed defamation suit against 26 residents in the Marine Vista condominium.

4. La Fiesta

A band of some 200 home owners in La Fiesta in Sengkang are irate over "massive" air-con ledges in their homes.

Oversized air-con ledges in the newly built condominium in Sengkang have cast the spotlight on a loophole that allows developers to build them without having them counted as part of the gross floor area (GFA).

Yet, they are allowed to charge home buyers for that same space.

Having paid, on average, $1,174 per sq ft of space, La Fiesta residents estimate they have paid about $18 million in unused space for their air-con ledges.

This is not the first time problems arose for residents who received the keys to their homes in June 2016.

About 500 home owners hit the developer with complaints of shoddy workmanship and poor design for the Design, Build and Sell Scheme flats.

Complaints included cabinets and shelves that had signs of wear and tear, alongside cracked bathroom tiles and ponding in some parts of the units.

Some units were also hit by water seepage that stained walls, damaging furniture and attracting insects to the wood rot.

The property is built by EL Development (ELD).

5. 19 Shelford

Software engineer Zou Xiang, 41, noticed that the balcony of his fourth-storey $2 million double-storey penthouse did not have grilles, and wanted to install them for the safety of his children in May 2016.

But the management committee (MC) of the condominium off Adam Road rejected his application and subsequent appeal.

He went ahead anyway, but the MC stopped the workers and called the police.

In July 2016, Mr Zou wrote to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and was told he should be allowed.

The MC sent him a letter in August 2016, saying that his balcony was classified as a "roof garden".

Apart from losing sleep over the dispute, Mr Zou would rush home after work, and his wife would call their helper thrice daily to check on the children.

This article was first published on Mar 31, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - The Islamic religious teacher who made controversial remarks about Christians and Jews has apologised for his actions.

In February, a video emerged online of an imam at Jamae Mosque who, after a sermon, reportedly recited a prayer in Arabic that said "God help us against Jews and Christians", among other things.

On Friday (March 31), Imam Nalla Mohamed Abdul Jameel, who made the remarks, apologised to a group of leaders of various religious groups, including those from the Christian faith, at a closed-door meeting organised at the Harmony in Diversity Gallery on Maxwell Road.

The gathering was organised at the imam's request.

"I fully respect the laws of the land and appreciate the concerns of her people. I am truly sorry that I had offended you, and I must bear full responsibility for my actions, as part of my duty to all Singaporeans and residents," said the imam in a statement.

He said: "I am filled with great remorse for the inconvenience, tension and trauma that I have caused to this peaceful country. My actions were not complementary to the ethos and essence of this young yet great nation.

"As a resident here from a foreign land, I should have practised my faith in accordance with, and appropriate to, the social norms and laws of this country. I fully admit that my said actions have no place, wheresoever, in this extremely multi-religious and multi-cultural society," said the 47-year old religious teacher from India.

He clarified that the additional supplication he read, "God help us against Jews and Christians", was not from the Holy Quran, but was from an old Arabic text which originated from his village in India.

"This episode has educated and enlightened me, and I am deeply thankful to God for this realisation. I am also very relieved that the society has remained calm. I am glad that the police had given me the full opportunity to explain myself during the investigations," he added.

The apology on Friday came about a month after Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said in Parliament that the police were investigating the imam as well as the actions of the parties involved, including those who filmed and publicised the video.

The video, which was posted by investment associate Terence Nunis, a Muslim, had sparked a storm in the Muslim community who felt it was taken out of context and cast them in a negative light.

The video gained traction online and offline, and the imam was placed on leave while the police investigated the video.

The episode prompted Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim to call for calm and unity. He had said in a Facebook post: "There is no space in Singapore for extremism or exclusivism because we uphold values of mutual respect and harmony. We utterly reject any speech or actions that foster ill will between communities. This is the Singapore way."

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), which is assisting police in the investigations, also said this month there can be no room for discourse that promotes intolerance, enmity or violence against other communities.

Singapore's top Muslim leader, Mufti Fatris Bakaram, also said in a Facebook post this month that while the community holds fast to its faith, it has to ensure its religious texts are read appropriately and not misunderstood, as this would smear the good name of Islam and Muslims here.

Both Mr Shanmugam and Dr Yaacob, who is Communications and Information Minister, also stressed that while it was right to blow the whistle on wrongdoing, some sensitive matters may be better reported directly to the authorities rather than aired online.

This article was first published on Mar 31, 2017.
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SINGAPORE - Former presidential candidate Tan Cheng Bock said on Friday (March 31) the upcoming presidential election should be an open election which candidates from all races can contest, not one reserved for Malay candidates.

He called on the Government to explain why it decided to implement changes to the presidency this year, and questioned the Government's decision to include the term of former president Wee Kim Wee in deciding when to trigger a reserved election.

Dr Tan, 76, said the late Mr Wee was not elected, even though he performed the role of an elected president after changes to the presidency took effect in 1991.

Dr Tan also called on the Government to refer its decision to the courts.

"I am concerned that the changes were introduced to prevent my candidacy," said Dr Tan who had announced in March last year his intention to contest the coming election.

His remarks come nearly five months after Parliament approved changes to the Constitution to ensure that Singaporeans of all races are represented in the highest office in the land, and to update the eligibility criteria for presidential candidates.

The changes come after a review of the elected presidency by a Constitutional Commission appointed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

One of the key changes, to ensure minority representation in the office, will see elections reserved for candidates from a particular racial group when no one from the group has been elected president for five terms.

Mr Lee told Parliament in November that the upcoming presidential election will be reserved for Malay candidates as there has not been a Malay president since the country's first president, Mr Yusof Ishak, died in office in 1970. The Government had started counting the five terms from Mr Wee's term, on the advice of the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Dr Tan also asked whether the advice the Government got from the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) on when to start having a reserved election was in sync with the spirit of the recommendations of a Constitutional Commission to review the elected presidency.

Mr Wee was in office when the elected presidency was introduced in 1991, and was the first president to exercise the powers of the elected presidency. Dr Tan, a former People's Action Party backbencher, said: "In all my years in Parliament, we have always referred to Mr Ong Teng Cheong as the first elected president."

Mr Ong, who took office after Mr Wee stepped down, was the first president chosen in a presidential election.

Dr Tan said Mr Wee's powers were given to him by Parliament, and "not by the people".

He also said there was no proper explanation given during last November's debate in Parliament on why the Government had started counting the five terms from Mr Wee's term.

"When you listen to the exchanges going on, you find that something is amiss," he said. Without citing names, he added that government ministers explaining the changes had "thrown statements" at questions asked and "threatened" those who challenged them.

He added that the responsible thing the Government should do is to refer the matter to the courts.

When asked if he would launch a court challenge himself, Dr Tan said he wanted to keep his options open.

Under the recent constitutional changes, eligibility criteria has also been tightened and now require candidates drawing on their private sector experience to have been the most senior executive of a company with at least $500 million in shareholders' equity.

Dr Tan, who qualified in the 2011 election on account of being non-executive chairman of Chuan Hup since 1991, will no longer qualify on this count.

The "most senior executive position" excludes non-executive chairmen, who usually lead the board but do not actively run the company. Candidates must have been chief executive officer, managing director or executive chairmen, for instance, to meet this criterion.

Also, Chuan Hup currently has $292.25 million in shareholders' equity.

Asked if he would still try to contest in the election, Dr Tan said he wanted to serve the people and would do what he believes in.

He added that he had been deemed eligible in the 2011 presidential election based on his credentials.

"But if you want to define the presidency by money, I'm not sure what sort of legacy I'm going to leave to my children or grandchildren," he said.

At public forums on the elected presidency held last year, some people had brought up the point, asking if the changes might seem aimed at denying candidates, such as Dr Tan, a chance to run.

But Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam had said the changes were to improve the system for Singapore's long-term benefit, not to bar certain individuals from standing.

Responding to Dr Tan's press conference, a spokesman for the Ministry of Communications and Information said: "This matter has been considered and debated extensively for more than a year. A Constitutional Commission chaired by the Chief Justice undertook extensive consultations on the Elected Presidency, including public hearings.

"Dr Tan did not participate in those hearings or give his views to the commission. The Government gave its response to the commission's report in a White Paper, and Parliament debated the matter over three days, before passing amendments to the Constitution. Dr Tan has not raised any new points that require response."

The review came 25 years after the elected presidency was introduced.

The Constitutional Commission led by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon studied over 100 written submissions by groups and individuals, and invited 20 of them to speak at public hearings.

Dr Tan Cheng Bock lost to President Tony Tan Keng Yam by 7,382 votes, or 0.35 percentage points, in the four-way contest for the post in 2011. The other candidates were Mr Tan Jee Say, who went on to found opposition party Singaporeans First, and former chief executive of NTUC Income Tan Kin Lian.

This article was first published on Mar 31, 2017.
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SINGAPORE - Electricity tariffs will increase by an average of 6.1 per cent for the second quarter of 2017, the Singapore Power (SP) Group announced on Friday (March 31).

The increase is largely due to the cost of natural gas for electricity generation, which increased by 12 per cent compared with the previous quarter.

For households, the electricity tariff will increase from 20.20 to 21.39 cents per kWh.

This will mean that the average monthly electricity bill for families living in four-room HDB flats will increase by $4.21, for example.

The average increase experienced across all types of housing from one-room flats ($1.58) to bungalows ($28.48) is $5.04.

SP Group reviews the electricity tariffs quarterly based on guidelines set by the Energy Market Authority, the electricity industry regulator.

This article was first published on Mar 31, 2017.
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The answer to life, the universe and everything in it might be found in the newest exhibition at the ArtScience Museum.

Titled The Universe And Art, the show features 120 artworks, scientific artefacts and manuscripts which deal with people's notions of the universe through art and science.

This includes first-edition manuscripts detailing the theories and findings of important individuals in the field of science - Galileo, Kepler, Newton and Copernicus.

These texts - which are about 300 to 500 years old - are being shown for the first time in Singapore.

The exhibition opens tomorrow.

It is jointly curated and organised with Japan's Mori Art Museum, where the first iteration of the show closed in January.

This is the first time both museums are working together. The exhibition is divided into four main sections.

The first section looks at historical cosmologies from around the world - how humans, primarily from the Buddhist, Hindu and Jain religious traditions, conceived the universe.

This section includes 16 artefacts from the collection of the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), including an astrolabe, or ancient astronomical measurement device from Iran, and historical texts by astronomers from the mediaeval Islamic world, such as Persian astronomer, mathematician and philosopher Nasir al-Din Tusi.

"It is cultural astronomy - a study of how different cultures through the ages have thought about the cosmos - and how they manifest them in different ways," says ACM's assistant curator Conan Cheong.

Also on display in Singapore for the first time is a 17th-century handscroll of Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter). It describes a visit of a moon princess to Earth.

"It is considered the oldest written story in Japan and also the first story that talked about our encounter with aliens," says Ms Reiko Tsubaki, associate curator of Mori Art Museum.

The second and third sections of the exhibition look at how contemporary artists have made sense of new scientific advances, as well as more radical theories such as the potential for life outside of earth.

For example, the ArtScience Museum has commissioned a new work Slow Arc Inside A Cube VII by British artist Conrad Shawcross for this Singapore show.

The work comprises a mechanical sculpture with a hidden light source that creates moving geometric shadows in the gallery.

Says ArtScience Museum's executive director, Ms Honor Harger: "The only way we can understand what's happening within the sculpture is through the shadows it creates. It helps us meditate on the more invisible phenomena that astronomers and cosmologists are still trying to understand."

The last section takes a compelling look at "space art", with artworks which have been designed specially for space conditions.

Visitors can listen to the "moon score" by Japanese artist Nomura Hitoshi, which is a piece of music composed according to his interpretation of the craters on the moon through photos taken by Japanese astronaut Wakata Koichi.

They can also watch a video of a dance performance done in zero-gravity conditions, by French choreographer Kitsou Dubois.

Ms Harger says it is "thrilling" to be able to present masterpiece texts from the big names in Western science here.

But she adds that the loans from ACM help to show that "science wasn't a singular narrative", "but it was happening in parallel in multiple locations around the world".

She says: "They are almost like sacred texts and we have got them in dialogue with the astronomical texts from the Islamic world. This is something really unique to Singapore."

BOOK IT / THE UNIVERSE AND ART

WHERE: ArtScience Museum, 10 Bayfront Avenue WHEN: Tomorrow to July 30

WHERE: ArtScience Museum, 10 Bayfront Avenue

ADMISSION: $14 to $17 (adult), $7 to $10 (child). $35 to $44 for family package (two adults, two children)

INFO: www.marinabaysands.com/ArtScienceMuseum

nabilahs@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Mar 31, 2017.
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More sexual crime cases were filed in the State Courts last year compared with five years ago, but that is not necessarily an indication of a worsening problem.

Ms Anisha Joseph, manager of the Sexual Assault Care Centre at the Association of Women for Action and Research, said the rise in sexual offence numbers signals that more people are not afraid to make a report, and have faith in the criminal justice system.

The number of sexual crimes hit a high in 2015, according to State Courts data. Last year, 233 cases were filed in the State Courts, compared to 218 cases filed in 2012 and 164 cases in 2011. There were 272 cases in 2015.

Read also: Najib vows to end child sex crimes in Malaysia

These cases involved sexual assault by penetration, sexual grooming of a minor under 16, outrage of modesty or rape.

In February, the Home Affairs Ministry announced several initiatives to encourage people to report if they have been victims of sexual crimes. Among them was a new one-stop centre for those reporting a rape that had occurred in the past 72 hours.

Read also: 4 S'poreans charged with sexual assault in Taiwan

Instead of travelling to a public hospital for a medical examination, victims who lodge a report can be medically examined at the victim care centre.

The Law Ministry is also looking at how to reduce stress faced by victims during court proceedings.

Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam had said that a key issue was to encourage victims to report a sexual assault.

Read also: Sex harassment widespread in Australian police: survey

Meanwhile, of the cases that ended up in court, 190 led to convictions last year, up from 146 in 2012 and 105 in 2011.

The High Court, which heard 16 cases of sexual offences such as rape and sexual assault by penetration last year, saw 11 convictions. In 2012, there were six rape cases filed.

Experts said that in many instances, the perpetrators were known to the victims.

Clinical psychologist Jeanie Chu said a contributing factor to sexual crime could be social media, including dating apps, and the easy access to sexual content online.

"(Easy access to content) could trigger sexual predators to want to commit such acts. With dating apps, there is also more accessibility to meeting new people," said Ms Chu, who works at the Resilienz Clinic.

Recent news reports have sparked concerns over sexual crimes.

Last month, a 39-year-old American mixed martial arts instructor was sentenced to four years in jail for making obscene films and having consensual sex with two 15- year-old girls he befriended on social networking sites.

He also possessed 321 films containing child pornography with children as young as two years old.

It is believed to be the largest number of such films seized from a single person here.

While experts laud the attempts to get victims to report sexual crimes, they said that challenges remain.

For instance, victims tend to be less willing to report an assault in cases where the perpetrator is known to them , said experts.

"The extent and intensity of impact (of the assault) depend on factors such as the nature and severity of the incident," said Ms Chu.

"But it also depends on the support (that the victims) receive thereafter. The impact is likely to be less if they receive support from family members as well as professionals."

This article was first published on Apr 03, 2017.
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Last month, a food stall assistant was sentenced to 231/2 years in jail and given 24 strokes of the cane for sexually abusing his biological daughter.

The abuse started in 2011, when she was 11, and ended when she was 13.

There has been a spike in allegations of sexual abuse of children by their own family members, according to figures from the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

Last year, the MSF's Child Protective Service (CPS) investigated 107 allegations of sexual abuse involving children under 16 years old. The CPS investigated 82 similar allegations in 2015 and 56 in 2014.

Read also: Najib vows to end child sex crimes in Malaysia

Most sexual abuse cases involved allegations of molestation, according to the MSF.

The CPS generally handles only cases involving family members.

The MSF said that its protective service works with families and caregivers "to improve their circumstances to keep the child safe under their care", and undertakes social investigations into allegations.

The police handle the criminal investigation.

Read also: 4 S'poreans charged with sexual assault in Taiwan

It stressed the importance of reporting sexual assault, even if the abuser is someone a victim knows or trusts, and tells the victim to keep it a secret.

For cases involving young people, parental guidance and support are particularly important, said Ms Lena Teo, deputy director for therapy and mental wellness services at the Children-at-Risk Empowerment Association.

Read also: Cracking the whip on child sex offenders

Also known as Care Singapore, the organisation offers counselling services that support children, youths and their families.

Young victims of sexual assault could experience nightmares and shame, and show changes in behaviour such as refusing to attend school, she said.

"We always try to make sure that the parents have the proper education and are informed on how to deal with the situation," she added.

Read also: Encouraging students to report sexual abuse

Ms Teo said that younger victims tend to harbour a sense of betrayal if the perpetrator was trusted, or someone they were dependent on.

They may also feel betrayed by a non-offending caregiver, who was supposed to protect and support them, she said.

In more severe cases, victims may show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder and experience flashbacks of the incident. Some may also harm themselves.

Separately, the State Courts had 64 convictions for cases involving sexual penetration of a minor under 16 last year. There were 66 convictions in 2015.

The Family Justice Courts also saw 57 offences for sexual penetration of a minor under 16, committed by young people. There were 26 such offences in 2015.

This article was first published on Apr 03, 2017.
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Singapore has refuted accusations by two Indonesian police officials that it refused to cooperate with regard to extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) requests.

A spokesman for Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said the two countries enjoy good bilateral cooperation in law enforcement and criminal matters.

"Singapore and Indonesia are party to the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty Amongst Like-minded Asean Member States, under which cooperation already takes place in line with Singapore's domestic laws and international obligations," he said in a statement yesterday.

"In fact, we have provided assistance to Indonesia on its MLA requests. Singapore looks forward to receiving similar cooperation from Indonesia."

Under the MLA, one country can gain access to interrogate criminals detained in the partner country, as well as to gather evidence and seize the criminals' assets.

Indonesia and Singapore signed an extradition treaty in 2007, but Indonesian lawmakers have yet to ratify it in Parliament.

The MFA spokesman was responding to local news reports quoting Inspector-General Saiful Maltha, the Indonesian national police's head for international relations.

According to one report, carried by state news agency Antara, Gen Saiful said Singapore "did not want" to cooperate with Indonesia on the Extradition Treaty and MLA requests. Indonesia had sent a draft of the Extradition Treaty to Singapore but did not receive a reply, he added.

He made the comment at a meeting with the media last Thursday to discuss the state of investigations into graft suspect Honggo Wendratno, the founder of an oil firm who is suspected to be in Singapore. The police had said in 2015 that it wanted to question him in a corruption case involving the illicit procurement of diesel fuel in 2010.

The Antara news report quoted another police officer, Brigadier- General Naufal Yahya, who was also at the meeting, as saying: "Singapore lives on investment. If the suspect does not invest there, he would surely have been driven out on the pretext of overstaying."

However, the MFA spokesman said the remarks were "factually incorrect and mischievous" and "do not reflect the good cooperation between the two law enforcement agencies, especially coming from two senior officials".

Singapore and Indonesia signed the Extradition Treaty and Defence Cooperation Agreement as a package in April 2007 in Bali.

The signing was witnessed by then President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, added MFA.

"Both agreements are still pending ratification by the Indonesian House of Representatives. Singapore is ready to proceed with both agreements once Indonesia is ready to do so."

While the location of Honggo is unclear, Singapore had in the past assisted Indonesia in similar cases where the suspect was located within its jurisdiction - though the Extradition Treaty has yet to be ratified.

Last June, Singapore deported Indonesia's former football association chairman La Nyalla Mattalitti, who had been hiding for more than two months - first in Malaysia, then in Singapore - in an attempt to avoid a graft investigation.

This article was first published on Apr 03, 2017.
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When a woman claimed her boss had raped her while on a business trip, she found herself being grilled.

Why did she agree to stay in the same room, she was asked.

Her arguments that it was her boss who insisted on "saving costs", promising that "nothing would happen", were dismissed.

This was one of the cases handled by the Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) at the Association of Women for Action and Research. It did not provide more details of the case.

SACC manager Anisha Joseph said such incidents show the difficulties victims face in reporting sexual offences - particularly when committed by someone they know. The SACC handled 338 cases last year, up from 234 in 2014.

Read also: Breaking the silence on sexual crimes

Of the cases last year, 80 per cent were committed by someone known to the victim. This makes the victim less willing to report the incident, said Ms Anisha.

"We need more public awareness about how to respond to survivors in a supportive and empathetic way, such as to facilitate access to resources like counselling or support for police reporting," she added. "Organisations like employers and schools can also improve their first-response knowhow."

Read also: Encouraging students to report sexual abuse

She said family and friends play important roles as first responders, and can help with supportive statements, such as telling victims: "It is not your fault."

In many cases, people find it hard to make a report due to fear of disbelief, a lack of evidence and worry about the reaction of their family and friends, she added.

And they keep it a secret for years. Clinical psychologist Jeanie Chu sees three to five cases of sexual abuse a month at Resilienz Clinic, where she works. Many of her clients said they were abused when they were teenagers or even younger. But they saw her only when they were in their 20s or 30s.

In many cases, the perpetrator was a family member, and her clients suppressed memories of the incident until they realised it affected them later in life, said Ms Chu.

In one case she handled, a woman revealed she was molested several times over a few years by an older family member when she was a teenager. She was also raped by a stranger. In both instances, she did not make a police report.

"Since then, she has been struggling with her sense of identity and self-esteem, and has difficulties with trusting and forming intimate relationships (with the opposite sex)," Ms Chu said of the woman, who is now in her 30s.

"She wants to have a family, to foster a close relationship... but has found herself unable to do so."

Helplines

Child Protection Specialist Centres:

• Heart@Fei Yue: 6819-9170
• Big Love: 6445-0400
• Pave: 6266-0171
• Child Protective Service Helpline (Social and Family Development Ministry): 1800-777-0000

Sexual Assault Care Centre:

• Helpline: 6779-0282
• WhatsApp chat: 9781-4101

This article was first published on Apr 03, 2017.
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Like it or not, gadgets have become a key part of people's lives in Singapore, as consumers spend most of their waking hours on digital devices - 12hr 42 min a day on average.

And spending so much time has had both a positive and a negative impact on people's lives, in areas such as their relations with others and sleep.

This is according to survey findings released in February on the impact of digital devices - such as mobile phones, tablets, computers and video game consoles - on people.

Accounting for the most time spent on a gadget in a day on average is the mobile phone, at 3hr 12min.

The top gadget people use here is also the smartphone, with 95 per cent saying so, and its effect on people is telling - almost 80 per cent of them check their smartphones when waking up in the morning or just before going to bed.

While many - nearly 30 per cent - said that their sleep has been negatively affected by mobile gadgets, a similar number said there has been a positive impact.

Even so, about 70 per cent have enjoyed a boon in communications with their friends and are better able to complete personal errands and multitask, thanks to smartphones and tablets.

The study by consultancy Ernst & Young (EY) polled 1,000 people aged 18 to 69 who resided in Singapore for at least a year and had access to the Internet.

The top online activity they engaged in using their gadgets daily was reading personal e-mails, with 90 per cent of respondents doing so.

But the heavy use of digital gadgets is not without issues.

About a third of respondents admitted that they were addicted to smartphones and tablets.

A visual merchandiser who wanted to be known only as Ms Mary O., 26, said her smartphone causes her to lose three to four hours of sleep every night.

"Most of the time, I am playing (mobile) games like Bejeweled. It gets addictive as you just want to reach the next level in the game," she said, adding that she usually sleeps at around 3am.

She uses her smartphone while commuting and at work as well. But she noted that there is a positive side as "it allows me to connect with relatives and friends overseas".

Sleep is an issue that university student Nataniel Wong, 22, faces as well. He uses his devices for about 12 hours a day: Five hours for school work and seven for browsing the Internet and social media. "This has pushed my sleep time to later in the night, usually past 2am," he said.

Read also: This pendant is perfect for those lazy to type

Housewife Linda Yeo, 54, spends five to six hours on her phone daily, but said her habit of checking her phone before turning in at 11 each night does not affect her sleep. "Even if I am not using my phone before that, I will be watching television," Madam Yeo said.

Others are affected by more physical issues. University student Gracia Ow, 20, said she uses her laptop so often that her "back and shoulders ache all the time". She added: "I use my laptop and smartphone for close to 16 hours a day. Most of the time I am doing schoolwork, but I am also on social media for around two hours."

People are generally spending way too much time on their digital devices, said Dr Michael Netzley, academic director at Singapore Management University Executive Development.

"Humans are very poor at multitasking... We all have limited mental bandwidth, and multitasking through mobile devices rapidly depletes that limited mental bandwidth," he said, adding that people would have a competitive advantage if they "power off, focus and perform at a higher level".

Read also: Hypertension on the rise in kids due to high-salt diet, frequent gadget use

There are social and health consequences too, said Dr Netzley.

"We wake up throughout the night, checking our devices and damaging the quality of all-important sleep and recharging... People stare at their devices, walk wherever they want without looking and simply do not care about anyone else," he said.

To address the problem, digital discipline should be taught in workplaces, schools, places of worship and even the media, said Dr Netzley.

"The problem is not the technology. The problem is a lack of disciplined use of the technology."

'Do more to boost e-commerce'

Singapore may be digitally savvy but more can be done to enhance e-commerce here, a study released by Ernst & Young in February has recommended.

The study, which polled 1,000 people in Singapore last May, found that almost half - 49 per cent - do online research for a product in a store or at the point of purchase.

The top online activity they engaged in monthly or more frequently, on gadgets such as smartphones and computers, was banking and finance, with 89 per cent of people doing so.

A distant second was online grocery shopping at 47 per cent.

Some 55 per cent said they would like to be able to buy from more retailers online as well.

Ernst & Young Asean advisory digital leader Jonathan Rees said the findings show that "digital experiences are not just about online shopping and e-commerce". "For Singapore retailers, there is a significant opportunity in merging the brick-and-mortar store with digital experiences.

"What is certain is going digital is no longer a 'wait- and-see' but a 'catch-and- act-now' imperative. Organisations must be ready to reset their customer strategies if they want to successfully capitalise on the growth potential of the digital economy."

This article was first published on Apr 03, 2017.
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Despite the availability of several legitimate options online, many people in Singapore are still illegally getting their movie and music fix on the Internet for free.

A survey of 1,000 people in May last year found that 63 per cent of respondents here said they were downloading or streaming content unauthorised at the time. The findings were released in February by consultancy Ernst & Young.

Top of the list of pirated content were TV shows and movies. Some 51 per cent of respondents admitted to downloading these files illegally.

Accessing music files online unauthorised came in second, with 48 per cent of people doing so.

Getting games illegally online was third, at 38 per cent.

This was despite the launch of several legal options here in recent years.

Video subscription services Netflix, Hooq and CatchPlay were all launched last year.

For music, Apple Music and Spotify were launched in 2015 and 2013, respectively. And online video game store Steam allowed gamers here to buy digital games in Singapore dollars from 2014.

But Mr Bryan Tan, technology partner at law firm Pinsent Masons MPillay, said that even with the rise of subscription services like Netflix and Spotify, "it is still hard to beat obtaining files from illegal downloads, which are completely free", noting the wide range of pirated content.

Said a 21-year-old retail assistant who did not wish to be named: "I know it is wrong to download those files but it doesn't cost me anything and it is also convenient."

Singapore fared worse for illegal downloads and streams than New Zealand (58 per cent) and Australia (46 per cent), but scored better than Malaysia (83 per cent).

The latest figures mirror earlier findings. A survey by research consultancy Sycamore Research and Marketing released in 2014 showed that 61 per cent of people here aged 16 to 64 said they had participated in movie and TV or music piracy.

Raed also: Apple's TV update without Netflix could hint at its own streaming ambitions

Mr Ngiam Kwang Hwa, managing director of independent record label Rock Records Singapore, said piracy "is our biggest enemy" and causes a loss of sales revenue.

"We are trying hard to clamp down on piracy, but we need help from others such as the Government," he added.

Mr Tan said more could be done to persuade people to move away from digital piracy. "Consumers could be allowed to customise their subscriptions so they need not pay a large fee to watch only a few programmes," he said.

The same survey also found that privacy was a key concern among people here who used digital services, as 81 per cent felt organisations should be more transparent about how they use the consumer information collected.

Some 72 per cent of respondents were also worried about having their personal data - such as location and messages - accessed, while 66 per cent felt the same for their online habits and behaviour.

These findings could be due to greater awareness of the need to safeguard personal data since legislation like the Personal Data Protection Act was enacted, said Mr Tan.

This article was first published on Apr 03, 2017.
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Daniel the "emotional support duck" is a pretty big deal, both in the animal and human world.

Its 15 minutes of fame began after it was spotted on a flight in the United States - from Charlotte to Asheville, North Carolina - waddling in the plane in a nappy and some stylish red shoes.

Daniel is said to help its 37-year-old owner Carla Fitzgerald battle the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) she has had since an accident in 2013.

The use of "emotional support animals" has become big business recently - particularly in the US - and it is not just ducks such as Daniel that humans have claimed make a helpful addition to their day-to-day lives.

There have also been reports of emotional-support pigs, cats, turkeys, chickens and even miniature horses.

It seems that all types of animals are increasingly being used to assist patients - in the belief that they can help people with autism, PTSD and other conditions function in their everyday lives.

But, of course, despite this new wave of popularity, interacting with animals has long been considered to be good for people.

There has also been issues raised with the number of animals used in this way - with some animal researchers raising animal welfare concerns.

Therapists have also expressed their concern at the rise of "emotional-support animals" - with many in the profession feeling that not all of the animals used are legitimate "support animals".

LOVING PETS

"Emotional-support animal" or "pet" aside, it is maybe obvious that one of the main benefits that comes from a friendship with animals is that they are a source of "non- verbal" and "non-judgmental" companionship for both adults and children.

These are friends who will be there for us day in, day out. Friends who will always be up for a walk, chin rub, or a game of fetch.

Many pet owners also describe the "social lubricant" effect of their pets - reporting lower incidence of loneliness and depression.

Dog owners typically - but not always - have higher levels of physical exercise than non-owners.

And animal contact is often associated with exposure to the outdoors and natural stimuli - which is considered to be beneficial for human health and well-being.

Novel situations and experiences also often result from interactions with animals - which can create enjoyable and motivational learning opportunities for children.

FIVER THE RABBIT

Contact with animals is also widely regarded as an essential and natural part of childhood. I still remember my very first pet rabbit with deep affection.

That rabbit, Fiver, - yes, I was a Watership Down fan - represented my first real responsibility for another living being. Fiver was also a great friend and confidant.

And it is this realisation, that animals can be good for children's development, that explains why so many recent studies have focused on interactions between animals and children.

This has led to animals increasingly being viewed and employed as useful partners in the educational and emotional development of children.

There are now, for example, many schemes where children read to dogs to develop their reading skills with a canine "listener".

But while dogs and horses are the most commonly used species for therapeutic and educational interactions, a range of other animals - ducks and miniature horses aside - has also been used successfully.

A recent study, for example, examined how interactions with classroom guinea pigs had an impact on children with autism.

And it was shown that for these children, spending time with the guinea pigs resulted in significantly improved social skills and motivation for learning.

ANIMAL ATTRIBUTES

There are also other identified developmental benefits for children interacting with animals.

Evidence suggests that children exposed to animals may have improved immune systems and a reduced incidence of allergies.

Therapy animals have also been shown to reduce pain in hospitalised children. And animals appear to enhance the social, emotional and cognitive development of children and aid the development of empathy.

Exposure to companion animals has additionally been shown to boost levels of responsibility, self-esteem and autonomy in children.

But, of course, despite the benefits to both children and adults, the welfare of animals used in therapeutic, educational or other kinds of interactions is also important.

Swimming with dolphins and direct encounters with other exotic species have previously attracted attention for therapeutic value - especially for children with physical and intellectual disabilities - though recent guidelines now strongly advise against the use of such species.

This is both due to animal welfare concerns and concerns for human participants.

This is why any animal involved in such interactions needs positive and ethical training, along with high health and welfare standards.

All of which will help to make sure that the animals people are engaging with in these environments are happy animals - which can then in turn help to create happy humans.

WHAT ANIMALS DO FOR CHILDREN

1 For children with autism, spending time with guinea pigs has resulted in significantly improved social skills and motivation for learning.

2 Children exposed to animals may have improved immune systems and a reduced incidence of allergies.

3 Therapy animals have been shown to reduce pain in hospitalised children.

4 Animals appear to enhance the social, emotional and cognitive development of children and aid the development of empathy.

5 Exposure to companion animals has been shown to boost levels of responsibility, self-esteem and autonomy in children.

Jacqueline Boyd

The author is a lecturer in animal science at Nottingham Trent University

This article first appeared in The Conversation at http://theconversation.com , a website which carries analysis by academics and researchers.

This article was first published on Apr 03, 2017.
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SINGAPORE - She was a nurse for six years, caring for children and new mothers. Three years ago, Ms Hazel Sim took her love for children one step further by becoming a foster parent.

The 34-year-old, now working in sales, has already cared for three children under the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF) fostering scheme. The scheme provides the care arrangement of children aged under 18 who are orphans, victims of abuse, or whose parents are unable to care for them.

Ms Sim's first foster child had special needs. She cared for the eight-month-old baby till the girl returned to her biological family at the age of four. Ms Sim is currently the foster parent of a five-month-old girl and a two-year-old boy.

She and her husband Jackson Lai, 37, tried to have children of their own but have been unsuccessful. "For our family, we have nothing to lose but for these children, they have everything to gain," she said.

In this episode of Heroes Among Us, a video series that explores the lives of everyday people who rise above their circumstances, Ms Sim tells her story.

The MSF Fostering Service has helped over 5,500 foster children in the past 60 years. There are currently 420 foster parents caring for 430 children under the scheme.

This article was first published on Apr 03, 2017.
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A religious teacher who made insensitive comments about Christians and Jews will be sent back to his home country.

Imam Nalla Mohamed Abdul Jameel Abdul Malik, who is from India, was also fined $4,000, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.

On Monday (Apr 3), the 46-year-old was charged with the offence of committing an act prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious groups.

"Nalla has paid the fine. He will be repatriated," MHA said.

Read also: Imam being probed for comments on Christians and Jews

In February, a video emerged online of the imam in which he reportedly uttered a phrase after a sermon that could be interepreted as asking God to grant Muslims victory over Jews and Christians.

"The phrase was and is unacceptable in a multi-racial and multi-religious society," MHA said, adding that Nalla had admitted in court that the supplication was his own and not taken from the Qu'ran.

The ministry acknowledged that the action against Nalla had been taken with regret, given his diligent work as the Chief Imam at the Jamae Chulia Mosque over the past seven years. "He has not been deliberately malicious. Nevertheless, what he did was wrong. And he has admitted it. Given the nature of the breach, action had to be taken."

Last Friday, Nalla also apologised for his actions to a group of leaders from various religious groups in a closed-door meeting. He also apologised during a visit to the Maghain Aboth Synagogue along Waterloo Street on Sunday.

Read also: Imam apologises for insensitive remarks, clarifies remarks were not from Qu'ran

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Imam who made insensitive remarks to be repatriated

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Berita Harian

Wise SG

MHA also stressed that any religious leader from any religion who makes such statements will be held accountable for their actions, and explained that the same principles will apply even if such verses are found in a religious text.

"Under Singapore law, we cannot (regardless of his religion) allow anyone to preach or act divisively and justify that by reference to a religious text," MHA said.

Commenting on the issue in a Facebook post, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim commended authorities for applying the law firmly and fairly in the best interest of all communities.

"Earlier, I mentioned that there cannot be double standards when we deal with issues that touch on race and religious harmony. Our laws preserve the freedom to practise one's faith, and protect all communities, regardless of race or religion, from being denigrated," he wrote.

Meanwhile, the individual who shared the video of the imam online, Mr Terence Kenneth John Nunis, was issued with a stern warning for choosing to make the video public instead of reporting the action to the police.

He has apologised for his conduct and undertaken not to repeat it, MHA said.

Another individual connected to the video, National University of Singapore Associate Professor Khairudin Aljunied, was also given a stern warning.

Mr Khairudin had published two Facebook posts supporting the supplication that Nalla had used, which MHA said were contrary to the law.

The academic, who was suspended from his duties by the university on Mar 6, has also apologised.

seanyap@sph.com.sg