The police will launch an investigation after Sport Singapore (SportSG) filed a report on the alleged misuse of funds at Tiong Bahru Football Club.

"The police will conduct a thorough investigation and will take appropriate action against any persons who have committed offences in Singapore. As investigations are ongoing, it is inappropriate to comment further at this point," the police said in a statement.

Its statement followed soon after the release of the national sports agency's press statement this afternoon, which explained why it had to make the police report last night (April 19).

Apart from the suspected misuse of funds, SportSG said there was a purported attempt by a senior officer at a club to instigate another club to delay or obstruct the completion of audits until after the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) election has ended on April 29.

Managed by Bill Ng, Tiong Bahru FootBall Club was thrust into the limelight after questions were raised about its $500,000 donation to a regional footballing body before the election. Mr Ng is reportedly one of the two presidential candidates.

The Straits Times reported that Mr Ng had been in a verbal exchange with FAS general secretary Winston Lee over who knew about the donation and what it was to be used for.

The amateur club was also questioned on how it managed to come up with such a big donation. Checks by The Straits Times showed the club's gross income was reported to be $36.8 million, an amount which exceeds the FAS' budget of $35.8 million for the financial year that ended in March last year.

chenj@sph.com.sg

Read also: Tiong Bahru FC made $37 million from jackpot revenue

SportSG statement:

"On 3 April 2017, SportSG received a letter from a named individual alleging that a senior officer of a Football Club had instigated another Club to delay and/or obstruct the completion of audits until after the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Elections, scheduled to be held on 29 April 2017, with false reasons.

"The said audits had been initiated in mid-2016 by the FAS in response to queries by SportSG.

"Following the media reports that Tiong Bahru Football Club had donated $500,000 to the ASEAN Football Federation through the FAS, SportSG looked into the matter, and received further information on 18 April 2017.

"On the same day, SportSG also made further checks, which raised other serious questions about the use of Club funds.

"Based on legal advice, SportSG decided to file a police report on 19 April 2017 at about 7:50pm, in respect of suspected misuse of Tiong Bahru Football Club's funds and a purported attempt by a senior officer of the Club to delay and/or obstruct the completion of audits into the S.League sit-out clubs."

"SportSG will also request to meet the FAS' Ad-hoc Electoral Committee to clarify the way ahead for the upcoming elections."

A book on the late law minister E.W. Barker has won an award at Singapore Book Awards 2017 held this evening (April 20).

Penned by former Straits Times journalist Susan Sim, the 428-page biography puts together the pioneer statesman's achievements that were instrumental to the emergence of Singapore as an independent country and its success as a prosperous city-state.

Pubished by ST Press, 'E W Barker: The People's Minister' won the best non-fiction title.

Ms Susan Long, General Manager, ST Press, said: "It was a labour of love by Susan Sim, which took five years in the making, and the care and thought she took with the research and writing shows."　

ST Press is the book publishing arm of Singapore Press Holdings.

Organised by the Singapore Book Publishers Association, the awards were launched in 2012. It took a three-year hiatus before returning last year (2016).

chenj@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - The humble pandan cake has made headlines recently, after being named one of the world's 17 best cakes by the travel website of US news outlet CNN.

Perhaps more surprisingly, it was listed as Singapore's national cake, an accolade it shared with neighbour Malaysia.

Describing the cake as "essentially a chiffon cake" infused with green-coloured juice from the pandanus palm, the April 2 article said: "The radioactive hue of this cake belies its natural woodsy flavor.

"When married to fluffy-yet-moist chiffon cake, it's a revelation."

Local bakeries Pine Garden and Bengawan Solo also received a mention, with Pine Garden's version of the pandan cake praised as being one of the best.

Meanwhile, kueh lapis, which CNN identified as lapis legit, was named Indonesia's national cake.

The popular red bean pancake dorayaki was named Japan's national cake, while Hong Kong's was "mai lai go", the traditional Cantonese steamed brown sugar sponge cake served in dim sum restaurants.

Other notable mentions included Turkey's baklava, victoria sponge from Great Britain, tiramisu from Italy, pavlova from New Zealand and cheesecake from the US.

This article was first published on April 19, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The National Parks Board (NParks) said it has been working with Hash House Harriers to reduce the practice of marking out running routes, after a "hashing" group left flour at Woodleigh MRT Station on Tuesday (April 18) and sparked a security scare.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, Mr Wong Tuan Wah, group director of conservation at NParks, said NParks has been working with Hash House Harriers to "reduce the need of using markers when they run in NParks-managed areas".

ST understands that this is not in reaction to Tuesday's incident, but instead is part of ongoing discussions.

Advance runners from Hash House Harriers groups mark out a trail using flour, chalk or toilet paper so that the runners after them can pick up the "clues" and follow the route.

Read Also: Man uses flour to mark out hashing trail at Woodleigh MRT: What exactly is hashing?

One man was arrested and two others are assisting with police investigations after flour left at various parts of Woodleigh MRT Station on Tuesday (April 18) led to the station being closed for more than three hours and police and Singapore Civil Defence Officers being deployed.

"NParks regularly meets up with Hash House Harriers (HHH) to advise on the rules regarding 'hash' running in our managed areas," said Mr Wong on Thursday.

He added that chalk and flour are prohibited in NParks-managed areas as the substances "are more difficult to clean up, might seep into and cause damage to the environment".

If consumed, these substances might also have detrimental effects on wildlife.

Read Also: Running group apologises for Woodleigh station incident, says should have used signs

"Only toilet or tissue paper are allowed to be used as markings, and they must be cleaned up immediately after the event," he said.

"If they are not cleaned up, enforcement action could be taken."

Under the Parks and Tree Act, those who litter in parks and nature reserves can be fined up to $5,000.

Mr Ken Ong, chairman of the Hash House Harriers, Singapore, told ST that using toilet paper to mark trails within NParks areas was an agreement reached between NParks and the hashing community.

"The condition imposed is that we will have to remove all traces of the paper latest by noon the next day," he said.

"Usually, we have one of the members setting the trail pick up all the paper as soon as the last runner has gone by, within the very same day."

When asked about Tuesday's incident, where runners from the Seletar Hash House Harriers sprinkled flour at Woodleigh MRT Station, Mr Ong said: "Those men from Tuesday Hash were setting a trail for their fellow members, marking it with flour."

He added that his group, which runs on Mondays, "almost always set our runs in non-urban areas, thereby avoiding sensitive locations like MRT stations and such".

In a statement issued on Wednesday (April 19), the Seletar Hash House Harriers apologised to the public and authorities for the alarm and inconvenience caused.

They explained that three of its members had chosen to use the MRT underpass for members to go from Bidadari towards Woodleigh Close "as this provided the safest route to cross Upper Serangoon Road".

This article was first published on April 20, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Two cases of locally-transmitted Zika virus infection here have been confirmed in the Glasgow Road area, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement yesterday.

Both cases are residents of the area.

The new cluster was notified yesterday, and vector control operations as well as outreach efforts have begun in the area, the statement said.

The agency added that it had been conducting preventive inspections in the area.

An additional case has also been confirmed at Poh Huat Road West (Nouvelle Park), thus expanding the original cluster at Poh Huat Terrace and Terrasse Lane, which was first reported on April 11.

The number of cases reported at the Flower Road/Hendry Close cluster remains at two.

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Photo Gallery

Zika outbreak in Singapore

Source:

The Straits Times

The New Paper

An NEA spokesman said: "Residents and stakeholders are urged to maintain vigilance and continue to eliminate mosquito breeding habitats, as there could still be asymptomatic or mild, undiagnosed cases which might result in further transmission of the virus if there are mosquitoes in the vicinity."

NEA has been conducting preventive inspections in the vicinity even before the cluster at Glasgow Road area was notified to detect and destroy any potential mosquito breeding habitats, the statement added.

Updated information on Zika and current clusters can be obtained from www.nea.gov.sg/zika and www.nea.gov.sg/zika-clusters.

This article was first published on April 21, 2017.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

Over the years, a slew of wide-ranging measures have been introduced to clamp down on smoking in Singapore.

While smoking among adults here fell from 18.3 per cent in 1992 to 13.3 per cent in 2013, the rate has since stagnated at that level.

Also, smokers are starting younger.

The average age at which they first lit up was 16 years old in 2013, down from 17 in 2001.

To combat youth smoking, several measures can be considered, some of which have been affirmed in overseas studies. Here is a quick look at them:

1. LIMITING TOBACCO SALES POINTS

This is an emerging frontier in tobacco control.

The density and proximity of tobacco sellers in a given area, such as near schools, have been shown in studies to affect adolescent lifetime smoking and experimental smoking.

Some parts of the United States have already started to draft laws or proposals requiring a minimum distance between tobacco shops, and to cap the number of such retailers in a specific area.

In Singapore, there are more than 4,700 tobacco retail outlets as of last year - more than 40 times the number of McDonald's restaurants islandwide.

2. A NOT-FOR-PROFIT MODEL

Taking a leaf out of how alcohol sales are managed in Nordic nations such as Sweden and Iceland, the retail set-up of tobacco shops could go down the same route.

In those countries, only a government-run chain sells alcoholic beverages, and it is not-for-profit.

Strict rules come with their sales, for example, underaged teenagers cannot enter the alcohol shop and even those lingering outside may get questioned.

As a result, alcohol consumption has declined significantly in both countries in the past decades.

3. COHORT BAN

This involves banning people born after a certain year, such as 2000, from smoking.

Generally referred to as the "Tobacco Free Generation" movement, it first surfaced in Singapore in 2010, backed by doctors, and has since gained some traction in other countries.

It is described as an "end-game" strategy to stamp out smoking once and for all, starting with the next generation.

But some ministers, including those in Singapore, had voiced doubts that it can be implemented effectively and in a practical manner.

The issue of undemocratic age discrimation has also been brought up in other quarters.

4. TOTAL BAN

Bhutan is the only country in the world today to completely prohibit tobacco sales, cultivation and manufacturing in 2004.

It may appear to be a straightforward measure - much akin to banning chewing gum in Singapore - but smoking, being addictive, poses more complex problems.

In Bhutan's case, it was a blanket ban that is meant to target people of all ages.

Despite that, more teenagers were found to be smoking in 2013, compared to 2006.

For the full analysis, go to: http://str.sg/4BxH

This article was first published on April 20, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Hai Sing Catholic School has taken "appropriate disciplinary measures" and carried out counselling after two of its secondary school students were shown in a fight in a video clip posted online.

In the clip first published by citizen journalism site Stomp, a boy is shown raining punches on another, before getting him in a headlock on the ground.

The incident happened at the school canteen at about 3pm on Monday (April 17), Shin Min Daily News reported on Thursday (April 20).

The boy who was being beaten up reportedly called the police after the incident.

A spokesman for Hai Sing Catholic School told The Straits Times on Thursday (April 20) that the school " has addressed the matter with appropriate disciplinary measures and counselled the students involved".

"We have also been working with their parents to help our students learn from the incident," said the spokesman.

"As the matter is currently under police investigation, we are unable to comment further."

This article was first published on April 20, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

A 31-year-old man died on Wednesday (April 19) after being hit by other men at a carpark in the Clarke Quay area last Sunday (April 16).

The man, identified by Shin Min Daily News in a report on Thursday (April 20) as Mr Tan Jun Jie, was taken to Singapore General Hospital.

The incident occurred at a carpark at 3E River Valley Road on Sunday, Shin Min reported.

The late Mr Tan's mother, a 52-year-old housewife who gave her name as Madam Huang Cuili, told Shin Min that her son suffered from bleeding in the brain after the incident and was in a serious condition.

He died in hospital at about 9.58am on Wednesday, the police said in a news release on Thursday.

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Photo Gallery

Man dies after attack in Clarke Quay carpark

Source:

Facebook video screengrabs

Lianhe Zaobao

The police have arrested nine suspects, aged between 20 and 30, in relation to the case.

Three have been charged for rioting with a deadly weapon, while three more will be charged for the same offence.

If found guilty, they can be jailed for up to 10 years and caned.

Investigations against the last three suspects are ongoing.

This article was first published on April 20, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - Homegrown husband and wife singers Alfred Sim, 35, and Tay Kewei, 33, are expecting their first child after tying the knot in 2015.

They had been trying to start a family for about a year when she discovered the good news on the first day of Chinese New Year.

Tay, who is four months pregnant now, says: "It felt very 'huat'. (Hokkien for prosperous). I wanted to share the news with Alfred as soon as I could. We were visiting relatives and friends, so I broke the news to him in the car."

Music fans can see his reaction for themselves in the couple's Web reality video series, Married, And Then?. The moment was captured on camera in the latest episode, which airs on Thursday night (April 20) on YouTube.

The channel, A Better TV, is helmed by the couple's agency, Cross Ratio Entertainment, and local production house Trigram Media.

Married, And Then?, which releases a new episode every fortnight, revolves around the couple's married life, from renovating their new flat to preparing for parenthood.

The baby will be the first grandchild for both sides of the family, says Tay.

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Singapore's Tay Kewei holds full-fledge solo concert

Source: Cross Ratio Entertainment

"Our mothers are very eager to be part of the process, they are ready for the baby," adds Tay, the elder daughter of a housewife and a traditional Chinese musical instrument teacher. She has a sister, Kexin, 27, who is also a singer.

Sim, who is also an athletics coach, is the elder son of a housewife mother and civil servant father.

He wants to be a hands-on dad. "I've been hearing horror stories from my friends about sleepless nights and no more private moments with my wife the moment the baby's out. I just have got to be mentally prepared," he says.

Tay is due to give birth at the end of September or in early October.

Read also: Singapore's Tay Kewei finally holds full-fledge solo concert

She is hoping only for a healthy baby and has no preference when it comes to the gender of the child. She hopes to have two children, a son and a daughter.

Sim, who owns fitness training company Reactiv, hopes his first child will be boy.

He says: "I'm really sporty and I think it will be really fun to have an active child."

This article was first published on Apr 20, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Singaporeans have once again taken up arms against the inaccurate representation of our local culture, barely two days after American crime drama series Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders drew flak for its inaccurate portrayal of Singapore.

This time, they are out to defend one of the cornerstones of what makes us 'Uniquely Singapore'. That's right, we're talking about our food. To be accurate, Singaporean hawker food.

Here's the lowdown on what happened. INSIDER food, which dedicates itself to sharing everything from food hacks to recipes to hidden gems, posted a video on Facebook, with a five-word caption: "This is Singaporean street food."

Naturally, like any proud Singaporean, we played the video out of curiousity. After all, seeing our humble local fare on an international site is something we enjoy looking at.

The video started off by introducing the eatery - Chomp Chomp. The name is a likely reference to the famous Serangoon hawker centre, so plus points for that!

The owner and chef, Simpson Wong, said that when he was younger, his parents would bring his family to the hawker centre, where they could enjoy eight different dishes within one meal. Hence, he wanted to recreate the hawker centre culture in New York, where the eatery is located.

Impressed, we settled back in our seats, interested to see which dishes would make the cut.

The first featured dish was Roti Jala, a traditional Malay dish commonly eaten with curry.

Then came some footage of local hawker centres, with sugarcane to boot.

What happened next, however, left us confused and questioning all our years of eating Singaporean hawker fare.

In quick succession, chilli crab cheese fries, crab omelette, and lamb rendang mee pok, topped with a fried egg and, inexplicably, a cracker, flashed on our screen.

Huh? This is Singaporean street food? Since when were chilli crab french fries available in hawker centres? And since when do we spoon our mee pok onto a cracker and eat it like a taco?

Reeling from the foreignness of it all, we could do nothing but stare in confusion.

We weren't the only ones.

Commenters on the video wondered if they were living in an alternate universe.

Some drew comparisons to the appalling xiaolongbao video produced by TimeOut London last month, where the Chinese delicacy was offensively likened to 'pus-filled pimples'.

Others pointed out that it was inaccurate to call the dishes 'street food', as most Singaporeans would consider the featured dishes to be hawker food.

Facebook user Michelle Chia explained the difference, saying, "This is not Singapore food. This is Singapore inspired fusion food. Singapore don't (sic) have street food. This is Singapore hawker food."

Some commenters added that the eatery did in fact serve authentic Singaporean dishes, but that they had not been featured in the video in favour of the Westernised fusion dishes.

The choice of the Westernised dishes over the authentic Singaporean ones was a move that (rightfully, we think) drew outrage from Singaporeans.

Facebook user Jon Zephanius noted that a "Singaporean" dish does not equate to a dish that has "chilli crab" added to it.

While we do appreciate INSIDER food's desire to share Singaporean dishes with the rest of the world, we do hope that the representation is at least accurate.

After all, Singaporeans are extremely protective over our food. As Facebook user Kathleen Chan warned, "You do not mess with Singaporeans when it comes to food."

pariel@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - A Singapore court on Friday approved Swissco Holdings Ltd's application to be placed under judicial management after the debt-burdened rig and vessel charter firm reached an impasse with major lenders last year.

Judicial management is a process that gives a financially distressed company leeway to return to financial health under court supervision.

Singapore's offshore and marine industry has been hit by low oil prices, weak charter rates and delays to projects.

Oilfield services firm Swiber Holdings is also under judicial management. Last month oilfield services provider Ezra Holdings Ltd filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection.

The court approved EY's Angela Ee and Purandar Rao as Swissco's judicial managers.

As of end-September 2016, Swissco's outstanding debt repayable in one year or less was US$255.7 million (S$357.26 million).

It looks like lemonade and apparently it tastes like it too. But these glasses are actually filled with water.

A research team in Singapore's Keio-NUS CUTE (Connective Ubiquitous Technology for Embodiments) centre said they have devised a way to make water taste like lemonade.

They start off by dipping a sensor into a glass of real lemonade. The PH value is then remotely transmitted to electrode strips running along the top of a glass of water - which emulates the taste.

The scientists working on the project said the flavour can then be transmitted through the internet to a friend. The team also claimd there are health benefits to their prototype. The centre is a joint collaboration between National University of Singapore (NUS) and Keio University, Japan

Two students from the university were given a taste test in front of a reporter. They said they liked the idea, but one student did suggest minor improvements.

The digital lemonade is the team's first prototype for this experiment...and they're confident that people will be drinking and sharing 'virtual lemonade' in the future.

An international marine conservation group probing the living conditions of seven dolphins once housed at Underwater World Singapore (UWS) is asking for more transparency from marine attractions here.

Sea Shepherd visited Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, China, three times last month to monitor the five Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins (or pink dolphins) that UWS said were sent there.

However, their investigators saw only four on display: females Eaung and Pann, as well as Pann's two calves, Splish and Splash.

"Further inquiries with Chimelong staff returned different responses," said Ms Jaki Teo, Singapore representative for Sea Shepherd Asia. One worker claimed the fifth dolphin, a female, was kept in an off-site research facility; but another staff said there were only four dolphins left, said Ms Teo.

UWS did not name the dolphins it sent over, but Sea Shepherd believes the fifth was Jumbo, a male.

UWS told The Straits Times its aquatic animals were all relocated to regional facilities by last October. These included the five pink dolphins, three fur seals and five otters that were sent to Chimelong. But UWS would not name the facilities the other animals, including two remaining dolphins, were moved to.

UWS also declined to respond to Sea Shepherd's report on the dolphins. Its spokesman would only say: "All the other aquatic animals also found suitable facilities to be rehoused and were safely transferred out of the UWS to various regional facilities by end October 2016."

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Photo Gallery

Underwater World Singapore says goodbye after 25 years

Source: Underwater World Singapore, The Straits Times, The New Paper, Berita Harian

Sea Shepherd's Ms Teo called for greater transparency from such parks. They could, for example, publish a list of acquisitions, births, deaths and sales of any animals.

"This will ensure that facilities keep to the highest animal husbandry standards and are accountable for their actions," said Ms Teo, pointing to past cases where animal deaths were swept under the rug until exposed by the media.

For example, when Gracie the dugong died in 2014, there was no announcement until last June, when The New Paper queried UWS after a reporter noticed the dugong had vanished. Similarly, when two manta rays died at Resorts World Sentosa in 2014 - the same year it started a manta ray conservation project - there were no announcements from the park until later that year, following queries from ST.

And UWS admitted that one of its dolphins, Han, was suffering from a "non-contagious form of skin cancer" only after local wildlife group Wildlife Watcher raised questions about its welfare.

It is not clear where Han and the other remaining dolphin, Speedy, were moved to. "This raises the question of whether they are still alive. This visible absence of culpability in the captive industry is a big problem," said Ms Teo.

The pink dolphin is on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which lists species threatened with extinction. Permits are required before animals on this list are traded.

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Photo Gallery

Crowds throng Underwater World Singapore on its last day of operations

Source: The Straits Times

But the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, which issues them here, declined to specify the number of permits it issued UWS, citing organisational confidentiality. The agency would only say that it worked with UWS to rehome all the aquatic animals to various aquaria overseas.

Sea Shepherd's call for transparency is echoed by other conservation groups, including the Nature Society (Singapore), or NSS, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). NSS marine conservation group chairman Stephen Beng said: "As more ocean theme parks are built, it pressures hunters to acquire endangered or threatened species in already overfished oceans. Transparency will show whether an organisation supports marine life research, conservation and education."

Read also: Dolphins at Underwater World have moved to China

He added that the transfer of UWS' pink dolphins also fuels the debate on the moral acceptability of keeping animals in captivity, especially those with larger ranges and complex social structures such as cetaceans, which includes whales and dolphins.

Ms Aimee Leslie, global cetaceans and marine turtle manager at WWF-International, said: "There is no justification for a lack of transparency in the trade of protected marine species."

Chief executive of wildlife rescue group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society Louis Ng, who is also an MP for Nee Soon GRC, said: "India has banned the keeping of dolphins in captivity, Switzerland has banned the import of dolphins. Solomon Islands, where Resorts World Sentosa got their dolphins from, has also banned the export. Singapore should also move in this direction."

audreyt@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Apr 21, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Singapore - He was only 17 when he joined the national team. The following year, he scored the winning goal against Selangor FC, helping Singapore FA clinch the 1980 Malaysia Cup title. Local football legend Fandi Ahmad's fate was bound to be intertwined with that of Singapore football, even more so years after his prime days.

Last October, Fandi Ahmad was appointed by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to head the training of young footballers under 20 years old. It is a task he takes seriously, seeing that need to keep teenage footballers in the team, and transit them to the national team.

Speaking on the feasibility of being a footballer in Singapore, Fandi passionately urges, "(If) Kids here want to be players, we must give them hope. The parents must give them hope, and the people and everybody must support the sports."

He believes that studies and sports can go hand in hand, and that any child with talent should give sports a shot while they can. "If we keep losing good athletes to studies, I think we don't need all the stadiums, we don't need all the facilities," he laments.

Read also: Irfan Fandi opens up about 5-year relationship with silat player

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Photo Gallery

Football star Irfan Fandi opens up about 5-year relationship with silat player

Source: screengrabs, Irfan Fandi, The New Paper, The Straits Times, Berita Harian

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.

The five City Harvest Church (CHC) leaders, who began serving their jail sentences at Changi Prison yesterday, will step into a place with which their church has had dealings for many years.

CHC has been providing chapel services and support group sessions at Changi prison since 2001. The Straits Times understands, however, that the convicted leaders will probably not have access to their own church's services to ensure there is no "conflict of interest".

If they want, however, CHC leader Kong Hee and the others will be able to attend Christian counselling services offered by other churches.

Kong and the other church leaders - John Lam, Tan Yee Peng and Sharon Tan and Serina Wee - are serving prison terms ranging from 7 months to 42 months.

After paperwork and a medical examination for the three men in the Changi Prison Complex, prison officials will decide whether to house them in maximum security or medium security facilities.

Many high-profile prisoners end up in maximum security facilities, where they have fewer dealings with other prisoners.

The women will undergo a similar process at the Changi Women's Prison and exchange their civilian clothes for standard prison T-shirts and shorts.

The inmates' belongings have to be surrendered to prison staff and can be redeemed on release or by their family members.

No long hair is allowed for male or female prisoners, unless the inmate is a Sikh. The hair must be above the ears. As they turned themselves in yesterday, both women had already cut their hair short.

Days in prison normally revolve around various activities like training, counselling and work for which the inmates receive allowances. The jobs they can do could involve laundry, cooking and baking, call centres, or business jobs outsourced to prisons. But not all inmates are eligible or deployed for work.

The prison, on its own, issues standard gear to inmates such as blanket, a mug and a toothbrush each. They also have access to newspapers and can watch television during prescribed hours. There is, however, no Internet access.

Inmates are served three meals a day, which are simple but nutritious affairs - usually rice with fish or meat and vegetables. The cutlery is usually made of plastic, for security reasons. After dinner, inmates are usually locked into their cells - which normally house three or four persons - unless they have to attend night classes or are on the late shift at a call centre.

They can also exercise and work out regularly.

Inmates are also allowed visits from family members and other approved visitors. They can either choose to have two televisits a month, each lasting 30 minutes or they can opt for one televisit and one face-to-face visit. The face-to-face visit can last up to 20 minutes and can include up to three visitors. Inmates are also allowed to receive approved reading materials of up to three items per visit.

With good conduct, Kong Hee like the others, could earn a one-third remission, on his jail sentence. This could see his prison term cut to 28 months. He may even qualify for home detention for the tail end of his jail term, and effectively serve two years in jail.

vijayan@sph.com.sg

melodyz@sph.com.sg

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2017-04-21 11:54:51

Photo Gallery

City Harvest case: Kong Hee and 4 leaders surrender at State Courts to start jail terms

Source:

The Straits Times

This article was first published on April 21, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Read also

• Kong Hee 'truly sorry' for unwise decisions
• Kong's 'temporary' Sentosa Cove home remains unsold
• AGC applies to take case to Court of Appeal
• Jail term cut for City Harvest Church leader

A GALA dinner and fashion show was held to raise funds for the Singapore Indian Development Association (Sinda), as well as needy families in the Henderson-Dawson constituency.

Senior Minister of State for Law and Finance Indranee Rajah was the guest of honour for the April 15 event organised by Henderson-Dawson CCC Welfare Fund Committee and Indian Business leaders' Roundtable.

The evening of glitz and glamour, with the theme of Bollywood Cutting Edge IV, held at Sheraton Towers was chaired by Ms Maniza Jumabhoy and Ms Joy Tan.

It raised over $300,000 and was attended by some 300 guests.

The funds will be channelled towards those in need of assistance at the Henderson-Dawson constituency as well as benefit students in Sinda's educational programmes by funding e-learning technologies and youth mentorship.

Said Sinda president Indranee: "It is very important to spare a thought for those who are in need and this (the funds raised) goes in to the Sinda general funds for a variety of things such as Step tuition bursaries, Lynn programme for pre-school.

"This year, Sinda wants to make a big push for outreach to the people who actually need Sinda's services so some of the funds will be channelled towards that as well."

During the charity event, Ms Indranee sang the popular Bollywood song Tum Hi Ho from the movie Aashiqui 2 and Vaan Megam from the Tamil film Punnagai Mannan.

She also belted out Cantonese and English songs with veteran local singer Mohamed Raffee who played the guitar.

The fashion show held during the gala dinner showcased the collections of some of India's best designers, such as Rohit Gandhi, Rahul Khanna, Kavita Bhartia, Ujjawal Dubey, Nikasha Jayanthi Reddy and Anushree Reddy, who are best known for their contemporary pieces influenced by the east-west milieu of today's global citizens.

MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Joan Pereira, who was the special guest, performed alongside children from the Henderson-Dawson constituency.

She said: "The children were from the We love learning programme and I learnt from them too. They are excellent examples and this kind of event helps build their self-confidence."

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The Singapore International Indian Expo's April edition will run for five days from April 27

FOR the past five years, the biggest Indian shopping festival in Singapore was held once - closer to Deepavali.

This year, the shopping extravaganza will feature twice in the annual calendar.

The first one will be on from April 27 and run for five days at the Singapore Expo, Hall 6B. The second edition will be closer to Deepavali later in the year.

Called the Singapore International Indian (SII) Expo, the event has more to it than just shopping.

Visitors can look forward to fashion shows, story-telling treats, mouth-watering food and goods flown in from India by some of the 160-plus exhibitors at the Expo.

Featured below are some of the exhibitors and their wares:

● Aadya's Boutique

Aadya's Boutique specialises in ethnic Indian jewellery and designer apparel. It is known for its exclusive wedding jewellery and lehengas.

● Paaneri

Paaneri is another well-known name for ethnic ladies' and gents' apparel in India.

The brand is bringing exclusive fashionwear, bridal saris, salwar kameez and men's wear.

Paaneri also offers a wide range of products in fancy hand embroidery including zari, resham and zardozi work with colourful kundan, sequins and Swarovski.

● Hues & Patterns

Hues & Patterns will showcase a new collection of cotton and silk items for the home and family. Expect a range of collection of block prints from Jaipur.

● Pottu Kara Maami

Singapore-based sisters Sindu and Shruti Suria run Pottu Kara Maami, a home-based boutique.

You can find everything from Mangalagiri cotton saris, Kanchipuram saris, Chettinad cottons, block print saris to terra-cotta/silver jewellery at their booth.

● Sia Art Jewellery

Sia has 20 exclusive stores and more than 120 outlets in shop units in department stores in India.

It offers a range of exclusive designs that are affordable.

Sia has designs that range from daily wear to jewellery for special occasions.

● Vijay Laxmi Art

Vishal Khandelwal is an enameller and a stone jewellery artist. His work will be exhibited at the Expo.

Vijay Laxmi Art will showcase filigree work, a delicate kind of jewellery metalwork made from twisted threads usually of gold and silver.

Filigree is also combined with semi-precious and precious stones as well as enamelling to create unique pieces of jewellery.

● Artisans

Artisans from Chennai will be bringing a good art collection from south India - from marble sculptures to Chola bronze statues, limited-edition Tanjore paintings and handcrafted teak wood furniture.

● Sanchay

This company is involved in promoting eco and health-friendly products, such as clay utensils and jute bags.

By selling clay products, it helps in promoting the work of the potter community.

One of the products is the hawan kund to conduct pujas.

● Friends Handicrafts

Friends Handicrafts is an exporter from Jaipur that will be bringing in textiles and handicraft items, Jaipuri jutis and jewellery.

● South India Shelters

South India Shelters will be marketing Indian property at the show.

So far the company has successfully handed over 2.51 million sq ft of residential property after construction, with another 1.58 million sq ft being built.

● Jesal Sweet House

Regulars at the SII Expo will have noticed long queues at this booth.

The KL-based Jesal Sweet House will be selling its appetising Indian sweets  this time too.

● Mango Village by Helios Glanz

It is the mango season and this Singapore-based trading company is bringing in more than 20 delectable varieties of Indian mangoes.

They include Alphonso, Kesar, Payari, Lal Bagh, Badami, Totapuri, and Neelam.

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Is the kampung spirit dead?

The final episode "The Disappearing Kampung Spirit" brings you to the early days of Singapore, reminiscing the good old days when the neighbourhood used to be like one big family. The older generation who grew up in a kampung most certainly have fond memories of their childhood, living in wooden attap houses, chasing chickens in their backyards, leaving their doors unlocked...

Nowadays, most people live in great proximity with their neighbours but very few enjoy the same kind of close bonds that once ran deep in the kampungs.

How can Singaporeans revive the kampung spirit? Watch the 2 minutes animation to understand why it matters.

About "Why It Matters":

"Why It Matters"（关我什么事） is one of 10 SPH-produced short form digital video series as part of a pilot Public Service Broadcast initiative. This 8-part animation series focuses on the sights and sounds that are gradually disappearing from this world, including languages, cultures, flora and fauna.

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

SINGAPORE - A puppy was found along Pasir Ris Farmway on Friday (April 21) with its tail apparently missing, in what is a suspected abuse case.

Mr Sam Chan, a 48-year-old dog trainer, posted photos and a video on Facebook on Friday showing the puppy, with its tail missing.

The post was shared more than 3,600 times.

"I don't know who will do this, those perverts," he told The Straits Times in Mandarin on Saturday (April 22).

He said a feeder had found the puppy along Pasir Ris Farmway on April, and it is now at the vet.

It will be put up for rehoming at Mutts and Mittens, a pet shop that also boards and rehomes animals.

Mr Chan, who has worked there for six to seven years, said he thinks it could be abuse as the tail was cut very cleanly and was unlikely to be accidental.

Mr Derrick Tan, president of dog rescue group Voices for Animals, told ST that the puppy's wound was surrounded by maggots.

He said: "We are unsure if it was cut off, or someone had tied a rubber band around it.

"It could be abuse as it is a very clean cut."

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) is investigating the case.

Read also: Ubi cat found wrapped in masking tape in unusual animal abuse case

This article was first published on April 22, 2017.
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For many of us, we probably do not mind sharing tables with strangers when there is a lack of them at coffeeshops because this is part of Singapore's unique kopitiam culture.

Not for this couple, however, who blew up at an elderly man for trying to sit at what they apparently felt was a 'reserved' table.

According to a video posted by Thelocalsociety on Facebook, the incident took place at a hawker centre at Toa Payoh Lorong 8, though the date and time it occurred is unclear.

The clip starts off with the woman talking on her mobile phone, before ending the call and engaging in an argument with the old man.

Suddenly, her male companion rushed towards the elderly uncle from his back, giving the latter a hard shove and getting involved in the quarrel as well.

The elderly man was pushed forward from the impact, but managed to hold onto the table to support himself.

He then said, "She said [the table is] reserved," to which the younger guy responded, "Ya, reserved what".

The woman later also retorted, "People tell you that someone is sitting and yet you still want to argue."

A onlooker tried to break up the dispute and the video eventually ended with the elderly man leaving with his tray of food.

The video, which has been viewed 705,000 times on Facebook and garnered more than 17,000 shares, has sparked outrage, with netizens taking the elderly man's side.

Many slammed the couple for being disrespecting and said that pushing the old man was too much. They also pointed out that it was "just a table" that the couple could have simply shared.

One user commented, "Respect the elderly... if it's your parents being treated that way... how would u feel... where's the empathy..."

Another added, "Dress smart doesn't mean you have manners... It's sad to see this kind of "educated" people but lack of respect."

Let's be more gracious, everyone!

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