SINGAPORE - Theatre company Wild Rice has cancelled tomorrow's (April 19) La Cage Aux Folles show at Victoria Theatre due to a memorial service for the late former minister Othman Wok which will be held at the same venue.
"We are all deeply saddened by the passing of Mr Othman Wok and wish to convey our deepest condolences to his family," Wild Rice said in a statement today (April 18).
Tomorrow night's show was to be the preview of the La Cage Aux Folles production, which officially starts April 20 and runs till May 13. Shows start at 8pm on weekdays (except Mondays), 3pm on Sundays and both 3pm and 8pm on Saturdays.
Those who have bought tickets for tomorrow's performance can choose to replace with those for another other show time, subject to availability. They will not have to top up the difference in value if the new tickets are more expensive. Wild Rice will offer a full refund to customers who are not able to make it for an alternative show time.
Germany may be more than 500 times bigger than Singapore in size, but citizens in the 'little red dot' now stand toe-to-toe with their German counterparts as holders of the world's most powerful passport.
Singapore moved up one spot from second to joint-first with Germany in financial advisory firm's Arton Capital's Global Passport Power Rank 2017, which compares the passports of 193 United Nations member states and six territories.
In an update on its website, Arton Capital said that the change had come after Ukraine extended visa-on-arrival travel to Singapore passport holders for periods of 15 days.
As such, Singapore's visa-free score went up to 159, effectively making the Singapore passport as powerful as Germany's. The visa-free score represents the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with visa-on-arrival.
"Singaporeans can rejoice that their passport offers them first-class global mobility," Arton Capital said.
Germany holds a slight edge, however, as its passport gives holders visa-free travel to 125 countries, as compared to 122 countries for Singapore passport holders.
Nevertheless, the Singapore passport has a visa-on-arrival score of 37, compared to Germany's 34.
Singapore's move up to joint-first in the ranking leaves Sweden on its own in second with a visa-free score of 158.
Singapore also has the most powerful passport in Asia, of course, followed by South Korea (visa-free score of 157), Japan (156) and Malaysia (156).
At the other end of the scale, Afghanistan is deemed to have the world's least powerful passport, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to just 24 countries or territories.
Earlier this year, the Singapore passport also reached a new high of fourth worldwide in another ranking of travel freedom, the Visa Restrictions Index.
The Index, published by Henley & Partners, has a different way of measuring how powerful a passport is.
If you watch American TV drama Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, you may have come across an episode that was set in Singapore, featuring a group of investigators on a case of two missing American flight attendants.
It may seem pretty awesome to be featured on screen again - but the thing is, the episode didn't quite portray Singapore accurately at all.
In fact, netizens are slamming the show for painting a stereotypical portrayal of Singapore. Think chewing gum ban and you get the idea.
Enter local blogger Lee Kin Mun, better known as mrbrown, who has taken to social media to respond to all the inaccuracies in the episode, even calling it out for not being Beyond Borders, but "beyond stupid".
The deadpan satirical humour from mrbrown, who takes on the persona of Kim Huat, "Singapore's No. 1 Police TV Show Fan", has left viewers in stitches and drawn approval from fellow Singaporeans.
Here are five comebacks from Kim Huat aka mrbrown that are so hilarious, we had to write about it.
Kim Huat watches the episode of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders where Singapore is featured and gets triggered.
Hat tip to Geek Culture who watched it and wrote about it first: http://mrbrwn.co/2oIkAqA
The episode starts with a "Singaporean proverb"... that no Singaporean has ever heard of.
Written in Chinese, the proverb is translated as "where there is a sea, there are pirates".
Baffled, Kim Huat says in response: "The only Singaporean proverb I know is 'Where there is a queue, there is good food.'"
The "Singaporean proverb" as seen in Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders that reads "Where there is a sea, there are pirates."Photo: Video Screengrab
2. The "dark side of paradise" is Yishun, not Geylang
Special agent Clara Seger (played by actress Alana de la Garza): Geylang is the "dark side of paradise".
mrbrown: Eh, what you mean Geylang is the dark side of paradise? You can 2am go there eat the frog porridge, very safe! And if you don't like to eat the chicken, the chicken will not come and bother you one. You know where is the real dark side of Singapore?
Yes, Yishun.
3. Geylang is an "overcrowded slum with a thriving underworld"
Agent Clara: Officially it is known as the red light district, but more accurately it's an overcrowded slum with a thriving underworld.
mrbrown: Geylang is a overcrowded slum? Where got overcrowded? The only time it is overcrowded is durian season when everybody is trying to buy the Mao Shan Wang!
Agent Clara: That leaves the Ministry of Manpower with nowhere to put them, so a lot of times as a result, they end up in government dormitories in Geylang.
mrbrown: What government dormitories in Geylang? Government dormitories in Tuas, lah!
Government dormitories are located in Tuas, not in Geylang.Photo: Video Screengrab
4. Policeman speaking in Mandarin? We are not China you know?
Inspector Cheong (played by Hong Kong-American actor Tzi Ma) in Mandarin: It's Cheong, I need a review of the luggage system.
mrbrown: Eh, how come this police officer talk to his colleague in Chinese ah? Singapore police officer speak in English one leh, we are not China you know?
Mandarin-speaking police officer Cheong, played by Hong Kong-American actor Tzi Ma.Photo: Video Screengrab
5. "FBI can suka-suka take out gun in Singapore?"
The scene: FBI officers break down a door and crash into a room. Without warning, their guns are firing away as they mow down a man standing inside, before he has time to retaliate.
mrbrown's: FBI can suka-suka (as they please) take out gun in Singapore and bang the door and shoot the bad guy one? Got permit one or not? Is this called the Foreign Bureau of Interference?
Singapore police bo eng (preoccupied) ah, why must ask FBI to catch the bad guy?
BONUS: Chewing gum again?
Agent Clara: Judges have been known to pass harsh sentences for foreigners who commit crimes.
Technical analyst Russ Montgomery (played by Tyler James Williams): Like, chewing bubble gum.
mrbrown: Walao eh!
Much of the outrage over the episode was spurred by the blatant ignorance and portrayal of inaccurate stereotypes, such as the sensationalisation of Singapore's chewing gum ban and the assumption that Singaporeans converse mainly in Mandarin, which further perpetuates the common Western misconception that Singapore is located in China.
On Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders' Facebook page, where the episode was promoted, users who thought the show's portrayal of the country was accurate left comments such as "Why would anyone go there is (sic) the smallest thing can land you in jail???" and "Love the country info during the show..."
All we can say is, dear creators of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, perhaps a bit more effort can be put in conducting background research to ensure cultural accuracy, instead of portraying a false stereotype to a global audience?
We hope that we can at least educate those who don't know any better that Singapore is NOT in China.
American TV drama Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders features Singapore in one of its episodes, but netizens are not happy. They have called it inaccurate and stereotypical. Enter local blogger mrbrown, who gave a hilarious comeback to certain scenes in the episode that has riled up many fellow Singaporeans here.
He had placed flour in the station to mark a trail for other members in his running club called Seletar Hash House Harriers, which organises hash runs in Singapore every Tuesday evening.
The incident also cast the spotlight on the outdoor activity. So, what exactly is 'hashing'?
1. It is an activity that combines cross country running and treasure hunt
Hashing was created by a group of British expatriates in Malaysia in 1938, and fashioned after an outdoor racing game called 'hares and hounds'.
In the game, a 'hare' lays a trail using toilet paper, flour, or chalk for a pack of 'hounds', who figure out the clues and aim to catch the 'hare' before it reaches the end of the trail.
The temporary markings used in the trail may disappear over time, which makes the game challenging.
A 'hare' may throw the 'hounds' off its track with false trails, short cuts, and dead ends. These are designed to keep the pack of 'hounds' together regardless of their fitness levels or running speeds.
Participants also often find themselves going on runs in places ranging from the jungle to the city.
There's bike hashing for those who prefer to travel around the island on their mountain bicycles, while canine lovers have created 'Dash' where runners can bring their dogs along for the hash run.
5. Hashing is a social activity
These groups often describe themselves as 'drinking clubs with a running problem'. Hashers often wind down from their runs in a 'circle' where they socialize, sing drinking songs and enjoy some drinks (usually beer) and food.
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Suspicious substance found at Woodleigh MRT Station
As development continues and housing estates are built adjacent to green belts, the likelihood of wild encounters, such as monkey attacks could go up, say experts.
With nature areas being encroached by urbanisation, it is believed that less space is left for wildlife. The Segar area in Bukit Panjang is one recent example.
Since last October, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has received about 160 pieces of feedback on monkey attacks and nuisance in the estate.
The agency has deemed the monkey situation a public safety risk, adding that it has been conducting monkey control operations there. It is aware of five reported monkey attacks in the Segar area this week.
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Liang Eng Hwa said: "While it is not uncommon for monkeys to appear at the estate, given our proximity to the nature reserve, this recent encounter has been the most serious, with incidents of residents being bitten by the monkey."
The Segar area is near the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
Wildlife rescue group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) said such wild encounters "will become inevitable, as the animals will use the green corridors adjacent to housing estates".
Experts noted that "hot spots" for conflicts between wildlife and humans often include areas near large swathes of nature, such as Bukit Timah Hill.
Mr Ben Lee, founder of nature conservation group Nature Trekker, said one problem is that the public may resort to feeding the wild animals.
"The monkeys become reliant," he said. "They may end up becoming aggressive."
In the Segar area, the monkey is so emboldened that it has been entering flats through the windows, stealing food and making a mess in residents' homes. Some people have also been bitten by it.
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Monkey bit elderly man on the leg in Bukit Panjang
Acres said in a Facebook post yesterday that the behaviour of the monkey has been altered due to public feeding and harassment.
The Straits Times understands that the public has been feeding and provoking the monkey, such as throwing stuff at it. AVA said it is working with Acres to safely remove the monkey.
However, catching these intelligent creatures can be challenging.
"The many high-rise buildings in the area also make it easy for the monkeys to be out of reach by climbing up the blocks," it said.
The authority has worked with the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council to prune trees and harvest fruits from trees in the estate to mitigate the situation.
Meanwhile, AVA advised that residents can make their premises less attractive to monkeys by keeping food items out of sight and practising good refuse management.
•Additional reporting by Ng Wei Kai
This article was first published on Apr 19, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
<p>As development continues and housing estates are built adjacent to green belts, the likelihood of wild encounters, such as monkey attacks could go up, say experts.</p>
A The $500,000 came from Tiong Bahru Football Club, in a donation made by its chairman Bill Ng.
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said that the money went to the Asean Football Federation (AFF) for its Football Management System.
In addition, the FAS said that it was former president Zainudin Nordin who requested the donation and Ng knew the money was intended for the AFF when he donated the $500,000.
However, this is disputed by Ng.
Q What is the Football Management System?
A In a statement, the FAS said it is an "online resource management portal" aimed at raising the capabilities and capacities of the AFF's member associations in areas such as sponsorship management, corporate governance and coach education.
The AFF also said that it expects to launch the system, which is expected to cost about $2 million, within the next nine to 12 months.
Winston Lee Photo: The New Paper
Q Is the donation unconstitutional?
A Tiong Bahru FC's constitution states that monies and profit accruing to the club can be applied "towards the furtherance, promotion and execution of the objects (sic) of the Club".
According to its constitution, Tiong Bahru's objectives include promoting and upgrading the standard of football towards professionalism as well as to cooperate with and give full support to the Singapore Sports Council (now called Sport Singapore) and the Football Association of Singapore.
If the donation is indeed intended for the AFF's Football Management System, which according to the AFF would help its members, then the donation can be said to not be in breach of Tiong Bahru's constitution.
Q What is the problem?
A The football community is riled that $500,000 was given to the AFF, a foreign entity. After all, this amount is double what the FAS spent on grassroots football in the last financial year.
The saga has also erupted just two weeks before the April 29 FAS election, where the 23 NFL clubs - who have been vocal about their struggle for support - hold a majority of the 44 votes at stake .
Sport Singapore said last night it has requested the FAS to provide full details on the donations and it is looking into the matter.
Zainudin, meanwhile, has steadfastly refused to comment on the matter.
Q What are the parties saying?
A Ng's team have resolutely denied two claims.
On Monday, Game Changers issued a statement claiming that it was FAS general secretary Winston Lee, and not Zainudin, who had requested the $500,000 donation.
The statement also said: "When Bill Ng agreed to Winston's request for a donation, it was strictly on the basis that the money was to be used to benefit Singapore football, especially our local clubs."
Yesterday, the FAS produced a letter with the Tiong Bahru FC letterhead.
In the letter, signed by Ng and addressed to Zainudin, Ng wrote: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for sharing and giving us the opportunity to contribute to the Football Association of Singapore and Asean Football Federation through the proposed Football Management System... I am happy to inform you that we will contribute S$500,000 to Asean Football Federation through FAS to develop this Football Management System."
Zainudin Nordin said last night that he was unaware of the latest developments and would not comment for now. Photo: The Straits Times
Lee has called on Ng to "wholly and unconditionally apologise for his statements".
Ng's subsequent reply contradicted his earlier claims that he did not know what the $500,000 was for.
His latest statement said: "It was Winston Lee who met me on multiple occasions in 2014 to seek the donations from Tiong Bahru FC for a Football Management System to be developed for the benefit of Singapore football and Asean football".
He also claimed that Lee prepared the letter, directed him to reproduce it with the Tiong Bahru FC letterhead and told him to address it to Zainudin.
However, Ng has not submitted any evidence to back his latest claims.
Pressed on why the presidential hopeful would sign off on such a letter, a spokesman for Ng said he had signed the letter as "his intent has always been to support FAS and football".
This article was first published on Apr 19, 2017.
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PRIVATE-HIRE car owners who drive for Uber or Grab will be entitled to protection if their insurers collapse, under a proposal that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is considering.
That proposal, as well as a cap on what can be paid out to policyholders when their insurers fail, are among a number of possible amendments included in a public consultation by MAS on the Policy Owners' Protection Scheme.
The scheme, which is administered by Singapore Deposit Insurance Corp, offers compensation to individual policyholders if their insurers go bust. The scheme is funded by the insurance providers, which each pay a risk-based fee calculated from the amount of protected liabilities and premium income it receives.
The last time the scheme was reviewed was in 2011, and the current consultation is part of an attempt to keep it up to date with today's circumstances.
The rise of businesses such as Uber and Grab, through which individual car owners can sign up to provide taxi services, has created uncertainty about whether the scheme's objective of protecting only personal policies extends to insured property (like cars) that are sometimes used for commercial purposes.
"In recent years, there are increasingly more examples where it is less clear if an insurance policy should fall into the 'personal' lines category," MAS said.
"In other words, the line between personal and commercial usage has become blurred, especially in the case of personal motor insurance and personal property (structure and contents) insurance."
MAS is proposing to define the scheme's scope of "personal" insurance policies to include any policies that are "owned by a natural person". This would allow not just private-hire cars to enjoy the protections of the scheme but home offices as well.
MAS is also considering imposing caps on payouts under the scheme. The proposal will limit the payout to S$50,000 for damage to the policyholder's own property, such as personal motor insurance, and to S$300,000 for property damage claims for personal property insurance.
The proposed caps will still be able to fully cover more than 99 per cent of claims, MAS said.
Imposing a cap, however, is a matter of prudence to ensure that the S$32 million Policy Owners' Protection Scheme fund is not overly exposed to high-value property damage claims.
The proposals also include legislative amendments to cover riders attached to eligible annuities and non-voluntary group policies. Riders are currently not covered for those types of policies.
Another proposal considers what happens if an insurer collapses and there are no suitable buyers for the insurer's policies and it is deemed preferable to terminate a policy. In such instances of "forced surrender", MAS is proposing to waive surrender penalties.
Many of the other proposals involve clarifying ambiguities in the current rules or codifying existing practice.
For example, MAS is proposing not to extend the scheme's coverage for pure accident and health policies to bundled products that also include other kinds of benefits, such as a pleasure craft policy that includes public liability and property loss.
MAS is also seeking to clarify the scheme's coverage of death benefits that are linked to the net value of underlying assets.
The regulator is seeking to clarify that the scheme's coverage extends only to guaranteed benefits, not variable ones, unless the variability is a ratchet that sets a minimum amount.
Since there is a minimum benefit that is guranteed, that policy will be covered by the scheme.
This article was first published on Apr 19, 2017.
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Swee Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant was set up by Mr Moh Lee Twee in 1949, operating in the Yet Con coffee shop in Purvis Street, off Beach Road.
In 1950, the stall moved to "more commodious and hygienic premises" in Middle Road, as described in an advertisement that he took out in The Straits Times.
Fans would flock to 51, Middle Road - or to No. 53, after the eatery expanded to the neighbouring shophouse in 1959 - for another 47 years.
The business - named for the late Mr Moh but for a misspelling of the word "Twee" - was shuttered for good on January 31, 1997, when the property was redeveloped.
Swee Kee was said to be the first restaurant to bill itself as an exclusive purveyor of Hainanese chicken rice - "in the minimum of time with the maximum of care", a 1951 advertisement boasted, "and we are one of the best sellers in town".
This reputation proved a lasting one. Celebrity food critic Violet Oon noted in a review in 1980 that Swee Kee's chicken rice "was unanimously agreed" to be Singapore's best in the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1984, the Middle Road shophouse premises was torn down and the restaurant continued plying its trade in the new six-storey building.
That year, the Moh family also rented space in Fortune Centre, down the road, to open an upmarket branch.
That venture was a washout and plans to expand into Katong fizzled out.
While not everyone cared for traditional cuts of meat, the eatery was happy to accommodate.
Parsi and Punjabi textile merchants from nearby High Street preferred skinless and sometimes boneless fillets, Mr Moh Tai Tong told The New Paper in 1993.
Since Swee Kee's closure in 1997, other chicken rice eateries have given themselves similar names - such as Zheng Swee Kee, Sin Swee Kee and the now defunct Old Swee Kee, all in Seah Street - but none claimed affiliations to the Mohs.
This article was first published on April 19, 2017.
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The conman doesn't have to dress up like a police officer to scam others these days - he can do it online and over the phone.
That's the warning by the Singapore Police after large amounts of money were lost by people who fell for scams involving a fake Singapore Police Force (SPF) website, it said in a statement on April 19.
The victims would typically receive calls allegedly from police officers, claiming they are suspected of involvement in criminal activities such as money laundering as they seem to have excessively large amounts of money in their bank accounts.
The victims are given a link to a website that looks like the official SPF website, and then asked to provide credit card details and Internet banking credentials for their investigation.
But it is actually a phishing site, designed to extract personal information and banking details, the police warned, adding that "extensive monetary losses" were reported in most cases.
The public is reminded that the official SPF website is www.police.gov.sg.
You can call the anti-scam helpline - 1800-722-6688 - to seek advice on how not to fall for such scams. The police also urged the public to spread the word to their family and friends.
Here are some tips:
1. Ignore the calls. Scammers may use Caller ID spoofing technology to mask the actual phone number and display a different number. Calls that appear to be from a local number may not be from Singapore. If you receive a suspicious call from a local number, hang up, wait five minutes, then call the number back to check its validity.
2. Ignore instructions to remit or transfer money. No government agency will inform you to make a payment through a telephone call, especially to a third party's bank account.
3. Refrain from giving out personal information and bank details, whether on the website or to callers over the phone. Personal information and bank details such as internet bank account usernames and passwords, OTP codes from tokens, are useful to criminals.
The past few years have been dark and tough for 46-year-old Tam Chek Ming ever since she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Despite life's many struggles, her silver lining comes in the form of her five-year-old son, who is the only reason she is still holding on.
But she is running out of time.
According to GIVE.asia, Tam was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of ovarian cancer known as Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma' after undergoing major surgery in April 2015 to remove a 12.5cm cyst.
What followed next was two years of debilitating chemotherapy that saw her losing her hair, vomiting in bed and being unable to play with her son.
Still, she persevered so that she could raise her son and watch him grow up.
"I thought it was all over and I could go back to lead a normal life. Then, the unthinkable happened, " said the single parent and sole breadwinner of the family.
Tam's heart sank when she was dealt another blow in September 2015: Her Stage 1C ovarian clear cell cancer has resurged aggressively to Stage 4.
Her doctor told her that any treatment at this point would merely be palliative and not curative. Immunotherapy would amount to approximately $139,000 a year, while medicine costs between $6,500 and $8,000 per dose and is administered thrice a week.
Although Tam is a subsidised patient under the MediShield Life scheme, Medifund and the Medication Assistance Fund (for Avastin), she does not have any private health insurance and neither is she covered under the CPF Dependent Protection Scheme.
"I live in a small, barebones, 45-sqm, HDB flat (1 bedroom, 1 hall). I have sold off everything that I can sell, in order to survive month-to-month," she told GIVE.asia, adding that she often skips meals so that her son -- who was prematurely born and underweight -- would not go hungry.
The struggling mother is now appealing for donations to help pay for:
1. Medical bills
2. Household bills
3. Basic necessities and nutritious food
4. Journeys to and fro the hospital
5. "Bank debts left behind in my name by an abusive estranged spouse (who left the country several years ago and no contact)"
6. Daily living expenses
7. Hospice care in near future
8. Upcoming funeral expenses
9. "To set aside sufficient cash reserves for my poor mother to sustain herself and enable her to care for my young son when I pass on, as they will be in urgent need in the many years to come."
Tam said, "I need to survive this fight for my life, for at least another few more years in order to stay with my son. He is just too young to lose his mom.
"I am appealing out of desperation as I have exhausted all my social connections and charity appeals. I have sold off anything that is of value in my small flat.
"Please help me. Any help, no matter how big or small, will make a big difference to me and my son."
Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) is calling for entries for this year's SPH iink awards which honour the best in local advertising.
Reflecting emerging trends in the advertising landscape, two more categories have been created for this year's SPH iink awards.
The first category is Content Marketing. Entries can include content or native advertising in various formats that have appeared on any of Singapore Press Holdings' media platforms.
The second is Mobile Marketing, which will assess digital ads that ran on any mobile apps and mobile sites on the SPH Digital Network.
On honouring the best made-in-Singapore works by Singaporeans and Singapore-based creatives, Ms Elsie Chua, Chief Marketing Officer of SPH Integrated Marketing, said: "The SPH iink Awards is quintessentially Singapore. Being a homegrown media organisation, SPH is proud to honour and foster creative talents and ideas that originate locally to produce innovative ads that resonate with Singaporean residents and citizens."
Advertisers, creative and media agencies are invited to submit their entries, published in any of Singapore Press Holdings' (SPH) media platforms from May 20 2016 to May 19 this year.
The 11 categories are: Print Single English; Print Campaign English; Print Single/Campaign Chinese; Print Classified/Recruitment/Notice; Print Creative Media Buy; Digital; Mobile Marketing; Content Marketing; Radio; Out-Of-Home; and Integrated Campaign.
In addition, the iink Media Agency of the Year and iink Creative Agency of the Year will be given to the highest scoring agencies across all categories, while the Grand Prix winner will be awarded to the entry that scores the highest.
Creative and media agencies, advertisers, and other advertising-related organisations can submit their entries on www.sphiinkawards.com.sg. The deadline for submission of entries is on May 19, 2017.
The running group that was involved in the closure of Woodleigh MRT station for about three hours on Tuesday has apologised and said directional signs should have been used instead of flour to mark their route.
Three members from Seletar Hash House Harriers (SH3) had used flour to lay a trail near the station for an evening run. A 69-year-old man was arrested and two others were hauled up by the police to assist in investigations.
In hashing, advance runners set a course for other runners by marking out a trail with white flour, toilet paper or chalk.
The three men left flour at three to four points at the station. A cleaner found the flour markings, and the authorities were alerted, which led to the station's closure for security checks.
In a media statement yesterday, an SH3 spokesman said: "In retrospect, they should not have placed any markings in the station, and should have used directional signs instead outside the station."
The group said they chose to go through the station as it was the safest route for their members to cross Upper Serangoon Road. As part of their run, members had to go from Bidadari to Woodleigh Close.
They also said the three members involved stepped forward to identify themselves on learning about the investigations and had co-operated with the police.
The spokesman added: "They are sorry that their actions caused public alarm and inconvenience.
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Suspicious substance found at Woodleigh MRT Station
"The incident has emphasised to our group the seriousness of the security threat in Singapore and we pledge to be more mindful when planning future runs. We will be reminding all our members to be more careful in future."
There are around 100 members in the group, which has been around since 1980. They organise weekly cross-country runs for their members.
Other hash groups TNP contacted said they use chalk, flour and toilet paper to mark their trails.
Monkey attacks in Segar Road have been so frequent in recent weeks that a clinic there has run out of tetanus vaccine.
This month alone, the My Family Clinic at Block 485, Segar Road, saw eight patients who came in with monkey bites and scratches.
The clinic's staff had to place a sign outside the clinic telling patients to inform them upon registration if they have been bitten or scratched by a monkey.
Clinic staff told The New Paper that this was because the clinic had run out of tetanus vaccine and they would have to direct these patients to a hospital or polyclinic, where stocks of the vaccine are available.
Residents at Segar Road have seen a spike in monkey attacks recently. Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Member of Parliament Liang Eng Hwa told TNP that he had received 10 reports of residents being injured by monkeys in the Segar Road area this year.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said it had received about 160 reports on monkey attacks and nuisance in the Segar area since last October.
ATTACK
On Monday, retiree Tan Kim Leng, 77, was bitten on the leg by a monkey and is still warded at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
Yesterday, Mr Tan underwent a second surgery for his wounds.
Mr Liang met residents last night to update them on the situation.
He told the 100 or so residents that for at least 12 hours each day, there will be at least two people on the ground attempting to catch monkeys.
Along with sharing tips on how to respond during an encounter with a monkey, Mr Liang also urged residents to call the AVA hotline if they encounter a monkey and to not crowd around AVA officers trying to shoot the monkeys with darts.
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Monkey bit elderly man on the leg in Bukit Panjang
The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) is working with AVA to dart the animals so as to rehabilitate and relocate them.
An Acres spokesman told TNP that the monkeys at Segar Road might display aggressive behaviour as they have been fed by humans before, causing them to see humans as food sources.
Mr Wong Tuan Wah, group director of conservation at the National Parks Board, told TNP that it has fined more than 100 people since 2016 for feeding monkeys.
"Feeding wild monkeys alters their natural behaviour and makes them reliant on humans for food," said Mr Wong.
"This eventually leads the monkeys to display aggressive behaviour, such as grabbing plastic bags and food containers from people."
Infectious disease expert Dr Leong Hoe Nam, of Rophi Clinic at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, told TNP: "While we don't have to worry about rabies in Singapore, monkey bites carry the risk of the usual bite wound infections, as well as herpes B, which has a small risk of causing brain infection.
"Monkey bites and scratches in Singapore are treated with the usual tetanus shot and antibiotics if the wound is deep and dirty."
This article was first published on Apr 20, 2017.
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Internet users in Singapore have scored a landmark victory against tactics used by copyright holders fighting alleged piracy.
The Singapore High Court has thrown out applications from two Hollywood studios to compel local telcos to release the details of Internet subscribers who allegedly downloaded two movies: Fathers & Daughters and Queen Of The Desert.
The oral decision delivered at a closed-door hearing on Monday was on the grounds of "insufficient evidence", the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) told The Straits Times yesterday.
In a rare move, the AGC intervened in civil applications made in the High Court in July last year by Samuel Seow Law Corp (SSLC), the local law firm that represents the two studios.
Queen Of The Desert, which stars Nicole Kidman, is produced by QOTD Film Investment.
Fathers & Daughters, a 2015 movie starring Russell Crowe, is produced by Voltage Pictures - the same studio that went after Internet users here in 2015 for illegally downloading the movie Dallas Buyers Club.
SSLC represented Voltage at the time, and was able to get Singtel, StarHub and M1 to turn over the names, NRIC numbers and addresses of alleged illegal downloaders.
Hundreds of letters were sent out with users told to pay $5,000.
The Straits Times understands that a handful of Internet users settled for an undisclosed sum.
Last year, SSLC again served papers on Singtel, StarHub and M1 to get details of alleged pirates of Fathers & Daughters and Queen Of The Desert, with a list of over 500 offending Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.
The AGC and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (Ipos) said they highlighted to the court that SSLC did not submit "sufficient evidence" to show a link between the IP addresses and alleged illegal downloaders.
It was on such grounds that the case was dismissed.
Intellectual property lawyer Cyril Chua of Robinson LLC said: "Many people may be sharing the same Wi-Fi connection. It doesn't mean that the registrant of the line is downloading."
On the other hand, Mr Lau Kok Keng, an IP lawyer at Rajah & Tann Singapore, said requiring the rights owner to link the IP address to the actual infringer is akin to "putting the cart before the horse" - copyright holders need to know who the account holder is to ascertain if he is the actual pirate.
This article was first published on April 20, 2017.
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Singapore - Singapore Press Holdings Limited (SPH) clinched eight awards at the Asian Media Awards 2017. The awards were presented this evening at the Publish Asia 2017 Gala Dinner by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) in Kuala Lumpur.
The Straits Times (ST), the English-language flagship daily of SPH, swept seven awards, including Gold for Best In Design (Newspaper Overall Design). ST has taken a modern look since its redesign in 2015. There is an instinctively designed feel to the paper and there is good display of high-quality photography and art throughout the paper.
ST was also recognised in the following categories:
- Gold for Best In Design (Newspaper Front Page Design). Joseph Schooling's historic win for Singapore at the Rio Olympics was captured succinctly and boldly in one picture and one word. The projection is unusual and powerful, and was designed to grab eyeballs.
- Gold for Best In Editorial Content (Newspaper Breaking News Article) for a story on last year's terror attacks in Jakarta. ST Indonesian Bureau Chief Francis Chan was among the first journalists to arrive at the scene of the attack, rushing over to the spot which was a few hundred metres away from a Starbucks cafe, where the first suicide bomber struck. Being able to get to "ground zero" before the police sealed the area proved vital, as it gave his reports a distinct edge which was discernible in ST's coverage of the attacks. ST's network of correspondents in Malaysia and the Philippines also provided a wider perspective.
- Bronze for Best In Editorial Content (Newspaper Feature Article) for its feature article - Disruption from Western Media to Singapore Context. The team behind this feature had to translate reports, warnings and chatter about disruption emanating largely from western media to the Singapore context, and find out what they mean for Singapore's economy. They also had to do so in such a way that help readers understand what's ahead.
The series has been published as a book, "Disruption: What Lies Ahead", by Straits Times Press and is available at leading bookstores for S$24.61(incl GST) and at www.stpressbooks.com.sg
- Bronze for Best in Infographics (Newspaper Infographics) for Engineering Feats at Pasir Panjang a Model for Tuas. Months in the making, ST's infographics team spent time in building the step-by-step infographic, from ground-up 3D modelling to hand-drawing to layout and design. The article's text were also carefully wrapped around the visuals to ensure the images take centre-stage.
ST also bagged two awards in photojournalism. They include:
- Silver for Best in Photojournalism (Feature Photography) for "Home Sweet Home Birth" where Executive Photographer Kua Chee Siong displayed professionalism and sensitivity when photographing the live birth of Ms Katherine Tan-Sinha's baby in the comfort of Ms Tan-Sinha's three-room flat.
- Bronze for Best in Photojournalism (Feature Photography) for "Art Gets Seriously Fun" where ST Executive Photographer Ong Wee Jin created an interesting visual by capturing an image of streaking lights radiating outwards from the centre of an art installation titled "Crystal Universe", which is on display at ArtScience Museum's permanent show of digital arts.
Mr Warren Fernandez, Editor-in-Chief of SPH's English, Malay, & Tamil Media Group and Editor of The Straits Times, said: "We are deeply honoured by these awards from a world association of our peers in the journalistic field. They are recognition of our efforts to transform our newsrooms into fully multimedia news providers, serving our readers' needs for the latest news presented in new ways that they value and enjoy."
The Peak Selections: Gourmet & Travel, a publication of The Peak by SPH Magazines Pte Ltd (SPH Magazines), won a Gold for Best in Design (Magazine Overall Design) for its Issue 19.
The Peak Selections: Gourmet & Travel magazine is an award-winning and authoritative guide for those with discerning palates. The stylish quarterly publication offers insider and expert knowledge on food and travel, reports on the latest happenings and trends in the gourmet dining scene and gives recommendations on home entertaining with class. The magazine clinched Bronze for the same award last year.
It also received Food Media of the Year at the Magazine Publishers Association of Singapore Awards 2015 as well as two Awards of Excellence in the Cover and Cover Story, and Photo-Report categories, and Gold for Photography in General in the 6th International Creative Media Awards.
Mr Loh Yew Seng, CEO of SPH Magazines, said: "We are delighted that The Peak Selections: Gourmet & Travel magazine has won another prestigious award at the Asian Media Awards. This would reinforce the publication's focal position as an esteemed and authoritative read in the gourmet dining sector, delivering quality and robust content for our readers and advertisers."
WAN-IFRA's 16th Asian Media Awards aim to promote the highest publishing standards in the fields of newspaper and magazine design, infographics, printing, editorial content, marketing, community service and photojournalism.
Creative license is one thing. Artistic direction is another. Blatant ignorance is, as well. Add these three things together, and you may feel your blood pressure rising.
Yes, we're talking about that Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders episode. Again.
After posting a series of hilarious comebacks to various scenes in the show, local blogger mrbrown, or Lee Kin Mun, has now taken it upon himself to correct the inaccuracies in the show's portrayal of Singapore.
Once again taking on the persona of Kim Huat, "Singapore's No. 1 Police TV Show Fan", mrbrown explained that he was filming the new video because "I watched the video again yesterday, and I made myself angry again!"
Here are five things that Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders got wrong about Singapore, and what mrbrown had to say about them.
Tourist Lisa Carter (played by Corie Vickers), reading from a book: It says here that Singapore's a completely planned society. It was built from almost nothing after World War 2…
mrbrown: Singapore was built from almost nothing after World War 2? What book are you reading?! You think we were some sleepy fishing village at 1942 ah? I call the Sir Stamford Raffles come and hantam (hit) you then you know ah!
We're not sure what history book she was reading.Photo: Video Screengrab
2. Campong or Kampong?
Air stewardess Kathy Hall (played by Toni Trucks): Well, I always like Kampong Glam. (mispronounced as cam-pong glam, as in camera and glamourous)
mrbrown: Kampong Glam lah.(said with correct pronunciation)
3. Kangaroo Court, or not
Special agent Clara Seger (played by Alana de la Garza): When caught, she's most likely going to face an expedited trial and then execution by hanging.
Special agent Matthew Simmons (played by Daniel Henney): Well, running certainly implies guilt, and that's all the Singapore courts are gonna need.
mrbrown: Hello, we certainly need more than that to convict someone lah. You think our court is made of kangaroo one ah?
4. The Singapore Police Force is more than capable, thank you very much
Inspector Cheong (played by Tzi Ma): Thank you. I don't know if I could have handled this situation myself.
mrbrown: Walao eh, why this Singapore police inspector is so cui (lousy) one? Don't have FBI cannot meh? Chao turtle (a replacement swear word).
Don't forget, we have the famous cardboard constable. We also have Tay Ping Hui in C.L.I.F. He's a very pro policeman you know? Shoot from behind the canister of gas! You got see anot, C.L.I.F.? It's the most accurate depiction of our police, understand?
Who needs the FBI when we have our own policemen?Photo: Video Screengrab
5. For the last time, Singapore is not in China and English is our official language
Police officers, in Mandarin: See, here are his identification documents.
Another police officer, apprehending a villian, also in Mandarin: Hold still, you're under arrest!
A villian, speaking in Mandarin: No, you have to wait for the boss. ('Lao ban', the Mandarin word for 'boss', was mispronounced, making it sound like a homophone of the famous local beancurd chain, Lao Ban Soya Beancurd)
mrbrown: Eh, Lao Ban is a tau huay lah.
When the camera began panning across images and scenes of Singapore, which were noted by mrbrown to be stock footage, he was not impressed by the choice of background music.
mrbrown: Eh, why this show so many 'ching chong' music ah? Every time Singapore is featured ah, got the 'ching chong' music leh. The only time got so many 'ching chong' music ah, is when the Chinese New Year time ah, the Mediacorp artistes come and sing the Chinese New Year song you know.
That being said, not everything on the show missed the mark.
1. Big Brother is watching you
Inspector Cheong: In the interest of national security, Singapore has security cameras at virtually every intersection of the city.
mrbrown: Actually ah, the CCTV part is quite true. Just now I went downstair to buy the bak chor mee hor, the lift down there already got one CCTV. Then ah, I went to the next block ah, got two CCTV. Then I go the carpark ah, wah, another CCTV.
Singapore really got a lot of CCTV leh. Scared ah.
CCTV left, right and center.Photo: Video Screengrab
American TV drama Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders features Singapore in one of its episodes, but netizens have called its portrayal of the country inaccurate and stereotypical. Local blogger mrbrown dissects the episode scene-by-scene and corrects the misleading facts that the episode is carrying.
There will be four fewer junior colleges (JC) in 2019, as eight JCs will be merged to address the significant continued fall in cohort sizes due to declining birth rates.
This is the first time that JCs are being merged, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said in a statement on Thursday (April 20).
The JCs to be merged are:
- Anderson JC and Serangoon JC, to be located at the site of Anderson JC.
- Yishun JC and Innova JC, to be located at the site of Yishun JC.
- Meridian JC and Tampines JC, to be located at the site of Meridian JC.
- Pioneer JC and Jurong JC, to be located at the site of Pioneer JC.
Explaining its rationale for the mergers, MOE said the move was necessary to maintain the quality of a JC education.
"Falling birth rates will soon affect our JCs. Lower enrolment will make it challenging for a JC to offer a wide suite of subject combinations and co-curricular programmes," the ministry said. It added that all eligible students will still be assured of a place in JCs.
Meanwhile, seven pairs of primary schools and three pairs of secondary schools will also be merged in the biggest schools merging exercise in the past decade.
Photo: MOE
A new primary school, Fern Green Primary, will be opening in Sengkang in 2018 to meet the high demand for school places there.
According to MOE, factors such as enrolment size, geographical proximity, suitability of merger partners, and infrastructure capacity are taken into consideration when choosing the schools to merge. The overall geographical coverage of across Singapore is an additional consideration for the mergers of JCs.
"The sites for the merged schools are chosen based on accessibility to transport and quality of infrastructure," the ministry added.
MOE also assured that there would be no retrenchment of MOE staff, and that the history and heritage of both schools in a merger will be documented in a heritage space situated in the merged school building.
On Twitter, many netizens reacted to the news with surprise, with some also questioning the need to open a new JC (Eunoia JC) given that 8 others were merging.
Campaigning in the upcoming Football Association of Singapore (FAS) election has been dominated by questions about a $500,000 donation to a regional footballing body made by Tiong Bahru Football Club, managed by Mr Bill Ng, one of the two contenders in the race.
Mr Ng has been in a war of words with FAS general secretary Winston Lee over who knew about the donation and what it was to be used for, but the debate has also turned the spotlight onto the amateur club and how it managed to come up with a sizeable donation, while the rest of sport in Singapore survives largely on handouts.
A check by The Straits Times yesterday found that the side from the second-tier National Football League (NFL) had considerable financial muscle.
For the financial year that ended in March last year, the club's gross income was reported to be $36.8 million, an amount which eclipses the FAS' budget of $35.8 million for the same period. Going back to FY 2010/2011, the club notched annual income figures ranging from $11 million to $36 million.
Its expenses were of a similar magnitude, resulting in profits of between $140,000 and $700,000 for each of the seven years, going by Tiong Bahru's annual returns, filed with the Registry of Societies. No breakdown of the expenses were available. In FY 2009/2010, the club made $2.6 million but ended the year with a deficit of $19,000. In comparison, Tampines Rovers from the top-tier S-League, a recognised local football powerhouse, had an income of $3.6 million in the FY 2013/2014.
Mr Ng is leading a slate called the Game Changers to contest the FAS election. The 57-year-old corporate rescue specialist is chairman of both Tiong Bahru and S-League side Hougang United.
Facing him is a side called Team LKT led by lawyer and former FAS vice-president Lim Kia Tong. The election will be held at the Sports Hub next Saturday.
Although Tiong Bahru's income numbers have not been made public before, Mr Ng has made no secret of its winning formula - jackpot machines.
Tiong Bahru, which boasts almost 19,000 members, has a clubhouse at the basement of People's Park Centre, where it has 29 jackpot machines. In previous interviews, Mr Ng has maintained that without the jackpot operations, the S-League would have folded long ago because depending on FAS subsidies was not the long-term solution.
He is similarly credited with turning struggling Hougang into a profitable side, with returns from its jackpot operations. The Cheetahs are the only S-League club that operate without the $800,000 annual subsidy from the Tote Board. In 2014, the club registered a profit in excess of $2 million, and they have gone further to set up a $1 million scholarship fund for young footballers.
News of Tiong Bahru's incomes drew very different reactions from sports officials. Mr Moklas Ma'arof, secretary of NFL Division 2 club Kembangan United, said: "I am very surprised by the figure. Most NFL clubs don't even have $10,000 in their account and Tiong Bahru made more than $36 million."
Another official, who is more familiar with jackpot operations, did not bat an eyelid. He said: "Tiong Bahru's profits are not surprising because it has 29 jackpot machines, which is a huge number. I have seen people hanging out in jackpot rooms from morning to night and it is possible for the club to make such a huge amount in one year."
Mr Ng issued a statement yesterday, in which he said the revelations over the last few days have been a "time to clear the air" moment for football in Singapore. While he acknowledged that friends have shared concerns that his team "has washed dirty linen in public, potentially even sullied (his) own reputation", he insisted that "the public and football fraternity need to know the previous environment of administration... is... an unhealthy environment and needs to be cleared".
This article was first published on Apr 20, 2017.
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